Deck Interview The Housewives Tarot

I received this deck as a Christmas present from my best friend. It has always been on my list but I must admit always got knocked down because I thought of it as a novelty deck and worried that it had no real substance to it.... boy was I wrong.

To begin with. I just love the packaging. The marketing concept on this baby is perfect. The cards come in a sturdy box. The booklet comes with unique spreads that really dig deep. There are also recipes to complete the package.

The card stock is very thick. It is good because it makes them heavy duty and practically indestructible but can reek havoc on the hands for a professional reader. They don't melt like butter in your hands like a brand new set of LoScarbaro cards.

One thing about the cards that I love in decks is that the borders are color coated for the suits: Black for the Major Arcana, Red for the Swords, Green for the Pentacles, Blue for the Cups, and Gold for the Wands. The reason I like this is because it brings elemental depth to the readings. It is obvious to a reader that the client is having emotional issues when the entire spread is mostly Blue.

The whole of the cards really gives you that 50's desperate housewife feel. The cards are loaded with struggles that stay at home moms like myself can relate to.

I have three kids. The day I drew this card I felt like I was going to pull my hair out. The little bastards had ran me raw. I sure saw red that day. Luckily this deck gave me a sense of ease during that frustrating time. 

The images are laced with cocktails, dishes, cleaning supplies and all sorts of "Mommies little helpers."

When drawing cards to see what I would learn from this deck I pulled The Hierophant, The Hermit, and the Magician. Very strong message if you ask me. All Major Arcana to prove just how powerful this deck is. How well thought out and constructed it is. I love how this deck is designed for a specific purpose and it does it well. 

I think this says a lot about this deck. It will help teach you to make the most of the time at home. Being a stay at home mom is not the easiest job in the world. Only those who do it really understand its challenges. This deck will help you make your home a comfortable sanctuary. Every member of the household relies on mom. Sometimes it is hard to manage all those needs. Sometimes the redundancy of it all can play tricks on us. It is nice to have this little deck to be a daily reminder of what is really important. How to handle stressful situations. The deck has been a good companion when planning my days. It is honest with me when I need to get off my ass and clean my house or when things are starting to bubble over and I need some good down time. 

I think that this deck is paramount to the Tarot Industry. I feel that we are going to see more decks like this. It is much much more than a novelty deck. It is perfect from its concept to its delivery. It is a must have for every housewife. I look forward to more specialty decks coming out. 

Battling My Nature

My birthday is January 23rd. This is the first decan of Aquarius.

The first, Uranus/Saturn decan of Aquarius The first decan of Aquarius is complex and individualistic in effect. These people are free thinkers and non-conformists who still have an active moral consciousness and desire to benefit the community in some way. In spite of being highly socialized and group-oriented, they can long for solitude, and be sombre in mood and depressed while displaying a joyful exterior. You'll almost never find one of these people stupid or mentally simple - even with very limited education they manage to seem insightful, impartial and reasonable. They can be calculating and cold and aren't ideally suited for deep emotional commitment. Money and status are seldom a goal in itself. They want meaningfulness.

Astroroom.com

Anyone who chooses the path of Astrology or Tarot must not be easily offended. It requires one to be brutally honest with themselves. In Corrine Kenner's Book Tarot and Astrology she talks about the "Lord of Defeat". 

"A visionary crusader, and a firm believer in struggle and insurrection. Aquarius doesn't hesitate to pick up a sword and fight for its own idea of Justice."

I have gotten to know myself in this card a whole lot over the years. The Five of Swords is about winning and losing. In my life if I didn't feel like I was winning then I was without a doubt... losing. 

I feel that the Five of Swords is an ego based concept. It is an internal mental battle. The only competition that exists is truly within ourselves. 

So here is my draw in regards to the situation using Barbara Moore's Steampunk Tarot. 

"Who doesn't love success? After all, it is a "winner take all" world isn't it? And we all know that to the victor goes the spoils. This is probably why we enjoy playing games. The rules and the terms of winning are clearly defined; everyone involved knows all the consequences of any possible action. If only reality were so simple. The game of life is much longer, much broader, and much, much more complicated than any other game could ever be."

The game of life. What does it take to win? In the past it meant beating out your competition. The old paradigm says that there is limited resources in the world we see beyond ourselves therefore we must fight to survive and thrive. The more people that find out that this is not true find the battle moved from the world around us to within us. Instead of battling each other we challenge ourselves.

The only person we are truly competing against is the person we were yesterday. Everyone involved in this game of life are here to help each other along. Whether to teach harsh lessons or to deliver healing ones people are available to Spirit in the flesh. 

I love this Ten of Pentacles. This is what I do. I shuffle the cards and dream this dream. I am almost there. I remember five years ago when I was in a dark place in my life. Back then I thought about what it was I wanted out from my life. I wanted a loving marriage with my best friend who's clothes I wanted to rip off. I wanted a house with kids and my dog. I wanted to find a career that would support my creativity and my passion for counseling. 

We are closing on our house on Thursday... me, my husband, my three kids and my pit bull Maggie Moo. I used Tarot to do it all. Which so happens to be my career. Isn't life grand? 

It was this dreaded Five of Swords that always got in my way. It constantly told me that I had to fight to win. That life was hard.  It is the Five of Swords mentality that is wrong in our politics. The ones that have all and the rest who have nothing. 

I would say this card feels a lot like running through the mud of a self-defeatist attitude. People like me are the worst people to read for. They are stubborn and dead set on their ideas of the way the world works.... and the world is always against them. I have spent the last five years battling my nature. I can stand here today and say I think I won. 

The Ten of Wands says, "What is more burdensome: The Past that is known or the Future that is unknown?"

"The girl walks down the street, carrying her bundle of wands that represent her intent, choices, and actions. Each one a repercussion of her choices she has made or actions she has took. The cards littering the path behind her are face-up, representing her conscious knowledge of her past and how it has created her present situation. Both realizations weigh heavy on her, but, being a creature of wands, she does not despair. On the contrary, she discovers her own inner determination, strength, and power. Shouldering what she has created, her responsibilities, she uses her experience to light her way forward, bravely stepping onto the next as-yet-unrevealed card and into the unknown."

Sometimes it is painfully aware to us how we got to certain situations in our lives. That is if we are willing to not deny them. A less evolved person will blame others. Blame certain people who they feel poo pooed on their parade. Or an injustice beyond their control. It's the damn government... DAMN THE MAN!!!! The world is against me. I am but weak and frail. 

Don't blame others for denying your own power. 

Trust me. I know what I am talking about. With a birth card of the Five of Swords I am qualified to tell you this. I gave my power away to everyone. Everything that scared me. I allowed myself to treat myself very poorly. When we are quick to give our power away everyone will stand in line to get some of it. Psychic Vampires who can't pull from their own internal source so they feed off of everyone else's. Zombies who are so dead inside and all they do is mindlessly feed and kill off everything that lives. Lower level entities who so desperately want a body of their very own. Who will quickly inhabit yours since you so willingly reject it. 

If I can reclaim my power then so can you. Stop blaming others. The only one to blame is yourself. Take responsibility for your choices and actions. Use the knowledge to make new choices. The light of awareness will light your way. 

"The structure she stands on represents her worldview. Finely crafted, complex, every element carefully selected, it contains her values. This is her character and the source of her strength. This is how she knows what is worth fighting for. This is what fuels her determination. This is her certainty."

Seven of Wands from the Steampunk Tarot

Harsh Truth Tarot Spread

Harsh Truths Spread -- Position meanings: 

1. What you want to see/believe 

2. What you don't want to see/believe 

3. What is true 

4. What you want to happen 

5. What you don't want to happen 

6. What will happen 

By: Luminessence (www.tarotforum.net )

Decided to give this spread a whirl and see what I come up with. The cards know how dense of a person I am so they are okay with giving me the same message over and over again until I learn it. Thank the Universe for its patience. So here I got the Five of Pentacles. Again, feeling unsupported and disconnected. My stubborn brain just won't let go of this negative thought pattern no matter how much I am aware of the falseness of the concept. I am still working on getting away from it. I want peace of mind... mental rest but I resist getting a handle on it. If I continue to go down this path I will be limited to my conscious mind. My logical mind. I will only choose to believe what I can understand. Which ain't much. 

So I decided to draw some more cards on the Emperor for clarification. Ahhh. See? Strength comes up to point out an imbalance between the masculine and feminine. If I allow my masculine side to take the reigns I sure will be upside down in my thinking.

Now that is better. Woman on top... where she belongs ((Tee Hee hee))

As if the point wasn't clear enough. Here is a spread in regards to the issue. The new paradigm is here. Right now we are suspended between the two. One paradigm is the Seven of Swords and the Five of Swords. This paradigm is about lack. Survival. Where you must steal and cheat to survive. That you must fight for what is yours. The other paradigm is the Six of Pentacles and the Ten of Pentacles. Where there is enough for everyone to go around and our fear of lack is simply a trap of the ego. We are complete. Whole. We all wait with the world in our hands watching as the Wheel turns. A new way of thinking. A tempering. A blending. A marriage between the masculine and feminine is taking place. Which paradigm are you going to choose to move forward in? It is time to wake up. It is time to move forward in confidence within our minds and create a better future. 

Who's with me?

Poverty Consciousness

I woke up this morning uneasy. The last couple days I have been very on... well. Edge.
Part of me thought it was the Cancer Full Moon. I am an Aquarius with two stelliums in Scorpio and Capricorn in my chart so I don't do well with the watery realm of the crab.
The kids are asleep. It is early in the morning. I laid in bed thinking about the conversation I had with a great friend yesterday. She challenged me on my work. I appreciate this because there are not many people available to me that do this for me. I thank the Universe for sending her my way. This blog entry is the first in a commitment I made to her. Something I can easily do for her... not myself.
The last few days I am been having bothersome thoughts about the flow of my success. Frustrated... as my friend pointed out. Very frustrated.
I grabbed at my cards and began to shuffle. Feeling my heart ache a little bit I impregnated the feelings through my arms into my hands. What is the answer? What do I need to hear?
One by one I laid out the cards. It bloomed before me. The cards are more than happy with my new found motivation.

The Ace of Swords was the first to hit the table. Clarity. I need a new perspective.  A malfunction of the mind. What is my wrong thinking? Down came the Five of Pentacles. This card is about separation.  The people in the card are poor and hurt. They feel no one is there for them. The church right behind them has doors that are always open. Sanctuary.  Why do they not go in? Do they even know it is there? Perhaps they aren't aware. Do they choose not to? Fives are always a struggle. An entanglement. Conflict.  Pentacles being Earth this card talks about when our lives are unmanageable. At it's best it is when we feel a little disconnected to Spirit but at it's worst we feel rejected by God. This card holds the energy of poverty consciousness. We are plugged up and focusing on lower planes and have forgotten about the higher realms.  

The Devil and the Two of Pentacles below have their own message. The energy of the Devil is tricky. At its worst he enslaves people robbing them of their life force but at it's best he is about Saturn and materialization. He restricts. He challenges. The Two of Pentacles says to loosen up. To relax a little. To not be so scared. To let things flow. 

The High Priestess and the Strength together are powerful. Both being Major Arcana they represent Universal Truths. The High Priestess knows all. She is not limited by our human awareness. She is the fabric that connects our consciousness to one another. La Force. The ultimate battle. The constant struggle between forcing and allowing. 

Together they are the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

She is the wisdom. The soft feminine. She tames the beast within us all. She is the love that makes the Devil run scared. The Angel in the Strength card has her own kind of Strength. Not by brute force but by respect. She has a higher knowing of where true Strength lies. She has an understanding of how the Universe really works. She compassionately calms our lower level urges, desires, and reactions. Our survival instincts. She is more evolved than an animal. 

Another Five pops up. The Five of Wands. A Spiritual battle. The Five of Earth is putting out the Fire of the Five of Wands. Five of Wands, Saturn in Leo, has no chance against Mercury in Taurus. The first decan of Leo is ruled by Saturn so naturally it would come up to reinforce the Devil's work. The Major Arcana Devil manifests itself into the Pip card of fighting against others. Let's face it... Leo is self-centered. Which also corresponds to the Strength card. The energy is being misused and it is creating cruelty, aggression, and anxiety. The Golden Dawn calls this "Lord of Strife". While the Five of Pentacles takes that Spiritual struggle and thrusts it into the real world. When I say real I mean the physical plane... our daily lives. The Golden Dawn calls this card "Lord of Material Trouble". Mercury has always been known as the trickster, messenger, and associated with the Magician card. So you can see why paired with the Devil and the Five of Wands would be a dangerous combination. 

All these cards point to a consciousness that is trapped in its human form... disconnected and forgetting about its own divinity. Left to its own devices creating their very own hell on earth. Perfect. 

Well what are we going to do about that? Enter the Ace of Cups. Is that not always the answer? I mean really? Love. A new way of feeling. Up until this point it has all been a mental misfiring in our brains about the Truth of our reality. Causing Spiritual warfare within us. Where is the love? While your brain was manifesting a nightmare the heart goes unacknowledged. 

Now that I have interrupted by thinking pattern the cards give me the Knight of Wands and the Nine of Swords. We need to re-direct this energy. We have found the source of our pain and it is within our minds. We are torturing ourselves. It is our worry. What keep us up at night. It is the nightmare. Spirit can handle any job. The Fire will burn away all impurities. He will will delve deeply inside of you are lift this sadness up into higher education. The Five of Pentacles is connected to the Hierophant, hence the church. The people need only to transcend their physical limitations and looking towards Spiritual teachings. The Knight of Wands linked to Sagittarius is exactly the man for the job. 

The Seven of Wands urges you to become a warrior. This card is Mars in Leo "Lord of Valor". It is time to be brve and fight. It is about courage. The Universal Energy of the Strength card has manifested itself into our daily lives by giving up the opportunity to take a stand.  

To shine brightly. The Sun is the source of all. Our essence. Joy. To be childlike in the kingdom of heaven. The Golden Dawn calls this "The God of Light". Light is consciousness. It is what we are aware of... what we know. When the energy and knowledge of the High Priestess makes its way into our human understanding. One piece at a time. 

The Universe is very simple. It is a give and take system. You give a little... you get a little. You give a lot... you get a lot. Simple. The Universe is designed for people to take care of each other. You see how we were able to Transcend the Five of Pentacles to the Six. The Golden Dawn calls this "Lord of Material Success".

How did we get from Lord of Material Trouble to Success??? The Moon ebbs and flows as does money. It comes and goes like the waves of the sea. Fear often makes us misunderstand this cycle. When money is high we are happy... when money is low we are scared. We humans do not like to be scared and it makes us do all kinds of goofy things. Out of fear we try to control our money against the seemingly unfair Universe. So when money is high we hold onto it. This disrupts the flow that the Two of Pentacles is talking about. We literally put a choke hold on it. Then it begins a vicious cycle of struggle, power, and control. The force of survival in the Strength card overpowers our understandings of the Universe. 

Another Six pops up to reinforce the message of "Moving with the Flow". The Six of Swords. "Lord of Earned Success."  The Messenger from the Gods Mercury is working within Aquarius the Knowledge Bearer through me (An Aquarius) to say educate you. Aquarius soothes our hearts with water in the Star card giving us hope. It is the same water in the Aces Chalice. 

The man in the boat takes Six Swords to a better land. The place he is leaving no longer serves him. He takes what constructs of beliefs will serve his highest good and rides over the waters to bigger and better things. 

But look! What is he moving towards? The Queen of Cups. Ahhhh. Yes. That Universal Love Energy harnessed within a human body. It is when we receive love within us. Love ourselves. Nurture ourselves. She is loving, intuitive, and Spiritual. She is connected to the High Priestess, the Angel in the Strength card, and the woman that dances in the World. Her cup is full... overflowing even. The love pours over the Five of Pentacles, the Five of Wands, and the Devil. It tames the beast within. 

In the beginning the Ace told us we need a change in perspective and I believe the cards delivered. We have gained the clarity we need. The King of Swords holds his Swords firmly and is focused. We used our analytical mind and use thought creatively to come to some very intellectual conclusions. The cards didn't just say have Faith... no the cards said understand. There is a logical way of thinking about your prosperity. Your mental health and over all well being. 

The Ace of Wands is pure energy. Fire. Spirit. This energy purifies us. We can draw upon the three Aces in this spread... the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Cups, and the Ace of Wands. These powerful Universal Energies at our fingertips. Some fresh Air would do us some good. To learn how to think differently about how we feel about Love and Spirit. How they are tools to help shape our reality. As you can clearly see they can be used to cut, drown and burn... but they can also be used to define, to comfort and to uplift. 

Now that the message had been received from the Universe I want to show you how to do some energy work with your cards. A good lesson on the Six of Pentacles. I first started with the energy I put into the cards when shuffling and asking my question. That was give. Then I got my answer in the cards. That was receive. Now I am going to give more. I am going to select some stones to put over the cards. 

So now I have laid out my crystals. Now just doing this is enough to set mental intentions in your mind. Since we have already read the spread the energy is already primed and you are already connected to it. 

On the Ace of Swords I laid Selenite and Aqua Aura. Selenite facilitates communication with your higher self (Wind-Third Eye, Crown, Transpersonal and Etheric) and the Aqua Aura (Water-Throat, Third Eye) facilitating inner Truth and communication with emotions. It is a great stone for psychic protection. 

On the Five of Pentacles I laid Smokey Quartz (Earth-Root). It is a great grounding stone but it mostly helps eliminate negative energies in your environment by grounding it into the Earth. Green Apatite is a stone of the knowledge of the heart (Water/Earth-Heart, Throat, Third Eye). It will help stimulate the flow of energy and is known as an abundance stone because it soothes the feeling of lack. 

The Devil got a nice big chunk of Cinnabar (Fire-Root, Sacral, and Third Eye). A stone of Transformation and Manifestation.  This stone associated with the Magician Archetype fits well with all the Mercury cards we pulled. To adjust what it is we are actually creating. Cinnabar is indeed poisonous due to its Mercury content. It will help increase visionary capacities. The Fire will burn through limitations. It is a stone that helps you see how you bring energy into form. Physicality is not as solid as it appears. 

On the High Priestess I laid Azurite (Wind-Third Eye, Crown). This will bring insight, intuition, vision, and helps with the intellect. It will help us understand the roots of our fears. 

The Strength card got Tiger's Eye (Fire/Earth-Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Root). This is the ultimate stone for Strength. Often used by martial artists to help with focus and discipline. Associated with the Yin Yang symbol it helps us find the balance between opposites. Our own light and dark sides. A stone of equilibrium. Also Red Jasper (Earth/Root Sacral) which helps stabilize our lower level energies. Together they help re-balance and re-focus the energy. 

The Five of Wands got Aquamarine which has a wonderful cooling effect on the emotions. (Water-Throat, Heart). A good cleanser for the emotional body and to calm anxiety and stress. Balancing anger and fear and allows us the space to clear out unhealthy patterns. 

The Knight of Wands got its own piece of Tiger's Eye. This will help direct and focus the energy from the Strength card and redistribute it where it needs to be.

The Nine of Swords received Galena (Earth-Root). This stone is a powerful shamanic stone. It is used for soul retrieval. It also is poisonous due to its lead content. It acts as a powerful mirror so we can take a real long hard look at ourselves. Our shadow side. Our fears. When the Devil has taken a piece of our soul's to the underworld this stone will help retrieve it and help integrate it. 

The Seven of Wands, though you can't see it, got a big ol chunk of Orange Calcite (Fire-Sacral, Solar Plexus). This is get up and go stone. It facilitates creativity and confidence. It works with Solar energies helping to break up dark patterns. 

This stone compliments the Sun card which has a piece of Amber on it (Earth-Solar Plexus). This is the ultimate Light Energy Stone. It also get a Quartz Crystal. Not just any Quartz crystal but my very first Crystal I ever received. It was a gift from my very first Tarot reading. The one that started it all. My interest in Tarot and Crystals. It represents me. It changes with me. The Sun card is just that. Me. My inner light in all it's glory. The light that shines from the Hermit lamp at high noon. 

The World card got Pyrite-Marcasite. Pyrite (Earth-Solar Plexus) is the masculine energy of manifestation and will power through creativity and confidence. Marcasite (Storm-Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, and Earthstar). This is a very powerful stone that help us see the interconnection between the spiritual and  physical worlds. That whatever is going on in our spirit is a mirror of what is happening in our psychical lives. Together they make a strong stone to show how our will plays a part in our lives. That we are the creators of our own Universe. 

The Six of Swords has a piece of Blue Kyanite connecting it to the Queen of Cups (Storm-All Chakras especially Third Eye and Heart). This is the stone that builds mental bridges. It makes connections between that and that. When we have pieces of the puzzle that don't fit together Kyanite will help you make them fit. 

The Queen of Cups got a piece of Green Calcite (Fire/Water-Heart). This stone helps open the heart and soothes it. Allowing you to release stress, anger, pain, and resentment. The Kyanite will help connect the mental plane to the emotional plane and facilitate communication. 

The Ace of Wands got a nice piece of Rutilated Quartz (Storm-All). This is the amplification stone. It quickens and grounds manifestation. It magnifies anything you put it with. Acceleration. 

Just to the right of the Ace of Wands I put an Ammonite shell. This is a fossilized nautilus shell. It represents powerful personal growth. It symbolizes constant evolution. Ammonites help you become aware of the repeating patterns in your life. How challenges seem to surface over and over again until we learn and grow. 

Now that the crystal grid has been intentionally laid out and therefore charged we can now see the big picture and we can sit and revel in its beauty. You can meditate on it. You can go as deeply into it as you want. You can allow it to change you on any level you choose. Now that the energy of the cards has been amplified by the crystal grid you should be able to feel it loud and clear at this stage in the spread work. You can pull the energy in, bless it, then push the energy back down into the cards and into the ground. This is how people work Tarot Spells. When you feel you are finished close yourself up. Close the circle. Thank the Universe and wipe the spread. Done. Perfection. 

December 16, 2012 Spread Work

I am going to try to do my daily spreads here.

I offered to people to ask a question regarding humanity for the cards.

Most people asked about the shift. Although intimidating... no guts no glory.

Lower Three Tarot: Six of Cups, Death, Page of Cups

We all have been getting our shit shoved in our faces to deal with it. To heal. Now is the time to let it go. It has been dealt with and now must be forgiven. Move on. Our pasts. Our childhoods. It almost looks like a re-claiming our our innocence. It is sweet sorrow.

Past Oracle: Aloha Healing

Humanity is healing. We are on an individual basis and as a result collectively.

Center Challenge: Temperance

Blending our masculine logical parts with our feminine intuitive parts. This is a card of suffering. We are tempered by God. It is self-control. self-discipline. God molds us like play-doh to give us character.

Humanity is blending. We are becoming one.

Upper Three Tarot: Hermit, Seven of Wands, Ace of Cups

We delve deep inside of ourselves. What is this finite light in me? It is so defined within me.  This light in me has been given a name. This light is me. Who am I? Some have told me who to be. Some have not accepted the glimpses I've allowed to show. I am afraid. I am broken. I have been told many lies. My Spirit beaten... not broken. I am still standing. Even willing to fight. We fight to keep love alive. To keep romance alive. To keep everything that is good strong.

Future Oracle: You have attracted wonderful news!

We are raising the bar. Each and every one of us is healing and raising our vibration.

This is a new Earth. Already. There are two that hang in the balance. There is the world that believes in separation. The world that feels rejected. Then there is another world. A world where the Universe gives you everything you need. Where everything is connected and the Universe is at your service.  There is no choice really. It is the future of this planet. It is evolution. 

Nothing is going to "happen". It is going to be the same as usual. But faster. Can't you feel it already? How much faster things are arranging themselves? You cannot deny. 

It is a quickening. A building. A slow yawn into the future. If we aren't careful we will miss it! This grand opportunity that can so easily be overlooked. Such a pity. 

We have an opportunity to leave the pain in the past and stair step evolve. It is no longer all up to our logical side. We all need to re-define what God means to us. The masculine energy of creation. Our minds. The logic has stabbed our hearts. We now need clarity. A new way of thinking about how we hang on to pain. Why we allow ourselves to be treated in such a dis-respectful way. We even do it to ourselves. 

We stay in our boxes. We cling fearfully to what we think we know. What we can see and touch. It is not just these things!!! These thoughts... they are things. They are real. Or are they?

No one knows what the hell they are talking about. Each of us wield our ideas fearfully waiting for the moment when we all can finally cheer for we have won. 

All we need to do is go there. Take the thoughts we want to go and create a new reality. We don't have to stay tired. We don't have to wonder.... is this all there is??? 

No. No its not. There is much much more. 

You can create anything you want. You can be and do whatever you wish. Don't believe me. Let's here your excuses. Your pain. Let's heal. This is where your freedom is. Right here. Healing with each other. 

We need to start realizing that we need to become more flexible if we think we are going to get through this. More flexible and more willing to love unconditionally. To love ourselves. 

Things are only going to get faster. Spirit is going to push you further and further out of your comfort zone until you see. Your higher self is dragging you kicking and screaming to the light. Me? I am already there watching the sunrise. 

It's about powerful personal growth. It's time to be brave. You already know what is going to happen. The veils between the dimensions is thinning.  The process of creation has always been speeding up. You will create what you want faster. So it is time for a change to learn something new. 

It is time to change. Each of us. Individually. This will change the world. 

My Review of The Book of Shadows As Above

Okay. So I have no idea how to start this review. But, in the words of Elizabeth Gilbert, I am going to "show up"... So if this sucks, blame my muse.

Some time ago I always thought to myself that if I could have a career where I get to play with free decks all day... I would be a happy camper. This deck I won from Barbara Moore's contest on her blog:

Practical Tarot Reading

So here it is. My once dream is now a reality. Here in my hands is a free deck to play with. Lately I have felt the squeeze of pressure around me of people urging and encouraging me to do more... take a chance. Have confidence. Luckily, I have always had guts... either real tough... or real dumb, either way I'm doing it.

I had seen a couple of images online regarding this deck before this contest started. I believe it was the Ten of Swords.

Ten of Air

I am drawn to any card that has Tarot "IN" the card. Such as the Fool from the Ancestral Path Tarot.



I was intrigued right away. When I found out I had actually won the deck I was so excited to get it. Upon opening it... I asked the cards what I would learn from this deck. I received "Bridget- Healing: Emotional, Physical, or Interpersonal Healing".

I have always prided myself as one who vigorously improves myself... exercise for the Soul if you will. I like to challenge myself. You can see why a reponse like this from a deck would turn me on. This card in this deck happens to be the 4 of Water. Barbara had mentioned in her blog that this was not your standard deck and oh she wasn't kidding... where the Rider portrays the Four of Cups as boredom, pausing, analyzing, or even stale and flat this deck gives you a chance to work with that energy. To change.

This deck, being a Pagan/Wicca, whatever you call it deck shows you the way of the enlightened Witch. How to feel and use energy to make things happen. A Witch could be considered a female version of the Magician. The Magician is very aware of the multitude of energies available to him... and knows how to arrange the notes to make beautiful music.

If you so happen to be feeling dull, dusty, unmotivated, or just stopping to address how you feel in a situation, this deck says to me that I can use that energy to explore what it is I need to heal in myself to create the change I am desiring in my world.

I think this card does say a lot about this deck.

Now that I have introduced myself to the deck and know the way to approach it is when I riffle through the deck. Card after card moved me. I have often bought decks because of one card I like in the deck. Or when I see a few sample cards that look great and come to find they were the only good cards in the deck. Not this deck... over and over I became more and more impressed.

Here are some of the cards that really jumped out to me.

The first card at the bottom is the Magician Card called "The Elements". This deck is the As Above first installment to a duo pack that includes As Below. What I like the most about this card as it takes YOU out of the picture. Often Magicians show a Man using the elements at a table as he paints the landscape on the canvas of his life. But this card takes it up a notch. Literally... UP. This is above your humanity to the actual forces of energy in the universe available to the Magician. It excites to think about what the As Below deck has for this card!

I have always explained Tarot as a Tool. One of many many tools available handed down generation after generation evolving over time. In this deck they address those Tools: Tarot, Runes, Pendulums, Palmisrty and many others. The card for Tarot, Ten of Air. Which just happens to be the first card I was drawn to in this deck says, "Having much control over a situation, the potential to easily achieve goals or desires."

Beautiful. I mean that is what we do as readers do we not? Remind people of their own creative authority? (Wink to Nancy Antenucci)

If you think about it... the Ten of Swords is about annihilation. Finality. As Dan Pelletier once said,

“The most exquisite paradox… as soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power, you can't have it. The minute you don't want power, you'll have more than you ever dreamed possible.”
Ram Dass

This to me is what this card in this deck is saying. That once you give it all up... you have the power. You have all the control in the situation that is your life. Life then becomes easy when you truly no longer give a shit.

Then it was time to go through the booklet. I have often bought a deck of cards that took my breathe away... but the booklet sucked. Sometimes I feel the artist and the author spoke to the deck quite differently as the descriptions seemed to not match the artists' visions.

First off, the court cards are Elemental, Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Elementals signifying beginnings then maturation into disintegration.  The cycle of change... life and death. BRILLIANT!!! If I do say so myself. Waxing and Waning.   

Pagan tradition weaves itself through the Major Arcana. The Fire suit addresses the energy of the Planets. The Fire Court cards starts with the Salamander esoteric symbol for Fire. Then it sparks with the Maiden, burns brightly with the Mother then is blown out with the Crone. Genius right?

The Air suit involves those Tools I had mentioned before. Those mental constructs that people have developed as a way if interpreting their reality. Their map. Meditation, I Ching and Animal Guides. These are tools we use our logical and intuitive sides of our brains. They are tools to use the conscious with the subconscious.

I had brought the deck into work with me to gaze into it some more. I sad at the counter and shuffled away when my boss asked me a question for the cards. She had pulled the Elemental of Water.

"The Nixie: Water brings an abundance of positive emotions, ready to help nurture anything in its path. Use positive energy to create great things."

It was an amazing reading for me. Not only was I able to explain to her the Page of Cups which so happened to be a beginning of a new relationship. A stage where your imagination helps create the foundation to which the relationship will lay. But this card also encourages you to be excited about it. It urges you to feed those dreams with positive energy.  To expect the best outcome.  

It is an excellent use of resources. A great tool to use in this watery realm.  It is a place where you feel your dreams. You imagine it. I had told my boss to have fun and be playful and be positive. Later that day, more information kept coming to me. It literally blossomed within my perception. It was a blessing in a sense.

The Earth suit involves our human body, the planet, and its inhabitants. Crystals, Trees, Mountains... Waterfalls. The Court Cards lead you through the growth patterns. Insemination, First Bloom, Harvest, and Dormancy.

As you can see, it is a deck of its own. Now, a question I ask myself a lot with decks such as this.... is... but can you read it like Tarot? For instance, Mary-El Tarot happens to be one of my favorite decks, but I cannot read Tarot with it for the life of me. For me, it is a self-reflection deck and I use it best for meditative purposes or for card of the days.  Tarot of the Sidhe, I read better with 3 Card Spreads. That is the way I use them.

The Book of Shadows is a deck that wants to be read. In the worst way. I had it in my purse at a friend's house on the ground. When I returned from the other room, a friend had it out and was pulling cards. Trust me... I always have cards in my bag. They never make it out of there by any other hands than my own. So I sat near her and walked her through a spread. They spoke loudly... and clearly. It read like a really good Tarot deck for me.

I have looked through a lot of decks. This one is definately one of a kind. I can't even imagine what it will bring to people with the second installment So Below. It is a must have for every Pagan, Witch, Eccletic, Tarot Collector, everyone.

If you are still with me by now, thank you for your time and interest. Please feel free to talk to me about Tarot. I hate feeling like I am talking to myself. To all the wonderful people who came together to make this deck a reality... Blessed Be.



The Fight With My Husband

I am often confronted by people who want to understand how the Tarot works. I have my theories... but like with a lot of things in my life, I have a very Agnostic view.... I don't really have to know HOW Tarot works in order to receive its gifts.

Since our move, I have not had a lot of time to play with my cards for my daily work. So this morning I decided before getting out of bed to draw a spread. And here it is.

Wheel of the Year Tarot

I apologize for the shaughty pictures...

Anyways... so the first card that came up the Three of Wands... All this excitement as of late has kind of rendered me in a "Now What" funk... Crossing me was the Seven of Cups... telling me, well it's up to you.... pick wisely.

The Queen of Pentacles reflects that I am now at home within and without and that is what is going on in my physical world. In my head though, I am having a hard time grasping and integrating this in my life with the Page of Pentacles. My recent past shows that we have been feeling very fortunate in regards to our finances. The Hope card is affecting me... also helping me transition and integrate all this new-ness in my life.

The whole situation is Justice. The Thoth deck calls this card "Adjustment" which lately I have been liking. Adjusting adjusting adjusting... it's hard to remain flexible when life corrects itself for you... and you have no clue what is going on.

My hopes and fears has the Four of Pentacles.... yup here it is... that lurking doubt... is it enough? Are we going to be okay? The near future has the Seven of Swords... showing me that we are in the process of getting to that better place.

When I read for myself I pull one card at a time and look at it... so IMAGINE my shock when I pulled the TOWER in my final outcome.

WHAT! Are you kidding me?!

It is at this exact point when reading when you want to start doubting and questioning the cards. You just don't want to believe it.

So I decided to ask the cards what this Tower will look like... then I drew The Wheel and the 8 of Swords.

Great. Awesome. Whatever it is... the cards are telling me not to freak out and stay centered in order to ride through it.

FUCK!

Seriously!!! I cant take any more of this....

So I put the cards away..... and grabbed my new Mary-El Tarot. To which I drew one card.

The Emperor 



Beautiful Isn't it. There are so many ways to interpret the cards... really the only true way to understand their message is to give it time to blossom in your life and see happens.

Sure enough... within the hour my husband and I got into a fight. The stress from moving, financial worries, his foot being broken, him being home, us being up each other's asses... the whole nine yards. Full blown misery.

Well there it is... the Emperor, the Tower, The Five of Pentacles it was all there...

Halfway through our argument I drew another spread. (Don't judge me I always have cards in my hands... and my husband doesn't even bat an eye)

So here it was. I always have a running conversation with my cards.

So here I was... being the Fool. Detached... trying hard to ride out the wave. Crossing me, naturally, the Lovers... go figure. The Devil pops us in what I am dealing with in my physical life. Fear, Doubt, Restriction... oh yeah I was.

But the Empress was affecting me. This card was telling me to choose love.

Of course the Ace of Pentacles saying... hey this is all new... this Ace and this Fool. But the environment has the Strength card. Telling me that if I can use my Strength and Knowledge I can focus on being the Queen of Swords... master of my thoughts. She is honest, forthright, and experienced. She does not let thoughts run away with her... she has controlled them.

The Tower was on my mind.... see it? Above me? All I could think about was... this is it... this is what the cards were talking about. Phew... thank God that the Ten of Swords is in the near future... this argument will come to a dead end. It will go back to where it came from....

The final outcome is the Knight of Cups, which to me, is welcomed after this mess. To get further info on this card I drew another... Judgement.

This tells me that this will end and we will be in a better mindset from now on.

We settled the argument and all was well in the world again. All I could think about were the cards. Sometimes I wonder if people really understand how I use the cards, and how they talk to me. Do they think I am crazy? Do they think I am a new-age weirdo? All I can say... is I have a Gypsy soul... and the cards found me.

Now that the fight is behind us... I drew one last spread....

Looks like the energy is moving around. If you notice, the Seven of Swords was in the near future in my first draw. So here I am... that near future is now. Justice, crossing me, shows that the adjustment is the issue. Do I change from this fight? To I make the necessary adjustments now? Will I balance what needs to be balanced?

The Emperor... on my mind... of course my husband. The Lovers in the environment. The recent past Eight of Cups... which in this deck shows a woman crying over her lover walking away. 

The High Priestess is affecting me. All this knowledge and understanding that I am soaking in from this whole experience. My hopes and fears is the Hanged Man. Yes. I do. I just want to surrender my life over to everything I do not understand. I want to take a break... because I cant control anything... nothing makes sense... everything is, as the Fool says, up in the air.

The near future is the 4 of Wands... and in this deck it shows a man who completed a tree house for his daughter who is jumping for joy. After the fight this morning I am so happy to see this card. As I am typing this my hubby is in the other room watching movies with my kids.

The Final outcome was the Wheel again... We were able to get through this bump and now life goes on... and on and on.... To draw more from this outcome I drew another card... the King of Wands....

I'll take it.

I Got My Mary-El Tarot!!!

Well I have it, my Mary-El Tarot. I LOVE the packaging. It really just creates the set when sitting down with it. No candle lighting or inense bullshit with this... just taking it out of the box is enough to flip my magical switch!

Absolutely beautiful. I love Schiffer publishing... I actually think it may be my favorite publisher. I love the quality and thickness of the cards, very durable... and they truly support the eye and art of the artist.

I took my time to read throught he introduction... which read:

"Memento mori was a genre of art, popular in the Middle Ages, that focused on death, corpses, angels, skeletons, etc., with the purpose of reminding one of their mortality, which is what memento mori means, Remember your Mortality."

This sent a wave of gratitude through me. In one of my previous lives when I was a floral designer I worked with a girl who was a energy healer from Russia. She was an amazing woman. Her and her husband were trained in martial arts, energy healing, aromatherapy, and fitness. When I was younger I thought they were amazing. She taught me how to meditate and feel energy and makes orbs in your hands. She had several healing techniques she used. Her husband, always reminded me of the Magician in Tarot. He was a wonderful creator.

Recently, I met back up with them for lunch in the park. There I gave them Tarot readings. Her husband, older now after having a child who is now six, looked at me and said, "I used to think I was God, but since my grandmother died, things have changed"... to which I replied, "ah yes, Mortality."

This Skull explains how we are Earth (Agate), Spirit (Amethyst), and Human (Skull)

Whenever I receive a new deck, I first ask the deck what it is I can prepare myself to learn when working with the deck. This deck answered me with the Judgement Card.



"In the traditional Judgement card, an angel calls forth the dead from their graves on Judgement Day. The angel is Metatron. The people rising from their graves a...re the worm in the Earth, the crustacean rising from the black water, the Lotus from the muddy bottom of the pond, the life from void, the baby from the womb, the snakes from the black earthen tomb of Malkuth, physical world of life and death, Knowledge, to which we were condemned when we (symbolically) ate the apple, called to meet our destiny."

This was an interesting message to hear since I was in a conversation on my page earlier this morning.

Click This To Be Directed To The Conversation On My Page

So far, I can say, that this deck has a lot of information for me.

I am really excited to learn more about it.