Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas time Christmas celebration by Marius Iordache

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” ~ Oren Arnold

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Life tends to keep us so busy taking care of the day to day chores; we forget the ones who are most important to us. Canceling gatherings, missing phone calls, forgetting to say 'I love you,' we continue on our hectic journey as if it's no big deal. There will always be tomorrow, but for some tomorrow never comes. 

For 2013, don't wait all year for the Christmas season to enjoy your family and friends, enjoy them every chance you get.

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I'll be taking the next two weeks off for the holidays.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Alphabet for Lovers by Orna Ben-Shoshan

Insights, advice and prophecy about love and relationships according to the Hebrew Alphabet.

The Alphabet for Lovers, the latest product from Israeli artist and author Orna Ben-Shoshan, is 72 heart-shaped cards based on the Hebrew Alphabet. The fronts offer an illustration and number, while the backs contain the Hebrew letter and a key phrase. Within the deck, you gain insights, advice, and prophecy about love and relationships.

Packaged in a sleeved box, shaped like a book, the deck is accompanied by a companion book and a decorative bag to hold your cards.

The companion book gives information on the Tree of Life and our connection with the Hebrew alphabet. It also contains explanations of how the cards work and how to use them. The author offers sample questions, various spreads, insights on ‘yes and no’ questions, along with the topic of finding timing in the cards. Included is a section on determining personal compatibility between two people.

Card interpretations make up the bulk of the companion book. Each section starts with the individual card number, the Hebrew number, and the key phrase. After an introduction to the card, three additional topics are offered: For singles, personality, and advice.

There’s no memorization required with this deck, simply select the card and refer to the booklet for guidance.

After reading through the first part of the companion book and scanning over the interpretation pages, I tried the cards out. On a piece of paper, I jotted down the questions suggested for the two card spread. With my left hand, I shuffled the cards about and pulled out a heart. After writing down my thoughts and impressions from the card and its interpretations, I repeated to select my second card and made my notes. The cards rightfully reflected the relationship in question.

I also performed the tasks to the Personal Compatibility, which basically guides you through choosing a card for each of the two people according to their name. You then refer to ‘personality’ in the interpretation section. It’s up to you to judge whether the two personalities are compatible. Again, the selected cards described the two people in question very well.

To purchase this deck, visit http://www.kabbalahinsights.com/en/products/alphabet-for-lovers

(Review previously published on Tarot Examiner, December 11, 2012)

21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card - Step 17 - Embodiment

21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card
Mary K. Greer

In step seventeen of our journey, we explore the tarot through our bodies.

This step explores what your body knows--its inner wisdom--of which you may not be consciously aware.

The starting point is to assume the exact pose of a tarot figure: copying the gesture, posture, and muscle tension, and then extending this into motion.

Activity 17:1 - Greer walks us through the process using the four of pentacles. In short, you are to assume the pose of the figure, feel the pentacles you hold in place, and slowly absorb each pentacle. (Greer goes into much more detail in the book.) This process is a meditation on the card and figure.

Activity 17:2 - Using your chosen card, assume position of the main figure. Move into suggested motions, ending with a release and return. Write about your experience.

Artwork © Jennifer Galasso, 2011

In the case of the two of swords, you would stand with your arms crossed at the wrists and your hands gripped as if holding the sword handles. The woman's stance isn't visible, but I suspect one foot is slightly in front of the other.

Feel the weight of the two swords. Imagine the wings attached to your back. Listen for the birds and their song. Blinded by the feather, feel the urge to see. Your feet want to move forward.

Take that first step. Allow your wings to extend. Lower your swords, and open your eyes.

Take a deep breath, count to five, and relax.

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Mary K. Greer goes into further details in The Way of the Adept section.

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If you haven’t already, grab a copy of the book for a deeper understanding of 21 Ways to Read the Tarot. Available in Print and Kindle.

Tarot Spreads & Layouts by Jeanne Fiorini

The subtitle of this slim book, Tarot Spreads & Layouts by Jeanne Fiorini, speaks for itself ~ A User’s Manual for Beginning and Intermediate Readers.

This little, handy book provides more than just spreads and layouts. It offers a friendly guide through the entire process of reading, from asking a question to getting the most out of a reading, no matter how many cards you choose to use.

The book’s information is divided into two sections.

The first section, less than a third of the book, provides the ground rules of tarot reading. An introductory into ‘The Art of Question’ and ‘Reading Skills and Other Practical Matters’ provides a beginner with a firm foundation to begin his/her journey into the tarot world. It also offers some great advice a seasoned reader my find useful. Such things as the importance of having a clear intention before beginning a reading, the use of the Significator, and even reversals are touched upon in this section.

Throughout the book, Fiorini offers helpful hints, which are found in boxes labeled Important. Such information includes items like:

When setting your intention before using the cards, ask yourself: “What is it I really need to know?” 

A reversed position provides alternative ways to view a card in relationship to the other cards within the layout, and thus offers additional avenues of interpretation. 

The second section, the bulk of the book, provides you with a variety of spreads and layouts. Divided into helpful sections of issues, one will find it easy to grab the book and discover the perfect spread for his/her question. Each layout includes a brief overview, diagram, questions to think over during the reading, and guidelines for expanding the layout.

Fiorini wraps the guidebook up nicely with a Reader’s Checklist, some final thoughts, and a reference guide to the card meanings.

Available at Schiffer Books

(Review previously published on Tarot Examiner, November 28, 2012)