Perhaps because I staged-managed Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit at college, I find certain forms of spiritualism interesting. When I saw that the Morgan Library was offering tarot card readings I jumped. I almost didn’t make it because there was space for only twelve people and I was the twelfth in line.
Before my reading I checked out the exhibit, Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions. I know very little about tarot but many of the designs are beautiful and the attendees, many in highly original outfits, made for great people- watching.
Tarot originated in Renaissance Italy but wasn’t associated with the occult for many centuries.. On display in the exhibit’s first gallery are the Visconti-Sforza Tarot cards, the most famous surviving Renaissance deck. (J.P. Morgan was a tarot fan who acquired thirty-five rare cards from this deck.)
The second gallery deals with twentieth century mystics and works by artists including Niki de Saint Phalle, Betye Saar, and Chris Ofili.
I got my ticket at five PM but my reading wasn’t until seven thirty (which turned into eight pm as sessions were running late.) In between I had a very late lunch of a delicious turkey salad at the café; read and went to the exhibit.
The reader, Rhonda Alin, (www.rhondaalin.com) was a
Rhonda Alin, Tarot reader
charming woman who gets booked for parties and events. She began by asking me if I wanted a ‘general’ reading or preferred to focus on a specific. I chose a specific which I won’t go into.
Rhonda began by shuffling the cards many times, cutting them and shuffling some more. She cut the deck into three equal parts and began her reading.
The outcome was sort of positive but left many avenues open which I suspect is true of other quasi-occult practices like horoscope reading or plain old fortune telling. Years ago I had my palm read by a fortune teller in India; I told him absolutely nothing about myself and was amazed when he told me many specifics about my life.
The Morgan reading was fun. Will what I learned influence any behaviors? Will the outcomes suggested really happen? I haven’t the faintest idea. I do know that this turkey salad is quite different than the Morgan’s which included paper-thin watermelon radishes, goat cheese and a sprinkle of some ingredient I couldn’t identify. This also assumes you have leftover turkey which might be true right after Thanksgiving.
Turkey Salad (Go right ahead and use chicken)
Turkey Salad a la Morgan
4 cups chopped leftover turkey
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar (personally I’d omit this)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup sliced scallions
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Combine all in a bowl. Mix together well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Read your horoscope if you like. Read Blithe Spirit or find it on YouTube—it’s dated but charming. Unhappy with your home décor? Engage a feng shui expert. If you want to get truly entangled with tarot, look it up in Wikipedia.
Oh, and the Nine of Cups is known as the “Wish Card” in tarot. It represents emotional fulfillment, satisfaction, and abundance. It didn’t turn up in my reading.