In this class, JP will provide a basic but comprehensive working introduction to Tarot history, concepts, and symbolism.

Topics will include the following subjects:

- Tarot history and tradition from the Middle Ages to the present

- What is a Tarot deck? Looking at the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana, and Court Cards

- An introduction to elemental energies and the numerical system of Tarot

- An overview of Tarot symbolism

- Exercises and journaling techniques to help you forge your own personal relationship to Tarot

- Basic spreads to put your knowledge of Tarot into practice

This class is appropriate for Tarot beginners and anyone looking for a basic understanding of Tarot, and is especially recommended to those who may already have a Tarot deck but are uncertain about how to go about using of it.

Participants are asked to bring their own Tarot deck to the class. We will use a classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck for instructional purposes, but the information presented will be applicable to any Tarot style including Thoth and Marseille. (Please note that oracle or "angel" decks are not part of the Tarot tradition, and won't be useful for the class.) A dedicated Tarot journal to take notes in is highly recommended, along with something to write with. A limited selection of Tarot decks will be available for sale at Crescent City Conjure.

About the instructor:

Born and raised in New York, JP has been living on Royal Street in the Faubourg Marigny – just a few blocks down from Crescent City Conjure – for 22 years.

JP brings more than thirty years of Tarot experience to his practice. He combines deep knowledge of Tarot symbolism and tradition with an intuitive approach individually tailored to each person he reads for.

As an holistic Tarot reader, JP also incorporate complementary modalities into his Tarot practice, including astrology, numerology, and Kabbalah.

For JP, Tarot is less a tool of predicting the future than something we can use to make the most of the present.

“Tarot is a mirror,” he says. “It reveals to you what you bring to it.”

In addition to an established private clientele, JP has done public readings in spaces around New Orleans, New York City, and Provincetown, Massachusetts. He also teaches introductory Tarot classes to groups and individuals and is currently working on a book about Tarot and visual culture.