Publicity

Shameless Self Promotion

Oracle of the Radiant Sun, Smith and Astrop

I came across this lovely deck, Oracle of the Radiant Sun, a few weeks ago. It ended up as many of the books and decks which come through Magus Books do, which I know I want to spend time with but don’t have the bandwidth for on the day they come in, in the back of my car. This morning I dug it out and was surprised at how lovely the vintage feeling cards are as well as the helpful book they came with. I am not an expert or do I even qualify as an astrology buff. My learning of this modality is in its infancy. I know Gemini season has just begun. I’ve had two natal chart readings with the amazing Natha Perkins at Electra Astrology I’m learning, and when I’m in a learning mode I’m usually pretty focused on the object of my attention. What I like about astrology is similar to what I like about tarot: the never-ending layers which can be peeled back and don’t grow old. Both seem to come back to ancient archetypes—there’s some overlap for sure. But I digress from the title of this post, PUBLICITY.

Jupiter in Leo

When I pulled this card from the oracle deck, I was surprised because I know from Natha that my Jupiter is in fact in Leo but publicity isn’t the first thing I considered in this aspect of my natal chart.

I love the multitude of symbols on this card. The womanly angel reaching for the stars while one knee is firmly planted on terra firma, with the four elements depicted by their colors equally. She waves her sun flag while looking off into the distance. She is both vision and practice, idea and execution. She is not afraid to announce her presence, her ideas, her curiosities. She is not afraid.

So what is this activity of publicizing?

Shameless Self-Promotion

To publicize is to talk up, advertise, push, build up, promote, boost, hype, plug, merchandise, ugh, ugh, ugh. All those words feel negative for me, even though I come from over thirty years in retail merchandising. Promotion is necessary, letting people know who and where you are, and what you offer. It’s the wheels of capitalism turning for better, and yes, often for worse. It’s linked to what I do almost every single day. Yet it’s not even close to the top of the list of what I like to do in my work life. To boost one’s work can be hard. I guess that’s why celebrities have publicists—it’s a career for those so inclined. I will say it is easier for me to promote a business like my bookstore versus promoting myself as a tarot reader and teacher. The latter is more personal and feels like “shameless self-promotion.” Even though self-promotion is necessary in this culture to survive and be successful, and SHOULD in fact be shameless, it seems to me we talk out of both sides of our mouths on this one. Publicity is a necessary component of “success,” yet we also feel like there is something slightly dirty about it, that self-promotion commodifies the sacred, whether it is art or energy work or other creative endeavors. Calling attention to ourselves can be difficult. It gets at a core fear, of being rejected. What if we aren’t good enough? What if they don’t like us?

But if we are called to be witnessed in what we do, by one or by many, publicity of one kind or another makes sense. Publicity as a calling to be witnessed, to make a part of ourselves “public,” is part of the human condition. We don’t want to exist in a bubble of mirrors, at least not all the time. Money can be involved but it is much more than that. We all have gifts and we can choose to share them like Leo in Jupiter, a capital large SHARE, or we may choose to share more quietly. If publicity is seen more as sharing what we love with the world, it doesn’t seem crude or dirty at all. It feels vulnerable. Publicity can reveal, teach, crack open, communicate and connect. Those words don’t feel negative. They feel human.

That being said…

And…

Summer Solstice Tarot Gathering

I am publicizing a gathering Laurie Blackwell and I have coming up, our fourth and final seasonal gathering over the past twelve months. This one will be celebratory of the Summer Solstice but will be largely tarot focused. If you can’t make the live event, there will be a recording. We would love it if you join us. The link is at the bottom of the invite.

Summer Solstice Tarot Gathering

As always, thank you for reading.

xoHanna