Maree Bento is a professional reader, licensed bodyworker and a perpetual student of the mystical and healing arts. She is an intuitive artist, author and creator of three self-published decks: the Antiquarian Lenormand, Antiquarian Tarot, and the recently completed Divine Muses Oracle. Maree lives in Portland, Oregon with her mountain man, David; and loves walking in the rain and drinking hot tea cuddled up with a book and her sighthound, Dante. 

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More About Me

I'm an artist, card reader, bodyworker and the perpetual seeker. I've been reading and studying the cards for almost twenty years. In college, I studied psychology, art, design and photography (1997-2002). Subsequently, I completed massage school (805 hrs, 2004), studied traditional Thai massage (in Thailand, as well as the U.S., 150 hrs, 2008, 2010) and rounded out a 200-hour yoga teacher training program with a thesis focused on the chakras (2011). I was inspired by the modalities I integrated into my healing arts practice, which also included the three reiki attunements early in my massage career (2004-2006) and a certificate of professional training in intuitive feng shui and space clearing (2009). 

​My training in the healing arts deepened my intuitive skills and inspires my present approach to tarot, divination and card readings. I use astrology in my readings, which is a topic (along with tarot) that I've been fascinated with since I was a teenager, reading as many books as I could afford to buy or get from the library. I've been studying it more deeply in recent years, as I find it integral to getting a big picture reading about my client or sitter. 
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How I Came to Tarot?

My curiosity with divination and the mystical arts was piqued when I was a teenager. I think it all began with an antiquarian book called Palmistry or Scientific Cheiromancy by Mrs. Edwin Symmes that I bought for 10 cents at a library sale. The simple hand-drawn illustrations and astrology connections that I found in my hands captured my heart. It is a relic that I still own and treasure. Around that time, I acquired a book on cartomancy, and that was my earliest introduction to reading—by connecting with a pack of playing cards! A few years later, I picked up my first tarot deck. 
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My First Tarot Deck

It was the Karma Tarot by the Danish artist Birgit Boline Erfurt. I was captivated by its dream-like artwork and tarot's mysterious personality that I saw in this deck. The next deck I adopted was the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck. The witchy woman at the local metaphysical shop pointed me to Rachel Pollack's Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. I'm so grateful for that recommendation because it became my tarot bible for several years. Until other titles like Tarot for Yourself​ by Mary K. Greer and more were added to my library. 

Tarot Studies & Evolution

​I have since studied and completed coursework on the Western mystical tradition of the Sacred Tarot, Hermetic magical practice, astrology, depth psychology & mediumship; and continue to attend workshops & conferences on these topics. I also work with various oracles, including the Lenormand method—a subject which I have presented on at the local tarot symposium.
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Divine Muses Gratitude

I'm grateful to my mystic allies & guides, as well as the teachers who have shared their knowledge and wisdom. The manifestation of my current work could not have been possible without the masters, writers, healers and artists that were so passionate about theirs. They are divine muses who have inspired me as I carry on exploring on my journey. 
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Synergy of Healing & Mysticism

It is my hope that the synthesis of my education in the healing and mystical arts will help to deliver a comprehensive holistic experience for my clients & customers, through my work in my deck creations, card readings and bodywork.
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Thank you for visiting and for taking the time to read about me. Please feel free to contact me if you want to chat or check out my private reading services if you're interested in experiencing a synergistic session with me.
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The nine Muses of Greek mythology dancing with Apollo, painted by Baldassare Peruzzi (1481-1536) is used on a few pages on this site.

I have had so many tarot readings but Maree's stick out with the most clarity and power for me. She not only knows how to read the cards, she also has an incredible intuition and affinity for interpreting the messages within the readings. ~Sarah L.