Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Teapot

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Pull (at least) three cards use them as the foundation to tell us about the life of a very delicate or fragile object or person.

22 Talismani in 22 ArcaniI once lived in the home of an old mystic (La Papessa – The High Priestess) that was skilled in many methods of divination (Il Bagatto – The Magician). I was trusted to hold her special herbs and serve them up in warm water’s embrace, so that she could read the tea leaves that fell from my spout.

Many that came to the mystic’s home specifically to have their tea leaves read, and they looked upon my rounded belly like shining beacon of hope. (Le Stelle – The Star)

One day, someone did not like the advice given in the tea leaves. They reported the mystic to the law (La Giustizia – Justice), who then came and told her that she had to shut down (La Torre – The Tower) and would no longer be able to take people into her home (L’eremita – The Hermit).

The mystic moved on from the path of the tea leaves (La Forza – Strength). She found other things bring her joy and became a great-grandmother (Il Sole The Sun). Soon after, she passed on and I was placed in gentle hands to be set upon a shelf (L’appeso – The Hanging). to watch quietly as the mystic’s family continued to grow and flourish in her wake. I am a remnant of the past, and a remembrance of a woman loved and now gone (La Temperanza – Temperance).

DECK USED:  22 TALISMANI IN 22 ARCANI

Morning Bonus Read – Connection and Clarity

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“I’m working my way through The Witching Way Of Hollow Hill and it’s amazing– so this week’s divination prompt is based off of where I’m at in that book. Please note that I’m not advocating for any one spiritual framework here– substitute in whatever words work best for you! Chat with your divination tools this week about connection and clarity.”

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In what ways do I experience connection and clarity within my spiritual reality?
Two of Clubs – Heartsease

The Wild Pansy is a gentle flower filled with love and luck. Combined with the Two of Clubs, it indicates that the ways in which I connect with my spiritual reality and find clarity there is through a sense of duality and direction upon my path.  By being aware of all of the options open to me and allowing my intuition to be my guide in this area, my path is always clearly stretched out before me, and there is no hesitation or confusion concerning if I’m headed in the right direction.

In what ways do I close myself off from, or am unaware of, that reality?
Seven of Spades – Wood Anemone

Wood Anemone is a flower of the duality between anticipation and relaxation.  In this card it is combined with the Seven of Spades, which indicates that I spend too much time pushing forward instead of meandering upon my chosen path and enjoying the journey.  This constant push steals away both my enjoyment of the journey and my anticipation of what each new step might bring, as long as the easy relaxation that such a journey could… and perhaps should include.

How should I go about becoming aware of that reality?
Three of Diamonds – Harebell

The Scottish Bluebell holds within it the qualities of humility and constancy, and is strongly associated with glen sprites and forest Fae.  Here, it is combined with the Three of Diamonds, which speaks of coming together in harmonious collaboration to reach a goal.  The suggestion here is to open myself up to working with others, and the use of the Harebell in this instance leads me to understand that those “others” are in reference to my spirit guides.

Is this a good time to go looking for greater spiritual connection?
Queen of Diamonds – Meadow Buttercup

The Meadow Buttercup is a flower filled with youthful energy and enthusiasm.  Combined as it is with the Queen of Diamonds, there is an encouragement here to seek out the earth and her nurturing embrace and allow her to renew my sense of optimism.  Be open to allowing a shift in view, and let the sunshine in.  It is a very good time to seek out that deeper connection.

Or should I focus on the mundane for right now?
Ten of Diamonds – Policeman’s Helmet

One of the strongest qualities of the Policeman’s Helmet is the energy of impatience that it possesses.  The Ten of Diamonds blends this meaning into a desire for stability and fulfillment through security.  It tells me that I am already focusing on the mundane more than enough at this time, and pushing more in this area is simply an expression of impatience that will get me nowhere.  These mundane goals I desire to accomplish are not easily or quickly gained.  Enjoy the path… don’t rush.

DECK USED: FAMOUS WILDFLOWERS PLAYING CARD

#31DaysofWitchcraft Prompt No.7 (non)VR to Heather Carter

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Heather Carter on YouTube put together a series of prompts titled #31DaysofWitchcraft that she’s been working her way through since the beginning of May. I really liked this idea, but I can’t handle the responsibility of any more daily posts, so I thought that for the next little while I would do one (or a few) at a time for the end of week “My Pagan Perspective” posts.  I still have a handful more to go… but this week I’m doing Prompt 7.

hummingbird

7. Do you work with a specific animal spirit? If so, which animal and why? If not, is there one you would like to work with?

Although I don’t work with specific animal spirits, I do feel a connection to them and have used their representations in ritual as a connection to specific energies. This isn’t something I do often though, as I feel that even if I am asking for permission first, there is an element of usury involved in using creatures (whether they be nature’s animals, the Fae, or any other creatures) in my magic and ritual.

This isn’t to say that animal spirits, or animals themselves, are not welcome in my practice.  But, I feel that if the choice is not entirely voluntary, without me asking first, then it is taking advantage.   Interestingly, bees are very eager to take part in my practice and are often drawn to my spellcrafting and ritual when it is performed outside.  I’ve also had the occasional squirrel, butterfly, hummingbird, moth, caterpillar, fly, dragonfly, chipmunk, robin, ant, chickadee, crow, and the Fae step in to participate without request.

These unprompted voluntary participation are always welcome.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Emotional Connections

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Pull up to three cards.
Create a piece of art, a crafted item, or a bit of writing that conveys the essence of an emotion expressed in each of the cards.

Potion Hunter Tarot

The Lovers – A grandfather and his young grandson decided to go on a journey to meet God. The grandson was excited and skipped a long, carefree and trusting in his father’s lead. The father was more practical and he knew that they would have to make wise choices on their journey in order to make it to the top of the hill where God lived.

Judgement – As they climbed the hill the child was full of innocence each step only brought more joy. But, as the father stepped one step after the other, with each step he considered and weighed every little thing that he had done in his long life and wondered if he was really worthy of meeting God.

The High Priestess – The higher they got, the more the little boy seem to chatter on and on, excited at the prospect of where they were going. The old man, though, became quieter and quieter, delving deeper and deeper within himself as he sought the answers of his faith and how he fit within it.

Together these two represent the duality of each card upon the path of one’s life.  With youth comes innocence and enthusiasm, a guilelessness that is tinged by lack of experience and naivety.

With age, though, comes experiences.  Decisions pile atop decisions, and the choices made become something to contemplate on.  Where the youth does not carry such a weight upon their shoulders, with age we come to a point where we must look within and seek out our inner knowledge and inner compass to tell us if we have lived a good life… or if there are changes that need to be made.

DECK USED:  POTION HUNTER TAROT

Morning Bonus Read – New Season, New Focus

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“Welcome to Fall! (At least, according to some). This week, ask your divination tools about how you should be preparing for the Dark Half of the year, which starts at the next Sabbat.”

Pipmen Playing Cards

In what area of my life should I be preparing for rest?
Five of Diamonds

I am currently bereft of the physical supplies I need to make it through the holiday rush that will soon enough be upon me.  Now is the time to resolve this issue and start the long and tedious process of restocking those supplies that I can make ahead of time and have ready for the orders that will begin rolling in once we say goodbye to the harvest season.  For me, harvesting for the winter months is all about getting those things ready that I can stock up on prior to getting to that time of year where  being too busy keeps me from being able to up otherwise.

If I do not have these things in place in time, I will have no time to rest at all once the winter months arrive.   By getting these things ready now I open up my future self to a modicum of rest in the future that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to have.

In what area of my life should I be preparing to keep working?
Four of Spades, Five of Hearts

If I want to keep working, I need to respect the fact that I have to rest as well.  Not just in the future, but in the now.  It’s all well and good to get a jump on the stuff that needs to be prepped for the rush to come.  But it’s also necessary to take time for myself and allow myself the rest I need.  Overworking now will set me up for failure later when I need all the extra oomph and energy I can get.

This is the time of the year to start foraging. Where should I look in my life for an unexpected harvest?
Ace of Diamonds

This is about going through my supplies room and getting things put away.  I have more of the supplies that I need than I realize.  I’ve been slacking off on putting everything away in its proper place, and as a result I’ve lost track of stock on a few things.  The Ace of Diamonds in response to this question tells me I need to make sure I don’t order more until I’ve made sure that I need to.

DECK USED: PIPMEN PLAYING CARD

The Great Glyph of the Sidhe

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The prompt for this reading came from one of my Discord servers and is as follows:
“What’s a symbol you’ve felt really strongly to when it comes to your craft. Like a rune or tarot card or sigil or so?”

I considered mentioning the Hanged Man and the Ten of Swords here as a response to this question. But I went with something from my early childhood instead.

SidheSpiralThis is the Spiral of the Sidhe (aka the Great Glyph of the Sidhe).

It was introduced into mainstream by an archeological writer named John Matthews in his 2004 book “The Sidhe: Wisdom from the Celtic Otherworld” who has written that it was given to him by the Sidhe as a symbol of welcome and a bridge between humanity and the world of the Sidhe.

Since this publication, it has popped up in a number of places, such as on the back of the cards in the Tarot of the Sidhe deck and being featured prominently in the Moon Oracle of the Sidhe.

Interestingly, I don’t know where I first saw this glyph, but I suspect that it was not through John Matthew.

I have been drawing this symbol all of my life, first as a child in the dirt and then incorporating it into spells and rituals as I got older. As I was born in 1988, I can’t imagine that I saw this symbol through John Matthews influences… and I have absolutely no idea where it came from to take up its place within my life.

I would be remiss not to note that the Great Glyph of the Sidhe looks a lot like what I understand to be one of Reiki’s most powerful symbols, the Cho Ku Rei. And yet, the Cho Ku Rei does not create the tightening tug in my solar plexus that the Sidhe spiral creates each time I see it.

A side note on John Matthews – I can’t say that I’ve ever read any of John Matthew’s books, although from looking through those he’s written, I don’t think I would necessarily consider him an authority on the Sidhe and the Fae. His writing is eclectic at best and seems to wander here and there and everywhere on an array of (seemingly unrelated) topics.