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Shop, Sip, Spring event

This Friday, March 31, 2023, come by @slonevintage for some lemony sweet treats some tipsy drinks and a tarot readings from me.

Slone will be having surprise discounts throughout the day so come sip and stay a while 🌼🍋 🌞🌻 ✨

From 12pm-5pm I'll be giving $10, two card readings: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! 🍋

Also, Friday is the day after Amy’s birthday. Come celebrate with us! (Don't tell her I told you. 😉)

You can find me at the Burbank High School Drama Fundraiser for their production of The Elephant Man on Saturday, April 8, from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm.

I will be offering two card readings for $10 to help you see your inner beauty and how you can use it to make the world a better place. Money earned will help spread the joy of reading AND the Burbank High School Drama Department!

The Fundraiser is open to the public; hope to see some familiar faces!

First time I am back doing readings Slone Vintage in two years!

We are celebrating love this Saturday with Jillian’s Valentine’s Tea Party!

💖 I will be doing a special $10 “Kisses and Hugs” Tarot Readings to bring more love into your life, with a special gift for everyone that sits down.

💖 @shop.littlechimes will have everything you need to adorn yourself or your garden.

💖 @slonevintage will have fresh flowers in found vases, sweet treats, bubbles, and tea.

💖 Plus, all new vintage hitting the shop! Hope to see you there!

Hi there!

It's been a while since I posted, but I'm still here! I took a child to college and started another in high school. I've lost a beloved pet and added a new one to our family. I've closed up shop at one location and have found the flexibility in primarily working at home. I'm still meeting people in person, over face time, and through texts, and you can occasionally find me at events and fairs. If you have any burning questions or want to learn something new, I'm happy to be your guide.

Have a great day!

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a lovely week with your Kings and their coins and their wisdom. Using the "Venetian Tarot" created by artist Eugene Vinitski, first discussed on January 8, 2019, this week should be a feel-good time as the 3 of Cups, first mentioned on November 27, 2018, has made an appearance. I'm always happy to see this card. It brings with it joy and fun times with your favorite tribesmen. Ruled by Mercury in Cancer, it brings with it the desire to communicate and share feelings, and with whom better to do that with than your favorite gal pals or brothers? A creative, community card, 3 brings with it magic and Pythagoras' perfect shape. In Astrology a 3 represents a trine which shows ease and sometimes laziness. In a practical sense, whenever the 3 of Cups comes up for me, I know that I will be one in a group of three in whatever area of life it serves. I pulled this card when I was booked in a play with two other ladies, and usually, it shows up for me when I know there will be three of us working at Slone Vintage on Tarot Tuesday.

I mentioned that this card has already manifested for me this week. Well, I stopped by Slone today, and owner Amy, her employee Stephanie and I hashed out a party plan to celebrate all of the milestones in our lives. All within a week or so of each other, Stephanie is turning 30, I'll be turning 40 and Amy will be giving birth to her baby Jillian who will be turning 0. With the 3 of Cups as the card of the week, I have a feeling the Number 3 theme will continue. The Lenormand Lily is there too, and she usually brings with her peace, like a peace lily, but also maturity and age. Will you get to visit with old friends? Or will you have some much needed time with your parents, just the three of you? Regardless, it will be a fun, sociable week further supported by the Moon's movement through sensitive and dreamy Pisces, dynamic "do anything at least once" Aries, a sensual New Moon in Taurus on Saturday the 4th, and then fun-loving Gemini on Sunday. We earth worshipping people also get to express our joyous, Spring-loving sides on the First of May. All in all, this is a great week to revel in youth no matter what your age. So gather together your tribe, spend some time around a May Pole and have some fun!

Until next time...

Welcome to Taurus everyone! We survived the 9 of Wands and Fire of Aries of last week and are now in the very beginnings of Taurus. Taurus is a fixed earth sign which is ruled by Venus and represents the items we own as well as ownership of ourselves. This month we may look to the things we have or have not, we may find ourselves enjoying the fruits of spring, good food, and the arts. We may find ourselves singing when no one is around, and we may also discover that overindulgence may add thickness to our waistlines or thinness of our pocketbooks.

As Taurus also rules the neck, we should watch out for symptoms of excess with neck tension or acid reflux, and it's the perfect inopportune time to catch all of those strep throat bugs that are going around. If you keep your Taurus in check, however, this month has the opportunity to be a comfortable time, but it's easier said than done. Spring has sprung, and we want to enjoy ourselves. So what are we to do? We need to find and maintain balance. I'll go out on a limb and say that many of the cards that we will pull during Taurus will be Pentacles/ Coins to help us find the financial and physical balance we need, and today the King of Pentacles, whom we first met way back on December 8, 2019, like a loving father is there to instruct us.

Before I get into the meaning of the card, I'd like to talk about the Tarot deck for this week: "The Tarot of the Hidden Realm" with art by Julia Jeffrey and book by acclaimed tarot reader and writer, Barbara Moore. I've mentioned it before that my first Oracle Deck was the "Faerie’s Oracle" by Brian Froud and Jessica Macbeth. Each card in the "Faerie's Oracle" is a different fae and through Brian Froud's vivid drawings and Jessica Macbeth's enlightening book, I connected to the personalities found in the cards immediately. The "Tarot of the Hidden Realm" gives me a similar feeling to the "Faerie's Oracle" as every card focuses on a different Fae and there are no symbols, only characters. I'll use the 8 of Wands for example.

In a usual Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the 8 of Wands represents powerful movement and long-distance communication, possibly travel, as eight staves fly across the sky. You often ask "Where were these staves before? Where are they going? Who threw them?" In the "Hidden Realm," a Fae (who looks an awful lot like Kiera Knightly from "King Arthur") cocks her bow to shoot one of her eight arrows. The meaning is the same, but we now have a protagonist to the story of the cards and many questions are answered. I think when reading from a deck such as this, you place yourself less into the cards and see each of the Fae as guardians and messengers. They experience the themes of the cards for us to act as our guide. With every reading I do, I always pull a "message from the universe" card that tells my client what they should do the moment they leave me. In this deck, therefore, every card's message is delivered by a messenger or guide and we can either embody the messenger or learn from them. I believe today we can do both, for as I said above, this week The King of Pentacles has come to visit and whenever a court card shows up, I interpret it as either a person in our lives or ourselves.

Our King of Pentacles looks a bit like Father Christmas, surrounded by Holly and Ivy. The Yule/ Christmas holidays fall when the Sun begins its transit through Capricorn, the ruler of the King of Pentacles. Capricorn occurs during the coldest part of the year, a time when it's more important than ever to remain organized, use all of the resources that are still available to us, and to look toward the warmth of the spring. Winter and Capricorn are long behind us as we find ourselves in lusty, Taurus' Spring. It's not a coincidence that the longest running, and first, Rennaisance Faire in the United States is called the "Renaissance Pleasure Faire" and primarily takes place in Taurus. Capricorn and Taurus are earthbound, elemental compatriots. Cardinal Capricorn is action-oriented, ruled by Saturn, and requires hard work, and fixed Taurus is a little more passive and allows us to finally appreciate and enjoy the seeds that we planted and are now ripe for the picking. Therefore, this week the King of Pentacles is telling us, "work hard so you can play hard." Bosses, father figures, bank managers, chefs, anyone male or female who combines the intellect and planning of air with the grounded realities of earth will be important this week, and since he or she is holding the Lenormand Book they will hold the secrets and the knowledge that we need to get further than we thought we could. Because of Lenormand Book, it's possible that the King represents a teacher. The "King of the Classroom."

Looking at the astrology of the week, it's no surprise to me that the Moon will also transit through Capricorn by hump day. Protect those young projects like The Hidden Realms' King protects his young fae. I, myself, began this King of Pentacles week deconstructing my house to rebuild it into a cleaner, more orderly space. Be the King and protector of your domain. Only then can you let loose with some newly arrived Taurusean fun. Remember, if you need some inspiration, what would your favorite teacher do?

Have a great week everyone!

My boys are very supportive. I stopped writing my Daily Draws, and they asked me if I would pick it up again. They like reading them. I love to write, so to maintain balance in body, mind, and spirit I think a "Weekly Reading" will be a great way to jump back in.

Delightfully, this week's chosen Tarot Deck is the "Spirit Within Tarot" with art and book by Steven Bright. "The Spirit Within" is one of the most popular decks with my clients, and I have to agree with them; it's a wonderful deck. The beauty of the "Spirit Within Tarot" is that with only silhouettes anyone can place themselves into the characters, as gender, race, and age are ambiguous. Sometimes it's also not as clear which way a character is facing. Are they looking at us or away? Do they look to the present location or into the distant future? Are they happier where they are or where they are going? Before I buy an online deck, I spend a lot of time in Google Image search researching the art used. I've mentioned before that the art is how I connect to the cards and my readings and when I first saw these images, I was viscerally struck. The closer the character was to me the deeper I felt. Then the visceral became the intellectual which is so often how it is for me. "I should be able to see their face, shouldn't I? Why can't I? What are they hiding? Why am I so bothered by not seeing their face? What is this image revealing about me?" The images are also fairly modern. As Steven Bright so aptly describes in his enjoyable LWB that came with the box set, each character is recognizable as "shadows" of ourselves, today. For examples, the Page of Pentacles is a young soccer player, Temperance is a DJ, and Strength stares down a lion as a wild equal. All in all, this is a beautiful Tarot deck that I think will connect to beginners as well as professionals. I'm always pleased when a client chooses this deck for their session, and I always learn something new.

The card for this week is one that we haven't met previously. The Lenormand Snake has come up for us way back on November 28, 2018, but the 9 of Wands is all new. The 9 of Wands is found nearly at the end of the story of fire. I always say that if 10 is the end, 9 is that moment before. The pause between an inhale, and an exhale. It's that moment where we understand the end is near, and we gather ourselves in a moment of isolation and solitude to rest before we reach the end.

Since Fire rules inspiration, creativity and often business as an art form, by the time we get to the 9 of Wands we have seen a lot. We've had the creative spark of the Ace, the decision to move forward with our idea in 2, the effect of our view on our community in 3, the enjoyment of our success in 4, the challenges we feel when others get involved in 5, finally being honored for our achievements in 6, the need to defend our position in 7, our worldly power and move into the wide world in 8, and then, finally in 9, we have rest. Through our journey, we have pushed ourselves and our creations to the limit and now with the Moon in Sagittarius in charge, "I aim for my soul's desire and I feel worldly." Though Sagittarius is the great Olympian of the Zodiac, they are also the most philosophical and are willing to push themselves spiritually as well as physically. Usually, a competitor, this Sagittarius is bending his knee. He has no intention of fighting anymore. He has achieved in building his physical, spiritual and emotional kingdom. The sun rises on his empire, and he is content.

What does this mean for the week? According to the astrology of the week, the moon continues to wax and grow bigger and dons the costumes of the organized Virgo, the romantic (and full) Libra and the mysterious Scorpio all while the Sun travels through Aries, another fire sign and friend to Aries. However, despite the need to DO something in Aries while the moon waxes and turns full, our card is telling us perhaps its best to do nothing at all, at least physically. Be more aware of where you stand now. Take the rest before the next big thing.

Aries Sun has a hard time with resting but throughout the month Aries has helped us discover who we genuinely are and now the 9 of Wands is saying "Yes. It's paying off. You're almost there so don't push it. Bend the knee. You've been through a lot. You've done a lot. You deserve to recover and see how much you have achieved because the next bit will be harder than you anticipate, especially when the moon grows smaller and wanes next week. It will be less about adding to your life and more about retracting. So take this week to recover and plan." Since the snake has decided to slither through the grass, I think that she is saying that you should look to the powerful ladies in your life and see how they may affect your rest. She may be a helpful rat snake that will eat up all of your stress, or maybe she's full of venom. Either way, she will have an influence. It's up to you in how you will deal with her.

Have a wonderful week everyone. Enjoy the creative solitude that the 9 of Wands can bring to you!

I have had a mental block with this essay. Perhaps I'm in my head. It's not the first time. I started Lesson 3 in December, experimented with all sorts of kitchen herbs, teas, and recipes, and I still couldn't bring myself to write about it. I live in an urban area of Los Angeles, and though we live in a desert, we occasionally get weeds, but they're not from areas that I would necessarily want to forage. I'm always afraid of pesticides or the abundance of dog urine. However, I have very reputable farmers that I've known for 15 years who have the "good stuff."

My farmers have given me fresh and local herbs: basil, bay, cilantro, garlic, ginger, lavender, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme, to list a few. I've dried them in my dehydrator and used them to make teas, but I've also made some oils. Lavender tea helps me sleep blissfully, and rosemary is my new study buddy. Garlic and ginger oil along with the "cold buster" combo of elderberry, hawthorn berry, rose hips and cayenne, has nursed me through a cold. Pairing my fresh and dried herbs with some of my kitchen spices has been a joy. I have also discovered Rose Mountain Herbs and thrown my money in their direction in my never-ending quest to try more. Despite all my fun, I never really felt like I was completing the task. I hadn't found and picked my herbs with my own hands. It felt like cheating.

I shared my feelings with a friend of mine, and she asked, "Would you like some carob?" I haven't found carob in the course work yet, but I'm a huge fan. Years ago I tried to limit my chocolate intake with carob as a substitute, and I found that I liked it more. I knew we had carob trees all over my neighborhood but I never really knew where they were. We found them, and the trees dripped with pods. They spilled on the ground lonely and discarded. I hauled away as much as I could carry and vowed to bring a shopping bag the next time. Not only does carob taste delicious, but it is high in anti-oxidants and is carminative. Babies in Israel are given carob in milk to cure colic. It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, and niacin. I have to admit, I had no idea how to take the carob from pod to powder, but the internet is a wonderful place, and it contains every instruction manual you would need. I've used it to make "hot chocolate," pudding, brownies... you name it. When I eat something with carob in it, I feel full and satisfied, most likely due to its natural fiber.

After the carob find, I realized I still didn't really complete my assignment, so I went on another walk. Near the carob trees, a neighbor was up on a ladder taking down his Christmas lights, and the yard nearest the road was a field of white clover leaves. I asked him if he sprayed his yard and he said he didn't, nor did his gardener. I told him about class and how I was supposed to find local weeds and pick them for use and, would he mind if I did? He smiled and said, "You can pick as many weeds as you want." So I got to it. This time I learned that I should always have a pocket knife with me for these chance cuttings. I'll add that to: "Always bring a bag."

When I got home, I thoroughly cleaned the leaves and threw them into a salad. I read that clover could be used as a general tonic to prevent and treat rheumatic conditions, colds, and coughs and could be eaten raw as a depurative with a slightly sweet quality, but my clover tasted a little bitter. I have a sneaky suspicion that my neighbor doesn't know his gardener as well as he thinks he does. Just the thought of eating pesticides turned me off to picking my own again.

Then one day, Los Angeles had a little bit of rain. It sounds worse than it is, but in the alley behind my condo is a mound of dirt that was removed from our patio when we had a major renovation this past summer, and the most beautiful dandelions, chickweed, and mallow popped up. Three plants, with amazing benefits, just sitting out there ready for the taking. I thought "it's been raining, no one has come out here yet. I'm sure they're fine." However, I looked at them and thought, "No, not yet. I think you can grow bigger." After that, the rain poured for four days straight, and I never got a chance to pick them. When I checked them after the rains, it looked as though they had been mowed down by an animal with jagged teeth. I suppose I waited too long. ”No, not yet.”, got the better of me.

I felt disgruntled, but my friends at the farmer's market had the greatest surprise. They had bunches of the largest dandelion leaves I've ever seen. I grabbed as much as I could and brought it home. I soaked it to remove the sand and then placed it in my fridge to use any time. My family now reaches for the dandelion leaves like they did spinach. In the past, I have used Rose Mountain Herbs dried dandelion leaves and roots to make into tea, but I think I prefer the fresh leaves sautéd.

I have always loved dandelion and their magical floating seeds that granted wishes. I think all children do. When my youngest son was a toddler I asked him what he would like to wish for and he said, "I wish for my seeds to grow into more dandelions." I've always felt the same, but I had no idea that I would love them so much as a healing food. What I'd like to do now is grow them myself. Then I know exactly where they have been and the care that they've had. The next time I find one ready, I'd like to make a wish for more dandelions and blow some seeds around on my back patio. I’d also like to grow other “weeds.” Maybe I’ll grow the chickweed and mallow that I never had a chance to claim. I haven’t had any luck with any other plants but I think the heartiness of the weeds will help them fair better and they’ll be happy, and my family will be happy to have them.

I'm still under the weather so for the third day I turned to Fool's Dog for my Card of the Day. I used the Wizard's Tarot by Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen, a fantastic learning deck that I spoke about in loving detail on December 13, 2018. The card that showed was the Ace of Wands.

So far, we've covered the Ace of Swords, Ace of Cups and now the Ace of Wands; Air, Water, and Fire, respectfully. The Ace is a fancy way of saying "One," so the Ace of anything is the first of that element. The first number is masculine, sure, but also the beginning of any endeavor. Since fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius rule the day, you can bet you'll be dealing with the questions of "Who am ?", "What do I most want, and what makes me feel creative?" and "Where am I headed?". Aries deals with the self, Leo deals with creation and creativity, and Sagittarius loves to travel, be it mental or physical. To pull from Eastern Philosophy, Fire represents the southern direction, joy, summer, laughter, the heart, small intestine, and bitter foods because one must eat bitter to taste sweet.

Here's how I see the last few days. Two days ago we were drowning from water spilled from the Ace of Cups, but letting those emotions out probably nourished the seeds of the projects that were on our minds yesterday. Today we're furthering that creativity because Wood feeds Fire. We've set ourselves to succeed, and now we can use every bit of creativity that is offered to us today to move forward in our dreams. I chuckled a little today when I saw the Ace of Wands. I've mentioned before that I'm taking an Herbalist certification course and I'm still in the early days. We will learn Eastern and Western Herbalism, and I have enjoyed learning about all of the different philosophies. I Love Chinese 5 Element theory but the Western idea of the Four Humours is the closest to Astrology and Tarot, so it's been fun to play with both. Since I've had such a horrible wet cold, I looked to the opposite to help me. Usually, Water puts out hot and dry Fire (you may have noticed that when you see a Cancer and Leo together), so it's Fire that I need to nip this cold in the bud.

My message from the past few days' series of cards have been, "ok, you have a cold, but be patient because what you are doing to heal is working, but today zap it with some fire!". Other people could look at them more internally, "You may be overwhelmed with emotion right now, but it's ok, letting it out is healthy and doing so will set you on the right path to make way for creativity!" There are lots of ways to read the cards from the last few days. If anyone is interested, the Ace of Wands also represents sexual activity. Wowzah!

Regardless of how the cards are speaking to you, here are my parting thoughts: the past few days may have been a little overwhelming with emotion and the desire to achieve goals NOW, but today is about joy and love. Take time to love yourself, pick up that hobby that you have put aside too long, laugh with friends, craft with your children, plan a vacation, have some sexy time... do whatever you love to do that will help you connect to what truly makes you happy, and today will be a good day.

Until tomorrow...

If, while looking at this post you have the feeling of deja vu, there is a reason for that. On December 9, 2018 I used Fool’s Dog, Everyday Witch Tarot app and this exact card, the 7 of Pentacles, came up. I'd like to note that the 7 of Pentacles as come up more than any other card so far. Please do go back and read my post from December 9th, but for today, I will say this: keep at it guys. We’re half way through the first month of the calendar year. I think this is the time that people start losing interest and motivation with their new year’s resolutions. The 7 of Pentacles is saying that the work is paying off, be patient, don't rush. In the meantime enjoy the process. As for me, I'm going to go back to bed and nurse the cold in my head. I think it will be a short one. I've done everything I can and now I wait for the pay off.

Until tomorrow!

I dropped the ball the first time I used the Revelations Tarot by Zach Wong. I don't own this deck in its original, paper form, but I do have it as an app released by Fool's Dog. I'm a massive fan of Fool's Dog Apps and have talked about it quite a bit in the past, but two of the reasons I like their apps is for the ease of use and convenience. Almost a month ago, on December 15, I reached the end of the day and realized that I hadn't yet pulled a card. I used The Revelations Tarot app, drew the Fool and said that I would come back to it later. I never got a chance and then took a long reprieve until my boys went back to school. If any of you were waiting with bated breath for me to cover this tarot and the Fool, I am fully sorry. One thing I can say about the archetype is that Uranus rules the Fool, and when Uranus comes into play, you can only expect the unexpected, be it accidents, delays, or distractions, which is why I didn't write about it. Of course.

It's a month later, and we have arrived at today, and today I have the opportunity to write about Zach Wong's beautiful Revelations Tarot. Included with every Fool's Dog app is the "Little White Book" that would typically come with the paper deck, so I've been able to read the book while I've worked with the cards. I felt reading the book was important to learn about the different ways of interpreting. I love that Fool's Dog includes the books so that I can do this, just as I may with a physical deck.

I have mentioned before that I don't read reversal. Except for a couple of my oracles, it doesn't work for me. When I saw the Revelations Tarot, I thought, "Now here is a deck that I can use reversals." Zach has brilliantly created a Tarot where every card has a top and bottom much like the court cards of a classic bicycle deck. For me, this made reading reversals incredibly easy. I can read regular playing cards only using the numbers and symbols, and I've memorized the astrological rulership of all of the cards so you would think that whether a card is upside down wouldn't have any effect on me, but it does. Even though I can refer to the meanings and rulerships, the art is so essential that I get thrown when it's on its head. Zach's Tarot completely alleviates this issue for me, and I was able to interpret them easily right away. I've enjoyed the digital version so much that I am considering buying the full version to use with my clients. It's been fun to extend myself with these cards, and I think his vivid, graphic art style will appeal to a lot of different people.

With that said, it's great that I got a reversal today! This morning, which usually starts promptly at 5:30 am, I groggily opened my eyes, turned off my alarm and the ringing continued. After I realized that it was actually my ears ringing my nose started to run down my face. "Oh crap! I'm sick." I felt a little twinge yesterday, but I used some classic Traditional Chinese Medicine and will and powered myself through. It was a late night, I had a lot of meetings and readings, and at the end of it all, I dragged myself to bed with a pounding head. It just goes to show me why today's card is the Reversed Ace of Cups. Of course, it is. Look at it all drippy and wet. Normally this card in its upright position represents all things Water: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, your feelings, your desires, and your beliefs, the winter, the cold, and the North, the kidneys, the bladder, and the ears. (I combined a little Western and Eastern rulership.) Any, and all, of that, apply, and when the cup is upright, it is filled to the brim. This cup...well...this cup is letting it all out. Call it the winter and cold, (for all of you Northern Hemisphere folks) and wet, (for all of you Los Angeles peeps), but today the macrocosm and microcosm are reflecting one another and body, mind and spirit is absolutely related. With weeping deep sighs, some of you may be feeling fearful, some of you may be raining your beliefs and desires all over everyone in a flood of emotions, some of you, like me, might be being drowned by your sinuses. Whatever it may be for you, acknowledge that the "waters" will continue to flow until you right that cup back again. Whatever is bothering you, or ailing you, it is better to express it so that you can acknowledge that it happened and go about your day. Better out than in. Afterward, apologize if you need to, or retire to a warm bed, do what you need to for a little self-care. The cup may have spilled, but it did so that it can be refilled tomorrow with all the joy and health that you wish to pour into it.

Take care everybody and until tomorrow, have a good day!

I get so tickled when there is an alignment of energies. This morning my husband said to me, "I was inspired by a certain someone," and he showed me his Legend of Zelda Tarot spread out in front of him with one card turned over. It was The Hermit. When I pulled from my own deck, "The Wild Unknown Tarot" by Kim Krans, I drew a really adorable tortoise, who also happens to be The Hermit.

It is the first time that the Hermit has come up in my daily draws, and I'm pretty happy about it. In the past, I have mentioned the method to find out your Personality and Character cards, (you add the numbers of your entire birthdate to the smallest form and voila!) and mine just so happens to be the number 9, or The Hermit.

The Hermit card depicted typically in a way that you'd expect: an old man with a beard, trudging rocky terrain. I think if anyone ever mentions the word "hermit," this is the visual that first pops into our head. Astrologically, the Hermit is ruled by Virgo, the "virgin." My moon is in Virgo, so I always come to her defense. She's not a literal virgin, but with Virgo's phrase "I analyze," and her element earth with her planet Mercury, she is not one to squander her time or ideas, so she is seen as a bit standoffish. Back when they were doling out symbols for the signs, Virgin actually meant, "not a mother," so it represents a younger, shy and reserved woman who enjoys being alone. Over the years the Virgo Virgin has taken on the meaning of "private." Virgo is private with her emotions, and private with her life. She has so many things to think about, and so much of her life to organize, that she doesn't have time to gossip. She only wants life to work more efficiently.

See, the Hermit isn't about age, but wisdom. He is usually seen carrying a lantern of enlightenment to help others find the way. He won't seek out his students like a Hierophant, but he will absolutely share with them the knowledge that he as acquired in his solitude. A Hermit, like the Virgo, prefers to live simply. It's much easier to compartmentalize when there is less emotional and physical mess. He has removed himself from society to connect more deeply with his ideas and, therefore, himself. In fiction, he is Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dumbledore, Gandalf, Miss Havisham, The Doctor...and since the Major Arcana follows the Hero's Journey, he is the "wise man on the side of the road." The Hermit isn't infallible; he has as much to learn from his students as they do from him but he never truly realizes that until much later. He's happy being alone, but it's only when the world comes knocking on his door that he understands that no one should ever shut themselves away in a tower, like the Lenormand card that came up today, The Tower.

I asked my husband what it meant for him to pull the Hermit this morning. He said that he only had one thought on his mind when he woke up this morning, "Not today." In Burbank, California, it's raining and cold, a perfect day to snuggle up in front of the fire for some tea and some writing. We must have Number 9 days. The Number 9 helps us find our happiness in our solitude so that we may find the strength to move on to the last and final step. Look to our Tortoise friend. Doesn't he look snuggly in his house? Whether it's a shell or a tower, I feel like today is the day that you permit yourself to take the time to really get to know "you" in some much-needed introversion. Even if you have a million meetings as I do, you can still find a moment to connect to your internal quiet to get those thoughts (and external life) organized. Then when someone comes a-knockin', you will be ready to share your knowledge and wisdom and hopefully learn a bit more about yourself in the process.

Have a good day everyone!

I don't know how you feel about it, but today looks like a fun day! The Devil is making his first appearance in our Daily Readings, and he usually doesn't disappoint. I think the Devil scares people a little when he shows up. The only other two Major Arcana that frightens people more is Death and The Tower, both which not so coincidentally mean "change." It's possible that the reason that the Devil seems so scary is for the imagery. Today's deck, The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti, shows the devil as a sexy firey-man, but often times he shows up as an angry goat-man who has chained two poor naked victims so that he may force them to do nefarious things. This latter image is rooted in Christian Ideology. Another one of my decks, The Herbal Tarot, calls the Devil card "Pan." They know what's up. Pan was the God of the Wild and after the birth of Christianity, all things Pagan and wild were feared by the Church. Spirituality aside, the Church along with the Monarchy, was extremely rich and powerful and they wanted to keep it that way, but the People would not give up the old ways. The easiest tactic to use was to demonize the People's beloved Gods and Goddesses. Sometimes it didn't work, and they were forced to enfold a Pagan deity into their Christian Saints, as they did with the Goddess Brigid, but other times it worked all too well, as is the case with Pan/ Devil.

Astrologically, The Devil is ruled by Capricorn, a goat symboled sign of the Zodiac. It's a natural pairing really. Capricorn's phrase is "I use." What does that mean exactly? Capricorn is a resourceful earth sign who has his sights set on achievement. I often call him the "CEO of everything." He is a natural born Leader. He may not be out in front of the troops, that would be more of a fire sign position, but he is the orchestrator of the whole war. One thing is for certain, one can not make war unless one knows: how much money is in the vault, how much food is in the larder, and who are friends and who are enemies. He knows all of this because it's his job to know. If ever you need a problem solved, ask a Capricorn. His mental rolodex is filled with people that he has collected along the way for he believes that the key to his success is to put successful and useful people around him. He "uses." I, personally, don't like a user, and I don't like the feeling of being used. If it comes from a humble place, however, I'm happy to offer my time. I think that's really the answer. Sometimes in its most negative pole, a Devil can take hold of you and use you for your time and resources and receive all the credit, but other times a Devil can use you with your permission and offer thanks when the job is done. You are always in control over your life.

What if you want to be a little out of control, though? That's where the fun, Pan type, Devil comes in. Actually, if I were choosing a deity, I'd say Dionysus (or Bacchus in the Roman pantheon) has a great deal in common with our Tarot Devil. Dionysus was the God of Wine and Ecstasy and having a downright good time, honestly. It's said that his followers would get so wild that they would rip each other to shreds. They partied like rock stars with the hangovers to match, but that was their choice. It's ALWAYS our choice. When we are shown temptation it's up to us to decide "hmmm, do I take the cupcake or kale?" I'm all about balance, so I say "Take both! Maybe you can make a cupcake OUT of kale!" Life is not all black and white. Sometimes we "kale," sometimes we "cupcake," but it's up to us to live with the decisions (and possible repercussions) that we have made. With that being said, the Devil, funny enough, also can represent commitments in marriage. It's necessary for us to make bad decisions so we can figure out to how and to what we would like to commit.

So, live it up today, guys! It's a Monday full of possibilities. Watch out for the harmful Devils in your life that may want to use you in some way. If it's unwarranted, (and it very well might be because the Lenormand Cross, the symbol of "burdens" has shown up), stand up for yourself, ask for equal pay, recognition, whatever... or just say "no." You are always in control of your life, but allow yourself a little slack if a sexy Pan or Dionysus arrives and would like to celebrate with you after all of the hard work is done. Whatever you decide, just be prepared to live with your choices tomorrow.

Have a great day, all you little devils!

Hello everybody! Today I am using the Everyday Tarot with illustrations by Eleanor Grosch and book by Bridget Esselmont. I first talked about this deck in my December 2, 2018 post, but as a recap, it's little, visually uncluttered, and I like it!

On with the reading...

The 7 of Pentacles has come up a couple of times before, once on December 1, 2018, and again on December 9th. 7 is a number about sitting back in reflection to assess what is going on around you and Pentacles represents money and the tangible world. The card is also ruled by Saturn in Taurus, "I have the ability to achieve." As I have said before, if you do the work and set yourself up for success, with patience, you will achieve everything you have wanted and more. You can see that the girl in this card means business, she has a scarf on. When someone ties a scarf around their head to keep their hair out of their eyes, you know that they're about to get it done! To me, she seems that she was ready to harvest but has stopped and re-evaluated, "No, not yet. Let's give it a few days." It may be a gamble, but more than likely her blooms will grow more prominent, and she will be even more pleased with the results.

I'm this girl today. It sounds worse than it is, but in the alley behind my condo is a mound of dirt that was removed from our patio when we had a major renovation this past summer. Los Angeles has had a little bit of rain, and the most beautiful dandelions, chickweed, and mallow have popped up. I'm incredibly pleased because my current lesson for my herbalism course was to forage three weeds that people frequently cut down. Well, lookie what I have! Three plants, with amazing benefits, just sitting out there ready for the taking. However, I look at them and think, "No, not yet. I think you can grow bigger." Every day for the past three days I've done this. "No, not yet." Patience is not my virtue, so I should be happy that I'm waiting, but I'm afraid that if I don't, they're going to die away. This is also how my impatience is manifesting itself. "Do it now, or you'll never have the opportunity."

Don't be like that me. Be the "me" that is waiting for the plants to grow. It will be so much more rewarding to wait. You know how I know? When I reached for the Lenormand charm to use for today, the Key had attached itself to the Fish's tail. Using the technique that I described on January 11th, I merely have to add them together, "The key to financial rewards is to use patience and wait for the harvest." Key="Answer" and Fish="Plenty". Ok, Universe, I get it. Wait another day.

You can do the same, you know. The signs are looking good. January is usually a tough month financially after the holidays because during the holidays the Sun is in Sagittarius and dear Sag never does anything halfway. Then Capricorn rolls in, throws up obstacles, and tells us to limit our spending, become better organized, and "work towards those goals for Pete's Sake!" Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and Saturn reminds us of time. So here's what I'll say, "New year, new me," is going just as planned. If there's a lack of money, don't worry, budgeting will help, if you are trying to lose weight, the things you have learned along the way (getting more sleep, exercising more efficiently, eating more cleanly) are starting to pay off. If your goal is to build better relationships, then working on your own self-worth is beginning to reveal who you really want to be in a relationship and whether the desire is even necessary any more. You are getting there. Keep at it and be patient.

Have a good one!

This is the day that I am privileged to talk about the Oracle deck that brought me to reading for people professionally: The Faerie's Oracle, with Illustrations by Brian Froud and book by Jessica MacBeth. I first saw the box-set in a Barnes and Noble while still in college, way back in the year 2000. I have always been a Jim Henson fan, and I was one of the few kids in my elementary school that had seen The Dark Crystal. Those were dark times in Jacksonville, Fl. Brian Froud had previously worked with Alan Lee on the book "Faeries" and was building a reputation as an imaginative artist with a direct link to the Fae, so Jim Henson snatched him to be artistic director for the Dark Crystal. When I saw the Faerie's Oracle for the first time the jolt of energy that flew through me stood my hair on end. I purchased the cards and started to work with them right away. As expected, Brian Froud's images of the Fae were beautiful and Jessica MacBeth, another known faerie friend, wrote a book that opened up a whole nother world to me. I joined the Faerie's Oracle group on Yahoo, I attended the very first Faerie Worlds in Los Angeles and then in Oregon when it moved to a weekend camping experience. I even met the Frouds. Brian and Wendy, who did the puppet design for the Dark Crystal, met on set and married soon after. Their son Toby played the baby in Labyrinth, another Henson production if you are keeping track. The Frouds, all in all, are lovely people and they are devoted to artistic expression and the Faerie World.

I will continue to add to my collection of Tarot and Oracle decks, but none will compare to my very first. My Faerie's Oracle's cards are soft and flexible, and the edges are worn from use. I used to fan out my cards and choose from them, but they are so familiar to me I can recognize the cards from the back. That's one of the reasons I changed my technique to cut and draw. I also learned to read these cards in reverse. This and my new Akashic deck, which I discussed on January 9th, 2019, are the only reversals I use. Tarot can be complicated with its symbolism and history, so I prefer to keep the cards upright, but I find the cards of the Faerie's Oracle to be more straightforward like old friends.

If you get a card like Honesty, for example, when he stands directly facing you he is saying, "Hi! I think I would very much like to tell you that you will need to look at truthfulness today." If he is standing on his head, he's saying, "Um? It seems from this angle that someone is not being honest. OR! Maybe you're not being truly honest with yourself about something. That's no way to be!" I guess, then, each card kind of deals with the opposite of the meaning, but honestly (Honesty would like that I said that) I just follow my intuition with each of them. There is no cut and fast rule.

So let's take a closer look at Mister Honesty today. Jessica MacBeth said that he is a Moonwort plant. Moonworts have many names, and as a Herbalism student, I was interested in the medicinal qualities for a little, added insight. I referred to Nicolas Culpeper's "Complete Herbal," released in 1652. Culpeper believed in the connection between astrology and herbalism, just as I do. He did mention the medicinal qualities of Moonwort, but I think the folk wisdom is more pertinent to our reading. He said, "The Moon owns the herb. Moonwort is an herb which (they say) will open locks, and unshoe such horses as tread upon it: This some laugh to scorn, and those no small fools neither; but country people, that I know, call it Unshoe the Horse. Besides I have heard commanders say, that on White Down in Devonshire, near Tiverton, there were found thirty horse shoes, pulled off from the feet of the Earl of Essex’s horses, being there drawn up in a body, many of them being but newly shod, and no reason known, which caused much admiration: the herb described usually grows upon heaths."

So here we have Honesty, staring into our eyes with his own, telling us, "Be truthful with others, be truthful with yourself. I don't like it when things are locked away. I will open the truth whether you want to or not. Not to be mean. I love you. You need to be honest with yourself and others." The Fae are the most honest creatures around. Nature doesn't lie. Their methods are sometimes hard to understand, but they aren't people, they don't see things the way we do.

So, Honesty has come to visit and shown up in a headstand, no less. He's warning us that above all today we should be truthful. It's possible that someone may not themselves being honest and the Lenormand Crossroads tells us that we may need to make some decisions on how we will deal with it. The only thing we can do is to be the better person and stand on our head to look at things from a different perspective. It will help make our decisions easier. Above all, be honest and truthful with yourself and others because if you don't Honestly will unlock all of the secrets that have been locked away in the most inopportune times.

Have a beautiful (and honest) day everyone!

Here's a first. Every single thing in this picture has been covered before. On November 3, 2018, I discussed the Hierophant and the Ship, on December 13th, 2018, I brought up my love of Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen's Wizard Tarot, and the Ring showed up on December 3, 2018, so today I get to talk about them all together!

As you can see I have a couple of Lenormand cards out today. When I shuffled the deck one jumped out as if to say, "Pick me!". I normally will take stock of the card and then place it back in the pile, but I figured it REALLY wanted to be apart of the reading, so we have two on the table. When I lay out my Tarot cards, I will often use a Lenormand symbol to bring focus to the reading. If I get the Hierophant, say, and the Ship jumps out I would probably talk about a teacher or a form of bureaucracy in our life or maybe a strong Taurus personality. "But in what capacity?", I may ask, and then the Ship says, "in regards to travel, or possibly business overseas." Basically, if Tarot is about the larger psychological concepts going on in our life, the Lenormand talks about what you're going to have for breakfast while you're going through it. That's probably simplifying it too much. You can absolutely see what you've had for breakfast while reading tarot, and the Lenormand gets real, real quick. I've heard one Lenormand reader say that Madame Lenormand, the creator, was a terrible gossip. It's because you can't hide from the Lenormand. If you look for it everything and I mean EVERYTHING will be revealed. There are no secrets from Madame Lenormand. Now, back to this reading.

If you notice, we also have the Ring out on the table. The Ring shows us commitment, and often times it can be literal. Since the Hierophant can show up as clergy then pairing him with the ring might bring up the possibility of a marriage or legal loving commitment. To put it all together, in Lenormand only readings (which I also adore) you string the symbols and their rulerships together to make sentences. The more cards, the longer the sentence, and if you lie every card down in a Grand Tableau, you have a story. Since we're only dealing with two cards, I will use them to describe the Hierophant in the middle. Today could be a day of commitment to travel, or travel may be necessary to make a traditional commitment or a business contract. All these together make me think of a destination wedding or dealing with an overseas or cross country venture. A new job perhaps? If this is familiar, congratulations! What great news! If this doesn't hit home, we can look at the symbols in the card for answers.

The Wizard Tarot shows Chiron as the Hierophant. Chiron was the mentor and teacher to all of the great heroes of Greco-Roman mythology. He was immortal, but a poison arrow pierced him in the thigh. He could never die, but he spent his life trying to find a cure and, throughout, he lived his days in pain. He was never successfully healed, but all of the knowledge that he obtained was what he used to teach others. This grouping of cards, therefore, takes on another meaning. I believe there is still a commitment, but it may be towards traveling mentally to learn and grow. We may cover great distances and make mental leaps to find the solution to the pains that we have suffered. We may also become committed to teaching others. I always say that those who have walked through the fire are the best to show others how to do the same. Commit to yourself, acknowledge your pain. It's the most challenging journey that anyone can make, and when you come to the shore of self-acceptance, be there for others that follow you. They will need a guide through the emotional waters towards a stable shore.

Until tomorrow...have a good one!

Go, Go, GO! At least, that's how it feels when the Knight of Swords comes out to play. Inarguably the quickest, most forthright character of the court cards, the Knight of Swords has things to do, places to go, and people to save. He is Fire of Air, always questing for mental and spiritual activity, and when fire and air combine you get a wildfire, in which you'll find this intellectual Knight running towards instead of away because that is the adventure. In Astrological terms, the Knights are ruled by the Mutable, go-with-the-flow, adaptable signs, so this Knight would be seen as Gemini. Gemini's love an intellectual challenge. "Word puzzles? Bring it on! Debate? I dare you to challenge me!" They find glee in solving mental problems and will delight in sharing their findings.

Honestly though, don't think you can win in a verbal dual with a Knight of Swords. He will skewer you with his tongue and run you over with his horse for he has other arguments to win. He doesn't have time for you to throw him off course. All this being said, it's entirely relevant that the Lenormand symbol chosen for today is the Birds. At the Birds most positive they will create a nearly unbreakable relationship between partners that love to gab. Communication is vital with this symbol. At it's worst, the Birds represent gossip and verbal slander. This further supports my earlier advice: do not get into an argument with the Knight of Swords. It will not be a good time, and the repercussions of what is said will haunt both of you for a while. However, if you know a Knight of Swords, befriending him or her may bring you a rewarding relationship that will test your intellectual and verbal moxie. With the Knight of Swords leading the charge, today will be filled with excitement, for sure. So, all of you Knights out there: go forth and discover, solve, and rescue all of the word problems you can, and please, be on your best behavior. Think with your head before you use your sword.

I must talk a little bit about this other new deck that I have acquired, the Money Tarot, created by artist Eugene Vinitski. He also designed my new favorite deck, the Venetian Tarot, which I first discussed on January 8th, 2019. Like the Venetian Tarot, the card stock is very thick with guilded edges. Thicker card stock for decks makes for a more difficult shuffle, but I think with use it will soften up. The beautiful draw to this Tarot was that every image chosen was pulled from a monetary bill from somewhere in the world. As it says in the Introduction, we often take for granted the gorgeous artwork that decorates our bills, because we are more interested in the worth. Did you know that Alfons Mucha designed money for Czechoslovak in 1929? Or that some of Magritte's art was used on the Belgium 500 Franc in 1998? I had absolutely no idea, but I so glad that Eugene created this Tarot so that I would learn. It made me aware that everyone carries little pieces of art in their wallets with them everywhere they go. More people nowadays may be making purchases digitally, so perhaps money should be considered rare and classic artwork.

Eugene suggests that you use this Tarot when you have questions about money and finances, but I think you can use it for any reading. It may not be easy to .use for a beginner, some of the art may be a difficult mental leap to find a correlation between the original RWS images, but if you are an art lover that loves to travel to other countries, I think you would enjoy this Tarot. I think an avid traveler like the Knight of Swords would approve.

So there you go! Have a great day everyone!

Today is a little different. I've pulled a card of the day, technically from a Tarot deck, but the deck is unlike any of the others that I own. I'm a Rider-Waite-Smith gal, and this deck is not. The authors, Sharon Anne Klinger, and Sandra Anne Taylor have experience with the Akashic Records which they describe as "great fields of wisdom and power that transcend time and space." I visualize the records in a great cosmic library. I'd like to spend more time there, so it was very nice that I received this deck for the Winter holidays. Sharon and Sandra believe that working with the cards will help a person access the wisdom of the Akashic Realm which is "available to all."

At first glance, the Akashic Tarot is an Oracle. Its cards are oversized like an oracle deck, but the authors have chosen to call it a Tarot because it's still laid out the same way and based on some of the oldest Tarot decks from Germany and Switzerland from the 15th and 16th Centuries. Those decks, like the Rider-Waite-Smith, all had a Major Arcana, four suits and a court for each suit, but the symbolism was different. According to Sharon and Sandra, Italian Tarot, the inspiration for Rider-Waite-Smith, uses suits that reflect the different castes of society: swords for Knights and nobility, clubs or staves for peasants, cups or chalices for clergy, and coins or pentacles for tradesmen and the commercial class. They decided to go with a deck more similar to the Swiss and German decks because "there are no elements of destructive weaponry." It's true, the symbols that they use are "Scrolls" for the mind, communication, and study, "Roses" for personal relationships, emotions, home, and family, "Keys" for wealth, career, and achievement, and "Forces" for energy, consciousness and the Natural Law. There are still 22 cards in the Major Arcana and only 40 in the Minor Arcana. With fewer card with different images, it's a lot to get used to, but so far I am optimistic and learning a lot. Some of the cards have spoken to me deeply with familiarity, and it's been relatively easy to think about ways to use them to help me attune to my higher-self and secrets locked in my past, but I found that it also does a pretty decent job of taking snapshots of current day to day issues.

So what card did we get today? The King of Keys. Here a king supported by his white horse of purity looks over his domain. The sun is shining, the grass is vitally green with the hope of new life, growth, and springtime. The king wears armor that shows that he has just returned from a battle and his horse is dressed with the colors of red to represent drive and determination, and green for health and longevity. Despite the war, the gleaming king seems gleeful with the dawning of a new day and looks forward to a bright future. In the Lenormand, keys represent, "the answer.” I see them as a way to unlock doors to our potentials. This King is the master of opening doors. His positive leadership will take you towards success and significant prosperity. He looks as if he has had a long journey and it’s not over yet as there is still a long way to get home, but the journey is almost at its end, and the King can take you there.

Who is this man (or strong female) in your life? Look towards your mentors, parents, and teachers to help guide you. Or maybe you are the King of Keys? If so, it’s a big responsibility to be given a set of keys that open many doors. It’s a respectful position so don’t take the job lightly. You can be the person that will help others find that room that contains their future inside. Help them achieve their career goals, and you may also find it easier to obtain yours. Be prepared to fight for your domain, but remember, if you do it with a smile, you will come out of the battle shining.

Have a good one everybody!

I took a winter break from writing for the last few weeks but I'm back at it now, and today's deck is one of my new favorites.

The Venetian Tarot by Eugene Viniski was originally posted on Kickstarter. I found the release of his mini deck and couldn't afford them at the time. It's pricey, but the card stock is sturdy with gilded edges, and the artwork is beautiful. I hemmed and hawed on it for a while, but I knew one day I wanted to get it. When I got a little holiday money, I decided that it was my chance. I do believe I have a link to Venice in a past life and when I saw the artwork for the first time, I felt a great sense of familiarity. I believe any level of reader could read these cards easily. The art is vibrant and bright, and though Eugene has used a little flexibility in the symbolism to work with the theme, it's still very much a Rider-Waite deck. The mini version that I purchased is also incredible for smaller hands. In some respects, I wish I had the larger deck so that I could "fall" into the art a bit more, but the sizing is perfect to carry in my purse on the regular.

So what card did we get today with the Venetian Tarot? The 9 of Cups. No matter how you cut it, when the 9 of Cups shows up, you're going to have a good day. Actually, I can't say that. You could be having an absolutely horrid day with grumpy co-workers and stained clothing and bad traffic, but it won't faze you. The 9 of Cups is ruled by Jupiter in Pisces, or "I believe in the expansion of luck!" The world could be throwing major messes at you, but with the 9 of Cups, you will feel such satisfaction in where you are now in your emotions and beliefs that nothing else matters.

The number 9 is the last big push before you reach the end. It makes you stop and think about how far you have come, and what you have done to get here. The 9 of Cups is the moment to appreciate the individual that you have become and to really decide where you want to go next emotionally. You are almost there! Sometimes this card will come up for parties and weddings and any gathering where you can share your good fortune with others, and if that happens congratulations! The only thing I can add here is, don't become smug about your rewards. You have so many cups which are so full of joy, share them with an open heart, expect nothing in return and enjoy making other people happy.

Paired with the 9 of cups today is the Lenormand Tree. We've gotten the Tree before, but as a reminder, the Tree represents, growth, general health, family and the world tree. I'm a tree hugger, so I understand why such a lovely card is paired with such a lovely symbol that I love so dearly.

Appreciate your blessings today. Thank your good health, and your beautiful family that was either formed by blood or by choice. Share your fortunes with the world. You have almost reached your emotional goals. Meditate on how far you have come and feel excited about the next step. I'm excited for you!

Have a great day everyone!

I'm so pleased to talk about today's Tarot Deck, The Wizard's Tarot with book by Corrine Kenner and illustrations by John J. Blumen. I initially found this deck through one of my favorite Tarot and Oracle sites, Aeclectic Tarot. I was perusing by theme, as you do, and I stumbled upon this one in the "TV & Movies" category. I want to start by saying that this deck in no way based on Film or Television but I see why they might place it there. This Deck is incredibly well thought out and could be considered loosely based upon JK Rowlings Wizarding World as the deck is about Wizarding School, Mandrake Academy, but that's where the similarities end. Corrine Kenner, the author of "Tarot for Writers," has created a vivid and colorful world all her own, and very talented artist John J. Blumen brings her ideas to life. Kenner and Blumen were perfectly paired.

A little about the deck... the Major Arcana cards are professors, and each of the Suits is the Four Houses of Magic. Wands is the House of Fire Magic. Swords is the House of Air Magic. Pentacles is the House of Earth Magic, and Cups is the House of Water Magic. Every card in each Suit follows a student in their Magical journey. The Court Cards are the Elemental families that guard the school, the Salamanders, Sylphs, Gnomes, and Undines or Fire, Air, Earth, and Water, respectfully. Corrine's book reads like a magical textbook, and you feel like you know these characters thanks to John's art. Throughout the lessons, every possible magical subject is covered, from candle magic to gemstones. Each Professor also offers individual layouts that further add to the subject. Besides the fact that this book and deck fulfills my scholarly desire, this is precisely the sort of storytelling in Tarot that I love. The information and storytelling in the book are so incredible my oldest son has stolen my copy. It's a good thing I bought the Fool's Dog Wizards Tarot App which includes the book, else I'd feel an extreme loss.

So if you love the Wizarding World, get this set. If you think of yourself as a little Witchy, get it. If you are a professional, definitely get it, and if you are a beginner, by all means, get it! It may become your favorite, and you'll learn something to boot.

We pulled the Wheel of Fortune on November 25th, but I feel like I can still add a little more because of today's Wizard Deck. Our Daily Card introduces us to the Mandrake Academy's Guidance Counselor who can "help you cope with the twists and turns of fate." The Wheel of Fortune is a twisty turning card that reflects the greatness of Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion. Happiness becomes great happiness and wealth becomes greater wealth, but you can suffer great difficulties and sadness as well. It's tough to say what will happen when Jupiter comes into play. Jupiter was the ruler of all of the Roman Gods, so he wielded a lot of power and was a colossal force, (there's expansion again) but like his predecessor the Greek Zeus, you never were sure how he was going to act. That sounds a lot like the Wheel of Fortune to me. I think what we can take from the Wizard deck is that when times get crazy and we feel like we're on the rollercoaster of life, there are people, guidance counselors, that can help us through it. The Lenormand House showed up today too, and the House always talks about your family foundation. My suggestion is to contact your family, whether biological or chosen and check-in. Some crazy things may be happening in your family or your home, but I think it may all be easier if you face it together.

Have a good one everybody. Enjoy the rollercoaster of the day!

Since it worked so well yesterday, I’m doing it again today! I'm using the Fool’s Dog Sampler. Actually, life got in the way, and it's late, so I will refer to my Tarot Apps.

Today the sampler deck is the Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal released by Lo Scarabeo and illustrated by Andrea Serio with book by Roberto Negrini. The Liber T pulls upon the teachings of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. I have not worked with a Thoth deck, but Aeclectic has said, “The majors (of the Liber T) are very similar to Crowley's Thoth, but the minors have been expanded and have an emphasis on Decans.” Decans are the 3 ten degree sub-rulers of each sign of the zodiac, so I’d probably actually really like the Thoth.

I like the look of this deck with the use of oil pastels, which allows for a softer, but vivid Abstract style that is a feast for the eye. I’ll want to do some research on Thoth decks, but if I were to start somewhere, this might be a great place to begin. Also, if you speak a European language other than English, a Scarabeo deck may be for you because the company usually releases its Tarot Decks with Spanish, Italian, German, French, English around the borders.

Now, on to the card of the day: Number 3, The Empress. I don't know if you noticed, but we have gotten a lot of 3s lately. Along with the Empress' ruler Venus, this is a big sign to work with others to be more creative! Venus rules love, creativity, creation, art, and all things growing and beautiful. She is the vision of "woman" and polar-opposite of warlike Mars. It doesn't mean that she's all flowers and sunshine though.

As you can see in Liber T, the Empress has a shield lying amongst the roses. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," so saith Medea. She ought to know, she loved Jason with every part of her being, and as deep is her love was her bitter hate. There is a fine line, you know.

As much as Venus loves, she also creates. I haven't talked about it before, but every Major Arcana card also has a Hebrew Rulership. From my understanding, the translations of the Hebrew letter used are from ancient Hebrew, but my Israeli friends may have something else to say about that. I'll have to ask. The Hebrew letter for The Empress is "daleth" or "doorway". The Empress represents a gateway for all areas of existence, body, mind, and spirit, and through her comes a new life. She is with every mother as she brings a new child into the world and with every artist that births a new piece into being. Sometimes people refuse to open the door because they don't know what lies beyond, but if you don't try, you could be missing out on something amazing!

Overall, The Empress is a beautiful healing card. This archetypal mother figure continues to remind us that we should nurture our creativity with love and one day you will have a garden.

I hope your day was one that brought love and creativity and that you stepped through that door! Until tomorrow!

Today, I'm trying something very different. I normally write these posts very early in the day before my boys go to their prospective schools. I use my cards and laptop and really take the time to set up a pretty picture. If life gets in the way and I wait too long to post it seems that I use my Fool’s Dog Tarot apps. I'd rather just write in bed. I've done this before. The difference is the app I'm using is the Fool’s Dog Tarot Sampler. It's the ”Try It Before You Buy It” app. There are 68 different decks sampled so when you do your reading you never know what you will get. It's a double surprise. So tonight in addition to the 3 of Swords, which we’ve never drawn before (but I've mentioned) we got the Buckland Romani Tarot with book by Raymond Buckland and illustrations by Lissanne Lake. According to Google Books the original deck and app ”follows traditional form of the tarot, but incorporates Gypsy forms and symbol”. The cards used in the sampler are neat looking and the traditional suits have been renamed from Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles to Koshes, Shivs, Koros, and Bolers. Today, we have the 3 of Shivs or 3 of Swords.

The 3 of swords is never an easy card to get. It's ruled by Saturn in Libra ”I relate to restriction and relationships bring conflict”. This card often gets tagged with the keyword ”heartbreak” but more than that I feel it means ”loss”. The 3 is about creativity and community and the swords often represent intellect but also strife. Intellectual strife, then, is the name of the game. This card usually comes up for breakups and end of relationships, but I've also seen it for widows who have been left behind by their spouses, children who have lost a parent, and people suffering from depression and abandonment. It's not the heart that makes these people morn, it’s the thought that they may never recover from the losses. The mind is a wonderful but terrible thing. I believe in positive thinking and though we shouldn't be sunny all of the time when life gets really rough, we have the option to choose optimism instead of distress.

This card actually reminds me of something. Last night I took my family to the movie theatre to see Jim Henson’s ”Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas” as a special showing. The story focuses on Ma and Emmet Otter shortly before Christmas. Pa Otter has been dead for a few years and left Emmet and Ma with practically nothing, but as Doc Bullfrog exclaims, Emmet and his Ma are the ”nicest people on the river.” When times get really tough, they sing and remember Pa fondly. Ma says ”Pa didn't leave us much, but he left us enough.” I guarantee these two would have never gotten the 3 of Swords. Yes, the card is about loss and conflict, but they would never allow a few obstacles to get them down.

Sometimes life creates struggles that affect our relationships and sometimes those relationships end, but every obstacle in your life gives you greater strength. I always say, ”with obstacles come growth”. You can thank Saturn for that. He's there to teach us lessons about ourselves. Perhaps the 3 of Pentacles is really there to show us how to recover after life throws us a curve. By all means, take a moment to mourn if you need to, but what will you do tomorrow? Maybe you can learn to sing like Emmet and his Ma.

I hope none of you are going through this right now, but if you are remember, ”this too shall pass”. See you tomorrow!

Today's deck is the Dreamkeeper's Tarot, first discussed on November 24th, and the card of the day is the 3 of Pentacles which showed up on November 29th. I guess there is nothing more to cover.

Of course, there's more to cover! When cards come up over and over again, it usually means that the message is very important, and is it me or does it seem we've gotten a lot of Pentacles lately? Pentacles, if you remember, are a representation of the Earth. I see a pentacle as a plate to eat from or the coin it takes to purchase the food. Either way, to me the Pentacles nurtures the body while its partner, the Cups, nurture the emotions. Now, to obtain that money, we have to work, and that is the true meaning of this card.

A quick summary: Mars in Capricorn rules the 3 of Pentacles. "I use assertiveness to achieve." This card shows a drive to make things happen. In the Dreamkeeper's Tarot, we have two unclothed figures with the moon in their hands. They share a dream, possibly to be whole as you can see their full formed selves reflected in the water, and the wings of the butterflies will help them fly their course to get there. They have invested emotionally in their dream, and it may be early days for them. Whenever a 3 comes up we see that we're at the beginning of the journey, we also know that a significant amount of creativity and social interaction is involved. These ladies need each other to bring this new project out of the realm of ideas to reality, symbolized by the pentacles floating above their heads. With hard work, though, they may see success.

The Lenormand card that came up today is the Stork. The stork is often the bringer of babies so it can represent actual pregnancy or birth, but in the Lenormand, the babies could also be symbolic and describe all new changes, a new house, or a promotion, as examples. I think if you put these ladies next to the Stork they're in for a great beginning, but they can't sit on their laurels. They will have to put in the work.

So, keep on keeping on, folks. Yesterday was about reassing your current projects to see if they might come into fruition. My guess is, yes, they will, reasonably soon. The question becomes, what will you do after? The 3 of Pentacles is suggesting that you grab your best business partners or like-minded friends and get cracking on that new project. The Stork says it's going to be a good one and will bring about the positive change that you've seen in your dreams.

Until tomorrow everyone!

Here we are at the end of the day, and I almost didn't pull a card to write about, but I now have a spotless kitchen, so it was well worth it.

Because it's so late, I decided to use another one of my Fool's Dog Tarot Apps (first discussed on December 3rd). Today I decided to use the Everyday Witch Tarot App. I love the deck so much I decided I needed it as an app as well so I'd always have it with me.

Today's card is the 7 of Pentacles, ruled by Saturn in Taurus. On December 1st, I drew the Vice Versa version of the 7 of Pentacles, and it was "That Side." If you recall the Vice Versa Tarot has no front or backs, only "This" and "That" side and each explores the opposites of the other. Let's call it like it is, it was the back, the opposite meaning of what the 7 of Pentacles would normally be. Today, however, I have drawn the front.

So here's what I see for today. The 7 of Pentacles is still very much, "I have achievements." It's about planting seeds that will sprout and grow into something with which you can be proud. Look at our girl here. She's pleased with her harvest. I certainly would be. She's growing wine grapes. She also seems to be good at it since she's sampling a glass, most likely from a previous year. I've said it in other posts, Capricorn achieves great things because he uses everything in his resources to reach the goals that he creates for himself. Our girl has a book. She's probably well read in the history and techniques of winemaking. She knows that hard work truly pays off and she's right. To succeed, we must put in the work in whatever way we can. We must gather together our resources, and we will be profitable.

I think it's a good sign that in only a week or so we got "this" side of the 7 of Pentacles. It shows that maybe we have stopped disparaging over the seeds that lie dormant and are planting the ones that bare fruit. Whatever you are working on now, don't give up, keep at it, success is around the corner.

Until tomorrow!

It seems like ages ago that I first talked about The Housewives Tarot. It was way back on November 21, 2018. I said it then, and I'll say it now, this deck is a hoot, so I love that it was the deck that came up today. It's also incredibly fitting. I woke up bright and early this fair morn, slipped on a housedress, and spent the entire day scrubbing down walls and cabinets. I always want to start the new year with a fresh start and with a holiday party coming up, I have a lot to do.

Today's card of the day for my daily draw was the Ace of Swords. I see Aces representing new beginnings. The Ace is just another way of saying "One.", which is a powerfully driven, phallic number. The first sign of the Zodiac is Aries, and we covered him quite a bit yesterday in all of his assertive glory. In the Major Arcana, the Number One is the Magician, a masculine showman who has studied extensively to show off his knowledge. He's overt with his power. With the Ace, we have all of that and more. Paired with an element, the action of One is focused on the element of air. Air in Tarot is represented by the Swords, or in the Housewives Tarot, a knife, an implement of defense and destruction and a perfect symbol of intellect. Have you ever gotten into a debate and felt you were cut into ribbons by your opponent? That was the sword. A sword cuts through the BS.

Astrologically, the Ace of Swords is ruled by all of the air signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. "I communicate," "I relate," and "I know." If the Ace of Sword were a person, he would be an extremely talkative intellectual that has started a new class or mental pursuit and is very vocal with how much more he knows than the average person. Hmmm. I've just started a new course and talk about it with everyone...but let's not forget about new beginnings!

The Ace is a symbol of new beginnings, and in Swords, they are in regards to the mind. In some decks, like The Housewives Tarot, Swords represent "strife" so it could go either way here. Sometimes we put ourselves under serious mental difficulty from the negative thoughts that go through our head. Sometimes being overly communicative (aka a gossip) can get us into trouble. Much of the cards in the story of the Swords are like that. Words and thoughts can cut. Think before you speak and for goodness sake don't share every idea that comes into your head. You'll save yourself from a lot of cuts down the road.

As much as I'd like to think that this card today is about a new mental pursuit I believe it may actually be about new upcoming challenges after all. The Lenormand symbol that came up today is the Garden. The Garden is representative of the community. Think of a public garden where all can gather, and you've got the feeling of the symbol. Often times it represents a party or invitation to a party. In my case, I am cleaning my house like a mad woman because I'm hosting a party on Yule.

So what is the Ace of Swords really about today? I think it represents a social gathering filled with people that you may not know. An opportunity may come up (or came up. I'm posting late) which will allow you to exchange ideas with like-minded individuals, as well as others that may not exactly share your thoughts. Regardless, meeting new people is a great way to understand more about yourself and help you connect to your ideas. Whatever happens though, always remember that words can cut. Definitely cut through the BS but be kind or else it may come back to hurt you, possibly in the form of the 10 of swords.

I hope you've had a good day everyone. Enjoy all of those party invitations that are rolling in. It's a great time to celebrate new beginnings!

"To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Right before I used my pendulum to decide on today's deck for Card of the Day, I was considering my options for a movie. It's Friday, why not take advantage of AMC A-List? There are a lot of options, but the front-runner is a new film that stars Willem Dafoe as one of my favorite artists, Vincent Van Gogh, in the last two years of his life. Pulling the Art of Life (discussed on November 27th) makes me think I need to see the Van Gogh film.

How can I tie this all into the Card of the Day? The Three of Wands is ruled by the Sun in Aries, "I am truly myself and my energy is strong." Guess who was an Aries? Mr. Van Gogh. This card represents the assertive directness of Aries who sees what he wants and acts on it. Every Aries I know seeks out a challenge and has the uncanny ability to make everything about themselves. This is not a terrible thing. All but one of my very close friends out here is an Aries. I love them. I gravitate to them. How can you not? They make things happen, and they will always have your corner because you become "theirs," and they take care of "theirs." Yes, Aries can be difficult sometimes, but like a toddler, an Aries is only trying to exert themselves as they discover who they are. Eventually, they'll learn to play nice with others.

Vincent had a vision that no one else could understand and with his Aries energy he was challenging at times, but it was the fire in him that made him one of the most creative artists ever known. This creativity is further reflected in the "three" in the 3 of Wands. The number three represents creativity and community, and Vincent's community was made up of the local post-impressionists that saw him as he was, a brilliant artist. It was only the ordinary people that saw him as strange, and this made survival difficult. It often takes monetary support to be creative in business, and without it, all of these artists were on similar journeys (ruled by the Lenormand Boat), of the starving artist. Despite the difficulties, Vincent and our artists persevered, and that is genuinely what the 3 of Wands represents. It's not being sure that you will succeed but doing it anyway. It's having a vision and taking yourself on the journey to help others see things the way you do. It's creating to share who you really are.

So, that is your task today. With Aries energy supporting you, find your people, share your creative vision, and bravely move forward to make it a reality. The Boat will carry you on your way to make it happen and the word of one of my favorite Aries, "BOOM!"

Have a great day!

Today, we finally meet a new deck and a new friend. I use the word "friend" because the Lenormand Dog has also come up, and the Dog represents our greatest friend or a trusted partner. As far as partners go, the King of Pentacles is a good one. Ruled by Capricorn, he is a wonderful provider, and with his elements being Air of Earth, a great planner. This King will be ready for every financial possibility and will bring great stability to a friendship or partnership. I personally, look for stability in a man, so he'd be my ideal. The only downside that I can see of the King of Pentacles is that because he works so hard outside of the home, once in his castle he tends to prop up his feet to oversee his domain and doesn't do much to help out. He knows what his role is, and it's "breadwinner." However, if your King of Pentacles is literally the King of the Castle and stay at home dad, your place will be spotless, your children well disciplined and you'll always eat well. A King of Pentacles takes every job that he has very seriously. As previously stated, he knows how to relax, but it's kind of the, “dad asleep in front of the tv with a copy of business journal in his lap”, relaxed. I'm sure all of you out there has a King of Pentacles in your life. Though this King usually comes up as the man in charge, like your boss, today I think the Dog is reminding us to look to the King who is your partner or friend.

What if you've wracked your brain and absolutely can not think of a King of Pentacles in your life? Well, think of the energy he brings: resourceful, financially sound, achievement-oriented. Perhaps there is a friend of yours that needs those qualities in their life right now. Maybe they're still working on that project that they started last week and are hitting a dead end. Capricorns know how to use all of their resources to bring their goals into fruition. Maybe you know someone that can help them, or perhaps you have practical experience and can offer some advice, or you read a book that you can recommend. Regardless, we all have talents and skills that we have learned along the way. You may have just the answer to help your friend or partner see their goals realized.

Now, I get to talk about one of my favorite Tarot artists, Ciro Marchetti, and his first deck, The Gilded Tarot. Since the Gilded Tarot's release, Ciro has created many other Tarot Decks all with different themes but all with incredibly detailed digital art. His portraits are beautiful and help make the archetypes of Tarot jump from the cards. You can still purchase this deck in a box set called, "Easy Tarot: Learn to Read the Cards Once and for All!" with book written by Josephine Ellershaw. If any of you are looking to dabble into the world of Tarot, this is an excellent first set. Josephine's book is well written and very clear, and she includes a pretty great cheat sheet of keywords in the back. I highly recommend it for all level of readers.

So there you have it, a new card and a new deck! It looks like we will be influenced by some Men in Charge today, be it your boss, friend, partner, or dad. Regardless of who he is, he is your go-to guy today if you are stumped with a problem and you need a little bit of organization or financial help. Or, maybe this King is you. Look around and see what friend may need your assistance. Your guidance may be just what they need.

Have a great day everyone!

Today, I am using the Beautiful Rebellion Tarot by Robin L. Cole (discussed on November 22nd). Perhaps I'm feeling a little rebellious today. I have a lot to do, some of which is negotiating with the hierarchy, which is ruled by the Hierophant. I think he's following me.

So, guess who showed up again? No, not the Hierophant; the 10 of Wands! Out of 78 cards and sixteen days of readings, the 10 of Wands has made an appearance three times: today, November 2st and December 3rd. The Daily Draw is never about me, though it does include me. I've mentioned it before, but I always ask my guides to show me a card that can benefit the most people the most clearly. Apparently, I'm not the only one that has a lot going on.

As a recap, the 10 of Wands is ruled by Saturn in Sagittarius. "I aim for structure and responsibility." Well, Saturn has given us a lot of responsibility, but if you notice, our heroine in the Beautiful Rebellion is weary but resolute, still bent with the weight but resolved that this burden is hers alone and she will see it to completion. While the December 3rd, 10 of Wands message was "be willing to accept assistance if someone offers help but be careful of attached strings," today, the message seems to be, "this load is yours. You accepted it, and now you must see it through to completion, on your own." The real message I think should be "you took all of this on. If you don't like it, learn how to say "no."

So what is this burden all about really? Lenormand's card of the day is The Book. Books hide hidden knowledge. Sometimes they represent education (like Sagitarrius) or business deals (like Capricorn, ruled by Saturn) but most of the time they represent a secret or unknown information. Our burdens could be emotional or mental from carrying a secret that's weighing on our heart. Our burdens could be coursework from school lesson that seems overwhelming. Our burdens can be from taking on too much to make that business deal finally go through. Here's what I can say about all of that. Stop pushing. We're in a Mercury Retrograde, and it has a hand in ALL of those things. Things are difficult right now because we are such a Mercury-based society, but it will move Direct on Thursday so slowly all things in communication, education, and business will start to work more efficiently. Give it time. Your burdens are your own, but they'll be a lot easier to carry if you walk with the wind instead of against it. If your struggles and obstacles can't wait, find peace and think, "it will all be over soon."

Have a good day everybody.

It's a Wild Unknown Day! That's not surprising to me, I've had animals on the mind. I've wanted to adopt another dog, but then a family friend posted that she needs to rehome six one-year-old cats, and then I think of all of the other animals in shelters, and I can't decide. I'd adopt every one of them if I could. Actually, I want a farm. That's what I want. Land, and animals and plants, oh my! No wonder the Wild Unknown came up today. This deck is always a good one to use when you want to connect a little to nature, and it seems that I do!

So, how is everyone doing today? Yesterday, our good friend the 10 of Wands showed up. I imagine it was an expression of some of the typical "case of the Mondays" that most of us feel: the uphill climb and the weight of all of the challenges on our plate, but that was yesterday. Today, the 4 of Swords came up almost to say, "I know yesterday was tough, but guess what? Today you should rest. You deserve it!" I mean, look at that little lamb. Isn't she sweet? I do feel alarmed by the swords hanging over her head, but I don't think that it bothers her. The swords represent the thoughts on her mind, and she has used some sort of Zen meditation to allow them to float harmlessly in perfect balance above her. She will pick them up another day, for today, she rests.

The 4 of Swords is ruled by Jupiter in Libra, "I balance my optimism and I expand relatedness." The 3 of Swords is the previous card in the cycle. Though it rules the intellect, it often represents heartbreak. Honestly, I see it as merely the thought that your heart is broken, but that is a discussion for another day. After experiencing the 3 of Swords' mental anguish, we are given a reprieve. The 4 is a very stable number and gives us permission to stop and rest for a little bit. The optimism and expansion that Jupiter brings tell us that we REALLY need to rest now and Libra tells us that it would be best to spend this time relating to our self. If you don't take the time to rest and put your thoughts back into balance, Jupiter will force you to do it in such an epic fashion that you will be paying off hospital bills for the next year. Basically, make a choice to call in sick when you're well, or a friend will have to call in sick for you because you're are very much NOT well. The Lenormand Garden has made an appearance to support the sentiment further. The Garden is seen as more of a public garden and often represents society or gatherings. It also represents the immune system. You're body may be fighting something off, and you might not even be aware of it. So, take a mental health day! Rest and rejuvenate your weary mind. You can get back out into the world in fighting stance tomorrow.

Have a restful day, everyone!

I'm trying something new today. I spent much of the day typing a six-page paper for my Herbology course and have only now had the time for a card of the day, except, I was tired of sitting in front of my computer so I'm now on my phone. Not much better, but now I can type in bed. It's the simple pleasures...

Since I'm on my phone I decided I would use a deck from one of my tarot apps. Yes, there are tarot apps and the best ones are by Fool’s Dog Catalogue. Fool’s Dog takes existing real-world decks and turns them into usable digital decks. I have quite a few by Fool’s Dog and they have a ton of settings: choice of tarot cloth design, whether to use reversals or upright, fan or no fan, riffle, wash, cut or draw, layout... the list goes on and on. Depending on the tarot deck app you purchase you always have access to the supplemental material, the LWB or Little White Book. Some of you are asking, ”Why not just buy the deck?” Believe me, I’d love to but some of the decks that they offer are either out of print or many hundreds of dollars which is way out of my budget. Buying a digital version for personal use is a nice consolation. Today’s card comes from one such deck, The Fairy Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt.

I wish I could hold this deck in my hand but since I can't I love that I can still work with it. Every card is based on a favorite Fairy Tale from somewhere in the world and painted in Lisa Hunt’s beautiful and recognizable style. The LWB contains the full stories chosen and retold by Lisa and reads like a favorite bedtime storybook. I love that there are familiar stories as well as new tales that I've never heard before.

The story chosen for the 10 of Wands (which came up on November 21st) is one that I have always loved: Rumplestiltskin. Lisa chose this story because of the heroine. The miller’s daughter has been burdened with an overwhelming task and feels distraught that she will never be able to achieve her goal. It's only until Rumplestiltskin offers assistance that her load seems easier to bare. The story reminds us that no matter the burden it will feel easier if we are willing to accept help. I think it's also important to note that Rumplestiltskin was willing to help but only with some major strings attached. Sometimes it may just be easier to carry the load yourself. Don't worry, you can handle it.

So that’s a new deck, a familiar card, and a new method to play because they’re only cards, and cards are meant for playing. Approach Tarot with a sense of fun and I guarantee you will receive the messages that you are meant to hear loud and clear.

Until tomorrow!

(The following is my first essay submitted the the East West School of Plantery Herbology for Lesson 1 for my Herbology course. I intend on publishing every essay for all those that may be interested.)

Erisa Evelyn Byrd

East West School of Planetary Herbology

November 21, 2018

"​Explain how the categorization of herbs under Dioscorides is both different than and similar to the categorization of herbs within the Chinese material medica."

Nearly 2000 years ago, around the year of 70 AD in the first century of the Roman Empire, a man by the name of Pedanius Dioscorides created a work that continued to influence the world of Herbology for at least 1500 years. This Herbal was known as, De Materia Medica. At the time of it’s creation, there were all ready other materia medicas in existence across the world which most likely influenced the well-traveled Dioscorides. The very first Chinese material medica, the Pen T’sao of Shen Nong, was created nearly 250 years prior and in India, the Vedas, the four great books on the nature of existence, philosophy and health, had been in practice for thousands of years, but it was Dioscorides’ media that made the most impact in the west. What made this medica so special?

Dioscorides, born in Asia Minor in modern day Turkey, spent 20 years, almost his entire young adult life, researching the local plants of the Roman Empire and during his life-time, the well-organized Roman Empire was far reaching; from the edge of modern Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to the Middle East and Northern Africa. Partially because of Dioscorides' employ as Emperor Nero’s army physician and partially because ancient doctors were known to be wanderers, Dioscorides made it his mission to explore it all and gather as much information as he could. Dioscorides’ final Medica covered at least 1000 natural medicinal substances: animal, mineral, and around 600 plants. Each substance had it’s own chapter which included a drawing and was organized by physiological effects. This was revolutionary for the time. Other Western medical works existed before Dioscorides’. For example, the 450 B.C. Greek doctor Hippocrates, most known for his “oath”, only included around 265 medicines in his Aphorisms and Prognostics, and Hippocrates, like many healers of the day, approached his herbs under the categorization of the Four Humours and as a way to create medicines that treat a person as well as the disease. For hundreds of years, this was the norm in Greek and Roman healing. Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica’s change in herbal organization built a bridge between the classic Greek and Chinese organization of herbs, and successfully elevated herbs from allopathy to physiology. He wrote his medica in Greek, but many of the ideas where Asian. He did include drug properties and therapeutic actions in his descriptions like the Greeks but tended to focus less on the humours and divided and organized his plants by energetic descriptions of Healing vs. Cooling and the 5 Flavors as is similar to the elemental energy systems of China and the Three Doshas of India. What actually set Dioscorides’ medica apart from those of China was the use of illustration. China’s first illustrated medica, Tang Can Pen T’Sao, wasn’t released until the Tang Dynasty, nearly 600 years after Dioscorides and this made Dioscorides’ Medica absolutely invaluable across the world to those that had access to a copy.

What made De Materia Medica so fantastic? Dioscorides created an incredibly detailed and researched medica that changed the world of medicine. It not only referenced and elevated the work of the classic Western herbalists that came before, but created a bridge to the Asian herbalists, and through it’s illustrations it became the most accessible and most influential herbal to date as Dioscorides’ love and care for a topic that he cared deeply about helped generations of people heal themselves and that’s truly what it is all about.

The hits keep coming. Yesterday the Card of the Day was the Vice Versa version of the 7 of Pentacles. The Vice Versa 7 of Pentacles talked about how sometimes the projects that we are working on are not quite what we are expecting: that sometimes the harvest isn't as plentiful as it could be. Today, using the Everyday Tarot by Brigit Esselmont and Eleanor Grosch (discussed on November 28th), a similar theme has come up. Let's say that you've done the work, you've given your time, energy, and resources, and your goal fails. You find yourself at square one and it feels as if you've hit rock bottom. That rock bottom is the 5 of Pentacles. Ruled by Mercury in Taurus it means, "What I own is on my mind and I want to talk about it." A 5 is a rather unstable number, and, again, 5 is the number for the Hierophant. While 4 is stability and 6 represents balance and the middle of the journey, the 5 is a little off-center. It's a perfect number to represent humanity. It's that insecurity that we feel that drives us to seek out religious leaders and guides to help us get through the difficult times.

That's where the person in our story finds herself. The weather is dreadful and cold and she trudges through the snow as the wind whips around her cloaked form. She could continue on with her head bowed in her own frigid misery, or she could raise her head for a moment to see that there is help nearby. There is a stained glass window offering a view to the sanctuary which will no doubt offer her assistance is she asks for it. The Tree of Life in the window represents nurturing and health and the 5 shows that there is a teacher or someone in the building that can offer a hand. All she needs to do is to go in and ask. It's difficult to see past the storm and often times it feels easier to keep trudging on than to ask for help even if we truly need it. It can be embarrassing to admit that we have hit our lowest but if we feel we have utterly failed, there are usually people there that can help us pick up the pieces. In my family, we often tell our little inventor that failure is actually a success. It doesn't matter how many variations that you try, only that you tried them because each failure brings you closer to something that will work. He still gets frustrated when a project doesn't come to fruition and he has to begin again, but at least he knows that we are there for him to help him pick up the literal pieces, often in the shape of LEGOs.

So that is the message today: not every project will be a success and you may feel alone but the Lenormand coffin is there to say, "Let it go. It's already dead and gone so you might as well let it go willingly." Seeing the coffin may really rub salt in the wound but remember, every death brings change. It may be hard to see it now, but maybe that project or business truly isn't your path. Change may be exactly what you need. If you find yourself affected by the 5 of Pentacles right now, if you are at the end of your rope financially, mentally and emotionally, if you have suffered a death of a business or even a loved one, reach out to your community no matter how embarrassing it may be. You will have help. You only have to ask.

It will only move up from here guys. Have a good one.

Today will be an interesting reading; the deck is one that I haven't used in a very long time. I don't use reversal in my readings (when a card shows itself upside down) Many readings swear by reversals, but I don't connect with it because the pictures mean a great deal to me. I can read a book upside down, but for some reason, the moment a card is upside down all meanings go out of my head. Also, there are 78 and cards in a Tarot deck. A "reversed" meaning is bound to come up in another card. Then I saw this deck: The Vice Versa Tarot by Lunaea Weatherstone.

The Vice Versa Tarot has no backs. Every card has two sides and each side explores opposites, much like the sides of a coin. The sides may be fairly different but ultimately the card still has the same meaning. I thought this would be a perfect deck for me to allow me to explore the world of reversals. I've used it a few times for personal readings, one of my friends absolutely loves Vice Versa and requests it during her readings, but for some reason, I don't connect with it as much as I have with some of my other decks, and I still have to refer to the book.

That being said, this deck is brilliant. Every deck that comes into my possession has taught me something new, whether it's about the way I read, or about the meanings themselves, and there were quite a few "AHA!" moments using these cards that will always stay with me. Some of them showed me a way at looking at its meaning in a way that I hadn't seen before and I'm always happy when that happens. It's very possible that the Vice Versa Tarot has come up again to say, "Hey. Maybe it's time you take another look. Maybe you should look at things a different way." So that's what I'll do. It's time to start working with these cards again, and we'll start with today.

Today's Draw was the 7 of Pentacles. This card has come up for me quite a bit lately. The 7 of Pentacles is ruled by Saturn in Taurus. "I have structure and I am responsible for what I own." The Hierophant is a Taurus card, as well, and we discussed Taurus a bit yesterday (November 30th). Taurus is about ownership but it's also ruled by Venus and is very much in touch with all that is connected to the 5 Senses. Every Taurus I've known has been a great lover of plants and even if they aren't blessed with a green thumb, they have a creativity that allows them to plant metaphoric seeds to bring forth projects that bear fruit. Little seeds planted now may bring a bountiful harvest later. When this card comes up, the work has been done. The seeds have been planted and now you can appreciate the rewards. But that's in a regular deck. The Vice Versa Tarot doesn't have a "back" and a "front". The creator feels naming them such defeats the whole purpose of the cards. Instead, they are "this side" and "that side". Well, today, I didn't get "this side" of the 7 of Pentacles I got "that side" and "that side" doesn't look very promising.

The poor gardener in our card looks very perplexed. He doesn't seem to be happy with the crop that he has yielded. Perhaps he was expecting more. Based on the weather it looks like it has been a tough season. There's even a skull at the root of the tree. My mind goes to all of the fires in California. It was devastating last year, but there are no words that can describe how bad it is this year. The loss of homes and lives is heart-wrenching. Perhaps this is what has happened to our poor man. The "fruit" on this tree may be all he has left. 7 is a number that represents reflection and reassessment. As he sits, hopefully, he'll make a decision that can help move him forward from his loss.

So what does this card mean for all of us? Again, I'm an optimist. I see that there are lessons to learn in every challenge and we are given as much as we can handle. Sometimes we plant the seeds but for one reason or another, we are disappointed with the result. We may invest our time, energy and resources into something that we just know is going to work out and it doesn't. Or maybe it going very well and then you lose it. We have to find a way to stop, take a breath, and re-evaluate the situation so we know where to go next. Sometimes tragedy is what we need to move us forward. We all have setbacks, it's what you do with them that makes you a stronger person. Salvage what you can, collect the seeds, and plant again. The Lenormand Sun is shining down suggesting that it isn't as bad as it seems. The Sun brings happiness and the energy needed to make a better crop the next year. It may be challenging now, but with structure and a sunny disposition, your project will succeed. Speaking of, I never once had to refer to the book. Looks like it's time for me to reinvest in this Vice Versa business.

Have a good one, everybody.

It’s so funny. Before I pulled this card today from Matt Hughes' Ethereal Visions deck (discussed on Sunday, November 25th), I was thinking of all of the Hierophants that I have read. To get to know a new client I will use Numerology to find their Personality, Character and Shadow cards from the Major Arcana. You can do this too. Break down your birth month, birth date, and birth year to it's smallest numbers and add them together. My birthday is June 4, 1979 so I break it down to 6 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 9 which equals 36. I further break this down to 3 + 6 which equals 9 and voilá, my Personality Number is the Number 9, and my Personality Card: The Hermit. If my number was a larger number up to 21 I would use the larger number as my Personality Card and then break it down to a smaller number which gives me my Character Card. The Shadow is the repressed Subconscious personality and that number is derived by adding numbers together to reach the Personality Number. In that case, it's the number 1 + 8. So my Shadow is 18, The Moon. It can be a bit confusing but going through all of that math, I feel, is worth it as it is a good way to introduce myself and the way I read, and it helps me understand the person in front of me, to better connect with them and to use language that they would most understand. I also use a little bit of Hand Reading, but that's a subject that I can go into more on another day.

The Hierophants that have sat down with me are a bit cautious. Most of the time their hands are broad and strong and you can tell they are probably crafty but don't suffer fools easily. Sometimes they sit down and I wonder why they are even there. They know exactly who they are and don't need me to tell them. They're solid and sometimes stubborn and usually very quiet. Sometimes I feel the wall that they have placed between us to test me. They want to see if I can climb up to the battlements and only then will they let me in. I can't push a Hierophant. I have to trust myself and just go for it and hope that something I say will land. I usually can tell when it does. They'll smile slightly and nod their head in an invitation to continue, much like a teacher during a dissertation. It is "the teacher" that is truly at the heart of a Hierophant and they're only cautious because their ruler, Taurus, makes them that way.

Someone close to me is a Hierophant. When we were first getting to know each other I'd ask him questions about his life and the things that he had been through. He had been in the military and seen suffering and I thought by knowing those things I'd be closer to him. "Oh, you don't want to know about that.", he'd say, and then he'd turn around and ask me, "What was the best thing that you did for yourself today?" No one had ever asked me that before and I was stumped for a minute. I eventually came up with an answer and he said, "You deserve nice things, no matter how small." Who was this wise sage? A Hierophant, that's who. He never wanted to talk about himself, only wanted to learn about me and somehow in every conversation, I'd learn a bit more about myself.

The Hierophant in your life could be a professor, yoga teacher, religious leader, and even a grandparent. They're there to help us connect to ourselves and the greater spiritual power within us and they are determined to teach us how to have ownership of who we are. You will find them literally out in the world teaching with more patience than the average person will muster. They may not even know that they're doing it, but I tell you what, every Hierophant has his or her acolytes. In one way or another, they will be teaching and helping us grow into ourselves as better people and better citizens of the world.

So who are the Hierophants in your life? Are you one yourself? The Lenormand Ship came up today as well. The ship talks about journeys of all sorts: Mental, Spiritual and Emotional. Maybe the Hierophant is telling us to make that journey to learn more about the self today. Try some meditation to connect within, or take a class and learn more about the world. Travel to a favorite mentor and see what wisdom they can instill upon you or become the mentor to someone else. Regardless, at the end of the day ask yourself, "What was the best thing that I did for myself today?". You deserve nice things, no matter how small.

Have a good one, everybody.

Well, look what we have here. We have a repeat! I knew it would happen eventually: there are only 78 cards, and I only have so many Tarot decks, I just didn't know how quickly it would happen.

It's been a rainy night and will be a rainy day in Burbank, CA. I love it when it rains. It rains so seldom that I'm always ecstatic when it does. I usually go on a long rainy day walk and immerse myself in nature and for that, I'm glad that Kim Krans' Wild Unknown Tarot Deck came up today. I first discussed the Wild Unknown on Friday, November 23 so you can check out that post to get to know it a little better.

Today's card of the day is the same as yesterday's. This will often happen if you haven't quite learned the lesson that you should have. Just as a recap, the 3 of Pentacles is ruled by Mars in Capricorn: "I use assertiveness to achieve." It's also a card that shows how the community can come together to build great things. I don't know how the card may have manifested for you but it showed up in my life a little later in the day. Without going into it too much, I am a member of both of my sons' PTAs, and I have been co-chair for a big Valentine Event at the Elementary school for the last 7 or 8 years or so. As bureaucracy often does, there is change on the wind. Yesterday, my female co-chair informed of the unexpected change (snake), and today I have to discuss it with the PTA. The 3 of Pentacles is reminding me to understand what my place is and to work well with others in order to defend it.

While yesterday, there was a snake in the building, today it is a tree growing on a mountain top. Kim Krans has shown us in her Wild Unknown that not only buildings can be built. The earth has her own projects that she's working on as well. It may take millions of years to build a mountain, but with patience, it can be achieved. The Lenormand says that Mountains are obstacles but I think it depends on who you talk to. Someone close to me is a climber and he sees mountains not as an obstacle, but as a challenge. A mountain brings him a certain excitement that says to him "you can do this!". At the top of our mountain, today sits a Lenormand Tree. In the Lenormand, a Tree represents all sorts of growth, your family, even your general health. I feel that this tree says that if we all continue on with yesterday, know our role, work with others, and climb that mountain with positivity and excitement in our hearts we will grow in ways that will benefit our health and our families and our World's Tree. Sometimes with a lower number in Tarot is easy to think about ourselves, but every action we take affects others. How can we truly benefit the community today? What are we really working towards? Since this card came up twice in two days it must be very important. Think about it, and then with Mars as a guide, do it!

Have a good one everybody!

Hello everyone! I hope yesterday and it's 3 of Cups brought you joy and happiness with the ones that you love, or at least enjoy. Today the 3 has shown up again. The 3, of course, is about community and creativity but this time it is paired with the Pentacles. Interestingly, this is the first Pentacles card that has shown up since I started this series a week ago, so I think it's saying that it's time to get back to work. We've had a lot of emotional days and some mental and creative days, but the Pentacles (or Coins as they're sometimes called in Tarot) are ruled by the Earth and like the Cups, represent nourishment. While the Cups represent nourishment of the soul and emotions with healing waters, the Pentacles represent nourishment of the body. A Pentacle can be seen as a plate to serve food, as well as money used to by the food that you serve. Society could possibly get along fine without coins but most major societies will never last without currency, even if that currency is "shells" or "trade". So here we have our Pentacles standing loud and proud reminding us that maybe we should pay a little attention to the real world and our place in it.

The 3 of Pentacles is ruled by Mars in Capricorn. "I use assertiveness and I am driven towards achievement", but no matter what deck you use, the individual doing the work on the 3 of Pentacles is never achieving alone. There is always the artisan, the designer and usually the overseer or "the money". It takes a village of people with many different roles to bring a project to completion and the 3 of Pentacles is telling you to be certain of which role is yours and once you know it, remember to work well with others. I work on my own, but I'm never working, "on my own". My partner is my tech guy, my children are my support, my friends offer me referrals and a place to read on Tuesdays...I am indebted to others to keep this ball rolling. We all are. No one lives a solitary existence. We are surrounded by people every day, so we might as well learn how to work with them. I know I'm repeating myself but it is so important, great things can be achieved with others.

Looking back to our reading, the "others" today are represented by the Lenormand Snake. Snakes can be a bit scary for some, but I happen to really like them. I don't see them as anything to fear. I think people tend to fear what they don't understand, so my advice to those that fear snakes is that they should get to know them a little better. In Lenormand, the Snake is seen as something sneaky, the "other woman". There's a whole lot of religious and historical sexism there that I don't want to get into, but when dealing with only 36 Lenormand cards and "the Woman" represents either the querent (client) or the querent's partner, then another card has to represent any other woman that may come up. The Snake is that card. Does she have to be sneaky? It depends on the situation. Actually, when I pull this card I think, "hmm...woman, sexy, goddess, power." Is this woman going to steal your man? Why, don't you trust him? Again, it's about the situation. In THIS situation when the Snake shows up with the 3 of Pentacles I'd say we have a bit of a carryover from yesterday. The 3 of Cups is about connecting to the sisterhood (or tribe) and this one is about working with them. Since the Snake did come up it's probably because some pretty powerful woman is involved, and this powerful lady has a lot to add. Women are wise. You should listen to them. Work with them because despite how awesome snakes are, they're still predators and they will eat you if they're big enough. Have you seen what the Burmese Pythons are doing in the Everglades?! So, that's my advice for today. Gather your tribe together, male and female, and work towards that project that you've always wanted to accomplish but could never do on your own. With help, you are destined to great things.

The two decks that I'm using today are pretty darn great. The 3 of Pentacles is from The Everyday Tarot by Brigit Esselmont and artist Eleanor Grosch, and the Lenormand deck was released as a free holiday download by Reader Carrie Paris. To this date, these little Lenormand cards are still my favorite to use. It's hard to see but every card has some keywords to help a beginner remember what they mean, and the pictures look like Victorian prints which I absolutely love. They're also very cute and very easy to use. I have little hands so after a full day of shuffling my hands will be tired with larger Oracle-sized decks. Like the Carrie Paris Lenormand deck, the Everyday Tarot deck is a perfect size. I often throw it in my bag for its portability. It's also very pretty. Every card has gold foil sides and gold accents on the card faces and Eleanor Grosch's modern graphic style cuts right to the heart of the meaning of each card. There are no distractions, only the core symbols, and this helps when you want to simplify your interpretation. The Everyday Tarot set comes in a portable box with an 88-page guide written by Brigit Esselmont. I like Brigit. I subscribe to her emails and her weekly cards always seem to coincide with mine. I guess we're on the same page. Both Brigit Esselmont and Carrie Paris offer classes. I've never taken them so I can't describe how they are but if something like that interests you, check them out. Maybe they'll lead you towards that new project that you'll be working on.

Have a good day everyone! Go achieve something great!

What a lovely day! Well, that's what the Card of the Day is telling me. I pulled the 3 of Cups with the Lenormand Bouquet. Yes!

Firstly, the deck that I'm using is one that caught my eye right away. I'm a lover of classic art. Along with vocal music, I studied 2-dimensional art at my performance art middle-school and when I was very young, every year of my keepsake book said "artist" under the, "what do you want to be when you grow up?", section. I feel that I've upheld my end of the bargain to my wee self. Everything that I've done in my life is on behalf of art and creativity. Little me just wasn't very specific. So, you can imagine my utter glee when I found the Art of Life Tarot curated by Charleen Livingstone.

Charlene's story behind her deck is a sad one. It may feel very familiar to many. She describes in her Little White Book about the loss that she felt when her husband had Alzheimer's and how she turned to the card for solace. One night she dreamt of the Knight of Wands which spurred her into action to create a deck that everyone could use despite their knowledge of Tarot. Using her background in Art History and her love of quotes, this deck was born, and it is beautiful. When I was on a month-long cross-country road trip with my Mom, this was the deck that I brought. I knew that it would connect to her if she wanted a reading and I always find the cards inspiring. Pouring through the deck for the first time was like reconnecting to old friends and every quote chosen is poignant and often times one that I had not read previously. I'd probably carry the Art of Life around everywhere, I do carry the very well written LWB around, but as I said, it's oracle sized, so it takes up quite a bit of space in my bag. I suppose Charlene meant for this to be an "at home" deck or "next to the computer" deck. The box to house the cards is ingenious and allows you to slide your card of the day into the front so you can look to it for inspiration, (you can see the set-up in my picture) but it isn't very portable. When I do decide to bring the cards with me, like on my trip, I tuck them into a drawstring bag which is my preferred method of carry. I bring a LOT with me and I try to shed weight anyway that I can.

Overall, this deck is beautiful and inspiring. Though it's not the first one that I turn to for professional readings, I still use it daily to help me set my intentions. Actually, there's one more place that would be good to set the Art of Life: on your nightstand to be the last thing you see before you go to sleep and the first to see when you wake up. That's MUCH better than a phone.

On to the reading...

The 3 of Cups is a lovely card ruled by Mercury in Cancer. Its phrase would be, "I feel communicative and I want to talk about my feelings." Who better to do that with than your two best friends? The number 3 is a creative, sociable number and when you see it you know that you will be aided by your community. I've always loved the number 3, it is a magic number after all. Thank you Schoolhouse Rock! When I pulled the 3 of Cups I audibly squealed "yay!", because when this card comes up, you know that you will have a nice day. You'll be surrounded by your best friends or the ones that know you best and you will all have a great time. Literally, this card will come up as "sisterhood" and it will often show up when I'm going to be one in a group of three women. That is my day today actually. I'll be at Slone Vintage, where I read on Tuesdays and it looks like it will be Amy, her employee Stephanie, and I, just having a good time. I've also had three women book appointments with me for later in the evening so the good times will just keep on. To further support the happy feelings I drew the Lenormand Bouquet. The Bouquet represents lovely gifts and all things beautiful. It will appear as women but also things related to women and lo and behold I'll be in a fashionable clothing store today.

So how can the 3 of Cups and Bouquet relate to you? Look to Sir J.M. Barrie's quote as a guide. He said, "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." Surround yourself with people that you love, much like those in "The Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Renoir. Explore the gifts that you have been given in your life and share them with others. Communicate your joyful feelings with all who are around you, and if you may be having a rough day, open yourself up to the happiness that others can bring to you if you let them. Find your tribe. They'll be there when you most need them.

Enjoy all the happiness that this day brings everyone!

Happy Monday everyone! For some of you on the other side of the world your day is almost over, but for me, it's just beginning.

Today I'm using probably my most favorite go-to deck called The Everyday Witch Tarot illustrated by Elisabeth Alba and book by Deborah Blake. I found this deck a year ago on Aeclectic.net when I was on the lookout for a deck that I could use during the Halloween season. Aeclectic is a fantastic resource when you want to do a little Tarot window shopping. So much about Tarot is about the art and Aeclectic posts extremely informative reviews of decks from all over the web. Google image search is also a great way to, "try before you buy". When I saw Elisabeth Alba's art on Aeclectic I knew I needed to work with it. Every image we find a Sir or Lady Witch and their familiar in the card and in the moment. These aren't snapshots. These are candids taken of these people in these situations. Sometimes you'll see a character come up again later to see how their journey has progressed and every character wears the colors of their suit which makes it easy to follow along. I've said it before, I LOVE this sort of storytelling in Tarot. Despite some of the whimsical costuming, some of the scenes have also been modernized which makes the deck extremely easy to use. The Chariot is a motorcycle, for example. I've spent many, many hours pouring over this deck and often times if a Tarot card pops into my head, it's from this one. When you purchase the set you also get the book. Deborah Blake has an easy-going writing style that is relatable for beginners and interesting to professionals. I can't recommend this deck enough, so imagine how excited I was to see that Deborah and Elisabeth are now creating an Oracle deck based in the same world. YAY!

On to the card of the day: Page of Swords with the Lenormand Scythe. Well, I can tell you how this manifests in my life. In previous posts, I mentioned how the court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King) usually represent people in my life. Sometimes, they don't represent people as the idea behind the card is more relevant, but today this card is definitely a person. The Page of Swords doesn't have a true astrological ruler. I have seen some describe the Pages as being ruled by the seasons but this never sat well with me. I would compare the Page to the Fool for new fresh starts, but I would give it the 1 in numerology because to me The King is like the Emporer with a 4, the Queen like the Empress with a number 3, so then the Knight and Page would 2 and 1 respectfully. I've never seen anyone else do this, so it may not be exactly correct but it makes sense to me.

What also makes sense to me is Melissa Cynova's "Kitchen Table Tarot" description of the Court Cards. Melissa says that each has an elemental ruler, just like the suits. Page equals Earth, Knight equals Fire, Queen equals Water, and King equals Air. Therefore, the Page of Swords would be the "earth of air" or "builder of the intellect". The keyword I tend to use most for Pages is "Scholar", so then this page would be "the scholar of learning". This young scholar is young, all Pages are. They're green and eager to get out there and learn about life. When a Page comes up for me it usually represents one of my children and that is exactly who this page is today. Like I said yesterday, when I draw for these blog posts I always ask which card will be the most helpful to everyone, but my oldest son was just leaving for school when this Page showed up. He, like lots of kids in America, have just had a huge 5 day holiday. He seemed excited and nervous to get back to it this morning. He woke me up at 4:00am, a good hour and a half before he needs to get up for school. There are lots of little guys and gals out there that will be affected today. Some kids will be like my oldest and be super excited about getting back, some will be like my youngest who is still currently sleeping after asking for "5 more minutes".

Overall, I love it when the Pages come up. Even if they don't represent people in your life, pulling a Page means that something new is on the horizon and you are going to feel like a kid again. Many parents have said that they had a new lease on life when they've had their children. You have an opportunity to do it all again: get on the ground and see ants in a line, look at the sky and make shapes out of clouds, go to school for the first time, have a first love...it's beautiful to experience life through the eyes of a child.

It must be said that the Scythe is the Lenormand charm pulled today. The Scythe is fast and cutting. Often times is represents needing to cut something out of your life, but it also can mean that something is coming up quickly. I think that's what this is about today. Whether it's our children or the child in all of us, today we will have the opportunity to learn something new. I mean look at this Page. Armed with his school books and a sword that cuts through ideas (could it be the scythe?) he defiantly stands ready to show you what he's made of. Be the page! Get out there, cut through the BS, and learn as much as you can! Carpe Diem folks.

Hey, look! Today looks like a MAJOR day. At least, a major card was pulled. Usually, when a major comes up in a reading it’s a message to stop and really pay attention. The reading is, well, major, and today our major card is The Wheel of Fortune supported by the Lenormand’s Moon. More on that in a minute.

Today’s deck is by the very talented Matt Hughes, another self-taught artist who first launched his gorgeous Art Nouveau-inspired deck, Ethereal Visions on Kickstarter. Since then Matt has launched an Oracle Deck, A Mozart’s Requiem Illuminated Manuscript, a book of Edgar Allen Poe, Viking Playing Cards, a coloring book… the man is on fire. He’s one of my favorite artist’s to date. If you love Art Nouveau and Gothic Romanticism please look him up and support him on Kickstarter. I call the Ethereal Visions deck my “birthday deck” as it was a birthday present. Each card is a work of art with gold foil so they are a bit difficult to riffle, but an overhand shuffle works well. I babied them for so long, I never brought them out to use with clients, and then one day I thought “Screw it! They’re meant to be loved and shared!” It’s still one of my most popular decks for the absolute beauty but also because of the connection to the images. These cards are easy to understand. I get them, and I think they will be appropriate for beginners as well as professionals.

So, back to the Number 10: Wheel of Fortune. The Wheel of Fortune is the last card in our “meet the cast” of the Tarot Archetypes. If the Major Arcana is truly the path of the Fool (ourselves) then along this path we’ve met his parents, partners, and teachers and now after all of the people he’s met and choices he’s made he gets a bit of a break before the next big “plot points” come into play. The Wheel is ruled by Jupiter and in astrology, Jupiter is large, in charge, and brings expansion to anything that it touches. If you’re facing difficulties, they’re really BIG difficulties, if you have found fortune, then it’s amazingly BIG fortune. That being said, in classic astrology, Jupiter also brings luck and fortune. Now, our Fool (again, ourselves) has come to the end of his first stage, the Ten, and is ready to move on, but as I’ve said before, Tarot is about choices. It’s the choices our hero has made that has gotten him here. I see the Wheel of Fortune more as the Wheel of the Year which never stops turning. It won’t wait for you to get your life together, it will just keep going and you have to kind of work it out as you go. Regardless, your life will change in search of your destiny.

I believe the Wheel has shown up on this day, specifically on Sunday, the last day of the weekend and for many of us the last day of a holiday weekend to say, “Look. You did it. You made it. You take a moment but whatever you did this weekend is on you, so get ready.” Lenormand’s Moon showed up today which tells me that the Wheel is talking a bit about our emotions and intuition but sometimes the moon can represent our reputation. It reflects the sun (the self) so it can be a reflection of what energy we have put out. So the good thing is that Wheel of Fortune is “destiny”, Moon is “reputation”. Sounds good right? But on an internal level, you could be looking at emotional changes to help spur you towards your next big journey. I see both as positives. In my eyes, change is always good. So embrace the change and hop on the wheel, or it will roll you over.

Have a good day everyone!

Look at my sexy new decks guys! I’ve said before, but I love combining Le Petit Lenormand and Tarot in my readings and I was treated to some early holiday cheer with these decks. The card on the left is from the Kickstarter funded Dreamkeeper’s Tarot by Liz Huston. I attended her art show where she showcased all 78 original tarot paintings and I was blown away. This deck was a passion project of hers for the last 10 years and finally with the help of kickstarter she was able to make it a reality. The images are beautifully surreal based on antique photographs and elevated to art that strikes your subconscious in delicate ways. At least that’s how it is for me. This is my very first time using this deck so I can’t really describe more but so far I’m really happy to have it in my hands.

The card on the right is from one of my newest Lenormand decks and it’s called Natalie Rose Winter Solstice Lenormand, released by Etsy store Tarot By Seven. The images for this deck were created by mother and daughter and bring a little bit of winter wonderland to a reading. Here’s what I wrote on Etsy:

“I received these lovely cards last night and played with them right away. They shuffle amazingly well and the bridge size that I ordered fits perfectly in my small hands. I love having the choice of optional cards for the tree, children and men and women. Overall, its a very pretty deck and really puts you into the holiday spirit! I know my clients are going to love them.”

So there you go! I also received Tarot By Seven’s Samhain Vintage Lenormand. I look forward to working with them as well!

In edition to using my sexy new decks today, I was compelled to also pull a crystal to use along with my Selenite and my Labradorite that I use for every reading. I believe Selenite and Labradorite to be two of my favorite stones. I wear a Selenite pendulum every day for positive protection, and I’ve always loved the feldspar qualities of Labradorite. Looking into a labradorite crystal is like peering into a hidden magical forest. Using the two together in my readings offers me a deeper connection to my intuition and the astral plane and protection as I wander there. Am I “going under” when I read? No, but laying my stones out connects me to my ability to listen and still maintain a connection to reality to communicate clearly to my clients, and I’m grateful that I can. Now, the crystal that I pulled from my bag of tricks, today, was amethyst. Oh what a lovely stone. Amethyst helps with sleep, connects you to you higher consciousness and Crown Chakra and is a fantastic healer for the emotions and spirit. It cleanses, protects, and opens. Looks like I REALLY need help connecting. I think I understand why…

Card of the day: 7 of Cups. Let me say first that my intention when I’ve pulled these cards is to pull one that will help and speak to the most people. I want a card that has it’s pulse on the the conscious and sub-conscious of everyone. I’m included in those everyones. The 7 of Cups is ruled by Venus in Scorpio “I desire love and art. ALL the beautiful things.” We’ve had a lot of Scorpion energy the last few days. Our Sun has only JUST left the sign of Scorpio on Thursday and is now making it’s way through Sagittarius. I believe that means we still have some unfinished emotional digging to do, and the 7 of Cups is further accentuating this fact. Yesterday, the Scorpio energy was really heavy. Emotionally we felt as if we were sinking, but the ruling planet was Mars. Mars is about action. He wanted us to look our sadness in the face and say, “I acknowledge you, but now I will do something about it. I will dig deep and figure out what is truly effecting me and then go from there.” Today’s Scorpio is much more comfortable as it is ruled by Venus and all the things that make us feel good. When Scorpio desires something he will stop at nothing to get it because his classic ruler is Mars. So, what you have here today, is a card that shows up because there’s a LOT of options out there. Look how many faces our card’s heroine has!

You know, I just realized that today is the day after Black Friday: Small Business Saturday. Oh man, SOOOO many options. Too many. Too many choices. My email this morning had 156 message. 156! And almost all of them were coupons for stores. Emotionally, we’re all overwhelmed. The 7 of Cups is a card to pull when you wish you had more choices, but it can wreak havoc on your psyche if you have a difficult time making decisions. The Clover showed up as support to say, “yes, this is about money, but also luck. How lucky you are that you are in the position to be able to choose.” She’s right you know. So listen to Amethyst and follow your intuition, listen to clover and enjoy the positive influence she may have, and listen to the 7 of Cups and think “there are worse things than trying to figure out how to spend my money”, and if money has been hard this year as it has been for a lot of people, things are looking up!

Make good choices guys, but make them.

Oh dear. It seems today is another rough day. How are people doing after all of the Thanksgiving festivities? 5 of Cups thinks we have a bit more emotional work to do and the ring has made another appearance to remind of us of our commitments.

Before I get into that, though, I want to mention the incredible deck that I am using today: The Wild Unknown by Kim Krans. This is a very popular deck, you can find it at any Barnes and Noble, and there is good reason. Kim mostly follows the imagery of a traditional Rider Waite Smith deck but uses “Strength” as the number 11, and “Justice” as the number 8 like the Tarot Marseilles. I personally prefer 8 for Strength and 11 for Justice. The numerology makes better sense to me but I digress. Kim Krans made the Wild Unknown deck in a beautiful ink and watercolor style and all the cards are represented by the natural world. Kim also created the Animal Spirit Oracle so she seems to have an affinity to animals. I can relate! The deck also comes in a very sturdy lidded box for travel and a very artistic booklet which makes this deck just fine for beginners. I have to admit, some of the cards’ pictures still confuse me when I draw them. I then have to refer back to my numerology and astrological rulerships, to help me connect, but it’s said that if a card confuses you, or you don’t quite connect to it, it’s possible that THAT is the thing that you most need to work on. Regardless of some of my interpretive shortcomings, I do really recommend this deck if you find yourself carried away by the natural world and find pen and ink beautiful. I do on both of those fronts.

Now back to the sad 5 of cups, because that’s what’s going on here. Horses are normally freedom loving and intelligent animals, and this horse is just not feeling it. He’s overcome by the emotion of the moment and bows his head in great melancholy. Those cups float above his head in oppression. In the 5 of Cups from the RWS deck, normally three cups are spilled and two cups remain full. This poor horse seems to have 5 empty cups. Now, I’m an eternal optimist. I see cups that are open to be filled with joyful deliciousness, but maybe someone else only sees the fact that they are empty. I think our horse feels the same. The 5 is an unstable number. It comes between the extremely square and stable 4 and the well-balanced 6. The 5 also represents human beings and humanity. We are rather unstable and imperfect as a people but as I’ve said before, any difficulty can be a learning opportunity. This horse is too IN it though to learn anything. Emotion is like that. We feel things as we feel them. We never set Siri to remind us to feel sad in a half hour, we feel it NOW. The 5 of Cups is also ruled by Mars in Scorpio: “I am driven to dig deeper and I desire to assert myself”. It’s very likely that this horse has uncovered some things that he wasn’t expecting and he’s now feeling a great loss.

Back to Thanksgiving…

Like I said, the United States’ Thanksgiving holiday is one that brings much joy and much dread to the hearts of Americans everywhere. For those that are lucky, the holiday is filled with good food and family, but there are millions of people everywhere that feel nothing but loss. It’s very hard to give thanks when you have no where to live and you have no table to put food on if you are fortunate to get any. Family is difficult for many of us. Sitting with people that don’t understand our point of view is difficult. Many holidays secrets are unearthed and emotions, like wine, are spilled, but can you imagine if you didn’t have those people? This is a reality for many Americans, maybe even a neighbor. The 5 of Cups (with the Lenormand Ring) is reminding us that we all suffer loss and everyone’s sadness if valid. Perhaps if we spend our time thinking about the things that we DO have, no matter how small it may be, and if we commit to filling our cups with love, we, too, can go back to feeling free like this horse is meant to feel. Maybe the key to filling up your own cup is to help fill up someone else’s. We all suffer from tough emotional times, but they are usually easier when we have other people to toast. So lift your head up, feel thankful for what you have and what you have had, and commit to helping someone else. I guarantee they will be Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving fellow Americans! As someone who follows the natural cycles I tend to look at the big feasting day of Thanksgiving in September during the Autumn Equinox, but the last Thursday of November will always be the United States’ adopted day of Thanksgiving so my family celebrates both. Days of thanks have always been associated with a good harvest, and most major countries across the world have their own version of the Thanksgiving holiday. Many are secular, quite a few are religious, but no matter how you celebrate it, “giving thanks” is important for all people. I’m not into tradition, honestly, which is odd for someone that tends to celebrate the old ways, but it just means that I’m not quick to get trapped into the “we HAVE to this thing the same way every year”. I guess my traditions are really based on the idea of not having traditions. I tend to try new things I’ve never done before and I feel that we can learn a lot from other countries and the way they celebrate. As I told my kids today when they asked what we were eating this year, “It’s not what you eat for Thanksgiving that is important, it’s who you are eating with…”. I truly believe that. We as a people should all take time out, if not every day, at least once a year to look back and see what worked, what didn’t and be thankful for ALL our blessings and our challenges. This can be a stressful time of year. Some people dread the idea that they will be “trapped around a table” with family that may be different than the person that we have become, but it’s in challenge that makes us stronger. The current Mercury retrograde comes at the right time for self reflection and some dinners may be tense, but it’s only through obstacles that make us truly understand what we really believe in. Sometimes we don’t really know what we are really thankful for until we have opposing views pointed like missile directly at us, but by having to defend oneself we are able to say “wow, I never thought of it before, but I really do think this way.” Be thankful for ALL, the good and the bad, and you will become stronger for it.

This all ties in very well with today’s Daily Draw. I used one of my most favorite Indi decks, The Beautiful Rebellion by Etsy’s The Modern Mystic, Robin Cole. I looked for years for a deck that used one of my favorite art periods, the Pre-Raphaelite Movement of the late 1800s- early 1900s and when I found this deck I instantly fell in love. Robin Cole has done an amazing job in curating images for the deck and her “little white book” is wonderfully written. When it arrived I was also really impressed by her packaging, and the way the cards shuffled… I could go on and on about how much I love this deck. I’m actually very pleased that this is the deck chosen for this Thanksgiving holiday. (My decks are “chosen” by my pendulum, but I can go on about that on another day.)

Today’s card of the day is not a comfortable card. A lot of people get very nervous when they see this card, and I admit, I’m one of those people. The 10 of Swords strikes fear into the heart when it comes up and no matter how you view it, it’s very uncomfortable to see someone with 10 swords sticking in their back but Robin Cole has gone further and chosen “St. Eulalia” by John Waterhouse. According to Robin’s LWB:

“Eulalia was a 13-year-old Roman Christian virgin who suffered martyrdom in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian. She was martyred in 304AD for refusing to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. The method of her death was also said to be particularly gruesome. Prudentius, a Roman Christian poet, says that the body of St. Eulalia was shrouded “by the miraculous fall of snow when lying in the forum after her martyrdom.”

Basically, when the 10 of Swords shows up there is no coming back from this. All you can do is say, “well, it may be painful, but it will be over soon.” 10 represents the end of the line and swords is air: the intellect and how we think and communicate. Pair that with the Lenormand “ring” and what you have is a possible ending of commitment to a way of thinking. On a physical, outside influence, this represents gossip, and being “stabbed in the back” by others. The ring represents a possible end to relationships. Now, I’ve learned to look at the 10 of Swords a little differently. It’s ruled by Sun in Gemini which is my my Sun sign. My mouth has gotten me in trouble in the past. When I was younger I was extremely guilty of gossip and guess what, you talk to much about others, it comes back to you. It took me a little while to realize, and a lot more maturity, that maybe I should keep my thoughts to myself whether they are correct or not. Many people haven’t learned this lesson, but as I said before, if you are faced with members of your family around the dinner table that could use a little more maturity, so to speak, then remember, you are growing, every obstacle you face makes you a stronger person, and dinner will be over soon and you can go home. Be thankful for it all. It’s only once a year. Have a good one everybody!

For today’s daily draw I used the very funny Housewives Tarot: A Domestic Divination Kit by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum. I admit that I purchased this deck because I enjoy history and all things vintage and I read at a Vintage Shop one day a week so I though this deck would be a really nice one to bring in. First off, the packaging on this deck is really well thought out. It comes in a recipe box with real recipes on the back of the dividers and the book sometimes reads as a pulp fiction. It’s as if each suit follows the life of a housewife and tell the story of her life through the cards. For example: the housewife in the 3 of Swords finds out that her husband is cheating on her so in the 4 of Swords she finds that she needs some rest in order to pull herself back together. I LOVE this sort of story telling. This is, after all, what life is about: one decision or event in our lives leads us to another, and like dominos, they connect to create the path of our life. The only thing I can say negatively about this deck, and it’s a bit of a biggy, is that the first few cards of the major arcana are in a different order than I am used to. I was a little confused by it to be honest. I had a moment of “Are there other decks out there that do this? Do other decks put the High Priestess AFTER the Emperor?” I suppose it can make sense, because it lays the “Popess” and the “Pope” together, but that’s not how I learned, and it bothered me, so I repainted them, I’m a DIY sort of girl. If, however, you’re not bothered by the unconventional numbering, I recommend this deck whole-heartedly for the humorous pictures, fantastic packaging, and fun book.

On to my reading!

This morning I pulled the very charming Knight of Cups, ruled by Pisces. For me, the members if the court symbolize actual people in our lives. This young man is not a King, not yet, he is still only a protector of the realm of water and he will protect it with all of his heart. Like all knights he is on a quest, and his is to discover true love, for true love is the greatest adventure. Westley from the Princess Bride is the poster boy for the Knight of Cups. This sensitive soul is very much in touch with his emotions and will write poetry and regale any young maid that the meet on their journey because ultimately, love and happiness is what he mosts longs for. He’s a gentleman and would never dream of hurting your daughter, unless he’s more Romeo than Westley. If you may remember, Romeo was completely head-over-heels in love with Rosaline until Juliet caught his eye. Love can sometimes be rather fickle, but our dear boy never intends on hurting his lady love, only the heart wants what it wants, and like the fluidity of water, it can sometimes overflow into another lady’s garden. Regardless, this is the boy that you WANT your daughter to bring home, at least initially, until you realize that he’s all rainbows and moonbeams and has no real solid plan for the future. He will flow from one dream to another and though this is wonderful in the honeymoon stages of a relationship, it may be trying for the long haul.

Now, in my life I believe the Knight of Cups showed up today to represent a Pisces close to me. He may be a grown man, but he’s still far off from King. He flows like the river, and this fish enjoys being carried along on the current, at least normally. Today, using my Lenormand casting charms, I drew the anchor. When the anchor shows up, it usually brings with it a desire for stability and achieving strong goals. My Pisces has been floating for a while now and has been asked to make a long journey across the sea. Basically he has to leave right when things are coming together for him and I believe that the anchor shows that he’s tired of floating, that he’s willing to “drop anchor” and find stability in his life and actually work towards some of the goals that have been on his mind. Perhaps the Knight will be a King after all!

Now, Court Cards don’t always have to appear as people or as external forces in our lives. They can also symbolize greater journeys within ourselves. It’s possible that the Knight of Water has show up to remind me to connect to my heart and the ones I love, and to enjoy the happiness that love can bring, because along with the anchor, love will secure. He’s also probably telling me to spend some time with my day-dreams and use it as a way to spurn my creativity. Paint a picture! Play some music and dance! Write a blog post! When was the last time you and the knight went on a journey to discover what truly lies in your heart? Maybe it’s time. It will be your anchor.

I hope you all have a great day!

I want to start posting a card of the day. Maybe some of you will find it helpful. When people say that they’d like to get into Tarot but they don’t know how to begin, this is how you do it. Back in the year 2000 when I received my very first deck, the Faerie’s Oracle by Brian Froud and Jessica Macbeth, this is how I learned: one card, per day. I always pulled a card, then took a good long look at it, had a conversation with it, then jotted it down in my journal. After I did that I looked up the meaning in the book. Very often than nought, Jessica Macbeth and I were on the same page, or “same card”, so to speak. Eventually I got through the entire deck and each card felt like a friend. I’ve continued a similar process for all of the decks that have come into my life. I believe that with Tarot the meanings of each card are pretty standard, but the artwork makes all the difference, and each deck has it’s own things to say. You only have to use our intuition and listen.

Today I’m using the Herbal Tarot by Michael Tierra and Candis Cantin. This deck lead me to my herbal course with the East West School of Planetary Herbology so I owe it a lot. The card I pulled today is the Ten of Wands: Prickly Ash Bark. This card is ruled by Saturn in Sagittarius, the fire element and the number 10. “I aim for achievement”. When this card comes up in a reading it reminds us that the work has been worth it. We are almost at the end of our journey and very soon we may lay down our burdens. Now, perhaps the only reason we have burdens to begin with is because Sagittarius is an “all or nothing” sort of guy. He never does anything half-way and he loves the challenges that life brings him, and Saturn certainly brings a lot. Perhaps you’ve been in this situation before: you are all ready carrying a lot on your shoulders and then someone close to you asks you to take them to the airport. You say “yes, of course.” Then maybe someone at works asks you to pick up their shift. “Yes” again. Then your significant other asks if you can have dinner with the family. “How can I say no?” This continues on, and then all of a sudden you look at your calendar and you are booked with no time left for yourself. Or perhaps it has nothing to do with outside forces and YOU are the culprit. Maybe you have taken on so many creative projects that there is no possible way that you can get to them all, or if you do, you forget to eat or sleep and burn-out occurs. I think it’s safe to say that we have ALL experienced both situations. It’s ok to think of yourself. It’s ok to say “no” before your load becomes too heavy to bare. Now if this is you and you have all ready taken on to much, don’t worry, the number 10 says that you will be able to lay those burdens down very soon. You’re at the end of the line, and since “10” breaks down to “1”, it is telling us that it’s important to think about taking care of your SELF. The question then becomes, “Once I reach the end and I’ve looked after my self, what next?” The other question is, “How do I keep mySELF from being in that situation again?” However, if all of your burdens are out of your control, remember this: Saturn will only give us weight that we can truly carry. Perhaps you are stronger than you think.

Now, being that this is an Herbal Tarot deck, each card has an herbal ruler. The herb that is mentioned in this deck for the 10 of Wands is Prickly Ash Bark, a stimulant and detoxifier that helps bring about better circulation. It will bring you some extra fire and help stimulate you for that great last climb. It will also help you detox all of the burdens that you have taken on from others, and help you release pain in the joints and stomach brought on by emotional and physical trauma. Body, mind and spirit are always connected. Remember, you have enough on your shoulders, you don’t need to take on any one else’s weight. That sort of thing just causes muscle strain and stress.

During my readings I always like to lay down a Lenormand card with my tarot or oracle cards to bring focus to the message, in this case it’s not a card at all but a charm that I got from the Lenormand Casting Charms from GreenWomanCrafts on Etsy. I’m still learning how to play with these but I absolutely love them! The charm I pulled is the Lily. When Lily shows us she talks about bringing peace into your life. The sort of peace that usually is only found in the mature individuals that have “been there and done that”. You can learn a lot from your elders. Maybe someone you know that is older is struggling right now with their burdens. Offer them a hand or an ear to listen. Or maybe you have felt that your struggle is your own and no one else has been where you are now. I guarantee that you are not alone, and there are caring people out there that have all ready been through the fire that can help you take those last few steps to find peace. No one is alone. We are all in this together. Have a great day!