Daily Draw - No Means No

My name is Ludy and the publisher asked me to write something about myself and about this deck.

So begins the text in the Little White Book included with this deck, the Ludy Lescot Tarot.  The deck purports to follow a young lady in turn of the century New Orleans.  It's a fun romp through an imagined gothic landscape of a privileged and unusual young woman, and the facade never cracks. If you enjoy period pieces and the version of Dracula with Winona Ryder, this deck is probably right up your alley, and you will hear the clicking of heels on the cobblestones behind you as the heady scent of the sea air mingles with the heavy scent of gardenia and the jangle of the jazz music plays in the distance.

Ludy Lescot Tarot- Seven of Pentacles, King of Swords, The Lovers

The cards I have drawn today tell a story of jealousy, cruelty, and revenge taken.  The Little White Book is rather bleak in its' descriptions, and while I do not happen to agree with them or find them particularly useful for reading or working with, they do make an excellent story!

The Seven of Pentacles reads, "Your body is like a garden that grows according to your desires.  Don't let it run wild, but cultivate it."

The King of Swords, "Even the smallest man has the right  to justice, but beware: the justice of a king with no throne is often revenge."

And The Lovers, "Passion is born of blood.  Kindness is born of the soul.  Love is cruel and, if it is authentic, you will not be able to escape it."

This sounds an awful like the pure drivel we are sometimes expected to accept when people want to excuse rape and rape culture.  The girl is asking for it by virtue of being sexy, whether that is an image she cultivates or not, the man is unable to control himself, and who are we to expect him to anyway, and the inevitable conclusion is consumption, regardless of her will in the matter.

And that disgusts me.

As a mom to four young men and a young lady, this hits hard.  As a human being, this hits hard.  I am tired of my daughter being held to a standard of dress that is designed to keep males from getting sexually excited, when the truth is boys of her age usually get that way if the wind blows just so, and because she has been blessed with physical beauty, she could wear a potato sack and that would still appeal some some fetish or another.  Not to mention that the bottom line is that we need to focus on teaching people of all genders some self control instead of telling people they have to present themselves a certain way in order to avoid being assaulted.  I worry for my young men, not that they would cause any harm, but that the world we live in seems to accept a certain amount of sexual assault as collateral damage.

Usually I try to spin these darker cards into a positive message, or at least a reading that is relevant to my life right now, but all I really have to say about them today is, "Don't rape."

And if you are a victim of a sexual crime, don't excuse it or let the blame fall on you.  And please, please get some help. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network is available to help at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).  You are worthy of respect, dignity, compassion, and anyone who tells you differently with their words or their actions is a filthy liar.

I am including some handy infographics if anyone has a question about when it's consent and when it's not.

And most of all-

These images are from the Ludy Lescot Tarot by Patrizio Evangelisti, published by Lo Scarabeo.

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!

Daily Draw - When Strength Isn't Enough

Fenestra Tarot - Two of Cups, Strength, King of Cups

For this week I have picked a deck that is easy, in that it is largely a Waite Smith clone deck, meaning that it almost perfectly mirrors the art of Pamela Colman Smith under the instruction of Arthur Waite, done in one artists' particular style.  The earth tone colors and androgynous figures of the Fenestra Tarot by Thai artist Chatriya Hemharnvibul and published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. is just what I need to kick off a new year of blogging.  Familiar enough to be comforting, but with a fresh set of eyes for me.  I have had this deck for quite a few years, but have rarely done more than glance at it.  Let's get to know it together.

Today I am using a Daily Spread which I attribute to a member of a forum I no longer frequent, Thorhammer.  It is an introspective spread which allows for examination of the day just passed rather than making a prediction of the future, and this is one of the best uses of reading tarot for myself.  The positions are "What I did well today"  "What I need to leave behind from today" and "What I need to carry forward into tomorrow".

What I Did Well Today - Two of Cups.  I'm very lucky.  I know what I am supposed to be doing with my life, at least most of it.  This family first and foremost.  Writing.  Tarot.  I am also very lucky because this is a quiet moment of life which allows for time for all those things.  I made a deal with myself, which was that if I was given this time I would honor and I would do my work.  The Two of Cups is a card that signifies sacred contracts to me.  Sometimes that includes a lover, and it becomes a miniature Lovers card.  In this case, for me today, it is the sacred contract I made with myself and the one I have with God.  I'm doing my work.

What I Need To Leave Behind From Today - Strength.  This fiery card nestled between two Cups has been weakened, and with the positional meaning of the spread I can see that I am reading the shadow energy of this card.  I am Taurus, through and through, and most of us are not known for our subtlety and nuance.  I power through most issues, demanding that everything be on the table.  I expect me to pull my own bootstraps up, hitch up my big girl pants, and buckle down to make things happen, and by and large that is what I expect from my family and loved ones, too.  Some situations call for a little more finesse and a finer eye to the shifting shades of grey that exist in life.  There are some things that cannot be powered through, and as I do my work, internal and external, I need to be more sensitive to the particular energy of the situation rather than having a one size fits all mentality.

What I Need To Carry Forward Into Tomorrow - King of Cups.  Again, we are looking at a softness of attitude that I sometimes lack.  Like the figures that populate our dreams, Court Cards often indicate aspects of our own personalities, and in this spread I see no other options for this tender and compassionate King.  I need to be gentle with myself and with my loved ones tomorrow too, because that will get results where the bullheaded stubbornness I am prone to will only cause damage.  And wine.  I should definitely have a glass of wine.

Fenestra Tarot - The Star

Shadow Card energy - The Star.  I read the bottom card of my shuffle as a little extra tidbit of knowledge, something that will add to the spread or that I need to know in my reading.  The Star is so many things- Hope, most of all, wishes granted, healing, a promise of dawn soon coming.  I often read The Star as a Sun-ish energy, bright and bringing great blessings, because our Sun is also a Star, but The Star is further away.  It's still a wish unfulfilled, but it is a promise that the Sun always rises.  We just have to hold on.  For me today, I relate to the healing energy of the water bearer, and I see myself in the card, with the keys to my own healing, as long as I accept the flow and not try to impose my own will and understanding.  It can be so hard to let go and just let things happen as they are meant to, but the struggle for control is an even bigger illusion anyway.

Daily Draw- The Tower, The Lovers, King of Swords

Knives abound in this reading.  They frame The Lovers and their perfect visions for each other.  The cute little kidney is warding off junk food, which is cute but deadly, with one.  Not all cute things are innocuous.

The Healing Tarot- The Tower, The Lovers, King of Swords

This deck is specifically geared towards physical health, which is every professional readers' bane.  I am not a doctor or a nurse.  I have intuitive feelings about what may be going on with you and when you should consult one, but that is never a substitute for health care.  There are often rigorous debates among readers about the morality of doing these kinds of readings at all.  But people want to know about love, money, their health, their kids, and their careers, generally.  It's important.

Because The Lovers are the middle of this reading, I immediately think to The Man, who has suffered from kidney stones with alarming frequency.  The last ultrasound he had revealed there were many, and much like childbirth, there is really only one way out of that situation.  I do not want him to suffer, and him getting sick right now could very well produce a Tower moment for us, because it is just not a good time.  Not that there ever is a good time to experience The Tower.

The King of Swords there shows me that there is a consequence to each choice we make, and the food we eat can be a great source of healing for our bodies, or it can poison us in increments.  I get frustrated with him, and with myself, reflected in The Lovers, because it is so simple to achieve and maintain health, but we still make poor choices.

The other thing this preponderance of cutting instruments makes me think of is that another surgery may loom on my horizon.  I desperately do not want that, because I thought I might be dying after I had the spinal fusion in March, but there is very little to be done with backs, and even with surgery it seems very much like you roll the dice and take your chances.  My surgeon has shown up as the King of Swords many times in the past year, and The Tower can certainly look like a spine. 

The best thing about readings like these is that forewarned is forearmed.  The future is never set in stone, and with this not so subtle reminder I can help The Man to eat better by cooking and providing that food.  We reflect ourselves to each other, and we can help each other be the best version of ourselves.  We also strive to be the best partner for each the other, and there is power in that, too.  We have to make positive change for our own good, but love often makes you place the good of someone else over your own.

The Healing Tarot- Three of Cups

The Shadow Card is the Three of Cups.  This card speaks to some underlying issues I have with food, health, love and body image.  My mom was a broken person, and I feel mostly sorry for her, but she had some clear lack when it came to parenting.  She called me Moo Moo Mandy until I was old enough to simply not talk to her at all anymore, and my handsome, adult cousin chimed right in, with a cruel song he made up about Mandy being a pig, a big pig, to the Davy Crockett television show theme.  To this day I will cry when hearing those words, and that is no longer their fault.  As an adult 30 years removed from the start of this, I should be able to process this in a healthy way.

I have some very entrenched ideas of food, and I feel immense guilt about eating foods I consider unholy, that add to my weight or (small) health issues.  This is also expressed in The Lovers, with the reflection of her just a little more perfect than the reality, although the reality is lovely.  I feel I cannot be worthy of love, as my name means, if I am fat, and that idea is so ridiculous I would snatch up and hug anyone else who expressed it to me.  We have to treat ourselves as well as we treat other people.

If there are some things in your life that need to be cut away, or that you need to cleave to, a tarot reading can help you get that clarity and offer advice.  If you don't know you are worthy of love, the tarot can show you different.  I'd love it if you booked one with me here.


These cards are from The Healing Tarot by Juno Lucina and Monica Knighton, published by Schiffer Books.

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.

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.

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.

Daily Draw- King of Swords, The Fool, The World

I had a jumper today.  A jumper is a card that falls out while you are shuffling, and while sometimes it is just clumsy handling of the cards.  This one was pretty insistent, though, so I am adding it!

It's late in the day or me, and I am probably in for the day, although The Man and I are blessed with another night all to ourselves.  We may go out later.  Or we may stay in and go to sleep early.  We have been so busy that we have deeply enjoyed these couple relaxing days.  These cards probably talk about what has already happened, since all that is on my agenda for the evening is writing a couple reviews and reading City Magick by Christopher Penczak in preparation for Tuesday evening's Unearthly Encounters show.  I might make some lotion.  Exciting times.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- King of Swords, The Fool, The World

While my handsome husband tends to show up as the King of Pentacles in my readings I think in this deck he is the King of Swords, at least while he is standing by, stoic but amused, not saying a word but just observing what goes on.  We went to the Denver Tarot Meetup Saturday Social Today, which is usually full of gentlemen as well as women, but today my man was the only man.  He is also happy to indulge me in my card fancies, but really at these things he is just keeping me company.  What a sweetie!  We met at DB Beanery in Castle Rock, which I was happily surprised to see is owned and run by a former coworker of mine.  I was delighted to see how well she is doing, and I hope she was delighted to see how I have progressed since I left Castle Rock.  That is both The Fool, and The World.  I walked away from that city a sad, broken hearted mess.  I went back today a strong, accomplished woman.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age- Wheel of Fortune

We had a small financial windfall today, always good news, and The Wheel of Fortune kept jumping out today to remind me that the Wheel goes up, but it goes down, too, and doesn't always buy you a drink before giving it to you, either.  I am always happy to see The Wheel of Fortune, as it is a beneficent card, but I am always happy to save a little money, too.  Circumstances beyond our control are keeping us from using that windfall, for the moment, and that is also all of these cards.  In this case, I am the cool King of Swords, pragmatic, and The Man is The Fool.  I am a Taurus, and he is a Sagittarius.  I want to save, he wants to spend.  We see money in totally different ways, and these are big cards for a Daily Draw.  I think that pulling them signifies that we will eventually be glad we (forcibly) saved the money, and they are such big cards I believe that it may make the difference between getting what we really need and want and not.  They are that intense.

Tarot of the Tattoo Age Queen of Swords

The Shadow Card of the reading is The Queen of Swords, which is me being kinda bitchy and raining on my husband's parade, although this one is rather immature looking, because believe me, there are tarot decks and Christmas gifts I really want to buy, some wrongs I want to right, and I am easily swayed by him, so I could have easily backed down from my position.  She is not the strongest Queen of Swords I have ever seen, and neither would I have been today, if The World had not conspired against, or as I rather think we shall see for, us to keep the money safe but untouchable for now.  I don't want to save the money more than I want to see him happy, and honestly, as solicitous as he is to me, he is still going to do what he wants to anyway, and he should.  He is a grown man and I am his wife, not his keeper.  Her appearance, though, shows that the King of Swords cool, thoughtful attitude was the right one to embrace, she being as close as possible to the already being used King to convey that message.

The King of Swords is by artist Tia Janitch.

The Fool is by artist Tim Lehi.

The World is by artist Mike Dorsey.

The Wheel of Fortune is by artist Brian Bruno.
The Queen of Swords is by artist William Thidemann.

These cards are from Tarot of the Tattoo Age, a collaborative project self published by Flaco Productions, LLC.