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.