Santa Fe Tarot Tribe

Dear Santa Fe Tarot Tribe, and all our Bookish Diviners,

Nancy Drew- The Fortune Teller’s Secret by Carolyn Keene is our first May selection in awhile. Let's read this one for more than just plot and whodunnit. This familiar series from most girl's childhood gets a hard look.
Archetype or stereotype? The Nancy Drew series influenced both Justice Ruth Ginsberg as well as Sandra Day O’Conner. How does this series hold up in the 21st century?

We'll also take the time to link Nancy Drew's relevance by taking a look at The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar, Chapter 5 “Detective Work: Nancy Drew to Wonder Woman.”

Below is the list of the other upcoming selections:
Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman July 2026
From the Archive. Smart, dark, yet funny and totally unforgettable. Andromeda’s partner in occultism is dead and seems to be attempting to reach her from the beyond. Never mind that her mother has learned how to text, and that her hair is kinda horrible, and her forbidden much older “boyfriend” is AWOL. You’ll never see the Two of Swords the same. (Get a hard back copy with end papers if purchasing)

Magician and Fool by Susan Wands September 2026
Fictionalized account of the beginnings of Pamela Coleman Smith’s artistic life, the creator of the iconic Ryder-Waite-Smith (RWS) tarot deck. The author has also published much acclaimed High Priestess and Empress (book 2) as well as Emperor and Hierophant (book3).

American Ghost: A Family’s Extraordinary History on the Desert Frontier by Hannah Nordhaus November 2026
A biography of the house now known as La Posada, Santa Fe’s grand mansion and the haunting of its rooms by Julia Staab, dead since 1896. This is a tale that includes genealogists, historians, archivists, and family diaries as well as ghost hunters, spiritualists and tarot readers. (We hope to meet there for our book club meeting)

Daughter of the Tarot by Clare Marchant January 2027
Two women’s stories, linked by the tarot cards in their families. A mysteries that spans generations.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa March 2027
Just over 300 pages, a cozy book with a bit of magic. Set in modern Salem, the book is structured around the major arcana. A page turner from page one.

The Magician and the Fool by Barth Anderson May 2027
Author’s first novel The Patron Saint of Plagues is followed by a bitter academic in Central America who finds himself at the center of a mystery that dates back to the Fall of Troy. A mystical treasure, the earliest known tarot deck is the key.

For each book we will look for the tarot references found in the book (or magic or divination or...). After discussing the book, we will do a tarot card spread based on what we gleaned from the book. Please bring your favorite deck.

RSVP as soon as possible as space is limited to 8 (and that includes me). Please alert me if there is a change in your plans and you cannot attend. This will allow people on the waitlist to have a chance to attend. I will send out notes via email about one week before the bookclub meeting.

FAQ: What if I don't finish the book? A: It's okay if you don't finish the book, not finishing is a critique in and of itself.

Namaste, Dara

Let's dance a decan dance around the minor arcana, now with the zodiac month of Taurus. The start of Taurus, in April, is represented by the 5 of Disks/Pentacles, til the start of May as the 6 of Disks (May Day/Beltane to May 10th) and the last decan of Taurus is the 7 of Wands (May 11th to the end of Taurus).
Best decks to use for a decan dance are those that are aligned to the decans, indicating planet and sign right on the cards, such as the Thoth deck, and as always, the Rider, Waite, Smith is among the best. Of course if you have a favorite deck, bring it.
From our previous Decan Dance we will continue to use the Decan Wheel so bring your copy please. I'll bring copies for newcomers as well. That's the beauty of the decans, you can start anywhere.

This is not an event, but a notice that meetup.com has ongoing problems with website maintenance and membership notifications.
When someone asks to join the Santa Fe Tarot Tribe Meetup, we approve their request and then Meetup is supposed to send a welcoming letter.
Sometimes, Meetup does not send that letter :-(
Sometimes, the requestor is not even saved to the meetup.com database. If you asked to join the Tarot Tribe, your membership was approved whether or not you got a letter! Please come to the gatherings you like, and know that you are a member in good standing. :-)