Kitchen Sink Spirituality – Kim

You're listening to women's radio station. This is Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality. And I'm very happy today to be able to introduce you to one of the most innovative and dynamic people in the Tarot community. And I'm going to introduce you to this lady in a moment. But first of all, I just want to remind you that what Kitchen Sink Spirituality is about. So I see it as my role to bring you news of events, people, what's going on out there in the London holistic scene. I think we're very lucky to live in such a spiritual oasis, if you like. There's so much going on. And so each week I hope to bring you really good speakers, good presenters, people who are movers and groovers on the London spiritual scene. And without further ado, then I'm going to introduce you to the very wonderful Kim Arnold. Hi, Kim. Hi, Avril. Thank you for having me. It's an absolute honour to be here. Well, I think the privilege is all mine because I know that you are a very busy lady. So thank you so much for taking time out in your schedule to drop by and have a chat with us. Thank you. Thank you. So, Kim, how do we sum up what you do? Because you're a lady of many talents and you do lots of different things, particularly within the Tarot community. First of all, I think what I'd like to do is, can you describe what the Tarot community means to you? What is it? Well, I think for me, the Tarot community is bringing together people that have the same love of Tarot and you know, Tarot. As you well know, Avrohom is one of those things that we've really fought hard over the decades to be recognized as something other than end of peers, readers. And, you know, there's so much diversity within the Tarot world and the Tarot community that the opportunity to bring us together really sharing a passion of something that we love and something that we enjoy learning and that we want to learn more, you know, because we're never going to know it all. I think the Tarot community is a really rich and diverse community of people that we're a little bit odd, you know, but I say that with a great heart and great passion. I think we have so much in common with Tarot and I think there's many people that have been on a difficult journey with their Tarot, you know, just trying to be accepted as someone that loves something that's a little bit different to what's supposed to be the norm. Yes, I Get completely what you're saying. I think we are a little bit left of center. I think you've got to be to be able to appreciate tarot, partly because I think there's such a lot encapsulated there. Because it's not just about divination, but it's about tarot art and it's about that. You've got to be really visual and a little bit quirky. And I certainly think you've got to live on the coal face to be able to appreciate what Tarot is. Oh, definitely. And I think that, you know, each decade that passes, it evolves a little bit more. And you see wild and weird and wonderful decks coming out. Not everyone's cup of tea, but you know, somebody loves them somewhere. And I just think that it's something that will continue to evolve and continue to be treated as more than just this simple tool of fortune telling, as you say. I think that the tarot community coming together is helping this for us not to look like silly people anymore. We are people with many people in the Tarot community. If I had an ounce of their knowledge, I would just be blown away. Yeah, I completely agree with you. So there are lots. You've got lots of other hats. You're a Hay House published author. I am. And what's the title of your book, please? So we've got Tarot, which is part of the basics range of Hay House. And Tarot Masters, which was a book that I produced for the 10th anniversary of the Tarot Conference. And Tarot Masters is a book which really relates to 10 years of hard slog of creating the Tarot Conference and growing it to where it is now. And I'm sure we'll talk about that a bit later. But I had this idea and I have to also acknowledge Geraldine Beskin of Atlantis Bookshop, who also helped me come up with this idea that each of our prominent speakers of the past had a different personality. So I equated each one to a different Tarot card. So that was how the book came about. And I wrote the book and I self published it and hey came along and they bought the rights for the book. So that was. That was the other book by Hay House. I read that book and that book came into my life at a time when I really needed a bit of an oomph. I was feeling a bit lost in the wilderness and it was great to be able to read other people's stories about what they did and their approach to working with Tarot. It provided me with a great Comfort. So. So I'm going to advise our listeners. You know, if you really want some inspiration, then do go out and get this book by Kim Arnold, and it's called Tarot Masters. Tarot Masters. And if I can just add that one of the inspirations for the book also was that I was always curious as to what gets people into tarot. What's that first moment when they pick up a tarot deck? And as the people in the book have become published authors themselves or artists, Tarot artists is what inspired them. And there's so many different stories, and I won't give too much away, but there is a story of one of our great, great speakers who stole a pack of tarot cards when she was a teenager. And she went home, and her mother said, where did you get them from? Knowing she didn't have any money, and marched her back to the shop and where she had to apologize and give the cards back. And the gentleman who owned the shop said that she had to come off to school and sweep up and help tidy up as punishment. And so these two became great friends, and he became her tarot mentor. And she's a great name in the tarot world today. So, you know, from little stories come great things. From little acorns, oak trees grow. This is true. That's a lovely story. Which actually brings us very nicely, Kim, to me asking you, how did you get into the tarot business? Okay, so I've always been fascinated by tarot and witchcraft and, you know, many, many different aspects of spirituality also. And I was about 18 years old. I was living in London at the time. And my cousin and I went to a clairvoyant evening. I'd never been to one before. And I ended up sitting in the front row, very, very shy. So goodness knows how I ended up in the front row. But the lady who was doing the demons handed me her wedding ring and announced to the group that I was going to demonstrate psychometry. So she said to me, just close your eyes and tell me what you see. So very nervously, I closed my eyes, and I was transported into this house, and I was explaining things that I was seeing, walked around the house. And she said, oh, God, that's very good, and that's psychometry. And as I handed her the ring back, I said to her, I have an overwhelming feeling of hate for you. And my cousin said to me, what do you say that for? And I went, I don't know. It just fell out my mouth. And I said to the lady, I'm sorry, I Don't really. And, you know, I was all sort of embarrassed. Anyway, at the end of the evening, she called me over and she said that she'd been watching me through the demonstration and saw something a little bit special within me. And she said those words that you said to me right at the end, she said, I'm just divorcing an extremely abusive husband, she said. And I saw him funny enough today, she said. And we were talking about the finances and all the rest of it, of getting divorced. And I said to him, I have an overwhelming feeling of hate for you. She said. And the words that came out of your mouth, she said, I was just blown away because I had said those exact words just a few hours prior. So the lady came from the Spiritual association of Great Britain, and she said to me, she was working with this gentleman. She said, we would like you to come back and to study, get to. To work on your skills. And I said, no, can you believe that? And she said, why? And I said, oh, no, if we start conjuring up ghosts, they're going to follow me home. So she said to me, okay, so what about tarot? So she said, go get yourself a pack of tarot cards and come back next Wednesday, whatever, after work. I was working for Lloyds bank in Longacre in Covent Garden at the time. It could be two different worlds completely. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And she said, I'll be waiting for you. And so went down to mysteries, bought a pack of IJJ Swiss tarot, turned up there on the Wednesday evening, and she was there waiting for me. And she said to me, right, I hadn't even unsealed the cards, she said, unsealed them, she said, and lay a few cards for me. And I thought, how ridiculous, how can I do that? It's like speaking French when you don't really, you know. So I tiptoed over these few cards and, you know, and so the intuition just started to flow through me. I love these stories. They're just so, I don't know, they're so uplifting and I can really resonate with that story. So before we go back to it, we're going to go for a quick break. Women's radio station will give a voice to your brand, Advertise your product, services or goods on air with a package tailored to suit you. For more information, visit womensradiostation.com hi, I'm Michelle Bartlett, the founder of Live Laugh Love Ladies Club. We're looking for ladies to link arms across the globe. 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Join now by visiting reallyhelpfulclub.com this is women's radio station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality, the voice of holistic London. And I'm in conversation with the very fabulous Kim Arnold, who has just absolutely smashed us with this fabulous story about how she came into this world through psychometry. And for those listeners who don't know what psychometry is, it's the art of reading inanimate objects because there's a kind of belief that everything holds energy and it's a real skill, it's a real gift to be able to psychometrize an article and tell its story. And so it was quite amazing how that woman kind of pulled you out the audience there. And I just love these stories because it's the way the universe works. The universe really does work in very mysterious ways and I can resonate to that from my own background because that's how I got into platform mediumship, that somebody said, oh, you'll be good on the platform. The next thing you know, of course you're there and you're doing it. So Tarot. So you do readings yourself? Yeah. Do you do readings like every day? Is it part of your career or are you involved in other things? I do do readings for clients. Not so many, I have to be honest, because I am quite busy with, you know, the Tarot Festival, Tarot Conference, writing and all sorts of Things, So I am actually quite busy. But I do do a few clients throughout the week, maybe so. And I do teach tarot as well. But I also run a meditation group which is really special, really close to my heart. My med group, I have a monthly group where people come and it's a real steady, fixed group. Now there's about 16 of us in my sitting room once a month, which is quite interesting and just a way of just channeling the meditations and, you know, just chilling out with that. Meditation is very helpful for people, isn't it? Oh, absolutely. Do you witness a change in people as they go through the process of meditation? Absolutely. What do you think that it brings to people? I think it brings peace. And, you know, one of the first things I say when people sit in my group and I put on some very quiet music and I just say to everyone, just shut your eyes, just breathe. And you can. And I watch the room and you literally see the shoulders go down and the mouth just slightly open as people. You can see for the first time in that month that they've literally stopped for themselves. And I think that's what we forget to do. We forget to stop, stop for ourselves because we're so busy working, cooking, cleaning, dealing with things, you know, and family issues and work issues, whatever it might be. And that meditation is just that chance just to heal yourself. You know, I run my group's about an hour and 15 minutes. And everybody. And this is absolutely true, the night they leave me, they say they sleep like a log. And. And if only we could bring that practice into our. That discipline into our lives a little bit more, I think we would absolutely all benefit from that. So, you know, we can actively encourage that. Everyone should have some kind of meditative practice. Yeah. And even if it's just, I'm going to have five minutes to myself, I'm going to turn off the television, turn off all the white noise and just sit and just breathe. And if I can just share very quickly, one of the things I say to my people, if you, you know, if you've just got a few minutes, just imagine a tiny white feather at your feet and just close your eyes and as you breathe in, just see the little feather rise. And as you breathe out, see it fall. And just see the rise and fall of the feather as it works with your breathing. And it's just a simple little thing, but it keeps the focus and it keeps your breathing. It helps you to monitor your breathing, if you like, in a nice steady way. It'll work with Your blood pressure. It'll bring your blood pressure down. It'll bring the tension down, and it'll bring clarity to any, you know, spaghetti nonsense that's going on in your head. Do you know I'm right there with you? That feather was there wafting up and down. And it works, doesn't it? It really does. Absolutely. Now, there's lots of things I want to talk to you about, because I want to talk to you about Tarot festival. I want to talk to you about Tarot conference. I want to talk to you about Tarot food plan. I want to talk to you about this oracle. But, Kim, first, can you please tell us the story? I remembered I wanted to ask you this about how you went to Universal Studios. Oh, wow. Yes. Because wasn't there a film or something that was using tarot cards? Yes, there was. So tell us the story about that then. Okay. So I was approached by Universal to work on the Wolfman film with Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's daughter, who was playing a gypsy in the film, and she was using tarot cards. So they built this vardo. And just a bit of a funny story about that because they built this gypsy caravan. And the director came along and he said, kim, could you come and check it out for me? That it's all authentic and. Okay, well, I've been in as about as many gypsy caravans as I have space rockets, you know. So I thought, well, it looks good to me. There was a chandelier, lots of red velvet. I thought, yeah, this will do. Is it authentic, Kim Will? Yeah, I think so. Anyway, so Geraldine Chaplin, what a wonderful, wonderful lady. She was never seen tarot before in her life. But I had to do some research. The film was set in the early 19th century. So part of the research I had to do was to research the tarot cards, which would have been used for that at that particular time, and how the Victorians and before that would use the tarot cards. So some really interesting finds, if you like. So we use the atelier deck, which was provided by Lascarabeo. And one of the things that I didn't know after all the years I've been reading Tarot is that the Victorians were actually very superstitious when they read the Tarot. And quite often what they would do, they would lay them in a format of a cross, a Christian cross. So they would do maybe sort of four or five cards down and then maybe two each side near. So when you looked at it visually, it looked like a Christian cross. So what I realized Is that even the Romanists were hedging their bets. You know, it's like, we're gonna read the tarot. But yeah, just in case, we'll just put it in this, in this symbol. So Geraldine and I, we worked together with the cards and just spoke a little bit about their meanings. And of course the most important thing for her was how she laid the cards on this tiny weeny table in the vardo. But then what actually happened is that while I was waiting between takes, cause did have my own trailer, can you believe that? But outside the trailer was a line of production all lining up to have their tarot read. So I certainly earned my money, that's for sure. Because everyone there was costume there and there was like people in little. Because it was a wolf man, little wolfman suits, you know, that were part of the set. All queuing up outside. I wish I'd had had taken a photograph because you couldn't have made it up. And they were coming in, having readings, so people were really. Yeah, they were really blown away by that and it was lovely. And I did keep in touch with Geraldine for a little bit and I gave her the cards after and she was absolutely blown away by that. Oh, that's a lovely story. You must have been quite a cobra. Well, I was, but you know, I was. I never see that in myself. You know, I always think, oh, you know, go look at them over there, don't look at me, because I just get on with it. That's a test of great humility. Yeah, thank you. But, yes, but it was, it was wonderful and it was a wonderful experience. So this just goes to show just, just how well established you are in the kind of. I was going to say new age field, but that's not quite right, the tarot field. And certainly, you know, you're very well connected, shall we say, because you put on these marvelous festivals and conferences. How long have you been doing this? Well, the conference is now in its 15th year. 15th year. It's amazing. Yeah. You know, when I did the first one, I honestly, and I swear to goodness, I honestly did not expect to still be going. I thought it would just be like a one off, let's see how it goes. And that would be the end of it. I think what I didn't anticipate was people's passion for tarot and how quickly the conference has grown throughout the years. And you know, when I started, when I started the conference 15 years ago or 16 years ago, I had a lot of hassle with an evangelist church. I used to have a shop called Enchantment down in Kent. And the Evangelist church moved into the place where I was and caused me no end of hassle. I mean, real intimidation, terrible. It's a whole show on its own as to how they treated me. And, and so from that, you know, my husband said, you've got a choice, Kim. You can either shut your shop and walk away or, you know, you stick your head above the parapet. And that's what I did. And that was one of the reasons why the Tarot conference was born. Oh, thank you for that. I'm dying to know more about this story with the evangelist, you know, but we're gonna go into a quick break now and then we'll come back and chat some more. Hi, I'm Michelle Bartlett, the founder of Live Laugh Love Ladies Club. We're looking for ladies to link arms across the globe. This is a new vibrant brand connecting women socially. Our club members enjoy great food, fun and inspiring speakers whilst making friends in a room of all generations. If you're a social butterfly in the community, this fast growing franchise could be for you. If you would like to know more about stepping into our pink shoes, then look at the business opportunity page on our website. Live Laugh Love Ladies club also@womensradiostation.com Women's radio station will give a voice to your brand. Advertise your product, services or goods on air with a package tailored to suit you. For more information visit womensradiostation.com hi, I'm Sarah Austin and I'm the founder of Thereally Helpful Club, an online and offline community that helps supports and connects thousands of women in our personal and business lives. We are buzzing. Join us to share and discover your best ideas. Come to our events to meet other members and learn something new book now for our London workshop on 10 May helping you prepare for and manage the menopause. Membership is free. 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For more information please visit www.thesoapcode.org or for business inquiries please email B2B that's letter B number 2B at the soapco.org hi, my name is Gary Parker and my company is called CNT Associates. We provide fundraising, business support and training services for small businesses, charities and non profit making organizations. We've raised over £20 million since 2003 and we'd like to help you. Visit us@cntassociates.com or on Twitter NT Associates. This is women's radio station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality, the voice of holistic London. And I'm in conversation with the very wonderful Kim Arnold. And I've got to say, I'm really enjoying myself this afternoon. These are fabulous stories and I'm right there with you. So we've got to now talking about the Tarot conference and Kim told us that been running for 15 years. And how did that say it started from? Tell us again, remind us where it started from. It started from the evangelist knocking at my door and then my blood pressure rising, felt mine going up too. And so that was sort of the beginning and that intimidation of them. And I decided, you know what, we've got to bring Tarot out of the shadows because we've got to put it in a place where we're not end of the Pierce staff that were not there to be ridiculed. So I pulled out all the stops and I put on at huge expense and to my husband's nearly having a heart attack, but I put on the London Art House in Islington. Beautiful, beautiful building. Put on the first ever Tarot conference in the uk. And, you know, in those days I didn't really have that many connections and I don't know where I pulled these people out the bag, but I did. And Lisa Tenzin Dahlmer, who done the Glastonbury Tarot, she was one of my very first speakers. Naomi Ozenik, she was also one Paul Hughes Barlow. So these were like my initial speakers at the very first Tarot Festival. And so, you know, we had this fabulous building. There was probably about 40 people there. It was not well attended. But then I didn't really have the networks then to get the word out there, but it was wonderful. And people were saying next year. And then people were getting in contact with me. Have you got the dates for next year? So I thought, well, I'll do it one more time and then we'll see how it goes. And then just slowly over the years, you know, and now it has real international acclaim. They come, you know, attendees come from largely they came from Brazil, Australia, America, Canada. They come from all over the world to my conference, as do the speakers. And whereas years ago I used to be, you know, hovering over these, the email, thinking, I'm going to ask so and so to speak, dare I And now I sort of. I don't say I sit back and take it for granted, but actually, you know, people are queuing up to speak at the conference. So it's wonderful how it has evolved. Yeah. And it really is a global event. Yes. And I think it deserves to be because it's really well run and it's an opportunity for the community to get together and to take part in something together. But also you get the opportunity to meet the real top draw movers and groovers in the Tarot world. Because this year you have Rachel Pollock and Benny Belwen, both huge. Absolutely thrilled to have both of them come over from America to speak. So it's going to be amazing. And we are in a new venue this year as well which is in Kensington High street, the Holiday Inn at Kensington High Street. So it's a bigger venue than the venue in the Barbican where we've been for the last few years. So it's exciting all around. This year, not only have we got two hugely respected speakers, but we've also got a new fabulous venue. So a real shift of energy. Year 15. As you know, Avril, we're in the devil year, so we do. One thing my conference does do is it follows a major arcana through the years. So this is going to be a very interesting year as we explore the negatives and positives of 15. I mean, that's not the whole conference. There's just a few speakers that touch on the 15 card. But I think it's going to be a very interesting conference issue. So perhaps you could tell us then what we can expect. So if somebody who's never been to a conference before, what can they expect to happen? Okay, so one of the other reasons for the Tarot conference was, as I was a professional reader 15 years ago, is that I had nowhere else to go and I was, you know, teaching Tarot and my formats were all very much the same and you know, it was good quality stuff, but there was nothing really revealing then anymore. And I thought, well, where do I go to learn as a professional reader? So the Tarot conference is really open. You would need to have some knowledge of Tarot. You don't need to be an advanced or professional, but you would need to have opened your cards and used them and have a little bit of knowledge. So we don't really open to true beginners, but what do you expect? Well, you will walk away, I promise you, with something you didn't know when you got there. You will walk away with new techniques. You will Walk away with another hundred friends from the Tarot community. And particularly with social media, you know, Facebook and Instagram and all the rest of it is that we all know we all have Tarot friends on these social medias. And it's events like the Tarot Conference and the festival where these people come together and you see these people in the flesh and you see those friendships and the communities growing. What's interesting to me is that even people that fly in every year to the conference is that they greet people like old buddies, you know, arms open. Oh, my God. You know, it's like a year ago. It really is quite unique what we offer, and I'm really looking forward to it this year, I must say. But I just wanted to just to jump on the back of the devil for those people who are listening. There's always a lot of controversy around this card because, you know, one of the things that's generally lobbed at us is that tarot is the devil's work, or the devil is very dark and satanic. But actually, he's not that, is he? No, he's not. And I think, you know, we all have devil situations in our life where we are in situations where we would rather not be, but we're not brave enough to lift the chains. And, you know, that obviously is part of the devil's meaning. So there is a sense of entrapment about it, if you like. And I think if we had a greater understanding of how to work positively with something that we see negatively, then, you know, we'd all live much more harmoniously. I often see the devil card as being almost like your best friend because he's like the great liberator, because it's like, see, if you can get past me, then you deserve your freedom. Absolutely. And of course, we go from him into the tower, which is next year. So that's going to be an interesting, interesting one. It's definitely going to be an interesting one. Definitely. So there's also another event that you organize. You are such a busy lady, really dynamic. And that's the Tarot Festival. Yes, and I'm looking forward to that as well. Last year I was very privileged to be asked to speak, and I enjoyed it immensely. And this year you've got some really cool people speaking. So do you want to run us through what people can expect at the Tarot Festival? Okay, so the Tarot festival is on the 2nd of June. It's an event that I run with the ladies from Atlantis Bookshop. So. And where's Atlantis bookshop? It's in 49AMuseum street in London. And what is it? It's an esoteric shop of books, basically. But they, they sell everything. And Geraldine and Barley Beskin are just so knowledgeable about anything to do with spirituality, particularly the history of Tarot and everything else to do with that. But yes. So at the Tarot Festival. So we have. The Tarot Festival is a lot more laid back than the conference. The conference is much more structured. So the Tarot Festival, you come, you go, but there is a full program. And so what we have, we have a golden ticket offer. And the golden ticket is access all areas. So you get into every talk, every lecture, every workshop, or you can pay on the door and you can pay for workshops individually. So we have the wonderful Mary Greer coming in from the States for the Tarot Festival Liz Dean is launching. Well, she has already launched the Game of Thrones tarot, but she's going to be there signing copies and talking about that. We have the wonderful David, David Wells, who many people know with his Kabbalah book and he's going to be talking very briefly about that, but also doing book signings. Jane Struthers, well, she's done so many different titles for Watkins Books and many more. Richard Abbott, wonderful numerologist. He's spoken at the conference many times and he's a real favorite of mine. Juliet Sharman Burke of the mythic Tarot. She again, a wonderful speaker, wonderful lady. And Geraldine Beskin. I was on the program, but the program got so packed I had to take myself off. So that's a bit gutted. So I'm going to be floating. I'll be floating on the day for anybody that needs me. I've got to say, you know that you very much are a hidden light in that case because I think that what you bring to the table is just amazing. We're going to talk a little bit more about the Tarot Festival after the break. Hi, I'm Michelle Bartlett, the founder of Live Laugh Love Ladies Club. We're looking for ladies to link arms across the globe. This is a new vibrant brand connecting women socially. Our club members enjoy great food, fun and inspiring speakers whilst making friends in a room of all generations. If you're a social butterfly in the community, this fast growing franchise could be for you. If you would like to know more about stepping into our pink shoes, then look at the business opportunity page on our website. Live Laugh Love Ladies Club. Also@womensradiostation.com Women's radio station will give a voice to your brand. Advertise your product, services or goods on air with a package tailored to suit you. For more information, visit womensradiostation.com hi, I'm Sarah Austin and I'm the founder of Thereally Helpful Club, an online and offline community that helps, supports and connects thousands of women in our personal and business lives. We are buzzing. Join us to share and discover your best ideas. Come to our events to meet other members and learn something new. Book now for our London workshop on 10 May helping you prepare for and manage the menopause. Membership is free. Join now by visiting reallyhelpfulclub.com Please also find us on thewomensradio station.com Hollywood Babes is a unique ladies wear boutique situated in Thought Bay Broadway in South Bend on Sea. We carefully select all our lines and offer you only the very best in women's clothing. Here at Hollywood Babes we enjoy you look and feel the part. Whether it is for a special occasion or loungewear, we can help you find that special something to make you feel a million dollars. So pop on down to Hollywood Babes, Thought Bay Broadway, Essex and get ready to be styled. Adam and Alice London are a British luxury fashion label offering timeless collections for bold and beautiful women at affordable prices. 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If you purchase a five litre bottle for a business, this creates around two hours of employment for somebody who is blind, disabled or has a long term health condition. For more information please visit www.thesoapcode.org or for business inquiries please email B2B, that's letter B, number two bhesopco.org hi, my name is Gary Parker and my company is called CNT Associates. We provide fundraising, business support and training services for small businesses, charities and non profit making organizations. We've raised over £20 million since 2003 and we'd like to help you. Visit us and tassociates.com or on Twitter NT Associates Women's Radio station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality, the voice of holistic London. And we're in conversation with Kim Arnold and we've been talking the Tarot Festival which is going to be in Finsbury park on 2 June. It is, yes. And I'm just looking at the program here and I'm going, oh, this is so exciting because we've got Mary Kay Grey, as you said, she's talking about the life and art of Pamela Colman Smith. I mean, we could do a whole programme just about her work. Could we? Absolutely. I mean, what is she, what is Pamela Coleman Smith, very briefly? Oh, she's an unrecognized star that's actually now coming into her own because, you know, for 100 years, this extremely talented lady who painted a deck of 78 cards which really she didn't have the acknowledgement for that she deserved. I think now she is truly acknowledged as such a powerful woman. There's something like over a billion decks of Rider Waite Tarot being sold and her name isn't even in the title. And this woman is absolutely going to be honored in our lifetime and beyond now because we Won't allow it to be any other way. Absolutely. So I'm really looking forward to hearing what Mary has to say about that. And then of course, this is the Game of Thrones tarot. When I heard that this was coming out, I thought, wow, that's, that's, that was a stroke of genius. Yes, absolutely. So we've talked about conference. Remind us of the date of the conference. That's in October, isn't it? Yeah, the 19th and 20th of October. And all the information is on a very easy website which is www.tarotconference.co.uk and you'll see all the different tags at the top of the homepage for the festival and for the conference program. So I now want to turn to something that I think holds your affection and that's the Tarot food plan. Tell us about that. Well, the Tarot food plan as a constant. Yo, yo, Dieter. For the last goodness knows how many years. I was just at the end of my tether one day and I think I'd done a few readings for ladies with lots of different issues going on. And, you know, it occurred to me that people come to us as Tarot readers because A, of course they trust us and B, because they're, you know, often looking for some emotional support within a situation. So I was at a point where I was not really controlling my food. My weight was getting out of control and I just had this light bulb moment and I thought, well, why am I consulting the cards on this? But of course, with me it's never that simple because there's always a story that goes with it and always like usually about three months worth of work. So then I started to think about Tarot cards and food. And of course the four suits relate to different elements and those elements in my tariff plan relate to different types of food. But what I actually did is I rewrote the whole Tarot deck to equate to an emotional meaning rather than a physical meaning. So the idea was that Tarot was to become my friend. Through the process of doing the Tarot food plan, myself and eight ladies got together who were all into Tarot, all needed to lose weight and we embarked on the tariff food plan. And I'm saying it very simplistically here, but there was quite a lot to it in the, in the beginning when we were devising it and between us and we had a 40 day plan which is a 40 minor arcana less the court cards, and we lost, well, we lost 77 pounds between us. Wow. Over 40 days and I said, we can't lose 77 pounds. It has, has to be 78 because it's 78. So bless Helen hall. Mention her by name, who literally ran round the block and got the extra pound off. So when we did the final weigh in, we'd lost 78 pounds in 40 days following the tarot food plan. But each of us said that the emotional support. So every day you pull a different card and then obviously the, the meanings are there for you to look up. And when you have a wobble, when you want to just consume your body weight in chocolate, you think, well, what does this card mean? Why am I reaching out for the chocolate? Just stop for a minute and look at this card and work with it. So not only were the group really connecting with their cards on a different level, they were losing weight and they were getting the support from the cards that they were needing, rather than just saying, oh, well, who cares whether I eat this chocolate or not? And so that's what happened. And the tarot food plan has been a real labor of love. I have now written all the recipes for the different suits and at some point it will go into a book, but I just haven't had time to do that yet. But it's all there for Download on the tarofoodplan.co.uk, where you can website. But I just think using tarot as an emotional tool is. It really is supportive and it really is something that anyone can do. You know, you don't even have to follow me. You can devise your own. It's not an issue. And then I wrote the 22 day major. What did I call it? The major shift plan, which I thought was a good name that just came from nowhere. So the 22 major shift, quick weight loss loss, but not silly weight loss, but quick weight loss following a food plan over 22 days using the. The major arcana. So basically you pull a card. Once you use that card, you put it to one side so you never repeat the same card again. That sounds intriguing. So, yeah, no, and it works. It truly does work. Because when I was reading about your tariff plan, because I'm the member of your tariff plank group. You are Facebook. Yes. I was intrigued that the suits mean different types of diet. So people who are not completely aware of Tarot. Tarot, the minor arcana are grouped into four different suits and each has a different element. So that's earth, Earth, water and fire. Yeah. So for example, if you pulled a fire card, one of the wands, what kind of Food, would that sort of suggest that I could or couldn't eat? Okay, so just going through the very close. So if you pulled an earth card. So if you pulled a pentacle, then it would be foods of the earth. So it would be vegetables. It would be a day that had a little bit more substance than a different suit, for example, air. So if you pulled a sword, that would be a light day. So it would be something like, for example, a salad or just something that didn't have a whole lot of calorific value to it. And fire. So your wands. It would be maybe something like a chili, a vegetarian chili or a meat chili, whatever you know, floats your boat. A curry, something warm. Or it would be something that just had. Or something that you would cook over the fire, over the flame, over the grill, and then the water, which is the cups. It would be either soups, smoothies, or fish. So each. And, you know, I'm just saying it very simple, simply, but that's the basis of each suit, that it relates to a different type of food. So A, you don't get bored, and B, it just gives you some flexibility as well. I have to say, I have tried it and it does inspire you. And for someone who likes to work in groups but doesn't always get the time to. Tarot is a marvelous. I was going to say substitute, but that's not fair. It's not a substitute. You see, it's something quite unique on its own. But it is really helpful because it does give you the same structure as if you were doing a diet plan with a group of people. And of course, the Facebook group is fantastic because I've noticed that the ladies are all very honest with each other. Very inspiring and very encouraging. And I love that, that kind of honesty. And it just gets to the heart of the matter. Yeah. And at the end of the day, we're only human, you know, particularly as women, you know, where we get emotional outbursts, these, these sort of up and downs of, you know, hormones, if you like. Even when we're older, it's like this still seems. Seem to kick in, I think just we're going to have bad days and we're going to have good days. And I think women as a group. And interestingly, everyone on the food plan is a woman. And that's not chosen like that. It's just the way that it is. But we get it, you know, when someone puts on that Facebook group, God, I feel terrible today. I've, you know, I've been really naughty for want of a better word, it doesn't matter, because tomorrow's another day. Pull a card. What are you getting? What do you need to, you know, what do you need to look at? I think that's such a wonderful, innovative idea. And I think that's. Every time I. I think of you, I always think of Innovator. Thank you. We were going to talk Oracle cards because I've got an Oracle deck in front of me. So very quickly, what's this Oracle deck about that I have in front of me? Okay, well, Victoria France's Oracle deck is of Gothic deck. And I was approached a few years ago to write the book to it. I was a little bit out my comfort zone because the cards, as you can see, Abra, they're sort of quite negative. They're not like, usually fluffy. They're moody. They're moody, yes. And so what I had to do was to pick a card and really, truly tune into that card and write the book to it. But. But we talk about dark and light in shadow work in Tarot, and this for me was a real challenge and in such a positive way because it made me look at darker aspects of working with cards. And it's not the book is actually quite positive to the cards, but that darker aspect of getting right deep into your soul and pulling up issues that we don't really want to face or deal with, but we should because it clears us and it helps us to be better people. And so the Victoria Francis Oracle deck was. It was a challenge for me to write, but nevertheless, I'm so thankful that I was given that job and offered that project to work with those cards because it. It changed me as a reader and it changed me as. As a writer as well. That's fantastic personal development there. So we're gonna have to wind up, sadly. I really enjoyed myself. So where can people find you, Ken? Okay, so they can find me at tarotconference.co.uk. there's also the food plan site, which is tariffoodplan.co.uk and there is a personal site, which is Kim Arnold.uk which is really to do with my more local work. I lived in Kent and that's more to do with my meditation evenings and personal work that I do. So that's where I can be found. And I will be at the tarot festival on the 2nd of June, and I will, of course, be fronting the Tarot conference on the 19th and 20th of October this year. Oh, that's so wonderful. Oh, and there is one more thing I just want to. And another thing is that I also co run the Tarot Festival in Switzerland which was last year at the Castle Liebeck and next year because we do that bi yearly. So next year again in June, I can't remember the date but it's actually on the summer solstice weekend at the Castle Liebeg in just about an hour outside Zurich, which is wonderful event and we're going to have an amazing lineup for that as well. So I hope to be able to get there because you've now got a witchcraft museum Wicker Mayor Spring, she is just amazing and she's got this fabulous museum. It's literally just moved from where she was into the castle and it's an amazing weekend. Like just go see it because you'll see things that you'll never see again in your life. I was there just a couple of weeks ago and was very privileged to be there for the opening. So that's next year but you know that's a year away. We've got two events coming up before then and can't wait. Yes, I'm looking forward to them as well. Yeah. Kim, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for coming in. I hope you enjoyed yourself too. Oh, it's been wonderful. Thank you for having me. Thank you. And thank you to James, the producer and to Natalie, our operations manager. Very own Ms. Moneypenny. Thanks so much. Bye for now. Women's radio station will give a voice to your brand. Advertise your product, services or goods on air with a package tailored to suit you. For more information visit womensradiostation.com hi, I'm Michelle Bartlett, the founder of Live Laugh Love Ladies Club. We're looking for ladies to link arms across the globe. This is a new vibrant brand connecting women socially. Our club members enjoy great food, fun and inspiring speakers whilst making friends in a room of all generations. If you're a social butterfly in the community, this fast growing franchise could be for you. If you would like to know more about stepping into our pink shoes then look at the business opportunity page on our website. Live laughloveladies.club also@womensradiostation.com at distinctively me we are passionate about making clothes that complement any body shape through our made to measure tailored pieces. Distinctively Me's smart and elegant clothes are made in our London studio from the highest quality fabrics and will create the perfect outfit for any woman. Our trousers, skirts and jackets are modern yet timeless and can be worn season after season. Visit us@distinctivelyme.com to be amazed at our service and prices. Distinctively me discover the pleasure of Made to Measure hi, my name is Gary Parker and my company is called CNT Associates. We provide fundraising, business support and training services for small businesses, charities and non profit making organizations. We've raised over £20 million since 2003 and we'd like to help you. Visit us ntassociates.com or on Twitter and Tassociates women's radio station is creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradiostn or Facebook Women's Radio Station to Keep up to Date Keep up to date with all our exciting Anna Kennedy Online is a national charity made up of charity champions and role models. We are forging a path to autism awareness and acceptance. We are dedicated to promoting the inclusion and equality of autistic children and adults throughout society. We provide training, legal advice and a helpline. If you need a listening ear. Contact www.annakenakenadyonline.com Women's radio station can give a voice to your brand. With a wide range of sponsorship opportunities including individual programs, we can tailor your experience to you. Ready for a challenge? Then take on the Pink Ribbon Walk for Breast Cancer Care Coming to Oxfordshire and Essex this summer, we've got everything covered from snacks along the route to a massage and medal when you cross the finish line. And while we support you with every step, you'll be doing something special to support the thousands of people going through one of the toughest challenges they'll ever face. Breast cancer. Visit breastcancercare.org UK Walk Adam and Alice London are a British luxury fashion label offering timeless collections for bold and beautiful women at affordable prices. Enter the giveaway lucky draw for a chance to win a fabulous silk dress made from pure silk crepe, fully lined with digital printed silk and handcrafted details worth 475 pound. Available in two colours, Mazarine Blue and pastel. See the dress and enter our competition on the giveaway page on womensradiostation.com a city law firm. We are leading innovative and multi award winning solicitors in London, but why choose us? Well, unlike traditional law firms, we think outside the box. Our advice is accessible from anywhere, even your own home due to our online video conferencing. A city Law firm Our people set us apart. Contact us on 0207426, 0382 www.acitylawfirm.com hi, I'm Sarah Austin and I'm the founder of the really Helpful Club, an online and offline community that helps, supports and connects thousands of women in our personal and business lives. We are buzzing. Join us to share and discover your best ideas. Come to our events to meet other members and learn something new. Book now for our London workshop on 10 May, helping you prepare for and manage the menopause. Membership is free. Join now by visiting reallyhelpfulclub.com.