About Zebrine Iris Gray and the Dances of Tara
Zebrine connected to the dances of Tara in 1997 by reconnecting with a member of her family. She explains, “All my life I knew my mother’s sister was beautiful and exotic, a dancer in India and Hawaii, and completely out of reach. We had a photo of her in the hallway, and occasionally we got small cards or notes, but mostly she was a myth. Even her name, Prema Dasara, was unusual and mysterious. I felt a longing for a spiritual connection with someone from my family, from my roots, so I sent a heartfelt plea to a stranger’s E-mail, and through cyberspace, I formed one of the deepest connections in my life.
The Tara Dance became a central part of her spiritual practice. She made a commitment to the Tara Dhatu Educational program and is now a third-level teacher of the dance. While in her masters’ program at Florida State, she wrote her masters’ thesis about the development of the dance and its intercultural implications. She has also undertaken a personal study and meditation of Tara and the Tarot and created the Tara Wisdom Cards (including full major and minor arcanas) used for meditation and divination along with a second smaller Tara meditation deck.
Zebrine journeyed on the pilgrimage to India and Nepal in 2001 and to Brasil for retreat in 2004. In 2002, she was offered a position on the Tara Dhatu council and served for nearly 15 years as Vice President. Now she supports Tara Dhatu's work in an advisory capacity.
She developed the Tara Wisdom Cards after a long study and meditation. She often has said, "I was looking for the right artist. It took me many years to realize that the artist was me."
Below is a video of her pilgrimage to India and Nepal in 2001, where she joined women from around the world in dancing for peace mere weeks after 9/11.
The Tara Dance became a central part of her spiritual practice. She made a commitment to the Tara Dhatu Educational program and is now a third-level teacher of the dance. While in her masters’ program at Florida State, she wrote her masters’ thesis about the development of the dance and its intercultural implications. She has also undertaken a personal study and meditation of Tara and the Tarot and created the Tara Wisdom Cards (including full major and minor arcanas) used for meditation and divination along with a second smaller Tara meditation deck.
Zebrine journeyed on the pilgrimage to India and Nepal in 2001 and to Brasil for retreat in 2004. In 2002, she was offered a position on the Tara Dhatu council and served for nearly 15 years as Vice President. Now she supports Tara Dhatu's work in an advisory capacity.
She developed the Tara Wisdom Cards after a long study and meditation. She often has said, "I was looking for the right artist. It took me many years to realize that the artist was me."
Below is a video of her pilgrimage to India and Nepal in 2001, where she joined women from around the world in dancing for peace mere weeks after 9/11.