Review: Tempus 85 by Marsha McLaughlin Radford

Tempus 85
Author: Marsha McLaughlin Radford
September, 2018

I am very excited to tell you about this deck.

The Tempus 85 is an expanded deck for divination and learning Lenormand. This deck was recommended to me on the basis of the accuracy of its readings. I definitely have not been disappointed.

I have selected it as my February deck. I can't wait to be using this deck every single day this month!

In a normal Lenormand deck, one card has many meanings and it's up to you to decide its intended meaning according to the context. With the Tempus 85, the guessing game is over. Everything you need to know is right there in the cards. Yes, you still have to decipher the cards, but it's much easier to do when you are dealing with this much narrower focus.

The Snake has been expanded into three cards. Snake - Lies, Envy, Competition, Jealousy./ Rival - The Other Man Or Woman, A Third Person./ Yarn - Things And Issues That Need To Be Untangled. No more guessing! Yes, I suppose the Snake could be an actual snake, and even the Yarn could actually be a ball of yarn. But, I think if that's the case, you will know.

Also, notice down the side of the first card. You will see the original card has been linked to the other variations of the card. 7a Snake (c12), 7b Rival (c13), 7c Yarn (c14) - basic translation: The Snake card in the Lenormand is the 7 card, but here it has become the 12 card, the variations of the card are listed as 7b and 7c and as card 13 and 14.

The Coffin has also been expanded into three cards. Coffin - An Ending./ Door - A Transition./ Tears - Flood of Emotions, Sickness, Grief, Aching Heart. The Links - 8a Coffin (c15), 8b Door (c16), 8c Tears (c17).

Some of the cards have not been expanded. If this is the case, you'll only see the original card number displayed down the side. 3 Ship (c5), 24 Heart (c58), and 18 Dog (c40). Ship - Travel or Transition. Heart -Who or What You Love, Romance, Passion. Dog - Loyalty, Reliability, Someone or Something You Can Depend On.

And, even after all that expanding, the author found more to add! There are a total of 12 additional, unique cards in the deck. Above, you get an idea of what you might find. Cell - A Lack Of Options or Choices. Balloon - Wanting Less of Something Negative. Calendar - Scheduling, Making Time, Perfect Timing.

And that's not all! There are 6 cards designed especially for your timing questions. The backings are different than the rest of the deck, setting them apart. It's up to you how to incorporate them into your reading.

I've chosen to leave them in the deck. When I do a reading with no timing bounds, I just don't select a clock card. If it is a timing question, I search out the one clock card that pulls me to it. And, as a side note, I do fan this deck and chose random cards for my reading. This isn't my normal procedure. I usually deal from the top, but this deck insisted on being treated differently.

I recommend this deck to everyone! It is a pick up and read deck. You really don't need any experience with Lenormand or any reading style to get some insight from this deck. It is that easy to read!

You can go over to Arcana Land for more information on the deck, additional card images, and some sample readings.

If you'd like to try them out yourself, you can purchase this deck at Amazon and Game Crafter.

Decks are also available on Etsy - in the deck creator's shop - BestOnDeck. This deck is available in both poker size and mini version.

Please share your experiences with this deck in the comments. And, of course, if you have any questions about the deck, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer or find the answer for you.

And be sure to take a look at this deck in action in the next post - Guidance for February.

Guidance for January - Be Courageous

I decided to work with the Dreams of Gaia Tarot by Ravynne Phelan this month.

I've had the deck for a while. Like so many other of my decks, I've never took the time to actually use them. I plan to continue into 2019 with my process of using one deck per month. I also have a few decks from Schiffer for review consideration. So, you'll see some reviews coming soon.

But for now, let's look at what January has to offer. Oh, and Happy New Year!

I asked the usual question, "How should we approach this month? What can we expect?" And, I laid the cards out in a three card story layout.

3 of Water - She looks toward the past, appreciating all she's experienced and quite satisfied with herself. You should take a moment to celebrate all your victories of the last years. Sometimes we forget to take a look back over what we've done and where we've been. Make sure you allow for some joy and celebration before moving into the newness of the year. You've accomplished a lot. And here's some great news. It's not over. You have many more successes coming your way.

9 of Earth - Oh boy, it looks like it's time to do that decluttering you've been thinking on over the last few months. You felt it all pulling you down and you were correct. The material possessions cluttering up your life don't feel so important anymore do they? But, don't stop there. It's time to lose your old pains, let go of the guilt of leaving some people behind, and for goodness sakes let go of that secret that's tearing you apart. It's time to set yourself free. 

10 of Earth - Okay, now that you've gotten that taken care of, (the celebrating, reflections, and letting go) it's time to see the rewards come rolling in. You've put it all out there and it's coming back to you in the form of a complete come together. Everything just feels Right. Embrace it all - your highest self, your highest calling, that feeling of personal 'Glow'. Show the world who you truly are. 

Overview - You should approach this month courageously. Yes, more success is there for you, but that doesn't mean it will be easy. You'll still have to keep working toward your goals. For me, the decluttering will be a battle all on its own. But, all of the struggle will be worth it in the end, if only to feel that moment of being the true you.

Happy January!

New Year Tarot Spread

I created this Tarot spread to help you bring in the New Year. I hope it brings you clarity and anticipation for the approaching year.

A New Year Tarot Spread

2019

1. Your biggest accomplishment for the past year.
2. What you need to leave behind.
3. What you need to carry forward.
4. A main focus for the year.
5. A running theme for the year.

Optional: Add together the numerical value of the cards to get a Word for the year.

I had wonderful results with this spread. I used the Dream of Gaia Tarot for my reading, which will be January's deck. I'm not going to go into details on my own reading, but I wanted to share the results of my Word for the year.

XII. LOVE

self-love, confidence, open-heart, joy of life

Please feel free to share your own Word, along with your experience of the spread or any questions you might have in the comments.

Have a wonderful New Year and blessings to you all.