Today's Card of the Day on my Facebook page is the Eight of Mirrors (Cups, from Chrysalis Tarot); another reader, one whose website I've checked out more than once and admired, pulled the same card for today. She also said much of what I posted on my page. Ok, that's no coincidence, since a card is a card and most of us learned similar meanings way back - but for both of us to pull the same card for the same day does give me pause. Maybe we're both learning from each other on some level? Or perhaps we're synched? (half joking here!) Or maybe it's a message that the message of this card is important so pay attention – especially perhaps to me, since I'm the one experiencing the synchronicity the strongest. Ok, so what's the message then? Well, taking stock, seeing what needs to end, checking values and truths, moving on. While it's about endings, it's also about beginnings, a new path. The traditional RWS version of this card shows a figure with a staff, back to the viewer, walking up a path into some hills surrounded by water, as if for a long journey. It is night and the moon looks down upon him. Behind him are 8 stacked golden cups. Clearly he has left something behind (by choice since the cups aren't overturned), but he is resolute and there's no turning back. He's got a new journey ahead. Ok, so I'm wracking my brains - yes, I've got it. Today especially, I've been considering several different tracks of further spiritual, mostly tarot-oriented studies. I'm trying to decide which is right for me, and at this time. They have different orientations and it's certainly not easy to decide, since they all are compelling. I pulled a card on this question from the Vision Quest Tarot - a very nice deck, btw, which is my latest deck acquisition. I haven't worked with it much yet, but am certainly drawn to its artwork and already love its LWB, which I find to be very spiritual and goes beyond the conventional interpretations. It's really a lovely, empowering deck I think. Well, back to the card I pulled. It is the Six of Earth (Pentacles), here subtitled Break-through. Wow, breakthrough all the mumbling in my head on this, maybe? Well, also interestingly, one of my best paintings is called Breakthrough (without the hyphen). The other interesting thing is the card in this deck shows a figure standing in front of sunflowers, arms raised - another synchronicity in that, first, sunflowers are a symbol of joy for me and I love the image from Tarot de St Croix for The Sun card, which is very similar. (I'd been thinking about getting that deck too recently). The Sun is another icon for my tarot business (after the White Rabbit) as it's all about illumination, joy, success, empowerment - all things I relate to Tarot and what I want to bring to my consultations with others. Wow, so what is it saying then? Part of the message for this card in the deck's LWB is this: "Recognize your truest wishes and act on them." Wow! So, its message then, is to identify what I really, truly deeply want...where do I want my practice to go? For what ends? What is important to me? It is close to the message of Toney Brook's Chrysalis LWB - find your truth, right now, today, this moment and embrace it. Go Within. Expand your sense of self to include the spiritual realm. Discard what no longer works or serves. Maybe it's also an inspiration for a new painting, as I've been collecting pictures of sunflowers and wanting to create something featuring them. Maybe it's telling me to shine on, but know where I'm going....not just any road...like George Harrison wrote: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." You can be The Fool, which isn't all bad, or you can be The Sun, shining your own way down the road. Anyone have any insights into this you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them here!
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Card of the Day on Facebook today is Sorceress (High Priestess) from Chrysalis Tarot. A fitting card, as using this deck definitely taps into the magic the Sorceress brings us. Today is a day to especially look for intuition, synchronicity, and messengers from the natural world; what is hidden may be revealed in the most unexpected ways. The more I work with Chrysalis, the more I love it and the more I'm getting out of it. My infatuation with this deck began immediately; I was awed by Holly Sierra's brightly colored artwork, and inspired by Tonie Brooks explanations in the LWB that came with the deck. When I began to read Tonie's weekly blog posts featuring various Chrysalis cards in more depth, that's when my excitement really took off. I love Tonie's spiritual/esoteric knowledge and its application to Chrysalis card meanings, making my experience of the deck much deeper and richer. Normally, I'm reluctant to take on a deck which diverts much from the more traditional RWS system. After all, it took a long time and lots of work to learn it (and I'm always learning more), so why complicate things with yet a new set of meanings? So, I have to admit, after the initial glow of my newly acquired Chrysalis honeymoon began to fade, I retreated just a bit - balking at having to learn new and/or extended meanings of the cards in order to fully be able to use the deck for readings. No longer was it sufficient to pull up my mental keywords/meanings lists and weave a progressive story of prediction and trends. No, Chrysalis was something else and demanded attention in its own right. Well, here's the good news -- its magic is beginning to work. Tonie insists that Chrysalis is a healing and gentle deck, designed to transform its users. And it is, and does. One problem I've always had is being too much in my reasoning head, even with Tarot. It's a constant dance to allow myself to push through my mental barriers into the creative, intuitive, magical place from which all inspiration and spiritual insights emerge. I cannot easily stay in my left-brain place when using Chrysalis. At the beginning, I resisted its call to deeper spiritual insight by sticking to my RWS mental lists and labels, and the results I got were difficult to grasp and frustrating to apply. However, my perseverance is paying off now in richer readings that tap into a deeper place and lead me down interesting pathways. Rather than merely reflecting daily life issues, Chrysalis reveals the currents that run beneath. I don't think I'll go back to using RWS (or clones) as much as I used to now that I've tasted Chrysalis magic! An interesting week ahead! For this week's draw I used the Chrysalis Tarot (love this deck!) and a 3-card spread.
Early week - Ten of Stones (Pentacles): Usually viewed as a very positive card in RWS, here in Chrysalis, Toney Brooks LWB addresses the negative aspect of attachment, or as his card keyword - Possessive. So the questions are - Are you holding on to material aspects of your life too tightly? Are you feeling owned by them, rather than the reverse? Have you lost sight of your inner, and/or spiritual needs? This card asks us to take stock in our current mindset and lifestyle. Maybe it's time to unclutter your living space and gift some unused/unwanted items to friends or charity; if you've been working too hard, maybe it's time to weigh the benefits and ease off if possible; if you've been on a buying spree lately, or focused on attaining some item or items, maybe it's time to look within and see if there are other needs underneath the acquisitive urge. Mid-week - The Artiste (Queen of Pentacles): From the reminder of the Ten of Stones to turn to our spiritual inner life, we move to The Artiste, described by Toney Brooks in the LWB as spiritual and magnetic with her role as part of the Chrysalis "Troop" (court cards) as "Muse." She inspires us to tap into our own innate creativity and experience life through the vision of inspiration. She is here to remind us to look around, watch and listen and express in creative ways what we experience - through visual arts, dance, music, drama - whatever form comes to us. She is also present in every artistic expression and urges us to open ourselves to the magic of art, and hence, the magic of existence. End of week - Six of Spiral (Wands): If we follow along this weeks trail of advice, we come to the Success of the Six of Spirals. Whatever you have been aspiring towards or creating is nearing success as your persistence has paid off. It's always a matter of balance, however, as the Ten of Stones reminds us. If we are able to loosen our grip and attachments just a little, spirit can flow in, bringing a brighter and more balanced success to our endeavors. Once we let go, we allow the energy to flow. Getting rid of what no longer serves us (Ten of Stones), opening up to the beauty and magic of the universe (The Artiste), can lead us to the achievement and success of our creative plans and goals in a balanced and harmonious way (Six of Wands). So this week's reading lays out a plan and advice for harmony and achievement. Focus on each step and the end of the week should find you smiling! Here is the link to my White Rabbit Tarot Facebook page for today's wonderful Card of The Day! The High Priestess is, not surprisingly, one of my most favorite cards in Tarot. She is all about magic, intuition, hidden realms - and being a Tarot consultant! it is to her, or our inner depths, that we turn when viewing and interpreting readings. She urges us to go deep within and listen and allow whatever is there to speak. This image is from Baba Studios (see below) Victorian Romantic Tarot - a gorgeous, lavish deck composed from Victorian paintings and backgrounds. The entire deck evokes mystery and encourages flights of fancy - the gateway to intuition and the magical, psychic realms. She is not about reason, but about those sometimes vague feelings we get about something or someone, those gut feelings. She's there when we just "know" something without explanation. Today, don't rationalize too much, just "go with the flow" and see where it takes you! I absolutely can't wait to get my itchy hands on the upcoming Alice Tarot by Baba Studios! I've been watching the development of this deck over the last few years (total time in production was 5 years!) through their Facebook postings, and am breathlessly excited as it nears completion. This deck is a true feast for the eyes and an incredible work of art. Now it's true that all of their decks are gorgeous working art pieces (Victorian Romantic, Bohemian Gothic, Tarot of Prague, Bohemian Cats' Tarot), but I think they've actually outdone themselves with this one. The colors splash out at you, the feeling is fun, fun, fun, as you meld into each image! They're at the final stage of production right now, so soon, maybe by summer's end, my preordered copy will arrive in the mail, along with a special edition (Caterpillar) drawstring bag! Keep your eyes on my deck/book reviews page for my in-depth report! You can be sure that Alice Tarot will be #1 of my reading decks and available for clients to choose for their own readings. In the meantime, here is a link to the Alice Tarot/Baba Studios Facebook page with lots of images of the deck for you to feast on! Oh, and if you haven't visited my Unusual Tarot Cards Pinterest board, take a look - I've got almost 1000 pins of incredible tarot cards there. I do love tarot art! If there are decks you like that aren't represented there, drop me a line and I'll take a look! Always interested in discovering decks.
Today I pulled Ariadne (Death in RW) for the Card of the Day (from Chrysalis Tarot) for my Facebook page. The Chrysalis version of Death, like most of its other imagery, is a lot lighter in spirit than the traditional less welcoming images of skeletons and scythes. While Death rarely indicates actual death, it's not a card that many people want to see in a reading because at the very least, it indicates change in some area or areas of one's life. That area can be deduced by noting Death's position in the spread (past, present, future, etc.) and the cards surrounding it. Change can be a welcome development and seems even more welcome if we call it transformation. To transform has a positive spin to me - a changing into something more, or better. Though the word seems to have a strong resonance and Death is a Major card in the tarot (vs a minor card), change or transformation can be on any level and about anything. Death can indicate a major life change - the end of a cycle, relationship, career, job, etc; but it can also refer to outmoded attitudes, beliefs, negative habits, old resentments, unhelpful behaviors, and even material objects that have outlived their usefulness and are taking up space - all things that need to be let go of. Holding on to what no longer serves us creates heavy anchors in our lives, not allowing us to grow and move forward. I applied the card's advice to myself today and considered what I'd like to change or transform in my life. Interestingly, the first thing I thought of was literally physical clutter - stuff I have sitting on shelves or in closets that I don't use or want anymore. While I periodically do go through some areas or things (clothes for example), I realized there are the "no man's land" areas where I feared to tread because I wasn't sure what I'd find and how big the clearing job might be. Would there be lots of dust, loads of items to sort through and organize, things I wouldn't know what to do with, and so on? I was tired before I even moved towards the first area needing attention (my kitchen cabinets)! I'm sure I"m not the only one to react this way when it comes to cleaning/clearing house. So what about clearing the deeper stuff, the inner blocks, the outmoded thinking, etc? I think many of us will do whatever we can to avoid facing our issues - the Minotaur in Ariadne's labyrinth in the above Chrysalis card. We will find justifications, distractions - anything besides facing our baggage and moving it out. The Death card is a reminder to look around, look within and see what we need to let go of. A good place to start is the clutter in our closet, then take it from there! I'm going to start posting a Week Ahead spread at the beginning of each week here with a link to my Facebook page, rather than a daily card, though I may also post one of those from time to time. The spread will likely vary each week as well as the deck used. Today I used the lush Tarot Illuminati (one of my favorites) and chose a 3-card spread with the following positions: Opportunities, Challenges, and Potential. What I drew surprised me and puzzled me just a little: Temperance, The Emperor, and The Devil! Can you guess why I was surprised? (Pause here for you to think about it ).
Ok, well first, there are 3 Major cards - unusual to pull 3 in a row out of a deck of 78. And yes, I did shuffle well and cut the deck too. So what does this mean just by itself? Well, major cards indicate big issues rather than smaller ones; usually they are about life choices, not daily choices. So, it would seem that there will be some important situations, decisions, or changes coming up for all of us this week; perhaps it's even referring to situations on a national or world level. This is quite possible since there is so much going on everywhere right now - the volatile Middle East situation with (unfortunately) the US considering some sort of involvement, the violent group in Africa, ongoing violence in other unsettled regions, natural disasters, and the list goes on. I won't get political here but the just mentioned is enough for us to work with alone. So back to the tarot. Temperance is our Opportunity card, so what does this suggest? Well, in light of greater world situations, it could be suggesting peace talks and mediation are possible in the very volatile situations we are watching, rather than further escalations of violence and destruction. Temperance urges balance, patience, a blending of options to create new solutions and reach compromises; it also promises healing, recovering, and harmony if the above is followed or allowed to take shape. So this week, either on the world or personal level, peace and harmony is possible if we slow down and listen with patience and an open mind, rather than insisting on our way alone. So wherever it is harmony is needed, whatever feels out of balance, this week is the time equilibrium can be achieved. For Challenges, there's The Emperor. Now, I wonder, why is he a challenge? Well, The Emperor signifies the need for order, structure, restraint and discipline. So, actually, his appearance here makes sense when considering him following Temperance. If agreement is reached with opposing sides/people, etc. this week (Temperance), then order, leadership, direction, law and order, and structure is needed to successfully implement the details and create and carry plans through - in other words, Emperor energy. This is never easy, hence it is our challenge of the week. The Devil in the final position as the Potential of the week is a puzzle. Any ideas what his appearance is trying to tell us? (another pause). I had to think long and hard about this one! For many, the appearance of The Devil is mostly a negative indication; here he appears as a potential. Looking at the previous 2 cards, The Devil here seems to be a warning. He is indicating a potential for failure - that is, falling back into bad habits, negative mindsets and/or behavior, self-indulgence, delusion, acting on impulse and passions rather than a conciliatory more rational approach. Temperance, as we have seen, is telling us peace and harmony is possible this week - go for it! The Emperor is telling us what must come after any agreements - the building of structure, the implementation of plans, the discipline and order to carry them through. The Devil is warning us to watch out for the pitfall of giving in to previous behaviors and returning to conflict and disharmony if there is no Emperor energy applied. It is usually easier to return to what we know and are accustomed to than to create and follow-through with change, regardless of what our good intentions may be. It is usually easier to give into negative habits than to let them go. So, in a nutshell - we've got great advice and an open road to harmony this week if we consider what is needed and keep a cool head! I'd love to hear what you think about these cards. Any and all alternative interpretations are welcome, as well as any additional insights! Today's Card the Day on my White Rabbit Tarot Facebook page was Golden Flower, or Temperance in RWS. After I posted on my page I found featured this week in Andrea Green's email Tarot Journal was - you guessed it - Temperance! I think I'm getting the message- must be something I need to hear. When a card comes up and comes up again and again, you know it's trying to get your attention and it's likely something you need to attend to, or take to heart. And so I will. I just love the Chrysalis Tarot version of this card! The colors are warm pastels, the imagery inviting and joyous, and in fact, the card is actually a meditative tool, a mandala with its sunflower center, a bright stillness surrounded by dancing movements of fish and butterflies - outer movement with inner stillness - a metaphor of our lives if mindfulness is applied. The world may do as it will, and waters may swirl around us in life's circumstances, but if we can touch into and maintain our inner center, we can avoid being swept up and away with ups and downs. Looking into this card brings joy for me - and I think most anyone who takes a moment will experience the same. I've been using the Chrysalis Tarot for almost every self-reading I've done in the last week or so to get familiar with its meanings and images. I'm looking forward to getting to the point where I'll feel comfortable using it to read for others. It's such a joyous, life-affirming and gentle deck that I think most people will really appreciate and enjoy it. But getting back to synchronicity - I was communicating with an online fellow tarot reader yesterday and she had a little discouraging hiccup in her plans to build her tarot business. I didn't do a reading for her then, but off the top of my head I told her that something better may be coming and that was the reason this initial situation didn't work out. Today I did a short reading on her situation and the cards very clearly echoed my hunch from last night - 5 of Cups for present experience, followed by 2 of Cups and the Wheel of Fortune - a new collaboration. There was more to the reading, and the additional cards moving into the near future basically echoed this theme with the 6 of Swords as the final card (moving away from discord into something better, or moving to a new location, in this case, her reading venue). Interesting how this Golden Flower/Temperance imagery is like a wheel -almost like a Wheel of Fortune- one minute you're on the top, then on the bottom, and around we go...think it's telling us to accept this relentless up and down movement that is life and by this find the bright, still peace that is really ours? Maybe the simplistic phrase that was a popular song some years ago really did say it "Don't worry, be happy!" Might as well, right? So recently I decided to work almost exclusively with Chrysalis Tarot so I can get acquainted with it and feel comfortable using it both for myself and for others' readings. I don't usually like to spend time learning a deck that deviates too much from RWS (you've probably noticed I've mentioned that a few times here!). Now, while this deck is RWS based, it's also its own thing - that is, some meanings have been modified and/or made more "soothing," shall I say - like take The Devil. I drew this card today as part of a larger 9-card general self-exploratory spread, and The Devil came up as the final card - in the "Free will" or "Action to be taken" position. Now, ordinarily I would not be happy to see this card anywhere, as I view The Devil as announcing being stuck or prisoner of something (habit, bad relationship, etc); in that particular position, I would see it as advising me to break free of negative thinking - the self-doubting stuff that holds me back at times. In Chrysalis, this card is titled "Bella Rosa" with the attribute or keyword being "Detachment." Interesting. The image of this card is quite pleasant, especially for me, as one who loves masks and masquerades. What we see is a woman in ornate Carnevale de Venezia costume and mask, holding a hand mirror in her left hand and a red rose in her right; there is a snake swallowing its own tail (Ouroboros) in the air near her. This card, according to the LWB with the deck, indicates rebirth (the Ouroboros) and fulfillment of a cycle, an understanding of the benefit of detachment from material obsessions and unhealthy habits. Quite different from the standard RWS version! Here in Chrysalis it's about new beginnings, breaking out and free, realization, wisdom even. So while it does admonish being a slave to materialism (which is one of the RWS possibilities in the Devil), it also indicates the querent is beyond that and on his/her way to clarity and freedom. I like that Chrysalis takes the high road and gives the benefit of the doubt and the gentle nudge to us with the assumption that we all are not only capable, but inclined to be this way. Is this whitewashing reality? No, I think it's a softer approach with a more optimistic (and artistically beautiful) message than the grim RWS we're mostly all used to.
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AuthorI am an intuitive counselor and visionary artist who has studied and worked with Tarot for over 20 years. I am an avid collector of tarot art, as well as a creator. I am the creator of four oracle decks. I also have an extensive collection of tarot art images on Pinterest.com which you can enjoy. Archives
February 2016
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