Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Morning Bonus Read – Holidays Are Coming

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, talk with your divination tools about how to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. This is a crazy year, and the holidays are often a crazy time even during normal years! Let’s see what we can do now to be prepared and show up as our best selves.”

Cartomancy Playing Card ReadingWhat are things I need to be aware of/look out for in the upcoming holiday season?

Three of Clubs – You need to make sure that you’re staying focused on where you want to go and the goals you want to accomplish. There’s been a lot of distraction (especially mental distraction) in your life lately, and awareness the direction you need to go in and having a clear plan to get there is the best way to make sure that this holiday season goes smoothly.

King of Spades (Lily) atop Three of Spades – You need to keep an eye out for delays through the winter months that might cause you to feel emotional upheaval as a result.  It’s possible, especially due to the current economy and pandemic, that the holiday rush will be sluggish or slow this year. This is something you need to keep an eye on and strategize on what you can to counter act when possible.

What are things I should do now to physically prepare for the holidays?

Five of Clubs atop Ten of Hearts (Dog) – Don’t allow conflict with loved ones to hold things back.  Make sure you are getting enough exercise and outside time in nature to keep harmony in place.  You know how cranky you get when you don’t get enough time grounding in the woods.

Queen of Spades (Bouquet) – Take care of your mental health. This is a reiteration that you need to make sure you’re getting out into nature when you need that grounding and exercise. Fresh air and time among the trees is good for the body and the mind, and if you want to keep yourself in a positive space physically and mentally, you need to give yourself what you need to make that happen.

What are some things I should do now to emotionally prepare for the holidays?

Nine of Diamonds (Coffin) – Don’t allow the money situation this holiday season to get you down.  It’s okay if you’re not making as much as you want to make as long as you’re bringing in as much as you need. With everything going on in the world, being able to be comfortable is enough. Prepare yourself now for this possibility. Don’t set your heart on astounding profit and it’ll help keep your depression in check.

Jack of Clubs (Whip) – Get your shit together, motivationally speaking. It will create less of a feeling of conflict later on if you can get yourself together now.  Think of how much better you feel when you’ve managed to be prepared for stressful situations rather than when you aren’t and have to work on the fly without any previous preparation available.

What are some boundaries I should put in place for myself now as we ramp up to the holidays?

Queen of Hearts (Stork) – You need to adjust how you view (and provide yourself) self care. You are not going to make it through the chaos of the holiday season if you’re unwilling to give yourself the care you need to make it through.  This is not limited to the walks in the woods mentioned above, but also concerns your other self care methods as well.

Ace of Hearts (Man) – Don’t allow yourself to close off entirely from Gideon during the holidays. As busy as it might be, you need that connection with him in order to stay healthy and happy.  He is also your support system for the new emotions and emotional intelligence you’ve been working on for the past year, so when these new emotions well up, you need to make sure you are going to him for help in sorting them out and easing their intensity.

What is one thing I should focus on in order to show up to the holidays as my best self?

Ten of Clubs (Bear) – As strong as you are? You’re not invincible. You can’t carry it all on your shoulders and you can’t “be the boss” every second of every day.  If you don’t release your grip a bit now and then, you can’t find balance or find that best self that resides within you.

DECK USED:  SANDS CASINO DECK c.1990s w/ HAND DRAWN LENORMAND IMAGES

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Walk

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Prompt: Pull up to three cards use them as the inspiration to draw, craft, or describe a spooky nighttime walk outside.

Eldritch TarotDeath – On Halloween night, Fred took his little sister out trick or treating for the first time.  Their parents had divorced this year, something that had been coming for a long time, and he was the man of the house now.  That meant that even though he wasn’t really all that excited about trick or treating this year, he was in charge of keeping his sister safe.

Hand in hand he took Cassie from house to house in the unfamiliar neighborhood they’d moved into just two weeks before. At each house they chimed their “Trick or Treat!” after the door opened and held out their bags for the goodies to be dropped inside.

The Devil atop The Magician – When they reached the end of the street and the last house that sat there, they repeated he process again and the man that answered the door was friendly and boisterous.  He complimented their Robin Hood and Maid Marian costumes and gave them whole candy bars!

The man said that he had more inside, but he had to go all the way to the kitchen to get them.  He invited them both to come in, and Fred’s sister tugged on his hand to pull him forward toward the front door, eager for more of the good candy that the man was offering.

The Hierophant – But Fred had been given a talk by Dad that Cassie was too young to have gotten yet.  Dad had told him about the bad people.  People that seemed nice but wanted to hurt him or his sister, steal them away, and do bad things to them. Dad’s talk stuck with him when he and his sister walked to school every day, and it came back to him now as Cassie tried to pull him up the porch steps and into the stranger’s house.

Taking a strong, hard hold of his sister’s hand, he declined the man’s offer and hurried them away from the house at the end of the street. At home, he would pass on Dad’s talk to Cassie.  At home, he would make sure that Cassie knew to never, ever go down to the end of the street by herself… and that she could always depend on him to go with her if she wanted.

DECK USED: THE ELDRITCH TAROT (MAJORS ONLY)

Transitioning from October to November

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

This is a spread that I do at the end of each month to close out the month.

Month End Tarot Check In - Skele-Tarot and Nicoletta Ciccoli Tarot

Individuality – King of Swords and Nascondino – Hiding from responsibilities and allowing a fog to swirl in and create confusion and panic where clarity is needed.  Fear follows and creates tension as you fear what you can’t see and what might pass you buy entirely without seeing you in turn.

Dependence – Hanged Man atop The Empress, Dolceamara atop Rose Red – In the grasp of the above mentioned situation, you have lost sight of your need for self care and your walls are trying to come up and close you off from others. This habit is not healthy for you, or for others either.  Don’t allow your walls to get so high that you can no longer see beyond them.

Creativity – Ten of Wands Rx, Mary Go Round, Hide and Seek – Less burden and a bit more fun.  A different path than the one you are used to walking upon. You’re trying to change.  Remember that this isn’t about changing who you are or the person others see, but about changing the habits that are unhealthy for you and exchanging them for something better.

Limitation – Three of Cups and [Unknown Title] – Your self flagellation for having a good time and taking care of your needs (social and otherwise). That negative inner dialogue has begun to spread out from your inner voice and influence your actions and emotions.  There is no need to punish yourself.  It will only set you back.

Change – King of Pentacles and Agata – Your guides and the cards are working together to comfort you over your financial uncertainties.  You should listen and lean into that comforting rather than stubbornly clinging to the worries you’ve been struggling with. Allowing that comforting to do its job and listening to the nurturing voice that’s trying to help you will allow for you to find solid footing concerning how you feel about your finances and resources.

Sympathy – Justice and Luck – Times in the past when you have been treated unjustly have been swirling around the outer edges of your awareness recently and causing a dimming of your inner “shine”.  This is a shadow that wants to rise up and needs to be soothed back into place with reminders that that time of powerlessness is in the past now.

Luck – Five of Cups and The Ice Princess – Remember when you were learning how to serve and your grip on the tray wobbled, all of the glasses on the tray sliding off to the floor except one? Even though they fell, none of them broke, and the one still on the tray didn’t even spill a little bit.  It was a triumph… even in the face of failure.  Sometimes we can wall ourselves off to those small triumphs, and you’re at risk of doing that now.  Make sure you don’t forget to celebrate the little things.

Power – Seven of Wands, Cuddle, Last Days – Feeling ganged up on and vulnerable does not mean it’s time to build up your walls and seclude yourself away from the rest of the world.

Responsibility – Two of Wands, Cowgirl, [Unknown Title] atop Blue Bird and The Fox – Grab a direction and run with it.  This message is an echo of a previous reading you did that said the same thing.  Essentially, put on your big boy pants and GO already.  Stagnation is not your friend.  I pulled clarification cards on this position, which then indicate a need for diligence and paying attention to your surroundings.

Message from Spirit World – Overcome your feelings of vulnerability not by closing yourself off, but rather by accepting comfort and allowing it to both ground and energize you.  Keep an eye out for predators.

Message from Mind’s World – Don’t poison yourself with old habits that you know aren’t good for you. It will close you off from being able to see “the full picture” and leave you forsaking positive activities for less healthy ones.

Message from Known World – All actions have consequences and repercussions.  Make sure that you are paying attention to what you do staying true to path and kind to yourself.

DECKS USED:  SKELE-TAROT AND NICOLETTA CICCOLI TAROT (MODIFIED)

Blue Moon in Taurus – October 2020

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Full Moon in Taurus - Hephoe Tapo

Today is the full moon, and like all new moons and full moons, I did a spread aligned to the moon’s current themes as a part of my recognition of the moon’s cycle and influences upon us.  Today’s spread is brought to you by Ethony‘s Tarot By the Moon series.

1. What does my body require right now?

Knight of Swords atop Ace of Swords – Slow down and think things through. I need to make better choices concerning my body and what it needs.  That includes getting more time outside in the woods, but also making sure I’m eating better.  Less junk and more healthy goodness, instead of reaching for whatever is in reach and easy.

2a. Where in my life do I need to be gentler?

Two of Pentacles – I need to stop putting so much pressure on myself to juggle everything. I did such a good job through the spring and summer at balancing things better, but with the approach of the holiday rush and the stress that is slowly building up… I’ve sort of dropped the ball.

2b. Where in my life do I need to be more joyful?

Page of Pentacles – It’s okay to enjoy yourself and have some fun while you work at adapting to the upswing in sales and added responsibility.   Don’t get so focused on sales that you forget to have some fun with the creative side of things, or forget about how your creations are meant to bring joy to others.

3. Where do I need to take immediate action?

Ace of Pentacles – Get your shit together. Opportunities are on the rise and you need to make sure you’re ready to catch hold and run with it when they drop in your lap. You have a choice to make.  You can either grab hold of the ball and run with it, ensuring a good financial boon for the holiday season.  Or you can drop the ball and pay the consequences when the money doesn’t roll in as you are used to it doing during this time of year.

4. What is ripe for harvesting?

The Sun atop Knight of Pentacles Rx – Instill fun into your work now.  Right now. This isn’t something you have to take at a slow pace like so many other things along your path.  This is something you can do right this moment.  Added bonus? It’ll help in stirring up your motivation and enthusiasm.

5. What long term project to I need to start?

Ten of Pentacles atop Seven of Pentacles – All that wonderful security and stability that I crave so much takes time to accomplish.  The reinforcement of just how ‘long term’ this goal is has been reinforced by the Seven of Pentacles indicating that the end of the journey is not in the foreseeable future but something I will have to put years and years of time and effort into yet.   That doesn’t mean that you procrastinate and do it later, but rather that much like an hourglass, you have to do it one grain of sand at a time.

DECK USED: HEPHOE TAPO

Morning Bonus Read – Finding Growth in Change

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“This week, take some time with your divination tools to delve deep into the shadow work surrounding the death topics you have been reflecting on in the previous weeks.”

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Playing CardsWhat unforeseen ramifications will this death (from last week’s reading) have in my life?

King of Hearts – By finding a way to kill off my need to overburden myself with responsibilities, it will allow me to not just develop a stronger emotional intelligence, but also find a stronger connection with Gideon… probably through the fact that I would have more time to spend with him instead of being stuck in burnout.

Five of Clubs – The death of this habit may also cause a good deal of inner conflict, as I struggle with my ambitions and how to keep them from pushing me too far.

What old wounds are being brought up with this death?

Queen of Hearts – Self neglect is not the only kind of neglect that is seen here in this card.  The space provided in my life can provide space for ruminations on my mother as well and her neglect.  These are disappointments I’ve primarily put on the back burner that are at risk of rising up without enough distraction to keep them shoved in their corner.

Four of Clubs – Again, family disappointment rises up in the space left behind by the death of this habit. It’s always been rather painful to me to go back home and not be enthusiastically welcomed in as L is.  It’s a struggle to see how L is doted on by our mother (and at one time our father) while my presence was looked upon as an inconvenience or “free labor”.

Both of these old wounds are things that I now have a bit of warning about coming up, and thus can hopefully manage to circumvent a bit so that they do not become too painful.

What aspects of myself is becoming more clear through this death?

Nine of Clubs – That part of my self that needs to protect itself at all costs, and why it is alive and thriving within me even now, as well as the methods I’ve used to create those protections.  ie: Overburdening yourself as a distraction.

Eight of Clubs – The ability to motivate myself into moving on my interests and passionate endeavors. I’ve felt very unenthusiastic lately about… pretty much everything.  The Eight of Clubs indicates that I will rediscover some balance in this area and, as a result, my enthusiasm and motivation.

Ace of Spades – Along with the resurrection of my enthusiasm, new ideas are also a potential development of the death of this bad habit of mine. The lack of ideas has been lingering along with the motivation issues, which is really unusual for me.

All of these sound like excellent developments in understanding myself and finding my joy and motivation in my creative endeavors again.

DECK USED: IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN PLAYING CARDS

#TarotCollector a (non) VR to MoonBaby

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

Today’s post is inspired by Brant’s #TarotCollector challenge over on his channel, Moon Baby on YouTube. Your most expensive deck

The Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt

Your most expensive deck: The Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt (English Edition). I had this one a handful of years ago when it was first published and it was destroyed in an accident. I paid a hell of a lot more than the publisher’s price to replace it when I finally got around to replacing it. It’s one of the few decks that I’ve kept the box for.

Student Tarot No.5
Student Tarot Version 5

Your least expensive deck: I have a number of decks that I’ve gotten for free over the years, either as gifts, prizes, etc. But this is my least expensive deck that I actually paid money for. It cost me just a few cents under $3. I’ve had a few playing card decks I’ve payed less for over the years, but I was trying to primarily stick to tarot for this challenge (although you’ll see I did deviate on an answer later on).

The deck other collectors want to steal from your collection: See the first question above. I probably have a good number of decks that people would like to steal from my collection, but since my motivation for collecting seems a bit off from others’ I’m not sure I have a very good idea which ones they’d be. Probably a good number of my Il Meneghello decks.

Deviant Moon Tarot Borderless Edition
Deviant Moon Tarot Borderless Edition

Your strangest deck: Okay… so I confess. I have a LOT of really strange decks. I’m a big fan of really strange decks. And, I know that a lot of people don’t find the Deviant Moon Tarot to be a strange one, but I do. Definitely. And as many other strange decks as I get? This one always tops the list for me. So I’m going to say that my strangest deck is the Deviant Moon Tarot.

Hokusai Tarot and 22 Talismani in 22 Arcani Tarot
Hokusai Tarot and 22 Talismani in 22 Arcani

The deck other collectors are least likely to have in their collection: Honestly? Any of a number of my Il Meneghello decks would fit in this category probably. Not just because they are limited run decks, but because they are not really all that well known. Add to that that a number of those Il Meneghello decks are majors only decks and… well I picked two of my favorites and went with them.

Gypsy Witch Fortune Cards c.1920
Gypsy Witch Fortune Cards c. 1920

Your oldest deck: This one, I went by publication date. And it’s the only category that I strayed away from tarot. My oldest deck by publication date is my mother’s set of the Gypsy Witch Fortune Cards that was printed in 1920. Alternately, I also have my great great (great?) grandmother’s canasta set that she used to read divination with, but I have no idea what the publication is on that one so I didn’t include it here.

Sacred Circle Tarot
The Sacred Circle Tarot

The deck you’ve had the longest: For this question, I switched back to tarot only I started with tarot when I was fourteen years old. Before tarot, I was taught lenormand and playing card reading and I have had decks of both far back into my childhood. But I honestly don’t remember which was my first… or second… or fifth. I do, however, know which deck was my first tarot deck and thus, the one I’ve had the longest. That would be the Sacred Circle Tarot. As you can see from the pictures? I have modified the fuck out of this deck.

Tarot of Trees and The Revived Gassmann Tarot Marseilles
The Tarot of Trees 10th Anniversary Edition and The Revived Gassmann Tarot Marseilles

Your newest deck: In my last visit to the post office, I had a good handful of decks come in, but the two that really stuck out to me the strongest were these two. The Tarot of Trees 10th Anniversary Edition is a beautiful large-card version of the earlier deck that came out in small cards. And The Revived Gassmann Tarot Marseilles that came out this year from Patrick Valenza.

Herbal Tarot and the Hanson Roberts Tarot
The Herbal Tarot and the Hanson Roberts Tarot

The deck that made you want to collect decks in the first place: After the debacle of the Sacred Circle Tarot as my first deck, I was a bit discouraged as I couldn’t connect to the Sacred Circle at all. Then I got my hands on the Herbal Tarot and the Hanson Roberts Tarot within weeks of each other, and it made me realizes that there was a great deal of potential out there to tap into. I’d made a mistake with my first tarot deck, and ended up with something that didn’t work for me at all and thus was extremely difficult for me to read. When these two came along, it was a breath of fresh air and I’ve been collecting ever since.

Tarot of the Hidden Realm and The Stolen Child Tarot

Your favorite deck from your collection: I am unable to pick one but I can manage to whittle it down to two. My two absolute favorite decks are the Tarot of the Hidden Realm and The Stolen Child Tarot. There are a couple of runners up tho….

Hush Tarot, The Brady Tarot, The Botan Tarot
Hush Tarot, The Brady Tarot, and The Botan Tarot

The three above are my runners up to my favorites. The thing is? Interestingly enough all five of these are relatively new decks. I’ve been collecting decks for eighteen years, and other decks besides tarot for even longer, but it hasn’t been until these last few years that I’ve actually managed to find decks that I deeply connect with. I had favorites before them… absolutely. But the connection is not the same as what I have with these decks mentioned here now.