Head to my Rummage Sale page. This one is wrong. 😀
Category: A. Tarot
TarotBlogHop: Imbolc 2018 Brighid’s Blue Moon
Hey, y’all. Welcome to the TarotBlogHop for Imbolc 2018. Our intrepid wrangler is my friend, Aisling. She is an extraordinary woman. Aisling’s challenged us with a triple spread. Before we start, did you know that the Tarot Blog Hop’s first hop was Imbolc 2012? Yep, it’s been that long!
Here’s what Aisling says,
“We are calling this Hop “Brighid’s Blue Moon”. This festival is a “trifecta”, a combination of three significant events on a single date. February 1st is “Imbolc”, meaning “In the Belly”, the festival dedicated to Brighid of the Three Fires, who brings life back to Land, Sea, and Sky after winter’s doldrums have passed. But on Imbolc Eve, the day before the festival, we will see a Full Moon, which is also a Blue Moon, the second Full Moon in a calendar month. Therefore, we are celebrating a “Solilune”, a combination of a Solar and Lunar Festival, and it’s dedicated to a Deity who Herself is represented in Her Celtic realm by three Elemental locations, Land, Sea, and Sky, and three characteristics of the Inner Flame, Poesy, Smithcraft, and Healing, as well as shedding her beneficent influence on three areas of human life, Body, Mind, and Spirit . This day also represents a Secret Gift of Spirit, the Blue Moon, representing those things that are rare and precious–after all, they only happen “Once in a Blue Moon”. Therefore, we will be creating a pattern of triplicity in our draw and layout for this Hop. “
The spread itself is amazing in its depth. There are three parts with three cards each. I really didn’t think I had the time to do this spread. A nine-card layout means work for me. When I am doing my email readings, I’m going deep into the readings. I don’t generally have time/make time for this type of reading for myself. Still, it keeps nudging at me so I think I shall do all nine. I won’t share images of the cards (well of all the cards) but I will share what I draw. How much I share of my insights will be guided by what I pull. I am going to use
1) The Foundation: You will draw three cards, one representing Land (Body), one for Sky (Mind) and the third one for Sea (Spirit). These will indicate for you the physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual focus of your year-to-come. These cards honor the Solar Festival of Imbolc and the Three Fires of Brigid.
- Land (Body) is the Eight of Earth. This is the card of the apprentice, the journeyman, and the master. I am working on some health-related things so this makes sense as a physical card. Learning about what I can and can’t do.
- Sky (Mind) is the Seven of Fire. Interestingly this is the card I call Brighid at the Forge. A woman blacksmith hammers out the iron. Water waits to quench the hot iron while the forge glows hot for the next heating session. It is an endless cycle–this making. My mind understands that learning will take me from the fire to the anvil, to the water and back again.
- Sea (Spirit) is the Nine of Earth. Here is Joanna herself (she is the creatrix of the Gaian Tarot) standing in a field of lavender. She is smiling as representative of the successful woman this card traditionally holds. My spiritual pursuits are blessed, I think.
2) The Construction: This Moon, according to the Celtic Tree Calendar, is the Full Rowan Moon. This tree is sacred to Brighid, and represents “Protection from Evil Enchantment”. It is considered a Guardian, a Guide, and a Gateway, so that we may be safely sheltered and receive direction as we walk down the new path of the year. So the three cards you draw for the second level, the Lunar energy of the year, will represent the answers to the following three questions: What is the energy of the new path that presents itself? From what will I need protection on this journey? What energies of my own or of spirit will guide and protect me?
- What is the energy of the new path that presents itself? The Explorer of Water surfs in. In class today (I’m taking a class on two Adobe products) we worked on a project that featured a surfer. I was very confused as my program wasn’t set up right so I kept getting behind. I was so frustrated. But here is the surfer again, reminding me to ride the waves. The new path may be bumpy, but if I follow my heart and love the ride, I’ll be fine.
- What will I need protection from on this journey? Ah, the Two of Air with the little birds chirping away in the background. Hello, little voices in my head telling me I can’t do this. Hello, little souls in my world trying to tell me I can’t do this. Whether it’s internal editors or external detractors, I must protect my heart from the naysayers.
- What energies of my own or of spirit will guide and protect me? And the Seven of Water is a reminder to me to drink deeply from each dream. I have guides who will show me how to achieve all that I want to achieve…including the VBD.
3) The Surprise: Once in a Blue Moon, wonderful things come forth. Draw your final three cards connected with Body, Mind, and Spirit, in that order, to see what treasures the Universe has in store for you.
- Body Treasures: Well that’s a bit dismaying to pull Lightning (Tower) for Body treasures. That sounds like a lesson that will teach me something very wonderful about my own body.
- Mind Treasures: The Canoe (Chariot) is how to take charge of my own mind, how to direct my mind to create the tribe I want and need.
- Spirit Treasures: Grin, hello Death. A transforming year it would seem with the Tower, the Canoe, and Death in my treasures realm. I fear I know what this might mean. I do hope I am wrong. But the Universe will show me the way as long as I keep my eyes open and my feet moving. It’s not just about staying on a path. It’s about forging one.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
TarotBlogHop:Yule 2018 Wishing On A Star
Thanks for hopping by. This ends our sixth year of the Tarot Blog Hop. Our wrangler for the 2017 Yule hop is Ania. She’s given us this for a topic:
Wishing on a Star
As we approach the final festival of the calendar year, we prepare for a time of feasting and drinking. Whether you are observing Yule, the winter solstice, Christmas, any other holiday, or just being able to down tools for a few days, it is a time for celebration and also for anticipation and wishes. With this in mind and before you fling yourself headlong into the spirit of seasonal over-indulgence, take a moment to reflect on what this year has brought you and what you wish for the next year to bring.
Which card(s) best represent or celebrate your past year and which best represent your wishes for the year ahead. You can either select the cards you think fit best, or draw them randomly and see what the Tarot thinks.
2017 has been a stellar (pun fully intended) year for me. I took some really big leaps of faith. One was moving to the Patreon platform. Another was buying The Cartomancer. Both were hella scary moves. For one choice I thought I would be vilified. For the other, I thought I would crash and burn. Of course, neither of those happened. This and other things were valuable lessons in how I have let fear take over my life in many areas. I’m a fearful person. I can point a finger at many reasons why, but when it comes down to it, the reason is staring back at me in the mirror. I allowed myself to think other people’s opinions were that important. Don’t get me wrong. I value (okay, crave) approval. But I put far too much weight on other people’s approval than on my own. I’ve made choices in my life based on how happy it would make someone else. Or how it might make them approve of me.
That bears repeating…I did things based on other people.
So the Patreon thing and the Cartomancer thing were terrifying. Both have approval ratings built-in. I’ve had some bumps with both but those have been minor. I think the person who has been hardest on me is, again, that face looking back at me in the mirror. She can be a really critical bitch. Still, she’s someone I know pretty well these days (talk therapy for the win.) So I know how to redirect her more easily. Because this year also saw me say yes to some pretty scary things like writing decks for USGames, putting my name in to present at NWTS, and publishing my first self-published book.
Taking it out of the micro and moving it into the macro, a whole lot went sideways in my world. Specifically, I developed a violent reaction to the number 45. This led me down a dark path where anytime anyone did anything to piss me off (traffic mostly), I muttered, “They voted for him.” I realized that was part of what the regime wanted. A Them vs. Us attitude. It lost me a few friends. I miss some of them. But it also led me to a very bright place full of activists, full of people who refused to be sucked into the quicksand of despair. People who held on to the idea of hope. That’s an ongoing good thing.
Now that’s some exposition for you, but what about the actual topic? What card or cards best represent the past year and which ones represent my desires for next year? Ania, I love this topic. It really made me dig into some things. I decided it would make a good combo spread where I draw a Tarot card then an Oracle card as the…I was going to say clarifier but here I think it will be the amplifier.
Reflections & Projections Spread
- Past Year Card for reflection on the joy of the year
- Past Year Card for amplifying that joy.
- Past Year Card for reflection on the lessons of the year
- Past Year Card for amplifying those lessons.
- Coming Year Card for desires and projections.
- Coming Year Card for amplifying those desires and projections
- Quintessence of the Reading (this is the Mary K. Greer tip: Add all the cards up. Add them down to a number that is 22 or less. That is the drill-down of the reading–the Major Arcana that corresponds to that number.
Here is my own reading using the Gaian Tarot and Secret of the Mystic Grove.
- Joy of the Past Year Card: The Ten of Air is my card for reflecting on my joy. What an interesting card. Typically this is the Ten of Swords but here are geese flying. This is my own joy at achieving leadership but also at learning how to let others lead. It is not always necessary for me to do it all myself. By leaning on others this year, I’ve accomplished so much more.
- What amplifies the joys of the Past Year Card: 14, Confidence. I love this card for its message of taking pride in myself. I can see how this plays in beautifully to the Ten of Air geese. I was able to be proud of what I’d accomplished where before I might have been falsely modest. But dammit, I bought a mother-effing magazine. I wrote three decks in one year. I rocked it.
- Lessons of the Past Year Card: Whoooo boy does the Two of Earth ever hit home. I’ve always had choices. Often I’ve made the wrong one then beat myself up for that choice so much that I missed out on other things. I learned to make choices, reap the results, then move on. Pissed someone off? Okay. I apologized if necessary or cut ties otherwise (in cases where it wasn’t just a little tiff.) Choices.
- What amplifies the lessons of Past Year Card: Ahhhh 2, Dreaming is a bit ouchy for me. Some of my dreams were upended by my choices. I needed to listen more closely to that voice in my head telling me what to say yes to and what to say no to. I hear you, Universe. Dreams need smart choices.
- Desires for the Coming Year Card: I actually considered throwing this and the other two back in to start over. Surely 2018 would be better than the Ten of Fire, right? But it makes sense. I’m cutting back, cutting down, trimming away that which does not serve me. This card is about how a fire can destroy while at the same time create the potential for new growth. I’m down for that. I’ve already got my eye on some things that must go or must be redirected. Energy isn’t endless. I have to treat it as a renewable source and remember to renew it. That’s a desire for 2018. To be so creative that I have to let go of what doesn’t serve. Tenacity will play a major role in this.
- What amplifies my desires for the coming Year Card: 9, Togetherness made me grin. Fellowship is HUGE on my list of things I need this year. One piece of that has already fallen into my lap courtesy of one of my Gaian sisters. This card features such a variety of animals–including another peacock. I am going to have to shake my tail but that’s okay. I will be gathering my tribe to me.
- The quintessence of the Reading: Typically this is for Tarot numbering only, but since the Secrets of the Mystic Grove cards are numbered, I factored them in as well. I got 47 which is 4+7=11 so Justice is my Quintessence for this reading. Justice is my reminder to balance my inner with my outer, my desires with my husband’s, play and work, all those things we are told to balance. With Tenacity as my word of the year, I will add Balance. Because as much as I want to be dogged and fierce about my wants and needs, I must balance things as well.
I hope you have enjoyed this journey through my process. If you want to be notified about upcoming things like my expanded Journey to Joy class, please join my newsletter.
Now hop on to the next blog. Don’t forget to leave a comment so I know you were here.
TarotBlogHop: Samhain 2017 Handbaskets and Maps
Our blog hop wrangler, Jay Cassels, gave us an easy-peasy topic for this hop. (casts big stank-eye at Jay.) If you are hopping forward, you just came from Messages from Lore. If you are hopping backwards, then you already met Jay (if not, leave him a message on his blog that tells him I’m giving him the stank-eye!)
After reading his topic, I thought I’d name my post “Handbaskets and Maps.” But the spread he gave us took me to a different spot. I’m okay with that. Here’s his topic:
For this year’s Samhain Hop, I am interested to find out where you are at the end of this cycle. Using either a single card or a three card spread from your chosen deck:
- What do the cards tell you about where this cycle has lead you – Where have you been?
- What do they tell you about where you are headed – Where are you going?
- What do you feel has changed for you at the end of this cycle along your journey of life?
Like I said, easy-peasy, right? Sigh! So, I’m going to use the Secrets of the Mystic Grove. While it’s not a Tarot deck, I like it for the way it’s been answering my questions lately. Of course, I’m partial to it for other reasons.
So where have I been this cycle from last Samhain to this? Ha! Seeking Knowledge indeed! I’ve learned so much in this year. And I’m still cramming more into my brain on a daily basis. In case you missed it (and, darlings, how could you with as mouthy as I’ve been), I’m the new editor of The Cartomancer. This print & digital quarterly was founded by Jadzia and Jay DeForest. When Jadzia announced this past May that she was going to be turning the magazine over to someone, I threw my name in the hat. After talking with Jadzia quite a bit, she decided I was the right candidate for this.
I was thrilled. Then I realized I was also terrified. A bit like the gal in this card who seems to have overloaded her head with information. Still, I’ve learned I can ask for help. I can trust people to help me. I’ve learned that I’m a terrible ditherer when I get anxious. I’ve learned that my husband is very good at pointing things out that help me grasp the situation. So yes to Seeking Knowledge. I’ve also learned a lot about myself in this year. You would think at 56, I’d have a handle on that, but come to find out…there was more to learn.
So cards, where am I heading now? What’s the next point on the wheel for me? Bloom it is. This is the card that I draw a lot. It is, in my head, a paraphrase of one of my favorite quotes.
Bloom Where You Are Planted. Ashleigh Brilliant.
I first read that quite a while ago. Saw it in a newspaper and clipped it out (when’s the last time you did that?) Because I was something of a gad-about in my younger days (still am, truth be known), my mother used to write me into her address book in pencils. Something of a family joke.
But that “being seen” is certainly a good thing for me in terms of my work. I want the magazine to not just maintain, but to grow. And right now, I really am all about the magazine. Well and the decks I’m writing for. Two are turned in to my publisher (USGames) with a third in progress on my computer. I’m loving it, too. When I did the Fairy Tale Lenormand, I was hooked.
So the last question is what do I feel has changed for me from the Arwen I was in 2016 to the Arwen I am in 2017. I think I’m more confident about my self-worth. I’m told I still under-value myself, but hey! I’m getting better. But why don’t I look at the cards, hmmm? This is a reading, after all. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Authenticity for the win. This card made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. I was so startled by the pheasant in her hair that I didn’t see the cactus right away. Talk about a woman who doesn’t care what others think, right? I don’t want a damned bouquet, thank you very much. I shall pose with a small barrel cactus and you can suck it if you don’t like it. So yes, this time last year I had just left a job that I wasn’t really giving my all. Now this year I have a magazine, a Patreon, a YouTube channel and decks to my name. Has it been easy? Nope, it hasn’t. I’ve had to face fears, shed tears, and lose a few friends along the way (that was mostly politics, damn it.)
As I’ve told more than a few people, when I turned 50, I discovered that 50 is the new “fuck it.” 55 to nearly 57 has been a whole lot more of that. I have less patience for the inane but am also less inclined to engage it. It’s just not worth the expenditure of energy to try to fix crazy. Crazy doesn’t fix. It just gets more cray-cray. Probably the best lesson I’ve learned this year.
Blessed Samhain to my fellow travelers on this path. Happy season of the witch to the rest of you. May your ancestors bring you wisdom and carry away grief as necessary. And if you do find yourself in a handbasket, look under the seat for a map. I’m sure I left one somewhere.
Secrets of the Mystic Grove used with permission of US Games Systems, Inc., c. 2017. All rights reserved.
Mabon Tarot Blog Hop: Characters and Sacred Cooking
We have the lovely Boglárka Kiss of Vadrózsa Tarot to thank for this hop’s theme. Her co-wrangler is Jay Cassell. Here is what she’s asked us to blog about today.
Choose a character – or two or three – from your favorite Tarot deck (it can be a Major or Minor Arcana character), and try to find out what they would cook at Harvest Home so as to give their best to others so that Light should become a blessing in all of us.Share with us a special – sacred – method of cooking or preparing a dish – it can also be a cooking ritual –, or think of a recipe that contains sacred and consecrated elements so that they can give their best to us.
This theme made me very happy since I love to cook. Recently we had a sale at a local grocery for brisket at 1.87 a lb. which is super cheap. My husband and I both adore brisket. There was only one tiny little problem.
I didn’t know how to make brisket. I knew how to eat it–hells to the yeah, did I know how to eat it. I actually once asked someone to marry me because of their brisket. They shook their head no but did give me more meat. But cook it? Yikes! I knew there was something about slow temps and long cooking times, but that was the extent of it.
So I did what any self-respecting cook would do. I asked my friends. Man, did they put out. I used one my sister sent me but I misread it so I ended up marinating it for two days instead of one. It came out really nicely.
Then, as I usually do, I decided to go off-book for the next one. I bought this based on the name alone. Covered the brisket in it along with some extra garlic. Then I marinated it in one bottle of Worcestershire sauce, one bottle of liquid smoke, and a bottle of Angry Apple Cider. This was a ten-pound brisket by the way. Then I covered it in foil.
That went in the fridge for 24 hours. Yes, 24 hours. 😀 Pulled it out and drained that first marinade. Added more rub, then put in the same marinade. This time I put it in the oven at 275 degrees for 40 minutes. 40 minutes per pound that is. Which is about 6.66 hours.
And that brings me to the Tarot part of this post. Now I’ll bet you are thinking that I’m going to call this the Devil’s brisket, but you would be wrong. The Devil already has a recipe speaking of marriage proposals. I actually have a lot of cards and recipes already done. You can see the full index here. No, for this meal I kicked around a few cards with the two front runners being the Emperor (I mean c’mon…10 lbs of meat?) and the Queen of Pentacles.
As I read about the different ways to cook brisket, one thing came up over and over. Many of my friends with Jewish heritage (or Jewish friends) mentioned brisket as a Jewish tradition. And, for me, the Queen of Pentacles is a perfect Jewish mom. She’s caring. She’s traditional. She wants the best for her family and is not afraid to do what it takes to raise them to the standards she thinks necessary. Please note–I’m not Jewish. But the Jewish moms I’ve met have all had this amazingly deep sense of family. So I may be stereotyping but I hope I’m doing it a good way.
The Queen of Pentacle’s Brisket
- 10-12lb brisket (if you have to have it cut down, do it lengthwise so you get the full brisket from thick to thin)
- 2 bottles of Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 bottles of Liquid Smoke (I recommend Stubb’s if you can find it)
- 2 bottles of hard apple cider
- Fiesta Dry Brisket Rub (Or a good mix of cayenne, garlic, salt, pepper and I don’t know what else)
- Garlic powder
- Place in large pan (I use aluminum foil roasters) fat-side up. Cover in dry rub (and extra garlic) and rub it in. Pour 1 bottle of Worcestershire, Liquid Smoke and cider over your brisket making sure it gets on all sides. Cover with foil. Put in fridge for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 Celsius)
- Pull out of fridge. DO NOT DISCARD FOIL. Pour off marinade (down the sink, don’t reuse.) Marinade with same three ingredients. Add more rub and garlic.
- Cover with foil making sure to tent it.
- Place in oven. Set timer for 40 minutes per pound (you do the math.) DO NOT OVERCOOK.
When it is ready, let it sit for a good 15 minutes at least. This allows the juice to spread through the meat. Nothing worse than dried-out brisket.
Serve with love and compassion, just like the lovely Queen of Pentacles.
P.to the S. I am saving this at 12:59pm MST 9/22/17. LOL I’ll come back and add pictures!
TarotBlogHop: Lammas 2017 R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Morgan, our intrepid wrangler for this hop has tasked us with this subject.
So your mission this Tarot Blog Hop is to discuss how you show respect to the Tarot (remember it is called the “Tarot Blog Hop”) and things that you have learned not to do. It can range from smudging the deck periodically to elaborate rituals like the Golden Dawn uses, from not using the cards until the dinner table is clean to well, whatever it is that you do.
For me, this topic brought up a lot of things. My first was that Tarot is a tool. How do I show respect for a tool? Then I realized that tools deserve respect. If you don’t wipe your saw blade clean, it will dull. If you just toss a hammer down, it may rust or be kicked aside. If you don’t actively work to engage your brain, your wits grow dull. If you don’t feed your Muse, your creativity gets sluggish. So, absolutely, Tarot deserves respect. Like Aretha says, “show a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”
As far as cleansing a deck, I do have some things I like to do. Now, I don’t buy into the idea that a used deck must be cleansed. That, to me, is a tiny bit paranoid. It also means I’m always thinking that the world can’t be trusted. It’s not in my nature to live that way. Gives me a headache just thinking about it. In fact, I have a whole list of things I think are myths about Tarot.
I do think you need to periodically clean your decks. Not cleanse, but clean. There is a difference between cleaning and cleansing. Cleaning is exactly that. Making a dirty deck less dirty. One Tarot professional (I can’t remember whom) mentioned that they like to clean dirty decks with wax paper. I have had some success doing that. Since these are of paper, I’m not inclined to use anything moist on my cards.
When a deck has been taken out of commission because of a mishap (can you say “no one is ever allowed to have a drink at my table again” lesson learned?), I will put that deck into my “giveaway” stash. I have some decks that are incomplete, had Diet Coke spilled on them (that one’s on me), wine, jam…yeah…ruined because one or more cards have been rendered not usable. I put the remaining cards in a zip lock baggie. Then when I send out things (decks or books or Patreon gifts), I can pull cards at random to share. It brings me joy to be able to do this mini-reading for folks.
But cleansing is a whole ‘nother matter. That takes on a spiritual aspect. Cleansing is about clearing the deck of negative energies. It is about putting things back in sync with my energy and the Gods. There are a few ways I do that. One is time-consuming involving crystals, moon phases, herbs, chants and more. And it is intensely personal.
A way that I can share is ordering. This is something so easy to do that I wonder why it’s not more popular. Just putting the cards back in order clears energy for me. Ace through King, Fool through World–when my cards are in their right spots, I just feel calmer. I often reorder my deck before sitting down to do a session where I know the energy will be heavier. If I’m going out to do a reading gig, all the decks I take are in order first. Generally speaking, I take a minimum of three decks and no more than five. This is something I can do in between clients or on my break. I’m hardcore about my breaks because pee must happen, right?
So for me, cleaning and/or cleansing my deck is one way of showing respect. I also have a habit of choosing the bag to match the deck. I love Baba Studios’ bags. I watch for sales. Right now I actually have unopened bags waiting to be paired with their deck. I will move decks in and out of bags as well. I am a bit like the Ottoman sultans who had their favorites moved to special rooms. HA! Just call me Suleimarwen Sultan.
I’ve actually got some of my decks for sale. You can learn more about that here. I’m keeping this list updated so you won’t be tempted by decks already gone. I hope you will also choose joy by joining me as a member of the Joy Seekers Tribe.
Litha 2017 Tarot Blog Hop
Our TarotBlogHop wrangler, Aisling, asked us, in part, “so we will use our Tarot cards to explore and explain the duality of our own natures. Who, indeed, is your “other Self”, your “Tanist”? How is it that you are, actually, of “two minds”?”
She gave us a very detailed set of steps. I have chosen to go off-book by taking only one part of her instructions for this post.
“These two cards, the light and darkness of your own Being, will work as a unit but represent two opposite views of the same situation. They both may be in the same suit or in two different suits, one may be major and one minor arcana, but if one were to receive both these cards in a reading, how would you represent the opposing energies thereof as they apply to your own personality and all the situations which life hands you?”
When I think about duality of being, my Piscean sun self swims effortlessly into the topic. I think we are all far more than merely two parts of one whole. For me, there are layers to the dark and layers to the light. I cannot, by my very nature, see myself as just dark and light. I am at my heart, a myriad.
That is to say, a multitude, a large/great number, a large/great quantity, scores, quantities, a mass, a host, droves, a horde. In a way, this correlates to my feelings about the Tarot. The seventy-eight cards are also myriad. Within one deck, you have countless ways to combine cards for scores of interpretations. When you expand your mind to encompass the fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of artistic interpretations of each of those seventy-eight cards? Yeah. Mind=blown.
How can I see only two sides of myself? I am not a fan of seeing shadow self as evil or wrong or even as needing to be incorporated into anything. For me, again that Piscean nature leaping in a great splashing arc, I see shadow self as whole and separate. I think I will call it my Submerged self while the other main self is Emerged. Submerged is no less important than emerged. And vice-versa on that. What I allow to be seen may be partially my submerged self. The fact is only I will ever know the true answer to that. Which points to my strong Scorpio moon influence. Secrets are part of my life. I know many secrets that aren’t mine but were given to me in confidence. So I keep them there in confidence.
If I only address Submerged Self and Emerged Self, I wonder what they would say. Could I be a bridge between those two pieces assuming they don’t actually communicate? It’s my belief that they do communicate–well and often. The society we live in has a norm of not addressing Submerged Self except as an enemy. What intelligent being would allow itself to be seen if it is only ever thought of as wrong?
To that end, I wanted to create a vehicle for communication between Submerged and Emerged Selves. Of course, that vehicle would be a Tarot spread. I thought I might use the Sun and the Moon for the Emerged and Submerged Selves but it didn’t work for me. Instead I have a list of questions. Then I follow that with my reading for myself using this spread.
Submerged-Emerged Selves Spread
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- What is the main message from Submerged Self?
- How can Emerged Self use this message best?
- What does Submerged Self need most from Emerged Self?
- What is the main message from Emerged Self?
- How can Submerged Self use this message best?
- What does Emerged Self need most from Submerged Self?
- How can Submerged Self and Emerged Self best work together?
What is the main message from Submerged Self? Main Message (Submerged) is the Teacher. Here is someone sitting with Coyote just behind them. They offer me a dandelion which most of us consider a weed. I must remember that Submerged self offers up seemingly useless parts of myself. But with a bit of exploration, I can learn all the uses of those unwanted-by-society parts.
How can Emerged Self use this message best? Take all the energy of worrying about what other people think and use it to swing my own personal fire. Be my own best self as the Explorer(Knight) of Fire is her best self.
What does Submerged Self need most from Emerged Self? Submerged Self needs Emerged Self to allow both halves to drive the Chariot (Canoe). Only by swimming together can we master our own true purpose.
What is the main message from Emerged Self? The Seven of Earth is the card of the gardener. The one who plants and tends and lets things grow. Here the plants of the Teacher are echoed as she puts saplings into the earth. Both selves are intent on growth and learning about the things we plant.
How can Submerged Self use this message best? Interesting to see the Child (Page) of Fire show up when the Knight of Fire showed up for the reverse question. Here I am told that Submerged Self could be more proactive, more curious about how things are. This is a card of energy and movement. Both sides have plants and energy.
What does Emerged Self need most from Submerged Self? Death floats in reminding me that to master myself (as with the Canoe), some parts of me must be laid to rest. Any parts that aren’t nourishing me. If I don’t flourish from the energy, then it must be let go. Death is change that is inevitable, inescapable, and unavoidable.
The final question is How can Submerged Self and Emerged Self best work together? The Elder (King) of Air with his Luna moth companion made me smile when they showed up. I see him as the Priest who does the work. He is sending his prayers (and those of others) up to the heavens. The Luna moth serves as the steed to carry those hopes. When I stand in myself as priestess, I am myriad.
This reading made sense to me. I realize that I used some shorthand here and there but this was a deeply personal reading.bI offer this spread for you to use. Please do not post it without my attribution: Spread by Arwen Lynch
And if you are doing #CampNaNoWriMo, check out my secret weapon.
TarotBlogHop: Master List Imbolc 2017
This is the master list for the Imbolc 2017 Tarot Blog Hop. Thanks for stopping by. This list serves as a one-stop-shop to find your favorite bloggers or to deal with a broken link. We do our very best to make sure our links are good, but we aren’t perfect.
- Stacey Carroll
- Joy Vernon
- Jay Cassels
- Ingvill-Susann Kjørsvik
- Olivia Destrades
- Aisling the Bard
- Boglarka Kiss
Meniscus Tarot Link Not Working- Arwen Lynch Poe
- Scott Rattigan
Ania M Link Not Working- Karen Sealey
- Alison Coals
- Chloe McCracken
- Joanne Sprott
- Morgan Drake Eckstein
Thanks for reading the posts. We love your comments! You honor us by sharing our words as well. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Embracing Change?
Part of my daily practice is to write. I like to pull a card (Lenormand, Tarot, Oracle) then write about what it brings up in me. In our current climate, change has been a topic seemingly from everyone.
- What do we do about change?
- How do we create change?
- How do we change things that are changing?
- Can we change ourselves to adapt to our new climate?
And so it goes. I don’t think the discussion is new. I do think it is louder, more vociferous, more in-my-face than it has been. I also think it is showing me things that I cannot condone.
Violence in thought, word and/or deed is a big one for me.
All of that was on my mind when I wrote down the question for the day.
How can I embrace change more effectively?
If I am honest, I can admit that I was pretty sure I knew what my answer was. I would just have to embrace change as it came.
But the card I pulled forced me into a deeper way of looking at thing. A more profound yet far simpler answer was waiting for me in the turn of a card.
Using the Housewives Tarot (Quirk Books 2004), I flipped over the Three of Pentacles. And here is part of my journal entry.
Interesting. She’s doing the work to reinforce the shelf while the other three look on. Why are they not helping?
And that’s it in a small, encapsulated natural holder: nutshell. She doesn’t care that they are not helping. That they seem to be judging her work. She’s doing the work that needs to be done.
Her arms/hands are the tools. Left hand is a hammer. Right hand is a screwdriver. She didn’t have to stop to grab tools. She is Tools.
The work doesn’t scare her. She is as cheerful as a robin greeting spring. This isn’t about her. It isn’t about them. It isn’t even about the shelf.
It’s about the work itself.
She would be fixing something else if not this shelf. She’d be creating more plates. She’d be inventorying her environment to see what needed doing.
She would just do. It is where her joy is. In the doing.
Not the doing for others.
Just the very act of doing.
Today I do what needs to be done.
I end each journal entry with an affirmation. I tell my clients that affirmations are best said out-loud. I advocate that they are done three times three. By that I mean, say the affirmation three times. Do that three times a day so that you have a total of nine. Bare minimum!
And say them out loud. Look yourself in the eye in the mirror when you do this. Our brains process what we hear differently than when we read the same thing.
So what will you do about change? My answer turned out to be to just do the work that needs to be done. I guess the Universe is kicking me in the rump telling me to stop worrying about the efficacy of what I do and worry about the DO part of what I do.
Today I do what needs to be done. I know what I see that needs doing, but I don’t want to put words into your mouths. Instead please let me know in the comments what you will be doing.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Sorry, You’ve Got It All Wrong!
Why your vision of your perfect day is patently false.
Part of my practice is to draw a card each day. Recently one of the cards reminded me that you are all wrong. That none of you know what a perfect day is. That none of you have any concept of a truly ideal day. How do I know? Well let me tell you what a perfect day is. Then you’ll know.
A perfect day is slightly overcast. There’s a brisk wind coming in that carries just a bit of cool with it so the ambient temperature is around 68. There might even be the scent of rain on that wind. The sky is just a bit gray. The sun is definitely not bright and shining. The wind is the key for the perfect day. It must lift skirts, fluff hair and generally flutter things.
WHAT? Not your perfect day?
Okay. Close your eyes. Tell me what your perfect day looks like. Place yourself right into that scene.
Betcha it’s different from mine in most cases.
Betcha your perfect day is perfect for you.
Now try this. Picture your perfect person. Not yourself. Not your lover. Just your perfect person. What do they say? What do they do? How do they act? What makes them a perfect person to you? Is it what they wear? Is it the color of their hair? Their skin? What about their weight? Did you think about how much they weigh when you were deciding what perfection in a person meant to you? Did you worry about their eye color or their footwear?
Betcha the key things were more internal than external.
Betcha the important stuff was what they say and what they do rather than what they wear or who they know.
So why worry about what others think about the external you, darling? Why worry at all? It’s what’s inside that is important to you. Why should anyone else be different? They are worried about the same things. We all are concerned that we won’t be accepted for this thing or for that thing.
Me? What is my worry?
Being seen as weird.
I worry that I will be seen as weird and not a real business woman because I use Tarot. Because my coaching business uses Tarot to help others seek joy. Because I teach Tarot for a living.
Silly, right? I agree. So I remind myself to co-opt the Austin, TX and Portland, OR. Keep Arwen Weird. And let my freak flag fly! That’s perfect for me. It helps me stay mindful for those of you who practice mindfulness.
So my perfect day, my perfect person and my perfect motto aren’t yours. It’s all good, darling. That means we have room to wiggle and to grow. Room to find our own perfect spot.
Not sure how to find your wise inner self? I can help. Let’s have a conversation using the Tarot as our tools to set your feet on the joy seeking path today.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Oh by the way? Lisa Hunt and I worked on a Lenormand deck called Fairy Tale Lenormand. Just released 9/1/16. If you want to learn how to read Tarot my way, check out my upcoming class Trust Your Gut Intuitive Tarot.