Whew.

Monday, December 28, 2009

So, the holidays are almost over, and with the passing of the holidays comes the opportunity to return to normal. Or what passes for normal around here, anyway.

I have kind of let my tarot studies lapse over the past couple months, (I know- shocking and unexpected, right? You never would have guessed) but as the new year approaches, I've been considering how best to approach diving back in. You see, I miss tarot in my life when it's not an everyday part of my life. I think it's not just the Tarot, but an overall sense of spirituality that is missing. I get really caught up in "Now, and now, and next" and forget to breathe- to really, really breathe, to slow down and see and experience everything that is happening.

So, my goals for the new year are as follows:

To continue meeting with our tarot group as often as possible, hopefully an average of once a week;

To offer no less than 5 online readings at Aeclectic.net per week;

and,

To study and learn a new spread an average of once every two weeks.

I've also decided to start carrying a deck with me wherever I go. I had a very tough time choosing which deck that would be. I recently cut about 17 decks out of my collection; I still have quite a few, but most of them weren't appropriate for purse-living for a variety of reasons. I waffled and wavered and finally remember that my Legacy of the Divine, which has been on a little adventure of it's own, had returned home to me. In to the purse it went, and I am quite satisified with it there. Honestly, given the choice I would always, always pick the Bohemian Gothic to read with, but until it's reprinted (which looks quite likely at this point, yay!) I'm not carrying everywhere I go.
In other news, we've welcomed a couple new contributors to our ranks, and hopefully they'll be along to post as things settle down a bit more.

Lastly, don't forget to add strengthandthestar@hotmail.com to your messenger account; if you see me online, I'm available to do readings.

I hope the new year brings peace and prosperity to everyone.

I'm a bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger.

Friday, November 27, 2009

If it makes you feel any better, I've been feeling guilty for my terrible neglect. Really. My computer has been giving me reproachful glares for... awhile.

I have been thinking a lot lately about what my husband calls "positive thinking" and what others I know call, "sending it into the universe".

You see, I tend to get what I want. Pretty much always, and very much due to the kindness and generosity of the people around me. A lot of the decks I have that are hard to find were sold to me for much less than they were worth simply because people were generous, and it was worth more to them to see these decks in the hands of someone who would love them than in the hands of someone who merely values them for their rarity. One of them I even "won"- although technically, my partner in the drawing won the deck, and sent it on to me. I have a friend who refers to me as a shopping genius- because somehow, I find what I am looking for, and for less than I expect to pay.

In all aspects of my life, this trend is consistent enough to make me really stand up and take notice- it has gotten to the point where I even rely on it. If I am meant to have something, or to do something, I will have or do that thing. I don't doubt this. (This doesn't mean that I don't worry; not all of the experiences that we are meant to have are pleasant!)

It also kind of creeps me out. WHY does this work? I've read, recently, that atoms will change their behavior according to the expectations of the people who are viewing them. This is huge, when applied to the idea that we can create our own realities based on our expectations. How much do we limit ourselves based on what we believe we can do or have? How much of our own negative experience do we create by fearing it?

I haven't read "The Secret", although from what I hear it's really the same idea- as Buddha said, "With our thoughts, we make the world."

Here's what I am working on. I want the world to be a better place. I want people to be kind and generous and loving with each other, and with the earth we live on. Normally, I pretty much believe people are bastards; I'm going to work on changing this belief. Maybe with my thoughts, I can change the world.

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Let me start out by saying that I am not the type of girl that likes "dark" stuff. I can't watch horror movies or read scary books; in fact, even after watching those "Haunting" shows on television I end up sleeping with the light on. "Ghost Rider", with Nicholas Cage, kept me up one night. Seriously. This is how much of a coward I am. My imagination is too visual and too active to feed it those types of things. After watching Stephen King's "Rose Red" I slept with the lights on for a MONTH. Ask my husband. He'll roll his eyes. :D

So, we've established I'm a wussy. More than that, I tend to find those types of things distasteful. It's not just that they scare me, they also tend to disgust me. I appreciate greatly when the dead are shown a measure of respect, and I am very disturbed when they are not, even in fiction.

Taking those things into consideration, it is an absolute wonder that I ever even purchased The Bohemian Gothic Tarot. It's a horror movie lover's fantasy deck, after all. Very dark, and very chilling. Everyone I know who sees the deck gets the creeps from it. (And the waitress at Ihop gave us MUCH better service after I pulled it out. :D ) What is even more astonishing is how much I adore it.

Let's take a step back. Magic Realist Press is responsible for several amazing decks, including the Victorian Romantic Tarot, Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot, and Fairytale Tarot. Their decks are extraordinarily beautiful, and an absolute pleasure to touch and use. They use high quality products to create their decks and put an amazing amount of thought and care into them, even after the product is complete and on the shelves-and the product that ends up on the shelves is in an entirely different class than any other deck that I've ever seen.

Don't get me wrong. There are publishers out there that create amazing, gorgeous, high quality decks. However, there is only one publisher that I would buy a deck from, sight unseen- and that's Magic Realist Press. If they produce it, I want it. (They also create a wide range of other products, including laptop bags, tarot bags, and purses- and they are also amazingly well made. You can check out their products at http://baba-store.com .)

Initially, my desire to have the Bohemian Gothic was fuelled simply by the fact that it was a Magic Realist Press deck, and therefore worth having. Then, I got a look at the three of pentacles:



And had a good giggle over it. Remember, the three of pents is about teamwork and mastering your craft. What a wonderful choice to depict those two qualities! It made me consider the card in an entirely new way. I started to wonder if perhaps this deck could provide me with a new outlook, teach me to see the cards in ways I hadn't before. It became more attractive to me on it's own merits and not simply because of it's creators.

Unfortunately, this deck is not easy to find, and if you do find it, it's not cheap. I started hunting. I kept my eyes open, nearly bought one from a kind member of AT, and waited... and one night, on a whim, checked Amazon: Voila! A Bohemian Gothic that was downright affordable, from a marketplace seller. I didn't even stop to think about it. I just clicked "buy"... waited four days.... received it....

And was horrendously disappointed.

Yup. I did NOT like the deck. It was too dark, too creepy, the cards were too stiff (when compared to my darling Victorian Romantic, which is well broken in and delightful!), I was never going to be able to read with it... It was crushing, really. Still, I had the deck, and if I sold it, I was never going to be able to replace it, so I used it.

And I used it some more. And the more I used it, the more I realized how very wonderful this deck actually is. It is an extremely readable deck, as a matter of fact; it lends itself well to intuitive reading, and the cards flow together to create stories better than any other deck I've seen. It's a dark deck, yes, but it's not morbid; it has a delicious sense of humor, and is also very good at conveying the full range of human emotion. This deck remembers that there is very rarely such a thing as pure joy. Always, there is a balance in our lives of joy and pain, of light and dark.


The book is a delight, too. The Justice card doesn't fit the Rider Waite Smith imagery at all; but after reading the description in the book, I was nearly in tears.

Each entry contains the original image that was altered to create the deck, which is not only interesting, but can also be enlightening. The original three of swords actually showed a man and a woman in an embrace, not seeing the woman in the foreground. Even though that's not what the cards show, I remember it when I draw that card, and it does make the card deeper and more meaningful for me.

My favorite card in the deck is the Queen of Pentacles:



The look on her face just breaks me into giggles every time I see it. That's a "WTF?!" face if I've ever seen one.

That is not to say that the deck isn't creepy. On a lot of the cards, there is just something off about the people in the card; when I described it to Wakingspirit, she called it "the uncanny valley". Heads are turned just that much too far, skin is just this much the wrong color, the cards are extremely well executed to be chill inducing. After working with it for awhile, though, that stops being a distraction, and becomes more of an asset- another small thing to draw from.



The cards are still too stiff, (I like thin, floppy cardstock) but I suspect that will resolve with time. The backs are stunning, showing a spiderweb-like arrangement of bones and skulls in white ink, shadowed by shiny silver ink.

The cards are borderless. I am not a huge fan of the bar of color at the bottom of the card, where the card is labelled; I would have much preferred the text directly on the image without that. However, that is my only complaint about this deck- all in all, it's glorious- and I am not selling it.

You can check out the entire deck at http://www.bohemiangothic.com.

Images used with permission, Copyright Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, Magic-Realist Press 2007. All rights reserved.

Charlatans, Con-men and Scammers, Oh My!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

In my short time as a member of Aeclectic.net, I've seen scam artists mentioned occasionally, and always with distaste. The members of Aeclectic are, from what I've seen, incredibly honest, kind and generous people- but there are scammers in every lot, and "fortune tellers" are no exception.

I grew up in a family that had abilities. When my grandmother was alive, there were always odd things happening in her house; lights turning on and off, voices when no one was there, shadows, knocks and doorbell-rings when no one was at the door, occasionally even a full entity taking a stroll through the house. I know, because I lived with her, and I saw it all happen. I've had dreams where people who are no longer alive (including my grandmother, which was actually quite wonderful) come to speak to me; my mother has prophetic dreams, poor thing- she calls me occasionally to tell me what she dreamed about, so that later she can say, "Remember?!"

Even with all that, I still suspected for a long time that divination was a con. I always thought- before my strange and unexpected conversion- that the readers were conning themselves as well as their seekers. Actually, it may well be true; I certainly don't have all the "hows" and "whys", but I don't believe it nearly as much as I once did. What never crossed my mind was that people would use these things to take advantage of others.

Apparently, I think better of the human race than they warrant, which is terrifying, because I don't really think that highly of us as a collective to begin with.

After a conversation at Aeclectic, however, and reading the stories at this website, I felt like I needed to come here and talk about how some people use tarot and spirituality in general to take advantage of people who are in pain, afraid, and desperately need some hope.

I am not an expert in this area, but here's what I think: Anyone who reads for you and tells you that you have no control over your life and that you need someone to fix it is conning you. Even if they don't ask for money, you need to go see someone else, because we always have choices.

There is no shortage of ethical, caring people in the world who also happen to read tarot cards. A lot of them DO charge for genuine readings, and they should- it's work, and it's sometimes very draining. The fact that someone charges isn't an indication that they're scamming you.

If someone spouts stories about curses or dark entities, and tell you they need $xxx to fix it for you, run, don't walk, to someone with some ethics. I've seen speculation that those people don't even know how to read the cards. I suspect it's largely true. Learning the cards is hard work- these people aren't interested in hard work. They're interested in making a fast buck off of someone else's desperation; they create abusive relationships based on fear.

I cannot say for sure that when I read the cards, I'm not unintentionally cold reading. I can tell you that I honestly speak for what the cards say, regardless of whether it seems to be "hitting" with the querent or not. Sometimes it doesn't seem to, which is awkward- but that doesn't mean I change the message. I also usually remind the seeker, when getting to the outcome cards- "THIS isn't set in stone- it's up to you."

Anyone who tries to take away your power over your own life, and then wants you to pay them for it, is not only scamming you- they're also trying to injure you.

Real Life Woo Woo

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Well. I've had an interesting weekend.

I've been feeling pretty awful lately; bloated, slow, with an unhappy tummy. I just have not felt like eating. Finally, I decided that if my body didn't want to eat, I wasn't going to make it, and I started what I thought was going to be an 8 day juice fast.

You can start laughing now.

I lasted all of 30 hours on my juice fast before I cracked and ate part of a donut. And a scrambled egg. And the rest of the donut.

And two pieces of pizza.

And a kit-kat bar.

(This dietary recitation may give you an indication of why I've not been feeling well in the first place. I usually keep this kind of stuff out of the house, but lately things have been kind of odd.)

Now, 4 hours since breaking my fast, I am thinking perhaps I should have stayed on it. I wasn't hungry, I WAS feeling better; I was a little weak and tired, but I suspect that my body still needs a break.

What I found interesting was how, when I mentioned to my dad that I was doing a juice fast, I made a point of mentioning that it had nothing to do with anything spiritual. Yes, fasting has been said to have spiritual benefits; more clarity of thought, more awareness; I was hoping for these things, but they were not my driving focus.

That got me thinking how, really, a lot of supposedly "woo woo" things have real benefits. Meditation, for example- I avoided this for years simply because I wasn't into "that stuff". Oh, no, I wasn't crazy, I had my feet firmly on the ground (and my head firmly up my ass, really). Now, I do it on a regular basis. Not because of any magical purpose, but simply because it helps me find my center, be more grounded and more calm. I have a tendency to get wrapped up in my own head, and run and run like a mouse on a treadmill until I am emotionally and mentally exhausted. Meditation gives me an opportunity to clear out the clutter, get in touch with what is real and let everything else go.

Tarot, I think, serves a bit of the same purpose; it gives you the opportunity to look at things from another point of view. Not everyone accepts that; I have seen someone take an obvious "No!" in a spread and twist it in their head until it said what they wanted it to say. It was astounding, really. But taken with an open heart and an open mind, a tarot spread can help you step back and look at your life, and really take responsibility where you have been avoiding it- or release the responsibility for things beyond your control. Tarot can show you that there's hope when you'd thought there was none, and sometimes, sadly can say, "Hey- this is going to be really, really awful for awhile". Never good to hear- but at least you're prepared.

To be perfectly honest, I still have a lot of suspicion about tarot. How does it work? Why does it work? Is it really just people taking generic meanings and applying them to their lives however they fit? However, I've seen enough creepily accurate spreads to realize that there is most likely something deeper, something really special that happens when you lay out a tarot spread. Even if there's not, people are taking from the readings things that they need to hear.


(That juicer up there is a Waring. It's the one I have. If you must buy a juicer, do yourself a favor and skip this one. It wastes a TON of juice.)

Deck Review: Wisdom Cards by Louise L. Hay

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I found the neatest little deck the other day at the bookstore. It's not my normal style, being more brightly colored and abstract than I normally go for, but for some reason it caught my eye and I snatched it up.

I'm glad I did. This little deck is adorable. It's not a divination deck, although I think it could be used that way with one or *maybe* two card draws and some imaginative association; instead, it's a deck of affirmations. The brightly colored cards are two sided, with a message on one side and an elaboration of that message on the other.

For instance, an orange card with flowers and birds on it say, "I dwell on positive thoughts."

And when flipped over, the card is darker orange, with a green flower at the bottom, and says,

"If good comes into my life and I deny it by saying, "I don't believe it," I literally push my good away."

Another card, this one with a black background and rainbow coloring, with a person in the middle, says "I can heal myself on all levels."

The back has a yellow background, with a rainbow border and rainbow text, and says, "Healing means to make whole and to accept all parts of myself- not just the parts I like, but ALL of me."

I really love this deck. In fact, I think this would be a fun deck to use to surprise strangers with- to leave cards in random places for others to find.

This is part of a set called "Beautiful Card Decks" by the same author, which includes titles like "Power Thought Cards", "Healthy Body Cards", and "I Can Do It Cards". I know at least the "Healthy Body Cards" are definitely going into my Amazon cart (from which no item ever returned, mwahahahahaha).

Check out the deck here.

It's TIME!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Well, actually, it's past time! I just sat down, shook the heck out of the tupperware -er, Giant Cauldron- stuck my hand in, swished it around for awhile, and drew a name, and it's.....



*Cue drum roll.....*


Sharyn!

Whooo- Hooo! Congratulations, Sharyn!

Send me an email at strengthandthestar@hotmail.com with your info, and I'll order that for you right away.

Conversely, if you'd rather have a $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com, let me know, and I'll send you that instead. :)

Thanks to everyone who entered, and keep an eye open- we have other contests and giveaways planned!

Only one more day!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Tomorrow at 10:00 Mountain Time we'll be doing the drawing for a brand new, straight from the retailer copy of The Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti. I've been posting some of the gorgeous images over the past two weeks so that you could enjoy them, and I hope you have- they really are breathtaking.

So- if you want to win this gorgeous, luxurious deck and book kit, remember to post a comment on any post on the blog before 10:00 am tomorrow morning, and I'll write your name on a slip of paper and drop it in our Giant Cauldron (it's a tupperware bowl) of Names.

Also, if you like the Legacy and think it's stunning (which of course you do, because you are a person of impeccable good taste) check out Ciro's website- lots of beautiful stuff there.

He also has a website specifically for the Legacy of The Divine, with animated versions of all 78 cards, card of the day calculators, and a lot of other neat features. You can get more information at www.legacyofthedivinetarot.com.

And as a special treat, some samples of the animated cards:

The Three of Swords:



The Empress:



The Four of Swords:




You can view more samples of his gorgeously animated cards at his Youtube Channel.


Good luck, everyone!

The Ethics of Tarot

I have been thinking for awhile about what my own personal code of ethics for reading tarot was going to be. Honestly, at first, I didn't really need one. My readings were pretty darn shallow, scratching only the surface, and usually not touching on subjects that were too uncomfortable.

As I progress, though, I seem to be delving deeper and touching on more and more painful areas. To be perfectly honest, I don't really like it. I would really like to tell people everything is sunshine and roses all the time. I can't.

I have found that I have a tendancy to try and "soften the blow" when faced with unpleasantness in the cards, and that's not fair to myself or to the person I'm reading for. I feel guilty when I can't tell them everything is going to be ok, but that is life- everything isn't always going to be ok. I need to work on remembering that, as a reader, the cards aren't about ME. It's not a conversation between me, the seeker, and the cards- it's a conversation between the seeker and the cards, and I'm translating.

The other thing I have been considering concerns privacy. I started this blog wanting to post readings on it, so that other readers could offer their interpretations, deepening my learning and the seeker's experience. Since then, though, the readings have touched on some deeply personal, painful issues, and it's been niggling at me that this was not the appropriate way to go about it. After some gentle nudges by some people whose opinions I respect, I'm going to go with my gut and stop posting readings to our blog. I am still available for free readings; if you would like one, feel free to email either of us using the links to the right. You can also add me to your MSN messenger under Strengthandthestar@hotmail.com; if you see me on there and available, feel free to ask me for a live reading- that's why I'm on.

Also, concerning the ethics of blogging: All images will be coming down today, and will not be going back up until and unless I have permission from the artists to post them. I'm not being sued, or anything; just trying to do what is right.

Thank you all for your patience with me while I bounce up and down the learning curve. :) Have a lovely Thursday!

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot : The Sun

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Sun is possibly the most positive card in a tarot deck. It symbolizes joy, triumph, glory, renewal; it is about finding your inner light.

In the standard Rider Waite tradition, this card normally features a naked young child upon a horse. This can signify youth, fresh beginnings, innocence, vitality, and movement. There are no secrets with this card- everything is laid bare under the clear light of the noonday sun, which banishes all shadows.

Reversed, this card suggests that you are daydreaming too much, or are seeing things the way you want them to be, rather than how they really are. It could suggest that you're pushing too hard for what you want and are going to rob yourself of whatever that is; perhaps joy and excitement in an endeavor is turning to exhaustion and frustration.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot- The Hermit

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Hermit is a seeker, walking alone on a path of learning. He's not wandering in the desert, aimlessly; he's also not hanging out in a cave somewhere. He's travelling, learning, on a journey of discovery. He's learning about both the known world, that is visible to everyone, and the spiritual world, which reveals itself slowly to him, as he becomes prepared for it through his travails.

The Hermit holds great wisdom, which he has earned over years of dedicated travelling. He holds a light in his hand, so that he can see which way his path turns. doesn't stumble along in the darkness; he moves steadily forward, seeing every step along the way.

When the Hermit appears in a spread, he can be telling you that you need to take some time for yourself; that you are in need of a teacher, or that there are lessons that you need to learn; he could also be saying that you need to guide someone else for a few steps on their path.

Reversed, he could say that you are being too withdrawn or reclusive, that you are NOT getting enough time for yourself or paying attention to your own need for solitude and discovery, or that you have stalled on your path, and need to refocus and start moving forward.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine: The High Priestess

Monday, November 2, 2009

The High Priestess is all about the things unseen. The scroll in her right hand represents the Torah; the pomegranite suggests the unconscious mind and the fertility therein. She stands before the gates to the unseen.

This card talks about intuition, developing empathy and psychic abilities, and nurturing the spiritual. She can represent the esoteric and the occult, things like the Tarot and magic- tools which can be used for good, or for evil.

When the High Priestess appears, it is time to pause and listen to your intuition. What is your gut telling you? Look at every angle of your situation, and try to see beneath the surface. Trust yourself. It may be that not everything is apparent in your situation; the High Priestess can represent secrets waiting to be revealed.

When she is reversed, she is telling you that you need to be careful- you don't know all the information, or the information that you have is not accurate- perhaps someone is keeping a secret from you, or perhaps you need to hold your own secrets close.

Sometimes, all the High Priestess is saying is, "Right now, you are not meant to know the answers."


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot: The Magician

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Think about what you know of magicians. Now, apply all of that to this guy.

Magicians are smart, crafty, and quick. They are manually dexterous. They can be prone to not telling the truth- or at least not all of it; they are smooth and persuasive talkers. They have the tools to complete their work and they have mastered them.

The Magician is the master of his craft, and he opens the doors for creative potential in his students. He represents all possiblities made real.

The Magician can signal that you are entering a time when it is important to take action; that the necessary tools and skills are available to make something real. It is a time to focus on your goals His appearance suggests that you will succeed in your endeavors- and it might be time to take chances, instead of staying where it's safe.

He says, "Trust yourself. Trust your creative instincts. You don't know yet what you are capable of- there is more to you than you are aware."

Reversed, the Magician can represent deception or half-truths in a situation or that someone is being manipulative. If he comes to you reversed, take some time to think things through! It could simply suggest that you're in a rut, and it's time to try new things.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot- The Star

Saturday, October 31, 2009

When I see the Star, the first word that almost always springs into my head is "Hope". The Star symbolizes hope.

It also symbolizes finding your way in the terrifying darkness. When we are in very bad situations, sometimes the star shines it's light on us, and we can see where we need to be. The Star doesn't fix anything for us, we still have to do the work ourselves- it simply says to us, "There is a solution. It can get better."

The Star can represent joining the physical with the spiritual. She also represents renewal- adding water to the land so that it can grow and blossom, and adding new water to the water so that it does not grow stagnant, and can support life.

Looking forward, it can suggest getting help from an unexpected source.

Reversed, this card suggests stagnation and clinging to the past instead of moving to the future. It can suggest hopelessness- not necessarily that the situation is hopeless, but that the querent feels hopeless, and possibly helpless. If this card appears reversed, perhaps it is time to look for someone to help you with your problems.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot- 9 of Coins

Friday, October 30, 2009

The Nine of Coins, or Nine of Pentacles, is an interesting card; it comes between the diligence and hard work of the Eight of Coins and the security of the Ten. Therefore, it makes sense that the Nine is about self control and self reliance; enjoying the bounty of your own hard work.

This card shows a woman who obviously loves beautiful things; the richness of her clothes and surroundings shows us that. She has tamed the wildness and impetuousness of her nature (the bird); she is comfortable, at peace, and secure in her surroundings.

This card can refer to a love for art and music, and all things beautiful; it can also talk about success in business, health, or the fruition of creative endeavors.

The important thing to note about this card is that she is alone; this card talks about succeeding by yourself and providing for yourself. It doesn't talk about excessive wealth, rather it talks about having enough to live comfortably. You can run your air conditioner all summer- you cannot book every floor of the Montecito and have a slammin' house party.

This card can also talk about self discipline and sacrifice; not getting everything you want so that you can save those resources for later.

Reversed, this card can refer to being overly dependent on others, being lazy, or simply being over-indulgent.

Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Decks

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Whoohoo! One week to go in our fabulous giveaway! We only have 24 entrants so far, so odds are pretty good. In fact, I can say with 100% certainty that SOMEONE will win that deck. :D (It occured to me upon viewing this post that it could, possibly, appear that we were giving away that box full of decks. We aren't. Not even close. We are giving away one (1) deck, NOT pictured above, Ciro Marchetti's "Legacy of the Divine" which is gorgeous and beautiful and will come to the winner brand spanking new and straight from the retailer. Those decks in the picture are mine, and shall stay that way. Stop drooling. Mine.)

So, I was going to do a card of the day, and in fact, I have several set up and ready to go (not written, but I have pictures. Cause that's the easy part.) but I am tired and I have a brand new Terry Pratchett book waiting for me, so instead, I am going to talk about one of my favorite things about tarot.

The decks.

I love tarot decks. I love the variety in them, the sheer beauty of so many of them, the quirkiness and humor in others. I love how every different interpretation of a card deepens its meaning for me. No matter what you are interested in, what kind of art you like, what size cards you want- somewhere, there is a deck for you.

My very first tarot deck was the Mystic Dreamer Tarot. It was a gift from our very own Wakingspirit, in response to the words, "I think I want to learn to read tarot cards." Her immediate reaction was, "Well, don't buy one yourself. Pick one out and I'll get it for you."

Yes, I have the best best friend ever.

I went trolling through the decks on Aeclectic, and the first deck that I oohed and aahed over was the Tarot of Prague. I thought, and still think, that it is just lovely. Fortunately, I looked up prices before I told her what I wanted, because I am pretty sure if I'd told her to buy me that one, she would have laughed herself to death. Mystic Dreamer was my second choice, and I do love it- but not nearly as much as Wakingspirit does! She ended up getting her own copy a few weeks later and uses it all the time.

This was the beginning of my obsession with tarot decks. It was also the beginning of my education in tarot superstition. (Nice segue, right? I know, I rule.) The idea that a person should receive their first deck as a gift is a superstition hotly debated among tarotists. I've since learned about other "rules"- there are, for instance, a million different "right" ways to store the cards. Some people won't touch a deck that has belonged to someone else, and some people feel that the appropriate way of discarding a deck that you will no longer use is to (gasp!) burn it.

Don't use tarot cards on wood, ONLY use tarot cards on wood; don't let the querent shuffle, the querent MUST shuffle. It's really the same in all things tarot; each individual must determine for themselves what the "right" way is.

I personally don't see any reason why someone musn't buy their own first deck, if they've no one to do it for them. For me, it was a lovely "welcome" into the tradition to have someone give me such a wonderful gift; it felt like someone else opened the door and invited me in, saying, "Look around! There's so much to learn!" But as nice as it was, I feel sad for all the people who don't learn because they're worried about bad luck or a deck that won't "work" if they buy it themselves- not to mention the people who steal them and then tell themselves it was a gift from the store. (Even my powers of justification aren't that good, and I'm a grand master!)

As for everything else, I've done it pretty much every which way (except for burning decks) and really, it doesn't seem to make a difference. After all, it's not really the cards that do the work. The cards just lay there. I am the one working.

And if you are tempted to burn a deck once you're done with it, send it to me! You don't want to inhale all that smoke. Let me "burn" it for you. :D

The Master: Zen Card of the Day

In this tradition the Master is not master of anyone else, but of himself. He is willing to trust in his own wisdom and strength rather than fall prey to the currents of life, the ups and downs.

He recognizes his own immortality of spirit.

He also recognizes his own responsibility in this matter. You won't catch him depending on the perfect situation or person to further his own growth potential. He knows to turn inward and visit with his own essence for guidance and strength.

If you draw this card it can be telling you to look inside for growth instead of to the world around you. To become enlightened, you must conquer your inner mind, not the world around you.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine - XVIII- The Moon

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I have a lot of trouble with this card. A LOT. OF. TROUBLE. In fact, I drew this card a few days ago for my card of the day, researched it, and gave up. I ended up heading to the Aeclectic Tarot forum to ask for help; those brilliant people, between them, know everything there is to know about tarot.

The Moon is a very feminine card, dealing with Intuition and Spirituality; this card is closely related to the High Priestess.

It's ironic that I have so much trouble with this card- as one person said, that itself is evidence of the Moon in action.

The moon symbolizes confusion. Things that are actually mundane look scary and mysterious in the moonlight; the everyday becomes mysterious.

This card can be about secrets, deceptions; it can be about our own imaginations getting the best of us; it can be about our journey from confusion to enlightenment. Some people have said that the moon is about romance; I can see that; after all, having romantic feelings for someone tends to keep us from seeing their flaws!

Reversed, the meaning of this card becomes clearer. I see this card reversed as confusion fading away; reality becoming apparent. When the moon fades, the sun rises, and your path becomes clear again. Looking at it that way, though, it could also mean the opposite- when the moon is new, there is no light at all, and it's far too easy to get lost in the woods.

If this card comes up reversed, I would advise taking a flashlight with you when you go out. :D


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Living Out Loud

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Over time, I'm sure I'll mention a hundred ways that tarot, and my ventures into living a more spiritual life, are improving my life and making me happier. What I probably won't mention are the ways that it's making my life more difficult or complex; those things aren't as significant to me, so may not get mentioned so much here. (If you're on Aeclectic, though, you may already know what a crybaby I can be!)

The biggest issue that I have dealt with so far is explaining my interest to other people. People seem to fall into two basic groups. You have the people who, for whatever reason, believe that tarot is evil and/or dangerous. These people tend to be ignorant about tarot in general, and get pretty freaked out when they find out that you do it. These are the people who insist that you're going to hell for reading, that tarot calls evil spirits, that tarot functions through the efforts of evil spirits, or simply that tarot is a sin. (So is eating shrimp. Try and get me to stop. You'll lose a hand.)

The other group are the skeptics. When they learn that you read, their estimation of your intelligence drops about 100 IQ points. If you're lucky, they're dismissive and will only ever speak to you of fashion magazines and animated sitcoms. If, however, you're unlucky, they're combative. They want you to PROVE it. PROVE it works. Tell them the winning lottery numbers/ location of missing child in the news/ winner of American Idol in 2010. It doesn't matter what you tell them, or what you see- if you are completely accurate, they come back with, "That could fit anyone." There is no point arguing with them- they are secure in their world view. You might as well argue with a brick wall.

In the interest of complete honesty, I used to be a member of the first group. Tarot scared me; more than that, I thought it was ridiculous. I had a reading when I was very young that was so inaccurate as to be offensive, and from that point on, I believed tarot was a con; more than that, though, my mother had a deck that she used specifically when she was in a bad emotional place. To me, that deck felt (and still feels) bad. Mix into that the fact that I grew up in a conservative religious environment, where my mother and her spirituality made her the black sheep, and you get a whole lot of intolerance and prejudice in tiny little me. I've been steadily moving away from that place of fear and intolerance; still, I'm still not sure what sparked the interest in me to try tarot. One day in July, it hit me like a bolt of lightening: "I want to learn that." The second bolt of lightening: "I have to keep it to myself."

It's a new and unpleasant feeling, to have to keep something I am passionate about, something that I find so wonderful, under wraps and hidden away like it's something I'm ashamed of. The way I grew up was completely the opposite of that- I was expected to share my beliefs, to spread them like a virus. To have to treat the things that made me happy like they are dirty or sinful makes me very angry; not only for myself, but for everyone that has to live that way.

Recently, I came out of the tarot closet in a very subtle way; I posted on my Facebook about the Tarot blog. A lot of the very, very conservative people that I am related to are connected to me on Facebook, and I suspect that there will be some fall out, some tearful phone calls about how they're praying for me, perhaps some type of spiritual intervention. I expect to have to make sure that my children are not being indoctrinated when I'm not looking.

Some people that respected my intelligence before likely think less of me now; that's ok. I suspect that will have no real effect on my life; I know how smart I am. It may effect my relationships with them in the long run; that's okay too. I have never been one to live any part of my life hidden away, and I don't expect that I'll start now. I'm not saying it's not scary- it's scary as hell. I'm living in the open, anyway.

The positive surprise is the way that people seem to be handling it so far; a lot of people that I was concerned about have been accepting or downright enthusiatic. The people I suspect to be the most disapproving are either ignoring that I ever said anything (we'll see how it goes when I see them in person), or have flat out asked me to not discuss it with them, as it makes them uncomfortable due to the whole me going to hell thing. Still- they're rejecting the tarot and not me, and that I can live with. I'm not pretending to be something I'm not, and that's what's important.

Edited to add: It has been pointed out to me, very gently, that there is another group of people that I dismissed: the people who are not familiar with tarot, and not prejudiced against it at all. I personally have not encountered very many that fit into this category, but they do exist. They just don't cause me angst, so they didn't fit into my rant. :D

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Tarot- Eight of Swords

It might be a little hard to believe, but the Eight of Swords is one of my favorite cards in any deck, because I relate to it in a lot of ways.

Swords are the cards of struggle. They can refer to difficulty, new ideas, intellectual pursuits and education.

When this card comes up in a spread, my first thought is always "fear". This card talks about being trapped by fear or old ideas, unable or unwilling to see your way out of it. Being caught in a bad situation but afraid to move to extricate yourself because you don't know where the dangers lie- you only know that they're there.

This card is also about making yourself a victim. You see the woman in the card? Her hands are free. She could simply reach up, remove the blindfold, and use one of those nearby swords to cut herself free. She has the ability and the tools necessary to get out of her situation, and for whatever reason, she refuses to. Maybe she doesn't realize that the swords are there and can help her; maybe she's afraid of what she will see if she removes the blindfold. However, what will happen to her if she doesn't take that first step and simply look around is certainly scarier than what's going to happen to her otherwise.

Reversed, the blindfold falls away. When this card is reversed, it may be saying, "You're ready to move forward!" Things may get easier soon- or maybe you're just tired of being a victim and are ready to take that first step to freedom.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine - VIII: Strength

Monday, October 26, 2009

This is another lovely card from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. Looking at the imagery, a lovely young woman is surrounded by large cats of prey. She is calm, serene, and in control- the ferocity of the beasts is still present, yet she is in no danger from them. They have gone from being her predators to her protectors.

This card is about strength. It generally doesn't talk about physical strength; instead it talks about discipline, compassion, gentleness, and control. This card refers to being able to harness those dangerous, wild parts of yourself and turn them from things that can be hurtful or dangerous into something that is an asset to you. In some decks, this card is called fortitude- the will and ability to keep moving forward, even though it's difficult or painful.

When this card appears, it could be heralding tough times. You could be entering a period that will test your self control or your compassion, or even just your ability to keep going. However, this card is a good sign- it says that you CAN be in control of the situation, you have the strength to overcome, you just have to use it.

When this card appears reversed in a thread, it can indicate that the lions are about to turn on you. You are in danger of losing control, of being driven to action by your inner "lions"- your feelings, your impulses, even your fears. It can also indicate that your need to be strong is closing you off from other people- it may be time to open the doors and let other people give to you. Sometimes, strength lies in knowing when to allow yourself to accept support. No one can always do it alone.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card of the Day: Legacy of the Divine Four of Wands

Sunday, October 25, 2009

I am going to be working with the Legacy of the Divine deck a lot in the next couple of weeks, so that you can all see what we're giving away. Gee, darn, poor me, having to work with something so lovely. (Note the sarcasm. :D )

Wands (to me) represent fire, passion, enthusiasm, and creativity; endeavors, and things we're working on. For example, since I've started this blog, I've had wands popping up a lot in my own readings.

The four of wands generally speaks to me of celebration and giddy excitement. It makes me think of the breathless enthusiasm you sometimes feel when something you've really wanted comes to pass. It also means, to me, stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new.

In researching, I also learned that this card can represent seeking freedom, and moving away from something that is holding you down or trapping you.

In a divinatory sense, this card can refer to joyous events like weddings, birthdays, graduations, or more unexpected, thrilling events.

The thought just occured to me- I know one person to whom this card applies brilliantly right now- in regards to her pending divorce. Not an event I would normally apply to this card, but there you go.

This particular card also speaks of safety, doesn't it? An oasis, a safe place in a world that is otherwise terrifying and dangerous. Imagine how joyous and relieved you would be if you were wandering through that cracked, dead land and stumbled upon the sanctuary offered by those four wands.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

Card Of The Day: Legacy of the Divine III: The Empress

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Isn't this a beautiful card? I love the Empress card in general, and this one is truly stunning.

The Empress is one of the 22 Major Arcana, the archetypical symbols of the things almost everyone experience through life.

She is the Mother. She can represent the bounty and fertility and abundance of the Earth, the way that it provides everything we need, it's strength and beauty. She is nurturing, loving, giving, protective, and patient.

She is also earthy, passionate, and sensual. She is a creator; she takes the seed of romance, the seed of creativity, and helps it grow. See how she's pregnant? She is full of potential not yet realized.

She also has a dark side. She can be smothering and overprotective, controlling, and clingy. Sometimes, mothers have a hard time letting go, and this mother is no different.

This card can signify an opportunity, something that needs nurturing and babying to grow. It can signify a pregnancy or represent a motherly figure.

I just love this card; it is one of my favorites in the entire deck.


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

In which I am the Fool.

Friday, October 23, 2009

I am a little concerned that it may appear that I believe that I am an expert, or that I am trying to set myself up as a teacher. In fact, for most of these cards that I have posted about, I am writing down my own interpretations, researching "book meanings", figuring out what the card means TO ME, and then posting that. I am not an expert, at all- I am just beginning to learn- and the meanings that I am writing down in this blog only scratch the surface.

There are so many possibilities, and many things that I'll never know about tarot. For instance, I will never, ever even try to learn the numerological and astrological associations; I don't have the type of brain that focuses on those things. That's ok; I don't need those things to make the tarot work for me.

Tarot can work for anyone- and that is one of the doors that I was trying to open with this blog. To invite people who are intimidated or don't understand to join me on my voyage of learning.

I am not trying to lead the way, or to teach anything to anyone. I am simply trying to learn, and hoping that I can in some small way contribute to the journey of learning that other tarotists are on- and maybe to welcome new travelers to this road. Like the Fool, I am leaping forward with enthusiasm, not knowing where the path I am on will lead, but excited about the journey.

The image is from The Fairytale Tarot, copyright 2005 Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov. Image used with permission.

Zen card of the day: The Mind.

The cloud suit in the Osho Zen symbolizes things that can "cloud" our path to enlightenment. Things that stand between us and the whole, mindful middle way.

The Mind is the perfect example. Many of us praise the mind, our thoughts are our greatest triumph. But what we forget is that our thoughts are temporary and fleeting. We might be in the depths of the deepest depression and still, sometime that day, we have to have a thought about turning left, or eating lunch, or simply "what is that smell?" Our thoughts are not permanent, and they do not encompass who we are.

When you draw the mind card, the message is simply to ask "how are your thoughts interfering with your self today?" Are you dwelling or ruminating on things that you cannot control, trying to gain a sense of mastery through worry? Are you blocking your mindful practice with the constant screeching of that monkey mind that we tend to think rules us? Take a moment to clear your mind, focus on your breath or a piece of music instead of the incessant thoughts that you treasure but you really can't trust. In the Osho book, the author says that "the mind is a servant." Allow your mind to serve you, don't be a slave to it.

What? You want a sparkly new deck?

Good morning, all you lovely people! To celebrate our new blog, Wakingspirit and I would like to offer you all a chance to win a copy of Ciro Marchetti's beautiful Legacy of the Divine Tarot. This will be a brand new, sealed in the box kit, including the companion book.

Legacy of the Divine is a beautiful, readable deck, and one of my artistic favorites.

Here's how the contest is going to work. From now until November 6th, leave a comment on our blog and your name will be entered in to our Giant Bowl of Names. (It's probably actually going to be a cooking pot, but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it!) On November 6th, at around 10:00 am (give or take- we're busy ladies!) we will draw a name from the Giant Bowl (pot) of Names. The winner will be contacted, and once we have their information, we will order Legacy of the Divine from an online retailer (either Amazon.com or bookdepository.com) and have it shipped directly to our lucky winner.

You can comment as many times as you like, but it's only one entry per person. Anonymous entries will get you nowhere, my friends- make sure we have some way of contacting you.

Once the contest is completed, the winner has 2 weeks to claim their prize (by sending us their information!), or they're out of luck, and we'll draw again.

Good luck, and have fun!


Image used with permission. Copyright 2007 Ciro Marchetti.

The Right Way

Thursday, October 22, 2009

There are many ways to read the Tarot. As many ways, in fact, as there are people. There are people who look up every card in the book for every reading, and do excellent readings; there are people who never learn a single "standard" card meaning, read the cards intuitively by looking at the pictures- and also do excellent, accurate readings.

Even the people who have assigned meanings to the cards don't always agree on what those meanings are. One person might say Judgment is about reconciling with your past so you can move on into your future, while another might say it refers to being caught in the grips of a difficult decision. Both of those interpretations are accurate for the reader, and that's what is important.

For myself, I am working on learning the book meanings, and I use those as a springboard to reach the message I see in the pictures on the cards. It works for me.

That's part of the reason I started this blog- I wanted a place to discuss my interpretations with others, to expand my understanding of the cards. I love it when I hear or read something that makes me think, "Oh! I never thought of it THAT way, that's excellent!"

So the "Right Way" to read the tarot is this: honestly, with love for the person you are reading for, and to the best of your ability.

Oh Hai.

Allrightythen. Here I am!

So, I'm here to add my thoughts on reading tarot and to offer up readings to anyone who might want one.

I started reading cards as far back as the sixth grade, finding myself drawn to Wicca and other forms of pagan beliefs. Over the years I've put them away and taken them out again many times, but about four years ago I dedicated myself to a path of spiritual awakening and since then I've been reading tarot as part of that journey.

My spiritual bent is influenced both by earth-based religions and Buddhist thought. I'm not any one thing, I've meshed many philosophies together into a working framework for myself. When I read cards, the same thing applies. For example, most read swords as sitting in the east and wands as sitting in the south but I reverse them. Swords to me are active, masculine, can be destructive. To me, that's fire (which is the southern "element" in many traditions including Wicca). Wands represent idea generation, creativity, development, much more suited to the "element" of air for me. When I do ritual, my journal, my wand and my incense all go to the east.

I love to read because it connects me to the earth and to my spiritual center. It gives me an excuse to turn off the external and turn inward. I hope to grow and learn in this practice as we go along, as well.

I read using two decks, the Osho Zen Tarot and the Mystic Dreamer Tarot. Mystic Dreamer is a traditional deck. Osho is a Buddhist deck, based on the teachings of a kooky cult leader. This does not deter from the awesomeness, however, and I really enjoy reading from this deck. The Osho deck will not tell you your future or what dark handsome stranger is coming your way. It will tell you what is going on for you emotionally and spiritually, and what path you might take to deepen your practice and your self-growth.

So, that's me, and my practice. And now maybe Susan will get off my back about posting ;)

Card Of The Day: Fairytale Tarot Three of Coins

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Today's card is the 3 of coins from Magic Realist Press' "Fairytale Tarot".
(An important note about this tarot deck- it's beautiful, stunning, extremely well produced, and out of print. Many retailers are already selling out, and Karen from Baba Studios (who run MRP) has said that they only have about 90 copies left. They do not intend to reprint this, so once it's gone, it's gone! Previous copies of MRP OOP decks sell for ridiculous amounts on eBay- some for up to $1000. If you want it, get it now. )

OK. The 3 of coins. In more traditional decks, it's usually known as the 3 of pentacles.

Pentacles are the suit of the material; solid, real things, like jobs, money, health, and possessions.

The three of pentacles (or coins, in this deck) is all about being a master of your craft. Not through luck and talent, but through a lot of dedication and hard work. It also talks about teamwork, planning, and using your resources well. It refers to getting the job done, and doing it well.

Reversed, this card can refer to working so hard that you lose touch with everything else (like a workaholic would), being a perfectionist, holding people up to impossible standards, and not working well in a team.

In a divinitory sense, this could indicate that because someone excels at their job, they will continue to have plenty of work to do; it can also indicate that someone will be working as part of a team.

The really cool thing about this card from the Fairytale deck is that while it shows all the positive things associated with being really, really good at what you do, it also shows the drawbacks. See those people gossiping in the corner? The jealousy and bitterness other people can feel can be a problem for anyone who excels at what they do.

Image used with permission. Copyright Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov 2005.

Funny, silly link

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tarot of the King of Cups in Tatters as written by followers of the divine Fifi-hotep. Amusing, snarky take on the RWS system of tarot. :)

Card of the Day: Robin Wood Page of Cups

It's interesting that I would get a court card (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings are court cards) for my very first card of the day, since I am absolutely terrible with court card. Court cards can represent people; they can represent a particular set of of physical traits, personality traits, a particular age group or sex, or any combination of the above, as well as standing for facets of a situation.

Cups: Emotion, feelings. Water. West. People with fair skin, light colored eyes, and dark blond to light brown hair.

Pages: A new beginning, a message or messenger. A pre-pubescent child.


This specific page represents someone who is gentle and helpful, who is studious, who is emotionally needy and vulnerable. They're artistic (See the paints hanging from her belt?) and imaginative. They like to be of service. It can refer to someone who is emotionally immature, gullible, or emotionally led. Sometimes refers to someone with androgynous characteristics. This tends to be someone who is lives very much in their imagination. This page is sensitive to the feelings of others.

Events: Can refer to pregnancy or childbirth, the beginning of a new friendship or a new, happy stage in an existing relationship, or other emotional beginnings.

My first thought when I see this card in a spread is always that it's the beginning of a new emotional phase, or a new relationship. Water can represent emotions, and she is standing on the edge of an ocean; perhaps experiencing things that she had not yet, reveling in it, really experiencing it as an artist will. The bird emerging from the cup makes me think of creative inspiration or a message of some kind. The way that the Page is standing, and the look on her face, make me think that the message, the inspiration, or whatever the bird stands for was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

A tarot joke...

How many cards of the Major Arcana does it take to change in a light bulb?

All of them!

The Fool has already started before anyone else is ready.

The Magician assembles an array of objects that might be needed, displays them to best advantage and starts discussing how to go about it.

The High Priestess sits in the background, knowing one thing is missing but says nothing.

The Empress fusses around making sure it is safe and nobody gets hurt.

The Emperor tells everyone he thinks it should be done right now and starts delegating responsibilities.

The Hierophant offers advice on the missing part after consulting with the High Priestess.

The Lovers umm and ahh about what wattage bulb to put in this time.

The Chariot charges in and starts doing it himself regardless of the others’ protests.

Strength surreptitiously places what’s needed into Chariot’s hands and gets it done her way.

The Hermit suggests a candle in a lamp would provide light in the meantime.

The Wheel of Fortune laughs and reminds everyone that the light will need changing again in the future.

Justice works out whose turn it is to change the light and whether the division of labor is being delegated fairly.

The Hanged Man contemplates how darkness can change our lives.

Death points out mournfully that this was bound to happen and how everything ends.

Temperance tells Death to chill out, it all evens up in the end.

The Devil tries to make the others take responsibility for causing the light to blow and creates bad feelings all round.

The Tower suddenly starts ripping out the original light fixture so he can create a whole new more basic look.

The Star marvels at new beginnings and says how much she’s looking forward to having the light working again.

The Moon continually offers conflicting advice, confusing everyone until she wanders off to the relief of all.

The Sun wants to redesign the whole room around a much brighter light.

Judgment examines the bulb to see whether it truly was its time to blow and ponders whether the bulb can be recycled.

The World suggests that any problems with the light are temporary: we had light once, we will have it again, and suggests focusing on the bigger picture.

Meanwhile, The Fool has already finished changing the light bulb and is off doing his own thing.

The Fool's Journey Starts With a Single Step

Hey everyone! At this point, I am going to assume that most of you that are reading this followed the link from my Livejournal, either out of genuine interest or morbid curiosity. :)

The fact that I have an interest in tarot is something that most people don't know about me. I tend to keep it to myself; there are a lot of misconceptions about the function and purpose of tarot, and a lot of people are very afraid of it. In fact, at one point, I was one of those people. However, working with the tarot has so far been an incredibly positive force in my life, and it is something I enjoy immensely- so I wanted to branch out, and make it more accessible to those people in my life that may be interested in it.

The purpose of this blog is for us (myself and my co-tarotista, who I'm hoping will introduce herself soon!) to further explore the Tarot. We wanted a place to record our readings, as well as a place to discuss them and get fresh perspectives.

I also hope to review tarot decks, and I am planning to draw a card a day and research and discuss that card. We are also planning to do readings through the blog, so if you'd like one, please leave a comment with your question on the blog and we'll get to it as soon as we can, assuming it works out the way I'm hoping it will. That's always a bit of a leap of faith! (Keep in mind that, unless you tell me otherwise, your reading will be posted to the blog- if it's something terribly private, you may want to ask for a general reading.)

I am very excited about this new venture, and hope that you'll join me on it!