Returning again today to Ethony’s 31 Days of Tarot challenge.   I’m having a bit of trouble with question #18, so I’m going to skip it for the moment, and move on to the next, then revisit the one I’m struggling with at a later date.

19. If you were shipwrecked on an desert island, which five tarot or oracle decks would you want to have with you and why.
    Well, the Tarot of the Hidden Realm is a given. The way I connected with that deck is just remarkable and I wouldn’t want to leave it behind.
    My very newly modified Sacred Circle Tarot, as well, is now (after the modifications) one that I’ve found myself really connected to and would like to bring along.
    Any one of my “classic” Waite/Smith decks (Radiant Rider Waite, Universal Waite, Original Rider, Smith-Waite Centennial) because the versatility is a must.
    The Blue Owl Lenormand because of our history and familiarity (using this deck is just like coming home).
    And… hm. The Roots and Wings Oracle, I think. It’s pretty new to my collection, but it works well with every deck that I’ve paired it with thus far.
20. What is your favorite Tarot Spread at the moment?
    I just recently did a re-create on my deck interview spread, and I’m very happy with it. It’s a nine-card spread with room for jumper cards to add additional input when they show up. I’m so happy with it, in fact, that I’ve recently begun the process of re-interviewing all my decks. This, of course, is going to take a good deal of time.
21. Do you use the Tarot for mediumship readings? Why or why not? If no, would you like to?
    No. I’m very much of the mind that this isn’t the kind of thing I would like to open myself up to, even with a intermediary (the cards) there as a buffer. Whether or not I even have the ability is not something I have an interest in exploring.
22. Where is one place in the world you would love to read the Tarot and why? It could be a sacred site, event, mystical shop, anything.
    I never really thought of tarot as a travel companion for reasons explained in my previous post. My answer to this would be in the depths of the Olympic Rainforest… in the rain. Obviously, tarot cards are not water proof so that would be a bad idea, although I did recently find a couple decks that are so it may be a possibility in the future.
23. What is your most sassy Tarot deck, what is your most gentle Tarot deck? Why did you pick these decks?
    My Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot has a mouth on her. She’s very blunt and snippy, and very picky about how she’s used. For the most gentle deck, it’s a tie between the Mesquite Tarot and the MoonChild Tarot. Both are equally gentle, but the moon child is a better communicator where as the Mesquite has more of a “shy” voice. The gentlest deck I’ve ever handled, though, isn’t a part of my collection. It belongs to my sister. That would be the Soul Cards Tarot.
24. What Tarot card do you feel is the most misunderstood and why?
    I imagine my answer is pretty standard for most tarot readers, but it’s the Death card. It seems whenever it comes up people that are unfamiliar with the tarot always immediately have that “oh shit” reaction. The death card is so much more about organic change than some horrible omen from beyond, but you can’t convince a lot of people of that it seems.
    Another, I’ve found, is the Tower card. This one, a lot of people even familiar with seem to not fully appreciate the Tower. It’s not all doom and gloom, and much good can come from the chaos the card indicates. I see people often given pause, though, when it appears. As if its presence jerks them out of their flow.
25. Do you have any Tarot self-care rituals that are only for your personal practice?
    Yes. I have a Saturday check-in spread that I do each week to help in reconnecting myself to… myself. It includes ritual bathing and meditation, followed by a time bonding with the deck I’m using at the moment and then drawing the spread and journaling it afterward.

So far, this is Part 5 of the series. Here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 for easy reference.

I’ll make another post in a few days to continue on with more questions in the challenge.

It’s time to return to Ethony’s 31 Days of Tarot challenge. As previously discussed in Part 1 of this series, I’m doing these a bit at a time instead of one a day.

8. Top 5 decks on your wish list now
   Tyldwick Tarot, Delos Tarot,  Les Adorables Tarot, Liminal Tarot (2015 Version), Tarot of the Hidden Folk. These are in order, incidentally, although the Delos and Tyldwick sometimes change places with each other depending on my mood.
9. Tarot goals 2019
   I really just want to get back on track with my spirituality. I feel a bit like a Christian that’s been “skipping church”. You know, they’re still a Christian, but not practicing? The last two years, that’s been me with my spirituality. Tarot is (and has always been) a part of that spirituality, and my goals for returning to practicing my faith and my tarot practice are intertwined.
10. Tarot decks that you want to work with more in 2019
    I have a handful of new decks in my collection this year that I’m excited to work with and get to know better. I also have a few that I haven’t used in years that I would like to reconnect with. That list includes (but is not limited to) the Cucoloris Tarot, Alchemical Tarot, True Black Tarot, Anima Mundi Tarot, Crow Tarot, Anna K Tarot, Sacred Circle Tarot (which I recently did a major modification on), and Mary El Tarot.
11. Oracle decks that you want to work with more in 2019
    Like with the tarot decks listed above, this list is not comprehensive but more of a sampling of decks from a longer list. They include the Moonology Oracle, Roots and Wings Oracle, Empty Cup Oracle, Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle, and the White Hare Wisdom Oracle.
12. Have you ever dealt with Impostor Syndrome in your Tarot practice?
    I had to look this term up.

    Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts his or her accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds, and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostorism incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be. – Wikipedia

    I’ve had my fair share of times when my self confidence was at its worst and my insecurities were a torment I couldn’t seem to escape. That said? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this particular issue. I work damn hard for what I have from my physical comforts to my education, and everything in between.

And there you have it, another handful of questions from Ethony’s 31 Days of tarot complete. Like last time, I’ll come back in a few days to make another post to continue the challenge.

So each year Ethony (which is a blog I follow) does a “31 Days of Tarot” challenge in January. This is mostly done by YouTubers that put their replies in vids up on the site. I don’t use YouTube, but I wanted to try the challenge this year.

That said? Between my very challenging beginning to 2019 and the depression that soon followed and stole nearly two months from me, I’m just now finding myself in a place where I can attempt this challenge. I figure better late than never, right?

Instead of doing one a day, I’m going to group them into a few at a time. There may be days I only do one (or none). There may be days I do five or more. I’m not on any huge time schedule, really, so I figure I can just do them at my own pace.

So, here we go…

1. 2019 – Reading – Energy – Major Lesson
   The major lessons in my Year Ahead spread is that there is going to be a lot of struggle and strife going on this year and that, as long as I continue to strive for balance in the different aspects of my life and within myself, everything will work out in the end.
2. Top 5 Tarot Decks of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
   Tarot of the Hidden Realm is at the very top of this list. I’ve had a handful of decks that I really connected with, but this is the strongest I’ve ever experienced. From the moment of the unboxing, I was connecting with this deck on a whole new level than any other deck I’ve ever used.
   Cucoloris Tarot – I’m not sure if I bought this at the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. The moment I saw this deck I fell for it, and when it arrived i was not disappointed on any level. There’s something about the lines and use of color in this deck that really draws my eye.
   Japanese Myth Tarot – I love the artwork and the color scheme. I haven’t done a lot with this deck since receiving it, but I have plans to explore it further in the near future.
   Linestrider Tarot – I actually bought this deck because the artwork was a good match to the Hedgewitch Oracle Deck. I was curious how they would play together and they definitely do in my opinion. Surprisingly, all the white space in both decks compliments rather than being overwhelming.
   Shadowscapes Tarot – I resisted buying this deck for a long time, but curiosity finally won out and I did end up getting one. I’ve flipped through and admired the artwork on the cards, but I haven’t used it for readings yet. It feels very “light and airy” to me, and I require a certain head-space to work with decks that have that sort of energy.
   Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot – A research deck. I have the original 1971 version of the Rider, but I felt the need for a newer version for reference material.
3. Top 5 Oracle Decks of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
   Angels and Ancestors Oracle Deck – I use this deck for a seasonal spread this year, and I’ve been really happy with the results and I find them to be a remarkably easy read. I also like that the angels in this deck aren’t the traditional take on angels or cupids, which is something that can often really turn me off on a deck that incorporates angels in the artwork.
   Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle – As a lover of the green, this one was irresistible to me, and I’ve enjoyed working with it since its arrival in my collection. I have plans to do a deep dive on this deck at some point and do some pretty hefty research into it beyond my science-based botanical education and into the more hedge-witch side of things.
   Kuan Yin Oracle – This deck is all about the artwork for me, which is beautiful but does not necessarily meet up with my interpretation and understanding of Kuan Yin. That said, I choose to view this deck more as a general “goddess” deck than a Kuan Yin deck, and that works for me. These cards have a soft, warm feeling to their energy, and I have a couple of tarot decks I want to try pairing them with, but I have a feeling they will work better as an affirmation deck.
   I could be wrong… but I think that these are the only Oracle decks that I purchased in 2018.
4. Top 5 Tarot Books of 2018 (ones you purchased and or released in 2018)
   Holistic Tarot, Tarot Reversals (which was helpful in my 2018 year long in-depth study of the WildWood deck), Guidebook to the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Tarot, and Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card.
   To be honest, I don’t get a good deal of time to sit down with books for the pleasure of just reading. This means that I’m part way through each one of these books rather than having finished any one of them cover to cover. The exception to this is the Tarot Reversals, which I have not read cover to cover but I have read in its entirety by skipping around from place to place through my use of it as reference material.
5. The card that stalked you in 2018
   I didn’t have a single stalker card in 2018. I had three. Three queens, to be exact. The Queen of Cups, Queen of Pentacles, and Queen of Swords. Although two of the queens have since eased off in their constant attention, the Queen of Swords continues to follow me to date this year.
6. The deck you finally crossed off your wish list in 2018
   The Anna K Tarot. I stalled on buying this one for a long time. I’m not sure I can explain why I waited so long other than it just didn’t feel like the time was right. A few videos on BohoTarot’s YouTube channel ended up tipping the scales for me, though. She has some really great video work, clear pictures and nice aesthetic that really set off the cards and pushed this deck’s long-lingering existence on my wish list into a purchase.
7. Most worked with Tarot deck in 2018 and why
   I did a lot of work with the WildWood Tarot in 2018. I found the differences and contrasts between it and my own tarot teachings very interesting, and it took me a lot of time to explore this deck as it’s quite a bit different than the number/suit basis that I’ve been using for the last 20 years. I did a year-long deep dive into this deck in 2018. My only regret? I wish I’d journalled the journey, and I believe I made a mistake in not having done so.

I think that’s it for today.  I’ll get a few more done and make another post with Part 2 in the near future.