Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

#31DaysofWitchcraft Prompt 1-3 (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 like this idea, but I can’t handle the responsibility of any more daily posts, so I thought that for the next few weeks, I would do one (or a few at a time) for the end of week “My Pagan Perspective” posts. This is the first installment!

pine-cone

1. Is your witchcraft secular, spiritual or religious? How does this influence your practice?

My witchcraft is a blend of secular and spiritual.  I revere the energies of the elements as well as those of creation, evolution, and balance.   I incorporate these into much of my ritual witchcraft. At the same time? Much of my spellcraft is based not on faith but upon the secular qualities of the ingredients incorporated into the spells.

A secular example, I might imbibe  a cup of mint tea with magical intent for healthy digestion before giving it to my sister when her stomach is upset.   The magic is there within my will and my intent, which are pushed into the brew when it is made for her…. but, it is boosted by using the right ingredient for the purpose, which leans the ingredient into the energy of my intention.

Which is different than say… as a spiritual example, where I might plan a ritual that involves inviting the elements and those energies I revere into my ritual and my spellcraft, pulling them in to include them for not just their blessings, but also their power to be lent into my intent.  This is a conscious act to include a spiritual aspect that is not present in the first example.

2. Do you work with any specific deities as part of your practice? Why, or why not?

Nope.   My sister and I were raised Wiccan, and in that practice we included the god and goddess into our faith and our witchcraft.   But once I moved out of my parent’s home, the deity aspect was the first to go for me in adjusting my practice to better fit me personally.

It’s simply not an aspect that has ever really connected for me.  I don’t deny the concept of deity, only that it’s not a part of my own practice.  I’d never say “there’s no such thing as Loki, or Diana, or…. any of them” because honestly?  I don’t think that’s true.   I just know that for me, it’s not what feels right.  For me, a much better fit are the energies of creation, evolution, balance, and the elements.

3. What area of your practice are you currently focusing on, if any?

At the moment I’m pretty much in a “comfort zone” of sorts.  I have my divination practice and clients.  I have my daily devotionals and day to day spellcrafting.   But honestly?  I’m not researching or digging at this time.  A huge majority of my witchcraft (and pagan path, for that matter) is instinct and intuition.

When something strikes my interest or curiosity, I delve in and sate that need to know, and may or may not incorporate something into my path if it resonates strongly with me.   But there’s very little “study” going on… and other than my studies in plants?  There never really has been.  I’m comfortable.  I’m happy.  And I’m not looking to really “fill in any gaps” or change my path to something else as I don’t feel any lack of satisfaction in relation to the path (spiritual or witchcraft related) that I’m currently on.

 

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Home Connection

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Draw three cards. Find something around your home (or where you’re currently staying) that you feel represents each of the cards. Draw, paint, artistically photograph, collage, or otherwise depict these items in some way.)

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The Magician – As you can see in the background behind this card, I really am the man with all the tools.  Having 900+ decks takes up a great deal of room, but in this picture you can see that behind the Magician card is a good selection of decks that I use somewhat regularly or keep out for specific clients.

The High Priestess – This card is placed upon my altar, which is where I connect via a daily devotional with the energies of creation, evolution, and balance as well as elemental energies and the energies of my ancestors and guides.  This is where secrets are whispered on exhaled breaths, gratitude is expressed with an open heart, and the invitation to bring the energies previously mentioned into my day begins.

The Star – I grow pansies on my balcony every year because their blooming faces make me feel light and happy as no other flower can.  I find them uplifting and I feel that the energy of the Star card fits perfectly with that happy and yet calming and hopeful energy that pansies create for me. In the picture here behind the card you see one of my balcony troughs full of pansies and, behind that, my lilac tree and the alley that runs behind my building.

DECK USED:  THE SOLIPSIST TAROT

Weekly Creativity Prompt – (Bad?) Luck

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Pull (at least) three cards and use them to… tell us about a (real or fictional) mistake that turned into a happy ending.  (I went with fictional.)

Black Cat Tarot by Theresa Luck

There was once a young man that always flaunted the rules (The Fool).  He loved to drive fast, treated his car horribly and never took care of it (The Devil).

One day while whipping in and out of traffic and driving far above the speed limit (The Chariot), his cars breaks went out and would not work. He ended up in a horrible crash (The Tower).

Taken to the hospital he learned that in his folly, he’d been severely hurt and it would take many months or even years to recover from his injuries (Justice).

He was sent to a physiotherapist to begin his healing process (The Magician). The physiotherapist was a hard and harsh taskmaster who (The Emperor), who at first seemed to have no empathy at all. Over time and working together closely, the young man discovered that the physiotherapist was really very deep and they ended up falling in love (The Lovers).

In the end, the strength and stability and support that the physiotherapist provided, combined with the time I it took for the young man to recover from his injuries gave the young man time to grow and he learn from his mistakes (Death).

When he returned to the road he did so with more respect for the law, more loving care for his car, and less impatience (Temperance).

DECK USED:  BLACK CAT TAROT BY THERESA LUCK

 

 

What Kind of Reader Am I? #THEREADERIAM (non)VR to James Feeney

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So although this tag originally comes from James Feeney on YouTube, it was actually first brought to my attention by Casper the BoyDiviner.

ScatterTarot11

What is the primary system of divination you use (as specific as possible)?

Recently, I’ve been sticking mostly to tarot cards, and the occasional image-only cards or oracle cards, unless I have a client making a request for something else specifically.

Who do you read for?

Paying clients.  Myself.  Friends and loved ones. Random occasional strangers when I’m feeling the urge to offer a free reading here and there.

What types of readings do you normally do? (ie: topics, spreads, time, medium)

I specialize in intuitive reading that incorporates an element of predictive reading.  I do well with the present and the future, but I do not do past readings whether that be past lives or someone’s personal past.  I also rarely do predictive readings that span more than three months ahead.

I’m good with a variety of topics with the exception of mediumship, which I am not prepared to offer. I usually let my moral compass guide me on whether or not a question or topic is okay to do… and I avoid those topics that could put me in legal jeopardy.

I prefer free-form readings over spreads most of the time, but do spreads on request or when reading for myself as reading for myself requires a bit more structure sometimes.

What is your reading style? (ie: analytic, intuitive, spiritual/ predictive or fortune)

I think I pretty much covered this above when I mentioned the types of readings I do.  My reading style is intuitive interpretation of the imagery, which I then augment by including traditional meanings of the cards as a secondary contribution to the reading.

The exception to this is excessively pip decks, lenormand, and playing cards.  With these three systems it is the opposite.  Because these styles of decks are not imagery rich, they don’t provide enough input for me to allow my intuition free reign off of the imagery.  In these cases, I lean heavily on numerology and/or foundational meanings within those systems, and then incorporate a more “directional based” intuition into that foundational knowledge.

Although my readings are not secular, that is between me and my concept of divinity (and possibly also my spirit guides), and therefore rarely reflects in my delivery to others.

What types of readings do you conduct? (ie: evaluative, coaching, empowering, reflective)

All of the above.  It really just depends on what the client needs.  In the case of reading for myself, it is usually either evaluative or guidance towards self care, life balance, and a healthy well-being.

ReadingWhat is your ideal reading atmosphere?

Outside. A picnic table.  Bare feet to bare earth with weather warm enough to make that comfortable but not so hot as to feel uncomfortable. Overcast or bit of shade and a slight breeze but not windy.  Not raining. Lots of grass and trees.

Reversals? Jumpers? Shuffling style?

Reversals – Occasionally.  Only when it really calls to my intuition that the card was meant to land that way and looking at it upright just feels… wrong.  Otherwise I use my intuition to tell me what message the cards want to convey, no matter the orientation of the card on the table or if that message is a reversal meaning or an upright one.

Shuffling Style –  When I first add a deck into my collection (or after I have reorganized it back into its suits for some reason) I will then riffle shuffle a deck at least 7 or 8 times before using it.   This is because mathematically speaking, you need to riffle shuffle a deck of 52 cards at least 7 times to effectively randomize the deck.

After that, though?   When I do a reading, because the cards are already randomized I will usually riffle shuffle about three times before handing the cards to my client for them to shuffle them a few times.

Jumpers – I use jumpers to pull my cards.   So after I have done the riffle shuffling, I will then shift to a seesawing overhand and, with my question in mind, wait for a card (or two) to fall out, then repeat for the next question, and the next, etc.  So essentially, all of my card pulls are jumpers.  If I receive more than two cards at a time, I will put them back in the deck and ask for a more succinct answer.

What is your delivery tone? (ie: constructive, positive, reflective, action-oriented)

All of the above, but not at the same time?  That is to say that deep down in my psyche, I’m essentially a “fixer”.  Meaning, essentially, that I don’t want to know things just to know things. I want to know things so that I can move forward, improve, or somehow adjust and/or fix something.  I have no problem delivering the hard answers or even the harsh answers, but I do it with a little bit… more.

So even though the question might be “how am I physically at this time”, when I’m asking the question? I’m really looking for more than just a status update… so when the cards answer me, they are going to give me more than just a status update. They’re also going to provide me with a path to improvement/betterment.

This is the same whether I’m reading for myself or someone else.

What are some of your personal reading quirks? (ie: correspondences you tend to draw on, habits you have, little details that you alone use and have)

I’m not exactly sure how to answer this, because in my observation everyone reads the cards differently.  Especially when you start delving into those that read the cards intuitively.   Just as there are many different ways for intuition to speak to someone, there are even more ways for us to take and utilize that inner voice in our tarot readings.

I think I’ve outlined a few of the oddities above.  Possibly the most notable being my method for pulling cards. I also think that my need to teach others is somewhat unique.  To be honest I’ve been doing this so long that it’s hard for me to tell anymore what’s the “status quo” norm of the masses, and what’s unique to me and my personal style.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Walk

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Pull (at least) three cards and use them to… describe a walk outside.

Akira Uno's Spiritual Tarot

The Hike – 3500 Feet in 3.2 Miles

Strength – Exiting the car is the easiest part of the day.  The little gray Prius is parked in the small lot hidden among the trees and he exits the car to pull out his pack.   Turning off his phone it is slipped into one of the pockets of the pack before the small daypack is slid onto his back and the trunk is closed.

Moving to the trailhead, he pauses at a post with a wooden box upon it.  Lifting the lid, as expected, what is found inside is a notebook and a tethered pencil.  The pencil is picked up and his name is written down along with the date and the time, as well as the anticipated time he would be on the trail.   The box is then closed and left behind as he moves to take the first steps upon the spongy soft ground of the trail.

Following the path to a small bridge that crosses a busily babbling stream, booted feet find the other side and he looks up the sheer face before him.  Breathing deeply the damp, musty air filled with the scents of evergreens and decay, his gaze follows the zigzag of the trail going up the mountain as far as the trees will allow.

The hike to the top is just over three miles, with an elevation change of 3500 feet in that short distance.  Nearly 1200 feet of elevation per mile of trail making it one of the most difficult trails accessible to the general pubic.

Hanged Man – As he makes his way along the switchback trail, following the long stretches of straight that zigzag up the mountain and sharp turns at the end of each, muscles stretch and blood pumps.  His body protests as his body demands more oxygen to fuel the effort put fort as each step along the path is the same as taking a double step on a staircase… without the staircase.

Using roots and rocks as footholds, each breath becomes an agony and a pleasure at once, the fresh air filling his lungs even as his lungs ache greedily for more and more.  A sheen of sweat coating flesh blending a hint of clean sweat and personal scent into the damp crispness of the air.

But over time, the body adjusts and breathing evens out.  Refusing to stop, refusing to pause and catch his breath or rest, the agony increases and increases… and then finally begins to fade.  To shift as the fire in muscles turns into a warm, wobbly burn.

Judgement – Each quarter mile is marked, but it is not those markers he seeks but rather the green sign with white letters high up upon a tree where the trail finally splits.  The words “Summit Loop” a blessing.   It is the holy grail that does not truly mean the end… but rather a shining light of hope that tells him that he’s done good and is getting there.

When he comes upon that split in the trail and the beautiful sign, he finally takes a moment to pause in the bliss of being over half way there.  A hand lifting to press against the stitch that quickly develops in his side as his body’s adjustment to the extreme exertion now tries to settle and relax.

Pulling off his pack, he pauses to down half a bottle of water, and finish off a couple of protein bars, his back resting against one of the trees off-path as he looks up at the gray sky and lets the crisp bite in the air at this new elevation cool him down and dry the sweat on his skin.

Justice – Eventually he has to get up and continue upon his climb, and his body screams in protest as muscles that had tightened up now object to rising and joints that are stiffened try to move.

Familiar with the trail, he takes the left side of the split, choosing to take the steepest part of the loop first so that he climbs it rather than giving his knees the agony of trying to going down that incline.   Muscles screaming and lungs aching once more, he pays for his break upon the spit in the trail with a steep decrease in the stamina he’d gained over the nearly two miles he’d hiked thus far.

As he continues to climb upon the trail, trees become more scarce and the spongy earth beneath his feet turns harder, jutting rocks breaking through the soil become footholds on the incline as he pushes on, forcing his body to keep moving through the pain and promising that it will be worth it once he reaches the peak.

The Hermit – As he climbs this steepest part of the trail, the treeline opens up.  Jagged silvery spikes of an old forest fire open up the view on one side of the trail, the other side filled with sparse woodland that slopes down and away the way he had come.

Here and there remnants of snow linger on the ground, tucked into the crevices of rocks and grooves between tree roots.  Scenic views of the valley beyond, the peak of another climb not far off, and the large shimmering lake far below greet him and soothe the pain even as he continues on, fresh air now crisp and cold chills the tip of his nose and his cheeks.

Soon he arrives at at a small outcropping of rocks, and a sign that indicates that he has reached the peak of 4301 feet.  Here he stops and removes his pack, setting his ass upon the rock and tilting his head back to catch his breath.

Here he will linger.  He will sit and enjoy the view and the chill in the air. He will eat lunch and he will hydrate.  He will meditate, and he will enjoy this time alone, savoring the feel of muscles well worked and lungs washed clean of the pollution of the city so that they can be filled instead with fresh, crisp air.

Soon he will have to take the trip back down… but for now?  He will savor the fact that he is the only human for miles and soak in the peace and solitude.

DECK USED:  AKIRA UNO’S SPIRITUAL TAROT

 

Connecting With Something More

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This week’s Pagan post is again from a question on one of the spirituality Discord servers that I’m a member of rather than from the Pagan Perspective prompts on YouTube.  No real reason this week for the deviation from the PP prompts other than I just really liked the question.

Question for the week of April 6th:  If spirits or deities aren’t part of your practice, talk about how you connect to energy/the elements/a plant/whatever you connect to.

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As I’ve mentioned in the past, I grew up in a Wiccan/Buddhist household, but I never connected with the concept of deity, so once I was out on my own it was the first thing that I discarded from my practice in the process of transitioning into something that worked better for me.

At that time, I first stepped into working with the energies of the elements and the forest, which felt comfortable and right. As time moved in, I had a good deal of time to think in depth about the concept of divinity, though, and over time I began incorporating a different scope of energy into my practice.  I now still work with the four elements combined with the energies and entities of the forest, but the foundation of my path beneath that is based off of the energies of creation, evolution, and balance.

For me, the energies just… feel right. Fit better than deity ever did.  That said, these energies are incorporated into my spellcraft and ritual in similar ways to how Wiccans incorporate the God/Goddess aspect. That is to say that these energies are called upon to add their blessing and their strength to the ritual or workings taking place.

I feel these energies of creation, evolution, and balance around me all day every day… all the time. Same with the energies of the elements and my very strong connection to damp earth and the forest. That connection to these energies is incorporated in everything I do, as it is something I am conscious of every moment of every day.

forest

As for spirits…. I had a mediumship experience back last fall, and I realized after some contemplation that (for reasons of discomfort) I’ve been ignoring an ability that I’d now like to explore.

But, I want to do that safely, which I feel means I need a closer (and more conscious) relationship with my guides to accomplish. So, I’ve begun working on transitioning to a more conscious relationship with my guides primarily through meditation and a bit through some tarot experimentation.

I never really “connected” with my guides growing up or through the years since.  I understand that they’re there (although I have no idea what kind of guides they are whether they be ghosts or other entities of some sort).  I’ve always just sort of ignored their presence and let them “do their thing”… to wit I understand that they have probably been using the signals of my intuition (which communicates with me on a very physical level) and possibly also the tarot, to guide me without my awareness of their hand in things.

Honestly, I’m not even really sure what a more conscious and aware relationship with my guides might look like, but I feel that it is needed for safety if I want to explore the mediumship ability that let itself be known last autumn.