The Quilt of Life and The Tarot Journey

Dear Lynda:
I've just started working two days a week at a quilt shop. I stumbled onto it four years ago "by accident." It was because of the quilts I saw hanging in the shop -- art quilts, rather than traditional quilts -- that I decided I wanted to learn to quilt. I have made significant changes in my life over the past four years because of that event, bringing art, color and joy into my everyday routine. Many things about the job are just great. I'm not working there for the money ($7/hr), but rather because I want to learn more about fabric and what's out there in the quilting world. I'm not entirely sure things will go smoothly overall because the owner has never owned a business before and she has some major blind spots about communicating with customers and employees. I have the feeling I'm being given the opportunity to learn some personal issues as well as about fabric/business. And maybe to help the owner grow in her role. I also wanted to ask you for recommendations for books about Tarot. I only have one deck and its accompanying book (The Enchanted Tarot, which I really like because the cards feature miniature quilts). I also look for additional interpretations online. I'd like to branch out and don't know where to start. I'll probably end up taking some classes at some point, but right now I find that even with my limited understanding of the cards, I learn and grow as a result of what the cards tell me. I'd appreciate any advice.
Quilter, CO

Dear Quilter:
It's always so great to hear from you. I so enjoy knowing about the changes you've made and the ways you give yourself permission to go even deeper. Well, take this with a grain. Here's my thought about the shop: I believe your intuitions are correct, and the owner may not be able to keep up with the learning curve necessary for her to keep the shop afloat. But, interestingly enough, I see the possibility of a shop in your future. Your own little space. So, soak up all the knowledge you can and later, when the quilt is on the other wall, so to speak, you'll be able to reach out to your owner/friend and return the favor. I think she might benefit from taking some classes in basic business with an emphasis on money management and financial strategies for small businesses. Regarding the Tarot, I can't recommend face-to-face teachers enough. But that's because I enjoy learning that way. My journey of exploration with the Tarot has guided me from one wonderful teacher to another. I seem to take in knowledge/information on multiple levels when I'm working with someone in person. In general, the books by the well-known Tarot practitioners (you can find them by looking on Amazon. com) are all good. What I did when I was first learning was to start a card catalog. I used those big index cards and wrote everything about each card that I found in every book I encountered. That file is now huge, but I still use it when I teach. Also, The Tarot School, an online resource, used to be great. I haven't checked them out for years, but I think they're still around and they have a very nice overview of the basics of the tarot from various schools of thought. You might like them. And, having said all that, no matter how much information (other peoples' opinions and intuitions about the cards) you gather, your own psychic hits about the card in question or the card layout needs to trump the other information. Leap into the void, my friend. You'll either land safely or be taught to fly.
Lynda