Note to self: Avoid throwing bull chunks at angry goddesses

    DO THIS                                      DON'T DO THIS

Important thing at work today. The cards seem to be saying to be logical and controlled, and not to worry about the outcome. I suppose the cards have a point. This is not a life or death thing here. Nothing is riding on the outcome of today's events. So why should I worry about it? I like the way the figure on the left is throwing the arrow over his shoulder, as if he's chucking the 5 of Disks over his shoulder with it. 'Psssh!' He seems to be saying. 'Away with you.'

Fate's Spin with the Babylonian Tarot

Fate's Spin by Carrie Paris

1. Where can I locate fortune in my life?

2.  How can I recognize opportunity when it presents itself?

3. How can I create a more fortunate spin in my life?

4. What can I do to prepare for the changes that come when I activate Fortune's spin?

5. How can I be receptive to what change has to offer?

6. What role or purpose am I creating when I acknowledge rather than overlook the changes in my life?

7. How can I be a living example of my fortunate divination?

I've asked about fortune and I get the Ace of Disks again. The energy of this suit is hovering round me this week. Fortune naturally is going to fall within the realm of earthly concerns -- physical, material, financial. Seems to me that is what 'fortune' is all about, things that happen to us in this earthly plane. Also, interestingly, the Ace of Disks itself becomes the hub of the wheel that turns this spread. The other cards rotate around it.

Star of Babylon

Babylonian Tarot (Cicero 2006)

The Ace of Disks in Babylonian Tarot is very similar in design to the Ace of Disks from the Thoth Tarot. The Babylonian one is simpler. The circle in the middle is said to be the Babylonian symbol for the sun. At the top of the card is the cuneiform symbol for 'one', and at the bottom left is the cuneiform symbol for 'grain'.

The Thoth card is also known as 'the root of powers of the earth', and this is an apt description of the Ace of Disks (also known as Coins or Pentacles). As always, the ace of the suit represents the full potential of the power of the element of the suit. It is truly a purely elemental card. In the case of the Disks, it represents all things having to do with the physical, the material, the financial. So here we have material gain, prosperity, health, the faculties of the senses, work, labor, possibly even power and wealth. Aces can always suggest the beginning of something as well, or at least that the energies are positive for the beginning of the something. An auspicious time for starts in projects focusing on the earth realm. It might also suggest that now is the time to get back to basics in the realm of the earth element. This could mean having a fresh look at one's finances, being on the alert for new opportunities in work and career, or a good time to start a new health regime or make an appointment to see the doctor about something that's been bothering you. It's a good time to do something new in any or all of these areas of your life.

Thoth

The Thoth card is more ornate than the Babylonian card, but that is true of every similar card in the pack. Lady Frieda Harris's art style is quite different, more accomplished and ornate than the Babylonian Tarot's. Still the similarities are obvious: green coloration, a star inside a circle in the middle, the oval or lozenge shape with the rather pointed ends has a name and esoteric significance, but at the moment I can't recall what it is nor remember what book I read it in! It has something to do with perfection in the world--if I remember it I will come back here and add the information. :)

I don't feel very filled with the potential energy of the suit today, having only slept 4.5 hours last night. But, still gotta go to work, so who knows what the day may bring.

Let's take a look at the Babylonian Tarot

The UK Tarot Conference was fun and I will write about it soon, but first let's take a look at this week's tarot, the Babylonian Tarot by Sandra Tabatha Cicero (Llewellyn, 2006). This was a freebie in our goody bags at the conference! I'm so glad I didn't order it as a result of being enabled by Chloe at Inner Whispers recently!

I have another deck by this same author, Golden Dawn Magical Tarot, which I am a big fan of, so I am happy to say that having perused the companion book and looked through the cards, I quite like this one, too! The art style is just like the Golden Dawn Magical Tarot, and as there is no credit given anywhere that I can see in the book, I assume that Sandra Tabatha Cicero has done them all herself. I quite like the art style of both decks, though some might call it 'naive' or 'primitive'. I like a deck that looks hand drawn (and I also like a deck that looks quite accomplished--I like both as long as the art work is not so slick that it looks like perhaps a human hand had no involvement.)