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.

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Can You Answer The Mundane?

Okay, so we know The Sirian Starseed Tarot answers spiritual and psychological questions like a champ, with eery accuracy, and for me, at least, causing deep introspection and higher thought patterns to emerge.  That is plenty enough to ask of any deck, but I want to know if this one can address my day to day concerns, as well.

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Six of Crystals (Pentacles)

There is an ongoing situation with a person that is full of conflict, and it is not a situation I can just walk away from.  It has to be worked out.  My question is, How can I best approach the situation with this person?  My answer is the Six of Crystals, which, being the highest vibration of Earth energy, are equivalent to Pentacles in this deck.

In the imagery, I instantly relate to the dark haired woman on the left as myself, and since I see the scales I know my role in this situation is to stay in balance.  No one else in this situation is able to view it impartially, and I am not able to either, entirely, but I come the closest, probably, of the participants.

I see that I need to give this person as much as I expect them to give me, because that is how balance happens.  The reaching hands to the figure I am identifying with make me feel the other person wants me to give the most in the situation, and since this is the suit that deals with physical things, I know that means money as well as time and resources.  I am inclined to give those things, because I identify readily with this persons' particular set of problems, and I have deep and sometimes painful empathy for most people, but some people see the kind of giving I am more than willing to do as weakness.

The empty hands also indicate to me that this person feels I have taken something from them, and while I could not live with myself if I believed that I had, each persons' perception IS their reality, so if this person feels I have taken something from them, in their world, I have.  The correlation is my reality is that I feel I have done them no wrong, so that is how it is in my world.  Even though it logically seems both statements can't be true, we aren't dealing with logic.  We are dealing with feelings, which are volatile, so both statements CAN be true, and in this case probably are.

By their words, I know this person sees this situation as one with clear winners and losers, but the balance of the scales indicates that is not the case, and their perception of win/lose is a faulty one.  I need to be careful to not let their faulty perception affect my reality, so that I keep in mind BALANCE is what we have been seeking all along, not a "win".

Sirian Starseed Tarot- Seeker of Crystals (Pentacles)

The Shadow Card of this reading comes from the same suit, and is The Seeker of Crystals.  This is equivalent to the Page of Pentacles in a Waite Smith named deck.  To be honest, I physically identify the figure on the card as the person I am in opposition with at the moment, though they are not necessarily a female, and the grin on the face of the figure in the card I see as malicious, in this case (the next time I see this card, that may not be so, as I am sure the artist did not intend that.  This is how intuition works).  That would make sense for this card to appear as far away from me as possible, because I really would just like them to go away, in peace and their own happiness, but that is not going to happen.  This is where reading for oneself can get dicey.  Does this person wish me well?  Hell, no.  Are they actively plotting against me?  Probably.  Is that any of my business?  No, because what other people think of me isn't, and because I live my life in such a way I have no worries of anything being exposed.  I have taught all the skeletons in my closet to dance.

Since I use the Shadow Card as some information I have put far away from myself to keep from dealing with it, and I see the traditional Page of Pentacles as the ardent student, I know that I need to make sure all my ducks are in a row when dealing with this person, that research has been done, and that I am fully prepared by being knowledgeable, first and foremost, and having my physical self (with my poor health) and surroundings ready.

I apologize for the ambiguity, but as much as they don't believe this, I am NOT an enemy to this person and I very much want to respect their privacy and boundaries, but this weighs so heavily on my mind all the cards I was pulling dealt with this anyway, so I needed to deal with it.  As to whether this deep and spiritual deck answers more mundane questions well, I have a resounding, "Yes!"

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

Daily Draw- Page of Wands (Acheri)

Ghosts & Spirit Tarot- Page of Wands

The Page of Wands usually appears to me as one of my 13 year old sons.  In this case she is probably speaking of them both, in different ways.

A little about Acheri- in Native American lore, Acheri is a demon who appears as a little girl, harmless enough, yet she bring sickness to children, and leaves destruction and devastation in her wake.

One of my 13 year olds is in the middle of some girl drama that he is really not equipped to handle.  To my surprise, young ladies of this age are really quite aggressive at times, and this one in particular is a beautiful little girl, but she is systematically breaking my boys' heart, all the while calling it love.  The way to protect your child from Acheri is to tie a red string around his neck.  The red string I am using is reminding my boy that if someone says they love you but their actions speak differently, you believe what they do, not what they say.  I tell him he is young, and he is handsome, charming, athletic, talented, and girls are going to chase him and try to manipulate him his whole life.  Again, if someone speaks love but acts destructively, believe what they do.

The other 13 year old, well, that is a little more complicated.  I believe his heart is also being systematically broken, also being told this is love, but not by a teenage girl we can restrict his access to.  The red string is the same, though.  When a persons' actions do not match their words, believe what they do.  Words are easy to say.  Our true intent comes through in our actions.  We truly can know a vine by its' fruit, and unfortunately this son is being poisoned by fruit he is being told is sweet.  Bless his little heart, and hopefully it can be stopped before he is completely wasted away.

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

Why Is She Contacting My Ex?

First, a little housekeeping- I am going to do my level best to get posts up all week, because I like to use decks before I review them, get a couple book reviews up, because I've read some great ones, and the reviews for the last couple decks I have used.  Next week I am undergoing another surgery but I am done letting my back rule the roost around here.

This is going to be a bit of a personal blog, but I am done with living my life in compartments.  I am all of me.  What I am wondering today is, "Why is my husband's baby mama contacting my kids dad?"

Witches Trot by Ellen Dugan- Page of Wands, Five of Swords, The Hermit

She has been messaging him on Facebook, and he believes trying to call, which is making him uncomfortable, because while we decided not to stay together, we have remained a solid parenting team, on good terms.  The answer lies in these three cards, The Page of Wands, Five of Swords, and The Hermit.  The Page and The Hermit flank the Five of Swords, so I know they are both focused on that card, and with its' middle position it carries extra weight in the reading.  This Page is a bright and happy portrayal, perhaps overly so.  Pages are inquisitive, and often represent news or information.  Often, for me, the Page of Wands presents himself in my readings as one of my 13 year old sons, one of which I share with her.  I believe that based on information she has (probably grilled him for, but that is personal, not from the cards, although that Five of Swords is a sneaky one at times) from him, she feels compelled to seek out information from someone that is not me, although I have been forthcoming whenever she asks me questions.  I firmly believe, and have irrefutable proof, that she is not always as honest with my husband and me as I am with her, and so she probably expects other people to have the same standards for themselves she has for herself.  I believe this Page also represents her presenting herself as a friendly, likable person who my ex should ally with.

This Five of Swords is a gentler representation than we might usually see, although it is rife with fairies, and while they often take a positive interest in human affairs, the are fickle, and just as likely to meddle in them.  I have never encountered a fairy, that I know of, but if I did I would hope I would be wise enough not to trust one.  I think she would like to be seen as harmless, innocent, and just reaching out to someone, but in reality she is grasping for information she has no right to, and the joke is really on her, because there is nothing to hide.  Fives are wretchedly unstable, and often represent strife, while Swords have to do with communications.  She would like to gain something that does not rightfully belong to her, and she is trying to do so with words.

The Hermit is the only Major Arcana in this reading but he is turned inward towards the Five of Swords, so he is concerned with the action happening there.  She feels very alone, and that no one is on her side.  She would like to sway my ex to her side.  She does not realize that the way we feel is not always an accurate representation of what actually is, and that is sad.  There is no reason for her to be alone.  She is a single parent, but my husband and I stand ready to help in any way.  I have been a single mom and I have incredible compassion for that situation.  Unfortunately, accepting, or even asking for that help would bring about a loss of control she cannot face.  She has screamed at me in the past that she is a single parent, they are her kids only, and all she wants from my husband is our money.  She wants to be alone, because that is the only way she can order her world exactly as she wants it.

Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan- The Moon

The Shadow card, a piece of hidden information at the bottom of the deck, something I may not want to face is The Moon.  I need to come to grips with the fact that I can't make her be honest by being honest myself.  She is conducting herself in numerous shady ways, and I keep giving her the benefit of the doubt because I love the kids so much I can't imagine hating anyone enough to hurt the kids just to see the hated person in an uncomfortable situation, so I can't wrap my mind around the reasoning of some of the things that happen.  The Moon can often represent deceit, and anxiety, and it is time for me to face she probably is being duplicitous, as much as I want to trust her and have a good, working relationship.  Her dishonesty and maneuvering probably comes from anxiety, because the current court proceedings will change all of our lives forever, hopefully for the better for everyone, even her, but I can't force her to look at all sides.  I also don't have time to allow myself to be anxious about whatever she may do, because I have no control over her.  I have to trust anyone she may contact to do the right thing, and I have to trust that since I live my life on the up and up there is nothing to worry about.  I live my life in such a way I would be proud to have most anything I do be public knowledge, and I am raising excellent kids.

I'm not unbiased in this reading.  It concerns my kids, so I am invested with everything I have.  It concerns my family, so I can't afford the luxury of cool distance.  I do believe I am reading the cards in an accurate way, and when I read for myself I check myself by making sure I would be saying the same to a client.  Neither am I perfect, but one thing I have learned is my kids' happiness and well being trumps any negative feelings I may have towards their other parent.

More to come, unfortunately....






These cards are from the Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans, published by Lo Scarabeo.