'Balancing the Moment' with Cosmic Tarot

I first used this new-deck technique with Gaian Tarot, and as I just received my new Cosmic Tarot yesterday, it seemed like a good thing to try again! (I prefer this technique to 'new deck' interviews, as I never really felt a new deck was 'telling' me anything when I tried to talk to it about itself. I always found that technique a bit awkward).  

Step One. Separate the deck. Look through the deck and create two piles: Cards I like, Cards I dislike. 
Step Two. Reduce the piles. Study each pile carefully, and select 3-6 cards you like best of all, and 3-6 cards you most dislike. 
Step Three. Find the balance. Choose the card you like the most. Read it for its negative aspects and associations. Reflect upon how that applies in your life right now. Then choose the card you most dislike. Read it for its positive aspects and assocations. Reflect upon how that applies to your life right now.

Step One. 
On first sorting, there are only 15 cards in the 'Don't Like' pile. So I must really like this deck!  The cards I like either have an instantly obvious meaning to me, OR I just really like the art work, or both. The cards I dislike disturb or confuse me. (Example: Ten of Swords shows a bald male with glowing eyes, a beam of light emitting from his open mouth, being stabbed from all directions by little swords. Looks like a nightmare. I don't like nighmarish imagery.)

Steps Two & Three
Cards I like:

Cosmic Tarot US Games 1988

I find these cards very beautiful, particularly the High Priestess. She is my favourite card in this deck so far, and possibly my favourite High Priestess of all my decks. She seems to beckon me to join her in those deep waters, which are really my deep waters...She's gorgeous. The 9 of Cups is a lovely image, the colours are wonderfully warm, and the light and shadow playing the faces of the couple are doing good things to them. She is beautiful. There's something that feels sort of 'Deco' to me about the image. I find it really attractive. Finally, that pink flamingo is so eyecatching in The Star, and the diamond alice band she's wearing echoes the points of light all over the card. Wonderful image. 

What is the shadow meaning of my favourite card?  Well, the High Priestess reversed could be a lot like the Queen of Swords on a very bad day. Withdrawn, suffering from mood swings. If you talk to her you never know if she'll (curtly) answer you or just flat out snap your head off. She probably won't share anything that's not intended to cut. She uses her insight to sting and wound rather than to help. 

Cards I don't like:

Cosmic Tarot US Games 1988

I think the card I dislike most in the deck is Ten of Swords, but to be fair, I quite dislike all of these cards. That Devil card is just awful, I hate his face and nose ring, he just looks stupid. And the Fool is quite sinister looking, don't like his face, either. 

Ten of Swords reversed; it's not a card for which I've given much thought to shadow meaning. But if the 10 of Swords upright is genuine pain and anguish, maybe the 10 of Swords reversed is being a drama queen or an emotional hypochondriac. 

Huh! So is this a deck that will help me see when I need to get over myself?  Looks like it. :) And who doesn't need that message every now and then!

Celtic Tarot: King of Swords

The King of Swords from the Celtic Tarot (Courtney Davis, Aquarian 1990) is probably my favourite depiction of this court character. He is unlike any court card in the deck, and the best King of Swords I've seen in any deck so far. Obviously the first thing that strikes is the penetrating gaze of his huge blue eyes. They beam right out of the card straight into you. There is no doubt at all that he is looking right at you, that he sees you, that he understands what you are about, and that he is already at least three steps ahead of you. 


His chin is down slightly toward his chest, eyes raised. It is a steady gaze, with the slightest hint of a squint from beneath the eyes. He's studying you. Yet his brow is smooth and eyebrows relaxed. He is not afraid of you, and even curious about what behaviour you may display next. His hair,with its straight parting, accompanied by the beard, raises the inevitable comparison to the Shroud of Turin/Jesus image. There is a solemnity, a dignity, a purity and an authority associated with this image that is inescapable here. The purple mantle denotes his regal status and his authority. He holds his sword easily and familiarly. It is like an extension of himself; he is one with it, as he is one with his own mind and his own being. 


The King of Swords is a passionate man, but he is a man in control of himself. He believes:

Which Queen is She?

'She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes.
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies.
And she only reveals what she wants you to see.
She hides like a child, but she's always a woman to me.

She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you.

She can ask for the truth, but she'll never believe you. 

And she'll take what you'll give her as long as it's free.

Yeah, she steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me.

Oh, she takes care of herself,

She can wait if she wants, 

She's ahead of her time.

Oh, and she never gives out,

And she never gives in.

She just changes her mind.

And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden.

Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding.

But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be.

Blame it all on yourself, 'cause she's always a woman to me.

She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel.

But she can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool. 

And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree. 

And the most she will do is throw shadows at you,

But she's always a woman to me.'

                                          ~Billy Joel, 'Always a Woman to Me'

Sha la la la, that ain't no crime: More Rocky Horror

Rocky Horror Spread, Vanessa Tarot 

I tried out the Rocky Horror Spread on myself for a general reading with the Vanessa Tarot and got:

A spread based on a musical: Rocky Horror Picture Show

I came across the idea of using the songs from 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' to make a card spread while browsing at Aeclectic Tarot.* I love the idea, so created my own version, using the songs in the order they appear in the show, and laying out the cards in the shape of lips. 

Rocky Horror Spread

Is Joey in your tarot?

'In your own favourite deck, does the Knight's horse reflect the Knight's personality? Does the horse's livery reflect the suit's qualities?  Not all Knights are on horses - other creatures are used - do the other animals chosen reflect the Knight's suit, or has it been chosen arbitrarily?'

Alison at This Game of Thrones asks this question, so let's listen to the Knights in Courtney Davis's Celtic Tarot:

Knight of Cups

The Queen of Cups? You're kidding, right?

Celtic Tarot, Davis 1990

I asked for advice on how to deal with work next week, and I drew Queen of Cups. My draw (based on a technique described by Espearite) suggests that before I can deal with anything else, I must start with this. Queen of Cups? Really? This is not how I want to deal with the issue that I had in mind. For one thing, I'm not the Queen of Cups--normally. Usually, I am Queen of Swords. (More on her later). But the draw advises me, the first thing I need to do to deal with this issue next week is to address the Queen of Cups. So, who is this woman, and why should I start with her?

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Coins

All I can say about the suit of Coins in Celtic Tarot is -- you better have your meanings memorized, because you won't be getting much help from these card images! Having looked at them very closely, I can't say I see much to go on intuitively, or many cues to traditional meanings. Do you?? They're very pleasing to look at, but not much to go on.

In each card you get a golden Celtic knot as the 'coin', surrounded by blue knot work borders. Sometimes this border encircles each coin separately, sometimes in groups or clusters. In most cards, these circle borders are either anchored to the outer border by straight lines, or are interwoven into the outer border, like in knitting. A few of the cards have half-moon 'bites' taken out of the sides, but these do not seem to have any symbolic meaning. All meanings given in the companion book by Helena Patterson follow traditional RWS meanings, but I can't find many hints at them in these cards. Just as well as I have them memorised, then!

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Swords

Suit of Swords--Celtic Tarot, Davis  

The first thing I notice about this suit is the arcing of lightning or electricity and its various manifestations throughout. You can see the first stirrings of it on the tip of the sword in the Ace, then the big spark jumping between sword tips in the Two. It's gone in the Three, but beginning to whirl up again behind the swords in the Four, goes a little crazy in the Five, shoots a clear steady beam in the Six, becomes a full on power storm in the Seven, then is pretty much gone in Eight, Nine and Ten. The background of those cards also appears a deeper red. Why? Looking closer, you can see that there is a ball of energy in Eight, a few glimmering pinpoints in Nine, and a few even smaller ones in Ten. Curious...what could it mean?

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Cups

Cups suit from Celtic Tarot, Davis, 3rd edition 2002

The Cups do not lend themselves immediately to a continuous story, as the Wands suit does. There is a thread that runs through them, though. Each card features cups suffused in a kind of effervescent glow, suspended in front of a circular pattern reminiscent of a rose window. The groupings of the Cups and a few subtle cues in the rose window are all the clues you get, really, to help you interpret these cards.

Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Wands

Celtic Tarot, Aquarian 1990

I received my second copy of the Celtic Tarot (Courtney Davis) the other day, and have been admiring it since. I believe this is the most beautiful pips-only deck that I have seen yet. In the photo above, I have arranged them so that the bottom row is Wands, next up Cups, then Swords, and the top row is Coins, with courts in a pile at the end of each row. You can see that the suits are linked by colour, inner border style, and in the case of the Coins, by shape of the design. The Wands all feature the Sun, Cups are contained in circles on a blue background, the Swords are red and feature diamond patterns, and the Coins have a green background with Celtic knot discs in gold. Unlike some pip decks, there are many cues to meaning in the design and coloring of each pip card, so it seems like a good idea to have a closer look at them.

Prairie Tarot -- Becoming who you choose to be

I found this court card exercise at Alison's This Game of Thrones blog, and thought I'd give it a try.

1  Think of a single area of your life that you'd like to work on.
2  Choose a Court Card that best reflects where you are right Now.  
3  Choose another Court Card that best reflects your future Goal, how you'd like to be.
4  Set them out with the Now card on the left and the Goal card on the right. Leave two spaces between them.
5  Shuffle your remaining Court Cards* and think about the journey from one to the other.
6  Draw one card whose energies will HELP you make the transition. Set it after the Now card.
7 Draw one card whose energies will HINDER you from making the transition. Set in the remaining gap. 
*If you want to use the rest of your deck for those last two cards, by all means do so.

The area that I'd like to work on right now is my attitude toward my daily life. I would like to be more enthusiastic about tackling challenges, particularly in mundane areas. Maybe they aren't challenges so much as little annoyances. Things like tidying up, or eating well, working out, or even getting the gumption to go out and do something when it's more comfortable and appealing to just stay in. I think the key word is gumption. I'm looking to develop 'gumption'. So in the spirit of the word, I will use the Prairie Tarot.

Prairie Tarot -- 9 of Cups

Prairie Tarot, Glow in the Dark 2011

Today I've drawn the 9 of Cups from Robin Ator's Prairie Tarot -- A Tarot of the American West. It's really good to see this card today, because I've got a long Friday ahead of me. But, happily, it's the Friday before I'm on holiday all week next week. So this card speaks to me of the expansive and relaxed feeling of the Friday evening before a weekend off to be followed by five days of sweet freedom, then still another weekend. Actually...that's nine days. 9 of Cups. Nine days of freedom.

The cowboy in the card relaxes in his local saloon, legs crossed, chair kicked back, lounging with both arms stretched out on the bar. He is at his ease. All the cups around, coupled with the saucy portrait of the nude hanging overhead, speak to me of luxury and leisure. Indulgence in slow days of rest and relaxation and contentment. That's what I need! So yeehaw, hand me down my hat...that cowboy's also got a pocket watch hanging from his shirt, to remind me that the respite doesn't last forever...but I'm going to enjoy it while it does!

Prairie Tarot--7 of Swords

Prairie Tarot, Glow in the Dark, 2011

Today's card is 7 of Swords, from Robin Ator's Prairie Tarot: A Tarot of the American West. A man, likely a white man, judging from his clothes and hair, approaches an Indian camp or reservation. Behind his back he clutches seven swords. From the front, his ramrod straight posture is, I'm sure, accompanied by a look of studied guilelessness. The unwary Indians must all still be in their teepees, probably not even realising that he's walked up with his nice little surprise.

The card speaks to me of duplicity, deceit, betrayal. Why, though, are the colours of the swords arranged into the colours of the chakras?? And do my eyes betray me, or is the man's left hand dripping blood from the blades he clutches with his oversized, greedy hands?

Who is the man most deeply betraying here? The Indians? Or himself? Maybe he doesn't want to be here. Maybe he was sent on this mission to trick the Indians and doesn't want to do it. Maybe there is a crisis of conscience within him. Maybe.

Either way, there is a strong sense that the present moment of quiet depicting in the cards is about to end. There is a tension in the man's posture and the eye is drawn to the flaps of the teepees, as if the Indians are just about to begin emerging from them. Whatever is about to happen, is to going to happen within seconds, and whatever that may be, it's going to be painful for someone. This is not a win-win situation here, no way.

Bach Flower Divination Cards

On a roll with the Bach thing, I discovered 'Bach Flower Divination Cards' on a website called Creature Comforts. Based in Cromer, birthplace of Bach flower remedies, this company produces handmade remedies, and also offers this curious little deck of cards. 

My deck arrived today. It is very small, 2.25 x 3 inches, and the card stock is rather thin. It has a light, silky lamination. There are 38 cards, one for each of the Bach flower remedies. The front of the card has a full-colour close-up photograph of the flower, its name in a pleasant font that looks like italic handwriting, and   under that, on a black background, its negative and positive qualities (ie, qualities that can be treated by the remedy, and the subsequent restored balance provided by the remedy).

Bach Flower Inspirational Cards

Lo Scarabeo, Llewellyn 2010

The other day  a friend at work asked me to make her a flower remedy mixture, which I did. It got me thinking about my flower remedy collection (I have the full set of Bach flower remedies and can make mixtures for people), which of course reminded me that I had read about a Lo Scarabeo flower remedy deck that I had meant to order. So, I went to Book Depository and ordered it. It arrived the other day and although it was beautiful, I felt it needed something. But what?

I studied the cards and noticed that the circular pattern on each card provided the perfect place for me to add text, so I decided I would write an affirmation around that circle for each card, and write a phrase or key word at the bottom of the card, above the title. Obviously, I planned to do them just a few a day, taking my time, allowing for contemplation, etc.

Pamper Evening Nursery Hill Primary School, Nuneaton, 16th March

Last night was a great night! I worked at a Pamper Evening for the mums of the PTA of a local primary school. The venue was excellent, as the organisers put me in a small room to the side of the main hall, where I set up my table and proceeded to spend the next two and half hours giving back-to-back tarot readings to ten ladies.

In my excitement, I forget to take any photos of my table or the event! I took five decks with me: Morgan Greer, Universal Waite, Hudes, Anna K, and Druidcraft. The only deck that was not selected by a sitter was Morgan Greer, but the most popular decks seemed to be Hudes and Druidcraft.

Each sitter received an explanation of their 2012 Year Card, and a short general reading. (No one had a query ready for me, so everyone received a general reading.)

It was a great evening and seemed to be enjoyed by all. Next time, I will remember to take pictures!!