Monday, June 30, 2014

What does your Inner Self want you to know?

Last week, Kate of Daily Tarot Girl presented a Tarot Exercise - a letter from your Inner Self to you. Stop by Daily Tarot Girl for the original post.

I decided to put a little spin on this, not much of one though. I wanted to try this exercise with Oracle cards rather than Tarot cards. I've also changed the wording of the question and the answering letter slightly.

Question: Inner Self, what message do you have for me at this time?

Answer: Dear, there are many things I need to express to you, but I wouldn't want to put you into overload. For now, let's keep it simple. There are two things you need to be doing right now. You need to ___________ and _________. And that thing you keep doing, please stop. You need to stop ___________. This is all very important. Work on these things and come back later. We'll talk more.

From The Magical Times Empowerment Cards by Jody Bergsma, I pulled the following three cards.



My Letter would read something like this:

Dear, there are many things I need to express to you, but I wouldn't want to put you into overload. For now, let's keep it simple. There are two things you need to be doing right now. You need to be a little more flexible, if you keep on like this you are likely to break  and be gentle with yourself and others. We are all on a learning journey. We all make mistakes from time to time. And that thing you keep doing, please stop. You need to stop frowning all the time. Lighten up you heart and soul. Find some joy in life. This is all very important. Work on these things and come back later. We'll talk more.

To help myself remember these things, I create a little mantra to keep it in my mind throughout the day. "Bend, love, and smile."

Now, it's your turn. What does your Inner Self want to tell you? Are you listening? Feel free to share your cards and letter in the comments below.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Lenormand Cartomancy by Christopher Butler - A Review

I have fallen in love with a new ‘Lenormand’ deck. Not one of those ‘love at first sight’ type of romances, but the kind you sink into, a comfort zone, a relationship which grows deeper with time.


When I first received my ‘review copy’ of the book and card kit - Lenormand Cartomancy by Christopher Butler, I flipped through the cards, glanced at the book content and set it aside. The cards were too busy, with their almost abstract images and wild playing card inserts. But, I was wrong, very wrong.

I pulled these cards out the other day and had a strange reaction. I became excited by just holding the cards and glancing through the images. I read through the book, mostly card descriptions and suggestions on spreads. And then, I threw a few cards in response to a quick question. 

I experienced the most amazing reading so far with the Lenormand. I connected. I had to laugh at myself. Why had these cards been so hard to figure out? I love ‘aha’ moments. I can’t even explain what happened. It may have been the deck, or it may have simply been time for me to make the break through with the Lenormand. No matter, this will definitely be my main Lenormand deck from now on.

The Review

Christopher Butler’s Lenormand Cartomancy deck is a vibrant, electrifying version of the traditional Lenormand. The cards measure 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. The deck is the normal 36 cards, plus 2 extras. The author has provided an additional woman and man to the deck, attaching them to the opposite numbers of their original association. The deck fits snugly into the center of a 'Schiffer box' and is accompanied by a 96 page companion book.

The book contains a short introduction to Madame Lenormand and some information on the manual and the deck. The bulk of the book is on the meanings of each card: symbolism, as a person, as a time frame, and suggested combinations. The remainder of the book goes over various spreads and tips on reading. 

Although enjoying the point of view of this author on the deck and reading styles, I wouldn't recommend someone beginning their journey with this manual. It’s very limited in explanation and would take a seasoned reader to get much from the read. 


I would not recommend the deck for a beginner. Above, you see a few of the cards. While some may be obvious, a few could be confusing. For example, on first glance 16 The Star could easily be mistaken for The Ship if one does not have the knowledge of the number and card associations.  With the abstract images there are many cards that would confuse someone not familiar with the Lenormand.

If you've spent hours studying the Lenormand, have an understanding for the cards, basic keywords, combinations, and have even practiced with reading, but still have trouble connecting with the system, this may very well be the deck for you. The artwork and vibrant coloring are sure to appease your higher self and connect you with the divine.

Stop by Aeclectic Tarot for a few more card images.

Grab your deck from Schiffer Publishing.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Magpie Oracle by Carrie Paris - My First Reading

For this week's forecast, I've used the Magpie Oracle by Carrie Paris, charms based on the Lenormand card symbols. This is my first official reading using these charms. I figured using a calendar for the cast would be a good beginning.  

I shuffled the charms by shifting them from hand to hand. When ready, I tossed them onto the calendar. Then, I removed the charms not touching the days of the coming week. Any charms at least halfway over the lines, I pulled into the squares.  

An important note: When using the Lenormand for daily or weekly forecasts, it is important to keep things simple, use basic keywords and keep the predictions, well simple. The Lenormand tends to pull up mundane aspects in these short readings. But what can be expected, right? Not every day is earth-shattering.
  
Let’s look at the week ahead.


For the 16th of June, nothing fell into or near the square. I decided the Moon falling into the 15th would go on to influence the beginning of the week.

Moon - recognition, creative success, and moon cycles

Sunday, you find yourself in the clutches of creativity, which will likely spill over into Monday. A certain amount of recognition will come from your current project or success in relation to the project. This may simply be a friend admiring your work, or a higher honor of recognition. 

Tree – health, growth, and grounding
Clover – luck

Tuesday, you become grounded. You feel comfortable and in tune with the world around you, with nature. A little bit of luck arises from this steady feeling. You may find a good bargain, a nice bit of advice, or even a penny on the ground. Keep your eyes and mind open today, while staying grounded.

Garden – social groups, outdoor activities
Whip – disputes, intense conversations

Wednesday, you find yourself in a group. This may be due to your environment, or you could be in a group activity of sorts. No matter the situation, you will be around others. Conversation is a given, but the intensity will vary from person to person. Be careful to keep the heat level down to avoid major conflicts.

Sun – Success, happiness, and sunshine
Child – new, innocence, beginnings

Thursday, you find a new source of happiness, a breakthrough occurs in your project, or you might just go for a walk in the warm morning sun. The main thing here is it should be a happy, happy day. Enjoy!

Bear – strength, protection, mother figure
Cross – burdens, pain, a lesson to be learned

Friday, you find strength from a painful episode. A lesson is to be learned from any challenge one faces. On this day, that lesson will be learned. You will understand and be ready for the next step.

Fish – money, many, a school of things

Saturday, you will have a mixture of activity going on. Be prepared to spend a little money, but overall just expect things to be a busy.

Mountain – obstacles, blocks
Stork – change, movement

Sunday, you find yourself climbing the mountain that has blocked your way in the past. The obstacle shifts, or you find a solution. Expect to move forward today.

Quick overview of the week: Overall this week should bring lots of movement forward. Sunday you find some success and recognition and by Tuesday you feel grounded and might even get a little surprise. Wednesday holds a little caution, but there’s growth in healthy conflicts. And Thursday you can do a little ‘happy’ dance. You made it through Wednesday with not much problem at all. Friday might be a little icky, but what the heck, take the licks and jump back into gear. The weekend’s going to be fun and exciting as you get into gear for all that activity and the sudden breakthrough. Hope the block you push past leads you to a wonderful door with a nice surprise behind it.

As with all readings for a large group, this reading may affect many of the readers or it may only affect a few. I’d love to hear from all of you on how your week turns out. It should be interesting to see how this reading works out. As you all know, I’m still feeling around with these Lenormand readings.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Get Your Mojo Back

Last week, Ellen of Greylady's Hearth wrote a post about a three card spread to help find and get back your Mojo. I decided to steal the spread and give it a test run. The results were pretty amazing.

To do this spread, you will need to separate the Majors from the Minors. The first card is pulled from the Major pile and represents your Mojo, in hiding. The second and third are pulled from the Minor pile. The second crosses the first, revealing what is blocking your Mojo. And, the third suggests the action needed to recover your Mojo.

My Mojo - 17 The Star - My personal power can be found within my faith, hope, and generous soul. This card signifies a blessing from the universe, being open to the healing process, and the ability to go on no matter what. As I looked at the image, the distribution of the water drew my attention. Notice the stream going into the pool is thicker than the one flowing onto the earth. This made me think, "To get your wish, you must put your heart and soul into the process, which will make the physical part easier." Do what you love and it won't feel like work.

What's blocking my Mojo - 10 of Swords - A unexpected failure or blow to my esteem is blocking me from using my personal power. The image shows a man on the ground stabbed by ten swords. Swords represent the thought process. "This man has been taken down by his own thoughts." Negative thinking, feeling like 'the victim', and letting it all get me down.

What to do - King of Wands - "Just do it!"  This King sets his goals and sticks to them. He accepts opportunities presented to him and doesn't shy away from a healthy challenge. As he looks back at The Star, he's evaluating and studying his wish. He plans for what needs to be done and starts working toward the goal he's set for himself. So, what I need to do is follow this King's lead, become him.

Check out Daily Tarot Girl's forecast for the week - June 9-15. It's amazing how similar the advice of what to do in this spread matches her forecast.

Have you lost your Mojo? Give this spread a try and make some steps to get it back. Need some Tarot Guidance? 

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Metamorphosis - Life Transformations

I pulled out my Magical Times Empowerment Cards by Jody Bergsma. This is a wonderful deck for receiving intuitive information concerning your higher path and current energies.

The little white book suggests using reversals which indicate an imbalance of the card's energy. Spreads and card affirmations are also included in the booklet. But, this isn't actually a review. I will say I do love this 44-card deck.

So, I asked the cards, "What path should I choose this week as I move into the new month of June?"

Metamorphosis: Trust the Process and be Patient. Becoming Cannot be Rushed. Change is Beautiful.

I got excited when I saw the wonderful image of this magical butterfly.

I'm not one to enjoy change. I like to have a routine of sorts, to know what comes next. But to be honest, change is necessary in my life, especially at this point. I spent a couple of weeks in May feeling depressed and actually giving up on ever getting beyond the current point of my life.

The bad (or good, depending on the viewpoint) thing is life is really good right now, better than it's ever been. But, to stay in one point, to not move forward, to go through life simple and easy with no challenge, well that's just a little too boring. I need the feel of movement, of improving, of achieving more. But, when you work most of the day, come home, eat, and go to bed, there's not much left for doing MORE.

I heard somewhere that before a big life change there is always a pause, the quiet before the storm. Perhaps the moment of deflating was just that, the time before the shift, before the rise, before the transitioning stage. I've only risen out of the hole over the past few days. There have been some signs (without going into major details - a child and a fawn) pointing toward 'new beginnings, something new hitting me out of the blue.'

The little white book offers affirmations for each card, but they are long. I like short and sweet.

Affirmation: Change is a process, a rhythm in life. I accept what is changing and I release what I cannot control.