Joie de Vivre Tarot

I am on vacation in Maui, playing with my new tarot deck, the Joie de Vivre Tarot created by Paulina Cassidy and published by  US Games Systems. My partner is off snorkeling, the perfect opportune moment to layout my tie die bandana as an altar cloth, focus on the Solstice, and all that will unfolding the coming new year.

The cards are light and whimsical, each fairy tale like with undertones of a more serious nature, a cross between Where the Wild Thins Are and A Nightmare Before Christmas. The little white book reveals the names of the characters, casting a spell of enchantment, leading me further down the rabbit hole. After shuffling the cards, I lay them down in the Motherpeace spread.

My significator is Five of Wands reversed. "In a scuffle, Rumble the tree and Fray the boy have their own strategies..." the message is how to change creative conflicts into creative visions, the power of positive competition. I think about play, my new cat playing with her toy mouse, increasing her hunting skills, and I ponder my own feelings of competitiveness to increase my skills, rather than the weariness of battles, real or imagined, internal or otherwise.

My source of strength is the Knight of coins, a placid image, I like seeing the textures of the water color creating swirls behind the champion on his steed. "Dedication...sits thoughtfully upon his blue horse named Caution." Patience and perseverance are the theme, along with commitment and follow through, certainly qualities I appreciate in myself right now.

My challenge lies in the Five of Swords. Two bird women beings cross each other, one with jewels hanging from her thin sharp curved blade. "Squabble and Quarrel are always in conflict... (but) the true event is battle of ego. victory and pride are not worth the cost of friendship." This hits me hard, and I realize where I have been the harpy lately, my own part in recent transitions of long friendships which have changed dramatically in the last year. I ponder the message, "reevaluate circumstances, there's always room for new directions."

At the root of the reading is Ten of Swords, I notice I've already pulled two fives. A veiled fairy sits by a stream, one sword across her lap while contemplating a snake in a stream, nine swords behind her, embedded upright in the ground. A small snail is her companion. As I turn the pages of the LWB, I feel weepy as I read the description, "Feeling at her lowest point, Lament unleashes the power of sheer will to lessen the impact that turmoil brings." I have been feeling stabbed in the back recently (back to 5 of swords) and take comfort in the message that "her worries are farther away than she realizes."

In the sky is Six of Cup - a sassy mermaid swims with two mer-bunnies, who look like joyful jesters in this underwater scene. Certainly this is most of my mind, my own and other's emotional healing, coming back to play and innocence, changing dis-illusionment (who wants to be illusioned?) to fresh vision. "Swimming side by side, Bliss and her mer-bunny friends, Charity and Innocence, appreciate the simple joys of life." The message here is to analyze what worked in the past and to update my actions to suit my current situation.

The immediate past, the last six weeks, is represented by XIV- Temperance reversed. A female figure with four arms, claw feet and doves wings combines essences in test tubes, holding the comedy and tragedy masks while a skull and bones pile at her feet. Her hair is made up of blue and red snakes, and she has sun and moon symbols on her pinafore. Last Temperance is "an alchemist, she achieves cooperation by combining forces...increasing your ability to adapt to change."

The immediate future, next six weeks, heralds the King of Coins, a strong bunny figure holding a red flower and a sunflower scepter, the shadow of a heart at his feet, purse bulging at his side. Stable "King Fortune stands proudly before his kingdom...Finding opportunity everywhere, he succeeds at whatever he sets his mind to." This fills me with confidence and hope, the feeling of resolve as I continue to work on my PhD and cultivate more clients in my practice as a holistic healer.

My mirror card reflects the King of Cups (2 kings in this reading). "King Serenity, kind and patient, is a natural healer...He's loyal to his purpose and possesses great knowledge drawn from the heart." Indeed, this figure holds one hand open while holding a full vessel, beautiful robes ornate with hearts, a protective cloak and crowned on gold leaves, I welcome this image of being the master of my emotions now.

In my house is XV- the Devil. A spooky spidery figure stands on top of a treasure chest with a face, while pulling the strings of a marionette who holds scissors and a heart. The devil is chained to the chest and has a belt made out of shrunken heads. "Though Deception wears an expression of self contentment, his garish hat portrays the expression of despair." the message continues, "Cutting the strings that bind him, Flee is moments away from fleeing the bonds of limitation."

Hopes/Fears are to be found in III- The Empress, interesting with all the kings in this reading. A beautiful nymph dressed in green, she has both hearts and sculls decorating her green leaf dress. She carries a shield with the Venus symbol on it in one hand, a moon faced scepter is the other, complete with a ribbon full of jingling bells. She stands on top of crescent moon in a field of flowers. "Containing the life force that gives birth to all creation, the Empress Blossom wears a nest of eggs on her head... Blossom is a beacon of delight and opulence." The message is to nurture ideas to bring forth positive energies.

My final card, outcome over the year, is XVI-the Tower, reversed. The tower is being destroyed from the onside by a monster with octopus tentacles and a lampreys head. A girl in a quilted dress falls from the tower, while butterflies grab the hem of her skirt and lift her upwards. "Hurling downwards from her tower of illusion, Discordia is rescued by butterflies, manifestations of her self-empowerment." The message here is clear, "regardless of how difficult change can be, soul shaking experiences are necessary to bring you out of your comfort zone and provide insight for further growth."

Blessed be.

Tarot Through the Cat's Eyes

"A cat has nine lives, 3 he plays, 3 he strays and 3 he stays"- from  the Cat's Eye Tarot by Debra M. Givin, DVM

Mercury went retrograde on thanksgiving day, in Sagittarius, sign of the archer. Time to pull back on that bow, reflect on your target, before following through...

I thought to myself, what better way to review my goals than a tarot reading? I decided on a Nine Lives Spread using the Cat's Eye Tarot by Debra M. Givin, DVM, recently published by U. S. Games Systems.

Softly illustrated, this is obviously a great deck for any cat lover, one of my favorite parts being the green cats eyes on the back of each card. I loved XII - the Hanged Kitty, as being one of the best cat interpretations of tarot. I also enjoyed seeing the cats paws on each of the aces, reminiscent of the hand coming out of the clouds in the Rider Waite deck. I would have liked to see more on the royal cards, for example the king of cups could have had one paw in the fish bowl, but overall a delightful deck and one I am happy to introduce to my students of tarot and to gift to my friends.

I shuffled the cards while focusing on my career, curious as to what the cards would reveal on my path to being in service. Pulling from the top of the deck, I laid on nine cards in a three by three pattern. The columns represented youth, middle age and maturity. The rows corresponded to playing, straying and staying.

I liked this simple spread sheet type of lay out, easy to remember and work with. Starting in the middle column and moving down, for my current life experience the cards showed me first in play, five of swords reversed, a hissing cat at the vet. The message is to not ever react with emotion. Fives are the number of change, swords symbolize the mental plane, and I thought about the ways in which I can play with changing my mind.

The next card was showing where I have strayed - ten of pentacles showed two contented cats, fat and sassy in the barn, an affirmation of my own striving for abundance. Tens are completion, pentacles on the physical realm, and I contemplated what having a full client schedule would look like, feel like, where it would energize me, where I fear it would tire me.

The third card was indicating where I will stay - XIX, the sun card, showed a Ginger tabby basking by blooming daisies, seeming to be supported by a pillar of marble while gazing at a garden. What a lovely card, the message being confidence, clarity and renewal of sunnier energies.

I moved to the youth column, representing my youth. Play was two of pentacles, a white bellied tabby flinging a mouse on a string creating an infinity loop, a reminder of balancing the physical realm. Stray was VI, the lovers card, upside down, with the clear message of the difficult choices relationships can bring. Stay was Knight of Wands, the quester of passion, a big orange tabby high up in a tree, smugly looking at the dawn below.

Last was the maturity column, starting with Wheel of Fortune in the play position, a couple of cats hunt two mice while sparrows narrowly avoid the same fate. Change is always my friend. The stray card was VIII - Strength, a kitten and a big dog sharing a calm space, again a message to not over react but instead to come from a compassionate place of inner strength and acceptance.

The third card, representing stay, was eight of cups, traditionally the card of withdrawal, showing a black and white cat leaving a home after a new puppy has arrived. A sad card, I did not want this to be my ending, so I pulled one more card, XX- Judgement, two Siamese cats bask on a stone ledge by a cat gargoyle, a purple twilight gracing the background. The message is to take an honest look at myself, and to not ignore any opportunities for true progress on my journey, which left this tarot reader purring...

Elements of Tarot: Fire

Fire:

Wands, Rods, Staffs, Flames, Diamonds
Sparks, Matches, Candles, Hearths, Forest Fires, Volcanoes, Novas

Energetic plane:

Creative, Artistic, Passion, Play, 

Vitality, Loyalties, Conflict, Competition, Drive, 

Action, Growth, Power

Key Word:

I will

Suggested Ritual:

Candle Magic

Candles are powerful as you can both burn away energy as well as invite in energy. Always start with a fresh candle - throw half burned candles away, guilt free. Choose a candle size proportionate to your needs -  a 2 hour mini spell candle is pretty different from a seven day novena. Choose a color appropriate to the situation - black tends to dispel energy, while white may purify and cleanse. A basic chakra chart can help you choose the right color for your focus.

Infuse the candle with you intention. Take a moment to notice what are the things that you wish for. Inscribe them on the candle with a pen, pencil or athame as what you will for. For example, if you wish for a million dollars, write "I will earn/receive/have a million dollars". "I wish I was healthy" becomes "I will be healthy."

Anoint the candle, either by simply running you hand along it or by using an aromatherapy oil. ***NOTE that candles anointed with oil WILL BURN FASTER and HOTTER. Use precautions. NEVER leave a lit candle unattended.

Note that writing/anointing the candle from the base to tip invokes energy to be released as the candle burns away. Writing/anointing from top to bottom invites energy. It's fine to both on a single candle, both releasing energy and invoking beneficial energy to fill that particular void.

Decide when, where, and how often to light your candle. Once until it's gone? One a day for a month? Every full/new moon? Whenever you're working on a particular project? Or you can use this ritual to bless a series of candles that can than be used as gifts for friends and family.

Blessed be.

Elements of Tarot: Water

Water:

Tarot Symbols: Cups, Vessels, Cauldrons, Shells, Hearts
Rain, Wells, Rivers, Lakes, Dams, Oceans, Storms

Emotional plane:

Feelings, Intuition, Dreams, Childhood, Early memories

Subconscious messages, Nurturing, Relationships, 

The need to give and receive, Flow, Receptivity

Key Word:

I feel

Suggested Ritual:

Ice Cube Magic

Each of the elements may be expressed in one of three modalities: cardinal (starts things), fixed (stabilizes) or mutable (changes). Ice cubes are in essence fixed water (Scorpio in astrology) and represent fixed emotions. Whether you feel fixated on the past, obsessed with changing the present, or fully focused on the future, ice cube magic may ease your way.

Take an ice cube from the freezer. Grab a permanent marker: black, blue or red ink work best. Write on the ice cube anything you want to see dissolve, shift, or change: grief, jealousy, stress, debt, taxes, the name of an ex-lover, your boss, cancer, etc. If the tip freezes, it's okay, you can imagine invisible ink or switch to using your athame or a sharp knife to scratch in the word(s).

Put it on a small plate, preferably in the sun. You can sit and watch the ice cube dissolve, noticing all the emotions that well up in your being and dissolve through tears. Or you can go out and do something completely else - the spell will be working in your subconscious the whole time.

Now, what to do with your melted emotions. You can pour the water down the toilet, flushing it completely away. You can pour it on an outside plant, allowing new growth to emerge. Be creative, yet keep it simple; invite ease and flow into your life.

Blessed be.

Sun and Moon Tarot

In the name of the Maiden, Mother and Crone

I'm here by myself - And I am never alone...

-kgr

I shuffle the cards over and over, stiff little boards in my hands, the cool gray and white lotus on a black background a stark contrast to the flashes of color as the satisfying sound of the cards rippling through my hands fills my peaceful, sun-filled living room. It is the harvest moon, a time of abundance, time of balance as we move into Libra and notice the fall equinox, the shifting light, the changing tides.

Today I am playing with The Sun and Moon Tarot by Vanessa Decourt, recently published by US Games Systems. After splitting the deck into three piles with my left hand (coming from my heart), I then reorder them into one pile with my right hand (using my head). I pull the first card with both hands, my finger tips arguing with each other as I tip the cards back and forth, back and forth, until finally they are in agreement that this is the one.

I'm employing the Motherpeace Spread and the first card is the significator, the here and now, the present moment. The ace of pentacles appears, an auspicious beginning. A gray shield with a pentacle in the middle surrounded by a geometric, almost floral design is surrounded by curling ivy in a deep mustard yellow background, a downward facing triangle with a line through it graces the top.

My first impressions arise: Aces are the top card, as well as the beginning - here is the alpha and the omega. Ivy is know for it's tenacity, the ability to stick to something for the long term. Pentacles represent the physical plane, and I ponder my health, my house, my business. Part of me feels protected, like the pod of the seed. Part feels ready to unfold, after being planted, nourished by both a rain of tears as much as the shine of smiles.

The deep yellow puts me in touch with the third chakra- the solar plexus, center of will and power, ruled by Leo and the shining sun. I post on Twitter: The Harvest Moon reminds us to harvest our abundance, and plant the seeds of change, seeds of hope, and seeds of love. I ponder the last symbol, the male principle, split in two - a balance between head and heart? Or what I seem to need the most, a balance between the higher mind and the so called lower desires?

I pull the next cards rapidly, some with the left hand, some with the right, sometimes using both, most are reversed, to my surprise. I enjoy the images tremendously - simple, faceless beings engage in archetypal moments, the colors are fairly soft and muted, the lessons feel gentle and kind. There is a modern element to this deck (stripes come to mind, from stripy shirts to stripy socks), as well as an element of timelessness, found in dancing figure of Shakti in the universe card or the ace of swords being crowned in gold.

The second card is ten of cups, satiety, upside down - how is  NOT feeling satisfied my source of strength now? Next I get three of wands, virtue, as my challenge - how am I being loyal, to myself and others. At the root of my being is three of pentacles, what Decourt names as works, and on my sky/mind is the devil, again reversed - hallelujah! certainly over the last few years I have worked on looking my demons in the eye and creating alliances instead of enemies. Ace of swords graces my immediate past while prince of pentacles dominates my future. The bull looks stuck, stubborn in this card, but I instantly go back to the ivy in my significator, the lesson of tenacity. No coincidence that my present lover has Taurus on the 7th house. 

My mirror card is king of wands, as I master my own energies, become the master of my desires; while in my house the four of pentacles appear, that desire for stability on the physical planes, creating sand castles on the beach, and The Universe expresses my hopes and fears.

My last card has a man and a woman embracing on a white lotus under the full moon, their quiet reflection shimmering in the water as they whisper heartfelt secrets to each other. My outcome for the coming year: Two of cups- love, sweet love.

 

Blessed be.

No longer the slave to intensity

I am now the face of satisfied desire.

-Rumi

Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.  -Oscar Wilde 

US Games Systems has just released a color deck of The Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot Cards. These cards are simply rich - from the mythology, symbols, astrology, Hebrew characters, numerology and the teachings of the Kabbalah - each one is a feast to feed one's mind and soul. A companion deck to The Sacred Tarot by C.C. Zain, the original 1936 black and white images were first designed by Gloria Beresford, then redesigned in 2009 by Vicki Brewer as full-color Egyptian tarot cards. 

I recently received the deck with it's little instruction booklet, and just the key on the front makes me giddy. The circle of the key is divided into the four suits with the numbers 1 through 9 corresponding to planetary positions within constellations. For example, 3 of Swords (or Trey of swords, I love the old-fashioned aspects of this deck) shows Mercury, Capricorn and Virgo. The post of the key contain the major arcana, while the teeth contain the court cards. Interesting, as in all my Santa Cruz tarot classes, students tend to get stuck when studying the court cards, which in some way once understood, allow for the tumble and click in unlocking the wisdom of the tarot.

Rather than going through the suits, the section on the minor arcana goes through the numbers, associating each with a particular planet, giving the divinatory significance of each card as well as its' inner interpretation. Following the Hermetic tradition, the cards an integral part of an internally consistent exposition of occult sciences. Astrology, alchemy and magic are continuously expressed through color, symbol and glyph. Each card is actually a cartouche, containing a message for the seeker. While I am well versed in Greek and Roman mythology, these cards had me seeking way back in my mind, as I remember adoring Egyptian culture as a kid. I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to travel in Tunisia and Northern Africa, but Egypt is still on my list of places to visit this lifetime.

"What the tarot can be made to reveal is limited only by the capacity for understanding of the person using it " (from the booklet). I have been really enjoying playing with this new deck as it synthesized my own interests in both tarot and astrology. Having the planets and signs expressed on each card gives me instant access to more information that I can share with my client. 

It's been 23 years now that I have been courting the cards. Receiving The Brotherhood of Light Egyptian Tarot Cards cards reminds me that the Tarot itself is a lifetime romance...

Du Whacky Du - The Morgan's Tarot Review

The Morgan's Tarot was created by Morgan Robbins, illustrated by Darshan Chorpash and was first published in 1970 by US Games Systems. Three reprints later, this fascinating deck is eclectic and entertaining, whimsical and always deeply thought provoking.

Morgan's Tarot is a black and white deck with simple line drawings, clearly inspired by the '60s, with the images ranging from turtledoves nesting on a branch to comets shooting through outer space, from three eyed aliens to completely unknown objects. There are 88 cards instead of the traditional 78, and indeed seemed at first to be completely random and quite removed from the numerology, suits and archetypal symbolism of the Tarot. Even the order in the booklet was completely random.

The accompanying booklet was a wealth of gems. The card descriptions were only a few sentences each, but added meaning, humor and charm to each of the cards. Another tarot reader that I know said she numbered the cards and the descriptions, in order to make it easier to look them up. This inspired me to not just number the cards, but to color them as well.

Three months ago I received a review copy in the mail, coinciding with the beginning of my 10 week class, Journey through the Tarot.  I made it my goal to finish the deck by the end of the class  - quite a daunting task, since it took me almost 4 years to color the Daughters of the Moon deck. However, I used watercolor for the DOM deck, and for the Morgan's tarot I ended up using quite a variety of media that led to more spontaneity with each individual card.

The cards are printed on quality card stock with a glossy coating. I ended up using a pack of chisel point permanent markers to color the images, which was really fun as the thick tips had me coloring outside the lines quite frequently. I tend to be very fastidious in my artwork, and this was so liberating to be quick and downright sloppy at times. I was limited in my palette of eight colors, which let me have more fluorescent pink skies than I'd usually allow myself.

The tarot is a system, and the way for me to learn a new deck is to apply the system. I lay out all 78 cards of the Rider-Waite deck on my living room floor in order, then lay down each of the Morgan's Tarot on top. I painted the outside edges with acrylic paints, corresponding to each of the suits (Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Aether), using Green, Blue, Red, Yellow and Purple. Having 10 extra cards meant 2 extra for each of the suits, so each one got a Zero card and the royals were numbered 11 through 15.

Now the fun began. For each card I had cut out the meaning from the booklet and glued it around the edges, eliminating the need to "go look it up". I added a variety of fine glitters, bejeweled embellishments, and tiny stickers in order to really personalize each one. The colors began to pop and indeed, the deck is considerably thicker than originally and can no longer fit in the box. To end, I colored all the backs with a purple acrylic with a breath of silver glitter. I did three layers of an acrylic clear coat on each side, waiting 24 hours to dry between coats.

To me, this is what Tarot is all about. I truly PLAYED with the Morgan's Tarot, infusing my own color, meaning and energy into each card. The more I played, the more I appreciated the simple interpretations of life's complexities, the gentle reminders to laugh at life for all of it's conundrums. While seemingly so disparate from the traditional tarot, the Morgan's Tarot is a classic in it's own right.

Blessed Be.

Celebrating Pixie: The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Tarot Set

US Games systems has just released the eagerly anticipated The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. What a delicious set! Quite simply gorgeous, starting from the beautiful keepsake box it comes in, the cards printed on heavy card stock, and the details like the ribbon ties, all make this a scrumptious set, whether for the complete novice or the avid collector.

Upon opening the box, the left side has two books, post cards and prints, the right side containting the cards. The postcards and prints are delightful. Four large over sized postcards includes black and white portrait of Pamela. The six smaller postcards include a copy of The Empress. A card layout sheet is included, with a 5 Card Love Spread, 3 Card Relationship Spread, and the traditional Celtic cross layout called the Woven Spread.

The books include The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Waite, a nice, sturdy edition with Temperance on the cover. The 78 card Smith-Waite Centennial Edition Tarot Deck is reproduced from the original 1909 deck, and includes a lovely draw string organza bag. The deck itself seemed dark to me at first, but after playing with it, it seems easy on the eyes, reminding me of the gentle coloring in Mary Hanson-Roberts deck. Thick, sturdy, the cards have an English Rose on a pale blue background for the backs.

But the real delight was The Artwork and Times of Pamela Colman Smith by Stuart R. Kaplan. This little book is rich with insights into Pamela's (known as Pixie to her friends) inspirations, friendships, and collaborations as well as an extensive collection of artwork.

Over a hundred examples of her non-tarot art are featured. Simple line drawings in a wood block style tug at my heart while the more richly embellished illustrations are more evocative, from the cover for the Cases of Sherlock Holmes to The Annacy Stories - Folk Stories from Jamaica. I learned that "a distinctive feature in Smith's work is the union of foreground and background; although perspective is used, the background is as important visually as the foreground" (pg. 19).

Smith's book The Annacy Stories was published in 1899, which has been described by Thomas Nelson Page (1853-1922) as "perhaps the most original contribution to Negro folklore since Uncle Remus" (pg 30). One of my favorite illustrations is from the full color frontispiece for the book In the Valley of Stars There is a Tower of Silence, a Persian Tragedy by Smara Khamara. Many of the reproductions are from Mr. Kaplan's private collection- I only hope it is reprinted as a coffee table book one table so the lavish illustrations can be seen even better.

William Butler Yeats is credited with influencing Smith's work and introducing her to the order of the Golden Dawn. "Although Smith's art was heavily influenced by Symbolist art, it cannot be defined in terms of a school or movement. It is the outpouring of a highly original and expressive imagination. The figures often evoke the magical aura of the legendary days of chivalry, but they don't belong to a specific time or place. There appearance is as elusive as the setting in which they are placed" (pg 38).



In 1909 Arthur Waite commissioned Pamela to create a tarot deck, as he thought that adding images to the forty pip cards would be more meaningful. The earliest known extant examples of illustrated pips are part of the Sola-Busca deck, which origniated in the 15th century in Ferrara or Venice. However, Waite still placed more emphasis on the major arcana, allowing Pamela more freedom in designing the minor arcana. "The designs in the Rider-Waite deck exemplify what Smith sought to express in all her paintings and drawings: mysticism, ritual, imagination, fantasy and a deep experience of the emotions felt, but not always understood, in everyday life" (pg 78).

Smith was activist, joining the Suffrage Atelier in London, an organization dedicated to promoting women's right to vote. Never married, instead Pixie lived with her companion Mrs. Nora Lake who moved in with her in 1926 and stayed until her death. The book ends with an appendix with an article by Smith on "Should the Art Student Think" for the Craftsman Illustrated Monthly magazine. She writes, "Learn from everything, see everything, and above all, feel everything! And make other people when they look at your drawing feel it too... (even) through ugliness is beauty sometimes found"(pg.99).

A beautiful gift for yourself or a loved one, this is a set to savor. I'll be teaching my six week Journey through the Tarot class this summer at Twin Lakes College and will definitely encourage my students to consider The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set. This deluxe set is going to be release on May 15, 2009. Available locally at Bookshop Santa Cruz or Gateways, you can also order direct from US Games Systems or your local independent bookstore.

VI: The Lovers

There are two beings, naked in their splendor. They have traveled far to meet. This is the time, and this is the place. Their paths cross and a third entity - Love - is born. In the distance is a mountain, their toils of the past to get this far. Between them is is river, gently flowing:

I take delight in
The love that is flowing
just like a river
To the strength of the sea...

And I take delight in
The love that is growing
Just like a river
Between you and me...
(Traditional)

There is green earth under them- they are grounded and stable, a solid foundation. They each come with their gifts - One has a fruit tree in full blossom, feeding them both. A snake winds around the trunk, whispering truth in her ear. She looks to the heavens, as she wonders about worlds of possibilities.The other has a burning bush, keeping them both warm. He looks to her as he has single focus.

Above is the sky, where above a cloud bank an angel of peace brings the message of hope, blessing each of them with outstretched hands. The angel's cloak is the blue of the fifth chakra, communication with love and kindness, kind communication with god. It's wings are purple, color of the higher mind, allowing these beings to rise rather than fall in love. At the apex of the triangle, the angel's hair is a halo of fire, radiant thoughts, and behind the angel is god herself, the blossoming sun, illuminating the whole.

The fog is lifting and the clouds of illusion and despair part as the two lovers come together in perfect love and perfect trust. Each has achieved the trinity within, and now make up the VI: The Six. There is the unity of the one, the polarity of the two, the creativity of the three, the stability of four, fives are the experience of change, and sixes signify the resulting growth. This is a mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationship.

The two beings feel illuminated and blessed, and share their joy with friends and family, their community. They balance and harmonize each other, feeling interdependent and symbiotic, being complementary energies, moving through co-operation and compromise to create together what they could not do individually.

And we can make something bigger
Then anyone of us alone
-Ani DiFranco

These are my notes after pulling IV: The Lovers card at Mary K. Greer's workshop on 21 ways To Read a Tarot Card at this year's Pantheacon

Adventures at PantheaCon: Day 4

My fourth time over the hill in 4 days. Not a big deal to some, but more times than I've driven in probably a year. After all, I live in Santa Cruz, and why leave paradise?

I started out with Every Day Reiki - Magickal and Mundane presented by Francena Marie Hancock. Based on Diane Stein's Essential Reiki, this certainly was the calmest, most peaceful workshop I attended. There was an interesting discussion on why do we ask permission before doing Reiki when Reiki can cause no harm. The general conclusion was out of respect and courtesy - just as in the mundane world every repair person rings the doorbell before entering your space to provide their service.

Next I attended a Sacred Circle Dance hosted by The Bay Area Circle Dancers. From the program, "...simple dances to honor the earth and its rhythms, dances of ceremony, ritual, life and death, and the turning of the seasons... to beautiful music from England, Greece, Israel, Russia, Lapland and the Americas, always closing with the moving dance to Charlie Murphy's "Burning Times".

...And the Pope declared an inquisition It was a war against the women, whose power they feared In the holocaust against the nature people Nine million European women died...

Now the Earth is a witch, and the men still burn her
Stripping her down with mining, and the poisons of their wars
Still to us the Earth is a healer, a teacher, a mother
The weaver of a web of life that keeps us all alive...

As in the Self-Blessing Ritual, here was were I felt the most at home. I was with my tribe, with my kin, holding hands with the old woman next to me, mirroring the young girl across the circle, a part of each person present as we matched our steps and moved our hips. The ninety minutes felt like five and I left feeling that I had just accomplished my whole purpose in attending the con - clarity, connection, and community.

The last lecture I went to was Magic of the Self-Your Holy Guardian Angel hosted by Robert Hagar. Designed to encourage one to find one's own inner teacher rather than relying on outside sources, I was reminded of the classic line from Starhawk's Charge of the Star Goddess:

if that which you seek, you find not within yourself,
You will never find it without...

I drove home equally exhilarated as I was exhausted, fell into bed around 4pm and slept for 15 hours. The sun came out on Tuesday, and after work I laid out on the back deck to get some rays on my face. I found myself thinking about the angel in the Lovers card and wondering who my guardian angel could be, when very clearly the Angel Michael came to me.

To be more precise, I had a visitation from my friend Mikey, who died a few years ago from AIDS related complications after getting a cat scratch. Mikey! My bestest buddy from post college days, just beaming down at me with this beatific smile around his busted up nose. He always did look like a prize fighter, Mikey did, but to the core he was a lover.

"Mikey! I've missed you so much!" I cried, tears pouring down my cheeks.

"Why?" His eyebrows crossed quizzically, "I'm right here, you know. You can't miss me if I'm right here." I laughed at the realization. "Girl, I see good things for you," he continued, "Mmm, hmm, good things..."

I somehow expected angels to be winged creatures or beams of light more than a flaming queen, but if Mikey is my new inner teacher, I'm expecting some fun lessons ahead. Well, that's why I'm a pagan... Fun is my spiritual path.

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices,  
For behold—all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals...
Blessed Be!

Adventures at PantheaCon: Day 1

I spent the long weekend attending PantheaCon, one of the largest Pagan gatherings around, held at The Double Tree Hotel in San Jose and hosted by Ancient Ways. Four days of workshops, lectures, rituals, circles and celebrations, attended this year by close to 2,500 folks, fairies, witches & warlocks, not to mention the druids, dryads, nymphs and trolls, but I digress...

Each day poured down rain as I left Santa Cruz, and coming over the mountain on 17 through the fogs began the feeling of moving between the veils of the worlds. On the way to the summit is a large friendly sign with "Jesus Loves You" painted in scrawly letters. "Look, Mom," quips my teenager, "Jesus can be your Valentine for the weekend." This from a girl in love with a boy who sparkles.

I went to two workshops with Mary Greer, the first was 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. I pulled VI: The Lovers while my impromptu lab partner, Fedelia, pulled XIX: The Sun. We took turns talking and listening, sharing our hearts and sharing our stories. Luckily there always seemed to be a box of the sacred kleenex around.

The next day Mary gave a great presentation on A Hundred Years of Secrets in the Waite-Smith Tarot which included some members of the audience channelling Pamela Coleman Smith and Arthur Waite. I certainly had an intense visualization of how it must of been for them to work in collaboration and remembered some of my own lessons in co-operation and the fine art of compromise.

Almost twenty years ago now, I hand colored my set of The Daughters of The Moon Tarot Deck, which took me almost four years to complete. I enjoyed the process so much, I started a second set for my partner, whose hands shook from a nervous disorder. We worked together on creating a set - She would pick the colors and I would do the painting. It was a long, interesting exercise in communication for both of us: for example, in some random card I thought the sky should be blue - she would want a purple, orange, red sunset. I had to really listen and see through new eyes. Later I found myself somehow jealous of "her" cards, as the colors were more vivid, and my skills had increased, so they were "better". Ah, the never ending ego...

V: The Palinophant

Lynn Araujo from Us Games Systems, Inc recently contacted me to point out that someone has noticed an uncanny resemblance between Sarah Palin and a card from their Vanessa Tarot deck. She writes,

The coincidences are overwhelming- the hair, the glasses, the red suit, the religious fashion accessories all mirror Sarah's look. And of course the religious connotations of the Hierophant card itself are rather fitting too. This deck was published over 2 years ago and was created by a Filipino artist so it was certainly not intentional. We're really struck by how prophetic this all seems. We'll have to wait and see what's really 'in the cards'.

The Hierophant has many interpretations, from the False Priest to The Sage Prophet to Coyote, the Trickster. According to the Wikipedia, "The card stands for religion and orthodox theology, as well as representing traditional education, the “Man of high social standing”. These interpretations merely scratch the surface of the card, however. The Pope card also represents the Biblical story of God’s creation of man and woman. Likewise, he is frequently most associated with the Deceiver and Power over others."

On the other hand, according to the Aeclectic Tarot, we may well learn from this card:

The Fool tells the Hierophant his fears, and asks how he can be free of them.

"There are only two ways," says the Hierophant sagely, "Either give up that which you fear to lose so it no longer holds any power over you, or consider what you will still have if your fear comes to pass. After all," the Hierophant continues, "if you did lose all you'd built, you would still keep the experience and knowledge that you've gained up to this point, wouldn't you?"

I still believe in free will & free choice, and that the cards are reflective more than prophetic. If seeing Sarah reflected as the Palinophant helps some folks to wake up & vote for change, then I say blessed, blessed be.

Today's Tarot Card: Projections

In a cinema hall, you look at the screen, you never look at the back--the projector is at the back. The film is not there really on the screen; it is just a projection of shadow and light. The film exists just at the back, but you never look at that. And the projector is there. Your mind is at the back of the whole thing, and the mind is the projector. But you always look at the other, because the other is the screen. When you are in love the person seems beautiful, no comparison. When you hate, the same person seems the ugliest, and you never become aware of how the same person can be the ugliest and the same person can be the most beautiful.... So the only way to reach to truth is to learn how to be immediate in your vision, how to drop the help of the mind. This agency of the mind is the problem, because mind can create only dreams.... Through your excitement the dream starts looking like reality. If you are too excited then you are intoxicated, then you are not in your senses. Then whatsoever you see is just your projection. And there are as many worlds as there are minds, because every mind lives in his own world.
- Osho Hsin Hsin Ming: The Book of Nothing

Commentary:
The man and woman in this card are facing each other, yet they are not able to see each other clearly. Each is projecting an image they have constructed in their minds, covering the real face of the person they are looking at. All of us can get caught up in projecting movies of our own making onto the situations and people surrounding us. It happens when we are not fully aware of our own expectations, desires and judgments; instead of taking responsibility for them and owning them, we try to attribute them to others. A projection can be devilish or divine, disturbing or comforting, but it is a projection nonetheless--a cloud that prevents us from seeing reality as it is. The only way out is to recognize the game. When you find a judgment arising about another, turn it around: Does what you see in others really belong to you? Is your vision clear, or clouded by what you want to see? (from Osho Zen Tarot: the Transcendental Game of Zen)

The Emperor Wears No Clothes

The Emperor Wears No Clothes
Collage
8.5" x 11.00"
kgr 2007

IV-The Emperor: (Traditional meaning) Represents the male side of nature. usually shown seated on a throne, dressed in formal robes or armor, signifying material wealth through inner strength. He is an authority who holds power and represents the desire to take control of life. He has the ability to organize and structure, to create order out of chaos, and to realize goals through the courage of convictions.

Symbolism:

3 Stages of Man
Boy, flying high in the sky, in perfect trust and faith
Father, Naked in his Truth, Splendid in his Being
Elder, “Growing old is not for sissys”

Eagle: Soar with Great Spirit, Take Heart, Follow Joy
Stag: Gentle Warrior of the Hidden Glen
Bear: Go within to find the answers
Salmon: Rejuvenate, Regenerate, Re energize, Rebirth
Lion: Take Proper Pride in Your Self
Frog: Cleanse and refresh with your tears in the rain
Goat: Climb the mountain of your ambitions
Chanticleer: Sing in the new dawn
Turtle: Be at Home in water or land, Be grounded on Mother Earth
Beaver: Make today count towards manifesting your goals
Skunk: Attract what you need in order to grow
Snake: Transmute old poisons & shed the skins of the past
Peacock: Be the Jewel in Crown Chakra
Key: Hope, Imagine, Believe: Open all Possibilities

Blessed Be!