Page 47 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2017

Iam pretty sure each of you uses the word ‘heart’ every day in your conversations or thoughts. For example; you might think about your heartbeat, you have a heart and show kindness, you decide on doing something heartfelt, you have a heartache and/or heartbreak, you ate too
much and have heart burn, there is a real heart throb in town, heart warmers, you are a carpenter and talk about heartwood, you enjoyed a hearty meal.
For me, heart attack is a word I am now very close to with my Mom recently su ering a heart attack. She is on the mend – thank goodness. I had the opportunity to speak to the surgeon about the understanding of how our heart is very connected to the brain. He said many studies had been done about
the brain and heart connection thus ‘mind, body, and spirit’ or ‘brain, body,
and heart’. This alone is fascinating. The heart plays an important role in our emotional experience by being connected at all times with the brain thus having feelings, like the brain and is central to most parts of our well-being. Of course we know it is one of the most vital muscular organs pumping in a rhythmic contraction. It is also the word we use when we speak about the ‘heart of an organization’ which might be referring to good leadership or a good hearted leader. We often refer to the heart of the city or the heart of the family, hearts are used in the deck of playing cards, and of course ‘I love you with all my heart’
to those very close to us. Our heart does very well with love, appreciation, and kindness. And harm comes with stress, and many other factors. Show those around you some human kindness, who knows you could also be literally mending their heart.
I encourage you to get out and walk with family and friends which is super good for your heart. Even an hour a day o ers so many bene ts. If you are blessed enough to live here you have every reason to enjoy. If you are visiting our coast please know we have miles and miles of accessible coastline and redwood forests to stroll in. The Stornetta Public Lands in Point Arena is rich and diverse in its environment as well as parks like Gualala Point Park and Salt Point.
There are a few local events that celebrate the heart. The Point Arena Lighthouse Full Moon tour is pretty romantic with the ocean sparkling under the moon. Come out Friday, February 10 at 6:00 and Saturday February 11 at 6:00. Please visit their web for all needed info at pointarenalighthouse.com/ visit/calendar-2. Enjoy the two exhibits at Gualala Art Center ‘What’s Love Got to do With It’ and ‘Sharing the Love’ both opening February 3-5. One thing I have always wanted to do was to attend a Mystery Theater Dinner which will be held February 25 and 26. For details on this event and others events too please visit their website at gualalaarts.org.
I encourage you to get out into the heart of the forest and explore. And mostly, appreciate the small stu and in this little way you make a big di erence for the well-being of your heart, your mind, and your spirit.
Tarot at a Crossroads: The Unexpected Meeting of Tarot & Psychology
psychology professor Victor Daniels and SSU graduate Kooch N. Daniels have just released their remarkable new book Tarot at a Crossroads: The Unexpected Meeting of Tarot and Psychology. Whether you’re familiar with the tarot or whether you’d like to explore using the cards in a new way, this deeply insightful book o ers you something of value. It draws on the experience that comes from the literally thousands of Tarot readings that Kooch has done, and from Victor’s forty years of teaching psychological knowledge and therapeutic skills at Sonoma State.
Book review by Jeane Slone
Retired Sonoma State University
A visually beautiful hardcover book,
it has 208 color illustrations, and its
engaging style draws you right in. Each
chapter is illustrated with cards from
a di erent tarot deck, from the earliest
printed deck, the Tarot de Marseilles, to widely diverse contemporary decks.
For someone seriously into the tarot, it is far more than “just another book on the Tarot.” It brings in insights from psychology not found in any other published work on the tarot. It addresses the relationship between reader and querent (or client, as you please.) It shows how to uncover thoughts, feelings, and sensations that underlie rst reactions to a card. It presents ways of working through both outer con icts and inner dilemmas to help make your readings more e ective. And it also o ers divinatory perspectives on every card in the deck that are enriched by psychological groundings.
For psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, and personal coaches it emphasizes that much of our thinking occurs as mental pictures and mind- movies—not just words and phrases. It shows how to use the tarot –and for that matter visual imagery of any kind in your work, introducing a new “representational” approach. You don’t have to know anything about traditional Tarot card interpretations, because the authors explain how to derive meanings from the concerns of the clients, who select images to from a face-up deck. It describes a variety of speci c techniques for using visual images e ectively. This includes using images to work through issues or foster creativity in relationships with multiple others, such as families or work groups. It also helps population like children, teenagers, and the very shy to discuss their concerns. Methods of using tarot imagery for couples as well as individuals are included.
Tarot At A Crossroads has something of value for all. Even if you don’t do tarot, you may enjoy browsing through the book and re ecting on its wonderful color images and what they evoke in you.
Come meet the authors of this book at Gaia’s Garden, Feb. 13, Monday 6-8PM.
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