Showing posts with label Tarot of the Magical Forest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tarot of the Magical Forest. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21, 2011

1,000 Page Views

Hello, Everyone! I'm very excited to say that yesterday I reached 1,000 page views on my blog! About 800 of them were from this month. In order to celebrate, I will be giving away a free reading at the end of the month (in just a little over a week). I'm working out the details and will have them up by the end of this weekend. I am also working on some exciting new projects around Tarot, including a beginner's e-booklet that will be available to new subscribers. So for the next day or two, I may not be around my blog. But rest assured, I am working hard on some great things for all of my dear readers.

(click on the picture to enlarge) 
Today's card (and perhaps tomorrow's and the next day's) is the 8 of Pentacles. This card is all about hard work, starting projects, and seeing them through to completion. No, this card did not just show up from a random draw. I intentionally chose it in order to bring its energy into my next few days (incidentally, intentional card choice will be the subject of an article I am writing for Tarosophist International Magazine).

These cards are from (in order from left to right) The Gendron Tarot, Tarot of the Sweet Twilight (English and Spanish Edition), and Tarot of the Magical Forest (English and Spanish Edition). I love to do comparative spreads with different decks. It is always so interesting what you get out of the same card from different decks. Which card sings to you? Which card makes you cringe? Different decks definitely evoke different feelings, and it is fun to find out which ones do what, and especially why - although sometimes you never can quite figure out why!

The 8 of Pentacles reminds us to increase the craftsmanship of our work, especially by paying attention to details. It reminds me of the saying, "anything worth doing is worth doing right." Putting in your best effort leads to an increased level of satisfaction and happiness, not to mention an increase in your skills and abilities. After all, practice makes perfect.

So I will take the next several days to practice, practice, practice, and I will see you all very soon.
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Sunday, July 10, 2011

When One Card Isn't Enough

Sometimes I like to use 2 or even 3 decks during readings. These are often just personal readings - I wouldn't recommend it if you are reading for others! When I want clarification, possible other meanings, or I am just trying to go deeper into the cards, I will often pull another deck and lay out the same cards beside the original ones. Here's an example:

3 Card Mind/Body/Spirit Spread

For the original spread, I used the Tarot of the Sweet Twilight (English and Spanish Edition) by Cristina Benentinde.

Mind - King of Swords. The world is blowing all around you. Things are in constant motion and upheaval. You may feel lost and distracted at the moment. It is important to stay focused and stay flexible in your thinking.



 Body - XIV Temperance. This is a Major Arcana card, and a source of distress for me at the moment. Part of the difficulties of my current job are from the physical labor involved. I cannot find the strength to lift weights and exercise outside of work because I am too physically tired (this is a source of mental anguish for me as I love to work out). This card shows a need for balance in taking care of my body (yes, my diet has been off lately as well).

It is interesting to note the rainbow between the two cups. Physically speaking, they could represent a need to balance the chakras. They could also suggest a need to balance and cleanse the aura (a great tip I was reading by Punk Rock Psychic today).

The asture landscape is reminiscent of many spiritual landscapes, especially those revered by Native Americans. While I am generally a forest girl, this is a reminder that I need to reconnect with nature for my bodily health.


 Spirit - 7 of Chalices. Feeling tired and worn down, it is time to take off all the pretenses and see what is truly important. This life is finite, and the Spirit is yearning to fulfill the desires it was born to accomplish this time around.

This card also reminds me of many Buddhist meditations on death and impermanence. And that reminds me that I have been neglecting my spiritual practice, especially meditation.


What would I see if I used a different deck for this reading? Here are the cards from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marcetti. Mind - King of Swords - well-educated and expects to be paid for his/her expertise
















Body - Temperance - balance, harmony, and moderation - something I am severely lacking right now. This card can also represent your Angel or Spirit Guide lifting you up or healing you with body work in the metaphysical realm.













Spirit - 7 of Cups - In this more traditional Waite-Smith rendition, the 7 of Cups represents too many choices. I am so overwhelmed by all that I could be doing, I am having trouble doing anything.




I also took a look at the same cards in Tarot of the Magical Forest (English and Spanish Edition). Here are two of the cards from this deck (my scanner is having issues and I was unable to find the 7 of cups on the internet).


In the King of Swords, the thing that stands out to me the most is the blue background. My mind is blue. I am feeling somewhat melancholy and stuck at the moment.

Both of the other cards have yellow backgrounds (color often plays a vital role in my interpretation with this particular deck). When combined with the card from the original spread with the Tarot of the Sweet Twilight, I immediately thought it could be my "yellow" chakra that is out of balance and needing the most attention at the moment. 

I grabbed two of my chakra books and found that yellow is associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra, above the belly button. This chakra deals with self-confidence and self-development. It is also the storage house for our ideas about ourselves and the world  around us. It is vital to check our judgements and beliefs to discover what works for us and what outdated ideas could be holding us back. Also, by working on this chakra, I should be able to overcome the "blueness" of my mind.

Each deck of cards lent additional ideas and meanings to the interpretation. This does not mean that any one interpretation was better than the other, or that any were "right" or "wrong." The layers that each deck added enriched the spread and increased my knowledge and self-awareness. Some decks gave me ideas on things that I could do to improve my situation (focus, meditate, cleanse my aura). Some gave me ideas about other aspects to ponder. All were quite meaningful.

The next time you do a reading for yourself, pull out a second deck and draw the same cards. Lay the two beside each other. What do the meanings for each tell you? Do they interact and work together? Are there conflicts between the illustrations? Note how each card makes you feel and how you feel when you see them together. Reading from more than one deck at a time can help you increase your knowledge of Tarot and help you see many possible sides and interpretations. It can be tremendously helpful when you draw a card and you have no idea how to interpret it or what the deck may be trying to tell you. 

Plus, it's just plain fun!

Happy Readings!

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Starting Over Again

So my boss has decided that the promotion he said he was giving me is no longer available. I have been told a lot of things, but everything gets cancelled at the last minute. I decided to ask the Tarot of the Magical Forest (English and Spanish Edition) if I should go ahead and turn in my notice. I started applying to other jobs about a week or two ago, but I didn't want to put out negative energy by quitting this one. Tonight I realized I am currently so miserable (I don't like being lied to repeatedly) that I am doing nothing BUT putting out negative energy. Without shuffling, I reached into my nightstand drawer, cut the deck and looked at the card. 


 I guess it's time to start on my next big adventure! I wonder what that will be.

Happy Readings!
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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Dangers in Misreading the Cards

The main thing I want anyone to get from this blog is that Tarot can be used and enjoyed every day. It doesn't have to be for special occasions, for birthdays, or for parties - though those are all perfect times, too! I like to draw a card or 3 every day, and I know many people who do. Occasionally, though, I have a specific question about my day that I'd like to get some inside information on.

For example, I have been working at a new job for the past month. Usually when I have a job I am offered some type of extra responsibility or promotion within the first two weeks. My husband says this is unrealistic, but it's happened every single place I have ever worked. I have always indicated that my interest in taking on more responsibility, but never applied to anything, and I've just been offered something.

At my new job, however, I DID apply for a promotion about 2 or 3 weeks in. Even though I was recommended by the front-end manager, the store manager denied it. Also during the same week, 2 other people in different departments asked for me to be cross-trained and promoted into their areas. Denied and denied. So I got pretty upset and told my husband I would look for a job where the boss would appreciate me. That afternoon I got a phone call from a friend about a job in my field (I just graduated with a Masters Degree), and I called the potential employer and set up an interview.

So what does all of this have to do with Tarot? (Bear with me, I'm getting to it, I promise.) Normally on the day of an interview I will do a 3-card spread about positive points to stress, possible pitfalls, and potential things I may need to know about the relationship between the interviewer and me (maybe I should call this my PPP spread!).

On the day of this particular interview, however, I did not feel the need for a long explanation and only asked the cards how my day would go.



I drew 10 - Wheel of Fortune from Tarot of the Magical Forest (English and Spanish Edition). Wow! I was already on Cloud 9, and know I am well-prepared and well-qualified for the job, but drawing this card was just really a confidence booster.

First of all, this is a Major Arcana card, indicating major life issues. Starting a career in my new field is definitely a life issue for me. I was a therapist (psychology) for over a decade and honestly never felt right in that position. So I took several years off from working, thought about what I wanted to do, and went back to school to get a Masters Degree in the field that would allow me to get a job exactly like the one I interviewed for.

Some meanings for the Wheel of Fortune card include entering a lucky period of your life, great things are happening for you, and there will be positive changes coming soon. To me, this card is like shaking your Magic 8 ball and getting "All signs point to YES."

The interview, in fact, could not have gone better. I could answer every question and asked a couple of questions that impressed the interviewer. I also was trained during an internship by someone the interviewer had trained nearly a decade ago. He gave me a tour and said it would be about a month before the process was over and they could officially hire anyone. He also sent me an e-mail later in the day and encouraged me to keep in touch.

There is no doubt that because of all of this and the card I drew that I felt like saying, "Forget my current job - they don't appreciate me, and I'm going to get this new job anyway. I should just go in today and give them my notice." Well, hold on there! Did the card REALLY say that? I have known people to do a reading for themselves and make pretty drastic changes in their lives, suddenly quitting jobs or making major moves without really planning anything. While that is all well and good, sometimes it's best to put the brakes on and ride things out for a little while.

My decision was to go to work and continue to do a good job. There is NO WAY I want to start slacking. At the very least, that would just put bad energy out, and I don't want that, especially if the potential employer contacts my current one. Tarot is not set in stone. It can show us what path we are currently on and where we are headed, but any decision we make can change everything.

Later that day, the store manager came to me and offered me a promotion (not one of the three positions I talked about earlier).

Um, yeah...what??? So now the dilemma: was the Wheel of Fortune talking about the new job, or was it an indication of things getting better in my current position? Remember, I did not specifically ask about the interview for the job I was applying for (see my post What Can I Ask the Cards?). I only asked how things were going. Will I end up having to choose between the two jobs?

The major danger for reading for yourself is misreading the cards. It is so easy to read into everything and try to make the cards say what you want them to say, rather than let them give you gentle guidance. I could do another spread and ask for some clarification; however, my desire for the new job is so strong that I believe it will bleed into the reading and I will get no further clarification. At this point, even having someone else read the cards for me would probably lead to an inconclusive outcome. Readers can pick up on people's energy and it can sometimes influence the cards as well.

So what do I do?

I wait a month to see what happens. All I know is that things are looking up. How or what will it lead to? I don't know. Does it really matter? No - it's an exciting time in my life, and I'm very happy. I will continue to work towards my goals and whatever happens will happen. Right now I am taking the new position and running with it.

Of course, I'm open if the other guy calls.

Happy Readings!
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Monday, July 4, 2011

The Lighter Side of Tarot

Tarot isn't all about being serious or meeting a woman in a dark room with a crystal ball. It's about learning, and living - and FUN! In some places cards aren't even used for divination; it's actually a card game. And, of course, where do you think our modern decks of playing cards come from? Four suits of cards 1-10 plus Court Cards and Aces. Sounds like the Minor Arcana to me!

But just to prove Tarot isn't all seriousness, I thought I'd post some pictures from some of the more light-hearted decks I've seen. I actually own a couple of these.


Ah, the legendary Hello Kitty deck. Now out of print (due to copyright violations). One of these days I will find this deck, and then I will be able to die happy. Incidentally, if anyone comes across this deck and would like to donate it, please contact me!


This is the Ace of Wands from Tarot of the White Cats. These cards are, for lack of a better word, CUTE. :) I was never a big cat fan (ok, except for Hello Kitty) until about two years ago when my husband and I rescued two of the most loving and amazing kittens ever. One has since passed away, and we have adopted another. If you like cats, especially white ones, this is definitely a deck that will amuse you.



This is the Star card from the Tarot of the Magical Forest. I purchased this deck for the artwork, but it quickly became one of my most treasured reading decks. For some reason these cards really connect with me. When I have a really important question and I don't want to be possibly distracted by the features of characters depicted on the cards (hair color, gender, general appearance), I go to this deck. There are none of the distractions to be found with decks depicting humans. Okay, once I asked a question about my work and the card representing my boss had a pig on it, but I don't think that's what the deck was REALLY trying to say. :)



Tarot of the Gnomes - what can I say? Except that I really want this deck as well. I don't think it will be a reading deck, but I could be pleasantly surprised (again). Images such as VII - the Chariot make me think that this deck could actually be more than artwork. It remains true to the Rider-Waite-Smith images I am used to, but gives them a twist that is just enough to throw me out of my comfort zone, without going overboard. Plus, who doesn't love to see a gnome riding in a chariot drawn by bunnies? The deck is full of slightly off-the-wall images that are good for a chuckle.


Finally, we come to the issue of Fairies. Or faeries. Or faes. Or, well, there's about a million ways to say it, and about that many decks as well. The card above is from The Faery Tarot. I enjoy the images on this deck. Make no mistake, though, when you choose to let fairies into your home, you could be in for a lot of mischief. This happened when I bought the "Mystic Faerie Tarot." These cards are relegated to my garage now. Most people don't have too much trouble with them, and I believe the Faery Tarot deck may be something worth looking into. Maybe.

Hopefully some of these more light-hearted images have shown that Tarot doesn't have to be dark or scary. It is actually a lot of fun. There are many other decks to choose from, and some are even based on familiar nursery rhymes or stories that most of us grew up with. If you didn't catch it earlier, check out my post on How to Choose a Tarot Deck.

As always, Happy Readings!
And Happy 4th of July to all of my American friends.
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