Favorite Tarot Decks of 2012 on Janet Boyer Live!

Modern Medieval Tarot- Eight of Wands

Today, Sunday afternoon, tune in to Janet Boyer Live! at 4pm Eastern and hear Janet and I discuss our favorite decks published in 2012.  Surely we won't be the only ones to do this, but if the Mayan calendar has doomed us all then you'll at least want to know which of your favorites made it on our lists.

Favorite Tarot Decks of 2012

That will be 4pm Eastern, 3pm Central, 2pm Mountain, 1pm Pacific.  I hope you'll listen live or later in archive.  Thank you!



This card is from The Modern Medieval Tarot by Shayn Amber Wetherell & Tim Wetherell, published by AGMUrania.

Daily Draw- King of Swords, Six of Wands, Seven of Pentacless

I have happy news, which is that the great big cards of the past few days have finally fallen into place, and it is the happiest kind of news, which is a shake up, but a good one.  I had no feelings of dread, no fears, and my intuitive feelers usually give off great big warnings when bad things are coming, whether I am interpreting them correctly or not.  Not a drop of that, I am happy to report.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- King of Swords, Six of Wands, Seven of Pentacles

This is the third time this King of Swords has led off the Daily Draw this week, which has to be significant.  I had an epihany last night about what this could be talking about, but then some news came, so I'll share that later.  Tarot is fully capable of tackling more than one subject at a time.

We have been stuck in legal issues with my husband's ex concerning the kids for many months, and she has been threatening action for years before that.  Because the kids wanted it, and because we wanted it, and as things began to come out about the other part of their home life, we asked for increased parenting time with them.  That request has been stuck in court for months, literally, when you would normally expect to hear back within a few weeks.  The court has finally taken action, and it is quite positive for us!  Nothing is certain yet but we have always been quite confident, with the reassurance of our counsel, that we will be able to gain at least a 50/50 split if not more time.

This is the keep-coming-around-again King of Swords, the lawyers, the judge, the court, and the legal system.  The Six of Wands is winning, although the only ones we want to win are the kids.  However triumphant, though, this Knight is still armored, and the battle may be won, but the war rages on (unfortunately for the innocents stuck in the middle).  He is marching towards the Seven of Pentacles, which is a card that signifies yet more waiting, but that is all right.  We'll just keep doing the right thing and expecting the right, good and moral outcome, even if we have to plead with the court to order it.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- The Empress

The Shadow Card is The Empress, the mother archetype, and I think many of my "negative"or less than thrilling cards I have been drawing this week can be explained here.  I empathize deeply with my husband's kids' mom.  I have been a single mom with boys the same age, and I know how hard that can be.  Despite what she may believe, I did not want to fight with her.  I just wanted us to all come to an agreement that best suited the kids.  I feel her fear and worry at the next step, and I know when I began to share custody of my kids I was panicked for them.  It has turned out to be a great situation for us, giving me time and freedom to pursue my own life, my own degree and career, and giving my kids the vital time with their dad.  That can't be replaced no matter how much I love them.

My next statement is going to come off as judgmental, but I don't care.  Some things just need to be said.  If she was being the kind of mom she should have been, we wouldn't be here.  She wouldn't slander her children's father to them, she wouldn't try to poison their well of their self esteem in doing so, she would get a job and provide properly for them, and we wouldn't have to fight her for more time.  And even as I say that, I have to admit that I did not go gracefully into my current custody arrangement, either.  There were a lot of issues between The Ex and I that made me extremely uncomfortable with handing my kids over to him, but I kept some of his secrets and thus shot myself in the foot.  In the end, this was for the best, because children need their fathers, and it is so sad that so many kids don't have dads so invested in them.  My kids, the ones I had and the ones that came with my wonderful marriage, and I are so blessed to have dads that want to be in their lives, want to carry their part of the parenting, and I can't help but wish she would see that.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Differences

Which brings us to the Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle card drawn for this reading- Differences.  The black cat and the white cat perfectly illustrate where we are, completely unable to reach an understanding of the other, and there are even two pieces of fruit in the bowl, like their are two fine young men at issue here.  The thing is, cats don't eat fruit, so why do they want it?  My fear is this is more about the power struggle between opposing sides for some of the people involved than it is the well being of the kids.  Like The Empress up there reflects my own unresolved issues and hurts around my own long resolved and now peaceful custody situation, I think the arena of the children has become a way for their mother to express her unresolved hurts and resentments over the long ago break up.

As much as I want it, I just don't think there is going to be a way to bring everyone into agreement and live peacefully as one parenting unit.  And I wish it very much, for the sake of the kids.  If The Ex and I can coexist peacefully, after the wretched break up, the awful things we did to each other, and the horrifically ugly custody battle that came after, then healing is possible for any relationship.



These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, and Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron-Reid, published by Potter Style.

King of Swords, King of Swords- What Are You Trying to Tell Me?

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- King of Swords

The King of Swords has, for the third time this week, led off my Daily Draw, and I am fully aware that has some pretty powerful significance.  I came to some conclusions in my Daily Draw, which will publish later today, but before the information I discuss in that post was available, I had come to a different conclusion, which is equally viable and I intend to share here, too.

The King is a powerful man, uniquely intelligent, and almost aloof seeming in his cool calculation of any situation.  As a person, he can often signify a lawyer, a judge, a doctor... A surgeon!

I see my surgeon today, as a person who had two surgeries in three months' time, and still not experiencing the promised relief.  I remain in a great deal of pain, and that is not right.  However, I have a great fear that I won't be believed, and some of that is rooted in not finding my own voice, my problem, and a little bit in the fact that my surgeon's assistant basically told me my continuing pain was all in my head, just before my last MRI which revealed the disc had reherniated.  After that, I did find my voice enough to request that I only see my surgeon, who is kind and compassionate, who told me, "I believe you" the last time I saw him, and at the cost of these treatments, I deserve whatever I want.  Really, at the cost of just my health, I (and you) deserve whatever I want and need.

Xultun Tarot- Lord of Swords (King)

I can be a bit dense at times, and I have also pulled the King of Swords on the 78 Whispers Facebook Page a couple times this week.  Those cards are not necessarily meant for me, but are just a place to discuss cards and their varied imagery.  However, since I shuffle and pull a bit of my energy can't help but come out in them.  I can thank this image, from the Xultun Tarot by Peter Balin, for the keyword for the King of Swords, "Surgeon", sitting there all pretty for me on the pamphlet included with the deck.  Of course it makes perfect sense, the most mature aspect of the Court of Swords, wielding a sharp object, and I have heard that reference before, but since it never had personal significance to me it never took root.  Now I have a new association to use, and a humbling to put to work as well.  I had to see this card several times, in several aspects, in order to gain that keyword, because I had never looked beyond my own nose.

I need to be strong and impartial.  The moon in the King of Swords from the Mystic Dreamer Tarot shows that my surgeon is compassionate and empathetic to my needs, but I know from experience that I need to remain cool and collected.  It's just terrifying to imagine living the rest of my life in this kind of pain, terrifying to imagine yet another surgery, and most terrifying of all is the thought of having to prove I am not well.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Loyalty

A big chunk of my issues with telling him precisely what is going on is that I don't want to insult his work, which sounds so silly when I type it, but I have an innate need to please older gentlemen, a holdover from my childhood, and there is a childish aspect of myself that doesn't want to make him mad at me by telling him his work didn't do what it was supposed to do.  I can see both the shadow and light aspects of this in the card from Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle I pulled to expound upon the King of Swords- Loyalty.  I want to be loyal and good, and I need to embrace that King of Swords impartiality, because there is no cause or need for me to feel loyalty to my surgeon.  Gratitude, rapport, yes, but loyalty- no.

However, there is reassurance in this card.  I owe no fealty to my surgeon, but he does to me, or to solving my problem at least, and I believe him to be a kind man who is in this line of work because he truly desires to help people and end their pain.

The words from the companion book offer advice in this situation, as well, "You have chosen this symbol of Loyalty, and this means you are being called to stand up for who and what you believe in." I believe in myself, and I believe that while I am better, I am nowhere near full health, and I need to be clear about that, with no fear.  And that is why this card has been following me around all week.  (There is another aspect you will reading my Daily Draw later on, too.)



These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, Xultun Tarot by Peter Balin, published by Arcana Publishing CO, and Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron-Reid, published by Potter Style.

Book Review- Rachel Pollack's Tarot Wisdom

Not that many years ago, tarot books were few and far between, and into the sea of emptiness dove Rachel Pollack, whose work 78 Degrees of Wisdom is considered seminal by many tarotistas.  It was certainly the first book I read about tarot, at the age of 17, five years after I had my first deck of cards, and I was delighted to discover that the meanings I had come up for myself were very close to what Rachel Pollack defined them as.  I decided that meant I was doing something right, but really is was that the cards were doing something right.  All tarot decks that resonate with you will do so from the imagery and tell you every story you need to know just from the picture.  The study is just for extra flavor.

Weighing in at a hefty 504 pages packed full of knowledge, Rachel Pollack's Tarot Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, published by Llewellyn, is her follow up work, and absolutely dwarfs its' predecessor.  In addition, if I have any compliant about 78 Degrees of Wisdom, many years later, it is that I now find the writing style a bit dry, but Rachel Pollack's Tarot Wisdom has quite a different flair to the writing.

The book begins with a brief introduction of the author, terms she uses, and a brief history of the tarot which is largely considered accurate according to the best information tarot scholars and historians have been able to put together.

She then dives into the meat of the book, the descriptions of the cards.  She begins at the beginning, with the Major Arcana.  Each card is illustrated with different decks in black and white, including the Waite Smith deck, The Visconti, Marseille, Sola Busca, and Ms. Pollack's own Shining Tribe Tarot.  The card includes a list of its' name, Trump number, astrological correspondence, Kabbalistic letter, and Path on The Tree of Life.  Ms. Pollack goes on to explain each card over several pages, including divinatory meanings, philosophy related to the card, historical references, and ways to use the card in more psychologically based readings, as opposed to fortune telling style readings.  These pages really are packed with information!  She ends each Major Arcana description with a spread specifically created for the Trump, and they have been quite valuable for me to use over the years for personal insight.

The next section is the Minor Arcana, where Ms. Pollack begins with a treatise of numerology and tarot.  I am always pleased to find books that compare the tarot cards by number, grouping all Aces together, all Twos together, and so forth, because study this way can be so enlightening!  If you try this for yourself and decide how each Four, as an example, is the same, and how they differ from each other, your understanding of tarot will grow.  She also discusses the elements and how each Minor Arcana relates back to a Major, which makes for interesting comparison, as well.

In the descriptions of the Minor Arcana cards, Ms. Pollack includes the Element, Kabbalistic World, Magical "Weapon", Social Class, Biblical Object, "Ruling" God, Primary Major Arcana Card, and Medieval Virtue for each Suit.  Each card contains information for the Element, Sephirah (having to do with Kabbalah), Pythagorean Numerology, Major Arcana correlation, Waite Smith theme, Golden Dawn Title, Decan (this relates to astrology), and Picatrix.  The Minor Arcana are also illustrated with the same decks in black and white, and each card contains about a page worth of further information.

The book ends with some basics about how to read, some myths and some truths about reading tarot, and even more spreads to try out.  There is a lengthy bibliography that would make anyone who pursued all those books quite the scholar themselves, and a very easy to use index.

Generally, I think the market is glutted with books that give meanings for the cards, but this one is special, and if I could only have one book that gave meanings, this one might be it.  It is a scholarly volume that will make you feel smart just for having read it, and while the writing is often geared to a college level reader, it is quite interesting if tarot history or philosophy are your things.

I hope this has been a helpful review, and if so, that you will pass it around!

Daily Draw- King of Swords, The Tower, Five of Wands

My Daily Draws this week have been big cards, big concepts, and extremely heavy cards.  These ones are, too.  The good news is, I have not seen any of these big things happening in my outside life, so I am thinking they are more internal and that kind of shift.  If they are not, then they are events happening outside my sphere of current awareness and when I know about them I will be able to look back here and relate them to the cards I have been pulling.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- King of Swords, The Tower, Five of Wands

These cards remind me most of how to get through a crisis situation.  The King of Swords is sublimely cool and unaffected.  He would never let an emotion get in the way of his logic, and the next cards are highly emotionally charged, so his collectedness is a valuable asset.  The Tower is always a card about massive disruption, and sometimes total destruction.  Judging by the card following it, the Five of Wands, which I often think of as inner struggle, this is a more internal process.  I am looking to the King of Swords for advice to stay cool, calm, and emotionally disengaged from potential swirling chaos.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Five of Cups

The thing is, my life is calm at the moment and I want it to be.  This is where reading for oneself can be a dangerous prospect.  Not dangerous as in harmful, but if I let it, these chaotic and big cards I am pulling this week could upset my peace of mind, and as of this moment there is no reason for that.  There is no physical evidence of change or upheaval, and my inner processes are all pretty much on an even keel.  I could also be turning a blind eye to something, but I don't think so.  Perhaps the most likely thing is something will come to light. and then I can say, "Ohhhhh!"

The Shadow Card of the reading is the Five of Cups.  I like the brave lift of her chin in this card, as if she is aware that she has lost some things, but she has retained the most important one, which is the two unbroken Cups, which relate to me back to the Two of Cups, sacred contracts and deep, abiding love.  When the Five of Cups appears we have to grieve our losses, but we must also be careful to not let ourselves get lost in them.  That far off castle in the background is her home to go back to whenever she pleases, and that can't be taken away.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Strength

The card from The Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle I have pulled is Strength, and it does a ot to assuage any fears the lightning struck Tower up there might give me.  The book reads, "Sometimes life will present you with challenges that you think are too difficult to endure." I am pulling these cards separately, from two different decks, so I know that I am getting true readings.  The book goes on, "Does it seem as if nothing goes your way and that everyone else appears to be having a good time?  Drawing this symbol means that, no matter what is happening in your life, you have the strength to endure all experiences.  Like an ancient oak whose trunk cannot be uprooted by the mightiest storm, you will know a strength that comes from within.  You will win this game of life!  You have the strength to face any situation now!" That is most reassuring!  (Although I have to admit to finding this language a bit too happy-happy joy-joy for me, but this deck is based on a book series for young adults and probably suits its' target audience perfectly.  I have not read the books.)

I am not scared of the readings I have been getting, but I am being aware, and that is a huge benefit of reading cards in and of itself- the ability to be aware.



These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, and Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette baron-Reid, published by Potter Style.

Daily Draw- King of Cups, Five of Swords, The Hermit

"There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest." ~Confucius

I have the very distinct and slightly uncomfortable feeling that, like it or not, I am about to get a lesson all three ways today, or in the near future.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- King of Cups, Five of Swords, The Hermit

There are some decks in which the King of Cups looks terribly put upon, almost sighing in resignation, and this is one of them to me.  His scepter is draped casually at his knee and he is more interested in his drink than the rest of the reading.

In the Five of Swords, two figures walk away from the third.  They don't look defeated to me.  They look like they have just decided that bitch and her trifling ways just aren't worth their time so they are on to bigger and better things.  The woman with the Swords may feel she has won but victory is always in the eye of the beholder.  The other two may very well feel victorious in being rid of her and her poisonous energy, and count any price paid a bargain.

The Hermit is the wise old man who who is looking over the whole reading.  If there is anything of value here, he will find it, and alchemically turn this nasty bit into gold.  Such is his power.  He is also representative of Saturn, on whom I have nine(!) aspects hinging on in my chart, so I know there is a lesson for me here about turning limitations into opportunities.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Two of Wands

The Shadow Card of this reading is the Two of Wands.  He is so much like a wanna-be Magician in this rendition.  All in all, I am getting the distinct impression someone would like to put one over on me.  I do not think they will be successful, because I appear often as The Magician in my own readings, not this weaker looking version.  They are welcome to try, though.  I am as disengaged as the King of Cups, as willing to walk away as the girls in the Five of Swords, and use every experience as a learning one like The Hermit.

From Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle I drew Vision (Aphrodite).  Before I look to the book, I instantly relate The Moon in this card to all The Moons in the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, which often signifies mystery and what can't be known, so I know this card resonates with this reading.  As soon I read this card represents Aphrodite, who in her Venusian guise rules over a big chunk of my astrological chart, and who is the goddess of love, I know that no matter what else may happen, the answer to all of my problems is love- love of self, love of my family, even love for those who would hurt me.  That is their darkness spilling over.  I don't have to let people continue to hurt me, and won't, but they can't make me hate them, either.  At best, they can earn my aloof disdain, as so strongly displayed in these cards.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Vision

The book reads, "When you choose this symbol, it means that no matter what you lose in your life, something better will replace it." And continues, "To know the future is to be prepared." So I guess all I have to say in return is, "Bring it." No one has the ability to bring me down but me.




These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, and Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron Reid, published by Potter Style.

Tonight- Janet Boyer Live! Tarot Myths and Truths

Lisa Chow Oracle Tarot- Eight of Wands

Today I am so happy to tell you that renowned tarot author, blogger, reviewer, talk show host, and creatrix of The Snowland Deck, Janet Boyer, is making a triumphant return to talking tarot!

I also couldn't be more pleased to tell you she has invited me to be her co-host for the first show, Tarot Truths and Myths, which will air tonight at 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, and 5pm Pacific.  We will be overjoyed if you listen live, and equally overjoyed if you listen later in archive.

This is your chance to hear two bright stars (I can't believe I just said that about myself, but look at the imagery of this Eight of Wands, and Janet definitely is a star!) in tarot give you the down low on what is true about tarot and what is terrible malarkey, detracting from our passion and art.  A good time will be had by all, promise!



This card is from the Lisa Chow Oracle Tarot, self published at etsy by Lisa Chow.

Tarot Foundations by Brigit Esselmont, Day 9

Today I am continuing my series on Brigit Esselmont, of Biddy Tarot, latest eBook, Tarot Foundations: 31 Days to Read Tarot With Confidence.  Click here to visit Biddy Tarot.

Almost every day, people ask me how they can read tarot like I do.  Truthfully, no one is ever going to read tarot like me, and no one is ever going to read tarot like you, either.  It is such an intensely personal thing, and you will be exactly the kind of reader you are meant to be, and exactly the people who need to hear your message will come to you.  That is just a mystery about how it works.  But I can tell you that it is entirely possible to spend the rest of your life learning new things about tarot.  I do every day, even after 23 years!  The quickest, easiest way I have found to dive into tarot like a pro is Brigit's method she outlines in Tarot Foundations: 31 Days to Read Tarot With Confidence so I am excited to share it with you!

After having been walked through the steps of choosing a deck (you all know at close to a thousand decks I have that one down) and choosing which, if any, books you will work with, Tarot Foundations: 31 Days to Read Tarot With Confidence teaches you how and why to keep a tarot journal.  This is an invaluable tool which I have used since I was 12 years old, and still use daily today.  In many ways, this blog you are reading in fact serves as an online tarot journal for me, and Brigit makes it a simple process.  There is no need to be intimidated by the thought of a tarot journal, and like so much with tarot you can take what is useful to you and discard the rest.

Day 9: Learn About The Minor Arcana

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Eight of Pentacles

The Minor Arcana are the meat and potatoes of your tarot deck, and they are all too often seen by readers and deck creators alike as not as "important" as the Major Arcana, which is a mistake, in my opinion, and in Brigit's.  The Major Arcana deals with archetypes, karma, and major themes happening in our lives, so they do matter a great deal, but the Minor Arcana deal with what we do every day, and we spend more time there than the grand sphere of archetypal energies.  If you are working with your full deck (excuse me a little chuckle here), most readings will have more cards from the Minor Arcana than the Majors, so having a good grasp on them is essential to your tarot reading happiness.  (To tell you a little secret, there are times when I will separate the Majors from the Minors, pull one Major Arcana as a theme to the reading, and pull all the rest of the cards from the Minors, because they do matter that much.)

Once again, in just a few pages, Brigit Esselmont has simplified and de-mystified a sometimes daunting subject, and the reading and Activities give incredible bang for the buck of time spent with them.  It won't take long out of your day to do them, but you will learn so much!

Before beginning today's Activities, Brigit makes sure you have a firm grasp on the essence of each suit and there is chart included in the pages to refer back to if you get confused.  I did the following in my own voice.

Activities

9.1.  Associate the Suits with Your Daily Activities

List the main activities you engaged in during the past week.  How would you categorise the activities according to the Minor Arcana suits?

• Wands- I have been participating in National Novel Writing Month, wherein each author endeavors to complete a 50,000 word novella in just thirty days.  This is about my passion and fire for writing, and keeping it alive through an intense period of time with work that can seem grueling.
• Cups- We celebrated Thanksgiving here in the United States, which brought family around, always emotional for me, but usually good emotions.  My husband's birthday was celebrated, and I cried to see him so pleased with his gifts and party.  We had family portraits done, and we have yet to have a session in which someone doesn't tear up, but that is the price of having such a large one with so many diverse personalities.  This week has been intense emotionally, with everything happening, but also incredibly rewarding.
• Swords- I mistype "Swords" as "words" several times every day, and words have literally been flying around me, in my NaNoWriMo project, and in some minor family disputes where words had to be exchanged.  Also, to make the holidays come together requires a great deal of talking and communication, so I have been doing a lot of that.  I am also doing two different Blog Talk Radio shows this week, and have clients booked, so there is even more talking!
• Pentacles- With the holidays so near, and my husband's birthday just passing, money is constantly leaving our hands it seems like just now.  My husband, just last night, gifted me with an early (and better be only) Christmas present- a brand new laptop which I sorely needed, having been given the blue screen of death by my old one a few months ago.  This is an example of a physical resource that will generate more physical resources.  As a writer, I need a dedicated computer, and as a small business owner it certainly makes time management easier to have a good working computer.

9.2. Give Advice According to the Suits

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Six of Swords

Imagine you are giving a friend some advice about creating a budget/finding love/making a career move.  What would you tell him or her from the perspective of each suit?

For example, going on a holiday...

• Wands- Go wherever you get really excited when you think about it, wherever your heart literally pounds and you feel shaky, maybe a little sweaty, with the excitement of going.
• Cups- Go with a lover, if you have one, or with someone you trust utterly.  Make it about making memories to last you a lifetime after you return.
• Swords- Make sure you get all the details of the trip in writing, that your rates are guaranteed in writing, and that you have all your passports, even for domestic travel, and paperwork in place.  Do research in advance and leave with a plan for what you want to do some days, while leaving some free for spontaneous fun.
• Pentacles- Know what to pack, how much money to bring, and how much you can afford to spend on this trip.  If you don't have the cash or vacation time ready, save some up.  You don't want these worries while you are trying to enjoy this special time.

Brigit finishes this day with these words:

Once you have learned more about the Suits from Day 10 to 13, come back to this activity and add to your answers.  Try it out with different scenarios.

Once again, I did not spend a long time with this reading or doing these Activities, but I, even as a seasoned reader, got so much out of them!  That is why Tarot Foundations: 31 Days to Read Tarot With Confidence by Brigit Esselmont gets the 78 Whispers seal of approval, and why I am so delighted to share her methods with you all!  Click here to visit Biddy Tarot.

In the spirit of full honesty, if you choose to buy the eBook from a link you click here I will receive a portion of the sale, but my endorsements are not for sale, and I only share products I use and find genuinely useful with you.  I work hard for my money and I know you do, too!

If you are working through this book I'd love to hear how it's going for you!  Please share in the comments, or drop me an email at 78WhispersTarot at gmail.





I chose the Eight of Pentacles to signify working at learning something new, resources invested, and rewards reaped.  I chose the Six of Swords as a card of travel.

These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn.

Daily Draw- Eight of Cups, Temperance, Queen of Swords

There are a good many times in life when I have had to be taught and/or convinced that when a situation no longer works I am just best off leaving, and that is not abandonment.  I have loyalty issues, because once I give it I want it to be forever.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Eight of Cups, Temperance, Queen of Swords

The Eight of Cups, like most of them, is leaving a situation, although we often see a configuration of Cups in which some, but not all, of them are standing up.  This situation I am about to turn away from may, in fact, not really be inherently not working, but that still doesn't mean it is right for me.  The figure turns to leave, clutching her violin.  I played violin as as a teenager, and while I liked it a great deal, I did not love it.  She does love it, and that is why it goes with her wherever she may roam.  As long as she has the most important aspect of herself, nothing else matters.

To me, Temperance is a funny Major Arcana.  As an archetype I can get with the idea of being a mystical mix master of sorts, and I understand the metaphor of blending opposites.  In practice of the way I read, it most often appears as managing the details of day to day life.  I gotta do this, go here, write that, make this class, this kid thing, on and on.  Oh yeah, and keep my house clean so that is pleasurable to live and cook in for all of us.  Although my anxiety issues are less and less as I am more in control of how my days work, and as I live in this very happy home life, Temperance appeared a lot for me as needing to manage my circumstances as much as I am able to keep my anxiety issues from rearing their head.  Keeping a schedule helps me be less anxious.  Because both of the other cards are leaning into Temperance, and it is right there in the middle, as well as being the only Major Arcana, I know this card is the lynch pin of the reading.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Queen of Cups

The Queen of Swords is my second aspect in Queens, the Queen of Pentacles being my first.  She represents my Libra ascendent in my astrological chart, and the rising sign is the mask we wear for the world to see.  The Queen of Swords is probably happy with letting people perceive her as suits her best.  She is also practical, and quick witted.  As I put these cards together I can see that I have no need for guilt, and as I refer back to The Devil, my lens for the week, I am thinking that guilt is a huge shadow issue for me and needs to go.

To reaffirm that thought, the Shadow Card of the reading is the Queen of Cups.  She is far less in control of her emotions than her counterpart, the Queen of Swords, and if she is ill aspected she can be a guilt mongering, either beating herself or others up with her innate knowledge of what will most hurt.  Guilt is a strange emotion, really serving no purpose, because if we really thought we shouldn't do whatever we feel guilty about, most of us would stop.  It is kind of a filler emotion, and it puts on a show.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Self-Worth

The card I drew from Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle is Self-Worth.  When our Self-Worth is high, we don't engage in useless emotions like guilt, we leave untenable situations, and we arrange our lives in such a way that pleases us best while working with our loved ones.  Feeling our true Self-Worth makes us sure we can say what we need to say, as compassionately as possible, and when we come from a place of love our words always ring true.

The companion book says this about the card, "When you draw this symbol, you are asked to consider: What value do you place on yourself in life?" From these words combined with the tarot reading, I can know that sometimes the most loving act, for me, and for others, is in fact to do what is best for me, no guilt, no getting tripped up in useless emotions that do not serve to get me where I want to be.



These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, and Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron Reid, published by Potter Style.

Unearthly Encounters Tonight

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Eight of Wands

Tonight on Unearthly Encounters!  We had another guest scheduled, and it was going to be awesome, but it will then be awesome on a later date, and for your listening pleasure tonight I will offering free readings.

Click here to listen to me talk with Mackenzie Knight on Unearthly Encounters Live!  You can call in to talk about tarot or get a free mini-reading.  I love hearing from all of you, whether here, the 78 Whispers fan page on Facebook, email, or on air!

The show is on Tuesday, November 27 at 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central, 6pm Mountain (where Mackenzie and I are) and 5pm Pacific.  I hope I'll speak to you or you'll listen live, or in archive anytime!




This card is from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn.

Daily Draw- King of Swords, Knight of Swords, Ten of Cups

What I have to remember, what matters most, is the way this reading ends- the Ten of Cups, happily ever after, the rainbow happy ending most of us long for, and that I have considered essential to my happiness.  I have that now.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- King of Swords, Knight of Swords, Ten of Cups

This reading is full of people, with two of the three cards being people or personalities.  I think they are probably both aspects of myself.  The King of Swords is my intellect, and the looming Moon behind him is how my feelings affect that intellect.  I choose words carefully and with great intent, and nothing irritates me more than having my words perverted after I have so carefully chosen them.  I have felt a bit like a warrior lately, and the Knight of Swords reflects that.  I had some words and I let them fly, which is an irony when thinking about how Swords relate to air, and that "words" is Swords without the "s".  I mistype Swords as "words" several times a day.  As I look back at my Major Arcana lens for the week, The Devil, I know that maybe I did not need to say everything I said, but it felt deliciously good to say what I did.  However, I did so in defense of my family, my happy ending, the Ten of Cups that really does mean everything to me.

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- Five of Pentacles

The Shadow Card for this reading is the Five of Pentacles.  I do not want to be left out in the cold, but I own everything I said, and I believe passionately in it.  I don't go around hurting people's feelings just to do so, so if being cast out is a consequence of saying what I had to say, then so be it.  I'll deal with the consequences of those actions like a grown up, because I was not throwing a child's temper tantrum.  I was expressing real concerns and true hurt, and if the person to whom I expressed them does not like that, it is their problem.  I don't feel good about what I said, because I should never have been in the position of having to say so, but I do feel I did the right thing and carry no shame.  I am responsible for what I say, but the reactions of others is their responsibility.

Later on, I have decided that I would like to also use The Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle, and the images of both decks seem compatible.  I have lots of oracle decks, too, and I am trying to decide if I stop collecting them or start using them, because I believe everything in my home should be loved, beautiful, and used.  This deck is based on a book series by P.C. Cast, but I have not read the books, so we will see if that matters as I endeavor to use the deck.

Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle- Listening

The card I drew, "Listening"", is very apt to this situation.  We got to where we are because someone did not listen to what my husband and I were telling them.  The companion manual, by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron Reid, reads, "Drawing this symbol indicates that you are meant to listen to what others are saying with their gestures, rather than their words."  This is a lesson playing out over and over in life, and my kids' lives currently, so I know it is a true reflection of what is happening here.

The inscription on the card reads, "...darkness does not always equate to evil... light does not always bring good."  That is also apt to the situation, as the person who took my tongue lashing today would like to look like "light"and therefore "good".  I think they generally mean to be, too, but this one instance just did not jive with the way I see those things, and I was in a position where I had to say so.

Tomorrow will be a better day.  Nothing ever stays bad for long, not when I have that Ten of Cups to look forward to every day, and this current bit of ugliness shall also pass.



These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn, and The Wisdom of the House of Night Oracle by P.C. Cast and Colette Baron Reid, published by Potter Style.

Monday Majors: My Lens for the Week- The Devil

Mystic Dreamer Tarot- The Devil

The Devil reflects exactly how I feel, so I am in no way surprised to see her today.  I feel bound to people I don't want to be, I feel angry and full of white hot heat that could burn, and those feelings make me feel ashamed and dirty.

There are a number of things and situations I would just set a match to, metaphorically speaking, and watch burn to the ground right now.  Scratch that; I would not even bother to watch.  I would just turn and walk away.

I know, in some ways, my anger is getting the best of me, but the question comes- Is that because I am used to being a good girl who stays quiet and doesn't make waves?  Or is this a righteous anger and I so rarely let myself feel that I am unused to the way it burns?  Time will bear that out, and I am sure some of my posts will, too.

I have had the Mystic Dreamer Tarot since its' release in 2008, and I rather like the images, though this kind of art is not to everyone's tastes.  I wanted something pretty and meaningful and personal and symbolic but wouldn't make me work too hard or stretch too far.  I'm too ragged around my edges for too much serious stretching just now, though I do feel this is a deep deck and worthy of study, use, and my time that goes into those things.





These cards are from Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn.