Deep gratitude to the following:
To the librarians of the Berg Collection of English and American Literature, the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, thank you for the peace and quiet of your sequestered wooden rooms and allowing me to convene with Stoker, Yeats, Waite, and Pamela.
To Rebecca Zins, my editor, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing. I love working with you. To Mary Greer, thank you for your enthusiasm and for your lifetime pursuit of the tarot that profoundly touches each and every one of us. Barbara Moore, you are the reason this book came to light—for the lessons and eloquence, spoken and unspoken, you continue to shower upon all of us; and thank you for believing in me. Stuart Kaplan, for sharing your story, wisdom, and collection; it was a true honor. Thank you. Lynn Sparrow, a true delight, for your support and enthusiasm, thank you. Susan Wands, beguiling, beautiful creature and steadfast friend whose kindness, giving, and care knows no bounds. Thank you for holding Pamela up for all the world to see. Forever your “Ducks.” Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone. I could not have written this book without the foundational understanding of the Tree of Life you gave me at the Tarot School. After all these years, I still look to the cards and hear your voices in my head. Thank you for being my teachers.
Deep gratitude for sub rosa undercurrents who thread silken strands of meaning through a person’s life. These connective threads, like spider’s silk, thin and invisible, often lie unseen until a roving path of sunlight illuminates it. They become dazzling strings of possibility if only for a few moments. Time is oppositional. It doesn’t erase; it enriches. For this wellspring of creativity, healing, and possibility, I am eternally grateful. Thank you.
Thank you to my supernatural woodland muse, Autumn Marie, who keeps a golden toe dipped in each world. Thank you for the tarot of the body and showing me how movement speaks, heals, and often communicates on a deeper level than words. Bill and Isabella, my two pillars, a boyishly handsome husband and a gorgeous, beautiful girl. I love our trinity of a family and each of you so much. Endless thank yous for bearing with me while writing this book. I promise you both: fiction next.