Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Paganism and Practice

/ Twist the Leaf / 2 Comments

I discovered a new channel on Youtube (new to me, not new on YouTube) called Pagan Perspective the other day, and I really liked some of their weekly discussion topics.  I’m a bit inspired to follow along here on the blog, and so here is my first post.

Spiritual development is a progress, so sometimes thoughts and opinions change along the way, and sometimes we don’t even realize this has happened.  I think this is a nice way to share a bit more of my path with you, but also a way of looking a little more in depth at different aspects of my own faith and getting in touch with where I am at this moment on that journey.

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Topic for the Week of 7/22:  How often do people practice? What do you think about NeoPagans who believe without practice? Is it still a spiritual path?

I think that I have a hard time with the word “practice” in this question.  To me, “practice” usually refers to spellcraft, where as Paganism is a spirituality/belief system.

So, with that in mind, I would say that you can absolutely be a Pagan without “practicing” anything.  Just because you’re not lighting candles or what not does not change your beliefs and as long as you have your beliefs, you are still walking the path.

That said… perhaps there are “belief system” practices, right?  Because there’s things like daily devotionals, or meditation on deities, etc.  Still, I stand by what I’ve said above.  If you have a belief system, then you are on a spiritual path, regardless of the amount of “practice”  you are instilling within it.    As long as you have that belief and are following its tenants, then you’re there.

For example (and lets beat this horse to death, shall we?) we’ll look at Christians. A Christian is a Christian because they believe in the Almighty God and the tenants outlined in the Holy Bible.  If they do not go to church or say their nightly prayers does that mean they aren’t a Christian anymore?  Of course not.  They still have their belief system and thus, are still on their spiritual path.

On to my personal practices…

For me, it’s hard to separate spellcraft from my pagan practices, because in my case they are very interwoven together in how I connect with the energies of the elements, balance, and creation.

Over about mid-2016 through the beginning of this year, I had taken a bit of a hiatus from a physical practice.  I still did my ‘forest bathing’ and I still had my faith, but other than on Samhain, I wasn’t really doing any sort of a physical, tangible practice.

Even in those times, though, I was connected to my beliefs.  I was aware and comfortable with my connection with the earth in all the things I did that brought me in contact with it, I was instilling intention in my time in the kitchen and in my time working on jewelry that was to be sent out to others.   It was simply not being structured or physically expressed in ritual.

Prior to that (and again since the spring) I have returned to doing a daily devotional when I get up in the morning, which includes a short meditation each day, and I have returned to ritual and spellcraft on holidays, new moons, and full moons.  Not that these are the only times I do so, but they are the structured times that are planned for.

Therefore… back to the question at hand because I’m rambling all over the place.  How often do I practice?  Every day.   And I suppose that was always the case, even when I stepped away from a more structured practice for a time.

And I suppose that in the end, “practice” can be anything that instills your beliefs in your life, even if that is just in the way of one being consciously aware of their beliefs rather than abandoning them entirely.   Which, in a way, ties right back into what I said at the beginning of this post.

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

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So, I’m thinking maybe I need a little bit of accountability on my Self Care Saturday spread.  For the next month, I’m going to try adding it here, as although I’m doing the spread and reading it in the moment, I find that my motivation to write it down seems to be a bit lacking.   I’m hoping that by adding it here that possibly I will be able to get myself motivated into writing it down rather than just reading the spread in the moment and moving on.

These readings are (not usually) bearing down onto 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 not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?  (Boring, I know, but helpful in pointing out where I might not realize I am neglecting or not realizing needs my attention.)

Body – Page of Wands – Be sure to approach caring for your body’s needs this week with a spirited and youthful mindset that is open to learning new methods and taking in new ideas.

Mind – Knight of Swords & The Death Card – Being aggressive in one’s thoughts and their expression will lead to endings and change that has perhaps been building for some time.

Emotions – Seven of Wands – Be willing to take some risks with your feelings and emotions.  Just be sure (and careful) of what comes out of your mouth and take the repercussions of speaking your mind into account first (see Mind).

Inner Spark – Two of Cups – One on one collaborations will feed the soul this week and keep the inner spark kindled and burning bright.

Moving Away From – Sedum / Discomfort – Testing limits and learning tolerance.  Last week I had a bit of an issue with tolerance where the helper was concerned.  Working through that may show to have created lasting change in how I see things and set in place good (new) methods to use again in the future.

Heading Towards – Cardinal / Authenticity & Aloe / Restore – By embracing my unique qualities and characteristics, I will be able to both foster my own store of energies, be refreshed from within, as well as better seated within my own skin.

Decks Used: Luminous Void Tarot, Flora Healing Cards

 

#SmallMagicks #MySpiritualToolkit a (non) VR to Yarrowen

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Another YouTube hashtag response.  This one is from Yarrowen’s channel on YouTube, and addresses not specifically about tarot, but about little magicks and spiritual practices.   Not the big things you do daily or weekly or monthly, but the little everyday things that incorporate magick into your daily life.

So here is a small, non-comprehensive list of the little magicks that I incorporate into my life on the day to day.

  • Forest bathing (in the forest and out of it) is my number one magic in day to day life. Being in touch with my senses and the whisper of nature even in the city is very much a part of my every day.
  • Also, as she called it, the “micro mini meditation” of a breath, a check in with myself, and moment of gratitude.
  • Meditative shuffling.  Sometimes when I just need to feel a little soothing comfort, I’ll pull out a deck of cards (tarot, lenormand, or playing cards) and sit with them and shuffle for a bit.
  • I wear a small bead charms of labradorite and citrine attached to my medical bracelet.
  • The morning daily draw that I do, while seeking a positive message to carry with me through the day and foster a bit of perspective.
  • I match the mug I use with my morning tea to the mood of my day or the intention of the mood I wish to set for my day.
  • My daily devotional in the morning, which reminds me to stay grateful each day.
  • The jewelry that I wear, which is always a reminder of you.
  • Mudras during my meditation.  This is a new practice, but I have found one or two that really seems to enhance my meditation practice.
  • I create the jewelry and other items that I make in a mindful manner, with the conscious intention of it bringing something positive into the life of the person that each piece ends up with.
  • Speaking to my plants and the animals in my life.
  • Labradorite on the solar plexus and smoky quartz on the third eye during my meditation.  Also just a small thing that enhances my meditation practice and assists me in “tuning myself in” to where I want to be.

Yarrowen speaks of one little thing a day, but the truth is that I do most of these nearly every day.  But, just as I scatter sacred items and sacred spaces throughout my home, I scatter little bits of magick and spirituality throughout my life.

This is far from a complete list, because so many of the things I do are just a natural part of my day and I don’t even recognize them as spiritual or magickal until it is pointed out to me.

Thank you for the terrific hashtag Yarrowen.

 

#MyTop5Faves a (non) VR to The Hermit’s Cave

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This is a reply to Simon’s newest hashtag over at The Hermit’s Cave on YouTube.   His question was what are your ultimate favorite Tarot, Oracle, Lenormand, and Playing Card decks… plus a wild card number five.   For his wild card, Simon introduced his favorite crystal, and I will be using that as my wild card as well.

Please keep in mind that some of these will change over time.  Others have been the same answer for years and years.

So, here we go….

Tarot of the Hidden Realm Favorite Tarot Deck — The Tarot of the Hidden Realm by Julia Jeffrey and Barbara Moore. This became my favorite from the moment it came out of the box.  It was much different than any tarot I’d owned to date, and when I ordered it, I wasn’t entirely sure how I would click with it.   As soon as the deck arrived and I opened the box and got the cards in my hands, though, all those worries disappeared.

I connect in a deep and profound way with the artwork in these cards.  The deck feels perfect, from the way they shuffle and fit in my hands to the artwork on the cards, and even the accompanying guidebook, which I see as more of a book of short stories than a guidebook.  I just love them.  In fact, I just recently bought a back-up set in case anything ever accidentally happens to the set I currently use.

Favorite Oracle Deck — For oracle decks, I’ve really found that it changes regularly. I have a “primary deck” for both tarot and oracle that I change out each month.   I might use others during the month as well, but these decks are my “deep dive” type of decks where I spend the majority of my time with them specifically.   I’ve found that whatever oracle deck I’m using during this time?   That ends up my favorite… at least until the next month comes along.

Flora Healing CardsCurrently, I’m combining the Flora Healing Cards and the Fauna Inspiration Cards (both by Phoebe Hunt and Rebecca Lefebvre) into one deck and using that as my oracle for the month of July.  These are beautiful cards filled with flora and fauna in watercolor imagery and include the elemental affinities on the top of each card as well.  On the back of the cards is a paragraph that explains the significance and guidance for the fauna or flora represented on the front.   I really like these.   They are not the normal gloss card stock, but something softer, which means you have to be a bit more careful with them than most decks, but surprisingly I don’t mind it with these decks, in fact…. it sort of “fits” really well.

1889 LenormandFavorite Lenormand Deck — This was difficult, but I think my favorite of all time is the 1889 Lenormand by Jennifer Sager.   I like the earthy colors and the artwork that is both soft and yet very clear at the same time.  It has that “old time” feel of the Lenormand decks I grew up with, but with a hint of modern style.

I have a feeling this will change if I can ever get my hands on a copy of Kelly Fitzgerald’s Story in Color Lenormand.  I’ve yet to get this deck into my collection, and it is not traditional imagery for the Lenormand by any means, but there is something about the images that I’ve seen that makes me think it will end up being a favorite for me.

Favorite Playing Card Deck — The Daydreams expansion pack of the Dixit Cards. They are not a regular playing card decks, but they are game card decks, which I personally use as intuitive oracle decks.  So maybe these should have gone up in the Oracle section?

Faunae Playing Cards Playing cards as in poker decks?  This one is slated to change very, very soon… but at the moment it is the Aqua and Creme playing cards put out by Bicycle (and are notoriously difficult to photograph), which I think might be out of print now, but can still be found on eBay from time to time.  I like them because I find the colors (as well as the distressed look of them) very soothing.   I say that they are is slated to change very soon, though, because I have backed a Kickstarter deck called the Faunae Playing Cards, and I have a feeling once I have them in my hands I am going to be enamored.

Labradorite Palm Stone The Wild Card — Favorite Crystal — Labradorite has been my favorite crystal for as long as I can remember.   I connect really well with the energy of this stone (at least, as long as I avoid putting it on my forehead during meditation).  I find labradorite to be very soothing for me, and often meditate with a piece resting at my solar plexus, which can ease anxiety when I’m having issues in that department.  I’m a big fan of the large palm stones in particular, as I like that sense of “weight” with this stone, more so than any other.

 

 

#HowITarot a (non) VR to the Three Fat Readers

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Another tarot quiz, this time from the Three Fat Readers YouTube channel.

The Questions:

1. What sparked your interest in tarot? (Tarot beginnings, tarot origin)

As I’ve explained in a previous post or two, I was gifted the Gypsy Fortune Cards when I was around the age of nine or ten. I was then, in the next few years, given a number of Lenormand decks. This is the foundation of my practice with oracle themed cards.

In my mid/late teens, I then was exposed to the Rider Waite Smith system, and I really liked the vast amount of symbolism and imagery in the cards. I then picked up my first deck at a metaphysical shop in Seattle. My second deck outside the Lenormand system was a playing card deck of casino cards from The Mirage in Las Vegas. It was with this deck that I learned the numerology behind the RWS system. From there, I then received the 1971 Rider Tarot.

2. Do you only use tarot in your readings or do add in other forms of divination? (What are they)

Lenormand. Playing Cards. Tarot with Oracle cards as clarification, as long as the Oracle is a balanced deck (not just light and positive). I also use oracles for certain spots in a spread now and then, but I see the single dimensional Oracles (positive and light oracles) as more for affirmations and meditation, though, and not for readings.

Lets see… what else. Pendulums. Casting charms. And I would like to learn runes. Linette does tea leaf readings.

3. Are you a “psychic” or a card reader?

Intuition from the imagery, with a foundation of basic card meanings.  I lean heavily on intuition over basic card definitions, but I look at both when doing a reading and follow my gut on what feels like the right message, or if both need to be taken into account.

I wouldn’t call this method psychic, but I wouldn’t classify it as a basic “card reader” either.

4. Do you use tarot for anything other than readings? (Spells, altar cards, display as art, gifts)

Absolutely. I do a daily positivity pull each day to assist me in battling my depression and keeping it at bay.  I sometimes scan cards and print them smaller to put in my tarot journal. I often use extra cards in decks as bookmarks. I’ve rarely used them for spell castings, but I have from time to time if I feel it’s called for. In some cases, this has permanently damaged the cards, though.

5. Have you ever taken a break from Tarot? If yes, why?

I have. In fact I’ve taken a break from my spirituality practice as a whole on more than one occasion. Usually, it’s during a time when life is overwhelming, although I’ve recently come to realize that I cope better during those times if I do not abandon my practice, so I will be striving to make this change in the future.

6. If you could live in any tarot card from the RWS which would it be?

I don’t think I can choose just one, so I have three.

The Nine of Pentacles, because there is an abundance and peace within the depiction of the card and a communion with nature.

Seven of Pentacles, because I like hard work, and I like even better that feeling of accomplishment that comes when you start to see the fruits of your labors coming into fruition. I mean, come on, the guy’s working in a garden.

The Two of Wands. There’s a hint of station to the card, which to me represents a certain financial security. Add to that the world in his hands and the grounding of the wands to the earth. It seems like a very good place to be to me.

7. Do you use the tarot in a predictive way? Do you predict the future?

I’m not sure I would call it “predicting the future” so much as reading the possibilities and interpreting trajectories. As in, the cards indicate that this is the path you are on and where the energies are leading you.

Awareness and choice can then change that trajectory. If you make changes and still end up there, I don’t think it was so much that I predicted the future as that the result is about a lessons you needed to learn.

For me, divination is an exploration of possibilities and trajectories, with the opportunity for changing the outcome. It is not the same as prophesy or fate, both of which come from a place of receiving messages and/or direction from beyond.

8. Intuitive, wrote, classic, modern, mix?

I guess that I’d say it’s mix with heavy on the intuition.

I think this question is very similar to the #3 question.  I was taught to read Lenormand intuitively. When I then started learning the RWS, I pushed myself to learn and memorize the card meanings. But, in the end, I came to realize that although the base knowledge is a good foundation, it’s intuition that really speaks to me first in most readings.

The exception to this is when I’m reading playing cards and/or the Tarot de Marseilles decks.  Then I end up depending more heavily on the numerological interpretations and definitions.

9. What are your most consistent Tarot habits?

My daily draw for positivity that I use for mental health reasons. I do this consistently during my morning devotional.  I request a positive message to carry with me throughout my day and foster perspective, and I then blog my interpretation of this card’s positive message here on my blog to share with you.

Weekly check-ins on Saturday as part of my self care.

I also regularly do readings and spreads on holidays, full moons, new moons, and at the beginning of each year.

10. Do you see Tarot as a magickal tool, a spiritual tool, a psychological/self-help tool, something else? All of the above?

All of the above. As a magickal tool, it is excellent for use in setting intention.  As a spiritual tool it assists in communicating with the energies of the nature, the universe, the all, etc.  In the areas of psychology and self-help, the cards are excellent for communicating with your intuition and your inner voice, as well as in shadow work and in combating issues such as anxiety and depression with the daily draw practice.

In truth, the tarot decks are a tool and their uses are as vast as the array of different people that use them.

11. Do you ‘collect’ Tarot decks? Why or why not?

Good f’king god, yes. I collect tarot decks. I do not just collect them willy nilly, though. (Like that word? LOL)  The imagery has to speak to me in some way for me to be interested in owning it.

I DO have a small collection of decks that do NOT speak to me, that I’m on the fence for what I’m going to do with them as yet.

12. Do you have an aesthetic when it comes to the types of decks you enjoy? If so, what is it?

Absolutely, although I’m not sure I can define it.   The fact that you and I are in agreement on the artwork presented on certain decks (whether we both love it or hate it) makes it clear that I absolutely -do- have a certain aesthetic.

I guess I would say that it’s a combination of earthy, traditional with a hint of historical vintage, colorful without being garish or abrasive, a good balance of warm and cold colors, and not too “messy”.  I am sometimes attracted to a bit of fantasy, as long as it’s not too fluffy and froufrou, and I sometimes like a cartoony aesthetic now and then as long as it isn’t too childish or too explicit.

I am not attracted to angels and goddess themes.

13. Do you personify your deck?

Definitely. I don’t give them names and think of them as people, mind you.   But I DO associate personalities to the decks based on how they feel to me, as each one speaks to me differently and they have differences in what I feel they work best for depending on how I relate to each one.

 

#WatchingTarotTube (non)VR to Art and Tarot by Dee and Katey Flowers

/ Twist the Leaf / 1 Comment

TarotTube

So “TarotTube” is essentially a section of the YouTube community that focuses mostly on tarot, or metaphysics and tarot.   This quiz came from Art and Tarot by Dee and Katey Flowers, who are a couple of the content creators of that small community (small as in relation to YouTube as a whole, as the community is actually quite large).

1. How many channels are you subscribed to?

Currently, I am subscribed to 192 YouTube channels… although to be fair, they are not all tarot related, or metaphysical related, or pagan related.  I also subscribe to a lot of educational channels, humor channels, music channels, etc.

2. When do you normally watch TarotTube?

On Saturday.  And sometimes during the week while I’m working or doing other things.  I will also sometimes listen while driving (with Waze up on the screen instead of YouTube, of course).

3. How do you balance watching TarotTube , reading tarot, and making your own videos?

Well, I don’t make my own videos, so there IS that.   But essentially for balancing everything, it comes down to multitasking.  So much in my life really boils down to multitasking.

4. Is there a difference between videos you like watching and videos you like making?

Again… I don’t make videos.  So question three and four don’t really have much to do with me.   But, I included them anyway.

5. Who is the first TarotTuber you subscribed to and do you still watch them?

Hmmm.  I’m not sure if it was Avalon Cameron or Ethony, actually.   But yes, I still watch both of them.

6. Who is the most recent TarotTuber you subscribed to?

I’m pretty sure my latest was Tattoo’d Spirit.  Or it might have been Épine Du Veil … or possibly Atypical Tarot ?  I’m not entirely sure which one was last.

7. Share an old favourite TarotTuber!  

Aside from the two already mentioned above? One of my favorites is Simon over at The Hermit’s Cave.  Another that’s not quite as long in the tooth on YouTube would be Brian Cormick Carr, who has a lot of really good content for exercising your gray matter in relation to tarot and the metaphysical.

8. Share a new favourite TarotTuber!

Becca Tarot Night Owl  She was the first live chat I visited, and is very warm and welcoming. Also Tangerine Layla* The Sleepy Oracle, who is always a great watch for a little lightheartedness and fun.  One more is Heather Carter, who like Brian mentioned above, also makes some really thought provoking videos.

9. What is one of your TarotTube pet peeves?

The “One Trick Pony” Syndrome.  By which I mean that there’s no variety.  ALL they do is one thing without ever deviating into other things. (Such as only doing  tarot reading videos, or only unboxing videos, or only deck walk-through videos, etc.)

10. What have you learnt from watching other TarotTubers?

There is no way for me to outline this as there is just too many things and the vast array of what I’ve learned is too diverse, but I get a lot of fragments of knowledge and ideas from different videos, not to mention different perspectives and methods of looking at the cards and/or using them in my own life.