READING WITH AND IMAGES FROM THE FAIRIES' ORACLE

So now for some of my favorite cards from Brian Froud's "The Fairies' Oracle."* I haven't worked with it in a few years. Yes, I know I keep saying I've not worked with this or that deck in years. However, I do work with The Tarot every day! It's just that though I have close to 100 decks I tend to have a favorite that I return to, in spite of dalliances with other intriguing decks.

Before sharing some favorite images, here's a card I pulled at random the other night when the deck caught my eye from my Tarot shelves. It may not be a Tarot deck, but it works just like one. Besides, I have a deep affection and respect for faeries...

A Collective of Pixies (#48)

"A pixie's gotta do what a pixie's gotta do, and one of those things a pixie has to do is dance." Well, I wish I could! Knee arthritis has pretty much put the cabash on that. However, I can and still do dance metaphorically, and I take this card's appearance as a strong message to dance even more. To make the choice when approaching anything I have to do to "take joy in the doing it and doing it well." And know that those who "come in contact with the results of that work feel the difference..." The issue of collective/cooperative is also interesting, as I have been availing myself a bit more of the support of others.

These next cards I simply resonate with for one reason or another, or simply "just because." By the way, the quotes I'm using here are only extremely small samples of what is offered in the wonderful accompanying hard cover book.

The Singer of Intuition (#7)

"....The Song is sung within our blood and flesh and bones just as it is within the rest of the universe...."

The Journeyman (#15)

He resembles The Fool in The Tarot, certainly, but is also much more, as he steps out into the world balancing The Moon both in the sky and on his stick.

Himself (#17)

"....he has the magic of procreation, of dancing the spark of life into being...."

The Green Woman (#23)

"...She doesn't care what you think of her, she knows her own worth from her experience of life." She is the feminine vital vegetal "force that enables a root to crack stone..."

Sylvanius (#34)

"....your face is not your Truth. Sometimes faces need to be hidden so Truth can be seen...."

The Friends (#46)

These fairies can "often help us to learn more about the true meaning of friendship." And they look like they're having so much fun!

Ah HAH! Now I know why this deck grabbed my attention. It was a holiday gift from my roommate of seven years, back when she first moved in. She's going to be married this April and I will miss her. However, she has given me much beyond this deck to cherish and we are friends now for life.

For more about this delightful and also profound deck, visit the World of Froud.

*THE FAIRIES' ORACLE: Working With The Fairies To Find Wisdom, and Joy; by Brian Froud, text by Jessica Macbeth; Fireside, Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; 2000.

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Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep and enjoying The Tarot and other oracles,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

"...and now for a brief commercial break...."

But seriously, folks, you may have noticed the colorful banner and link below it in the sidebar here, to THE TAROT CHANNEL. I cannot recommend this site enough for Tarot lovers of all persuasions and levels of interest and expertise.

I've been visting The Tarot Channel almost every day, leaving comments, and enjoying it tremendously. It has a wide variety of posts, including book/deck reviews, new Tarot spreads, interesting and informative discussions in the comments to various posts, videos, Tarot in the news, etc., etc. So, get busy clicking and have a great time!

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Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep exploring and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

READING WITH & IMAGES FROM THE SECRET DAKINI ORACLE

This "Tantric divination deck" consists of 65 collage cards that can be mostly corresponded to the Tarot cards, although it has three extra cards and no cards I would correspond to the Courts. (Publication information is at the end of this post.)

I have had The Secret Dakini Oracle for close to 25 years, and have not looked at nor read with this fascinating and energetic deck in several years. So I thought I'd do a one card reading with it for myself to begin to warm up to it again. My question:

"What can I do to continue to improve my physical health and well-being?"

The card (again, excuse the stripes introduced by my scanner):



The one card reading: My immediate take, before I look in the cards that have meanings, is that I need to do some healing and relaxing ritual work. It's been way too long and I used to do light trance and ritual work regularly. I next think, I need to pull back a bit from everything, not just my health concerns, but all issues in my life. In other words, I need to regain some perspective, to see the larger picture.

I go to the meanings card and for "Magic Carpet" it says, in part: "Positive influence of the occult....Change of residence...." That first meaning certainly supports my thought about ritual work. The second, I believe, references the possibility I may move to California. In the context of this reading, I hear this saying to maintain a positive focus on that possibility, and the energy and inspiration it generates will be helpful and healing. (end reading)

By the way, when I first got these cards I corresponded each of the Ace through Ten of the Tarot suits to each of the ten cards of this deck's suits of earth, air, fire and water. (E.g., I simply considered the third card of water to be The Three of Cups. The correspondences to the Tarot Majors are printed on the meanings cards.) "Magic Carpet" would be the Six of Swords. And one of the meanings for the Six of Swords has to do with perspective.

Doing this reading, and choosing the four cards below, I have found a renewed excitement for these cards.

[possible correspondence to The Five of Swords]

[possible correspondence to The Three of Pentacles]

[possible correspondence to The Four of Pentacles]

[no correspondence, it's one of the three extra cards: "The potent power of the past. The protector of all the Dakinis. The occult Tantric transmission. Action"

These four are images I particularly like. However, I'd really suggest visiting the two links below to see a wider variety of the vibrant images this unique deck offers:

Secret Dakini Images at Aeclectic

Secret Dakini Images at The Mystic Eye

Publication information: Created by Nik Douglas, Penny Slinger, and Meryl White; published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; 1977.

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Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

THE NINE OF WANDS

TODAY'S CARD IS The Nine of Wands. This version is from The Gothic Tarot of Vampires:



For comparison, here's The Nine of Wands in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:



THE NINE OF WANDS: Vampire mythology has been on my mind a bit as I just recently finished reading a trilogy of books in which vampires were major players. I've also said here previously when using a card from this deck that I will be reviewing it in the future, and I will. It's taking me so long because it's a difficult deck for me to come to a conclusion about. It's such a mix of violence and insight, with little text to explain any of it. The Little White Book accompanying the deck doesn't say much about its Nine of Wands. But I assume the man (woman?) mourning is a vampire and, therefore, immortal and grieving the passing of a mortal love whom he watched age as he stayed forever young. This to me is a very touching way to speak to the strength the Nine of Wands can represent: the strength to love in the face of loss. A strength we are all called upon sooner or later to have in this life. BTW, I posted a poem that can be read to be about a different aspect of the Nine of Wands here previously.

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE NINE OF WANDS (i.e. the below is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of this card; a quick google will produce a wider variety of takes should you not be familiar with this card):

Imbalance. Conversely, balance of effort and energy available, or balance of what one thinks and what one feels.

Defending one's self or beliefs to the point it becomes destructive of self and/or relationships. Similarly: Most of the wounding and pain you are feeling now is self-inflicted in your struggle to stay in denial.

Slowed down or blocked by external conditions.

Taking things too personally.

Whatever you are considering, it may not be a good idea to undertake it right now. Even if others are pressuring you to do so.

Not time yet to rest. Take heart, others' energies are backing you up now.

What you are upset about is true, but your emotions are based in a past experience.

Watch the tendency to feel like a martyr. Sometimes you are simply the only one with the skills, strength, and vision to handle the situation.

The worst is over/past.

Stop focussing on what a struggle life is and focus on [rest of reading/cards will reveal this].

You are stronger than you know or admit to yourself.

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Resource: All Hallows Tarot, a somewhat "lighter" (:-D) take on the gothic.

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep recognizing your strength, and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****