Deck Review - Tarot of the Mystic Spiral

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral, by Giovanni Pelosini, illustrated by Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo, operates on the premise that, "The spiral is a symbol present everywhere in nature, from the macrocosm of the galaxies to the microcosm of DNA." ~from the Little White Book.

The mystic spiral idea certainly is present in every card, although more overt in some cards than others.  I did not find myself relating over much to that concept of it, though I already breathe tarot in and out, so it may have been working on a subconscious level for me.  This deck is based on the Waite Smith system, but does not cling to it.  In most cards you can see the relation, but it is not always a direct correlation. People who like to push their understanding of those meanings ever further may enjoy this deck, if they can connect to the artwork, which I find appealing but inconsistent.  The images are sometimes drawn from mythology, sometimes from nature, and I have to imagine sometimes just from the creators imaginations.  Even so , I have found this an evocative deck to use, clear in readings, and enjoyable in its' language of imagery.  There is some mild violence in the cards, most notably in the Swords suit (but what else are you supposed to do with a Sword?) and the Knights (but that is kinda what Knights do).  A few cards feature nudity, some of it bawdy like the mooning Fool, some of it neutral like the Queen of Cups, and some of it sensual in its' beauty, like The Stars.  For that reason, I would not suggest it as a deck for children or those squeamish to that kind of imagery, though I do not find any of it gratuitous.

The cards themselves are lightly laminated, about 2.75 inches x 4.75 inches, and shuffle beautifully.  They are bordered in a trellis design against dark blue, and feature the name of the card in the six different languages at the corners.  The deck comes in a tuck box with a Little White Book for instruction, also written in English, Italian, Spanish, and German.  The booklet is concise, but gives a good starting point for the meaning of each card, and a quick idea of what the thought process was behind its' creation.  There are 78 traditionally named cards, the suits being Wands, Chalices, Swords, and Pentacles.  The Court Cards, from youngest to oldest are Knave, Knight, Queen, King.  You will find Justice as Trump VIII in this deck and Strength as XI.  The back design is a fully reversible pattern of knot work in soothing blues and greens, with gold as an accent.

I am consistently impressed with Lo Scarabeo's choices in decks to print.  They do not always click with me, but I can usually see that they are pushing at the boundaries of tarot, trying to add new ideas with their decks.  They tend to publish decks that require a bit of thought and I am all for thinking when we read tarot.

Zanna Starr at Tarot Notes Major and Minor, a must read blog for me, has also written a thoughtful review of this deck.  Please check it out, as well!

 

These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Waving Goodbye to Tarot of the Mystic Spiral

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Lovers, World, Knave of Chalices

 I asked the Tarot of the Mystic Spiral to tell me about our time together while I used it this week, and I think it was very apt in the answer!

The Lovers cavort unfettered by clothes, guile, or shame outside.  That was me coming to this deck.  Being slightly non-traditional, and not the deck I intended to work with this week, I had to put aside what I thought I knew about the deck and accept just as it is.  Once I did that, we got along famously, with the deck being very easy for me to read.  Coupled with the next card, The World, I can see that it was nearly a match made in heaven.

The World speaks to both the completeness of the week, that my business with this deck is now concluded, and the synergy I enjoyed while using it.  The next card, which would be the Page of Cups in a Waite Smith tradition, is a card that often suggests to me psychic abilities, and the ease I had in reading with Tarot of the Mystic Spiral certainly made it feel like ideas and stories were just popping into my head.

The third card, the Knave of Chalices, depicts Phidias as he contemplates art at the Acropolis, and the Little White Book describes it as artistic sensitivity on display.  I think that this card shows me looking into the images for the meanings, as the deck does not strictly adhere to any tradition I am familiar with, and that caused me to use intuitive abilities a little more, which is fine with me as it is always good to stretch.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- King of Swords

The Shadow Card of the Reading is the King of Swords, and I think this stern fellow came along because I was not completely enamored of this deck when I picked it up.  I was hoping to use something else, but nothing really called to me, and it was really a pragmatic decision to use Tarot of the Mystic Spiral, though it turned out to be a great one for me.  I had to let die my notion of what deck I was going to use, and mourning it almost caused me to miss out on a gem.  I made the choice completely devoid of emotion, including excitement, and it still turned out just fine!





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Making Luck

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Wheel of Fortune, Seven of Swords

Luck is not always going to be a lady now is she, and even when she is, she is fickle at best.  That is when we have to put on our game face and make our luck, right?  I think this is beautifully portrayed in this card combo, with the particulars of this depiction of the Seven of Swords.

 The Wheel of Fortune is ruled by Jupiter, a planet that is so expansive and so beneficent that wherever he may end up he brings good fortune.  For this reason, unless the card is particularly badly aspected I almost always read it as extremely positive.  In this card combination, the Seven of Swords is an Air card, combined with the Fire of the Wheel, and since Fire needs Air to burn and continue, I read these cards as strengthening each other significantly.
The Seven of Swords is an oft-maligned card that many people see as sneaking, thievery, dishonesty, and generally a poor character quality, but like all cards it has a range of meaning, and the way an artist chooses to portray that can greatly impact the possibilities in its' reading.  I often see the Seven of Swords as thinking outside the box, finding a way when the first one is barred, and using ones' wiles to emerge victorious.  I have considered the Seven of Swords two different times this week, and have found myself sympathetic to two of three characters at different times.  Given enough opportunities, I could probably relate to each one in turn.  In this portrayal, Theseus, assisted by Ariadne, has made his way deep into the labyrinth, and is in the process of slaying the monster within.  Left to own devices, his chances at success for his mission were slim.  However, with the help of Ariadne, another fickle lady, he was able to find his way both in and out, defeat the monster, and save the Athenians.  By enlisting the help of the weaver, he was able to make his own luck, and save the Athenians as well as himself.  This is a great example of luck coming to those who are willing to be responsible for making their own, and as Kenny Loggins reminds us, "Heaven helps the man who fights his fear."





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Daily Draw- Emperor, Sun, Hermit

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Emperor, Sun, Hermit

 This morning I am looking forward to have all five of the kidtauplets at home, for some of the weekend at least.  The older they get the more they have to do that is not at home, so I relish the times they are here.  My question today is, "How can I best take advantage of this time with the kiddos this weekend?"

The Emperor is here to show that boundaries are needed, and I am reminded that kids think they don't like rules, but secretly they crave them.  Ours have a lot of different ones to remember, too, owing simply to the fact they spend time at our houses, the other parents house, and a few sets of grandparents, too, not to mention they attend five different schools.  That is a lot for any kid to take in.  Our rules are basically 1. Be Kind To One Another (the hardest to enforce) and if you want to leave the house we know the 5 W's, and occasionally the H (Who you are going with, Where you are going, Why you are going, What you will be doing, When you will leave and be home, and How do you expect this all to happen?)  Sounds simple, but it's not always, and while we do not have a lot of rules, it looks like the kids are going to need to be real clear about what the expectations are.  The idea of the Emperor as the boundary setter with the Hermit as the loner book casing the reading makes me think that it's important to empower the kiddos to take time outs and just chill out alone as they may need.

The Sun card is the center of this reading of Major Arcana, and I think the most important piece is going to be maintaining a bright and cheerful attitude.  It is my belief that the mother sets the tone of the home, that the children react to her moods and follow her lead in their own interactions.  The power of a positive mom should never be overlooked.

The Hermit rounds out the reading, reminding me that while the kids might need their separate time, so do I.  I am going to take that time when I need so that I can be bright, cheerful, and the best mom I can be during the rest of our time together.  The Hermit is also a wise old man, so I can see that there will be wisdom needed at times, although I probably didn't need cards to see that.  The Hermit and The Emperor both remind me of my father in law, and I think he may enjoy seeing his grandkids, so I'll have to talk to The Man about making that happen, too.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Knight of Cups

The Shadow Card for this reading is the Knight of Cups.  This card has usually appeared in my readings to represent one of my 16 year olds.  It may be that he is needing something extra this weekend, so I'll try to be sensitive to his vibe, as he is not the greatest at articulating his emotions, having squashed them down so often.  This Knight is also sometimes dreamy and impractical, so it may be that I need to be aware of the ways I can be dreamy or impractical as it pertains to the children.  Ideally, I would like everyone to get along 100% of the time and just enjoy each other, but this blending a family thing doesn't work quite like that, and even if they had been siblings from birth on they still wouldn't get along all the time.  We can only take things one day at a time.

Bright weekend blessings to all of you!




These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Daily Draw - Seven of Swords, Fool, Ten of Swords

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Seven of Swords, Fool, Ten of Swords

I think today's set of cards is meant to be a pretty glum crew, but they really aren't.  I recently said some things, and they needed to be said, not a word among them was unkind or untrue, so I feel good about myself.

In the Seven of Swords, I instantly identified with the Minotaur.  He is getting attacked, and in his own home.  That's not right, but what can you do?  Sometimes you are the gladiator, and sometimes you are the minotaur.  Sometimes you are righteous, and sometimes you are the monster, and who wears which label is really a matter of perspective.

The bawdy Fool peeks over his shoulder, though, as he sneaks away from the scene.  He's a got a secret to tell, and if you are lucky he'll share it before he disappears over that edge.  He is worrying far too much about what is behind him and not nearly aware enough of what is coming up.

He can only run so far though, and not fast enough, as the Ten of Swords catches up to him.  On one hand, this is a sad moment.  On the other hand, all the fear and trepidation is over.  We know what we know, and it may be bad, but it is all out there.  This card looks pretty gruesome, but has a true silver lining in that there really is nowhere to go but up.

These cards are all related to the element of air, communication and how we use our words, so I can know that they pertain to how words have been flying around my world.  Since they are all air, they neither reinforce nor weaken each other.  It's all a bunch of air, shiftless as the wind, so I can expect this to bowl over quickly, and I have to be aware of the possibility most of it is in my own head.  They have no substance or grounding, no fire to quicken them, no water to sluice through emotion.

The Shadow card is The Chariot.  This is my Life Purpose card, and as a Shadow card I feel it is here to tell me this is just a piece of a lesson I need to learn right now.  Successfully navigating this will put me a little further up the ladder of ascension, or at least that is what I am telling myself right now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Lady in the Street, Freak in the Bed

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Sun, Queen of Cups, Tower

Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you and me.  Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be...

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Queen of Wands

Not so many days ago, I was thinking about the Queen of Wands as we played a Twitter game, #amtarot , #pmtarot hosted by Theresa Reed, also known as The Tarot Lady (follow her on Twitter, or me, or both of us), and the phrase I came up with was from Ludacris, as succinct a poet as I have ever heard- "We wants a lady in the street and a freak in the bed."  To my experience, that is probably a true thing for many people.

So many times I hear women feeling they are exploited in lyrics like this, and I am here today to present my point of view-  exploitation is in the perception.  Personally, I do not feel belittled by these kind of lyrics.  I feel empowered, and that is all about perception.  I perceive that I am sexy, strong and powerful, so I am.  It's very simple, but not always easy.

My question to the cards today- "What energies emerge when we are comfortable in our own skin, specifically with sexuality, to the point we can be both lady and freak?"

The Sun is a bright, optimistic card, one of fiery energy, so I divine that happiness comes from total integration.  The Sun is also Leo's card, practically singing with good feeling and high self esteem.  We feel damn fine about ourselves when we feel sexy, desirable, and powerful in those feelings.  This Sun in particular seems to be wearing a grin of assured satisfaction.

The Queen of Cups is a nurturing machine, and I see the baby in this image as a piece of ourselves that is nurtured by this good feeling.  She is soft and caring, her arms providing a cradle for the soft part of ourselves we leave exposed during intimate moments.  I think she is here to show us that love is a circle, and it grows with each act we perform in its' name, no matter how "freaky" it may be labelled.  As I look at this image, I think about the periodic uproars about women breastfeeding in public.  Some people are so bothered by it that it borders on near obsession, yet it is the most natural thing in the world.  Same deal with sex. Nothing is more natural, yet nothing is the source of more obsession or controversy.

The Tower card has lots of esoteric meanings, and like all cards, a whole range in the shadow spectrum, from light to dark.  Frankly though, in the context of this reading, I see mind blowing orgasm.  Being completely free with ourselves, and safe enough to be able to express that, leads to great sex, amazingly satisfying. The waves crash, the lightning strikes, the angels sing.  You know the deal, or at least I hope you are lucky enough to know the deal.  It also speaks of tearing down conventions, and not all Tower moments happen externally.  Sometimes we have beliefs that need replacement, and the Tower can do that for us.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Nine of Cups

The Shadow Card today is the Nine of Cups.  Often, I understand this card as the "wish" card, a card of complete satisfaction.  This card is an assured "yes" and a breath of release as our dearest desires are made manifest.  It is my belief that this sexual freedom and uncompromising sense of self is something most people desire, in themselves, and in their partner.  The particular imagery of this card speaks to that wish and how it works with all parts of ourselves, illustrated in the chakra system of the seated figure, how being a whole person sexually is part of being a whole person in every way.

There are few subjects as volatile (Tower-esque) as sex, and I do not mean to imply that a sexual relationship with another person is mandatory.  The fact is, celibate whether by choice or circumstance, or with a new partner every day, wherever we may fall in the continuum, the most important love relationship any of us will ever have is with ourselves, and our own bodies.  Alone is a perfectly valid way of experiencing sexuality, and understanding ourselves as a sexual being is a large leap in understanding ourselves as a whole.





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Too Many Deaths, Not Enough Tears

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Devil, King of Pentacles, Star, Four of Wands

During a dreary week in mid-February my world lost two people.  The world at large lost many more, of course, and there is no way to measure the value of individual lives to those they touch, and I would not even try.  One person I did not know at all, and one I was intimately acquainted with, at least at one point in time.  One death affected me deeply, and one I did not shed a tear over.  I am puzzled by my own reactions, and am using the cards to help explore those feelings.  Two people died, both too young, both likely from their hard living ways.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Death

The first card, The Devil, is the card I pulled in answer to, "Why did I have such a deep sadness over Whitney Houston's death?"  I see the horror of addiction, and I know first hand how awful it is to stand near someone and watch them descend into madness.  It seems so easy for those for us who are not addicted, myself included, to think the addict can just walk away, just choose life over the death they are surely constructing by their own means.  At hearing of the songstress' death, I just felt so unbelievably heavy and sad.  So much to offer the world, an unmatchable voice, beauty, charm, money and the talent to get more whenever, and it was still not enough.  Since I never knew her personally, I think I was relating this to people I know and love, the sadness that their gifts go unoffered, because they don't know how to let go of the temporary respite found in the arms of the substance of choice.  If you never look up, the dark wings of the Devil could certainly feel as warm as the arms of an angel, and let us not forget that he is seductive.  So much beauty, like Lucifer, the fallen angel Christian lore has come to associate with the devil, so corrupted.

The next two cards, the King of Pentacles combined with The Star, answer my question, "Why do I not have any tears to shed for Vern's (my sisters' father, I guess stepfather to me) death?"   I pulled two because I could not make head nor tail of the King of Pentacles on his own.  The King is what I understand as a quintessential father and provider, and while I have no wish to decry this man, he was far from that, for me.  And there The Star makes perfect sense- I have no wish to defame his character.  I have healed from the wounds of my childhood, and I am no longer emotionally bound to him.  The King of Pentacles most often appears in my personal readings as my husband, and in this marriage I have healed a great many of my hurts.  He is the kind of father I would have wished to have, and he loves me the way children should see their mother being loved.  This is so important in the lives of children, because girls learn how they should be treated by observing the way their mother is, and boys who will become men learn how to express love by seeing the way the important men in their lives treat their mothers.

I see the way The Devil and The Star reflect each other, in the way the figures carry themselves, in the way one represents ultimate sickness and one deep healing.  The beauty of The Star is what The Devil presents to us while we are being seduced, but that facade cannot be maintained for long.  I see the desperation and terror in The Devil, but the eternal hope of The Star can never be extinguished, and I have the hope that everyone I love can release themselves from the chains of The Devil and immerse themselves in the healing waters of The Star.  I have that same hope for myself.  In my case, the King of Pentacles, who is my husband in my readings, stands between these two Trumps, as well as remembering that developing the qualities of this Court Card- solidity, good work ethic, being a person of integrity is the way I can step away from my own wounds and heal myself.  Just living a good life, that is powerful.

The Four of Wands is my lesson in this mess.  This card has special significance for me at this time in my life, as I am feeling the return of Venus in my natal Aries in some interesting ways, and the Four of Wands is assigned to Venus in Aries according to the Golden Dawn tradition most tarot decks are based on.  Fours are stable, Wands are passion and inspiration, so this card represents marriage perfectly as passion that has been stabilized.  My lesson is to stabilize all the passion I feel, which has at times manifested as hurt to be drowned out with substances, and at times living life on the edge.  I don't have to live that way anymore, and I am not doomed to repeat the mistakes of my parents.  I can and do live in a happy marriage, the cradle of a happy family life.  My children have parents who adore them, who put their needs first and who make sure they know it.  One of the beautiful things about having kids is the chance to redo your own childhood, if you are aware enough to rewrite those patterns.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Five of Wands

The Shadow card of this reading, some extra bit of information I am avoiding or don't really want to see is the Five of Wands.  This rendition shows the tangled webs we weave, and I often see the Five of Wands as internal conflict.  In my own world, I know that I can have a tendency to blame the utter crapfest that was my childhood for everything that happens now.  My teeth are garbage because my mother never saw fit to take us to the Medicaid dentist.  I have trust issues because my parents broke it over and over.  I could go on and on, but there is no point.  The past can't be fixed, and to dwell there only tangles myself up in negativity.  I am the lady in this picture, and I am too big now, spiritually and emotionally, to be caught in the spiders' web.  It's gossamer, to float away on the wind.

I wish Whitney and Vern, both souls who liked to live fast and had innumerable gifts to offer to the world, the kind of peace I don't think either of them ever knew in life.  I offer up the affection I had for her music, and the way I wanted to be able love him, in honor and trust that the Hereafter offers more chances to be exactly who we are meant to be, and the hope that they both find that.





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.

Deck Interview with Tarot of the Mystic Spiral

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- The Stars, Temperance, The Hanged Man

All Majors tell me this is a deck with something to say, right off the bat!  I like it.  Mars and Venus are conjunct for me, and I have found that makes me crave intensity.

I want very much to go back to daily blogging and weekly use of a single deck, because that has been the time I have been happiest with my personal tarot practice, and I am an advocate for going with what works.  This week I have chosen Tarot of the Mystic Spiral, illustrated by Giuseppe Palumbo, with the Little White Book written by Giovanni Pelosini, published in 2011 by Lo Scarabeo.

The first question was, "What can I expect from you as a deck?"  The Stars, a bright omen of healing and tenderness, as well as the eternal symbol of hope.  I find this rendition exceptionally beautiful, as well, the misty air and of course the gorgeous femininity.  I can expect this deck to always be pointing the way to beauty, hope, and healing.  That is a pretty great quality in a deck!

The second question was, "What shall be my end of the bargain?"  and Temperance was the answer, which is amusing to me, because learning to be temperate is one of my life's biggest lessons.  I think of this card as the active management of life, and I think of it as "doing the work" ala Steven Pressfield.  So, to work effectively with this deck I need to remember that slow and steady wins the race.  This is another healing card, being associated with Sagittarius, where my Moon sign lays, so I can know that this deck is going to appeal to my emotions at times, and help me to process them in a healthy way.

Anything else I should be aware of?  The Hanged Man.  This deck is not a quickfire kind of read.  I will have to invest some time and be willing to change my perspective to garner the most use from it.  All three cards are intensely positive cards, but none are fast moving cards.  For example, The Star is hopeful, but wishing on a star is not the kind of intense and immediate optimism The Sun brings when it breaks through the clouds.  Temperance is about alchemical process, and anyone who took high school chemistry knows that the work behind the great experiences is methodical, and can be quite tedious at times.  The Hanged Man might blow in the wind but he isn't going anywhere too fast.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Two of Cups

The Shadow card, which I understand as what the reading is about, or a little tidbit I am overlooking, is the Two of Cups.  My basic understanding of the card has to do with sacred contracts, and the lovers in this card are literally entwining themselves together.  As I come back to my work while healing from a difficult injury, I am reminded that doing what we love is the sacred path we are given to walk on, and it is no coincidence I have chosen this specific deck to work with this week.  The picture of the lovers coming together, as close as physically possible the better to reflect in the corporeal world their spiritual closeness, is a representation of the sacred contract with have with ourselves, to grow, to learn, to be the best we can be, and to shine out into the world as such.





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.