Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Traveling with Items of Faith

/ Twist the Leaf / 4 Comments

Okay, so I’ve mentioned before that I do not normally travel with items of my faith.  I leave my tarot cards at home, and instead take a deck of playing cards.  I leave my crystals and other items at home other than those set into the (very innocuous) jewelry that I wear.

Travel AltarThis is how I was taught, and it’s the practice I have followed throughout my entire life.  But, I’ve been feeling a need this time around to bring some things with me.  This is different, and unusual for me, and yet it’s a nagging niggle in the back of my mind that I’m having a hard time silencing.

So… I made myself a ‘kit’ of sorts.   A sort of ‘travel altar’ that I have packed to take with me on my trip.   I thought you’d like to see it and what’s in it.

Above, you can see how it looks all packed up and ready to go.  I’m using a book bandolier to hold it all together, and what you see there are two small hand-made notebooks for taking notes on any readings I do while I’m gone so that I can bring them back and transfer them into my journal when I get home.  I need to be able to hand-write my notes, as this connects to a different part of the brain than typing (no matter what device I’m typing on).   For example, all of my self-care spreads are hand written prior to being added to this blog, as are some of my other personal readings that I’ve shared.

Also included is my favorite type of pen for this type of writing (thank you Sharpie).  Then above that is my tin with all my supplies, and above that, the tin containing the deck I’ve decided to bring along with me on this trip.   I chose a tinned deck for protection of the cards, and that deck in particular because 1) it’s very easy to read and 2) it’s very inexpensive to replace if something happens to it.

Travel Altar

Okay, so in the picture above, you see everything taken out of their tins.  Starting with the deck of tarot cards on the left and working clockwise, we have….

  • The Morgan Greer Tarot deck (in a tin version)
  • A small spray bottle of homemade purification spray consisting of alcohol, distilled water, sweet grass, garden sage, lavender, clove, bergamot, rosehips, allspice, rosemary, and cedar shavings.  These ingredients are put in alcohol (this batch was made with vodka, although rubbing alcohol will also work) and set to age for several months before being strained and diluted with distilled water.
  • One tealight candle
  • An incense holder
  • A small sample of soil from the Olympic Rainforest, and beside it, a small sample of rain water from the Olympic Rainforest as well.
  • My black Sharpie 0.8 fine point pen
  • Two 18 page handmade notebooks (passport size) that came as a free gifts with past bandolier orders (made by CleverHands on Etsy)
  • A selenite thumb stone, and above it, a crystal quartz thumb stone
  • A flourite heart
  • Two small sticks (each) of Nag Champa and Frankincense
  • A small baggie of crystals and stones including labradorite, rose quartz, smoky quartz, amethyst, malachite, nuummite, tigers eye, apatite, citrine, moonstone, amazonite, green calcite, and a few others
  • A strand I made to signify the four elements.  It is created out of amazonite, citrine, carnelian agate, and amethyst, with crystal quartz positioned between each and on either end.
  • A mini Bic lighter

Travel AltarAs you can see in the picture on the left, it all fits nice and neat inside the little tin, and the tin closes tightly.  I will carry it on the plane, except for the lighter, which will have to go in my suitcase (because no way they’re going to let me take a lighter on the plane when they won’t even let me board with a pair of jeweler’s pliers).

So…. there you have it.   Something new I’ve never done before.  And yet…. maybe it’s time, yeah?

 

 

Picking Favorites

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about one’s talents and preferences.

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Topic for the Week of 8/19:  “Which areas of magic do you excel in or enjoy most?”

One of the hosts spoke on the word “excel” in their video, mentioning that they believed you cannot really say for yourself what you excel at, and that it’s up to others to decide that and inform you.

I disagree with this, as when I’m good at something?  I know it.  Granted, there are certain things I don’t realize I’m good at and I’m told by others at some point.   But, there are other things that I don’t need external input to know I’m good at.  Personally, I don’t think anyone should need external input to tell them what they’re good at.   Those things that I am so good at that I excel at?  You can bet I know what they are, and in many cases I have worked very, very hard to earn that level of skill.

So, on to the areas of magic that I excel in or enjoy most.  For me, these answers are the same whether it is one of the other.  I know that sometimes that isn’t the case and you can greatly enjoy things you are just no good at, or be really good at things you don’t enjoy, but when it comes to my practice… they align well.

These areas are…

Nature Magic –  Specifically, magickal workings that incorporate spellcrafting with herbs and plants, the elements of the earth, and the gifts that nature gives to us. This type of Nature Magic is my favorite type of spellcrafting, and considering my connection with the element of earth and my studies in botany, it is not surprising this is where my talents and joy lies when it comes to magic and spell craft.  Although some people do, I do NOT include celestial influences or astrology, etc into my definition of Nature Magic, as to me, these are a different thing.

Lunar Rhythms – I have already promised you a post about the lunar cycles and how I incorporate them into my life and practice.  In Lunar Rhythms, that is what I am referring to.  It is the following of the moon’s cycle and timing my magickal endeavors and rituals to fit into that cycle.

Cartomancy – For me, my magickal practice and my faith are deeply intertwined with each other, and so, too, is the addition of cartomancy.   This can be Lenormand, Playing Cards, Tarot, Oracle, or just whatever other cards that speak to me (such as Dixit cards).  They are a connection to my inner voice, and a connection to that energy that is at the center of my beliefs and practice.  I enjoy them immensely, and if cartomancy disappeared off the planet tomorrow?  I’d be reading playing cards and immediately begin drawing on them to make my own deck out of them, because it’s just not something I’d want to be without.

Spending time (and savoring that time) within Liminal Spaces – We spoke about liminal spaces the other day.   That space between the plane of Faerie and our own reality.  That space between sleep and wake.  That place you find when you sink to the bottom of a lake and find the moments between heart beats where the world shifts and time stretches.  Those in-between spaces where mystery and potential and a kind of sacred awareness reside. I know that many people find these spaces uncomfortable, and feel uneasy within them or even find them frightening.   But for me?  They are like coming home.  I love them. I linger in them.  I am respectful of them, but yet they are where I feel as if I am… whole.

Forest Bathing – I’m not sure I would consider this magic so much as a part of my spirituality, but it feels like magic to me.  Walking in nature, soaking in the atmosphere and the energy, and practicing a time of gratitude within these spaces?  To me?  That is the absolute best type of magic there is.

 

#TarotForGrowthSeptember prompt 19 … Purpose

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

For the hell of it, I did the #TarotForGrowthSeptember prompt today from Instagram.   I know this is actually a 3rd post for the day, but I’d actually intended on including this in my card for the day post that I made this morning.  I just forgot.

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Question: What message does my spirit have for me about my purpose?

Reading Summary: In times of worry, troubles, or strife, my creativity and the joy that I take in it will guide the way from darkness into the light.

Take Away: Sometimes when I am in the midst of personal struggles, I forget the spiritual value of what I do in my business.  There is a reason behind why I decided to sell my artwork, and that reason goes beyond the making of money.

The creation of the jewelry I make involves the gifting of a part of my soul.  In the creation, a small bit of me that  I share with the world is put into each of the pieces I make and sent out into the world, one small bit at a time.  When I make these pieces, each is made with the intention of bringing the recipient pleasure or joy.  It makes me feel good to contribute this to the world, and in doing so, improve the lives of others in some small way.

Decks Used: Dixit Quest Expansion Pack #2

#BackupDecks (non) VR to The Hermit’s Cave

/ Twist the Leaf / 3 Comments

I’ve been sitting on this post for quite some time, because originally?  I wanted to do pictures of all of these decks.  But it turned out that the pictures were just becoming a HUGE pain in the ass, so I revised the idea and will be sure to add links to each deck so that you can see what they are, but I’m not going to bother taking pictures of them all.

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Luna (upper right corner) assisting me in sorting and organizing my decks to be stored in my trunks.

The original theme for this post was created by Simon over at The Hermit’s Cave, where he did a video a few months ago about his backup decks. I had thought that I don’t often purchase back-up decks until I started writing this post. Now? Lets just say it started out with a few decks that I have done so because the deck was just TOO important to me to risk ever being without… and then kind of shifted from there.

In fact, I only have…. hm, three?  No, four, I think.  That is to say, back up decks that are very literally and very much bought -as- back up decks.

Gypsy Witch Fortune Cards – I have the original 1970s version that was given to me as a child as my very first divination deck, and then I also have an old 1920s version that I picked up more recently.

Sasuraibito Tarot – This one is because I already owned a copy and was then gifted a copy by Z a few months after I’d already bought it for myself.  I held onto the second one because I really like the deck so… why not?

Tarot of the Hidden Realm – I’ve mentioned this deck many, many times.  I connected to it from the moment it came out of the box and that connection has only gotten stronger over time. I have a second copy of this deck (and TWO extra guidebooks for it) because I love it so much.

Tyldwick Tarot – I have two of this deck for the same reason as the Tarot of the Hidden realm.  It’s because I love it so much.   And, because it speaks to me in a way I’ve not found any other deck has ever spoken to me before, and I find that it communicates well with ALL of the various Fae themed decks I have.

And, soon to be added, the Stolen Child Tarot, which has quickly stolen second place right behind Tarot of the Hidden Realm as my all time favorite deck.

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The trunks where I home the majority of my decks.  These are located in my bedroom on the far side of the bed beneath the windows.

Aside from those mentioned above, I also have a few that I have two decks for, but it is because I have done some kind of alteration to the deck that has significantly changed how I use it or how it reads, and yet still wanted to retain one for myself in its original format as well.   These include….

Arthur Rackham Oracle – Essentially, I took both decks and picked out the best artwork for each card, added in the cards from both decks that were different, and thus created a giant deck.   With the repeat cards that were left over, I then trimmed them down to just the image and use them as an intuitive oracle deck.

Fairy Lights Tarot – Both of the versions of these I have trimmed, but in different ways.   The first one, I trimmed off just the sides of the deck.  This is because some of the cards fit together to make panoramic views of a larger picture and the side borders made fitting them together impossible.  The second deck I have trimmed down to just the images, and use them as an intuitive oracle deck.

John Bauer Tarot – I have an un-modified version.   And then I have one that I’ve removed all the borders and text, cutting them down to just the images and edging them in multiple colors to match the artwork on each card.  Like the others in this group of decks, I use the trimmed down version as an intuitive oracle deck.

Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot – I have three versions of this one.  I have an un-modified full size deck, I have the mini pocket size of this deck, and I have a third one that I have trimmed down to just the images to use as an intuitive oracle deck.

deck02

The interior of one of the trunks prior to finishing filling it up.

Ok, so then there’s a third category here… because I also have a handful of decks that I have more than one of that are not back ups, but different versions of the same deck.  These would include…

1971 Rider Waite Deck; plus a newer “mini deck” size copy of it.

Centennial Smith Waite – I have three versions of this one.  That includes the borderless edition, the edition with borders, and the tarot-in-a-tin pocket size.

Earthly Souls and Spirits Oracle – I have this one in both the large 2nd edition format, which I use as center focal cards for wheel spreads sometimes, as well as the tarot-sized 3rd edition of the deck.

Good Tarot – I have the official mass-market copy, and a mini bootlegged copy from China.

Halloween Tarot –  For this one, I have it in the full sized version, as well as in the tarot-in-a-tin pocket version.

Luminous Void – I would probably not have both sizes of this deck, but I bought the original size before the smaller “shuffle size” came out. The shuffle size is a bit easier to handle and I really struggle with the larger cards of the original deck, so I bought the ‘shuffle size’ and now have both.

Morgan Greer – Like some of the others in this section of the list, I have this deck in the full sized version, as well as in the tarot-in-a-tin pocket version.

Mystic Faerie Tarot – I have both the bordered edition, as well as the borderless edition.

Radiant Rider Waite Tarot – I have three versions of this deck, which includes the standard full sized edition, a standard full sized edition in Chinese, and a tarot-in-a-tin pocket edition.

Roots and Wings Oracle – I love this oracle and have been loving it for a while.  I originally bought the full sized version, and then later ordered the mini size in a tin when she released it earlier this year.

Sun and Moon Tarot – I have it in the full sized version, as well as in the tarot-in-a-tin pocket version.

Universal Waite Tarot – Again, I have it in the full sized version, as well as in the tarot-in-a-tin pocket version.

Universe Has Your Back – I have the official mass-market copy, and a mini bootlegged copy from China.

Wild Unknown Tarot – I have the official mass-market copy, and a mini bootlegged copy from China that I plan on coloring in to see if I can connect better to the cards with them colored.

Wildwood Tarot – I have two official mass-market copies of this deck (one that’s trimmed and one that isn’t), as well as a mini bootlegged copy from China.

Witches Tarot – I have the original 1989 mass market edition, and I have a mini bootlegged copy from China.

Okay so… I think that’s all of them.  I’ve considered picking up a second copy of the Llewellyn Tarot, as I am planning on trimming the one I have down to just the images, but I haven’t pulled the trigger on it yet.

 

Making “Florida Water” at Home

/ Twist the Leaf / 8 Comments

Right, so my mother did not call this “florida water”, but I’ve looked at a LOT of Florida Water recipes, and it’s essentially the same thing with a few tweaks.  This version is my mother’s recipe for what she has always called her “Energy Cleanser” or “Energy Spray”.

I thought you might be interested, since you’d asked about spell craft.  This is an example of spell craft, although I will be doing a separate post to go into a better explanation of what that is and how it works later on.

As my mother’s name suggests, this is used for cleansing energy of an area or thing.  It can be used to wipe down furniture or items, to wash your hands, to spray in the air or on items, etc.  My mother uses it on EVERYTHING.   My sister and I are not usually so liberal with it, though, and so we only make enough to fill a 2 liter jar at a time.

FL01

What You Need:

Orange Peel, Rose Hips, Cedar Shavings, Rosemary, Garden Sage, Cinnamon, Lavender, Cloves, Sweet Grass, Star Anise, Ylang Ylang essential oil, and an air-tight jar.  Mason jars work, as will any other type of glass bottle or jar as long as it can create an air-tight seal even when turned upside down or shaken.  Many of these items can be substituted for their essential oils if you don’t want to forage and/or grow what you need.  I simply prefer the growing and foraging method.

You will also need a CLEAR alcohol of at least 80-proof.  I have used rubbing alcohol, everclear, and vodka in the past.   This batch is made with vodka, as it’s what I had on hand at the moment.

You’ll notice in my ingredients pictured above, I’m missing Star Anise.  That is because they were OUT where I normally source the magickal herbs that I’m not either ethically sourcing through nature or growing myself.  Thus, I will be adding it to the jar a bit later.

Once you have all that you need, clean your jar well  inside and out, then dry thoroughly.  Once dry, add all of the ingredients to the jar except the alcohol. I usually add the loose smaller ingredients first, but you can do this in any order that works for you.   As you add them to the jar, introduce them to your intention in using them and, while doing so, set your intentions energetically with each ingredient.

Each of my ingredients are introduced with the following intentions….

  • Lavender – energy purification, peace, and protection
  • Clove – repel negative influences, psychic protection, raising positive energy, and silencing gossip
  • Sweet Grass – energy purification, healing, attracting positive energy, and good fortune
  • Garden Sage – energy purification, wish fulfillment, and creating sacred space
  • Rosemary – energy purification, and warding off negative energy
  • Cedar Chips – banishing and warding of negative energy, creating sacred space
  • Cinnamon – grounding, protection, and success
  • Rosehips – attracting good health, attracting abundance, and promoting peace and harmony
  • Orange Peel – fostering positive energy, protection, hex breaking, and abundance
  • Star Anise (to come) – good luck, protection, calming energies, and increasing intuition
  • Ylang Ylang – clearing of and protection from negative energy, inviting in soothing energies, and nurturing the inner spirit

As you can see from the list above, each of the ingredients has its own purposes, but also works together with others in the jar to create a blend of primarily protective and cleansing properties.

Florida WaterOnce everything has been added to the jar, the alcohol you’ve chosen to use is then added and the container is filled up to its rim then sealed.   After sealing, this is a good time to give it a good vigorous shake to make sure your jar is air tight, as well as to get everything inside the jar mixed together.

Place the jar in a cool, dark place to set for three months.  It is usually a good idea to use a sharpie marker and write on the jar when the mixture was made and how long it needs to sit for, that way you do not forget. I prefer to do this making during the full moon as a part of my full moon ritual, so that I can include that burst of energy into the making.  I have made this mixture during this last full moon so that it will be ready to be opened for the new year, which is a tradition in our family.

It needs to be stored in a cool, dark place in order to protect the contents from degrading due to light.  But, be sure to pull it out each month at the full moon to set out in the moonlight after dark, but also be sure that you put it back in a cool, dark place before daylight.

Once opened, you want to strain the liquid inside through a fine mesh (or cotton cloth) to remove all the little bits of debris inside.  You can then tie up the contents in a biodegradable bit of cheesecloth and bury them to return them to degrade in the earth.   Strain the liquid a second time to ensure it is well cleaned, then transfer to a clean jar.

For use, you add 1 part mixture to (at least) 4 parts distilled water.   DO NOT use this mixture without diluting it by at least a 1:4 ratio or more.  It is very strong and needs dilution to be safe for your skin, pets, etc.   I personally use a 1:10 ratio just to be sure it is safe for Miss Luna to be around.  In my case, I fill a glass spray bottle with the diluted mixture and use it to clean surfaces before spell crafting, as well as to spray on my hands prior to tarot readings.

The remaining undiluted mixture can be stored in a cool, dark place until it’s needed.  As long as it is undiluted and sealed in an air-tight glass container, it will have an indefinite shelf life.

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

SCS

As I’ve mentioned before, these readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and are not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?

Earth – Ace of Pentacles – New opportunities in manifestation and abundance for 2nd week in a row. The little girl happily swinging, shining bright in her glass bubble is an indication of inspiration and enjoyment in exploring these new opportunities from a secure place.

Air – King of Cups – Seek out Gideon when my mind becomes too chaotic and anxieties threaten to take over. Remember he is a safe place to take refuge and a breather.

Water – Ten of Swords – If I don’t work on finding balance instead of bulking up my defenses, things are going to run the risk of going catastrophically wrong emotionally.

Fire – Queen of Swords – I often view the Queen of Swords as cold and restrained.  The clarification card expands on this theme for a message concerning caution and restraint in sharing inspiration with others in order to protect your interests.

Moving Away From – The Staff & Beauty Way – These cards in the “moving away from” position indicate that finding balance, positivity, and optimism will be a bit of a challenge over the next week.

Heading Toward (and Moral of the Story) – Middle World – Now is a good time for new endeavors, as the world and its energies support you. But, take caution to not be reckless or careless with your resources or confidences.

Decks Used: Crow Tarot, Dixit Pack #6 Memories, Mystical Shaman Oracle