The Planets Spread

I just invented this spread! You lay out 10 cards, and each card represents a planet.

1
2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
10

1. Sun: This represents you
2. Mercury: news
3. Venus: love
4. Earth: work
5. Mars: Conflicts
6. Jupiter: goals
7. Saturn: creativity
8. Uranus: fears
9. Neptune: desires
10. Pluto: Changes

To see a reading using this spread, please check out UFO Planets Spread.

Tree of Life Tarot Spread

This reading is from my Anubis Oracle book. This spread is to help you with a metamorphosis or understanding your higher self.

The cards are arranged like this:

1 3
2

4

Position one represents where you are coming from.
Position two represents what it will take for you to change.
Position three represents what will motivate you.
Position four represents your highest potential future.

You can read a my reading with this spread here: Finding Your Higher Self

Four Elements Spread

1(North)
4(West) 2 (East)
3 (South)

North symbolizes fire and intuition
East symbolises air and thought
South symbolises earth and sensation
West represents water and feelings

This is a reflective spread, designed to help you with what you need to focus on.

I used this spread today, and you can read it here: Four Direction Spread Reading

Health and Happiness Spread

I've been sick iwth a pretty bad cold, but I've been fighting though it, but all around feeling exhausted. I've been sleeping up to 12 hours a day, and really stuffed up, so forgive my lack of posts on all my blogs.

This is a tarot spread callde Health and Happiness, and I thought I'd show you the spread and a reading with it

Card Layout:
1 5
2 4 8 6
3 7


1. The state of your health in the past
2. Current state of your health
3. Possible future state of your health
4. What/who can help you to improve or maintain your health
5. What made you happy in the past
6. What makes you happy now
7. Possible event that will make you happy in the future
8. What/who helps augment your sense of happiness and well-being

Veiw a reading with this spread at my tarot blog, here: Necronomicon Tarot: Health and Happiness

Gemstones and Tarot

I keep pieces of rose and clear quartz with each of my tarot decks, to help keep my energy (from the rose quartz) within the decks, and to help get rid of all outside influences (the clear quartz).

Today I did a reading with my UFO tarot deck (read it here), and I was thinking "Hmm, should each of my decks have a certain stone?" I was looking at my dark sunstone when I was thinking this.
I'm going to do a bit more thinking on it, maybe take a trip to The Weather and get some stones for each deck.

Tips for Becomming a Professional Tarot Reader

I checked my blog roll today and found an article by Mary K. Greer, a professional tarot reader I follow. Today, she published an article with some great tips for becomming a tarot reader.
You can read the full article here.

She offers some great tips on breaking out into reading professionally, but one really resonated with me:
"The ideal “rite of passage” is to volunteer for a full day (or better yet, a weekend) at a charity or benefit event and donate everything to the cause. If you keep the price reasonable ($5-15 or sliding scale depending on the length of reading and the venue) then your schedule should be filled."

I think that when I become more comfortable reading the cards, I will do some volunteer work and donate all the money to the charity I'm volunteering for.

Lifting The Veil Results

Well, I did the Lifting the Veil spread from Tarot Dame's Blog this morning, and it turned out great.
I used my Animal's Divine Tarot deck.
Not the best picture, but it gives you an idea.


1. Message from the Dead (Human spirit)
The Toad-Three of Wands
I think this is a message from my grandfather (my mother’s mother), because he apparently had a barrel chest like the toad. The Three of Wands represents the union of old and new ideas. So, I think I’m being told that I have to merge old and new ideas in creative ways.
There is a bit of shiny water behind the toad, which makes me think of an internet “tube”, so I think this card has to do with my blog.

2. Message from your Spirit Guide
Carp-Six of Cups
This card means that I have to overcome insecurities and challenges. I can see why this card came from my Spirit Guide, because I have a lot of insecurities and call on a lot of spirits to protect me when there is probably no actual danger.

3. Message from your Guardian Angel
Tiger-Three of Pentacles
This card talks about honing a skill. This is funny, actually. I have so many new hobbies going on, that I feel overwhelmed. The card shows a tiger stepping into a puddle, and lots of ripples flow out. I think I need to stop the ripples, and hone only a few of my new hobbies.
I think this card also talks about my makeup artistry training in January, and that I will really need to be creative and show off what I can do.

4. Message from an Ascended Master
Whale-Ten of Cups
This card talks about a sense of fulfillment and the achievement of goals. I think this card talks about two things in my life.
The first is being my USBoS, and how finishing that is going to make me feel accomplished. When I started the blog, I began to “grow up”, and I think when I finish getting all my information typed up, that “growing up” is going to be finished and more or less settled.
The second is with makeup artistry. I’m going to school and going to try to make a name for myself, getting out of the shadow of my family, and my friends. Pretty much everyone I know wants to go to university and was thrilled to go, but I have no desire for traditional education.

5. Message from the Nature Spirits
Venus-Knight of Cups
This card encompasses a lot of things, but this aspect stands out to me: “Now is the time to go with the flow”. I really think that this is what I need to do. I’m terrible with going with the flow, so I think the Nature Spirits (we have a lot in my area, lol) want me to learn to go with the flow.

6. Message from the Faeries
Octopus-Eight of Cups
I’ve always had a close connection to the Faeries, so they are always looking out for me. This card warns about routines and becoming stagnant. So, I think I need to change my routines a bit, even though I don’t really think I have a routine. Though, I do fall into old habits, and am becoming drained in things I really want to do, like NaNoWriMo and my USBoS.

7. Message from the Animals
Mistress of Animals-Knight of Pentacles
The Mistress of Animals is a transitional Goddess, meaning she changed over time. I think this card means that I’m in the middle of a transition. I need to relax and enjoy the ride. It’s not like puberty where it was an emotional and physical change; this is a mental change and it’s not as big and scary, but more fun.

8. Message from the Magical Creatures
Kuan Yin-The Star
The only Major in the spread, and the hardest to read. I think it means that I need to work hard at what I want to achieve so that I can almost prove to others that I know what I’m doing. In one of the Kuan Yin myths, she refused marriage and went to a nunnery instead. Her angry father told the other nuns to be mean to Kuan Yin, but she still worked though, proving to everyone that she knew what she was doing.

9. Message from the Dream World
Polar Bear-Three of Cups
This card is a very happy card. I think that it means that the happiness from my dreams is going to spill into my waking life. I think that it also means if I keep going and press forward with hobbies and goals, I’ll get this happiness.
It’s the super-cheesy “hard work brings happiness”, which is I think what this card is telling me.

Lifting The Veil Spread

I just found this Tarot spread on Tarot Dame's blog and I'm going to do this tonight.
This is how the spread goes:

......2........3......
1.....................4
...........9............
5.....................8
......6.........7......

1. Message from the Dead (Human spirit)
2. Message from your Spirit Guide
3. Message from your Guardian Angel
4. Message from an Ascended Master
5. Message from the Nature Spirits
6. Message from the Faeries
7. Message from the Animals
8. Message from the Magical Creatures
9. Message from the Dream World

I'll let you all know what comes up when I do the spread tonight :D

Checking the Direction of the Trend Tarot Spread

Yes, today is Sunday, I know, but I'm still typing and thinking a bit too slowly to have an "anything goes" post. I'm really sorry. You guys have had to deal with my complaining for the last few days. I feel really bad. I'm promising to get back on track tomorrow.

I've been in a big Tarot mood recently. I haven't been working with them, and I haven't sewn my last Tarot bag yet but I'm still thinking about them. This is called the Checking the Direction of the Trend spread. It is a seven-card spread.


1. The power of the past
2. The power of the present
3. The power of the future
4 and 5. Suggestions and tips for your behaviour
6. Obstacles that you must overcome or avoid
7. The answer

The Hierophant

The Hierophant or High Priest, in its traditional interpretation represents religious authority, tradition, convention, orthodoxy, mercy, and goodness. In some spreads, The Hierophant can also predict an upcoming marriage.

The Hierophant is often the card of learning or experts when it turns up in a reading. The Hierophant is also symbol of the need to conform to rules or fixed situations. His appearance in a reading can show that you are struggling with a force that is not innovative, free-spirited or individual. Sometimes we need to follow a program or embrace tradition, other times, we need to trust ourselves.

This card can also help you realize that everything has a place. There is a place for "established" religion, just as there is a place for the more unorthodoxy. In other words: there is a place for Christianity just as there is a place for Paganism.

As a person, this card is a priest, preacher, teacher, friend, or group of kindred spirits.

If this card turns up reversed, it truly symbolizes unorthodoxy and the rejection of the traditional. When it is reversed, it can mean servitude, captivity, and slavery, overbearing, self-righteous, and weakness, authoritarianism, inflexible and dogmatic thinking, an old regime, bad or incompetent advices inability to hear a higher or inner voice, or pretending to hear it for personal gain. When the card is reversed, it means you have a very hard time with the traditional, and you may not feel respected. When this card shows up reversed, you cannot be afraid to make a stand for what you believe in.

Keywords when dealing with the Hierophant card: Intellectual leadership, initiation, knowledge, tradition, religion, ritualism, mercy, compassion, captivity to ones own ideas, conformity, religious or spiritual leader, false guru, knowledge that is not backed by experience, marriage, alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy and goodness; inspiration

Magic Star Tarot Spread

As strange as it sounds, after the last few posts, I feel like my energy is beginning to rebalance. I want to thank Skye again for that award, and I want to thank hexeengel (you know why).

Anyway, shall we get to the actual post?
This is a five-card spread.
The cards are supposed to look like a star.

1. The nature of the problem, situation, or question

2. The cause of the problem, reason for asking, or point of interest

3. Factors to be considered

4. The solution, advice, or comment given

5. End result or outcome

Necronomicon Tarot

We went to Chapters today, and they had TWO shelves of Tarot decks. It was awesome. Though a lot of them I either had or didn't want, they did have one deck that caught my eye.
Necronomicon Tarot
Yes, this is an H. P. Lovecraft tarot deck. Now, I've never personally read any of H. P. Lovecraft's books, but I'm asking for them for Christmas, but I absolutly adore the Cthulhu mythos.

If anyone knows about Chick Tracts--little Evangelical cartoons about the "dangers" of Catholics, homosexuality and of course Pagans--there is a parody of these made with Cthulhu:

http://rubbersuitstudios.com/ptcct.htm
http://www.fredvanlente.com/cthulhutract/pages/index.html

Divination

There are many forms... probably way more than I even know of yet.
-- Do you use any form? If so, which do you use, and which do you prefer (if you use more than one form)?
-- Who/What do you get your answers and guidance from? Angels? Ancestors? Your Higher Self? Universal Spirit? etc
-- What kinds of limitations are there in divination? Do these hinder or help you on your spiritual journey?
--From Pagan Blog Prompts

Everyone is born with a unique gift. The problem, or rather lack of motivation, lies in the fact that ‘divination’ in today’s world is considered a fraud, or a fictional class in Harry Potter. Even just talking about divination conjures up ideas of the bug-eyed Professor Trelawney telling Harry he’s going to drop dead.
People think that the tarot reader is the old woman who scams you for money. People think that Ouija boards are for teenage séances. People think pendulums are made with wedding rings and held over pregnant ladies bellies. Though divination is commonly considered as a “future telling” practise, it can be a lot more than that. You can use it for dream interpretation, or finding lost objects.
But enough about the ignorance of society. Onto the prompt!

I use tarot pretty much predominantly. I’ve always like tarot, and even though I suck at memorizing things, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be “weaned” off the books. Of the few really hard-core readings I’ve done, I’ve made out pretty well, you know. I read a small definition in the book, and then the cards start to speak to me. I have a pendulum that spoke to me when I saw it, but I don’t use it much. I prefer the Tarot.

You hold the answers deep within your own mind. Consciously, you've forgotten it. That's the way the human mind works. Whenever something is too unpleasant, to shameful for us to entertain, we reject it. We erase it from our memories. But the imprint is always there.—Evanescence
I think that we hold the answers within our minds, and the cards bring the answer to the forefront. The cards speak to us, and we remember answer. Anyone who knows me knows I suck at rambling about things I don’t know, but if you’ve heard me do a tarot reading, I ramble like there is no tomorrow.
This doesn’t mean that spirits or deities can’t or won’t contact you through the cards, if you ask them.

If you don’t believe in yourself, then divination is never going to work.

Best Pick-Up Line. Ever.

This happened a while ago, but it's still rather funny and rather awesome.

I like taking long baths in the middle of the afternoon, with a nice book. Sometimes I read novels, sometimes I read non-fiction.

This particular bath, I was reading my tarot book, the companion guide to my deck, The Animal Guide tarot. The deck is about animals (obviously), with the Majors and the Court Cards as deities. The King of Swords happens to be Quetzalcoatl.

So, I'm sitting quietly, reading about the King of Sowrds and...

AMBUSH!

I'm sitting quietly in the bath and Quetzalcoatl seems to sense that *something* is happening with him, or about him. So, he comes to investigate.

He's all excited, because he's in a published Tarot deck. Excited like, pre-teen girl at Twilight premire* excited.

But suddenly, he goes all suave, and in the slickest, most bad romance novel voice he says "you know, I'm in that book."

And all I do is laugh, because it sounded like the worst pick-up line I have ever heard.

Now it's become a running joke between me, Quetzalcoatl, and my friend Lisey, who adores Quetzalcoatl (and he thinks she's pretty cool too)

*I know not all pre-teen girls are obsessed with Twilight, and I know not all people obsessed with Twilight are pre-teen girls. But, we know how the fangirls act, and a majority of the vocal ones are pre-teen girls.
Images from the animated Star Trek episode, How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth

Power Tarot: More Than 100 Spreads That Give Specific Answers to Your Most Important Questions

As someone who reads tarot in a professional sense (not for money mind you, but still professional), this book is a must. Though the book is advertised as a book of tarot spreads, the first and larger half of the book is dedicated to in depth tarot meanings. The authors Trish Macgregor and Phyllis Vega really do into great detail about the cards, dividing each one into “general”, “romance”, “work”, “health”, “spirituality”, “finances” and “empowerment”, so that when you read a card you don’t have to make your best guess for a certain subject. The Fool is a very different card when it comes to health than when it comes to romance.
There are a couple reviews on Amazon that cite this book as being something different than they expected. Though the book is advertised as a book of tarot spreads and to a degree it is a book of tarot spreads, the book is more about the actual cards. In the world of tarot, the spread is secondary to the cards themselves. To get a picture of your upcoming year, you don’t have to actually arrange your cards in a circle, even though every “year” spread is in a circle.

Published in 1998 by Simon & Schuster

Other Books by Trish Macgregor:
Complete Dream Dictionary: A Bedside Guide to Knowing what your Dreams Mean; The Only Wiccan Spell Book You’ll Ever Need: For Love, Happiness, and Prosperity; Mars and Sex: the Secrets of Sexual Astrology; Soul Mate Astrology: How to Find and Keep Your Ideals Mate Through the Wisdom of the Stars; Everything Spells and Charms Book; Your Intuitive Moon; 2006 Sydney Ommars Astrological Guide for You; Animal Totems: The Power and Prophecy of Your Animal Guides; The Hanged Man; 2005 Sydney Omarrs Astrological Guide for You; Everything Astrology Book: Discover Your True Self Among the Stars; Your Story in the Stars: Using Astrology to Uncover the Hidden Narrative of your Life; Your Cosmic Kids: Using Astrology to Understand your Children; Creative Stars: Using Astrology to tap your Muse

Other Books by Phyllis Vega
Erotic Astrology: The Sex Secrets of Your Horoscope Revealed; Numerology for Baby Names: Use the Ancient Art of Numerology to Give Your Baby a Head Start in Life; Celtic Astrology; Lovestrology: Astonishingly Accurate Romantic Profiles and Compatibility Matchups for Every Birthday; What Your Birthday Reveals About You: 265 Days of Astonishingly Accurate Revelations about Your Future, Your Secrets and Your Strengths; Your Magickal Name: Using Astrology, Numerology, Myth and Meaning to Choose the Perfect One; Romancing the Tarot: How to use Tarot to find True Love, Spice Up Your Sex Life, Or Let Go of a Bad Relationship; Sydney Omarrs Sun, Moon, and You

Readability:
Is it easy to read? Yes
Is it easy to follow along with? Yes
Is it interesting? Yes
How long does it take to read? I would say around a week if you just read it; if you try to absorb the knowledge and read it slower to do that, I would say between 10 and 15 days.
Overall: 4/5

Content:
Is the author knowledgeable? Quite
Is the knowledge valuable? Yes
Is the knowledge new knowledge or is it common knowledge? It is a mixture of both. Some of it is common, but a lot of this knowledge is presented in a different way.
Is it cohesive and relevant? Yes
Other notes: There are a lot of personal anecdotes. I haven’t decided if those are good or bad yet.
Overall: 4/5

Design/Layout:
Is the book set up for easy reference: Yes
Is the layout or design obnoxious or annoying? No, it’s very well organized.
Overall: 5/5

Overall:
Do you recommend this book? Yes
Was it worth the money? $12 Canadian, yes
Will You Purchase Other Books from this Author?: Yes, hopefully
Overall: 13/15

Tarot Collection

So, guess what came today?!

My two new tarot decks!

See, I collect tarot decks, and I am happy to add these two new decks to the collection.

The first of these decks is the Mayan Tarot

This deck is rather simple, at least for the minors. They are plain images, representing the basics of the suit. The colours are bold, and the images are very angular. This sort of thing you would expect from Mayan art. For me, at least, I equate Mayan art to sharp corners and britht primary colours. So, in that regard, this deck delivers.

The second deck is the UFO deck. Okay, so we're all clear, I am SO afraid of aliens, it's not even funny. But, when I saw this deck for the first time I knew I had to have it. I was very drawn to it.

The artwork itself is amazing. The artist used colours that I personally love, and beautiful flowing shapes. It's a stark contrast from my Mayan deck!

Ironically, I'm not too afraid of this deck. Which is good. Part of the reason I got the deck was to help me overcome my fear of aliens. And, I do think it will help:D

EDIT: The UFO deck is really good. I tested it out today on a simple yes/no question. I love this deck<3