In the Light of the Blue Moon

Once a year we experience two full moons within the scope of a single month, and that second moon is called the Blue Moon. Tonight is the Blue Moon in Aquarius, and some take advantage of this special lunar moment to set intentions for the period leading to the following year's Blue Moon. What I've decided to do is select three Blue Moon cards to highlight the most important influences over the next year's cycle:

1) Gifts illuminated by this next Blue Moon cycle: Magician

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

This card appeared reversed, symbolizing energy preparing to unfold, and internal essences waiting to be brought into consciousness. The Magician symbolizes a need to pull out my ability to manifest my desires, to embrace my Will and the force of my personal confidence. This is my soul card, so it carries special meaning for me. The Magician encourages me to confront my tendency to feel I must accommodate others (oftentimes in the process I end up getting in my own way). This brings to mind the relatively well-known Marianne Williamson quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

It's time to make things happen, and to recognize that I can accomplish quite a lot when I focus my energy, so it's a prime moment to fill out some of the ideas and goals I'm been pondering. No "playing small" - the Magician calls me to live into my own skin, and do, and be, always me.

2) Receding Influence: 4 of Swords 
3) Peaking Influence: 6 of Swords 

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

The 4 of Swords suggests that my Hermit time is coming to a close. It's time to gather what I've learned from my past six months of down time, and take it back out into the world, bring it to a new level. Those four swords repose over a cool blue plane while angry-looking black and red energies collide in battle in the background. It's certainly fair to say that I've been inwardly-focused of late, considering who I am, what is most important to me, what I want to do, and what path I need to take to get there. As this energy fades...

...the 6 of Swords symbolizes a time of forward movement. I've pulled this, along with the 8 of Cups a lot over the past several months. The swords are no longer at rest - they're upright, and their blue backdrop has become a raft taking them away from the turmoil and into a new phase of life and growth. The 6 of Swords represents my need to embrace a new paradigm, to look beyond "what is" to "what could be", and to begin ( or continue) that journey.

6 and 4 is 10 which equates to the Wheel of Fortune, my personality card. So again I have a special message that reminds me of the ever-moving cycles of life, bringing me onward and upward in unexpected, often mysterious, ways.

Happy Blue Moon!

Under the Sheltering Arm of Our Ancestors

Yesterday, as I waited for the coffee pot to finish percolating, I pulled two cards for my daily draw: one from the Oracle of Pharaohs (by Norman Plaskett) and one from the Stone Tarot.

The first was titled "Closeness." This card represents the ties of family, the celebration experienced when a special event occurs (such as a wedding, birth, or graduation). In an overarching sense it signifies the love and warmth of home and community.

Oracle of the Pharaohs/N. Plaskett

From the Stone Tarot I drew Strength (and I just love the gorgeous colors that seem to reach out from the card!). This card is my constant companion, often popping up in regards to questions that relate to spirituality and purpose. Strength is so many things, but in the simplest of terms Strength is about the spark of the divine within us, our ability to be compassionate, wise, loving, powerful and confident in who we are as individuals walking this earth.

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

On a mundane level these cards speak of the fact that my oldest daughter is coming back home tomorrow after having spent quite a bit of the summer in the north visiting with her grandparents. Every day my son says, "When is Isa coming home? She's been away TOO LONG!" His excitement and impatience is touching and adorable. Friday will be a very special day, and in a literal sense it will feel like the strengthening of our family unit now that we'll be complete again.

In another sense these cards bring to mind the deep importance of our ancestors, or egun. In my faith practice, ancestor reverence is fundamental - our ancestors are teachers and guides that are always accessible to us as we walk through life. Remembering them, inviting them to be present in our lives, honoring their memories, helps to give stability to the path beneath our feet. In the book Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa (2012), Tobe Correal writes:

When we learn to share our existence with a palpable and wise spiritual presence, our relationship with the egun becomes a sheltering arm that protects us when we are vulnerable, embraces us when we are lonely, and carries us when we are too weak to walk alone (pg. 53-54)

A couple of days ago I had the urge to make the typical cook-out food that my father's mother used to make when I was a small child. I experienced a brief whiff of Spicy Cheez-Its, her favorite snack food - she once said that years of chain-smoking had shot her taste-buds, but the heat in those crackers was just enough to come through. Perhaps it's time to make my grandmother's cook-out dinner for my own kids, and place some Spicy Cheez-Its out in her honor. 

What is Spirit? Who are the Gods?

I was longing to use my cards this evening after a long day at work. I needed some shuffle-time. Perhaps I was just looking for an excuse to work with my new Stone Tarot deck that, days after appearing on my doorstep, still holds my rapt attention.

Whatever it was, I didn't have a purpose, a question, in mind. So as I was shuffling I simply thought, "Who are the Gods and Goddesses [from across all cultures and religions]? Who are the Spirits that guide us?"

I pulled: Ace of Cups

Stone Tarot/Alison Stone

That sums it up. No interpretation really necessary, I suppose! What else is there to say? God is love, Goddesses are love, Spirit is love, it is love that guides us, always, forever, until the end of time.

Reason in the Face of a Storm

For my "week ahead" cards, I decided to use two brand new decks that have me entirely enamored: the Stone Tarot and the Prisma Visions Tarot. I didn't pick any particular positions in favor of simply sitting back and seeing how the two cards speak to me. They are:

Stone Tarot: Page of Swords
Prisma Visions Tarot: 5 of Wands

Stone Tarot / Prisma Visions Tarot

Sigh. Look how beautiful! This pair has a couple of significant meanings for me that already come to mind....

First of all, the Page looks a lot like me wondering what I'm going to write about for the next blog hop. It's been on my mind lately, as the next hop is scheduled for August 8th and I've just signed up to participate. I have a few ideas for topics, but nothing that's won the competition just yet.

The birds in the Page remind me of Huginn and Muninn, Odin's ravens (and it might actually be them, since Huginn means "thought" and Muninn means "mind" - very appropriate for this card!). That might be worth pondering to see what inspiration it offers. I may even do some studying to prepare for this one.....

Secondly, this card combination feels like a voice of reason in the face of a storm. Or just getting to the core of a complex situation, aka "What does this all mean?" I have a team meeting coming up within the next week which should be interesting as one member is leaving and another is experiencing a position shift that will have some impact on organizational structure. I expect there to be lots of discussion and many voices in the mix as we navigate our way forward.

The strong presence of air (Swords) and fire (Wands) tells me that I'm in for an active week, but I'm good with that. I'm feeling ready to see what action comes my way, and what action flows from within!

9 of Swords: In the Dark of Night

I was sifting through cards from the Tarot De St. Croix the other morning, enjoying the rich colors and the interesting combinations of depictions Lisa De St. Croix features in her paintings: Native American, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist influences along with contemporary images such as a treasure troll, or women playing a board game while sipping tea. I've used this deck many times, but there are always little details to be discovered, even in well-loved and long-utilized decks.  I had such a moment when I came across the 9 of Swords.

Tarot De St. Croix - Lisa De St. Croix

At first glance it appears to be a rather traditional representation of the card energy, with a woman in bed in the dark of night, with nine swords stacked above her. On closer inspection it becomes clear that Lisa De St. Croix has done something extremely clever...

It appears that there is another stack of swords on the adjacent wall. But then it also looks like Venetian blinds over a window. And as I started to focus on the blinds, they became quite obviously blinds, as opposed to swords, almost like an optical illusion.... and then I realized that the swords on the wall over the woman were in fact reflections of the moonlight through the window shade, and due to the gaps in the blinds, the reflection takes on the appearance of swords. That is very interesting in and of itself. But then I realized that the nine swords on the wall combined with the nine created from the gaps in the blinds equals 18, which correlates to the Moon in the Major Arcana. The 9 of Swords speaks of fears, anxieties, and even at times of depression, which has a great partner in the Moon. In this image the woman's fears have been blown far out of proportion due to the lunar reflection on her window covering (it has literally doubled the swords in her room!). She can't sleep, or tear her eyes away from her worries, but the butterfly on her blanket reassures her that as the dawn breaks, her anxieties will ease.

Of course these new-to-me symbolic discoveries were all part of Lisa's brilliant plan, and having just realized the eloquence in her painting, I'm left feeling...quite....happy! (ironic, isn't it??)

Deck Review (and a reading): The Stone Tarot

I recently acquired the Stone Tarot, and I am so pleased! I'd been admiring the images for a few months, and finally decided to take the plunge. This deck was self-published in 2000 by Alison Stone, a writer, poet, and psychotherapist who lives and works in New York. The Stone Tarot is a series of 78 oil paintings that she created over a period of many years. She has used bright, rich colors and visible influences derive most noticeably from Rider-Waite-Smith, with touches from Marseilles and Thoth.

Deck Basics

Card count: 78
Card backs: Star/moon design, non-reversible
Card stock: Sturdy, matte, easy to shuffle
Majors: Traditional titles (Hanged One, Universe) Justice XI, Strength VIII
Minors: Illustrative pips
Courts: King, Queen, Knight/Amazon, Page
Suits: Wands, Swords, Pentacles, Cups

Stone Tarot by Alison Stone

The card backs are technically not reversible, however as you can see, they are painted in rich blues and purples in a star and moon design. Due to the texture, reversed cards would be noticeable, but would not stand out significantly. I love this color scheme, and in fact Alison Stone's use of color throughout the entire deck is breathtaking.

The Majors are traditional, with the Hanged Man appearing as the "Hanged One," and the World appearing as the alternate "Universe." The silver crescent moons in the High Priestess card seem to glow over the purple and blue backdrop, and the reddish staff held by the Hermit took on an almost 3-D effect as I was examining it, which was very cool. This is the result of the color and textural combinations that Stone has employed.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

This is perhaps one of my favorite Tower depictions ever. A jagged lightning bolt descending from the sun pierces the tower and sets it alight with fire as two figures fall towards the earth. The image is very traditional, but the rich hues, and the combination of primary colors softened by the white plumes of smoke and orange glow of the flames, are captivating.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

The Hanged One shines brightly in front of what appears to be a deep, blue cave. The light surrounding his head brings to mind the enlightenment possible through sacrifice. Justice glows in bright red, off-set by green detailing, her scales balanced, and sword upright and ready for action.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

The Minor Arcana do not feature full scenes with people, but they are not truly "pips." Alison Stone has done a wonderful job of highlighting the core energy of each card via the positioning of the suit elements and the use of color and texture (as goes with the theme!). You can see that here in the 6 of Wands, where all are aligned and upright, basking in the glow of the sun, or in the 5 of Wands where strife is cleverly conveyed over an orange background.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

I particularly love the Court cards in the Stone Tarot. Here, the Knight of Wands rides forth with purpose and smoldering energy, under a lion-faced sun. The Queen of Wands is lit by fiery heat, but the blue background reminds us that she is "water of fire."

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

In the suit of Cups here are two examples of the unpeopled-yet-clear card meanings. The 5 of Cups obviously draws from the RWS system, conveying the sense of loss in the 3 spilt cups, while the two remaining cups stand in the shadow - healing that is available yet at the moment forgotten. The 2 of Cups draws on the joy of the sun, and the unity between the two forces - one gold cup, one silver - is shown in the water leaping from one into the other.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

In the Stone Tarot, Alison Stone has added some gender-balance by having Knights in two suits (Wands and Swords) and Amazons in the remaining two (Cups and Pentacles). Both Knights and Amazons are portrayed astride horses per the traditional depictions, and they carry traditional meanings despite the slight variation. While the background in these cards carries the same color scheme (blues, greens, purples), the use of texture sets a rich scene that looks rather like the Louisiana bayou.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

From the suit of Swords, it's clear that even without human figures, no meaning is lost or muddied. The 10 of Swords shows ten swords protruding from a stone that appears to bleed into the surrounding water. In the 3 of Swords we see a very traditional and jarring image of three swords piercing a realistic-looking heart. In the background the sky is stormy grey, with a bloody rain falling.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

The Knight and Page of Swords show every evidence of their suit, as they're surrounded in pale clouds, each bearing an upturned blade. The Knight rides a swift pegasus while the Page card features a flying hawk.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

The 7 of Pentacles is exquisitely painted, with green leaves, and bright flowers in red, blue and purple, with golden pentacles in their centers. The connection to the RWS farmer reviewing his harvest can be seen here. In the 5 of Pentacles, five coins are stacked in a dreary-looking room that looks rather like a prison. The red-streaked wall calls forth feelings of discomfort, which is appropriate for this card!

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

I think the Court cards from the suit of Pentacles are my favorite. You'll notice that all of the people in this deck look rather serious, however I don't see this as "dour," rather it reminds me of medieval portraits or religions icons, which I like. I adore the deep greens and purples here. I love the bright red flowers hanging in the Queen's tree, and the lush fields of violets in both cards.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

I am very pleased to have this deck in my collection, not least because it's self-published rather than being mass-produced. The card stock feels....self-published! I don't know how else to describe it. It's sturdy and high-quality, but the cards have a certain matte-feel that is unlike typical mass-produced decks, and adds an extra layer of uniqueness to the deck.

If you like what you see, you can purchase this deck directly from the artist (click here for her website) or through Goddess Ink for an extremely reasonable price. Alison Stone also offers a book of Tarot poetry for those interested.

A Reading with the Stone Tarot

Now, a review wouldn't be complete without at least a short reading! I decided to pull a card asking "What will help me get through the next week?" I'm balancing two intensive classes, double lectures (which means teaching non-stop from 9am-5pm), and to top it off I'm feeling a bit under the weather!

As I was shuffling I was thinking: "It'll probably tell me that 'it's all in how you look at things'." And then I flipped over the Hanged One. Sigh. Gotta love it!

My Uncle Joe always said, "Attitude is everything." And he was right: attitude is quite a powerful thing. For some reason, seeing this card reminded me of the laughing therapy of the curanderos: laughing releases endorphins which make you feel good, heal faster, and overall make you more resilient. You just...start laughing...deep belly laughs, at first manufactured but eventually they become sincere because, you know, it's kinda funny listening to yourself laugh heartily!

So the key to changing my outlook about work is to find the humor in my situation - or just in general to be open to laughing a bit, and see how it lightens my load.

For curiosity's sake, I decided to ask the cards: "How would you describe the impact of laughter therapy?" I pulled the King of Cups!

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

Healing force (the counselor), emotional balance and health, reclaiming power. Hm, yeah. And this king is the court that most often represents me, so I'll take it as a doubly positive sign that laughter is indeed my best medicine this week. (Fortunately I have a really good sense of humor!)

Talk It Out

This morning my husband mentioned to me that I've been very pensive and quiet lately. He wondered what I have brewing in my mind, and I realized that he's right, I have been very "internal" over the past week or so. As I was considering that, I went to the kitchen to start the coffee and pull a card from my Halloween Oracle.

I drew: Skull of Darkness - Blind Spots

Halloween Oracle
S. Demarco

This card speaks of the ways in which we run in patterns and often don't realize, or aren't conscious of, those cycles. At times we need to talk things out with other people (a friend, partner, or even therapist) in order to allow them the opportunity to reflect back to us our own processes so that we can hear objective insight. I thought back to my husband's comment, and I thought - yes! Being quiet is what I do when I worry. I worry in silence and rarely speak my concerns or ideas aloud. So when he came out to sit at the table, I sat down next to him and started talking. And as I spoke, he listened, and the low-level anxiety I'd been carrying with me began to diffuse. Sometimes just expressing our thoughts is all we need to lighten our burden. And sometimes hearing another perspective on a situation helps us to see a light where before we only saw darkness. My blindspot is my tendency to hold things inside rather than let them out. I do it without really thinking about it, like an old habit. It's like when you drive to the grocery store and once you park in the lot you realize you weren't even really paying attention to the turns you were making on your way there. Your body was in auto-pilot while your mind was wandering. But to break those patterns it takes attention and awareness and a lot of time.

I know it's better to talk, but I still sometimes fall into those old routines without thinking about it. Learning to do things differently takes some flexibility as well as consistent dedication to carving a new path (and sometimes a loving - or cartomantic - push in the right direction)!