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.