Tarot Card of the Day – December 24, 2009

Deck: The Victorian Romantic Tarot

I decided to draw from my Victorian Romantic Gold last night. The deck has a wintery feel to it and I am quite drawn to the artwork and the imagery in the cards. I shuffled, my cat Eno by my side, and out came The Hanged Man. And, what a revelation this is.

The Hanged Man is a card that calls attention to the deep rewards of intentional sacrifice. We all feel the need to seek something new, different, essential, spiritual and to achieve a goal. In this card, we see, a person dangling upside down suspended by a gold rope. The action is intentional. The rope is tied to a stone bridge, a metaphor for strength and getting from point A to point B. He hangs from the middle of the archway. His clothing can be symbolic of the attributes of the card: red denoting action, desire, passion and urge; blue for unconscious mental activity and emotions; gold for a supreme state or victory,which is also the color of the rope. In the background, we see a barren cliff surrounded by a fertile forest. This journey is solitary, but much reward can be gained from taking it.  more...

False alarm. The Holi Palloi is not the deck. I thought it was, but that’s due to the excitement that Tarot decks bring. Synchronicity was in the works when I found that second Hoi Palloi deck. How could I not think it was the deck.

And what’s all the  buzz surrounding the deck and the desire to find it? I wasn’t going to force the issue and choose any deck to be my working deck I’ve been collecting them because the artwork is beautiful, the designs vary, the colors are different, and each one invokes different emotions when I view the cards.  more...

I have homework this week. Yes, one of my assignments from the Tarot class I am taking was to find a working deck to bond with and to use for readings with myself and others (yes, others at a later date).

Over the past five months, I have amassed a collection of 22 decks (and one Oracle).  My collection isn’t the focal point of this post. I simply love discovering new ones and knowing that I have options to read with a variety of decks depending on my mood or situation.

I have been focusing and learning using variations of the RWS and have played with daily drawings from some of the decks that I feel comfortable with at this stage. But, I’m yet to find the deck. Yes, the deck, the one I want to make mine. Sure there are no deadlines with this. And, the homework assignment is just a point in this short four-week long class. I knew that I was going to have to bring one deck with me to learn with. I didn’t even do that for the first class; I brought two decks since I wasn’t sure.  more...

I attended my first Tarot class tonight, and of course, my mind is buzzing afterwards. It’s late, or rather, it’s late for me since I wake up at 5:10 a.m. to head to work in the morning in New York City. I figured it was best to write my thoughts down now while they are fresh.

The class was held at Paranormal Books & Curiosities in Asbury Park and the instructor, Linda Fate, was welcoming from the start. It’s an intimate setting; there were only four students including myself in the class! With it being only an hour long, us students didn’t exchange any intros about interests, work or Tarot experience. That part would have been nice, but at the same time, perhaps the hidden element appeals to some. Regardless, we may get to know each other better over time…  more...

If you’ve been following my Tarot journey, than you have probably already read my first post on my first Tarot deck–the Aquarian Tarot–which I acquired at Paranormal Books & Curiosities–my favorite local new age shop in Asbury Park, NJ.

They are offering a Tarot class this month for $99! While I am comfortable with the Major Arcana, I am still learning the Minor Arcana. Plus, This will be a great opportunity to meet other local Tarotists. Sign me up!

Here are the details via the web site:

CARDS OF FATE: Learn the Ancient Art of Tarot Reading with the fun and easy four week course!  more...

I had an interesting revelation yesterday during my nightly meditation. Each night, I select a card and focus on the story I see unraveling in the card. I have found that it helps me unwind, even though my mind is active in the process.

I just received my The Fairy Tale Tarot on Tuesday and am quite mesmerized by it. I have always been fond of fairy tales and although I have forgotten some of the stories over time, the deck has inspired me to read the stories again. I became reminiscent of what it felt like to lose yourself in each story. Like Tarot, fairy tales also teach us lessons in life and reveal imaginary situations that tap into unconscious thoughts.

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It’s been nearly two weeks since my last Major Arcana interpretation post. Leave it to me “taking a break” after The  Star post, which is a pinnacle point in the Major Arcana after the chaos depicted in the The Tower card. Although I have wanted to post, and have been in much need of the mental release that I feel after writing, I have been too busy, to the point of being drained.

Oh, how I am looking forward to returning to my regular work schedule of 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. post Labor Day. I must be the only employee at my job who prefers our standard eight hour workdays as opposed to our summer workdays which are an hour longer with half day Fridays. With my commute, which is around four hours a day, that added hour feels like an added day sometimes…or, perhaps I have convinced myself that I didn’t have time  at the end of the day, having gotten home at 7 p.m. (soon to be 6 p.m.!) after embarking on my daily workday journey that starts as early as 5:15 a.m. in the morning.  more...

Tarot Card of the Day – July 22, 2009: The Empress

Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

I saw my mother yesterday for the first time in one-and-a-half years. After various setbacks over this course of time, the time was finally right. Sure we had not seen each other and had only spoken intermittently during this period. But, the love had never stopped. She is my mother and I, her daughter. By will of nature, nothing can change that and by will of nurture, she raised me well and I have become who I am today based on these experiences.

When I drew The Empress card last night, I had shuffled the deck for quite some time. I divided the deck into three smaller decks and selected a card from the middle one. My intent was to do a free association exercise for the drawn card for my Tarot Card of the Day post.  more...

I am finally starting to feel comfortable reading Tarot cards using universal symbolism and my own intuition to interpret meanings. With that also comes the realization that out of what is initially deemed negative, can become positive. And, although this is an obvious point, I feel like it is often overlooked. The themes of duality have caused me to become more aware about the importance of this and how it can be applied to decisions I plan on making.

In a Tarot reading, I remind myself that a specific Tarot card meaning may seem like it is negative in context. However, it is really quite the opposite. Each card teaches lesson using universal symbolism–and in a Tarot spread–the lesson spans many levels. Both offer us insight on how balance can help us achieve great things. What we assume is negative, can be turned to a positive–similar to assuming something that is positive–can be turned into a negative as well. In that case, it is only a stage, and The Wheel of Fortune will turn again and will help us see the light.  more...

I shuffled my deck today and drew the same card as yesterday: the 5 of  Pentacles. I could have shuffled again to get another card. What would be the likeliness of it happening in threes? I just learned the significance of threes in Tarot. But, let’s save that for another blog post at a later date.

The significance of drawing the same card two days in a row should not be overlooked. Earlier this morning, I read and responded to a comment left by Catherine Chapman of Tarot Elements. She offered some interesting  feedback on the key symbolism in the card–poverty, which can be applied to all of the elements in life, not just materialistic. In my interpretation, I explained the apparent symbolism in the card: the stained glass, the snow, the impeding blackness of the situation, the two haggard-looking people who appear in distress, the lack of hope.  But, I made no mention of the universal theme.  more...