Why Do I Teach?

This autumn brings several teaching opportunities for me.  On Saturday, I’ll be offering an afternoon to expose people to the simplicity and power of collaborative conversation, an introduction to circle process.  Next week, I’ll be the after-dinner speaker at a tarot conference in Dallas, TX.  Then an evening of tarot as a spiritual practice at Grey Heron in Maple, ON and an all-day workshop on tarot to navigate life’s challenges in Kingston, ON.  In addition, some people are inquiring about reiki training.

Why do I teach these things?  What prompts me to gather with people and share what I know and practise?

First, I like it.  It’s enjoyable to meet new people and hold meaningful exchanges with them about things that interest us.  Part of it is a social thing for me.

Second, I’m told that I’m good at it.  I’ve studied and practised various wisdom ways over the years and feel that I’m at a point in my life where it’s finally sinking in.  One tends to be good at what one has absorbed.

Third, it’s part of how I earn a living.  Teaching classes and workshops is a stream of income for me.  People who attend these often become clients and vice-versa. 

Fourth, and possibly most important, I owe it to these wisdom ways to pass them on in a good way.  There’s a lot of rubbish out there about tarot, circle, reiki, and other paths of insight and growth.  It’s a sacred duty to make sure that people who want to know more about them learn about them in a manner that is life-sustaining, useful, and respectful.  I learned from excellent mentors; it’s my job to pass on their knowledge as excellently as possible.

From the Songs for the Journey Home Tarot, I drew a card to respond to the question, “What motivates me to teach what I teach?”  I got the 8 of Flame Songs.  It suggests that my motivations to teach include:

• A desire to create experiences of common intention.
• Teaching helps me prioritise what roles I play in the world.
• Teaching experiences give me a sense of communal ritual.
• A blend of fun and purpose.
• A container for my creative energy is woven whenever I teach.