The Wild Within

Yesterday morning I felt compelled to draw a card from the Animal Spirits Knowledge deck that features the beautiful art of Susan Seddon Boulet.

What wild energy is walking with me now? 

The deer was my first experience in animal communion when I was 12 years old. I would walk across the street into the Woods, where I would hunt for berries, build lean-tos, and look for animal tracks by the riverside. On the luckiest of days I would see a fox or other shy, wild creature. One day as I was sitting on a footpath at the top of a forested hill, and the wind moved the maple and oak limbs back and forth above, a group of deer walked slowly through the trees below. Not long after that I began to dream of deer. I remember one in which a deer stood on the back porch of my home, waiting for me. I went outside and touched it as it stood there in silence.

Reading the text on the backside of the card, I felt an immediate connection to the New Moon reading I'd done the day before:

Stone Tarot

What gifts are unfolding, and how to nurture them? Here amidst the purples and blues and greens are themes of exploring personal happiness and contentment, of embracing my nature, of journeying through my own wilderness.

Even some of the language is the same: journey, wilderness, nature.

Artemis was the first goddess that I felt connected to as a young teenager, exploring the Greek deities in ninth grade. Wild, strong, an archer, a forest walker, a companion and protector of inhabitants of the deep woods. I have thought of her lately, and the connection here underscores that energetic presence. The wild within, the untamed, the breathtaking potency of divine feminine power.

A Nine of Swords Moment Brings Helpful Insight

Lately I have been sleeping very well, which has been wonderful. Six to nine months ago I went through a period where I'd often wake up in the middle of the night, my mind would start to whirr, those fears that are wont to well up in the darkest hours would rise, and it would take an hour - sometimes even two - before I could relax enough to fall back to sleep. I'm not sure what changed, what switch flipped, but I suddenly began to sleep solidly, peacefully, and fully each night.

And then last night I had a 9 of Swords moment! At 2:40am I awoke, and started to worry. I worried about my son grinding his teeth (a really annoying family trait). I worried about bills (even though they're all under control). As I laid there I felt a tickle on my nose and was sure a bug was crawling across my face, so I shot straight up in bed, flailing my arms, and knocked the charger cord out of my phone, which then fell rattling to the floor making a sound that I was sure was the bug running away (it wasn't). Seriously. This is so comical to me right now, but I was a hot mess at 3am.

Tarot De St. Croix

So I laid back down thoroughly irritated with myself, and proceeded to think. Whenever I have these moments of insomnia I always think about Odin's advice from the Havamal, that (to paraphrase) a fool stays awake worrying all night, wakes up exhausted and has resolved nothing. I wanted to pinpoint the source of my wakefulness. I manage our finances okay. Why was I worrying about bills? Perhaps it was the weight of them that felt like a burden. I may keep things organized, but is there something more I can do? Is there a way I can be even more proactive? What the heck was I really worrying about?

A few days ago my husband asked me to do "one of those big readings" that I do for him once or twice a year. After I pulled his cards I decided to do one for myself, and I was quite interested to see the 7 of Swords appear in the position of my "current awareness." The card, from the Tarot of the Cat People, shows a somewhat unusual image of a woman surrounded by swords, looking up at the sky where a fat cat floats in an ethereal bubble. If anything, it almost feels more like the 8 of Swords (except for the floating cat!). This is often considered a card of deception, politics, strategy, even diplomacy (which is certainly on my mind in light of all of the mediation I've been doing lately!). I wanted to spend some time considering what the card meant for me, and since the depiction was non-traditional I decided to read the artist's own impression from the little white book, which described this card as representing the will and fortitude to reach one's goals. Hm. Well, that is certainly true, I thought at the time. I have a lot of goals on my plate, and every day I feel more poised to work toward achieving them. It's definitely been on my mind a lot over the past month or so.

As I was laying in bed in the early hours of morning, surrounded by darkness, thinking of yesterday's "Deep Emotions" draw from the dat Black Mermaid Man Lady oracle deck, thinking of the 7 of Swords, thinking of this nebulous source of my strange worry session, it suddenly hit me: while I am determined to achieve my goals, on some level I am afraid that no matter what I do, no matter how hard I work, I will never realize them. Whoa. That was a sharp and weighty revelation.

Tarot of the Cat People

Feelings are strange things. They are not always forthright, do not always announce their presence. Feelings can be quiet, at times even imperceptible. They can subtly influence our thoughts and responses; they can disguise themselves within a multitude of contexts, blurring our ability to identify them, to recognize them for what and why they are. As open as I am to working through my own emotional universe, to understanding myself, to engaging the dark, the light, and everything in between, sometimes emotions lurk in shadows just beneath the surface of our awareness. You have to go hunting. It was hunting that I was doing in the pre-dawn darkness when I would have preferred to be sleeping. But the search at this odd flip-side of the day provided me with powerful insight into my own psyche.

Interestingly, the "outcome" card in the reading I had done for myself was the Ace of Pentacles. What intrigued me most about this duo was the story that they told together. In the Ace of Pentacles we see that the "fat cat of unrealized dreams and goals" that once floated in the sky above the woman in the 7 of Swords is now tangible and sits quite happily on the floor beside the lady in the Ace. Now, a glowing pentacle hovers where the cat once did. The "thoughts" of the swords suit become the earthy reality of the suit of pentacles. It is a positive symbol that suggests that despite my anxieties about my ability to accomplish my dreams, the efforts I put forth will not be in vain.

This morning I decided to pull a card from the dat Black Mermaid Man Lady oracle deck, and I pulled one of the "Dreamer" cards for the second time in two days. But this morning, rather than pulling a card with a keyword, I drew one that was blank on the back. This indicates that "you already know" what the message is. And indeed, I did know. I made space to pull a card for the #tarotperspective challenge on Instagram, and instead of simply pulling a daily draw, I decided to ask: "How can I address my own fear of failure?" As I was shuffling I saw in my mind's eye the Chariot card that had been the "shadow" card of yesterday's pull. I cut the deck, turned the top card over, and it was....the Chariot!

Tarot of the Cat People; Stone Tarot; Tarot of Vampyres

This is card that I've been pulling with relative frequency for the past year, and it has ushered me through some powerfully and very positively transformative times. For the Instagram post I wrote about the Vampyres version of the Chariot (which speaks to me most):

The warrior spirit is evident, the fearless pursuit of a goal. The arrow points true, finding its destination and locking on. Even in the darkness of night, with nothing but inner fury and the dim moonlight for guidance, this charioteer flies forth.

On my walk into the office this morning a shining penny stood out in my path. I always see these as little messages from Elegua. I pick them up, run some numerology on the year, and see what that sum means to me in that moment (it's amazing how often there is relevance). I paused and picked up the coin. I calculated the year, and found the sum to be 7. At first I frowned, slightly puzzled. And then it clicked: 7 is the number of the Chariot. And like a vast circle turning round and round and round on itself, the pieces all came together into a whole.

I will probably have sleepless nights again; this realization hardly cures me from concern. But what it has given me is a powerful tool of reflection. I don't float unmoored through time; I, as a human being on this earth, have context and history. When I forget that (which is easy to do at 3am); when I lose - even momentarily - perspective regarding my ability to breathe life into my goals for the future, I can call to mind the Chariot, which reminds me that I will, because I have.

Samhain Blog Hop: Honoring Giuseppe

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Welcome to the Samhain Blog Hop! Please use the links at the top or bottom of this post to navigate to the other wonderful blogs in this circle. This time around our wrangler, Arwen Lynch-Poe, has asked us to "commune, communicate, and commemorate." We might choose an ancestor or notable historical figure to discuss, to read for or about, or to celebrate, in one way or another.

I ultimately decided to honor my grandfather for this Samhain celebration. Giuseppe Giovanni Amerigo Malgeri was born on September 23rd, 1900 in Pigüé, Argentina, the son of immigrants from southern Italy. As a young adult he left South America for Italy to earn his teaching certificate, and eventually enlisted in the Italian military. In 1924 he traveled to the United States for the first time, where he met and married my grandmother, with whom he had three children. They moved back to Italy which is where my mother spent her early years, but my grandmother ended up returning to the U.S. with all of her children after some waywardness on the part of my grandfather. He died a couple of years after my birth so I never had the opportunity to know him (or my paternal grandfather either, as a matter of fact), which over the years I've come to see as a true and mostly irreparable loss.

An extendable table crafted by my grandfather

I never knew a lot about Giuseppe, and what I did hear could be held within a single, cupped hand: he was a woodworker; he was a teacher; he was a traveler; he was a soldier; he was multilingual. He loved his children in his own way. As I thought about what court card my grandfather might be, I settled on the King of Wands. Though he was a Libra, his essence feels more like fire to me, and as it turns out he has quite a bit of Sagittarius in his chart! I had pulled my husband's Mary-El deck out the previous day, and decided to sift through it for the King of Wands. When I found it I immediately noticed an interesting resemblance to my grandfather:

Mary-El King of Wands and Giuseppe Malgeri

Yesterday on my way home from work I was contemplating what to have for lunch and had settled on eggs all'inferno (eggs in Hell) because we had a really nice tomato sauce that needed to be used. And then I realized that this dish is part of the small legacy that I have from my grandfather. We have relatives in Argentina still, some of with whom I speak. We have family in Italy as well. But one of the most consistently present, always-accessible, fully tangible remnants of his is this simple egg-and-tomato-sauce dish that I learned from my mother. As she would throw eggs on top of bright red sauce in a pan, she would say, "Time for eggs all'inferno, one of my dad's favorite foods!" So for me, this is a direct line to the grandfather I never had a chance to know in this life. Now as I prepare it, I tell my own children, "This is your great-grandpa Malgeri's favorite dish!"

Giuseppe's eggs all'inferno

For those interested in the recipe, it goes a little something like this:

Giuseppe's Eggs all'Inferno

Put some tomato sauce (a cup or two, to your own liking) in a pan (non-stick is best) and crack as many eggs as you like on top. Put on a cover and let it poach until the eggs are cooked to your preference. You can add cheese if you like - throw some on to melt during the final minute or two, or grate some parmesan or romano on top after you serve it. It's great with buttered and toasted bread. As an alternative method, you can pan fry the eggs first, and when they are close to done you can pour the sauce over the top and let it heat through!

I decided to do a reading to ask some basic questions about my grandfather: How did he see himself? What was his passion? How would (or does) he see me, his granddaughter? The results provoked more questions than answers, but were interesting nonetheless:

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

1) How would you describe yourself? 8 of Pentacles reversed. I wonder if he ever felt contented with what he had accomplished in life. Was he a perfectionist that never seemed able to reach the top of the mountain? Was he perpetually dissatisfied? He certainly wasn't a "stable" man in the sense that he didn't stay in one general area - even country - for the majority of his life. He traveled, but more than that, he was an immigrant. He had many different interests, skills, and occupations. He had a family, and then he didn't. Did he ever feel that he'd been "enough"?

2) What was your passion? Wheel of Fortune. In some way this card seems to answer certain elements of the previous card. After I pulled this from the deck I was singing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" for the next hour. What I like about this card is that it tells me that my grandfather was truly a wanderer by nature. He thrived on change and newness. My mother always said that we come from a nomadic family, in the sense that at least the recent generations have never stayed put. My grandfather moved around a lot, and so have his children and their children. It's nice to think that he pursued change at least in part because he found it exhilarating. And it's interesting to see those qualities in myself.

3) How do you see me? Page/Princess of Wands. I was just writing the other day about "signficators" in Tarot and I mentioned that the cards that most often come up for me are the King and Queen of Cups, and the Page of Wands. In fact, the Page of Wands is specifically the card that tends to represent the work I do in divination: an emissary and messenger, a go-between and interpreter. An underlying question here was one that Arwen had mentioned in her original Blog Hop task for us: How might your relative feel about your card reading? In that light, I take this as a positive confirmation that he approves of what I'm doing. And I like the idea that he sees me as a "princess" (that's very grandfatherly, I think!).

Last week my husband and I were dealing with a pretty difficult and challenging matter regarding our car that had suddenly broken down and left us in quite a conundrum (I discuss it in more detail here). As we were strolling through the dealership parking lot in search of a new vehicle, I had a "moment" where I was very aware of both of my grandfathers. I imagined what it would be like to have their help and support in that situation. I thought about how I never had known them, had missed out on the opportunity to experience the grandfather-granddaughter bond. But I welcomed their energy in, and asked for their advocacy.

It's funny that I never thought about it at the time, but as I wrote this post I naturally thought about that invitation in the parking lot, and then it suddenly dawned on me. We ended up purchasing (via a lot of mysterious and fortuitous circumstances) a car that I'd never imagined I'd ever own (and still can't believe it, really): a Fiat - the most popular Italian car brand.

So I send a big "thank you" to my grandfather-in-spirit, Giuseppe Giovanni Amerigo Malgeri. May you always be with me, and may I always be open to your love and guidance.

Happy Samhain, everyone!

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Significators in the Tarot

In Tarot, significators are typically court cards that represent the person being read for (including the reader, in a self-reading), as well as important people in the person's life. Some people use them as part of a reading (pre-selecting a significator as a focal point), and some don't (I fall into the latter category).

There are quiet a few theories about how to choose this card, but in my experience no choice is really necessary - the cards themselves show you who you are (if you're paying attention). And while you may tend to show up as one particular card most frequently, you may find yourself symbolized by a number of other courts, depending on the context of the reading. For example you may see yourself appear as the King of Swords in matters of work and "outside life," but then you may appear as the Queen of Pentacles when it comes to a reading about your family.

Stone Tarot - A. Stone

Often I see people choose a significator according to their gender and astrological sun sign (i.e. a Pisces woman would be the Queen of Cups, and a Sagittarius man would be the King of Wands). In reality this is not always true or reliable. For example, I am a double Capricorn woman, however my principal significator is the King of Cups. I tend to show up most commonly as Kings in general, but also at times as Queens (most usually the Queen of Cups) and even Pages (particularly the Page of Wands).

My husband and one of my sisters both show up most often as the King of Wands even though they are water and air signs, respectively. Another sister (a Leo) is most commonly represented by the King of Swords, while my mother is the Queen of Cups (that one fits the mold being that she's a Cancer!). I even remember reading for a man who appeared in his own reading as the Queen of Wands. In all of these cases the significators were not preselected or decided upon, they were shown.

Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA - J. Turk

This isn't to say that astrological associations aren't ever accurate, or can't be helpful. As I mentioned before, my Cancer mother's card is the Queen of Cups. My eldest daughter (a triple Earth sign) is most often the Page of Pentacles. And in an ancestor reading for a client once, the Queen of Swords appeared. I asked my client if his sister was an air sign, but he wasn't sure about her birthday. Later he checked with his mother, and sure enough she had been an Aquarius.

Court cards represent our most salient traits and characteristics, so they don't always match up neatly with gender or astrology. And that is a good thing, as it allows much more fluidity in readings, and in the end reflects our diversity with far greater acuity.

The Earthy Power of the Empress

This morning I drew the Empress from my Stone Tarot deck. I absolutely love the rich, vibrant colors, and the slight imperfections in the proportions which give so many of the cards in this deck an earthy, rustic, handcrafted quality that attracts me so much. My favorite detail is the way in which the stars around her head appear to radiate light.

I've pulled the Empress many times over the past few months, and I like being in her company. There are many facets to her energy, and the theme of "motherhood" often comes to mind. Mother of children, of crafts, of ideas and special projects, mother of earth's rich bounty.

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

Incidentally, about five minutes after pulling this card, my son came to me complaining of an "ouchie" on his leg, so we went together to my herb shelf and I smoothed some homemade calendula salve onto his skin. The connection to the Empress was not lost on me, and in fact I was just considering this perhaps a week ago: the joy and satisfaction of being able to care for my family through the aid of the natural realm. One day not long ago I found myself soothing small wounds, and making herbal teas to help treat an upper respiratory infection that had afflicted a couple of the people in my home. As I moved from kitchen to herb cupboard, from person to person, I was filled with a certain empowerment that comes from being able to do something productive when one you love is not well. This is rich with Empress energy.

My herb shelf: salve, lemon balm, elder flowers (O. Destrades)

There is another quality of the Empress that is less spoken of: she is a leader. Of course, her very name denotes a woman of power but in Tarot we tend to think of the Emperor as in control of order - the great architect that provides structure to our lives. The Empress is a ruler, too, however. While she does, to some extent, consider form and structure (just as the Emperor does have a heart for humanity), her primary strength lies in her people-centered approach: wisdom, kindness, strength, caring and advocating for others in the context of larger organizations.

I have indeed found myself doing quite a bit of advocating in the past week, working diligently to make sure that the voices of my colleagues were heard by those in 'high places.' I was pleasantly rewarded with the satisfaction of finding a way to bridge the expectations of management with the needs of the faculty, a sensation very similar to the one I experience when applying carefully crafted salves to my children's cuts and scrapes.

As I type this post, a lamb and barley stew is simmering away on the stove, filling the house with a savory aroma. Every few moments I pause to mediate a sibling dispute, and as soon as I finish typing I'll be heading out to the backyard to weed my garden, full of rosemary, sage, mint, lavender, and lemon balm. The Empress, in these ways, lives within and through me. That, alone, is a comforting meditation.

Channeling Fire

I pulled two cards for my weekly draw last night, one from the Wisdom from the House of Night Oracle deck, and one from the Stone Tarot. I was impressed with the fiery thread that unites them, I'm not sure I could possibly get any more "red energy"!

Stone Tarot/Alison Stone

The Knight of Wands initially showed up reversed for me, and what popped into my head was the idea of the cart running away from the horse. Or perhaps the horse running away despite the rider? (I'm sure I've just butchered some idioms here - carts don't have legs!). Truth is, while I pulled these cards last night, I'm already starting to feel that way. I have quite a bit of new work-related responsibilities that are very busy-making. On Monday the kids start school. Jorge has a work engagement that begins today and will last all of next week. So, I'll be doing a lot, and driving a lot (horse) and could definitely be in danger of my environment having its way with me (i.e.  becoming overstimulated, hyper-focused on so many things that it's hard to feel I've accomplished much, stressed out.)

Wisdom from the House of Night Oracle

The Priestess feels like my advice, the best way to approach this somewhat chaotic energy. She is like the Queen of Wands, who thrives off of movement and creative vibrancy. However despite all the fire energy, there is something calm and knowing about this Priestess; she understand that her element is powerful, that it can at times be volatile and that it can burn, but she has the skill to channel it well, and use the heat and flame to her advantage. She is able to master her element and make things happen, but she also knows when enough is enough, and it's time to cool off in order to avoid burning out.

As I dive head first into what's gearing up to be a wild week, I will use the Priestess's energy as a focal point to help me to stay balanced, and ride the flames!

Lammas Tarot Blog Hop: Rediscovering Our Joy

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Welcome to the Lammas 2015 Blog Hop! Please use the links at the top or bottom of this post to navigate to the other wonderful blogs in this circle.

Our wrangler, Joanne Sprott, has asked us to discuss the influence of the Sun in the Tarot, and/or of Mercury from a favorite Tarot or Oracle deck. I've decided to focus on the Sun (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the sun called me to focus on it!).

One morning, recently, I was looking out my kitchen window in the early hours of the morning, enjoying the glint of the rising sun through the green landscape. I thought about how interesting it is that the angle of light can bring out so many lovely details in even the simplest of things. This spurred the thought:

How does the illumination of the sun invite us to see things in a new light?

New Orleans Voodoo Tarot/S. Glassman

On a mundane, earthly level, the sunlight filtering through green leaves, flowers, and grasses imbues nature with a golden glow that can be absolutely breathtaking. My favorite time of day to "take in" my back yard is in the early morning during the time of year between early June and late August. The rising sun lifts into the sky at a precise angle that lights up the tall bushes and shrubs along our fence line such that it looks as if a magical door has materialized. Golden beams glint off emerald hibiscus leaves just outside my window, and long shafts of brilliance stretch over the lawn, leaning into secret crevices in our maple tree. It's a beautiful sight to behold. And just as fast as it appears, the magic is gone, the sun rises high into the day-time sky and the back yard looks ordinary once again.

A golden arch opens as the sun rises

In the Tarot, the Sun can symbolize success, health, and happiness, even enlightenment - not the sudden revelation of the Tower, but a softer, joyful clarity. In the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot, Trump XIX Gros Bon Ange represents our immortal essence, the spark of divinity within us, and as such reflects our capacity to experience and express all-encompassing love and joy. There is deep power in that.

How does our ability to experience these two profound emotions influence the way in which we perceive our environments, our relationships, and our Selves? 

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

Many depictions of the Sun card show children because they are, generally speaking, great emissaries and teachers of both joy and love. But this symbol also represents the children that live inside of us, the aspect of our being that is purest, most innocent, and most joyful.

At times along our earthly paths we experience great difficulties that cast long shadows over our hearts and souls, and challenge or inhibit our ability to know love and joy. It is in these moments where rediscovering our connection to Sun energy is most crucial.

The Dalai Lama said: "Seeking joy and freedom from suffering is the birthright of all beings."

Interestingly, my cousin, Junior, posted a quote the other day that read: "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional." I really appreciated the root of that message, and decided to investigate its origins online. This brought me to an article from Psychology Today, written by Dan Mager, M.S.W., wherein he discusses how mindfulness and positive thinking mark the difference between the healthy management of (and recovery from) physical and emotional pain, and the experience of suffering. In other words, it's about how we respond when "bad shit" happens.

Vision Quest Tarot/Tarot De St. Croix

At the start of the article the author quotes Dr. Viktor Frankl (Holocaust survivor, among other things):

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

I had just been thinking about this very idea several days prior after having heard an argument where one party reacted strongly, bitterly, and rapidly to a perceived affront. When asked, "Why do you act that way?" the person replied, "I can't help it, that's just how I am!" I thought, That way of thinking is how we choose not to do or be better. There is a moment immediately following the occurrence of a difficult situation, a brief, liminal space, where we decide how we will respond, and there is wisdom in slowing down just enough to allow that moment to touch us.

Becoming aware, or mindful, is important, but not necessarily easy (none of the things in life that are truly worth it are particularly "easy"). So how do we open our Selves to experiencing the love and joy that are our birthright? How do we increase our awareness of, our capacity to experience, Sun in our lives? To address this, I've created a spread:

Card 1: In what way do I feel limited in my ability to embrace joy?

Card 2: How can I help open myself to receive joy?

Card 3: In what way do I feel limited in my experience of love?

Card 4: How can I become more aware of the love in my life?

Card 5: What is my deepest longing?

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." -Buddha

Happy Hopping!

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Lughnasadh Evening

With all the excitement over yesterday's Blue Moon, it's almost easy to forget that today is a very special harvest festival: Lughnasadh (also called Lammas). There are three major harvest celebrations on the Celtic calendar; Lughnasadh is the first, followed by Mabon in September, and Samhain in October. Fitting for this festival of "first fruits," my mother (who is visiting this weekend after having dropped off our eldest daughter from her northern vacation) brought a plastic baggie filled with three red tomatoes plucked from my son Gabriel's tomato plant. He had begun to grow it during his month-long stay with the grandparents earlier in the summer, and just in time for the first harvest, his plant bore him these fruits to share! So we ate them up at dinner last night, and appreciated the rich, sweet, acidic flavor they offered our salad.

I pulled a single card for Lughnasadh: What energy is coming to fruition in my life?

The Fool.

Stone Tarot/A. Stone

After my Blue Moon draw yesterday, the Fool made me smile. On the heels of a reading full of movement and manifestation, the Fool underscores the period of newness and release that is unfolding in my life. The Fool takes risks because she has utter faith that once she steps off that cliff, the universe will conspire to soften the blow of her landing. The leap, at once scary and exhilarating, is the first step of the adventure. It's an inviting and exciting energy to embrace.

We spent the day moving from shop to shop, and at one point stopped at a local metaphysical store where I wanted to pick up a new box of nag champa. As usual, I couldn't stay away from the abundant stone and crystal display, and ended up acquiring a beautiful piece of chiastolite, which I'd not heard of before. The piece I chose shows what appears to be a crossroads of black lines when set in an upright position. I didn't know at the time that this is a key feature of many chiastolite stones, but I was drawn to the symbol of the intersection of spiritual and mundane. Later I learned that this stone is helpful for staying positive while moving through big change, and it felt entirely appropriate both to my life, and to the Fool that I drew earlier in the day.

Chiastolite

It has been a very nice Lughnasadh. A light rain has been falling all afternoon and into the evening. The crickets are chirping, and the warm, earthy scent of incense hangs in the air. It's now time for a cup of oolong tea, and a good book, and the day is complete. Happy harvest!

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!

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!)