by Melanie Harris
When podcasting gained popularity and became a fast-growing trend, Leisa ReFalo didn't waste any time in pioneering for the Tarot community. Today, her podcast, The Tarot Connection, continues to provide listeners with a steady flow of interesting information on Tarot topics. We recently spoke with Leisa to find out more about her own spin on the podcasting phenomenon.
Tarot Reflections: How did you first get in to podcasting?
Leisa ReFalo: I have a coworker/friend named Rob, who was really excited about podcasting when it first started. He started buying equipment and practicing his first show. Rob and I would talk about the technical details during coffee breaks. I looked around for shows to subscribe to and didn't find anything I was really interested in. I asked myself what would I want to listen to and Tarot was the obvious answer. Honestly, the learning curve is very steep and I had no idea what was really involved. It took me about a year and quite a few false starts to get the first episode out. I really love technology and seeing what can be done with it. Podcasting seems to have a lot of potential to do something that can't be done with other media.
T.R.: Like what? What are the biggest advantages of podcasting over, say, print media?
L.R.: My top three are: immediacy, intimacy, and freedom of expression. You can create something and have it in front of thousands on the same day. I think with a podcast there are things that can be expressed by voice that you can't get in print media. But my absolutely favorite part is that I can put out information that seems interesting that is not commercially viable and I don't need anyone's permission or approval to do it.
T.R.: What aspects of the Tarot do you focus on in your podcast?
L.R.: I try to have as broad a focus as possible. I've had episodes on technique, philosophy, going professional, live classes, and lots of interviews with readers and authors.
T.R.: Your website gets over 7000 visitors and over 200 episodes of your show are downloaded via iTunes each day. I'd call that very successful, and other Tarot podcasters are also finding listeners. Do you think that podcasting about the Tarot is becoming more popular?
L.R.: I do think that it's true that there are a lot more Tarot podcasts. There are more knitting podcasts than Tarot podcasts, though.
T.R.: So what does a listener get out of tuning in for your podcast?
L.R.: I've heard from quite a few people that they feel less isolated and have more confidence in their own abilities.
T.R.: Well, your work is definitely entertaining and informative, and your show has no doubt inspired others to do the same. Do you have any tips for aspiring podcasters?
L.R.: Get a good mic and start practicing. It takes awhile to get used to the sound of your voice. I'm always looking for good material, so I'd be happy to include someone's work so they could try it out without all the overhead of the production and site maintenance.
Once you get it all going, consistency is king. If you want to keep people interested, you need to podcast with regularity.
T.R.: What do you see in the future of podcasting?
L.R.: I expect it to be more like blogging where there will be services to make it easier for people who don't want to become sound engineers to do it.
T.R.: Anything else you'd like to share?
L.R.: The whole process has been more fun than I expected it to be. It has been delightful to talk to my guests. The only thing that I'd like more of is interaction and feedback from listeners.
You can check out The Tarot Connection podcast at www.tarotconnection.net
Leisa has also launched another podcast, Tarot of the iPod, that can be found at www.ipodtarot.com. This ongoing project is a series of audio Tarots with imbedded images that can be used to study the Tarot or to do readings. The first edition is based on P.D. Ouspensky's classic work, Symbolism of the Tarot. Leisa invites anyone who is interested in contributing to this endeavor to contact her.
She also has a nifty Tarot store at shop.tarotconnection.net