Angels Tarot

Split personalities?

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

For my entire life I have considered myself of the cup kind (being a Pisces helped too) reaching, with adulthood, Queen of Cups status. My "shadow", mainly repressed has always been the Queen of Swords (Wands on occasions too).
I think I have now outstayed my time in the Queen of Cups skin. No more softily soft, I will reserve my nice energies for those in need or those that deserve it. The Queen of Swords plays in Circus as a knife thrower, she enjoys the challenges and the danger. She enjoys being in control and being able to make decisions without fear.

As I pointed out in my NY spread the shadow is ever present, sometimes we are aware of it, sometimes we do not want to acknowledge it is there.
I now embrace my inner Queen of Swords, I'll make sure I always have a box of plasters with me just in case...oh and bandages too...

Anti-Valentine spread

2012-01-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

So hate me...I have always thought Valentine day is pretty much a waste of time (and money), after all if I am loved I would like to be through the whole year thank you, not feel that my other half HAS to go out and by flowers (hope not am allergic), chocolates (yuck to milk chocolates) or whatnot.
So why not spend the evening doing a lovely Tarot spread for yourself instead? Have a peek at what your current partner is bringing you or perhaps help you looking for a new one....

1) My Valentine (who's who)

2) What is/will he/she bringing to me

3) What am/will I bringing to him/her

4) What if I....(?)

Bah humbug ;)

Tower of Strength

2012-01-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

Lately this card has been coming out so much all over the place that I am starting to wonder. Many others have expressed opinions on what it signifies and how it is to be interpreted.
To me the Tower is extreme regeneration without the allowance of time to think. It is a sudden event brought on by cause and effect, action + consequence. It can be softened, changed even if one has the knowledge of it approaching (for example the loss of a job) but you will definitely notice when its time has come.
I love the espression of it in this card (although I am not particularly fond of the deck from a Tarotistic point of view):

In here her fall is caught by the spider's web. The fall is broken but still she is entangled in whatever pushed her forward. This reminds me also a lot of the story of Arachne the beautiful mortal weaver that boasted to be better than the goddess Minerva and that, for her deeds and boasting, ended up enraging the goddess so much she got turned into a spider.
A burnt down house that gets rebuilt - The Tower followed by the Star the neverending hope. To me the Tower is rarely subtle, it has not Death's caress, it is more like a gust of sudden icy wind. You know you can head into the warm but first you have got to endure the wind.
Ultimately it will swiftly get rid of things, people and situations that no longer serve us and hope is always there to guide us and move us forward to bigger and better things... hopefully.

Better late than never...Shadow and Light...

2012-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

This was my idea for my New Year spread. I usually do a general 12 month outlook 1 card each month (and clarifiers if it gets too confusing) but then I thought: "Why not explore not just what the month is going to bring but also what I am not aware of?".
So I decided to do esactly the same but with 2 decks, a "darker" deck for the Shadow side of the month (or what I am not aware of) and a light or traditional deck for the month trend.
Which decks you use is totally up to you, for mine I used the Watcher Angel (although, to be honest, I do not really classify it as a dark deck as such but I felt I had to use it) for the Shadow side and Ciro Marchetti's fascinating Tarot of Dreams for the Light side. One card each for an insight into the shadow self and the month influences.
I got some interesting results and a much more positive reading for myself than last year (phew). Pictures are not really high res as taken with my phone but here goes :):

I loved seeing how the month unfolded and thinking what my subconscious was trying to tell me. You can add shadow cards to other spreads too, for a different insight. Enjoy :)

Mother Earth needs a reading...

2012-01-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

I decided, after reading shamelessly for myself for New Year's trends, that I would take a peek at what our lovely and hurt planet is facing.
So I simply pulled 3 cards from my new love The Watcher Angels tarot and named them respectively:

1) How to Heal
2) What is stopping it
3) 2012 trend and influences

And I got:
1) Page of Wands - The free spirit
2) The High Priestess - Kasbiel
3) 9 of Cups - Wishes

I find it very interesting considering the current happenings. The Page of Wands is telling a story of a free planet, self healing and self sufficient. I love the colour in this card, the energy of orange and the Sun, the caduceous like symbol pointing up, symbolizing Mercury. To me it is a high energy card, as a Page, raw and still unfocused but with an enourmous power to still heal.
The High Priestess as the obstacles card I would perhaps read slightly different. The internalization of feelings, anger and knowledge is hindering progress. Keeping things inside, perhaps being afraid, as people of this Earth, as Lightworkers to truly put our power to good use and help. The need to externalize the unbridled energy of the Page is there.
For the trend is not a bad one. 9 of Cups, the wish card. Not yet a 10 but speaking of healing achieved if work is kept up, it can be reversed, it can be made better, wish it, act on it and more importantly acknowledge your surroundings and be grateful for what you have. For we tend to tale many things for granted too quickly and easily.
May your 2012 be blessed with happiness and prosperity :)

The Christmas Tree spread

2011-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is an idea that came to me on the bus home the other day...Ah the fantastic inspiration of London Transport :). It works like this for me but feel free to add or detract (or change if need different wording).

Cards drawn from bottom then one each side of the tree:

Tree trunk: What is stable (roots)

First layer: Baubles (current direction)

Second layer: Tinsel (what can be shed and left behind)

Third layer: Chocolates (what to avoid)

Fourth layer: Fairy lights (what is helping us)

Fifth layer: Candy canes (what we need to see or know)

Tree top: Angels (Guidance)

It was really just for fun so try it and see what you think! Merry Christmas! :-)

In troubled times...

2011-11-25T07:13:00.000-08:00

...we come together and help each other, surely. But do we? I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed by some people reactions these past few weeks due to some very upsetting happenings that tore through the Tarot community. So I asked the cards (using a dark deck seemed highly appropriate): "What should we do to defend ourselves from unprovoked psychic (and non) attacks and bullying?"
This is what I got:

3 of Swords - Knight of Wands - 10 of Wands

Ah the pain is there for all to see. To be able to take the pain and strife and convert it into positive energy. Take this pain and run with it! One might feel overwhelmed but, in the end, standing up for oneself is what counts. The painful 3 of Swords becomes active and not passive in the unbridled energy of the Knight. We might feel tired at the end, but it will have been worth it. That said one should be careful not to overdo it and step outside the allowed boundaries. I hope the pain goes away, and yes it will if we allow it to and use it as a positive outlet for our emotions whatever they might be. Don't let the Shadows take over.

11:11:11

2011-11-11T04:02:00.000-08:00

So we finally got to this well anticipated day by many. Whatever the meaning to you the good thing is that thousands of people of different credos and traditions will today perform some sort of ritual/healing/celebration to help this oh so very needy Mother Earth along.
And we most definitely need a positive collective effort rather than the incessant negativity dished out by the news, people and events around us. For the past week or so things have just been getting worse and worse, I believe people watch the news too much and this affects them in a negative way. As a friend pointed out last night why does it all have to be about money? We need to shift our perception, those that want to and that feel is the right way ahead. And this is what I believe today represents, shifting perception and opening doors that we have left closed previously. Opening ourselves to different ways of thinking and opening to true feelings. Of course we have free choice and by looking around me I already know many will choose the selfish path.
For today I have decided to draw 2 cards of the day and I got 2 cards which I think reflect exactly how I feel:

Lord Ashtar definitions: "I am Ashtar the winged commander of the airborne division of the great white brotherhood. and the Ascended Masters. I work with the Angelic Kingdom and Archangel Michael to protect the Earth. My mission is to serve, educate an protect humankind throughout the solar system. Call upon me!" Michael has always been known as a protector and fighter of worthy causes and very needed at this moment in time. Raziel can be associated with Healing, Wisdom and Teachings as we, of course, still have much to learn. So whatever you do or think I hope you have a Blessed day x

Samhain Spread

2011-10-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

I came up with this as I wanted general otherworldy guidance. 5 cards and I used the Tarot of the Dead with some amazing and some not so amazing insights...

The cards are laid in the shape of a cross with

What is the message? (middle card)
Reality (above left(
The Unseen (above right)
Spirit Guidance (below left)
Actions to take (below right)

I got some interesting cards:

Page of Pens (wands)
5 of Coffins (cups)
Queen of Reels (pentacles)
The Devil (? lol)
King of Reels (pentacles)

To me it is saying I am not seeing my capacity in full and should put myself out a bit more (page of wands), I am stomped as to what advice the Devil is giving me lol, be naughty and enjoy? Or be not so naughty and look at things from a more serious perspective? The 5 of Cups is totally my reality now... Interesting to have the QoP as the unseen and the KoP as actions, perhaps, this year coming I should become a little more responsible? Any comments/advice is welcome, especially on the guidance card!

Merry Samhain! :)

Out with the old in with the new

2011-10-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I became the proud owner of the Tarot of the Dead (well had to stay in line with the season ;p) and found to my amazement that the Death card, although all the other cards are pretty much represented by skeletons, is a heavily pregnant woman. I loved it! Death being one of my favourite cards, I also call it the recycling card, where one gets the chance to change or mutate something that has become stale. This represents the happiness of rebirth, expecting something new, planning for the future. It is a very much misunderstood card with all the stigmas attached. But we should look at Death as the slow movement of change. With change can come disruption but it is only our perception of the change that makes it either pleasant or unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard to leave the routines we are used to, but Death has a message that perhaps this routine is not in our best interest and so change comes in, in this case, as a heavily pregnant woman looking forward to the birth of her child.

It should be Autumn...

2011-10-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

...But it has been a glorious late indian summer here. However Halloween (my favourite time of the year) is fast approaching and with it thoughts of chilly and foggy nights, ghost stories and pumpkin pies.And so I came to be the owner of the latest cutie Oracle deck by Lucy Cavendish and fell in love with it. I picked a card that I felt connected to and that I also felt was connected to the season. Samhain is not just for remembering but also for restarting, reshaping and throwing away the old.

These cards (like the previous Oracle of Shadow & Light) give more than one description and it is quite in depth. This is taken straight from the booklet under the Divination meaning:

"It is time to shape your dreams into reality; start that book, and keep going. paint that picture, and then another, and another. Capture the divine moment in inspiration, and then by hard work show up, and sweat until it is shaped and completed. By doing so you are engaging in scared magick. You are being asked by the spirits of the world and the laws of the raven and the bright full moonlit magick to contribute creatively, to be caught by the spirit of inspiration - as everyone is. It is asking for you to allow the song to be sung through you. It is asking this too because this is what will make you complete, whole, fulfilled. It may not make you rich, or well known, or even happy. But it will satisy a deep urge, a craving, a thirst within you. Take steps now to become a crafter of magick through creativity. You are being told that it is the law that you do so, now, and that you complete the work. Work hard. Learn about yourself. And capture the divine moment, for all of our sakes."

Remembering...

2011-09-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today, when everyone remembers the 9/11 events and the people that lost their lives I ask: "What have we learned?" And this is what I got :)

New energy, new life, hopes renewed and moving forward, in the light. Perhaps warmth and love unites us now or so I wish to believe. From any tragedy there is always a learning to be done and pain eventually will fade and memories and love will remain.
Many blessings to all xxx

FOCUS spread

2011-08-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well I like acronyms as you probably have guessed...but as I delve more and more in the world of positive thinking, affirmations and general like attract like issues, I find myself struggling at times and relapsing back into the old habits.
I have asked someone else today a question about where my focus should be but, then, as I was travelling home from work I thought: who better than me can try answer it and why don't I make up a spread that will try and address the issue in my mind?

So here I give you the FOCUS spread:

FEARS

OBSTACLES

CHALLENGES

UNEXPECTED

SUMMARY

The idea is to have a very specific question and ask the cards viewpoint. For this I would draw 2 cards per section and I would have divided the pack into 2 (majors and minors). Therefore for each section you would draw one card from each pile ending up with 1 major arcana and a minor.

I think it would be very good for work related or advancement questions. An example would be: "What will my new job bring me?" or "What should I focus on in order to progress (in work, spiritually etc).

Try it out! Hope it brings more clarity when needed ;)

A Dark Temperance

2011-08-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have just been inspired by a friend and by the recent London (and worldwide event) to write about my feelings. Temperance, in traditional Tarot, is associated with Archangel Michael, the fighter and defender, always ready to protect. But today I have not chosen the traditional Rider-Waite depiction of him. I have chosen a darker side of Temperance, because the darker side is what is surfacing right now. People rioting, stealing, starving, dying. The lady above is trying to balance the Fire. An arrow in her other hand. Is she trying to pierce through the intense heat? A metaphore for the Fires of Hell? Can you find the balance in this Temperance depiction?
I believe you can. It's dark and gloomy but the energy is fiery. The door at the back seems open and a chance for light and warmth. The look on her face is not a relaxed one like in most Temperance cards, she looks distressed and almost tired, but her body posture suggests she is pushing on and not giving up in finding what she seeks.
Her wings are open and ready to fly, the arrow points at the back door, suggest to me is it the way out? Many people working with Angels (all kinds) find themselves calling upon Michael more these days. He is swift and no nonsense, a bit like the Tower card :). But there is also kindness in change and battle. For battle does not have to be violent, it can be from the heart and, like Temperance, just requires to find the right balance to reach victory.

Musings about Life, Tarot and Happiness

2011-07-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

The last few days I have been having many strange or sudden thoughts coming into my mind. Some wanted, some unwanted and some just plain bolts of lightning. And I keep stumbling into the same topic also, as per a friend post earlier on Facebook for example. And so I thought that I shall put it into words. You know when you have one of those moments, when you go: "Wham!" "Ouch!" why didn't I see this before? It's so obvious! Well I had one of those yesterday.
Tarot reading as a self development tool has been a great part of my life in the past few years. Used not so much in a predictive way but in a growing, developing, getting insights into my mind and soul when I feel a bit lost. And it has been invaluable. Working with positive affirmations, meeting scores of wonderful happy positive friends has been a staple diet of the last year. And yet, I am clearly still stuck...and I keep wondering why? Why if I attract so much good am still stuck in a negative environment with so negative people? And the answer came to me, just like that, without even thinking. I have gone full circle, call it Karma, call it a Lesson who knows. But some higher being or consciousness wanted me to understand this. I am, after 20 years, living with my mother, again. For the past 5 years I dated my father. It is so obvious!! Obviously both are metaphores as my now mother is someone else and my dated father is also a different person. My mother was an abusive, depressed, even bipolar person with no self esteem but totally selfish. My father a man with no social skills, no friends and the emotions and passion of a piece of string. So I thought why would I go through the trouble of leaving a different country 20 years ago to get away from them to end up the same? I asked the Tarot what is the lesson in this? And I got The Hermit (which, incidentally, is also my birth card). And now I also know the answer. It is about forgiveness, growth and learning to be happy. it is about learning to let go of these ngative influences, turn them into positive and stop trying to make them better. Firstly you cannot help those who do not want to be helped and, secondly, they might have their own lessons to learn. Move on, forgive and, above all, love. Everything will move away from you and you will attract people that make you laugh, make you happy and love you for who you are and not what you can give only. Take time to learn about yourself and love yourself, I absolutely treasure the help that Tarot has given me in this. I know my journey is far from over, I know I have a very long and hard road ahead of me. But it is a road I will enjoy because it is no longer about hate, unhappiness and grief. Oh, if I think back at my teens when I used to think my mother would manifest all these bad things for me because she was just not nice. But it wasn't her, it was me! Every time she put me down, told me I would get ill or hurt I would and why? Because by doing so I automatically worried about it happening and happening it did! Thoughts manifest. And this is my lesson and I believe it is only lesson 1 and it's a long way to my degree :). So take time to live your life, it is awfully short and why would you want to spend it being unhappy? You will only attract more unhappines, more unhappy people that will drain you and not support you. Love yourself, for noone else can truly love you if you don't.

The F.E.A.R spread

2011-07-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

F.E.A.R is a popular acronym in the coaching and spiritual developing business. It applies a lot to what my current situation is so I tried asking the Tarot about it.
F.E.A.R stands for False Expectations Appearing Real. Mainly it would be applied for situations where the person does not really see a way out, or is setting their goals way too high or they are unrealistic. Or simply it is all about FEAR. If you fear something and expect it to go wrong then...chances are it will.
So here we have:

F (What I fear)

E (What my expectations are)

A (What I perceive)

R (What the reality is and where is it leading)

So here is where it took me and I was using the newly acquired Celestial Tarot deck:

F: Ten of Wands/Queen of Cups
Talk about not wanting to take on too much, Queen of Cups is the card I use to represent myself so perhaps there is a Fear of being overburdened, having taken on too much and not being able to handle it?

E: Ace of Cups/5 of Pentacles
Oh yes! Spot on once again, 5 of Pents comes up often in my reading as I always over worry. What about if, what about this and that, and if that is what I expect that is what I get. However the Ace of Cups is a nice card to couple it with (I think) because it signifies new beginnings, especially emotionally and spiritually. I really need to get past the 5 of Pents!

A: Princess of Wands/Temperance
Again the feeling that one might be going too fast and needing to balance things out. In reality that is true, but stomping out on my creative fire might not be the way to go about it if I want to make heads.

R: 5 of Wands/Ace of Pentacles
Work work and more work, but more opportunities are there. Perhaps the need to stay grounded and focus. Ace of pentacles can be the start of a new venture or business, or simply putting into practice what one wants to do. Beware of discord comes to mind, a need to be very focused and self centered.

To me this is very releveant, am actually surprised I did not get the Hanged Man there...but I think this is a good follow up spread to see how a situation is developing. Keeping tabs on the path and a person direction. Works for me ;)

Dowsing and Tarot experiments...

2011-07-07T04:10:00.000-07:00

So a few days ago we had a Tarot meeting on the above topic and I came up with a few spread ideas, well one mainly.
If any of you ever used dowsing whilst doing Tarot readings then you'll know where I am coming from, if not here is a little explanation. I use my pendulum (or rods) especially when confronted with a difficult yes or no question or want a straight answer which I find difficult to get from the cards. Ideally I would have already done my spread and then, holding the pendulum above it, I would then ask the question and get the answer.
But I wanted to try something different. So why not perform a reading by choosing a spread and then ask the pendulum which card should I turn first and read them that way but with the position assigned as if it was read left to right for example?
So if I had a PPF spread of 3 cards (to make it simple) I would draw 3 cards and put them face down, then ask the pendulum which to uncover first and if said for example the third one I would read that as past. After reading them this way I would go back and see what I got by reading them left to right as normal. This can be done with any spread, big or small.
Try it! I got some really interesting perspectives and it's almost 2 readings into one that give more insight. The person I was reading for was skeptical at first but then, seeing the cards results, was quite pleasantly surpised to see that they were spot on! (we all know they always are ;p).

Here is a link to an introduction to dowsing if you would like more info :):

Dowsing

That old foe....

2011-06-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Devil....

I am in a musing mood today and this chap intrigues me. I also remembered while travelling back on the bus something someone said...sometimes The Devil chains The Lovers. It can be addiction, obsession, OCD, hedonism, fetishism, exagerations in sex...But he can also (I feel) represent our subsconscious. Our "shadow side" (as Jung perhaps would have put it). The side we do not want to acknowledge because we are afraid of it. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde feelings, wanting and not wanting. Also the not wanting to let go or finding it difficult to leave (for example in an abusive relationship). But it is not necessarily always negative, it can also mean having to face your fears and coming out stronger and braver. Or just finding your dream and just following it, even if it brings you to an unknown side of yourself, who knows? It might just be fun ;)

And what sparked this train of thought for me today? The feeling of being chained, really got to get those keys to the handcuffs and open and let go...now don't get any ideas...

Angels, Colours and Tarot

2011-04-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Three main Archangels feature in Tarot (this is considering the Rider-Waite deck as, of course, other decks might differ).
The 3 main cards depicting Angels are:

Judgment (Archangel Gabriel)
Temperance (Archangel Michael)
The Lovers (Archangel Raphael)

The significance of these Archangels in the above cards blends in with their tasks in the Angelic Realm. Gabriel blew the trumpet for the Annunciation) hence giving Judgment an air of finality but also of movement and starting force.
Archangel Michael, the fearless warrior and protector and right hand of God helping to fight to find the balance.
Archangel Raphael the Healer, the Healing force behind the choices and predicaments endured by the Lovers in their decisions.

In colour terms all Angels/Archangels have their own colour rays assigned matching the 7 colours of the rainbow.
Archangel Gabriel is associated with WHITE, stands for purity, purity of intent and light energy.
Archangel Michael is the BLUE ray, protective, calming and powerful.
Archangel Raphael is the GREEN ray, healing, balancing and harmonizing.

The other Archangels rays (for reference) are:
Archangel Jophiel: YELLOW (creativity, wisdom)
Archangel Chamuel: PINK (unconditional love)
Archangel Uriel: ORANGE (peace and creative energy)
Archangel Zadkiel: VIOLET (insight, sensitivity and removal of negative energies)

Although obviously the pictures in the card deck have more than one colour, these colour rays can also be taken into consideration when these card pop up in a reading. For example Raphael/Lovers could also mean that healing is needed in order to progress in the situation. Gabriel/Judgment could also add that the querent need to be more in control of his/her own actions. Michael/Temperance the querent might need a period of cooling down in order to progress in finding a balance.

A colours spread

2011-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was trying to organize my coloured thoughts and the Tarot of Color, when it occurred to me that surely the 4 primary colours can be put to good use in a reading and not just by associating them with the respective cards.
So I came up with this. A 12 cards spread, 3 cards per primary colour and divided as such:

RED: My emotional side

YELLOW: My creative side

GREEN: My outer self

BLUE: My inner self

Of course when the cards will be drawn there will be more or less of one colour so the challenge will be to determine (together with the cards significance) what the prevalence (or lack) of a certain colour can bring to the current situation.
So for example if one had drawn the Knight of Cups, 8 of Swords, 6 of Cups under the RED side one could say that the person's emotions and feelings at this point are quite up and down and the person might feel insecure and undecided.
I intend for this to be more of an introspective spread, a bit like a look at the shadows or the other side of the mirror if you like. I am not considering the elements here, purely the presence or lack of colours. In the case above there is no red or green making the person more sensitive and introverted and quite ungrounded.
For the person to have a good balance really all colours should be present one way or another but, that said, advice can be given in the form of how to use the present situation and add the qualities and characteristics of the missing colours into one's life. The coloured cards that contain 2 colours or are the mix of 2 colours (blue-violet for example) will incorporate the characteristics of both.

Playing with colours

2011-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

I have been reading with my newly acquired Tarot of Color recently and have been trying to apply the colors to the readings.
Unfortunately not all colours from the spectrum are present, we are missing Indigo and Magenta and there is only Violet: the Wheel and the Star.

But the way I have been interpreting it is like the following:

Red

Too much: excessive energy, impulsiveness, drive, sexual energy, focus.

Too little: Anger, unfocused energy, stubborness, recklessness

Blue

Too much: Oversensitive, feeling overwhelmed, giving too much, energy sapping.

Too little: Feeling unappreciated, headaches, tiredness, dependant on others.

Yellow

Too much: Creative energy, mentally active, need to be aware of not overdoing it, work driven.

Too little: Unfocused, mental exhaustion, illness (often immunosystem related), suffering energy imbalances.

Green

Too much: Balance going into overdrive, feeling inadequate, relying on others opinions, inactivity.

Too little: Striving to find balance, prone to illness, stagnant emotions, indifference.

The cards in between (red-violet for example), would have attributes from both colours. it would be interesting to incorporate a general colour test too for the querent, to gauge before a reading what her/his colour tendencies and preferences are. That way the personality would show through with more clarity I think. A balance between 2 colours is the ideal, a colour missing would also have relevance and the querent missing those particular attributes. I treat Red as I would Orange (not in the deck) as they are similar but with Orange being the most toned down version of red.

For a reference to all the cards visit: http://tarotofcolor.com/

All in all it is an interesting journey that I hope to improve :)

Manifestation

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

I started this year with a kick up my rear, literally. No more procrastinating, no more putting off to tomorrow what I can do today. I haven't given myself resolutions but I gave myself a TARGET. By the end of the year I want to reach freedom.
My New Year reading was more positive then 2010 although it indicates a lot of hard work to come, I have gone past The Fool and I now want to tap into The Magician energy to make things happen.

I find that the way I have done things previously does not work for me. So now I shall grab the bull by the horns (so to speak) and bring things into the earthly plane, manifesting takes a lot of concentration (at least for me as I have to keep reminding myself and have my own visualizations), but it can be very rewarding and filled with positive energy. Do not lose sight of what you are trying to manifest even if something to oppose it or ruin it happens, on the contrary intensify your visualizations.
I'll keep track of things, have a list and shall see what happens by the end of the year.
An interesting and simple read for those that have not done manifestation before is this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Magic-Hay-House-Classics/dp/1401910335

It's a small book and simplifies the techniques for everyone and also comes with a cd of meditations and visualizations.

January and The Fool

2011-01-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

...And so it begins, another month, another year. Today is my first day back to normal and, to be honest, I feel really much like this chap...
Is it just me? I haven't made any resolutions as I think it's pointless and won't really stick to them come February. I have done all my New Year spreads I could think of and it seems it is going to be a more interesting year than the one just gone.
2010 sucked, not for everything of course but it has been a very difficult year. I feel more positive now, I know I can take the steps necessary to change (just please Gods and Angels send me my motivation).

I just can't help having a little vertigo as I peer into the abyss ready to leap...I am hoping for a beautiful invisible bridge that will help my steps and jump being less painful.
Happy New Year :-)

Tarot, colours and synesthesia

2010-12-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

In the past year I have had a revelation. I have always thought everyone was seeing things like me, never quite questioned it, days have different colours, so do words and names and ideas.
Until one day, while browsing the web and googling "seeing colours", I came across "synesthesia".
It apparently affects few people (some artists too) and, well, I just thought "oh" ok I guess I am different from everyone else.
There is a lot to read about this, different theories and most people do not see the same thing in the same way.
So I thought: Colours in tarot have a significance of course, what would a "synesthetic" see differently?
Well, in my case (as per conversation with a fellow Taroter a few days ago) I do associate different colours to what the standard would be. For example red for me might not necessarily be always connected to fire and passion and energy, it just depends what I am looking at.
Again while browsing I found something that made me go "ohh", the Tarot of Colours nonetheless! No pictures, just associated colours and notes on the cards as per picture below.

This to me is totally fascinating, I will get this as soon as I can afford it and will make notes of my particular association that differ from the given colours.

So do you know anyone that is synesthetic? Have you worked with Tarot and colours? Do you practise colour therapy? Drop me a note if you do, I am very interested in delving into the subject and seeing how it affects different people and also how it is applicable to Tarot if one sees different colour associations.

The Zombified

2010-12-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

So it is 3 days to Christmas again and we all know everywhere is busy, shops, supermarkets, they all expect an increase in sale.
The picture below represents my local Tesco shopping crowd this morning:

Now I went in only for a few items and some wine glasses as I broke them all...In I went with my little basket (basket I say not trolley) and headed to the medicines department where a middle aged woman (with a trolley) scowled at me as I was scouring the shelves for what I needed and then proceeded to charge me (lady looks very much like the one in the picture above, right side). Yes these are not your usual zombies, they are scarier because...they run! Remember 28 weeks later? Yes one of the things that really got me was: "OMG! They run".

I looked around and realized I was the only non zombified person there, one that made sure I wasn't pushing, hitting, or jumping anyone. People (Zombies) will never cease to amaze me even in my older days. How many non selfish persons are out there? Please raise your hand, perhaps we should all have our own group on facebook as a species under extinction.

Merry Xmas everyone :).

A good start to the week?

2010-09-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and thought: "Oh finally a day where I managed to sleep properly and a decent amount of hours!".

So, feeling refreshed, I proceeded into having a nice breakfast and then I settled down to my weekly daily cards draw ritual.

The settled and refreshed feeling soon disappeared...as it looked like this (Monday to Sunday left to right):

10 of Cups

Empress

Death

Wheel of Fortune

3 of Cups

7 of Wands

Needless to say, oh what kind of week shall I expect? Oh dear, only one I can relate to is 3 of Cups which is spot on for the Saturday...4 Majors out of 7, and strong ones too...I shall relax now a bit before work calls :)...

A card for the New Moon

2010-08-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sooo with this New Moon in Leo upon us and all the talk on Facebook and beyond, I decided to ask: "What will this New Moon bring?"
And I got:

The Moon

Ok not quite what I expected...Shadowscapes own meaning: "Fears and anxieties, believing illusions, experiencing distortion and chasing after fantasy. Dreams and visions, disorientation."
However! Not all is lost! It is meant to be a very prolific Moon for creativity, hence the Moon perspective might help putting thoughts and dreams into action. Of course one has to be careful not to go too far with seeing the unimaginable.
The card depicts a beautiful landscape, the light of the Moon is yellow and soft (yellow again in connection with intellect and creativity).
I think and feel it all has to do with grabbing the chance of making dreams come true perhaps, of believing and feeling our most spiritual and inner side.
In my case my dreams lately have become increasingly vivid and intense and I have tried to pay more attention to them and to the symbols they bring.
I think it is telling us this Moon is strong and is there to influence us all, and up to us is what to make of it and grab the positive aspects of it. "Perchance to dream"....

Card of the Day

2010-07-19T03:04:00.000-07:00

Well, following from yesterday's discussion about the Kings of Tarot (courtesy of friends at http://bit.ly/afifyX), this is what I then go and draw as my first daily card of the week..
Now the Knight hasn't quite made it as a King yet so he is not as emotionally stable. He tends to rush things and perhaps is overtly emotional. As a lover/partner I would say he/she is probably one that has a roving eye for everything around and tends to get carried away at times.
I think in this case it represents an emotional part of me...I cannot think of such a person around me right now unless I am not yet aware of them.
However, as I usually do, I have drawn a card for every single day of the week up until next sunday. And, on friday, here comes the King of Cups. I will have to see how the week progresses, perhaps it is something that will mature within me?
Only time will tell...Still have a lot to learn in terms of interpreting cards for myself, although doing it on a daily basis is a great help I think :).
I have a shorter working week this, and friday is a day off, so perhaps it is calling for that extra pampering treat? ;)

Card of the Day

2010-07-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

5 of Wands

The description for this card is: "Fighting against the flow, strife, struggle, the thrill of competition, rising to challenges."

Well as my card of the day is quite spot on as I have woken up tired and headachy and not really in the mood to face the reminder of the day ahead. The wand/staff in the man's hands points upward, away from the foxes and he looks ahead, head held high.

There is a feeling of wanting to break away, towards freedom perhaps? Like the hare that runs in the opposite direction to get away from the foxes. The man run points away from the hare, not wanting to be chased just wishing to break free.

But I love the way Stephanie used foxes in the place of the usual fighting wands/batons. Foxes are very clever animals and perhaps the message here is also to use intellect and logic to come out of a struggling situation.

I love the way each card on this deck flows smoothly, here you know that even it being a 5 (being stuck and unmoving ) the man can easily break free and move away towards less struggle and the victory of the 6. Now let's hope I can do the same today :)

All pictures ©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Dream spread

2010-06-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

Well I just had a lovely and relaxing week off...Back to normal tomorrow and last night I had this very vivid dream about restarting as normal.
The dream was about me going to the station to catch the train but then being chased and having to fight people (with weapons) all over. Finding the way out again and helping people that needed to be helped. It was so graphic, I remember the feeling of the concrete wall I was hiding behind and the feeling of fear coming from people all around me.
It didn't end there as, when I finally managed to exit the station again, we then (me and some unknown people) had to escape by car. I think there was a little more detail to it but this is what I remember the most. So, of course assuming this is not a precognitive dream, I am going to ask the Tarot for advice . (;p)
I of course am inclined to think that my brain is rebelling at the fact of having to restart as normal, but the symbolism was quite clear (weapons, concrete walls, the color blue quite predominant, running and lots of people).
Using the wonderful Shadowscapes deck I am going to do a spread as outlined in my previous post Tarot and Dreams. So 3 cards and a significator picked by me that I feel relates to this particular dream.
As significator I picked the 5 of Wands.

The spread is composed by 3 cards.
First card is "How is this dream influencing me?"

King of Cups

The King of Cups is perhaps the most emotionally stable and patient of all the Cups Court cards. It is perhaps telling me that my emotions are currently laid back (from relaxing?) and that I might worry about these same emotions being thrown about again by being forced to restart at a pattern that does not suit me.
This King I feel obviously represents me (funny my day card today is the Knight of Cups) and my current emotions.

Second card is "What should I do about it?"

Page of Wands

I think this card (again I think it's me!) is suggesting the need to take the negative energy or influences of this dream and transform them into positive ones.
This Page plays beautiful music and is creative, the aura surrounding her is one of energy and progress. Perhaps put the significance into context and draw my energies around me, trying to use them in a constructive way, escaping victim's mode. No point in stressing about something that we cannot alter?

Third card is "Advice"

8 of Cups

Well I think the advice here is really quite obvious. Letting go, having to lose something in order to create new possibilities. The advice in this dream I believe is: "Don't stop, keep trying". In the meanings of the Shadowscape deck it also refers to embarking on a more spiritual journey and perhaps it is telling me that the path is right but turmoil is just around the corner.

Hence my choice of the 5 of wands as a significator, meaning struggle and some discord. Fives being a bit of a stuck number, not really going anywhere and really having to sort the struggles out before moving on.
I am quite happy with this as it makes sense and it wasn't really a nightmare just a very active dream. The feeling on waking up wasn't negative but the symbolism fairly clear and strong.
I will definitely take this on board as good advice :)

All pictures ©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Card of the day

2010-05-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Ah my old friend the King of Wands again. Well quite a few Wands this week especially at the end of it. This King is very sure of himself, he knows what he has and wants to keep it that way. Perhaps it is saying to me that I should be a bit more upfront and boost my self esteem a bit?

He has come out so many times in my spreads (sometimes as a Knight) that I am starting to think now it perhaps doesn't signify another person close to me (I can't think of any I know well that are like the King of Wands), but a side of myself. But then again I do not suit that personality at all. The King of Wands is fiery, charismatic and to the point. Some say (one of my friends certainly does!) that he can be also sexy and charming. So there! I will do my best in this beautiful warm and sunny day to pay attention to the positive sides of this King and welcome him into my day.

As tomorrow's card is the 3 of Wands I can see that I may be need to look ahead and use this energy to move forward.

The 3 of Wands (quite clearly in this card) is about looking ahead, exploring, leaping above the abyss in order to get to the other end of the road. Again I think this reiterates that the King is more a form of energy than a person, but it could also be a person's influence that I am not quite aware of. Wands are connected to the element of Fire and very much represent energy, creativity and passion for one's own doings.

All pictures ©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Tarocchi Museum and Gardens

2010-05-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

The "Giardini dei tarocchi" are situated in Capalbio (Italy). A project by Nicky De SaintPhalle and all the sculptures are based on tarot cards:

Official site can be found at: http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/

Also the Museo dei tarocchi in Riola (Bologna, Italy) has many goodies and history to see. They also generally commission new decks to be made specifically for the Museum and info can be found via these links:

http://bit.ly/aFkTRU (Museum 2008 decks)
http://www.museodeitarocchi.net/ (Official site, can be translated)

Decision spread

2010-05-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

A very important decision to make on monday perhaps...So I asked these beautiful cards how it would go if: I take decision 1 (go) or 2 (stay a while longer).

Card 1 "The Decision"

5 of Cups

Oh well, loss and fear of rejection. Need to let go and see what is truly around without mourning too much what we do not have.

She walks on the sand and her feet get stuck and muddy but she is concentrating too much on the fish bowl, is it half full or half empty? If only she could truly open her eyes...

Card 2 "Decision 1 "

The Emperor

Masculine strength and power are here. Take a stand and believe in what you have. The Emperor likes control and stability around him. He wants to be ultra organized and sure he has got what he wants before doing anything else. He gives strength and willpower to go ahead.

Card 2 "Linger..."

Ace of Swords

A new beginning looms whether is wanted or not. New energy, new intellectual stimulations are ahead. Strength in the vortex building up from below, the swans looks fluid and strong, not to be underestimated.

Bright light shines above the sword, there is a chance for achievement and starting anew.

In short:

I think whatever decision is made a new start is ahead, so, as they say, might as well take the bull by the horns...and pull ;)

All pictures ©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Rebirthing from Death

2010-05-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

So finally my copy of Shadowscapes Tarot arrived and it has me totally entranced! The companion book (I am already half way through) is fascinating and cute, and the cards are beautiful but, more to it, there is a lightness about them and they seem to radiate positive energy.

What struck me straight away is Major Arcana card 13: Death. What a wonderful way to portray the significance of this card! The Phoenix, beautiful and always reborn from her ashes...She doesn't mourn her passing, for she knows she will be back soon even stronger!

All the other cards are almost tender and fairy like, the Court Cards speak to you from an etheral plane where you would love to journey to, The Fool's sacrifice and leap of faith could not look more enticing, Stephanie has taken the traditional meanings of the cards and not only turned them into beautiful artwork, she also has given them a lightness and positivity that I have yet to see in any other deck. I love it and I will use it (although to be honest I think I will tremble the first time I shuffle it) and I would recommend it to anyone :).

I would certainly recommend to read the companion book too, it contains not only the artist's meanings for the cards, but also short stories attached to all Major Arcana cards. A truly wonderful deck.

Confusion...

2010-05-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

So, a while ago, I started doing weekly daily cards in advance rather then a daily one...now next week is shaping up something weird.

7 Cards and 5 are court cards. Am I all of a sudden sociable? :)

Monday: Page of Pentacles
Tuesday: Page of Cups
Wednesday: 3 of Cups
Thursday: King of Cups
Friday: Knight of Wands
Saturday: Knight of Swords
Sunday: 5 of Pentacles

I can't help but think how significant it could be to have all the 4 suits represented by the court cards in this week. As to why so many people would be there I have no idea unless they represent stages of ME...

2010-05-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today's card the High Priestess is, together with the Chariot, one that tends to mistify me. It can be centered in the unconscious, a very introverted card.
I might add (just my personal feeling though) a selfish one too. Centering on oneself, looking at what's inside and the tendency to resist externalizing our feelings.

But it can also mean revelation, seeing with true eyes what is inside and around us. The High Priestess is not weak, on the contrary, she draws her strength from the inside.
And so she asks you to see beyond what you can see and read between the lines, because it is there that you will find your answer.

2010-05-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today's card is the 3 of Wands. Looking ahead, towards new ventures perhaps? I have got a lot done today and time has just flown away, literally.

I have taken the day off work *grin* and managed to accomplish almost 100% of what I wanted to! Great! But this card still tells me I have got a lot to do and some of it it's probably not even started yet. But I like this card, I like the way the man stands in a "sure of himself" pose and uses the "wand" for support. he is ready to move forward and walk towards those islands (?) on the horizon. Who knows they might be green and lush and full of lovely treats!

It has a warm feeling, the Fire energy of Wands enveloping it, it's energy at its start when it's the most powerful and yet unused.

Let's see what tomorrow brings...

2010-05-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

An outcome card for election day.

Oh dear it seem that it might get a bit confusing...A hung parliament perhaps?

The 7 of Cups is being faced with multiple choices, perhaps the Tarot is picking up on people's uncertainty?

That wouldn't really surprise me. However my previous party cards seemed quite spot on too so we shall see...

2010-05-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Tarot & Dreams

The relation between Tarot cards and Dream significance is an interesting and challenging one.

In the past many people of importance have paid attention to their dreams and used them as prophecies in some cases (take the Oracle of Delphi for example where people used to go to have or try to instigate prophetic dreams or the Shamanic ritual of "Dreamtime" where, through the power of meditation, the Shaman can experience what is known as "lucid dreams").

There are different types of dreams. Many times some of us may have experienced a dream that involved Death or physical pain, thos are usually a warning of sorts that something is wrong with our body and the mind, or the subsconscious, is letting us know this in our dream state.

Some dreams are very easy to analyze because they reflect something that is worrying us and that has happened in the recent past or even on the same day. Others are rooted in the subconscious and may represent worries and fears that we do not bring into our conscious daily lives.

The most helpful way to keep a record of your dreams is to keep a "Dream Journal". Keep a notepad by the bed and, every morning or every time you can, and write down what you remember. You should pay attention (and write down) all symbols or symbolic figures you can remember (animals, objects people etc).

Those symbols can be then referred to Tarot cards, either by choosing the cards randomly in a designated spread or by assigning "significator" cards to each symbol.

Taking a typical 3 cards spread in relation to a dream. Example:

"What was last night dream trying to tell me?"

Dream:

" A woman (myself?) is running through green fields. She is dressed in a flowing white gown and on the horizon she can see a lush deep green forest heaving with pine trees.

The running feels like it cannot be stopped, the sky above is deep blue and she runs and runs...until, unable to stop she reaches a cliff. She panics, tries to stop but cannot. And, as she falls,all she sees is grey, no more vivid green and blue colors.

Before she hits the bottom she finds herself suddendly at a halt, mid air and floats. She feels a sense of peace and slowly descends and finds herself in her own house".

Now what is important is to separate the symbols from the story. The colors are also important, remember green, blue and grey.

So let's say we choose 3 cards randomly and a significator based on this particular dream symbols.

Symbols:

Trees

White gown

Woman

Green fields

Cliff

House

First card: How is this dream influencing me?

Death

Second card: What should I do about it?

4 of Swords

Third card: Advice

Temperance

To me this woman is heading towards something she is afraid of or that worries her, so as a significator card, I would pick the "Knight of Swords" to represent her and her fear of being too "rushy" into what she is doing.

The first card is telling her that the changes will happen no matter what and, although she is aware of this, she is worrying too much (trying to run away).

The second card is advising her that a period of reflection is needed. She needs to take a break and think of it with the logical side of the brain so to speak and act not too impulsively.

The third card represents her need to find the balance between the two. It is possible, but she really needs to let go of her fears.

Why did I choose the Knight of Swords as a significator? Well it si simply because, at this time lt like the right card to choose. And that is how it should be. Based on the dream that you are trying to analyze, use your intuition to tell what best card would represent this particular dream.

Also there are countless spreads that can help you, the above one was just and example and a very easy one to do.

A good book you can refer to help with dream interpretation (and you can also read the review) is this:

http://bit.ly/9RtO4u

Have fun and remeber to record your dreams!

2010-05-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

Today's card is the 10 of Cups...Lovely! Although my lower back is killing me from carrying the PC back yesterday, it is now all installed (well a couple of bits still need to be done if I find the cd's lol) and so far so good.

I am tired and it's a dark rainy day so, to stay in tune with the 10 of Cups (it really wants me to be happy) I shall treat myself to lunch out at a nice place. The 10 Cups are the wine I will consume as tomorrow is a holiday so I can sleep! ;)

I have had the 10 of Cups a few times in the last few weeks and so I will listen...

2010-05-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hot topic!

Who will win the general election?

Well let's draw a card for each of the parties ahead...

Tories:

Oh dear a lot of things to learn...perhaps not enough time to learn them in considering it's only a week to go!

Labour:

Oh well changes are well overdue...big time! So get ready for it to be challenging and also to be a loss...

Lib Dem:

Well what can I say ....new beginnings! Lots of work to do...good luck :)

2010-04-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's card is the 2 of Cups so I am hoping it will not be as painful as today!

I am starting something new so I hope it will be as harmonious as this card is, but....let's see what tomorrow brings..

*Edit*
Now this really is difficult because if anything today has been even more difficult.
I am now tired, relieved of quite a lot of money due to my pc breaking completely and me having to get a new one.
So perhaps this is the way of things to come? 2's are at the beginning of the cycle after all.

Or perhaps is it me toasting with a glass of wine after 6/7 hours o reinstalling everything? Who knows...

2010-04-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

So now that I have created this...well why not keep up with my daily card routines (the real ones not facebook based!)
For the last few months my cards have been truthful but a tad unsettling.
The appearance of the Death and the Tower cards so often forecasted many changes of which I was worried about.
However the clogs have finally started turning and perhaps it won't be as dramatic as I thought.
I have started drawing daily cards for the week ahead rather then one by one so, on Sunday, I will draw them again for next week.
Today's card was the 10 of Swords and boy was it spot on! I have had a hell of a day, I am tired and can almost feel the Swords points in my back!
Could not wait to get back home safely after work (and even that was a struggle).
Mind you good old Mercury retrograde might just have had a little hand in it...

I look forward to see what next week has in store...

2010-04-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

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