Why I'm No Longer a Member of the American Tarot Association
New development 8/31/12: After querying the Editor of the ATA Journal about getting our Snowland Tarot Majors-only deck reviewed, I was told that my work was BANNED from mention by the ATA Board (helmed by Stephanie Arwen Lynch). In the past year, I've actually contributed my work to the Journal for free. Turns out, the decree went down right after the Spring 2012 issue...when my Tarot in Reverse was reviewed by John Marani. I guess Stephanie was livid that my book flew under her radar and ended up in the ATA Quaterly Journal. Interestingly, as you can see by the most recent ATA Quarterly Journal, Summer 2012, it's looking like Donnaleigh de LaRose and Tarot Professsionals are the new "stars" of the Journal...just like Stephanie "Arwen" Lynch likes it.
A little over a year ago, I paid $30 to become a member of the American Tarot Association.
Other than the fantastic ATA Quarterly edited by Elizabeth Hazel, the money was a total waste.
However, the main reason I didn’t renew my membership was because of the ATA President, Stephanie Arwen Lynch, aka Tarot By Arwen (who also sidelines as an erotica author).
She paints herself as a cuddly, seek joy, y'all southern belle...but behind the scenes, she is factious and petty.
How do I know? Well, for one, she works for U.S. Games Systems, Inc. as part of their "social media team". When I wrote my fictional eBook last year (that people had to buy on Amazon), she took it upon herself to ban me (and all my page incarnations) from the U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Facebook page. Didn't matter that my individual actions had NOTHING to do with USGS, nor its page.
Lynn Araujo, USGS Director of Communications, has tried to "unban" me, with Stuart Kaplan's regrets as to this happening at all, but apparently, Lynn can't figure out how to unblock me from participating on the USGS Facebook page. (Wait...just checked...it appears Lynn figured it out after all! I am able to post on the USGS Facebook page once again!)
Further, on her Tarot by Arwen Facebook page, particularly this post, Stephanie put out a call to all Tarot bloggers, saying:
Calling all Tarot bloggers. If you want to play along, comment below with your blog URL. Tarot Blog Round Robin. We will pick a topic to all blog on within the same time period. Because I know it can be like herding cats, here are the LOOSE parameters.
1. You have a Tarot blog.
2. You make the subject involve Tarot somehow (even if it's a short story.)
3. You link to the next person's blog.
We will start on Candlemas which is 2/1 and also Groundhog's day. The subject is "How can I be a better candle?"
I'm going to ask that we do this so each post links to the next person's post. For instance, my post would be blah blah blah and the last line would be something like "read the next Tarot Blog Round Robin post from Louise Underhill" and link to her post.
If you want to do this, just sign up with your link in the following comments by January 21st. That way I can compile all the names and let folks know whose blog to link to.
Sound good? Share this out to other Tarot bloggers, please and thank you.
So I sent a request to join on behalf of our group Tarot Blog Tarot Pals, which includes seven bloggers from all over the world.
I get a generic note from Stephanie saying, in effect, "Your membership was declined. Try again in a year."
If, in fact, the Tarot Pals were declined merely because of my fictional eBook, one has to wonder why Stephanie allowed Lisa Frideborg of Tarotize to join the group blog hop (Frideborg wrote a nasty post titled Why I Am Boycotting Janet Boyer, as well as another one ridiculing my apology...but, she probably realized how stupid she looked, and deleted it), as well as allowing someone named Violette Kitty (Krysten), who penned this nasty post called The Janet Boyer Situation. (Don't you just love the black background and unreadable purple font? Believe it or not, the owner of this blog isn't 13 years old...) However, Frideborg does make a guest-appearance praising Violette Kitty's post in the comments section, so you can see her "brightest blessings" there... (P.S. Anyone want to fill me in on what Jordan Hoggard said...and where? Curious Scorpio minds want to know!)
Oh, and don't forget Stephanie's public support of that skanky piece of work, Dan Donche...
The point of my blog post is this: if perceived "negativity" on the part of a blogger/author is grounds for preventing access to little online Tarot clubs and clusterfucks...then how is direct attacks on other Tarot bloggers/authors (often using the cards to justify their actions) somehow hunky dory? Yet, a fictional piece that had to be bought from Amazon somehow precludes inclusion and cameraderie in such groups, even to the point of engendering boycotts, marginalization and harassment?
What hypocrisy!
Allow me to take this opportunity to answer Stephanie "Arwen" Lynch and company using their own first blog topic How Can I Be a Better Candle?:
You can be a better candle when you stop cursing others as "darkness", acknowledge your shadow parts, shed your hypocrisy and truly practice the gospel of inclusivity, joy and kindness that you preach from your Tarot soapbox.
-- Janet
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