House of the Wheel

©P & J House

On this Sunday morning, the card to pop out of the Tarot House deck is the Wheel of Fortune.


It's quite an unusual image, with a hooded and cloaked figure standing to the left and a figure in medieval robes to the right.  They appear to be looking down into some kind of shining globe, waiting for it to stop spinning so they know where it's landed.  What is at stake in this, I wonder?


The card makes me think of tales of gambling with Death.  If he wins, he claims you, if not, you get to go on and explore life a little more.  Every day is a new spin of the wheel, with new possibilities and challenges.

How can you make the most of the opportunities today presents?  What will help you go with the flow of life?

House of Justice

©P & J House

This week, as I mentioned yesterday, I will be working with the Tarot House deck.  This self-published deck is quite unusual in it's semi-illustrated pips, with a whole system around the positioning of the elements.

Today, though, we don't need to concern ourselves with that, as we meet Lady Justice.  She sits on a golden throne placed in the middle of a path that seems to run between two high mountain peaks.  In her right hand she holds a sword, in her left a scales.  Her dress is pale blue, colour of clear communication.  And she wears a golden crown on her head, indicating her state of enlightenment.  She will weigh everything up and then come to a clear decision, a way to move forward.  She is not swayed by status only by truth, and honours everyone involved in a situation, giving each respect and their fair due.

What do you need to assess from the past?  How can you take a decision that is fair to all involved?

Witches Sword

©Dugan & Evans

For this last day with the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012) we meet another Court card - the Page of Swords.

A young man stands, sword at the ready, in a grassy meadow.  Behind him, a large fluffy cloud suggests that his perception may not be as clear as he thinks it is.  I really like his eagle pendant, which seems almost as though it's taking flight.  I notice, too, the houses off in the distance - this Page wants to break his own path, discover his own reality.  However, he may be a little hasty sometimes, taking a swing at whatever comes his way: be it an idea, a perspective, or someone talking to him.   


Where can you bring your mind to bear today?  How may you be being a little hasty?

Witches Focus

©Dugan & Evans

Today's card from the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012) is the Two of Swords.


This is a very standard image, showing a woman sitting with her back to a lake.  She wears an ivory dress, and I like the touch of her sky blue cuffs.  She bears two swords crossed over her chest and wears a blindfold.  Above her hangs a waning moon, and to either side of her fly little faeries, looking back towards the water.  There is lavender by her feet, which the companion book identifies with distrust, and protection.  It's an unusual association, given lavendar is recommended for relaxation and sleep...

I like the beautiful twilight landscape, and the suggestion that she is honed and ready, waiting for the right moment to react.  She may be putting aside her emotions so she can more clearly focus on what needs to be done.


What emotions are you turning your back on?  Do you feel distrustful?  Might relaxing help your outlook?  What do you need to focus on today?

Witches Celebration

©Dugan & Evans

A rather unusual perspective greets us in today's card from the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012).

In this version of the Four of Wands, four women dance under poles that must be 15 feet high!   The women wear dresses of red, green, yellow and blue - the colours of the four elements - with matching bouquets in their hands.  Flowers deck the tops of the blossoming hawthorn poles.  From sunflowers to marigolds to red carnations, they all represent the element of fire.  By the side of the bower sits a ginger cat, while in the background we can make out a castle, representing security and goals achieved.  


While the companion book speaks of celebration, what I also often see in this card is establishing a solid foundation for a new project or relationship.  For example, setting up a new business, beginning a new job, career or course of study, moving in together or getting married, all these would count.  And I guess they would also be reasons for celebration :)

How balanced are the foundations of what you are doing?  What new groundwork will you lay today?  How can you celebrate what you have achieved so far?

Witches Queen

©Dugan & Evans

Once again, this week's deck, the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012), is behaving itself nicely!  We've had a Major, an Ace, a Minor and now a Court card, just to put it through its paces ;)

Here we meet the Queen of Pentacles.  She sits on an ornate throne with a triple back that seems almost to wrap around her.  Above her are beautiful, red roses, and she holds a bouquet of white and green tulips, honeysuckle and wheat, which are held together by green ribbons.  The green is echoed in her bi-shaded dress, and in the emeralds on her golden crown and in her necklace.  In the other hand she has a golden pentacle, and by her feet sits a brown dog.  The landscape behind her is quite mountainous, with rocks amongst the grass around her.

Everything here points to the elemental association of Pentacles with Earth.  There are also indications of this Queen's wealth, wisdom and loyalty, as well as her beauty and love.  She is a practical, dependable character, one who expresses her emotions in physical or material ways - through hugs and/or nourishing, tasty food, for instance.

How can you express your nurturing side today?  What practical activities can you undertake?  Where do your loyalties lie?

Witches Departure

©Dugan & Evans

Today's card from the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012) adds in some interesting elements to the traditional Eight of Cups symbolism.


A young woman, with sweet peas in her hair (signifying departure) and a blue, traveller's cloak walks along the shoreline.  Behind her she leaves two neat rows of cups, while out ahead of her is a distant horizon, a crescent moon and eight twinkling stars.  At her side, a dolphin springs from the surf, watching her walk.  Perhaps the dolphin brings some kind of message, a message of hope for the future? 


It's interesting to see the cups lined up so neatly.  I've heard it suggested that the RWS positioning of the cups suggests having lots of emotional achievements and yet feeling something is missing - a gap in our lives.  Here, though, the cups suggest that all loose ends have been tied up, perhaps freeing the woman to turn and search for something deeper, something more spiritual, as suggested by the moon, stars and distant cliffs.


To me, this card feels more hopeful than the traditional image, with a hint of the Star's energy to it.  She may be leaving many things behind, but there is a strong calling and a belief in the path she travels, betwixt and between the worlds.


What do you need to leave behind today?  How can you tie up any loose ends?  What light guides you forward?

Witches View

©Dugan & Evans

For this second draw with the Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012), we meet the Ace of Swords.

A bird of prey, a red tail hawk, flies high in the sky above a deep mountain valley.  A sword rises, tip straight up, the light glinting off its steel blade and golden pommel.  The clouds in the distance seem backlit by the sun, and a morning mist rises from the valley, putting this at dawn.

New ideas, new possibilities and vantage points, new vistas, offer themselves up to us today.  There is a freshness to this image which delights me.  A sense of hope, perhaps...  In the book, Dugan talks about the truth hurting, but also having the power to heal.

What new ideas can you discover today?  How could you see things from a different perspective?  What situation could you heal by facing it head on?

Tarot's Power of Transformation

©Caratti & Platano

Welcome to another Tarot Blog Hop.  You may have popped in from Sharon's fabulous Riding the Wishing Tree, or elsewhere.  Either way, I'd encourage you to follow one of the links in this blog to carry on hopping :) And should you lose your way, you can always check out the Master List.

For this autumn equinox round of the Tarot Blog Hop, Aisling the Bard asked us to think about the tarot's power of transformation.  I decided to ask the delightful members of TABI how they felt tarot has most transformed their lives.

So, I set up a poll, giving 6 options of ways that they have been affected by the tarot, with the last being an "other" option to open up new possibilities.

©Caratti & Platano

I was really struck by the fact that what came out on top was just the very fact of having learnt the tarot.  68% of people voted for this (I made it multiple choice, so people didn't have to choose just one).  Learning the tarot influences us in so many ways: for some it's about learning to understand themselves - "inner map readings" as marigold put it.  For others, it is profoundly spiritual: "Learning to read Tarot has really helped me find what I've been missing in life, Faith." (Reefgirl)  Several people felt that the tarot had opened up their psychic awareness, while still others value it as a meditation tool.

The second most voted option was the importance of readings done for yourself (65%).  While some talked about this in terms of confirmation or validation, Antonia admitted to making job decisions based on readings.  However, she also admitted that: "sometimes I find it difficult to have the courage to apply advice given about more "personal" considerations though!"
 

©Caratti & Platano

Over half the people who responded felt that becoming a tarot pro had been extremely important in their lives.  I would love to know how many actually make a living at it (a question which was mooted on the TABI Facebook page a while back).  P.S. You don't have to pay the TABI Membership to join the Facebook page ;)

It was also interesting that "Other" got nearly 20% of the votes, with even some people who hadn't voted for it saying that meeting like-minded people, and the great friends they had made, was a hugely important way tarot had transformed their lives :)

As Richard summed it up: "Tarot has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and each day becomes a little more so."

For some more thoughts on how tarot transforms us, why not hop along to Rose Red's Tarot blog?

Images from the Wheel of the Year Tarot (Lo Scarabeo, 2011).

Witches Fool

©Dugan & Evans

It's the weekend, time to move on to a new deck.  This week I have chosen the recently released Witches Tarot (Llewellyn, 2012), by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans.

And first out is the Fool, blithely insouciant as he walks precariously along a cliff edge, his dog running before him.  This deck sticks very closely to the RWS, but with subtle witchy twists such as the Pentacle clasp on his knapsack.  I notice the darned patch on his trousers, suggesting that he does not always escape unscathed from his adventures.  Yet he continues on, nevertheless, willing to trust in life.

What new possibilities do you face today?  How can you approach life with a smile?

Art of Love

©Charlene Livingstone

Today we come face to face with another King from the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012), the King of Cups.

This is another of those cards that I don't like much!  The colours feel all wrong for the King of Cups, and there's neither cup nor water to be seen.  Perhaps if I knew more about art, or the artist Gauguin, this image would make more sense...  Okay, having read up about him on Wikipedia, he suffered depression and didn't get on with his family - perhaps quite King of Cups Rx.

Then there's the quote: "It is a good thing to be rich and to be strong, but it is a better thing to be loved." - Euripedes.  I guess, if this is saying that the King of Cups is a loving presence in our life, then I can get behind it.  However, it seems more to suggest, given the masculine traits mentioned, that the King of Cups is loved.  Not a bad thing or necessarily untrue, but it doesn't seem to say much about the King, making him a passive recipient.  Perhaps it means to suggest that his nature is loveable.  Or maybe I'm just over thinking this...

For me, I've realised recently that I tend to see the shadow side of the King of Cups. His emotional nature that he struggles to cope with, either sinking into depression, creating a false hardness or drowning his emotions in drink.  At his best, I see him as someone who understands emotions, his own and others', without getting overwhelmed by them.

What emotions are you in touch with?  How can you express love today?

Art of Independence?

©Charlene Livingstone

On this Thursday with the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012) we have a card which is surprising in many ways - the Nine of Pentacles.


First off, we have a man instead of the more traditional female figure.  I associate the Nine of Pentacles with an independent woman who has worked hard to get where she is.  A man doesn't face the same obstacles, the same glass ceiling, as a woman, which makes the energy of this card quite different to my mind.  This verdant city scape also lends a different air to a garden scene - it feels less independent to me, more influenced by other people, their contributions or detracting influences.


Another reason this image surprises me is because the picture chosen was also used in James Ricklef's Tarot of the Masters.  There, it is used to illustrate the Three of Wands, which I like far better.  Looking out to assay what you have achieved, and what may still be to do, makes more sense to me with this image...


The quote, though, other than it's gender bias, does speak to me a little of the Nine of Pentacles' energy: "None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The idea of achieving something by ourselves does fit my notion of the Nine of Pentacles.  Though I don't think of something "commanding" when I think Nine of Pentacles - in fact the quote might also better suit the Three or the Eight of Pentacles...

What can you do to better hear that inner whisper urging you to do something excellent?  How can you take some time to appreciate all that you have already achieved?

Art of Retreat

©Charlene Livingstone

On this Wednesday morning, the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012) offers us a moment of reflection.


This is another card where I find both the picture and the quote speak to me.  The picture is far from the traditional, showing a young man lounging on a rocky outcropping, gun and dog at his side.  Yet, it does have that sense of distancing yourself from society, and of looking inward and to the world around yourself for answers.


As for the quote, it's lovely: "Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul." - Marcus Aurelius.  Of course, as the Nine of Swords demonstrates, our souls are not always untroubled retreats, and yet, when they are, what a beautiful place to be...

What would help you find some inner peace today?  From where could you contemplate life and the world in calm?

Art of Kingship

©Charlene Livingstone

I love it when this kind of thing happens - we've had a couple of Majors, a Minor, and now a Court card, to get a good cross-section of the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012).

Here we have the King of Pentacles, in fact King Charles II.  He certainly has the look of wealth and luxury I would associate with this King, and I like the colours of his clothes, sufficiently earthy and material, with a hint of decadence and a certain purity of vision.  He doesn't get distracted by extraneous things: focusing on his responsibilities.


The quote, too, is fabulous: "Wealth stays with us a little moment if at all; only our characters are steadfast, not our gold." - Euripedes.  It both touches on the aspect of wealth, yet also highlights the more important character trait of dependability.


Who can you rely on and who relies on you?  What responsibilities do you need to focus on today?

Art of Passion

©Charlene Livingstone

On this Monday morning, who should come a-calling but the Empress, from the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012).

The image is actually of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.  Still, it has a somewhat Madonna-esque feel to it, which fits nicely with more traditional ideas of the Empress as a mothering figure.  I get a sense of female sensuality, wisdom and creativity based on the colours of her robes - green for growth, red for passion, yellow for enlightenment.

The quote is interesting, too: "Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things." - Denis Diderot.  This certainly speaks to me of creativity, and what fires it.


What do you feel passionate about?  What project can you nurture at this time?  What could you achieve if you put the full force of your passion into it?

Art of Motion

©Charlene Livingstone

For this second draw with the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012) another card which does not immediately chime with me.


My first thought on seeing this Eight of Wands was: "What a lot of water!"  In fact, every element is represented except fire!

I see the roiling power of the water, it's constant motion which is highlighted in the quote.  However, it is a churning motion, the back and forth of the sea, without any actual direction or focus.  Not my normal understanding of the Eight of Wands...


For me, the Eight of Wands is definitely more about action and speed than simply about flux.  There is a directedness to it, even if our plans go awry.

I like the quote, and agree with the sentiment at least in part, though I don't feel it connects with the energy of the Eight of Wands: "Nothing ever is, but all things are becoming.  All things are the offspring of flux and motion." (Plato)  I feel that all things become not just through motion, but through interaction.  That's a rather philosophical point, either way, I guess.

To stick to the card, it doesn't work for me.  It's beautiful and interesting, but it doesn't express any of my understandings of the Eight of Wands.  Perhaps the issue here is about my expectations.  In the LWB, Charlene Livingstone states: "I realized that by drawing inspiration from my background in art history and my lifelong passion for quotations, I could capture the essence of the meanings behind each card" (p.7)  If the intention were to create new meanings, new interpretations of the archetypes, that would be one thing.  I do not see here the essence of the Eight of Wands.


Going back and looking through the whole deck, I have just been unfortunate with these first two draws.  Many of the cards do speak to me, and some open up interesting and productive dialogues.  In fact, there are only fourteen where I do not find some connection to either the quote or the picture (the quote on yesterday's card redeemed it, for instance).  That's not bad, overall, but does mean I can't imagine using this as a regular reading deck.  One or two off cards would be fine, but nearly twenty percent puts this deck low down on my list, especiaclly as there are many more where it is only either the picture or quote I connect with, not both.  I can imagine using this deck for inspiring quotes for the day, but I won't use it as a tarot.


What are you becoming today?  How can you get yourself in motion?

Art of Temperance

©Charlene Livingstone

This week I will be drawing from the Art of Life Tarot (U.S. Games, 2012).  In this deck, the author, Charlene Livingstone, has paired works of art from the great masters with quotes from throughout time, to try to represent the energy of each card.  The first card to come a-calling is Temperance.

I love the picture here, though I'm not convinced it perfectly expresses my notions of Temperance.  A woman washing her feet in a river doesn't really speak of mixing different elements, of finding a good compromise between different aspects of ourselves and our life.  Temperance, in the sense of moderation, is also about finding a healthy balance, and I guess that foot hygiene is part of self care...


The quote fits my notions of Temperance much better: "The unlike is joined together, and from differences results the most beautiful harmony." - Heraclitus. 


How can you take care of yourself in a balanced way today?  What beautiful harmony can you help create?

Hawaiian Evil

©Katalin E. Csikos

For this final draw from Hazelmoon's Hawaiian Tarot (self-published, 2010), we meet The Evil - her version of the Devil.

In many decks, this card is renamed Materialism.  That is certainly part of what I see here.  However, this card emphasises additional aspects.  Materialism is not just negative because it shows our attachment to the world of maya, of illusion and stuff rather than the spiritual, as hinduism and buddhism teach.  And it's not just because it can lead to superficiality and prizing things over people.  It is also negative because, the way consumer culture is run right now, it leads to polluting the planet and needlessly killing the beautiful creatures that live here.  This image reminds us that we are driving many species to the brink of extinction, and beyond.  We are filling the air we ourselves breathe with toxic chemicals!

It can feel hard not to go with the flow: consumerism is so much a part of our culture that it becomes hard to imagine a different way.  Still, even small actions can make a difference.

How can you feel good about yourself today?  What small actions can you take to benefit the planet?

Hawaiian Hanged Man

©Katalin E. Csikos

Another Major comes to call today from Hazelmoon's Hawaiian Tarot (self-published, 2010).

A man dangles by one foot from a bridge over a verdant chasm.  He wears nothing but some red shorts, and seems totally unperturbed by the position he finds himself in, nonchalantly crossing one leg behind the other in the traditional pose.  His long, dark hair flows down from his head, and his arms are crossed behind it. 

Altogether, this image makes me think of someone who has bungee jumped off a bridge, and is now dangling at the end of the cord, thinking about the experience.

What risks are you willing to take today?  What can you learn from your experiences?  How can you take things easy?

Hawaiian Lei

©Katalin E. Csikos

For this Wednesday we have a rather sad but beautiful card from Hazelmoon's Hawaiian Tarot (self-published, 2010).

A red lei floats on still waters, while a waning moon shines down on it.  Has this chain of flowers been cast adrift as a tribute to a lost soul?  Or did its wearer lose their life in the ocean, leaving behind nothing but this garland?  Flowers, too, by their very nature are transient, a beautiful blossom today, a withered stem tomorrow.  And yet, while they bloom they are bright and colourful, reminding us of the beauty of life.

What can you do today to appreciate the joy of being alive?  What in your life do you need to bid farewell to?

Hawaiian Warrior

©Katalin E. Csikos

Today's card from Hazelmoon's Hawaiian Tarot (self-published, 2010), is another Court card - the Warrior (Knight) of Swords.


It's interesting, in this deck none of the "Warrior" cards look all that warrior-like.  Take this chap; he's standing in the sea, letting the waves lap around his ankles, and holding his sword more like a stick for balance than like a weapon.  There is a huge smile on his face as he looks off to his right, and palm trees wave gently around him, while the sand gleams a sunny yellow just behind him.  He wears a red lei around his neck, and a yellow and red loin cloth, as well as green leaves around his head, and his long, dark hair flows loose down his back.


It's also striking that, while you can almost sense the gentle sea breeze flowing around him, he is also stood in water.  He may not want to immerse himself in emotion, but he is able to get a feel for the emotions around him, in order to better find his way.  He is using his mind/sword as a tool to help him find a balanced approach, and he tries to keep things friendly.  Not your typical Knight of Swords, yet I can also see some of the traditional ideas around communication and clarity of vision...

Where might clear, gentle communication be of benefit today?  What situation requires a rational, balanced approach?  What will help you avoid getting overwhelmed by emotion?

Hawaiian Assumptions

©Katalin E. Csikos

Today's card from HazelMoon's Hawaiian Tarot (Self-published, 2010) is quite unusual.


Here we have the Eight of Swords, but rather than someone trapped by the swords, we see them lined up neatly.  Lush jungle foliage is on one side of the swords, but the other side seems almost empty.  Perhaps, then, this says something about limiting ideas that block creativity and growth.


It could also be taken another way, green shoots starting to encroach through the lowest-lying sword suggesting the unstoppability of creativity and life :)

Which ideas may be blocking your ability to feel creative and alive today?  How can you allow your natural joy in life to emerge?

Hawaiian Boy

©Katalin E. Csikos

Hazelmoon's Hawaiian Tarot (self-published, 2010) makes changes with the Court cards, renaming the Page the Boy, and with the Knight becoming the Warrior.  Here, then, we have the Hawaiian version of the Page of Pentacles ;)

This is a strangely ungrounded image - a young boy on a rock in the middle of the ocean.  And yet, he is sat on a rock, rather than a boat.  A pelican (I think) looks on from a tree branch, and the moon shines in the sky above.  That looks like a fire on the second rock, just in front of him, keeping him warm in the night breeze. 

What I see here, then, is someone young exploring the world (and the elements) around them.  Of course, you don't actually have to be chronologically young for this, but to have a spirit of exploration and adventure, a willingness to try new things.  The Boy of Lava Stones is particularly interested in trying to understand the world around him, as well as his body and his physicality.


Where could you explore today?  What can you do differently, at a physical level?  How can you find delight in the everyday?

Hawaiian Sticks

©Katalin E. Csikos

This week I decided to draw from HazelMoon's Hawaiian Tarot (Self-published, 2010), by Katalin E. Csikos.  This deck renames the suit of Wands, which become Sticks, and Pentacles, which become Lava Stones.  The Courts are also renamed, as are some of the Majors, as we may see later in the week...

For this first draw, I got the Ten of Sticks (Wands).  Ten palm trees loom above us, silhouetted by a waning moon (at least I think it is, may be different in that part of the world).  The image (which is a bit darker in the flesh) makes me feel a bit small and overwhelmed, which I guess captures the Ten of Wands rather nicely.  There's certainly a feeling of not being able to see the wood for the trees ;)

What tasks do you have hanging over you today?  How can you lighten your load?

Wiccan Priest

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

A rather unusual "High Priest" blesses us from the Wicca Moon Tarot today.

When I first saw this card, I thought it might be the Magician, given all the suit symbols around him!  A pentacle decorates his black robe, a god-symbol is etched into the working candle  on his left, more symbols decorate the long staff he holds in his right hand, and a sword and chalice rest at his feet among white roses and lilies.  I notice, too, the black cat that peeks around from behind his legs, and the bubbles or orbs which float to either side of him.  With his pointy ears and hand raised in a gesture of blessing, he seems rather fae, or perhaps Vulcan ;D

A repository of timeless wisdom and a spiritual guide, I find this High Priest far less austere and daunting than many Hierophants.  Ivy grows around him and the candle, linking him to the Wiccan Summer King, to strength and fertility.  I imagine him performing a hand-fasting out in the woods, a revered part of his community.  Or calling in the God for a group ritual, the High Priestess standing opposite him.

Like traditional Hierophant figures, he is surrounded by the trappings of his faith.  Yet, the fact of being outdoors makes this card feel less rigid and dogmatic to me.  I acknowledge that is my prejudice speaking, as dogma and fixed ideas are certainly not limited to people in man-made structures!

What dogma might you challenge today?  In what ways are you a part of your community?  What is sacred to you?

Wicca Temperance

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

What a happy card for this Thursday morning!  Temperance, in the Wicca Moon Tarot, has some rather unusual features.


For one thing, instead of pouring a liquid from one vessel into another, this angel paints a rainbow across the sky :)  In front of her is not only a pond, with beautiful blue irises, but also bumble bees.  And in the background, there is an Eastern-looking city, full of onion-domed buildings, giving this an exotic, magical feel. 


This angel is also very feminine, with her flowing blonde hair, and a crescent moon at her brow.  Her dress is white, with subtle embroidery, ribbons, and a neckline highlighted in a soft golden colour.  Her wings, too, are a pure and shining white, and she wears a white pearl necklace, with a diamond glittering at the centre.


All this gives the card a Goddess emphasis in my eyes.  The rainbow is often associated with the Goddess Iris (also related to the flower) and the bumblebee is also a symbol of the Goddess.  A sense, then, of Temperance being connected to balancing the spiritual and mundane, as well as our inner and outer lives.


How can you creatively balance different aspects of your life?  What different elements need to blend together?  How can you connect with spirit today?

Wicca Swords

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

Today, the Wicca Moon Tarot shows us another beautiful card.


In this version of the Eight of Swords, the eponymous swords are bundled in the centre of the card, whipped around by the wind.  It pulls them together, allowing little space for movement or autonomy.  It feels like a whirlwind, our ideas becoming trapped in a fixed pattern, unable to escape and head off in new directions.  Yet, it is just the wind, and those swords could cut through it if they were wielded with determination and focus.


As an alternative to this more traditional perspective, we could see this as a gathering together of ideas.  Our intellect bringing together a number of different notions, to see if they will work as a whole.


How might your thoughts be stuck in a loop today?  Where might you bring a number of strands together in a productive way?

Wicca Wands

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

One of the things I love about the Wicca Moon Tarot is the summery, happy feeling to many of the cards.  That's certainly the case with today's card - the Two of Wands.

Two wands stand side by side in a beautiful meadow, gazing out at a floating globe.  It almost looks like they are standing at a cliff edge, with the globe rising up from the chasm: we can see nothing but blue sky beyond the floating planet...  I like that there are little flames at the base of the wands, a reminder of their elemental attribution.  Although things look calm, there is a dynamic energy simmering, waiting to blast off ;D

Which path will we choose towards our goal?  Though we may have a single focus, there can be many different ways to get there...  Alternately, this card makes me think of connecting with others towards a common goal.  We can light each other's fire, achieving more together than we each would alone.

What goal will you set for yourself today?  How many paths might you take?  Who could help you with your plans?

Wicca Couple

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

As I mentioned yesterday, the Wicca Moon Tarot doesn't have Kings and Queens.  Instead, there is a single card for the more mature aspects of each suit.

It's an interesting perspective - perhaps suggesting that a mature approach to whatever part of self or life are represented by each suit must always be a balanced one.  That balance and maturity comes from combining understanding and action, emotion and responsibility.  It also means that the deck has only 74 cards ;)


Today, then, we meet the Royal Couple of Wands.  I notice my gut reaction to this Royal Couple isn't as favourable as my response to the Royal Couple of Cups in yesterday's interview.  For me, the fiery, dynamic suit of wands requires a somewhat younger Royal Couple.

I expected a man and woman in their forties or fifties, not these older folks.  As I write this, I acknowledge that my prejudice is showing through.  I know a number of older people who are still incredibly active and engaged, with the added boon of the wisdom of much life experience.  Still, it's probably the fact that I think of the Wands King and Queen as being quite driven - whereas I imagine folks of this age having already achieved most things they want, especially if they started off with that wands-y drive!

Certainly, these two look quite happy, and she is radiant.  However, their clothes are black and blue, also not fiery, and there are bubbles floating around them, as well as a single wand standing between them.  There is also some kind of wooden structure behind them, like a gate.  They seem quite calm and happy, wise and spiritual.

What would be the wise, balanced approach to take to your situation today?  In what ways are you driven, and in what ways are you calm?  What do you want to achieve today?

Wicca Celebration

©Shirlee at Wiccan Moon

Today's card from the  Wicca Moon Tarot is the Three of Cups.

Flowers, butterflies and sparkles, like splashes of water catching the light, explode out of three silver cups.  The sun shines brightly in the blue sky above, and the three cups seem to float magically above a calm lake. 

It's funny, looking in detail I'm not sure if there really are any flowers, it's more an impressionistic feeling of flowers.  Either way, this image is full of warmth and joy, an overflowing of good times and good energy.


I like the fact of the butterflies, which suggest light-heartedness, even in the face of change.  Altogether, I get the feeling of a warm summers day, a gentle breeze in which blossoms sway, while people relax on the grass, chatting or just enjoying the day.


What can you do today that would feel mellow and joyful?  Where would you most like to be?  And who would you be with?  How can you make some part of that happen?

Wicca Page

©Shirlee at Wicca Moon

This week, I'll be drawing from the beautiful, self-published Wicca Moon Tarot, by Shirlee.  If you're interested in the deck, you can email her (it's at the bottom of the page linked above).  I was lucky enough to get this deck with the help of Patsy, a kind fellow fan.  You can find her reiki page here.

So, for this first pull, we meet the Page of Swords.  I rather like her jaunty air, as she seems to fly high in the sky, perhaps riding her sword.  She is inspired, elevated by an exciting new idea, enjoying playing with different notions.  However, this image does also suggest one of the downsides to the Page of Swords - she's really not very grounded!  She doesn't see the practicality or otherwise of the ideas that she is so enthused about, doesn't understand the implications and consequences.  Still, what would life be if we didn't still have something to learn, right?

Where might a new idea take you today?  What do you feel inspired to learn about?