Daily Draw - XIII Tarot

Today the Hierophant makes another appearance, which is not really surprising to me since I have often observed cards continue to repeat until I have really heard all they have to say to me.

XIII Tarot by Nekro - The Hierophant, The Hermit, Eight of Swords

The rising mists gently part for this Hierophant as her haughty gaze falls coolly to mine.  She offers no comfort, but neither does judgment flash in that steady stare.  Her hands steepled together in prayer, her perch on a pedestal, all of it speaks to a grace and stillness alien to me.

The Hermit is another solitary figure, as befits a Hermit, and her prayer is active, bringing the fire of desire and knowledge to share with those who are willing to brave the heat and gain the wisdom to handle it without fear.

The Eight of Swords in this pip deck shows a perfect balance of the deadly sharp tools.  They are dangerous and so must be handled with the greatest of care. In this arrangement, they are impotent, and without rearranging them into a suitable pattern, or condensing them down to a suitable number, they cannot benefit the user.

From this reading I take the idea that both blind adherence to man made religion and reckless refusal to look to God for anything are dangerous ideas which lead me to dangerous places, at best rendering me powerless to act, and at worst setting myself a booby trap in my own mind.  The Eights are always in perfect balance, although being in the suit of Swords renders this one ill dignified, and balance is what I must continue to reach for.

These cards are from XIII Tarot by Nekro, published by Fournier.

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.

NicNoodle & The End of Cheer Season

Another mundane question for The Sirian Starseed Tarot today, except all mothers know nothing that has to do with their kids is really mundane.  It all matters desperately to us, if it matters at all to our kids.  There is a saying that a mother is only as happy as her saddest kid, and I have found that to be true.

Danica, however, is not the least bit sad, at least not today.  Although it did not have to be, since they emerged victorious, today was her last Cheerleading competition in her first year.  Having taken First in their division at Regionals, my sweet girl and the Spartan Cheerleaders are qualified to attend Nationals in February in Orlando, but the coaches do not feel like they can ask the parents to spend that kind of money, since we had no idea we were dealing with superstar cheerleaders this year and we did not plan for it.

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Reflection (Hermit)

I want to know how Cheer has affected my girl, and the answer is a kindly old gentleman who has been around a lot this week- Reflection, or The Hermit.  I take this to mean that she has grown a lot, learned a lot, and is on a path to becoming who she is meant to be.  Although she now has a sweet baby brother, she is the baby in this part of the family, something that has sparked a lot of rivalry between the Little J Man and her, since he was the baby before his dad and I married, and our union placed him squarely in the middle of the sibling group, but she has been both beautifully mentored this year, as well as having the opportunity to be a mentor and leader herself.  As the Back Spot for her stunt group, she was responsible for helping the younger girls get into place and making sure their part of the cheer routine came off without a hitch.  I really think this has been an amazing experience for her not only because she has found something to love, grown in her self esteem, but also because she has, for probably the first time, been responsible for leading and teaching her peers, and since she is the youngest in a family full of boys, she was not likely to get that experience at home.

She has decided Cheer is her thing, along with acting, writing, singing, drawing, photography, and scrap booking, and she is now taking a tumbling class to help emerge a stronger, more skillful Cheerleader next season.  I am so proud of her for her initiative and her incredibly hard work!

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Five of Chalices (Cups)

The Shadow Card of this reading is the Five of Chalices, a card which signals to me that while she is currently high on her teams' win, she is going to soon feel the emptiness those hours not filled with practice, travel, games, performances, and competitions leaves, as well as the camaraderie of her peers on the team.  Since football and Cheer has ended, I am not sure any of us are going to know what to do with our not-packed weekends.  There is a high danger of her forgetting the parts of Cheer she did not like, the practice she had to do outside of the group and the primping that goes into getting the hair and make up just so.  She has expressed interest in competitive full time Cheer, but that is both expensive and time consuming.  One of her coaches recommends it, and the other says no, that girls that start competitive Cheer this young get burned out by the time they are in high school.  I think she might feel bad that her dad and I just aren't going to be able to invest in a full time competitive team, without remembering that a lot of work goes into it on her end, too.  She has a tumbling class, intended to sharpen cheerleading skills, she has choir, she has theater classes, Scrapbooking Club, and she is just going to be happy with what we can provide.  Hopefully this can be an opportunity to learn to be grateful for what we do get, instead of bemoaning what we can't have.

These cards are from The Sirian Starseed Tarot by Patricia Cori and Alysa Bartha, published by North  Atlantic Books.

Reflections of the Way Life Used To Be

I can be a bit morose at times, and yesterday I came to decision that has been a long time in the coming, but I either decide everything in a split second, as my intuition dictates, or I think on it good and hard and long and thorough.  Even though I am a Taurus I am not actually stubborn; I just appear that way at times because once I make my mind up about something there is no changing it, simply because I have usually give each decision and opinion a lot of thought.

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Reflection (Hermit)

I used The Sirian Starseed Tarot to ask, What can I expect of the decision I finally came to?  And my answer was this card, Reflection, who reflects The Hermit.  Probably because of my mood, I immediately thought, Oh no!  I am going to be all alone in the world!  But I snapped back pretty quickly, remembering two things- First, this deck always reads at the highest possible vibration, so unless there are cards, feelings which equal intuition, some indicator in the imagery (which I have not yet seen), or something else (vague, I know, but I can't really tell you how this tarot thing works.  I can't tell you how my car works, either, but I drive everyday) I read these cards at their lightest end of the spectrum.  I pulled only one card, and I did not look to the bottom of the deck, my Shadow Card, a habit so ingrained that to not do it is surely significant.

Second, my Lens for the week, my Major Arcana I drew on Monday, is Solar Deity, The Sun.  Unless I am otherwise indicated, I am to read with the bright light of that card shining down on all my readings for the week.  The cards couldn't be on further ends of the spectrum in terms of imagery.  Reflection is a a grizzled old man, in the dark of night, and Solar Deity is a mythical Pegasus, but The Sun is also completely in the dark of night.  Just its' light shines so bright it becomes day.  The Hermits' Lamp is not quite so bright, but it is still a very useful tool.  These cards both shed light on a situation.

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Solar Deity

So the card reflects back to me the careful thought I put into my decision.  The Hermit corresponds with Virgo, who does very little without being very sure, so I am reassured that I did as much thinking as necessary, and likely over thought the deal.

I also know, from my own personality quirks, that I am better off working alone, usually, so I don't know why I would have a fear reaction to being alone.

This card also shows me going into a time of greater reflection.  Nines are the end of a cycle, with Tens being the culmination.  One cycle for me is over, and that can be bittersweet, but another is about to begin, so I can know this is for my highest good and I will be best served by this.

I expect to be entering a new period of learning, delving deeper into who I truly am, and inner peace, and those are all things to celebrate, especially with the bright positivity of The Sun casting brilliance all over the situation, and I am grateful, both to the people involved, and to the cards, for offering such unflagging reassurance.

These cards are from The Sirian Starseed Tarot by Patricia Cori and Alysa Bartha, published by North  Atlantic Books.

Tarot Foundations by Brigit Esselmont, Day 1

Do you read my blog because tarot interests you but you don't know how to read for yourself?  Or are you a fellow reader who is, like me, always looking to strengthen your skills?  No matter what your interest in tarot, I have some exciting news!  Brigit Esselmont of Biddy Tarot, a site I'm sure you've come across if you've ever Googled "tarot", has a new eBook out called Tarot Foundations: 31 Days To Read Tarot With Confidence, and she has graciously invited me to share some segments with you all!

You all know me.  I have been reading Tarot for over 23 years, and it is how I earn my living.  There is nothing else I'd rather do, even sit on the sofa and eating bon bons and watching a "The Real Housewives of Anywhere" marathon, because even when I am doing that I am pulling cards about the people on the shows.  Do I need a book like this?  The answer is yes, I do.  There is no such thing as having too many skills too well honed.  Beyond that, I love taking beginner Tarot courses because there is nothing like new eyes to really bring to light details I may overlook in familiarity.  Brigit kindly offers a community on her website to participate in learning, growing and trying the activities in this book with others online.  This is included with the purchase of her new eBook.

Over the next few weeks I am going to share some of the Activities with you, although Brigit does recommend you do them in order over 31 days. She has made the lessons brief enough that is totally possible yet chock full of information so they are totally worthwhile!

You may as well start at the beginning so today we'll look at Day 1.  In the Lesson for this day Brigit breaks down the very fundamentals of tarot.

• What is the Tarot?
• How does the Tarot work?
• How can the Tarot be used?
• Understanding the present or predicting the future?

In a couple of concise yet entertaining pages Brigit neatly explains what I do every day, and does so eloquently.  All of the above questions are answered, and then you'll know, so simple.

We are then taken to the Activities.  I am doing the Activities in my voice, and yours will and should look different, as your answers will be different.  That is just one of the may joys of the Tarot!

The Student & Universal Hope Cards, to me

1.1  Identify Your Personal Motivations
     -What inspired you to learn Tarot?

I happened across a deck of Writer Waite Smith cards in a Hallmark Store (for those not in the States, they sell birthday cards, stationary, ornaments, journals, that type of thing) when I was 12 years old.  I had no idea what they were but as soon as I saw that yellow box I wanted them and I conspired to come up with the $8 they cost (that was a lot more money then!)  When I finally got them home I discovered that while the titles were in English, what I didn't know then was called The Little White Book was in Swedish, so I had this pack of 78 cards with beautiful pictures I had no idea what to do with.  I lived far far out in the country so my access to any book on the subject was limited, and there was o such thing as the Internet, plus there were not nearly as many books available then as we are blessed with today.  I was fascinated by the cards anyway so I used them to tell myself stories and slowly they began to tell me secrets, about understanding myself, about potential futures (that sometimes came true!) and I was always entranced by them.

What I discovered when I eventually had access to books was that the meanings I had come up with on my own were pretty darn close to what Mr. Waite had in mind when he directed Pamela Colman Smith in

painting those images, and the same will be true for you with any deck you resonate with.  The pictures will tell you a story you understand perfectly.  That is the magic of the Tarot!

Looking Inward

I guess I was inspired to learn Tarot because I was like a moth being drawn to a flame.  It was irresistable to me, but I have never been burned.  Tarot has ever had my back!

1.2  How do you plan to use the Tarot cards?
Many times in many religions or forms of spirituality we are admonished to pray.  For me Tarot is where I hear my answers.

I plan to use the Tarot cards for introspection, personal reflection, fortune telling, divination, and to delight me with the share joy of a beautiful deck (the definition of divination is to commune with the Divine).

What is your personal philosophy on the Tarot?  What can/can't the Tarot do?

Mystery, Secrets

I personally believe the Tarot covers every aspect of life.  I believe its 78 little pieces of the universe broken apart and reformed in infinite variety to reflect every situation back to ourselves in a way we can understand.

I believe the Tarot can:

• Help us clarify and understand our feelings.
• Help us understand the current energies surrounding us.
• Take a snapshot in time from which we can divine a probable outcome if nothing changes.
• Help us make the decisions that help us align best with our highest purpose.
• Help us create the future we want most.

I believe the Tarot cannot:

•  Harm myself or anyone else.
• Affect the free will of any being.
• Draw negative spirits.
• Set the future in stone.

This is the first half of the Activities given on Day 1, and even though I completed them quickly and with ease, even I, as a seasoned reader, had to think deeply on the subject and was somewhat surprised with my answers!  The Activities only get more exciting as we start to actually with the cards that make up the Tarot, so watch this space for more to come, and an exciting giveaway!

If I have whet your appetite for Tarot Foundations: 31 Days To Read Tarot With Confidence by Brigit Esselmont, Click here to visit Biddy Tarot to learn more! (Full disclosure- if you purchase anything from the links in this post, I do receive a percentage of the sale.  I will only ever endorse products I both use and believe in, and I have never tried to sell you all anything before, nor is my intention to start now.  I just want to share something I am finding really cool with you, as well as help Brigit spread the word about her new eBook, because she is truly a valued member of the Tarot community!)

These images are from The Pocket Universal Waite Tarot, not my first deck but one I reach for often.  The original artwork was done by Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite, and this gorgeous recoloring was done by Mary Hanson Roberts.  This deck is published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.