Waning Moon Tarot Spread

To keep rhythm with the moon today I am doing the Waning Moon Tarot Spread, courtesy of Ethony on Tumblr.  I am using the Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz.  I have trimmed the large borders and titles from my working deck to free the dreamy landscape to flow over and through the images.

Waning Moon Tarot Spread: Archeon Tarot- Death, The Chariot, Ace of Cups, Five of Cups

Card One: Waning- What do I need to release?  Death.
 I tend to have a scorched earth attitude towards things I leave behind.  I am often all or nothing, and I don't need to be that way.  I can exercise a little moderation, and I don't have to turn away from a thing altogether in order to move forward.  In regards to my back injury, I keep hoping for the day I wake up and I am remade, a whole new person, and that simply is not going to happen.

Card Two: Reverse- What can I reverse to help me or my situation?  The Chariot.
 I tend to have a rather bullish attitude about things, believing I can power through the unsavory parts of life, or see hard things through with sheer tenacity.  Although this has served me well in many cases, some situations need a little more finesse.  Sometimes I can (and should) hold on loosely.  I cannot force my healing through my usual means of getting things done.

Card Three: Hecate- What path is in line with my highest self?  Ace of Cups.
Love.  Love is always the appropriate response.  This was the clear message in the single card reading I did for my October project, being documented on Instagram, #ShadowWorkOctober.  Let love flow, let it fill me, let it spill over, stop putting restrictions on what it looks like, what it feels like, besides good, and what it can accomplish.  I need to focus on the love in my life.

Card Four: Guidance- What guidance can the waning moon show me? Five of Cups.
I am not a great multitasker, which means when I focus on what I don't have, I do not have the attention span to really feel, enjoy, and appreciate all the things I do have.  I think it's a normal and natural response to remember the things and the people that are no longer in our lives as better, or smoother, than they really were.  There's no use crying over spilled perfume, and since I am lucky, I have the memory of the scent to see me through, but my focus needs to be here and now in this place.  I can feel sorry for myself forever, I really could, but there is nothing to be accomplished with that attitude.

Do you like to do spreads based on the cycles of the Moon?  Please share if you do!

These cards are from the Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Daily Draw - A Pair of Aces!

Fenestra Tarot - Ace of Wands, Ace of Pentacles, King of Cups

This draw is an exciting one, including two dynamic Aces.  The creative fire of the Ace of Wands leads to the prosperous promise of the well rounded Ace of Pentacles, culminated by the master of his art, the King of Cups.

This is such an auspicious pairing that I can't help but feel maybe this is the day I manifest my million dollar idea, or begin the project that will be my breakthrough.  Aces are all raw potential and energy, and of course they require attention, feeding and care.  The King of Cups is a fully actualized manifestation of sensitive creativity combined with masterful execution.  The Aces represent a male and female energy, and this King holds both energy in his being as well.  It's perfectly balanced.

To bring this reading back to reality, I note that every figure in it is facing left.  I draw my cards with my left hand, using the philosophy that the left hand is most likely to be connected to the subconscious place of dreaming from which tarot reading, and all the art I create, come.  This energy is largely under the current and may not be the Boom! firework in your face undeniablity that I sometimes prefer to reading more subtle signs.  The intuitive King of Cups shows me I need to be deep in the flow, or at least willing to partake in order to reap the harvest these Aces promise.

Fenestra Tarot - Empress

If we were trying for such a thing, I could read this spread, especially with the Empress appearing as the Shadow energy, as a happy pregnancy.  The life force energy of those particular Aces is strong, and indicates growth from an initial burst of energy (I'd like extra credit for having originally typed "spurt" and thought better of it).  The Empress governs creativity and growth, overseeing her fruitful garden, a metaphor for both our earthly wealth and the inexhaustible wealth of our inner landscape.  The shadow energy of that is she can also hold our insecurities and doubts, and she can appear poorly aspected when we are creatively blocked, which like depression acts in such a way as to protect itself by preventing us from taking the steps we need to alleviate it.

The day is ripe and juicy!

Soft Compassion

I am so thoroughly entranced by this deck and it has easily been the most anticipated one of the year (for me).  I love the concept!  78 cards, which are made up of 39 images divided.  Often, you won't see the cards together in a reading, but when you do, it is bound to make an impression!  I am looking forward to playing with the images and seeing what goes where, but this was the first one I puzzled out.

Fairy Lights Tarot- Four of Swords, Ace of Cups

"The boundaries are soft," in this world, so reads the Little White Book.  The relaxed, peaceful feeling of the the enchanted twilight these cards represent is indeed a place where the boundaries are soft.  In the Four of Swords, the little girl is letting her fairy lights fall softly into the the whispering waterfall.  There is no hurry, no drama, just peace.  The unending source of her light shines brightly into the night sky, where drops of the stuff fall into the Ace of Cups, ensuring this chalice will never empty, the mermaid will never choke on dry air.  Love is always like that, a cycle, and I find myself telling sitters, and my own self alike at times, that if the relationship does not fill you up, and do so peacefully, as if it is almost too easy, it may not be the love you were actually seeking.

It's not always easy, but we should never spend ourselves utterly on any person or thing that is not giving back to us, or all of us who have ever had an overdraft on our banking account know what will happen next- we are empty, with bills to pay, and fees on top of all of that.

Compassion comes softly.




These cards are from Fairy Lights Tarot by Lucia Mattioli, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Daily Draw- The Sun, Seven of Wands, Ace of Swords

Three of the four cards you'll see on my blog today came up for a sitter Ihad the another, but the message was completely different.  That is one of the beauties of tarot, same cards, different context, and a whole new story! Love tarot so much, for this and many reasons!

Deviant Moon Tarot- The Sun, Seven of Wands, Ace of Swords

The Sun is casting an illuminating light of the frantic, lost figure of the Seven of Wands, who is separated from her unconscious self, as evidenced by the dark forest, and that she is running towards the dark twins of The Sun card, who are beckoning her and want her to be fully awake.  The Ace of Swords is a guiding angel,but she may be getting a little fed up with her words being ignored, so she might be ready to show a little tough love.

For me, I have been frantic about a lot of things- my kids' schedules, a rough football season for my boy, my back, my business, this stupid mediation that just keeps going on and on.  I gotta get a more positive attitude before I get a cosmic backhand.

So, when I get a great idea today, or many, I will write them down and pursue them, not tell myself it's too stupid or I can't do it.

Deviant Moon Tarot- Eight of Pentacles

The Shadow Card is the Eight of Pentacles, which tells me this about work, making my eight hour every day.  A good family, a successful business, writing a novel, those things don't just happen.  You have to do the work.  Well, every day when I recover, but there are lots of things I can do in bed.  Like write this blog post.  Brainstorm.  Redo my business plan.  Add to marketing ideas.  I can see these are very positive cards with good, uplifting advice I intend to take.  See, tarot is not always about fortune telling.  It is therapy, cheap and fast, and it is a great giver of advice.

These cards are from Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza, published by U.S. Games, Systems, Inc.

Daily Draw- Ace of Wands (Will O' The Wisp)

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot- Ace of Wands

Will o' the Wisps are often referred to a "Fool's Fire" and make a great analogy to the Ace of Wands, traditionally a card of spiritual opportunity, potential, fire, and the beginnings of great passionate endeavors.  In the tarot, as in life, we are all on the Fool's Journey, and these crafty little fey point us down a path we may not have seen on our own.  Whether this is for our ultimate good or a mischievous trick depends in part on our own sense of adventure and how willing we are to just see where we end up.

Lisa Hunt's decks often have the suit of Wands representing Air, but it looks to me like she has made a shift with this deck and chosen Fire to represent Wands.  Fire is the quickest moving element, leaving little time to actually think things through, but causing us to simply go with what our gut tells us.  Scientific theory tells us that will o' the wisps may be explained by swamp gases, or atmospheric anomalies, but Wands represent Spirit, and Aces are potential.  We can believe the science, which may be solid, but we could also believe in the magic.  Which one sounds more fun to you?  Which one would suit you better to embrace as your personal truth?

This card is from Ghosts & Spirits Tarot by Lisa Hunt, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Daily Draw- Ace of Swords (Poltergeist)

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot- Ace of Swords

Poltergeist!  What an interesting choice for the Ace of Swords.  Poltergeist are thought of as unseen spirit who cause objects to move about, sometimes in seeming violence.  Is this possible?  I am imagine it is, but some theories to explain poltergeist is that a living person, usually unknowingly, is causing the activity through psychokenesis, or telekenesis, Stephen King's "Carrie" style.  Sometimes we truly do not know the power of our own minds!

I traditionally think of the Ace of Swords as powerful mind shifts, and this image supports that.  I see it as cutting through the bs, and if in fact this person is causing the whirlwind around them by not being able to control their own mind, someone needs to call them on it and show them how they can stop the drama.

It is also a powerful reminder of how strong a tool our mind can be.  Our thoughts really do affect the physical reality of our lives, and it is so important to have a good handle on them, to not allow ourselves to become trapped in a cycle of negativity or feeling sorry for ourselves when the world is such an amazing place, full of beautiful things to see, touch, smell, hear, taste, and experience.

This card is from Ghosts & Spirits Tarot by Lisa Hunt, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Daily Draw- Ace of Wands, Queen of Cups, Six of Cups

What I Did Well Today, What I Need to Leave Behind, What I Need To Carry Forward

Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan- Ace of Wands, Queen of Cups, Six of Cups

I am not happy today.  I feel the weight of many things on my shoulders, and my back continues to cause issues. My life choices have left me in a place where there is a lot of baby mama drama, and while it's peaceful with my own ex, that is never a guarantee.

What I did well today- Ace of Wands. I saw several times, in different forms, that proverb, "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." ~Richard Bach

I am also taking to heart Semisonic's lyrics- "Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings'end." I am heartsick and very sad but I still found joy. My hurt has made my day overcast, but it hasn't stolen all my joy. I won't let it.

What I need to leave behind today- Queen of Cups. My pain is causing me issues with my intuition, and I am being self indulgent of my bruised feelings. Honestly, I feel sorry for myself, and I have reasons to, but my problems are no worse than anyone else's. I need to buckle up my bootstraps, realize I took one day to cry, and let that be enough.

What I need to carry forward with me into tomorrow- Six of Cups.  There are two messages in this card, the first one being continue to create a happy, stable childhood for my kids. I managed to keep them shielded from my hurt, which is how it should be. They have their own concerns, book reports and sports, having the "right" hair and keeping up with chores. Children tend to believe adult issues stem from them, they are quick to believe they are at fault, and my kids are exquisite. I am blessed and they bring me joy every day. I hope one day they can look back and feel they had a happy childhood.

The other message for me in the Six of Cups is that I need to hold tight to my good memories, and not let anything corrupt them. We have a tendency to rewrite history when things don't turn out the way we wanted, and often in a fit of sour grapes say, "I didn't want that anyway." Well, I did want it, and I would have done almost anything to have it, and I have millions of beautiful, poignant memories to carry with me. I regret nothing.

Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan- Queen of Swords

The Queen of Swords appears as the Shadow Card, and she is here to remind me that I am not perfect. I have a sharp tongue, which I try to control, but sometimes it feels damn good to let it all hang out  I try to THINK before I speak (is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring, is it Necessary, is it Kind?) but I have failed at that today and I have to own that.










These images come from the Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans, published by Llewellyn.

Daily Draw - Nine of Swords, Ace of Swords, The Emperor

Dark Fairytale Tarot- Nine of Swords, Ace of Swords, Emperor

Have you ever been able to control your dreams?  When you are having a lovely one, can you make it lovelier still by interacting with it?  What about your nightmares?  Are you able to turn them around?

In this set of cards, I see the dreamer in the first card taking a firm grasp on at least one of those Swords that is plaguing her.  She is taking her life back, one way or the other.  The Emperor looks on, because sometimes the most loving act is to let someone deal with their own issues.  That is how we get stronger.  It has been theorized that in our dreams, we play all the roles, and everyone we interact with is an aspect of ourselves.  The Emperor does not lift a hand to help, but is that an act of judgment, or is he granting the girl his trust that she can do it all on her own?  Is your inner Emperor a kind, fatherly figure, who sets loving boundaries, or is he a harsh taskmaster who berates and is all hard edges?  He is likely to resemble your most paternal figure in your mind, and if that figure does not speak to you from a place of love, it's time to remold him into the compassionate man you deserve.  Be kind to yourself.

Dark Fairytale Tarot- Death

The Shadow Card to day is Death, standing by, passing through the veils of this world and the next as easily as if they were mist.  He appears to the dreaming self, scythe at the ready, to expose the Shadow self, the things we need to integrate, the pieces of ourselves we have treated unkindly, or yelled at.  He is the guide between the two worlds, and sometimes we have to plumb the depths of our psyches to go rescue that piece we have shoved away.





These cards are from Dark Fairytale Tarot by Rafaele De Angelis, published by Lo Scarabeo.