Madame Endora's Fortune Cards - first daily draw

I was sent this deck for Christmas, but it didn't get here until my birthday, so I'm considering it a birthday gift. :D

For my first draw, I'm doing the 'Oracle of the Dawning Day' draw described in the LWB. You're meant to ask, 'What will the day bring?' and shuffle three times, then cut three times and take the card from the top, which is:

I have a sneaking suspicion this might mean 'she who must not be named' will send me to another work base which will require a train journey and long walk, at short notice (meaning none).  I hope not! I will report what this card actually pointed to at the end of the day.

In the meantime, the LWB explains, 'A change is forthcoming. Your circumstance or destiny has been altered. You must decide whether to change your current direction or stay your course. New prospects and potential new problems are on the horizon. Be prepared to adapt.' Which seems to me to be several different ways of saying the same thing: The winds of change are blowing particularly strong today. Don't carry an umbrella.

ETA: Okay, I wasn't sent to a different workbase, but I did find out I have to work on Saturday. I think that this is more about everything I found out about my retirement, and also some stuff I read about interest-paying current accounts and high interest saving accounts. The winds of change may be blowing ISAs into my past!

2017 Cards for the Year and the Months

I was just thinking, if we have tarot year cards for the year in general (not personal birthday cards), why not take a look at the cards for each month as well. This is the card for the world, all of us, the collective, humanity in general, or however you want to look at it. The card for 2017 is 2+0+1+7=10, Roue de la Fortune.

Jean Noblet Tarot de Marseille - Year Card 2017

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out how this can apply to 2017! It's a year of great uncertainty, and bound to be filled with unexpected twists and turns. It is a volatile time. Brexit, Trump, who know what all.

What about the months? What cards represent each month in 2017? I used a simple method of adding the number of the month to the year and reducing. January = 1 + 2017 = 2018 = 11. And so on.

Jean Noblet Tarot de Marseille - January to June 2017

January - Force
February - Le Pendu
March - La Mort
April - La Temperance
May - Les Amoureux
June - Le Chariot

Jean Noblet Tarot de Marseille - July to December 2017 

July - Justice
August - L' Ermite
September - Roue de la Fortune
October - Force
November - Le Pendu
December - La Mort

Now, January's nearly over, but perhaps you can think of ways that Strength was the card to represent this month.

What do you think Le Pendu portends for February? If we use it as a recommendation, what do you think we should be doing in February? What attitude to take on? What to avoid?

Did you notice how the last three months echo the first three months? Force, Le Pendu, La Mort. Strength, Hanged Man, Death. Will we have learned nothing in a year? Will we be seeing the resolution to the year brought full circle? -- This would be interesting, considering the card for 2017 is Wheel! Or will we have completely new challenges and issues to face that these cards deal with?

What do you think?

Each month, I intend to write my ruminations on the 1st, and how I think the card relates to the year card. Please add your thoughts as well! Should be an interesting exercise. In fact I may also suggest it on the TABI forum as a running thread. :)

Birthday reading with Tarot de Marseille

Fournier TdM and Dodal TdM

It's my birthday and I've decided to use Angelorum's birthday spread. The card in the middle is my year card, and the other cards clockwise from top are 'area of life most affected by year card', 'aspect that will be most challenged by year card energy', 'avoid this in the year ahead', 'do more of this in the year ahead'.

My year card is Strength, because I use TdM, and Strength is 11, not Justice. I also don't see the point of reducing the number again and having two year cards, so I'm leaving La Papesse out of the equation.

Looking at the spread, there's a good balance of suits here -- one each. That always feels reassuring to me, a balance of elements. We have numbers 5, 9, and 8, and by some reckonings, Knights are 12, which reduces to 3. The Coins and Cups on the left are the 'soft' suits (as described by Yoav Ben-Dov), which can be regarded as feminine, receptive, and favourable. The Swords and Wands or Staves can be regarded as masculine, outgoing, and challenging. The fact that they have taken sides in the spread rather than mixing themselves suggests that there may be a bit of dichotomy or struggle between them. However, the lion is on the 'hard' side of the spread, and the lady is on the soft side, and we know who is winning that struggle! The message of the pips echoes the message of the trump -- gentleness will win out over savageness.  I like the way the Cavalier de Epee is facing in toward the spread; it makes it feel complete of itself. When cards on the edges of spreads face outwards, it makes me feel like the message is incomplete and more cards need to be drawn to see what they're looking at. Strength and Knight facing each other also feels right to me, especially as the position is 'area of life most affected by year card.' So that area is not running away from it, but to me it looks like the two are engaged in conversation about it.

My 'main spiritual lesson' of 2017 comes from Strength. My spiritual teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, wrote a poem called 'Recommendation' in 1965 during the Vietnam War, calling on his fellow protesters to be strong in the face of hate. I've italicised those lines that resonate with the Strength card for me:

Promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:

Even as they strike you down
with a mountain of hatred and violence;
even as they step on you and crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember and disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not our enemy.

The only thing worthy of you is compassion,
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.

One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.
And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousand worlds of birth and dying.

Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun and the moon
will continue to shine.

The area that will be most affected by Strength energy will be 5 of Coins. As this card often is interpreted is instability in health/finances, I take this to mean that instability will be affected by Strength in order to become more stable. Strength provides the advice for how to deal with challenge: take the lion by the jaws. 

The aspect that will be most challenged in the year ahead is Knight of Swords, or Cavalier d' Epee. This character has a lack of impulse control and enjoys forcing his opinions on others and not listening. If I'm going to be able to take the lion by the jaws and tame it with gentleness, the Knight of Swords is going to feel challenged by this! He's going to have to rein himself back and let other aspects of self take the lead. 

What should I avoid in the year ahead? 9 of Cups. It seems to me to point to getting too comfortable with the status quo. It is entirely possible to be happy and also want to change things. I do love the simple life, but I also must remember that each day being exactly the same is how years can slip by and you can't believe so much time has passed. That's because after a certain age, once most of life's milestones have been achieved, if you don't make your own milestones, it goes by in a blur. Avoid the comfortable blur. 

And finally, do more of this in the year ahead: 9 of Wands. Again, there is advice to rein in the hard suits in my life and personality. And in the Ben-Dov book, this line sticks out at me: 'In a conflict: avoiding a clash with superior forces by letting them have their way.' Which reminds me of an old John Cougar Mellancamp song:

They like to get you in a compromising position
They like to get you there and smile in your face
They think, they're so cute when they got you in that condition
Well I think, it's a total disgrace
I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins
I been doing it, since I was a young kid
I've come out grinnin'
I fight authority, authority always wins

Guess which route I usually go? Oh yeah. Fighting authority. But the card here suggests, less offence, more defence. Oh, all right! This also echoes the Strength card in a way. As Michelle Obama said, when they go low, we go high.

Thanks to Lisa at Angelorum for an interesting spread. :)

Just like a tree that's standing by the water

'Cruelty. Nine of Swords. Consciousness has fallen into a realm unenlightened by reason. This is the world of the unconscious primitive instincts, of the psychopath, of the fanatic. The celestial ruler is Mars in Gemini, crude rage of hunger operating without restraint; although its form is intellectual, it is the temper of the inquisitor. 

There is, however, a way of dealing with this card: the way of passive resistance, resignation, the acceptance of martyrdom. 

Nor is an alien formula that of implacable revenge.'  -- Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth 

Implacable revenge may not be an alien formula, but it doesn't make for a pleasant Thursday. Neither does the acceptance of martyrdom, but Uncle Al did like to be melodramatic. Passive resistance, now, that is something I can go along with. And I may need to engage in it at some point, if anyone or anything tries to draw blood today. But will I need to let passive resistance become resignation, and finally acceptance of martyrdom? I refuse! (Or should I say, I resist!) 

Like the swords themselves, cruelty is double edged. People can be cruel to each other, but we can also be cruel to ourselves. Uncle Al's first remarks are about the 'realm unenlightened by reason' -- and what is overthinking and the replaying of tapes but this? So apart from being on the lookout for outward cruelty today, I must also avoid bashing myself. 

I'm not up for a fight today. I'm done with all that. So I'm not having one, with myself or anyone else. I will not be engaged. You can try to bully me, you can try to beat me down, but I will not be moved. 

Weird Science: 6 of Swords Parrott Tarot

'Six of Swords is a time of outreach, travel, study and learning. You are empowered by your own knowledge and the accumulation of knowledge.' - Paul Hughes-Barlow, Super Tarot

Today the service is shut down so that staff can travel to a central location for our second annual staff conference. It looks like this card from Parrott Tarot by Margaret and Thom Parrott is 'spot on', as they say. 

I have absolutely no idea why the design is as it is. To me it looks sort of like the iris of a blue eye with a star over the pupil and swords growing out of it like those worm-alien things came of that dude's eye in 'Prometheus'.  Eww!

Notice how the pip card has the playing card association in the top left (6 of Spades), the planet and astrological association under the image (Mercury and Aquarius), and the parrot doing something cute and science-y in the corner there?

Hope today goes by fast, is productive and doesn't make me want to lance myself in the eyes. Ha! 

Parrott Tarot: The World

Today's card is The World from the curious Parrott Tarot deck by Margaret and Thom Parrott. It's a self-published deck that apparently came out in 2008 (or at least that is the date it was first available on Amazon.) I received it in trade and find it quite amusing. The deck came in a tuck box with no instructions, though I gather that originally it had a fold-out information sheet. However, I've managed to find images of the sheet online and from what I can see, it's no more helpful than a traditional LWB. So all these esoteric notations must be either something you're familiar with from elsewhere, used 'intuitively', or simply ignored. They come from Golden Dawn tradition, and as we know, Golden Dawn is behind both the RWS and the Thoth decks. Strangely, the box says 'A deck of 82 cards based on the Rider Waite deck,' but the cards of this deck are so Thoth-y it hurts, as you'll see in subsequent draws this week. (The four extra cards are 'The Mentors', which apparently belong in the courts, but those who know me can well guess where they are. In the box.)

Each card has a Thoth-inspired image, number in upper and lower left corner (in pip cards the upper left is the playing card equivalent, which is nice), Hebrew letter, astrological sign, and a parrot in the lower right corner. In majors, he's singing a note that is apparently associated with the card in Golden Dawn tradition. (I don't know what the two Arabic numerals are next to the Hebrew letter, but I'm not deep into Golden Dawn, really.  I'll have to look those up.) In the pip cards, he's doing some sort of action that reflects the meaning of the card. The pips have Thoth key words.

Must rush this morning, but it least it looks like it's going to be a positive day! I drew The World!

Power in the Blood

Soul Cards 1, 2013

Blood here. Blood and leaves. Is this person leaning against glass? Are we on the other side? The hands could belong to the face, but they could also be the hands of unseen children. They aren't the same size. This image makes me think instantly of a song I grew up with, that I still sing, and that still stirs my spirit, though it has many complex meanings beyond its simple lyric to me now.




 Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide;
There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow;
There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Peacemaker

Soul Cards 1, D Koff-Chapin 2013

Powerful image. I see water and fire. I see a figure that is split between peace and wailing emotion. The starburst on the chest is halfway between the heart and throat chakras.

Today may be a day of both hope and conflict. May the truth from my heart be spoken from my mouth. And may I not forget my hands, so prominently displayed here, not clenched in fists or grasping weapons, but open and soft, prepared to give and receive that which will bless and not harm.

So mote it be.

Practice practice practice

Soul Cards 1 by D Koff-Chapin, 2013 

Today's card is from Soul Cards 1 by D Koff-Chapin (2013). These cards are not numbered or named, and there is no guidance offered on meanings, though there's some useful advice on how to find your own meaning in them.

I am drawing all cards this week with the simple question, 'What does the universe want of/for me today?'

In this image, I see a female figure in earthy colours kneeling in the kneeling-Isis pose. Her right hand reminds me of a mudra representing overcoming communication blocks. It may not actually be that mudra, but it reminds me of it. She looks up toward another figure that hovers above her and wraps around her. This figure is more colourful, and appears to have wings. The wings do not enwrap the female figure, but one wing crosses over her body, and the raised hand. The colourful figure has its eyes closed. The earthier looking figure has her eyes open.

The 'angels' are sleeping today. Do not be dismayed if communication attempts are not entirely successful.

This is not much of a surprise, as I enter afresh into a meditation practice. You can't have that breakthrough-to-another-level feeling on the first day. That's why they call it practice.

Big change - what now?

You guys, I've deactivated my Facebook account! It's not the first time I've done it. A hiatus from Facebook for me usually lasts about a year. Then when I go back on, slowly but surely, I spend more and more time on there until I realise it's taking up nearly all my free time, and so I deactivate. I deleted the account once and stayed off for a couple of years. I might do that this time, too.

Thought I'd do a read about it:

What am I leaving behind (or what do I think I've left behind)?
What am I really leaving behind?
What are the three choices ahead of me, my 'points of power'?

(Spread was found here. Sorry, I don't know anything about this site; stumbled upon by googling 'spread for a big change.')

Tarot de St Croix, Lisa de St Croix, Devera 2013

By deactivating my Facebook account I 'think' I've left behind Ace of Wands -- a source of inspiration, a place where I can make a difference. I was all into political stories and memes and petitions and so on, there. In addition to my kitten videos.

But what I'm really leaving behind is the Emperor -- Good lord, could I really have been 'working for the man' by using Facebook? I guess I was, really. I mean, I know Facebook saves everything about me, and alarming connections are made, like if I browse an item on Amazon or elsewhere, ads for it turn up on my FB feed or in the sidebars. There are even scarier ways Facebook (and Google, but one thing at a time, people) control and track us, that I don't even know about. So that's what I'm really leaving behind.

Now, what are my power points? Six of Swords, Four of Wands and Queen of Cups. Just for kicks, I'll string together the interpretation suggested in the Tarot de St Croix LWB:

I'm led 'out of the dark dungeons of my mind' and find my power through 'creating ritual and space' where I 'accept the flow of all emotions.' Once again I have a powerful card about capturing living water. I also like that the LWB describes it as 'flow'. Actually, these are the exact reasons I wanted to free up time by leaving FB.

Another thing I like about these power cards is how they are all facing to the left -- in opposition to the Emperor, who seems to be trying to point them toward the right. F*** you, Emperor! Not only are we going the opposite direction, we're ready to crash right into you in a clash of wills -- or fight for our souls, perhaps! We are gonna do what we want without your input. (Also -- see how the wand is pointing in the same direction the power cards are going? I thought I was going that way but I wasn't!)

That's 'now what'!

For TABI members. I've got some decks for sale on the forum here: CLICK. 

Lenormand Well-Being Spread

Another well-being spread from Chloe McCracken at Inner Whispers. (You can get the document free at Inner Whispers: Welcoming Wellness in 2017).

The heart of the matter is Rider, a card that to me means exercise and athleticism. Well, it's been a long time since I had either of those!

Things I've been dealing with: finding the solution to my blockages to exercise and fitness, and drinking more water for overall good health.

Current situation: Birds + Rider + Tree. Many messages about health. True. I have been thinking quite a lot about wellness in the new year. Tis the season! Using Chloe's health meanings, it pretty much looks walking is the way to go right now.

Past situation: Key + Mice + Clover. Motivation came from nervous fear. That's true. I was afraid to skip workouts because I was afraid if I missed a few I'd just never work out again. I was correct in this. Using Chloe's health meanings, I was lucky I managed to get enough nutrients and trace minerals. Possibly true. I was eating a very strict vegan diet.

Future situation: Fish + Snake + Mountain. Blocked by financial concerns. Oh great. I do not want to even follow that thread any further! If we use Chloe's health interpretations, it is saying I won't recognise the block created by not drinking enough water.

How is my physical reality affecting my well-being? Clover + Tree + Mountain. My luck in enjoying relatively good health is creating complacency so that I don't notice the low-level lack of wellness that leads to some of my small chronic complaints and general reluctance to move.

How are my thoughts affecting my well-being? I think I have it all figured out and just need to do it. This is probably holding me back from looking at who and where I am right now. I have talked about this a lot as being the key. I also hold onto the thought that there's plenty of time, thus I am more or less stuck.

Advised action to bring forward momentum: Birds + Mice + Rider + Snake + Tree. Stress and anxiety eat away at forward momentum and lead to an ill woman. Well, I guess that's a hint not to let stress and anxiety cause me to be an ill woman. In other words, be motivated by the prophylactic value of actively pursuing wellness. But how is this an action? What action do I most need to bring forward momentum? I'll try an oracle, The Secret Language of Colour:

'Blue activates healing powers, increases vitality, and has a calming effect when people feel nervous, manic or overexcited. Use the blue sword of light to assist you in healing your body.'

The nervous aspect is addressed in this card. I suppose that's what I should focus on. Calming and healing. So, frenetic activity, HIIT, intense cardio, that sort of thing is not right at the moment. Action that is calming and healing is what is needed. Right.

New Years Day - Reflect on joyful moments

Today's card of the day comes from an oracle deck, The Secret Language of Colour by Inna Segal.

'Today is the day for rejoicing,' says the guidebook. 'Remind yourself of all the golden moments you have experienced in your life. Find five joyful moments in this day. Wear something that is Apricot, or meditate on this colour.  Invite joy into your heart.

'Say: "Divine spirit, please awaken the joy, laughter, and spontaneity of my heart and soul." '

This is a lovely exercise for today. I'll be writing my five joyful moments in my Sacred Journey journal. (I've used this journal  for many years off and on, and wrote about it at times on previous blogs. Over the years, the way I've used this journal has evolved. Here's how I used it back when I was deep into a fitness regime, on my old blog, Dharma in the Dishes. This was before my tarot blogging days! In fact, my very first tarot reading is posted there. Dare I share? Oh go on, then. My first reading.)

What will you be doing on this first day of the year? :)