Hey y’all. It’s Mabon today. In my tradition that’s the feast of the second harvest. Many of my fellow Wiccans think of it as our time to give thanks for what the year has brought us.
I wanted to do that now. I am in a place of amazing good right now. I have moved to New Mexico to live with my husband. We have a roof, food to feed ourselves and our pets. I have a husband who buys me things like bird feeders from garage sales because he knows how much I love watching the birds.
Right now I can look out my office window to see two house finches and a sparrow on one of those feeders. They are amusing me because they are squabbling over territory. I want to talk to them to remind them that there is food for all here at our home. The birds might not be as amused to find that we call their feeders “bird tv” since the cats love sitting in the windows to watch them.
Our TarotBlogHop wrangler is that lovely Utah harpist and poet, Aisling. Check out her poetry book here or her simply magical harp CD’s here.
She asked us to think about Mabon then create a card that spoke of the season. I was going to do the Empress but the Seven of Pentacles called to me. My card is created in GIMP using a photo I took of my own cherry tomato plant (2011). I reminds me that each blossom and small fruit is a supernova of energy. They represent the work we put in and the reward that will come.
I’d like to invite you to also join me on my YouTube channel where I am offering videos on how to read Tarot intuitively as well as other subjects. I also do deck reviews there. I am covering new decks and old as well.
Happy Mabon, everyone. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
7 of Pentacles, (c) Arwen Lynch [click for larger]
So this Tarot Blog Hop is a bit different. Our wrangler, the indomitable Alison Cross of the Game of Thrones blog (it’s about the Court cards, y’all), decided we would each take a Major Arcana and link that way. This means you will be hopping through the twenty-two Major Arcana cards today. There will be doubles on some as we have more than twenty-two bloggers. P.S. Your weekly Tarotscopes are at the bottom.
I chose the Chariot for my card. It’s got a lot of OOMPH in my life right now. You know, the sound you make when something wallops you in the gut when you weren’t looking? Yeah, that. OOMPH.
[Tweet “It’s #TarotBlogHop day. Come take a tour through the Major Arcana with 22+ Tarot bloggers. #contest too!”]
I have some favorite images of the Chariot. The first one that comes to mind is the four horses pulling the chariot in the Tarot of the Old Path. The horses are the elements. I’ve always thought it would make a stunning tattoo. Typically you see only two animals or entities in a chariot, but I simply adore the air, water, earth and fire balance of this very Pagan deck. It is one of my oldest reading decks actually. True story. I used to read on a 1-900 line. This is the deck I chose for that. I still have that deck complete with notes on the backs of the cards. I was always worried I might block. That meant I would waste someone’s time. And trust me, on those lines? Time is money. Yikes!
Shadowscapes Tarot
Also note that this card is renamed Mastery which is one of the key words assigned to this card.
In the “gosh that’s gorgeous” category, the Shadowscapes Tarot‘s Chariot just sings. I think this one is luminous in the way the colors flow and twist. The color scheme is so very watery which is in keeping with the elemental association for this card. Because it is the card that represents Cancer, the Chariot is considered a Water card. The elemental associations of each card are important when you are doing things like Elemental Dignities. Here her animals look at one another rather than away. In many traditional renderings, the beasts look to either side. This indicates that the Charioteer may need to focus on driving. I often tell my clients this is their “wake up and drive” call. Someone else may be trying to backseat live for them.
Another favorite is the gun-wielding, motorcycle-riding, fierce-as-hell Charioteer of the Fradella Adventure Tarot. I mean, who isn’t motivated to get moving when this guy shows up? Because I love how he is coming right at you, he really drives home my OOMPH message. Because trust me, this guy doesn’t care if you want to lead or follow. He just wants you OUT OF THE WAY NOW, BABY. He doesn’t have the two animals to contend with but he does have two guns. He must focus on where he is shooting as well as where he is hurtling toward.
Let’s take a look at the energy of the Chariot via a Tarot spread I designed for you. Don’t want to do it on your own? Contact me to set up your half hour reading for a Chariots On Fire session with me.
CHARIOTS ON FIRE
This spread is to determine how we are approaching a situation in life and what to look for.
1. Emotional Driver: The first question is what emotional driver of ours is currently in the driver’s seat. It’s good to note that it is not always the passion or emotional driver we want.
2. Beast 1: One possible direction
3. Beast 2: One possible direction
4. Best Forward Movement: This could be one or the other of the previous two cards. Also stay open to the idea that it can be a blend of the two.
Here are a few other places where I discuss this card.
I hope you do try this spread out. I’d love to hear from you as to your results. And tell me what your favorite Chariot card is. I’ll draw a name from all the comments. That person will win a half hour consultation with me doing this spread. All comments must be in by June 26, 2015 midnight PST (2am CST).
And here are your weekly Tarotscopes.
Welcome to this week’s Tarotscopes. My goal is to help you find your joy and hang on to it. You can transform your existence by bringing joy back in on a regular basis. I’m here to be your joy guide.
[Tweet “YAY! Just got my week started with Arwen’s @tarotscopes. Did you? “]
Tired of being sad? Done with all the negativity in this world? Let’s work together to bring you back to the joy path. No time like the present to get started on your own joy seeker’s life. I’m ready to help. What’s holding you back?
Happy Solstice, y’all. I’m celebrating with a small gathering that features grilled food and good times. May laughter and joy light your way.
This book is a classic for a reason. I have to keep buying copies because I loan my out! Do you have it?
Linestrider Tarot
Did you know you can hear your full monthly Tarotscope here? Get your month started right with an .
CARD OF THE WEEK: [inlinetweet prefix=”CARD OF THE WEEK” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”] We get a big caution sign this week. It’s a warning[/inlinetweet] to watch our spending habits. Budgets are going to be very important. This issue may be around what you need vs what you want. Just keep a weather eye on your bank account this week. FIVE OF PENTACLES
AQUARIUS [inlinetweet prefix=”AQUARIUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Who fills you up? That’s your most [/inlinetweet]important question this week. Are you wasting time cultivating those who drain you? Make it a priority to reach out to those who fill you up. Drink from the right cups. FOUR OF CUPS
Linestrider Tarot
PISCES [inlinetweet prefix=”PISCES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What will transform you in a good way even as [/inlinetweet]it brings you pain? Don’t put off the hard choices, darling. Make the calls that must be made. Release the fears of what must happen. Putting it off only prolongs the time you spend in fear. DEATH
ARIES [inlinetweet prefix=”ARIES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What calls you higher? How will you answer[/inlinetweet] the imperative to transcend to the next level? This feels like a physical challenge so perhaps it is time to step up that exercise routine. Or maybe you need to challenge your mind by taking on a new learning puzzle. JUDGMENT
TAURUS [inlinetweet prefix=”TAURUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Oh sweet ones, what would you do with an [/inlinetweet]extra six hours a day. Time for you to slow your roll. When is the last time that you just sat in silence? Just relaxed? Make time for that this week before the Universe does it for you. FOUR OF SWORDS
GEMINI [inlinetweet prefix=”GEMINI” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]How do you react when you are attacked? Remember [/inlinetweet]to take the higher ground this week. They can spit and fuss all they like. As long as you remain above it, not reacting to it, you will win. The moment you stoop to their level though? All bets are off. I don’t recommend it. SEVEN OF WANDS
CANCER [inlinetweet prefix=”CANCER” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Wondering which way to turn? Looks like [/inlinetweet]a good week to make a pros vs cons list. When you try to look in two directions, you can go cross-eyed. Good week to focus your attention on the one thing that needs you most. TWO OF SWORDS
LEO [inlinetweet prefix=”LEO” tweeter=”@Tarotscopes” suffix=”..more #horoscope”]What would you weave if you had all the energy you needed? Good [/inlinetweet]week to start that project. You know…the one that needs time to grow? Get the beginning begun. The final payoff may not be right away but the end result will be so very worth it, my proud felines. SEVEN OF PENTACLES
VIRGO [inlinetweet prefix=”VIRGO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What lesson do you need to learn about resources? [/inlinetweet]Sharing. That’s what. Going to be a good week to find out how you fit in a group. One of the best ways will be by sharing what you know and how you use that knowledge. Don’t be a miser with resources please. Stand out by sharing. FOUR OF PENTACLES
LIBRA [inlinetweet prefix=”LIBRA” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Which dream will you choose? You have a gift [/inlinetweet]this week–a plethora of dreams to act upon. Best if you lock in on one and get that done. Then move on to the next. Dreams are lovely, but realized actions will make you feel more satisfied with life. SEVEN OF CUPS
SCORPIO [inlinetweet prefix=”SCORPIO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Who can you call any time day or night? Remember [/inlinetweet]that connection. Send a card. Pick up the phone. Remind that true friend that you honor your connection. If they are close, it’s a good week for a tete-a-tete. Not close? Reach out as best you can. SIX OF CIPS
Linestrider Tarot
SAGITTARIUS [inlinetweet prefix=”SAGITTARIUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What can you share this week? Someone [/inlinetweet]near you needs a helping hand. If that is the person in your mirror, it’s never a mistake to ask for the help you need. Sharing will create connections. Charity will take you out of you and into a larger US. Feels like that connection may be slipping for you a bit. Find a group. Volunteer. SIX OF PENTACLES
CAPRICORN [inlinetweet prefix=”CAPRICORN” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”… more #horoscope”]Do you have your running shoes handy? Might want [/inlinetweet]to grab them. AN unexpected travel opportunity might arise. I think you should take it. Expect this week to bring passion, fun and tons of things to do. And? Take your vitamins. 😀 It’s going to be a week of swift action. If you approach it with a light heart, it will be very fun. EIGHT OF WANDS
Remember to seek joy, y’all. Pass it on! I want to hear from you if you are ready to kick the negativity habit in the tender bits. Let’s get started today to create a plan for you that takes you from feeling alone to feeling alive.
Oracular Anomalies is the subject we’ve been given for this Tarot Blog Hop. Did you know that this is the beginning of the fourth year of this? I’m so pleased that what started as a community-building exercise has gone on for this long. We’ve seen so many amazing voices join this chorus. I’m blessed to be a part of such a vibrant community. Like to join us? Go here.
As I thought about the topic, I had to look up the definition of anomaly. I had a good concept since I am a child of the original Star Trek series. “Mr. Spock, what do you make of it?” “It’s an anomaly, Captain.”
One of the definitions is “strays from common rules or methods.” Right. I see this a lot. Many consultants, readers, coaches, whatever name we want to call ourselves, try to set ourselves apart by pointing out how different we are. How we are anomalies in a sea of anomalies.
I mean, let’s face it. How do you stand out in a crowd of unusual? This is the thing that has my mind buzzing right now. There’s an inherent part of me that loathes promotion by demotion. By that I mean the need to sing my praises by putting down someone else. Or a group.
It’s something I work at but by the very nature of the beast, I fail at. For instance, I see someone on the Book o’ Face who is bitching about how he doesn’t like so-and-so doing something. But he doesn’t say this TO so-and-so. He says it to a locked down group of friends.
I get upset about him not saying something to so-and-so. I go to my Book o’ Face to post. My post says those who don’t go to the source are perpetuating the problem.
Um, Arwen? You just did the same damned thing.
So I’ve just stood out for the wrong reason. Back to anomaly me. How do I stand out in this fabulously flawed fellowship? Without putting down others? Is it even possible in our world of “my detergent cleans better than yours?”
Well this is a divination hop, right? Let’s ask the Tarot.
Anomaly Spread
1. What area am I most unique?
2. How can I play up that uniqueness?
3. How can I stand out the best?
Using the Chrysalis Tarot (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.) I got cards that made me smile.
Chrysalis Tarot
1. The Pilgrim is how I am most unique.
2. The Poet is how I should play up that uniqueness.
3. The Mime is how I can stand out the best.
Without further commentary on these cards, I’ll just say, “MOOOOMMMMM! The Universe is mocking me again.”
If you have input on these three cards, feel free to let me know. I need to go practice my “I’m in a box” routine.
Please enjoy today’s TarotBlogHop. Use the links below to navigate your way around. If you get lost or find a broken link, use the Master List link to find the next blog.
What’s a Blog Hop? Well, it’s when several bloggers (in our case twenty-one) all connect to one another to create a chain. Every six weeks, one of us takes on the role of wrangler. Their job is to give us a topic.
Our wrangler is Olivia from First Earth Tarot. I love love love her topic because it is simply joy. Yep, joy. Y’all know I love that message.
[Tweet “Olivia asked, “How do you spread joy?“”]
Affirmations. It was the first word out of my mouth. I do affirmations nearly every day on my Facebook page. I do them for me because it helps me stay on track with what I do.
I am a professional joy seeker. I take that very seriously. You might even say that I hold it as a sacred geas I’ve put upon myself.
So what do you do with affirmations? I find that they work best when I read them out loud several times during the day.
One way I come up with my daily affirmations is to randomly draw a Tarot card. Then I use that message to craft my affirmation. A key to creating an affirmation is to word it in the present tense. You want to foster the energy of it already being here.
Another thing is to avoid the negative. So rather than “I will not smack the people who make me angry” you would perhaps phrase it “I am stronger than those who annoy me.”
So try if you like. Pull a card then write your affirmation. Share it below. Here’s mine including the card I pulled.
Today I am a joy seeker. Today I am a joy magnet. Today joy covers me. I open my arms, my heart, my mind to the beauty of living a joyful life. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all.
The Union of Opposites as represented by the Lovers is our Tarot Blog Hop topic. You can thank Aisling for this one. She’s our mastermind this go round. If you are a fan of the Tarot Blog Hop, you can keep up with us by clicking here and liking the Facebook fan page. This will be a place where you can chat about posts you’ve seen on the blog and get updates as to when the next hop is. If you want to participate in the hop, click here to join the actual working group.
In the call to blog, Aisling offered an interpretaion of the Lovers as follows:
“”The Lovers”, philosophically, can represent “the Union of Opposites”. When this card falls in a reading, as many of you probably know, it doesn’t always signify a love relationship, but may indicate a wider scope of combining dissimilar things to produce a positive result. Not all opposites are bad things, and sometimes both entities are necessary to produce a whole; think of male and female, night and day, giving and receiving, listening and speaking, acting and waiting to act, and many other places where the Union of Opposites produces the whole….”
I don’t usually see the Lovers as a relationship with another but with yourself. And think about the dissimilar bits of each of us. How often to you feel pulled this way and that way by nothing more than your own thoughts? How can we begin to understand that person on the other side of the mirror when we can be our very own Beatles song?
So that brings me to a spread I created for this Tarot Blog Hop. I’m calling it the Hello You, Goodbye Me spread. It is a way for us to dive into how we can acknowledge what our own needs are–even when they seem to be in opposition.
Hello You, Goodbye Me Spread
Card One: What makes us want to say goodbye
Card Two: What makes us want to say hello
Card Three: How can we hold space for both needs and honor both sides?
Placement is Goodbye to the left, Hello to the right and Holding Space above both.
Hello Goodbye Spread
Using the Badgers Forest Tarot by Nakisha VanderHoeven I pulled the following cards.
Goodbye: Strength shows up to remind me that maybe it’s time to bid farewell to my need to “do it my ownself” all the time. Hello: Two of Foxes (Cups) shows one fox moving towards the other. This is an interesting card since it is the card I see as a relationship card. Here we have saying hello to being part of a couple. Holding space: is the Seven of Foxes which shows a fox sitting at a crossroads.
Obviously this says that for me to hold on to my independence while still building my life as a married woman, I must allow myself to dream. Emotional choices will have to be made, but both roads can remain open to me. Seems that both the path of independence and the one of relationships can be viable choices. Perhaps it is saying that one isn’t to outweigh the other but that I am to learn how to balance them.
I hope you will try this simple spread and let me know your results.
[Tweet “Happy Beltaine! It’s International Jump A Balefire And Have Sex In The Woods Day!”]
Well not really, but it would be nice, wouldn’t it?
It is May 1st so here is the link to your monthly Tarotscopes podcast. I used the Badgers Forest Tarot for this podcast too.
As always, seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
OH! Pssst! Love auctions for a good cause? Today is the kick off of Brenda Novak’s Juvenile Diabetes Auction. Thanks for helping spread the word. Here’s one of my offerings.
Our topic this time is creativity and what springs forth. Well, that’s my loose interpretation of our Blog Wrangler’s theme. Joanne Sprott charged all of the Tarot Blog hoppers to discuss creativity.
There is so much I could do on that subject. I’ve been drawing my tangles again. I am such a fan of the Zentangle method. It quiets my mind. I love being able to weave words into my tangles. I’m calling them Quotangles. 😀 Here is a recent one.
That was done based on a poem I wrote while on retreat with the Goddess with the Gaian Soul, Joanna Powell Colbert. The time I spent with other women in quiet meditation, Tarot play and raucous belly laughter went a long way to regenerate my soul-me.
One of the things we did was play James Wells’ Tarot Circle game. We had four questions posed to us by Joanna. James has an amazing method. He’s also got a new book out! Tarot Circle Encounters: Fostering Community, Wisdom, and Wholeness Through Image, Conversation, and Natural Cycles is available as of 3/15/14. You should check it out.
But back to my creative endeavors. We also did Sacred Art. Using a plethora of materials that included, but not limited to, shells, beach glass, yarn, paper, repurposed jewelry, sticks, glitter, crystals and moss, I created two secret box projects. This is the mind baby of Lyn Belisle of EarthShards with some modifications by Joanna.
Y’all, I dove in. I didn’t want to stop. I had to because I didn’t know how I would get them all home. I have such plans though! I’ve already ordered more faces.
Here’s a spread to help you find some more wildness in your own life.
Wild, Wild, Wild Moments Spread
1. How can I spread my wings more to be wild of wing?
2. What is one way I can open my heart more to be wild of heart?
3. How might I see more to be wild of eye?
4. What is the key meaning of being wild in this moment?
I hope that you will share your readings with me. I’ve left this one more open so that you can play with it. Don’t judge what you think I should mean. Instead let yourself be wild as you dive into your cards.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope you have fun hopping along. I’m actually the last if you started at the beginning but somewhere in-between if you started else where. 😀
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Hey y’all! Welcome to one of the things I am most proud of. In 2012, a discussion was under way about something in the Tarot world. It wasn’t a good something but it got some of us to think about ways to build our community rather than tear it down. I came up with the idea of a Tarot Blog Hop. On 2/2/12 we had our first one.
Every six weeks since then, we’ve come together to blog on one topic or question presented to us by whomever was crazy enough to volunteer to wrangle that particular hop. For this Yule, our wrangler is Joanna Ash who asked us to blog on the topic of “Darkness Turning To Light” because this is the shortest day of the year.
It is also the beginning of the journey back to longer days. Increment by increment, the sun will be here longer in my hemisphere while it retreats in the Southern hemisphere. I happen to love Fall and Winter. They are my fave seasons because it is a cessation of the heat. I actually prefer the chill in the air that December carries to the sizzle of July. But the Wheel must turn. The Wheel must turn.
Think of what it would be like if the seasons never changed, the days never passed. We would never have any method to mark our age, our growth. We would be utterly unchanged. That’s the stuff of nightmares for me. But we are turning back to the light now.
The Holly King and the Oak King must fight their battle, trade their swords and crowns. One must go back while the other steps forth. It’s one of the few things where I will agree that “it’s the way it’s always been”. And I’m happy for that constancy.
Oak rules the growing months from 12-21 to 6-21. Holly takes over the dark side. Let’s take a moment to explore what needs to step forward this growing time and what needs to step back.
This is a very simple three card spread.
Oak And Holly Spread
1. SUN: What area has opportunities for fast growth? Here is the place in your life that you can focus on to get the most bang for your buck. A little goes a long way in the SUN area since the momentum is already towards increase.
2. HOLLY: What area needs to be pruned and put out of the light to lie dormant? Let this card show you something that may benefit from a bit of benign neglect. You can afford to let this area be ignored for now. It doesn’t require as much attention.
3. OAK: What area needs to be nurtured and pulled into the light to grow? Here is where you need to get busy. This area could use some elbow grease and a good helping of plant food to grow. Let this carry you into the next few months.
I did this spread using Ellen Lorenzi-Price’s Dark Goddess Tarot. I’ll post my results on Monday 12/23/13.
I hope you will also share yours with me. I love to see them.
[Tweet “Come see what other gifts are waiting for you on the Yule Tarot Blog Hop.”]
Tarot, for me, is such a gift for writing. Because Tarot for Writers is less about traditional interpretation and more about creative opening, it’s really the perfect tool.
Welcome to the 2013 Samhain Tarot Blog Hop. In 2012, a group of us came together to show that we can build community. This is our ongoing effort to explore and express the deep bond Tarot can create. We choose, as a group, to celebrate community rather than denigrate one another. I am proud to be a part of another community exploration.
This Tarot Blog Hop theme is LOVE. Just love. No question to answer. This round’s Blog Hop Mistress Alison Cross just said love.
I have to admit that it was really really really did I mention REALLY difficult for me to come up with a blog topic. I am not sure why except that it is really not a subject I think about this time of year. But then I realized that there is something I love about this time of year.
This time of year!
You see this is my favorite of all the seasons. Nothing beats rainy days, crackling fires, hot cider and cool days. I can’t think of anything I love more than fall. Crisp leaves, hints of wet earth and so much more make this a season I adore.
It’s also the time of NaNoWriMo. Do you know that I’ve never done a NaNoWriMo? It’s true. I haven’t. But I have taught a workshop for the past 5 or 6 years called the Hero’s Journey. It’s one of my Tarot for Writers workshops. Connecting creative minds with one more tool to help them create is a joy to me. But I have to admit that the workshops were very draining. And I could only take so many people at a time. Limits. It had so many limits that I began to dread offering it.
Then it hit me. I could take my love of teaching and offer it in another way. I hooked up with the Amazing Biz + Life Academy (click that link to sign up for some free goodies) where I met other heart-led entrepeneurs who were bringing what they loved to others. Because of the Business Goddess course, I got the idea to offer my Hero’s Journey as an eCourse.
Now anyone can take my workshop at any time. I think it’s brills, as my friends across the pond might say. No one is tied to my schedule. They can sign up when they like and get thirty three emails over as many days. It’s over forty thousand words geared towards teaching folks how to utilize their own voice, their own creativity and the Hero’s Journey. Tarot is the vehicle and each student chooses how fast they drive.
Tarot, for me, is such a gift for writing. Because Tarot for Writers is less about traditional interpretation and more about creative opening, it’s really the perfect tool. Here’s a peek at one of the spreads I offer in my eCourse.
Cocktail Spread
Next let’s examine a spread I do for my characters to deepen them. Often our characters are sketchy at first. We might know one or two things about them like caped crusader who fights crime. But we need more. We need to know what makes them stand out at the League of Justice company picnics. When this happens, I pretend I’m going to a cocktail party with my hero as my guest.
Cocktail parties are designed to be free-flowing and you need a quick introduction. For those in the writing business, you can think of this as your Elevator Pitch only for your character. You will draw three cards. The first card is what your character does for a living. The next is why your character does that for a living. And the last card is a personality quirk.
Your Character’s Job
Your Character’s Personality
A Quirk
For me, the most important card here is the quirk. Let’s say your hero’s job is saving Metropolis from criminals (Knight of Swords). His personality is the strong, silent type (Emperor). But his quirk? His quirk is that he has this thing for a woman but she doesn’t know about his secret identity (Page of Pentacles.) I’m most interested in what makes him unusual, aren’t you?
So what about you? What do you love most about Fall?
Thanks for stopping by during this Tarot Blog Hop. Remember that comments are a great way of letting me know you were here. If you are a fellow writer, take a peek at my eCourse. NaNoWriMo does start tomorrow.
Welcome to the Mabon Tarot Blog Hop. This is our second year of hopping. Our intrepid wrangler is Christiana Gaudet, CTM. She gave us the topic of Divination and Myth.
If you are looking for this week’s tarotscopes, go here. Then come back. 😀
I thought of so many things. I thought I might discuss why one person’s mythology is another person’s religion and talk about respect for all paths.
I thought I might create a spread. But then I realized, I wanted to share with you something I wrote a long time ago. Seventeen years ago I challenged myself to write a myth. To create an answer to a question I might have had if I’d lived in another time. Here is that myth. Because this is a Tarot blog hop, I’ll follow this with a spread based on this myth.
Why We Have Day and Night
by Arwen Nightstar aka Stephanie Arwen Lynch, 1996
In the very beginning, the world had only light on one side and dark on the other. This is because the Sky Lady sat above the Earth with Her cape of midnight blue covered with stars over one half of the Earth. The other half was lit by a blazing ball. This ball was yarn that She was using to make a jacket for her son the Moon. The people on the dark side of the Earth only saw the Moon, but they knew his mother could give them light. They prayed to the Moon and asked him to intervene for them with his mother. He listened to their pleas and decided to try to talk to Her.
Now, the Sky Lady had expressly forbidden Her son to bother Her while She was creating his jacket. She was knitting and didn’t want to drop any stitches because the ball of blazing light would burn Her fingers. The young and impulsive moon considered the ways he could approach Her. After thinking about all his options he decided that it best to sneak up behind Her. You see,being quite young, he did not always think things through clearly.
So, he crept up under the cover of his mother’s cape of stars. As he was almost to Her, he stumbled and fell into Her. Startled, the Sky Lady jumped up which caused the blazing ball of yarn to fall from Her lap. Quickly She lunged for it, but it was just out of Her reach. She leapt to Her feet to chase after that ball, but it rolled along the horizon just ahead of Her. Her son knew that his mother was going to be cross with him so he thought it would be wisest for him to remain behind Her so he clung to her cape with a two fisted grip.
From the Earth’s point of view, we see the sun going across the sky and then the cape of night pulling darkness, stars and the moon behind it. Really, it is the Sky Lady trying to catch her ball of yarn.
Night and Day Spread
Yarn
Sky Lady
Moon
Chase
The Yarn card represents a current creative project. You may already be working on it or you may just need a spark of an idea.
The Sky Lady is that part of yourself that is trying to create. Here is the card that points out your strengths. You can use this card as a reminder that your creative self is not so very far away.
The Moon is that part of yourself that interferes with your creativity. This card alerts you to things you do that set up blocks for your own creative self. For me, this is the cat box card. I heard a writer say once that she knew she was good at avoiding work when cleaning the cat box took precedence. Let this card be your early warning system to things you do that mess up your creative flow.
The final card in this four card spread is the Chase. This is how you can combine the three other cards into a vital, growing project. By marrying the three, you can learn ways to turn seemingly bad things into more ways to channel your creativity.
Lay it out left to right with the Yarn being in the front, the Sky Lady chasing it and the Moon behind her. The Chase card is beneath them.
I hope you will take a moment to try this spread out. I invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments or link to your own work with this spread.
One of the best things I did for myself last year for my own creative processes was to join an online community. This gave me access to workshops and people and networks that fostered me. I learned how to nurture my spiritual self as well. If you have a minute, check it out. The price is getting doubled on October 1. This is an affiliate link!
Hi! Yeah, so this is the Lammas 2013 Tarot Blog Hop. I’m the wrangler for this one which means I got to set the topic. Great right? Means I can be way ahead of the crowd. Riiiiiiight.
NOT.
It’s about 14 hours from the time the hop begins and I’ve written nothing.
NOTHING!
Oh? The topic? It was “What can I share from my table to enrich my community?” Because this whole Tarot Blog Hop was begun to be a community builder. And, I think, it’s worked rather well. We have seen hops with 20+ every time we’ve done this. I’m very proud of what we’ve built.
To answer my own question, I thought what card seemed to convey this the best. In the blog document, I suggested the Queen of Pentacles. But I think perhaps this is more of an Empress thing for me. She is the Queen of Queens for me with her pregnant belly surrounded by all the generous bounty of the earth. Joanna Powell Colbert captures this perfectly in her Gardener card.
So I shuffled my Gaian Tarot to see what card might answer this. I got the Sun (you may remember that this card showed up for my Litha Tarot Blog Hop too. I think the Sun is stalking me, y’all.
But the flanking cards were the Nine of Air and the Queen of Water. That’s an interesting combination but it gave me a three card spread to share with you.
Lammas Table
1. Why do I come to the community table?
2. What do I need more of on the community table?
3. What do I need less of on the community table?
The Sun is why I come. I come to get joy as much as to spread joy. I’ve found that the more I share how to be a professional joy seeker, but more joy I get back from others who are on the same path. It really does grow exponentially when I seek out those who are determined to bring joy into their world. When you eschew the negativity, it’s just a much nicer place.
The Guardian (Queen) of Water is what I need more of. Here is the nurturer. The compassionate human who is willing to listen to others. This is about making sure I emotionally connect with my community as well. I’m richer for diving in fully. And I need to ask for that connection when I need it. That’s on me.
The thing I need less of is the Nine of Air. JPC has a bit of a different take with her woman clutching the pole here. I see this card as my reminder not to be a tail chaser (or a tale chaser.) I have to let go of my anxieties and fears about not being enough. I need to stop judging myself based on what others say or do. It’s a very hard thing to do but I need to let go and relax a bit more.
So what about you? We all enrich our community in myriad ways. Each of us brings something the other needs. Thank you for being a part of my community. I’m blessed by that connection.
Cards are from the Gaian Tarot.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Now leave a comment before you hop along to the next blog!