Sacred Days of Yule – Time of Beth

The Time of Beth: – Dec 21st This card points to the inner blocks and resistance that is holding us back from following our dreams.

Page of Cups – Kingfisher
This Page signals the beginning of healing or the appearance in my life of someone who can help me heal. Like the bird itself, it points to small messages which could easily be missed but whose brilliance I hope to catch sight of. The cup shows a special gift. This card hints to me that there are some aspects of my life that still need healing. I think of this time of year and the fact that it is coming up to ten years since my parents died. Those small messages, I see as messages that I’m missing. Perhaps because, if I acknowledge them, I know that sadness at the loss will follow. Alternatively, it is  sadness at the fact that my parents cannot send me messages any more – there are no more letters or phone calls. There is some heart healing to be done before I can truly move forward.

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Sacred Days of Yule – Mother Night of Dreams

This year I am joining in with a group of people on Aeclectic Tarot to do the ‘Sacred Days of Yule’  spread. It is a daily draw of cards covering the 12 days of the festive period.

 Mother Night of Dreams – Dec 20th This card reminds us to look for a particular message in our dreams tonight. The ancients believed that our dreams on this night foretold some of the important events in the coming year.
Wheel of Fortune
This card reminds me to look out for a year of fluctuation. Life may move from one state to another and I cannot expect things to remain the same. In fact, the loom and the the Norns on this card show me that I can help to create the pattern and weave of my life by the actions I take. It is an interactive process. I may need to unravel a few threads and reweave them. This strikes me as a pertinent message for the coming year. Time to reflect on the threads which need to be unraveled and what pattern I would like to weave my cloak in now.

I dreamt a lot of short, fluid dreams yesterday. They didn’t make much sense either within themselves or as a whole. However, in all of these dreams I found myself in events I either could or could not control. In some cases the dream showed both – for example being swallowed by a dinosaur despite desperately resisting and then finding that I was whole inside its stomach and had the means to escape – as long I stabbed it before its digestive juices started to come out! If ever there was a metaphor for how life is about making the best of even the most horrible circumstances, this dream would be it. There is always a way to make the situation better.

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Talent and Money

Today’s cards offer a simple message. I focussed on something to think about today and something to do.

Something to think about – The Magician

This card links back to an earlier reading so I need to be aware of those energies at play in my life. Today I need to spend a bit of time thinking about how my creative power is being expressed. What can I achieve through the best use of my skills? Am I using my talents to their full potential?

Something to do – King of Coins

Today is a day to be practical and cautious – especially with my finances. This king is shrewd and symbolises someone who has managed to gather some financial clout. I’m not quite at the stage where I am completely sorted financially but I am slowly getting there. This card could also indicate patience.

Linking it with the first card, the magician looks like he is pointing at the pentacle on the table while the king is holding his up. Do I need to evaluate how I make money? Are there skills I have that would bring me greater reward and comfort? This is an issue that I have been wrestling with for a while now and haven’t quite found the answer to.

Today is my last day with the Sheridan Douglas as I’m moving my focus to the festive season and doing special daily draws related to that. I’ve enjoyed using this deck again with its vibrant colours. It’s definitely one I wouldn’t let go of.

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Sherlock Holmes – a preview

Tomorrow, I’m going to the cinema to watch the new Sherlock Holmes film. I am curious to see if I will like it or not. I haven’t seen the previous film so I’m a little unsure as to what to expect.

What can I expect from the Sherlock Holmes film tomorrow?

5 of Swords – 4 of Wands – 8 of cups

The 5 of swords looks very bleak. A soldier lies wounded in the dark while knives and eyes are intent on injuring him further. There is a dark, ominous feel to it. Perhaps the film will show the hero in a tight spot, assailed by enemies on all sides. On a more prosaic note, the darkness reminds me of the actual cinema. Is the wounded soldier the film itself, surrounded by a hostile audience?

The 4 of wands shows 4 instruments associated with creativity and the arts. This suggests that I will enjoy the artistry of the film. I tend to be a fan of good cinematography so perhaps I will like the visual aspect of the film. It also suggests that the film has some wit and cleverness. The yellow, white and black colours of the first card reappear here on a green background. The green is suggestive of creativity but the white and black hint at a starkness. The yellow of the soldier is carried forward into the paintbrush and the flute, while the white is linked to the quill. Maybe it is a case of the script killing the atmosphere of the film.

The 8 of cups here implies that while I may enjoy certain aspects of the film, a part of me will want to leave the cinema. 🙂 I will report back tomorrow…

 

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Wishes, gifts and things we would love to return!

For the next week, I will be using the 2006 edition of the Sheridan Douglas tarot. I have a bit of a soft spot for tarot decks from the seventies and eighties – something about the colours and art style just really appeals. Perhaps it is because they remind me of some of my favourite childhood cartoons.

Today I decided to do a simple 3 card spread with a bit of a Christmas shopping theme – a wish, a gift and a return.

The Wish – What I am hoping for – 8 of Cups

Here we see a man leaving his cups behind and heading over the bridge to a new beginning. This card is very apt. The dark colours give a feeling of melancholy. I do want to walk away from a particular situation and give myself a fresh start. However, this is not without some sadness and regret at what I would leave behind.  We can’t see what the figure is leaving behind and he is not looking back. In my situation, I wish I could be as resolute.

The Gift – What I get – The Sun

What a great card to see here! The Sun brings joy and happiness. Gone is the darkness – now the light beams down from a benevolent sun while two children dance happily. The wall behind suggests that the children are somewhere safe and protected, away from danger.  I can look forward to a much more positive time ahead.

The Return – What I’ve got that I’d like to return to the shop – The Magician

This card makes me chuckle a little bit. The message here is a double one. One is about my own powers of creativity and ability to make the circumstances I find myself in. It is a little reminder that I’m where I am at present because I chose to be. I changed career, went back to college and created a new path for myself.

The second message is to do with the Magician’s less pleasant side. Sometimes, he just likes to show off or use sly little tricks. It can be about showmanship – like a dodgy salesman sweet-talking you into buying a dud.

I find myself in a situation that is not what I thought it was and now wish I could hand it back.

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Out with the old…

Lately, I have been considering changing my broadband provider. A few issues have been niggling and I’m wondering if it is time to sort it out.  So, as I keep changing my mind, I decided to look and see what the Soprafino would suggest. 🙂

Question: Should I change my broadband provider?

Card 1 – me in relation to the question – Death

The Devil one day, Death the next! This card is actually incredibly apt for this position in my spread. I’m literally looking at ‘cutting off’ my current provider – the death of an old situation. The reaper is busy collecting treasures with his scythe and I suppose that my concern is that I might lose things that are precious to me in the switch. However, if I harvest carefully, I can overcome this.

Card 2 – the new broadband provider – Ten of Cups

Tens speak of completion and this ten in particular, relates to a feeling of wholeness. It seems that the new provider may well offer an emotionally satisfying alternative. The way the cups are stacked makes me think that they will find a way to list all the ways they can match my current provider, while the larger cup at the top is their trump.

Card 3 – the interaction between us – Five of Coins

A repeat card from earlier. This five is all about balance and union. It brings a partnership based on diplomacy. I would interpret this as suggesting that our relationship would be an amicable one which brings mutual benefit.

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Ask a question…get an honest answer

First reading of the week with the Soprafino and I decided to ask a concrete question rather than go for a general advice spread. There has been some excited talk over on Aeclectic about a new Russian Lenormand deck. I rather like the look of it but am torn between the desire for a new deck and the realisation that I already have many decks – do I really need another one?

So my question was:

Should I buy this new Russian Lenormand?

I pulled 3 cards – one to represent me, one to represent this new deck and one to represent the interaction between us.

Card 1 – the Querent – 5 of Coins

This card, being a 5, represents one of the ‘marriage’ numbers. The pentad is at the centre of the Tetractys and is fluid, accommodating and flexible. This is just like me when it comes to new decks – my door is always open! The coins are also an obvious reference to money and indicate that I am willing to be flexible with my finances to purchase new decks.

Card 2 – the Quesited – XX Il Giudizio

This is an interesting representation for this Lenormand deck. It looks like it might provide me with a wake-up call. This deck has the potential to give a fresh perspective on Lenormand and give that feeling of  ‘rebirth’. It might also bring out judgemental tendencies – do I like the cardstock? Is it disappointing in the hands after seeing the scans? Will I like it more or less than my other lenormands?

Card 3 – The interaction between them – Il Diavolo

🙂 Sometimes you just have to laugh at the cards that come up! The devil speaks of being a slave to passions and addictions. I am in thrall to the siren song of a new, beautiful deck to add to my collection. Perhaps I’m better off resisting this one for a while…

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New Deck of the Week – Il Meneghello Soprafino

For the last few weeks, I have been taking part in the Aeclectic Tarot forum’s Deck of the Week group. It is a wonderful way to go through and use a variety of decks in my collection rather than always turning to my top ten.

This week I am using one of my top ten – the Soprafino produced by Il Meneghello. It is a limited edition deck but still seems to be available from Alida stores. I love the feel of the cardstock, the size of the cards and the way the reproduction includes staining. It feels and looks like an incredibly old deck.

One of the things I love most however, is the court cards. They all have different expressions and this helps you to feel that you are dealing with different personalities. In fact all the cards with human figures are wonderfully expressive. I’ve included just a small selection of images with this post.

I’m very much looking forward to working with this deck this week.

 

 

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Search and Destroy!

This morning I decided to use this 2 card spread to help me focus on what I need to search for in my life (look at the positive) and what I need to destroy (bad habits etc).

Search – IV of Wands

This card is just lovely. When I look at it, I see a happy, stable partnership. Two people have made a commitment to each other and are building a new life together. It has a warm, positive feeling. I think this card is a wonderful reminder regarding my marriage. I am lucky to have a partner who I get on well with and is brilliantly supportive.  This is definitely something good I can focus on.

Destroy – III of Pentacles

Three figures are working to create something – but what? They are all busy modifying each other – each intent on perfecting someone else.  It reminds me of teams in which each person has a different goal in mind which hasn’t always been communicated to the others. They are all very focussed, intent on their task but what will they have at the end of it? Will any of them be happy or will they be a bit indignant that someone has changed them? There is a sense of changing things/people for the sake of it here. I need to look carefully at teamwork I am involved in and evaluate its purpose.

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One Card Draw – focus on your art

After yesterday’s cards, I decided to pull one card today focussing on what I could do to help me bring in more happiness. I got the 2 of Pentacles which is one of my favourite cards in the deck!

When I look at this card, I see someone who is juggling different elements but in a very controlled, focussed way. Her pentacles are her tools which she is trying to use to maximum effect in her dancing. They are a way for her to perfect her art, deciding when to lower one and raise the other to create a feeling of beauty and grace for those who watch her. She is also enjoying what she does.

Today, I need to work on perfecting my own art remembering to aim for grace, balance and beauty. It is a day for doing something I enjoy and getting better at it.

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