While I was talking to them about it I thought, gosh, perhaps this would be an auspicious time to have them do a card reading for me? And we could share it with our radio listeners. The Browns readily agreed and proceeded to read the cards for my benefit and that of the thousands of people listening out there in radioland.
Since I’m a novice I didn’t really understand the significance of the card deck the Browns have designed, it is different from the traditional decks. They have gone to great lengths to create a deck that is gender-neutral. The names of some of the cards have been changed. There’s even an extra card in their deck.
Here’s a note from the detail page for the book on Amazon: “Born from pain—after James Brown IV sustained a life-threatening brain injury—this stunning digitally illustrated tarot deck is a work of love and affirmation that invites you to sit with your life experiences, be present to whatever arises, and experience challenges as opportunities for self-discovery, liberation, and healing.”
The Browns have roots in our area, Jannie still lives in Kettering. I did not know what to expect from their card reading. They took turns analyzing the significance of each card that I drew.
What they had to say was all positive. The Browns sought to create a deck of cards and a guidebook that would help bring people closer together, to make them feel good about themselves. They believe that we are all connected by “The Sacred Web.”
Jannie opens the book with this reflection upon seeing James designing the cards in the deck: “I have watched my son draw his way through the pain and anxiety of living in a reality transformed by traumatic brain injury. I have watched him step into the fire of loss and find the courage to let go of what might have been. I have watched him choose life, over and over again. And I have learned that this is the choice; to be present to what is without judgment, to be at peace with where you find yourself in each moment and to surrender yourself to the gifts of your own heart.”
“The Sacred Web Tarot Deck and Guidebook” is powerful and transformative.
Vick Mickunas of Yellow Springs interviews authors every Saturday at 7 a.m. and on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, visit www.wyso.org/programs/book-nook. Contact him at vick@vickmickunas.com.
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