Roswila's Tarot Gallery & Journal

Of water dragons and new years ....

2012-01-22T14:39:00.001-08:00

In honor of the Year of the Water Dragon

HAPPY

TEN OF WANDS in the Universal Fantasy Tarot & RWS Deck (slight revision of post)

2012-01-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Since early Fall 2011 I've been getting the Ten of Wands (10W) in my readings for myself. (It's actually been years since I've more than rarely read for others. And my almost daily readings for myself are meditative and much more like talking with a good friend than predictive in focus.) After the first several times the 10W showed up I blew up a color copy of it from the Universal Fantasy Tarot, as it was the deck I was using most then. I think you can see what I mean when I say this is an unusual and intriguing rendering of the 10W:

At that time I first noticed it turning up a great deal, I intended to use it as the underlying theme for my coming 2012 year. In January 2011 I had been "haunted" by Justice in this same deck. So copied it and wrote "Balance" and "Re-Balance" on the left and right edges of Justice, posting it to my bedroom wall. Balance and then re-attaining it (ad nauseum) has proven to be the connecting thread throughout 2011 for me.

So I sat with this large xerox of the 10W to see what it was saying to me repeatedly. (And I did not yet know that I had many weeks to go in which it would keep showing up. And it's still appearing regularly in my readings, sometimes along with the Eight of Wands.) Then it hit me, almost in the form of a haiku:

We expose, we burn
We create, we heal
We paint a new picture

I don't want to sound self-pitying, nor do I wish to sound like an egotistical "artiste." But I will lay claim to having a nature that not only thrives on pursuing creative urges, but needs to follow them in order to maintain her sanity. However, it's no easy road after that initial joy, i.e. once the work interfaces with the outer world. Or at least, it has not been an easy or very pleasant road for me. That's where a more usual version of the 10W such as in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith [RWS] deck comes in:

It's almost as if these two cards are about two different phases of the creative process. The RWS version (immediately above) being about the work once there's any attempt to take it out into the world. And the Universal Fantasy Tarot version at the top emphasizing my favorite phase: the actual creative process itself. (No surprise there, given the hermit/introvert I am. :-D) However, as with all phases of life these are not totally distinct from each other. Each informs, even entwines at times with, the other. Therefore, that little three line poem/ aphorism above.

By the way, I did post the Universal Fantasy Tarot version to my wall, but not as my 2012 theme. It just did not seem to want to be in that position in my life. This 10W with my little three line aphorism running around its edges, greets me every morning as I stumble out of bed, reminding me there's always a new picture to be painted. (A different card holds the 2012 theme for me, but that's for some other post.)

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

[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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); Opening to the Light (for digital pix only).****

REVIEW of Barbara Ardinger's SECRET LIVES, by Roswila

2011-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

by Barbara Ardinger, available from Amazon.com;
BarbaraArdinger.com, with link to a Reader’s Guide;
Barbara Ardinger's FaceBook page; and
A full length review of Secret Lives

I’m rushing up this extremely brief, but nevertheless rave review of Barbara Ardinger’s SECRET LIVES because it’s the Holiday Season and this book would make a marvelous gift!

SECRET LIVES is a totally wonder-filled, thought provoking, moving, fun ride, and I’ve only read it completely (so far) in its earlier incarnation. I.e., as chapter by chapter rolled off the author’s typewriter (yes, it was that long ago!) and was mailed to me. I’m now currently re-enjoying what’s familiar in the beginning chapters from back then and greatly looking forward to what’s new (considerable, given it’s now 600 pages or so) as I finish reading it.

The story plays out in an all too recognizably troubled Southern California urban setting, salted with humor along the way. (That’s one of the things I love about all of Ardinger’s books, there’s always room for humor.) This story of witches of all ages in modern times, that reaches back into ancient times to the roots of today’s creative pagan ways and wisdom, is massively engaging. Ardinger is a highly educated and intelligent writer, pulling from different sources and spiritual systems in such a way that they all "live" together harmoniously.

I would wait until I’ve finished this great ride before posting a review here, but as I noted above it's Holiday Season and this book would make a fabulous gift. You can get a more in-depth feel for it from the links beneath the cover graphic. And my review, if incomplete and skimpy is not inaccurate or uninformed. As I also said above, I’ve had the pleasure of reading the vast majority of it some time ago. The elder witches now feel like old -- pun intended -- and very dear friends.

Get this bookt! Give it! Read it! You’ll love it! You won't want to keep it a secret!

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‘til next time, keep reading great books, and enjoying The Tarot,

A TRIO OF NEW FOUND TAROT CARDS

2011-11-25T14:01:00.000-08:00

All three of the below Found Tarot cards -- digital photos of mine in which only after the fact do I see a card -- are really old photos. But I've had a fondness for them since first seeing them on my computer. Over the two-plus years since their taking and the "discovery" of a Tarot card in each, I've occasionally fussed with them trying to improve the cropping, color, focus, etc. I decided that I'd better post them now or I'd never post them. :-)

By the way, I have posted others pictures in which I see the same cards below. Many cards I post here have more than one possible version posted for them. Should I ever complete this deck and wish to produce a physical copy, I can pare down to one photo per card.

Here's a possible Eight of Disks (8P):

And here's a possible Tower (XVI):

Last is a possible Judgment (XX):

OK, I'd briefly wondered before I started choosing cards to post today if they would suggest a reading, which they frequently do. And seeing them up now in a draft view on blogger, yes, they definitely do. And also definitely not a light reading ... LOL! ... when are the readings for myself ever light? Not for this Saturnine Capricorn. Here goes:

This Found Tarot 8P suggests the vision I've had for a new life, a new path. And what stands between, if you will, me and that life is a lot of hard work. Which I have accepted and attempted to do, but somehow not accomplished, no matter how hard I struggle. In light of what I see below in the other two cards, there's a more traditional meaning to this card that can be applicable here. In the Rider/Waite/Smith version of the 8P the person is literally "making pentacles." (Sitting at a work bench with an awl and hammer working on a pentacle, with 7 others around him.) A Tarot teacher I had decades ago said this was another way of saying "doing spiritual work." Which is one way to understand the sort of life challenge and struggle I see here.

This Found Tarot XVI suggests a fall. But almost more a "raining upon" from elsewhere, of both shadows and light. That instead of focusing on not getting ahead, I need to be opening to what falls in grace. I'm not sure I can make this clear, but to recognize how little we ultimately control in our lives. And not to be so focused on what we fail at or don't get that it takes a two-by-four over our heads to open us to what rains down in grace at all times. I've even begun to wonder how much we can ever really take credit for having accomplished. How much might just be chance. Which may simply be another word for grace.

And this Found Tarot XX suggests that a new life does indeed call even as it opens. It's always beginning, unmissable, unmistakable, whenever I stay in the moment. This card also suggests accepting the impermanent nature of being in the moment (at least for me). It's not a steady state, but one I wander in and out of. A way of being that is illusive and ephemeral (again, at least for me) but one that always blooms again when I most need it. If sometimes only after a series of two-by-fours over the head, as in a more negative Tower (XVI) experience.

I don't offer these "interpretations" above as anything more than what I obviously needed to hear today. Though they are not totally unconnected to the more accepted and usual meanings attributed to these three cards.

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‘til next time, keep opening to the moment, and enjoying The Tarot,

THE FOUR OF SWORDS and THE MOON for The Found Tarot

2011-09-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Above is a possible Four of Swords (4s) for The Found Tarot. I posted it recently on my dreams & poetry blog with a dream poem. It's also one of those occasional photo and dream pairings that I print out and stick up on the wall near my computer. It kept drawing my eye more than these pairs do after the first day or two. I thought probably because I love the colors. But then it hit me: the 4S, duh! Its mundane name is "Dreaming of Home" and the figure on the Rider/ Waite/ Smith (RWS) 4S might be dreaming, too. (I gave it that name before I'd consciously recognized the 4S in the pic.) For comparison, here's the RWS 4S:

And here below is another photo that catches my eye every time I open it's folder for some other photo. Its mundane name is "The Road Back." I had lots of trouble naming this photo two years ago when I took it because I kept wanting to use "star" or "crab" in the title, but neither word really worked. And I'd not yet tripped over the idea for a Found Tarot, so not even "crab" clued me in back then to The Moon (XVIII) card:

For compasion, here's The Moon in the RWS deck:

A final note: the ultimate feeling I get from working with these two cards is of a desire to escape, to go home, to find or wend one's way home or back. And as happens every time with cards/photos I post here (and even sometimes with non-Tarot related photos I pick for my other blogs) there's more than a little truth in that spontaneous surfacing of "meaning." Those who know I've only been living in California for about 3-1/2 years might be tempted to think I'm home sick for New York City where I'd lived my entire life. But not so. The home I'm sick for is an internal one. The home inside myself that all too often folds up its tent and moves on without me. Leaving me lost and exposed and in the dark, "Dreaming of Home."

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

FINDING ANOTHER ACE OF WANDS, HERMIT and FIVE OF WANDS

2011-08-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

I've posted at least one photo here before that suggests the Ace of Wands to me. However, when I saw this brand new one on my computer screen last night it fairly yelled Ace of Wands, too.

It's, um, mundane title is "Sentinel." Well, isn't that little pouch thingey on the palm trunk a gun holster? :-)

And here's another photo of mine for the Five of Wands. It's one I slightly edited when getting ready for a photo exhibit I just had. Though it didn't make my cut for the exhibit, it did net me another 5W:

It's mundane title is "Caught Up in the Light."

Last for today's post is another Hermit photo, though this is really more a joke than a serious sighting of IX:

The mundane title for this photo is "X Marks the Spot."

I have many more in my folder of Found Tarot possibles, but they all need some editing and/or cropping. They wound up in my Found Tarot folder during that exhibit preparation I mentioned above. It's going to be fun going through them little by little to see which ultimately survives the process and which gets returned to a more mundane life. :-)

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-08-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

For anyone who might be enjoying my Found Tarot card digital photos, here's the link to my new blog. It's dedicated solely to my digital pix of all kinds, not just those in which I see Tarot cards: OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

This photo accompanied the first post to this new blog:

The photos being posted there cover a wide range, from representational to "abstract," from to nature to architecture.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

TIME TO VISIT WITH THE FOUND TAROT

2011-07-06T17:37:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted any of my digital pix that put me in mind of Tarot cards. I call it "The Found Tarot" because I do not take the photos with Tarot cards in mind. But only see suggestions of cards once they are on my computer, and most often not until many months later.

I've also posted more than one version for some cards. I'm not sure if this will ever become an actual physical deck. But should it, I can at that time choose which of the images best suits for such a card. There's also no uniting design principal or focus (yet, maybe it'll surface later on). (For earlier Found Tarot photos, see posts listed in the sidebar. You may need to click on the bottom most post, then look to the sidebar again to get to even earlier Found Tarot pix.)

As for what says Tarot to me in a photo? That can be obvious sometimes and at other times quirky or poetic. I'm really following my nose with this project and enjoying it greatly. Where it goes, it goes .... well, I do hope it's not off a cliff! Which comment leads me to The Fool (0). This is the only Found Tarot photo (so far) in which I did not see the card; a fellow tarot lover pointed out that it could be 0:

Here's another card about possible falls. Hm, seems to be a theme emerging though I had not intended one. Anyway, this is The Tower (XVI). I like the sense of contained but still possibly dangerous power in those cables and lines. A tumble would not be fun.

And now for The Wheel (X). This is a more unusual representation of X, at least as far as I've seen in decks. I looked at this photo and suddenly thought, we go up, we go down, we go up ... around and around ... ah, The Wheel card!

So, there's the theme or message that was trying to come through as I was organizing this post. Yes, we have some bad falls and our fear of falling can be just as bad. But we also rise to heal on the tide of change, over and over. This is a good reminder at a time when I feel like I've fallen into a pot of crazy glue and may not be able to climb out. And that's only partly a joke.

What Tarot images do you see in unusual places in your life? I'll bet dollars to donuts what you see will have something to say to you.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

THE FOUR OF WANDS

2011-02-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today's post is about a card I've not yet covered in depth from my own file of "found" meanings: the Four of Wands (4W). This version is from one of my current favorite decks, The Universal Fantasy Tarot (link has several clearer scans of cards from this delightful imaginative deck):

The 4W is one of the few Tarot cards that has tended not to resonate a great deal for me in readings. Except in the more usual meanings such as: celebration, joy, completion, maybe a wedding or romance. Here it is in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

However, I've started getting the 4W fairly often recently and it's begun to "open" a bit for me in some new ways.

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR AND INSIGHTS ABOUT THE FOUR 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):

The distance between you and others is of your own making. They would welcome you being closer and around more often.

Your fears of being trapped or bound to others keeps you at a remove from them. This has more to do with your own ability to attach and care deeply. It has cost you in the past and made you wary.

Imminent relationship breakup (a couple, a friendship, a working group, etc.). Whether a welcome parting or not depends either on the situation and/or surrounding cards.

A need to get outside of yourself and be more social. Good time to stop navel gazing! Conversely, you need some time to yourself, maybe out in nature.

Don't get over focussed on tasks at hand. There's danger of becoming isolated and losing valuable inspiration.

A solid relationship, if a bit weighted in one direction (e.g. the intellectual) which might be frustrating for the other (e.g. intuitive).

Anxiety and rushing may make good results questionable.

The people you are trying to communicate with don't or can't really understand what you are talking about. They are not being difficult. They just don't get it.

Can address a distance of some sort. E.g. between the querent and others; between the issue and it's possible successful outcome; between completion and acknowledgment or recognition of it. Maybe even a phyrric victory.

The person this card represents is a professional so do not expect friendliness or closeness from them. However, what is sought from them professionally will be obtained.

This time of distance from others is necessary and restful, and will support your improved physical and emotional health. But do not cut ties, just loosen them; there's a positive reciprocity in maintaining them.

It's that idea of a distance being inherent in this card's meaning that has most struck me recently. I guess I just couldn't get past it's wedding card aspect before this. That chupa (four posted wedding canopy) is a strong symbol, and it's front and center in the RWS version.

Interesting, although I feel good to have posted about one of my "difficult" cards in the Tarot, I don't feel very satisfied with what I've put up. LOL! That could be another meaning for the 4W -- dissatisfaction upon completion.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

RECEIVED: STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD

2011-01-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Imagine my suprise when I received this award from: Venus Does Mars, a unique Tarot blog site. There are some rules to accepting the award. First to share seven things about yourself, and second to pass on the award to 10 other blogs recently found.

Here's seven things about me:

-- I'm a senior citizen of planet earth and other less wordly realms, who's all too rapidly approaching 70 (just turned 67, but today feel like, oh, maybe a hair short of 85).

-- I am by no stretch of the imagination a trained musician, but love making a fool (Fool?) out of myself improvising on the wind instruments in my collection. Such as a didjeridu and bamboo flute walking stick (that's my cane, as well).

-- I have only lived in California for three years. I was a life long resident before that of New York City.

-- I've been told (and can see why from my various types of hand drawings and paintings, when I do any) that I should have been a textile designer.

-- I'm farily tall at 5'9'. Well, that's no longer true. I've shrunk, and don't like this, to about 5'7-1/2". It never even bothered me in my long ago youth to top out at 6' when wearing 3 inch spike heels.

-- My father was a singer who used to appear on the old T.V. variety show "Your Show of Shows" (Sid Cesar and Imogene Coca) every week; a tall, skinny, blue-eyed, dark haired baritone. He not only sang duets with guest stars like Margaritte Piazza, but appeared in comedy sketches and group musical numbers. (I make no claim to the accuracy of those name spellings; I'm too lazy to google them all. :-D)

-- I never married or had children. But I've had a life rich with friendships, and raised one roommate's boy for the first almost ten years of his life so feel like I've been a mother.

I hope you visit the sites (links below) that I'm awarding with this STYLISH BLOGGER AWARD:

TIMEKEEPER

SEA STORIES

THE DAILY DREAMER

ILLUMINATION TAROT

GNOSIS CAFE

InfiniteBody

HAIKU VENTURES

RISING MOON ASTROLOGY

BARBARA ARDINGER.COM

ELIZABETH AND MAEVE

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

IS IT THE TWO OF WANDS or THE THREE OF WANDS?

2011-01-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

A comment by Tarot blogger Vipera Kernewes to my previous post below led me to her Tarot blog. In a post there dated November 11, 2010 she points out a confusion or unclarity for her between the Two and Three of Wands in many decks, and illustrates this with images from several decks.

I was amazed and challenged! For all the years I’ve been working with and collecting Tarot decks I’d never noticed this. She’s right, by golly, there does tend to be a strong similarity between these two minor arcana cards in the decks she shares images from. This ultimately sent me off on a quest to compare these two cards in my own collection of decks. But first I began to contrast these cards in my mind. Asking myself just what are the distinctions between the Two and Three of Wands? I came up with lists of contrasts, such as (first the 2, then 3): inner vs. outer; embracing vs. opening; harboring vs. questing; overview beforehand vs. consequence after; containment vs. sharing; and so on.

I was not as happy with the three’s side of these contrasts, as the Three of Wands energy doesn’t usually feel to me as stable or fully here as the energy of the Two. So I modified all of the descriptive Three of Wands words I’d chosen to have a sense of imminence, i.e. the contemplative pause after a first step taken; action about to be taken; opening about to happen; possible consequence of contemplated action; etc.

Then I really became curious about looking at these two cards in decks in my collection. Below are scans of those I found most intriguing. They all seem to play out the “inner vs. outer” contrast. The cards in “The Tarot: The Complete Kit” (square cards with black backgrounds) being by far the quirkiest in design, with the energy seeming also to move in reverse. That is, the Two of Wands seems to shove the figure on it into a more contemplative or inner state in the Three. But that contrast is still there between inner and outer. Of course, I chose to look at these particular decks so my unconscious may very well have guided me to them to support my theory. And, as I have quoted here many times before, a friend and I used to say about The Tarot – only partly joking – if it doesn’t fit, we’ll make it fit. LOL!

Two & Three of Wands from:
THE TAROT/The Complete Kit and THE GOTHIC TAROT OF THE VAMPIRES

Two & Three of Wands from:
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE TAROT (the scan is not very clear -- those are snails at bottom of the Two of Wands)

Two & Three of Wands from:
THE UNIVERSAL FANTASY TAROT and THE MANGA TAROT

In any case, I’m grateful to Vipera for her post. It has, if nothing else, revivified my interest in several of the decks from which images are scanned in above, reminding me why they are in my collection to begin with.

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

THE THREE OF SWORDS and WABI-SABI

2011-01-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

The Three of Swords in the Witches Tarot

After proofreading the daily post to my dreams and poetry blog today it hit me that what I was saying about the Japanese term “wabi-sabi,” is another way to view the Three of Swords (3S) in The Tarot.

Here’s what I quoted in that post (from Wikipedia): “...if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi. [Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." [emphasis mine]

This to me captures an aspect of the 3S I had not seen before, at least not so clearly. I looked at a lot of different versions of this card to find one that might lend itself more to this interpretation than the traditional heart pierced by three swords. I chose the one from the Witches Tarot posted above.

For comparison, here's a more traditional 3S (from the Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot):

And, as always with The Tarot, this new connection to wabi-sabi is very timely. I’d been wondering more and more about my increasing tendency to sadness -- as distinct from depression. I’ve been struggling with personal issues, but have also been becoming more and more aware of and even beginning at times to embrace those “three simple realities.” Or in terms of the image at the top of this post, more willing to walk on accepting that everything is impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect.

If you'd like to see my earlier explorations of the 3S, click here and here.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

THE EIGHT OF SWORDS: meanings, a poem, & in the Universal Fantasy Tarot

2010-12-27T16:20:00.001-08:00

It’s been quite some time since I’ve done a post about the less common and even quirky “meanings” I see in any particular Tarot card. I keep notes on what I see for various cards that feel new to me or unusual, and have a considerable pile at this point (much of it going back years). So I thought I’d go through them all and the one with the most meanings scribbled down for it would be the post for today. Well, the Eight of Swords (8S) was a hands-down winner and I’m surprised I’ve not done a post on it before. Especially given so many of the meanings are and have been directly applicable to my life.

Then I recalled I’d even very recently written a tanka (very briefly put, a five line poem) on the 8S in the Universal Fantasy Tarot. (BTW, a fabulous deck that I’ve been working with for a few months.) The poem is posted after the image below of the 8S in the Universal Fantasy Tarot. I’m also struck that last night I had a dream in which I was struggling to circle a room, pretty much against the walls. Another image of containment.

TODAY’S CARD The Eight of Swords is often interpreted to mean emotional turmoil, feeling or actually being trapped, depression, and other sorts of painful or negative situations, thoughts, or feelings. After reading over my own takes on this card I was surprisingly left with a general feeling of positivity. (At least today. :-D) For instance, the surrounding swords often depicted on this card can also be seen as protective during a fragile time of growth or transition. More meanings follow this 8S image from the Universal Fantasy Tarot, my poem, and the 8S from the Rider/Waite/Smith deck :

And here’s that tanka (poem) based on the above 8S image:

no mother hen
from her breast seven blades curve
creating a cage
I kneel within its compass
dodging her long beak’s kiss

And here's the 8S from the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE 8S (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):

Emotional imbalance and distance from others created by not taking responsibility for one’s self. (The 8C can also tend to this.)

Paranoia; imagining the worst about one’s self and/or others.

Your imaginary fears are trapping you. Finds some way to check out the objective reality of this situation.

Your hands are tied with respect to this inquiry. Be patient and use the down time to think and plan.

Are you thinking in terms of black and white; i.e. “either/or instead of both and more”? This sort of thinking can create walls between you, and growth and change.

Stop hamstringing yourself; the world offers enough resistance and troubles, don’t create them for yourself. Trust in your High Self to guide you.

For highly receptive/sensitive folk: Shielding yourself from others’ thoughts and unconscious (or otherwise) sendings is all to the good. But do not overlook how wide open you tend to be to emotional contagion, as well. I.e., the emotions you feel are not always your own.

If dealing with a highly receptive/sensitive person: respect the boundaries they set. They think about and feel things very deeply and are not always able to shield themselves, even from unintended “invasion.”

You may see what this person is feeling/thinking very clearly. But he/she is not at all in touch with inner life, so you may need to overlook a lot. Kindness should trump your need to be expressive.

Your thoughts imprison you more than anything else in your life. Loosen your attachment to your understandings and the quality of your life will change very quickly. And eventually, even the more objective factors will soften and morph.

Time to pack away the old stuff (both literally and metaphorically).

Don’t focus on minutiae at the expense of the big picture.

What are you holding back or imprisoning within yourself or, conversely, developing?

Yes, you can do it. But within certain limits or boundaries (e.g. the limits imposed by an aging body, or a very small financial budget).

You’re not off the mark here at all; you are simply beginning to see things in a new way, and/or from a very different perspective.

Grounding yourself so that you may give concrete form to ideas that you’ve just let “fly around in the ether.”

Retreat, physically and/or mentally, is timely.

If during a time of stress (internal and/or external in origins): ground yourself and envision being surrounded by a circle of white light.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

READING & MINI-REVIEW: THE TRANSPARENT TAROT

2010-12-10T19:40:00.001-08:00

Several weeks ago a dear friend gave me The Transparent Tarot, by Emily Cardings. If he weren’t already a good friend, he would have been when he handed it to me; I have been lusting after this unique deck for some time. I’ve now done many readings with it and find it both pretty much the same as working with most other decks, and quite different.

If you have not read about or seen this deck, it is literally transparent plastic, with evocative simple line drawings. Here’s a few of my favorite designs in the deck:

[left to right, top: Judgment & Two of Pentacles; bottom: Seven of Cups & Eight of Swords]

The spaciousness of this deck’s designs allow for layering of the cards so that they produce composite images that add to the richness and depth of a reading. Here’s an example of four cards layered – i.e., placed one on top of the other – from the first reading I did for myself with this deck (the slight greyish color is due to the layering):

I was inquiring into the bout of isolating from my friends and community I’ve been in to for some time. The first card I pulled at random after shuffling was the Nine of Cups (figure with cups in middle bottom). This confirmed that the relief (“wish fulfilled”) that isolation affords from my social conflicts is only temporary.

Then I got the Nine of Swords (figure with swords on left). This suggested I do dream incubation on this inquiry for some help. On occasion I see night dream issues in this card since the traditional RWS design implies a dream scenario. In fact, revisiting this particular Tarot reading is part of responding to something I saw in recent dream work that I’ve done since doing this reading. And around it goes … :-D

The third card I pulled was the Nine of Pentacles (figure holding a pentacle on the right). This gave me a bit of hope. In the traditional RWS design the figure is very contentedly alone in her lush garden.

I was now struck by the “cup” these three nines make together. And wondered what would fill it when I drew the fourth and last card. Another nine! The Hermit, IX (both the mountain at the top and the clouds/sea foam/smoke at the very bottom). So maybe some sort of wisdom will eventually come out of what I somewhat pejoratively refer to as isolating. Maybe even an ability to be more content within myself (my individual “garden”) whether I’m with others or not. I also hear this combination saying to continue to share whatever little light comes from my search and journey. Even if at times I feel as if I have ground to stand on no firmer than clouds. Ah! “Standing on clouds” might be a good way to describe the experience of right brain work. Its ephemeral nature, how elusive and difficult it can be to bring through into language and art. Yet this is the cup I drink from, the one that most nourishes me and my garden.

Oh, and that all four cards are nines? I think of the number nine as “nearing completion.” Some cycle or change is almost over. Of course, in matters of the inner world “almost” is an even vaguer measure than in physical time and space. That is, much more relative and far less exact. But all that said I’m hopeful I’ll be more centered and purposeful soon, no matter where I find myself -- alone more than being social or vice versa. Or even (now there’s a thought) some healthy balance between these two.

It can sometimes be informative to note what is not present. In this case, the fourth minor arcana nine, the Nine of Wands. I just realized this on drafting this post and will need to examine it further later as I have several different responses to the “missing” Nine of Wands.

So there you have it, my first reading with The Transparent Tarot, done a few weeks ago. I find this a unique and extremely pleasing deck to work with. It’s also a pleasure to handle. I’d wondered how it might shuffle and what it might be like to draw cards from. Both are easy to do, once I adjusted (and quickly) to using a little bit of caution with its slight slipperiness. (Hey, 78 Pick-Up’s a fun game, too!)

The deck comes with a well-thought out and lovely book in a hard “tray.” There’s also a large white cloth on which to lay out the cards. (A white background is necessary to be able to see the details and colors of the images, especially when layering the cards.)

Lastly, I’m agog at what I imagine must have been the planning that went into the placement of each card’s design to accommodate and maximize the effectiveness of the layering. I highly recommend this deck. Even for enthusiastic and patient beginners, as I would imagine it would facilitate seeing how the cards are frequently best read in relationship to each other. (See the link at top of this post for more images and purchasing information.)

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‘til next time, keep making connections and enjoying The Tarot,

SOME NEW FOUND TAROT CARDS

2010-10-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

[PLEASE NOTE: All photos posted on this blog for The Found Tarot were taken by Patricia Kelly, a/k/a Roswila]

Leaves die and fall. (Ultimately, they become part of the richness of the earth, which in turn nourishes new growth.) The DEATH card (XIII).

Leaves die and fall, others unfurl, still others are open fully to the sun; all bathed in the Light that informs the cycle of creation. The WHEEL OF FORTUNE (X).

I've not seen a relationship between X and XII before. Yet given the aspects of each on which I'm focussing in this post, X expresses the full cycle of creation/life and XIII the falling aspect.

Some whimsy in this CHARIOT card (VII). There are lots of ways we have of navigating through this life's cycles (bad pun alert!).

Usually there's a struggle of sorts going on in the FIVE OF WANDS. Here it's more subtle; just recall all that's going on inside each of the palms as they wave in the sunlight and brush against each other -- raising water, photosynthesis, and so on.

Need I even comment on this ACE OF SWORDS? I'd only be belaboring the point (forgive another bad pun).

And I'll end this post with a PAGE OF CUPS that prompts a feeling of gratitude in me. Note that like the fish coming out of the cup that the classic Rider/Waite/Smith Page of Cups holds, there's something new emerging around this cherub's shoulder and leg.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

REVIEW OF "DARK ORACLE" by Alayna Williams

2010-08-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

by Alayna Williams
June 2010
Mass Market Paperback
336 pages | $7.99
ISBN: 9781439167656

I’d loved the idea of this book on reading a pre-publication blurb, so I’ve been delighted to find it’s a great read. The two threads woven through out of the intuitive arts (Tarot, for example) and hard science (quantum theory, I believe it is) I found especially enjoyable. But there’s much more.

The heroine is a criminal profiler who uses her intuitive skills with The Tarot to do her tracking. She’s thrown together with a handsome government agent whose own belief and skills are hard science, all the way. As they pursue the criminals and are pursued by them through a lively and believable well-paced mystery plot, they are faced with working out feelings for each other across this wide divide of knowledge systems. I have had to deal with this same divide in some of my own relationships and find this, as with everything else in the book, to be well thought through and written. The author even manages to include brief teachings about The Tarot, in a way that is integral to the plot. I do not have enough knowledge to confirm the accuracy of her writings in the quantum (?) science area, but they, too, enhanced the story and engaged my interest and thought. As a Tarot reader, writer, teacher, and designer I can support her views on The Tarot. And I am endlessly curious whether the deck referred to in the book actually exists. If not, it would be an intruiging design project.

However, this book is above all a highly entertaining and intriguing mystery about a scientist who disappears while working on new technology that has possibly terrifying potential. I was intrigued and curious, concerned and delighted, start to finish. I was quite honestly briefly sad when this terrific ride was over! I hope there is a sequel, even sequels. The heroine and those in her life (e.g., a magical centuries old women’s group that protects and preserves wisdom) would offer plenty of fodder for further mysteries within which the heroine could use her profiling skills.

The author’s writing style is a pleasure. I particularly enjoyed the occasional detail, such as a dropped pen rolling across the lurching floor of a helicopter. These sorts of details help create fully habitable scenes for a reader when used judiciously as this author does. I often find dialogue to be an awkward area in mysteries, but this author’s dialogue is “spot on;” fitting to each character. And the characters, even the more peripheral ones, never become cartoon-like but retain credibility. While their relationships all ring true.

But I’ll again emphasize that “Dark Oracle” is most of all an excellent mystery book. I’ve had the thought that in the future this old lady will be able to say “Oh yes, I read her first book and even back then it was quite obvious that she is a skilled imaginative writer.”

Highly recommended read whether you are left brain dominant or a Tarot fan, or neither.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

THE MAGICIAN (I) IN THE FOUND TAROT

2010-08-18T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here’s a Magician (I) card for The Found Tarot, that I took about two weeks ago here on the grounds of the retirement community I live in:

THE MAGICIAN (I)

The Magician, you might well say? OK. There’s a lemniscate (infinity sign) in the upper middle clouds. That jet stream is a sword symbol. The buildings are very earthy, and the trees are wands. Clouds are comprised of water. Those flat building tops are very table-like. The entire scene has a feeling of something magical about to stir.

Here’s the Rider/Waite/Smith Magician for comparison:

I wish my photo were as magical an experience to view as the sky was that day. A friend had excitedly pointed out that afternoon that the clouds in the low middle were vaguely rainbow colored (a bit more so than shows in the photo). And that jet trail appeared as other folk were gathering around and I snapped pictures. However, I did not notice the lemniscate in the upper middle clouds until I saw the photos on my computer screen. That’s when it hit me this picture was The Magician.

As I wondered what this Found Tarot Magician has to say to me today -- I’m sure I felt urged to do this post today at some sort of right brain prompting :-D -- I thought that my current frustration is with being back at the drawing board, again. Seeing The Magician’s table as such, I have all the tools for a new effort gathered on it in preparation. Actually, I’ve several projects tabled -- if you’ll pardon the pun -- from which I can choose. Now is the time to pick one and begin a concentrated effort. Last, that vague rainbow has a future feel to it. Given the grayness of the buildings and their blankness, a rainbow -- no matter how pale and distant -- holds promise.

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'til next time, keep working the magic inherent in preparation and concentraton, and enjoying The Tarot,

[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 Tarot poetry; Roswila's Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku -- Haiku Like Dream Poems.****

THE FOUR OF SWORDS: meanings & images

2010-08-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

I’m departing from what has become the usual focus of this blog to return to my original intent for a little bit: to share less common and even quirky meanings for the cards. And also to share images from various decks, in comparison to the more traditional Rider/Waite/Smith (RWS) deck. I’m not stopping my work on The Found Tarot (cards for which I’ve been posting here). I will probably simply intersperse posts for it between those on card meanings.

TODAY’S CARD IS: “The Four of Swords” in the Haindl Tarot. First I scanned in the image for the German copy of the deck in my possession:

Then because I wasn’t happy with the quality of the scan, I sought out a better image on the internet. To my consternation I found a different Four of Swords in The Haindl Tarot, an English version it seems:

It’s to the German one I will be referring herein, but thought I’d share the other image as well.

GREAT BIG OOOOOPS!!!! On re-reading this post the next day (I always do so to check for any typos that slipped by me) I noted that what I took to be the Four of Swords in the German version is the Four of Wands (probably Four of Spears in this deck). Argh! I should never do a post when tired. In any event, I'll leave my thoughts as they are herein as my method is basically about projection onto the cards, not referring to traditional meanings. I'll just acknowledge that the Four of Wands got accidentally folded in with it all. I will also add that it could be said that there are no accidents, so that this confusion served a purpose. Of course, I'd like to believe this and not that advancing age is getting to me more than I'd realized. LOL!

I’ve also recently returned to doing a daily morning one card reading, right after writing any poem that may have surfaced in response to my night’s dream(s). Just a couple of days ago I got the Four of Swords in this morning reading. It was very relevant to the night’s dream work, of course (see last meaning below). I’d drawn it at random from the RWS deck so when I decided to post about the Four of Swords today I thought I’d choose it in a less traditional deck, The Haindl. I was fascinated by that sleepy eye, reflected in what might be seen as a mirror held in the palm of a hand - very unclear in the top scan above; it may actually be an American Indian shield. It also gave me a chuckle as this projection of mine onto the design could be seen as a reflection of the morning process I go through of writing then reading a Tarot card when I’m still somewhat sleepy. How might this fit with the Four of Swords itself? Well, the RWS 4S:

certainly can be seen as someone sleeping; the sword of mind quiescent for now even as its issues rise through dreams (the three swords on the wall).

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE FOUR OF SWORDS (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):

Wishing and/or waiting to be rescued.

“Lying down on the job.”

The worst is over; rest and recover.

The ability to move between right and left brain states, that can lead to profound understanding and/or healing.

Not all about life is exciting and dramatic; much is quiet, subtle, and even boring. Enjoy the down time. Watch the tendency to create unnecessary drama for the stimulation.

Stop falling on the sword of sorrow, again and again, with repetitive sad thinking. Try something that takes concentration - like making a gratitude list – and/or physical exercise. I.e. remember “Gratitude and Distraction Action.”

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‘til next time, keep honoring the times for rest and the times for activity, and enjoying The Tarot,

MORE FOR THE FOUND TAROT

2010-07-26T17:45:00.001-07:00

I'd hoped that having an article about my Taiga Tarot project published would have inspired some more designs on that project. But it seems Found Tarot designs are surfacing instead. Fine by me. As long as inspiration keeps coming for something from somewhere. :-) If only for the time I'm involved with inspirations, there's some relief from my on-going miserable navel gazing mood. (Please note some of these I've posted images for previously. Once I have all 78 cards -- and that's certainly a looooong way off -- I'll chose the best of any multiple images I have at that time.)

The first that grabbed me today is The Devil ... and that's not really a surprise, given what I say above about my miserable mood. In more traditional Devil card designs there are chains, here it's a metal screen. In the former, the chains usually appear loose and easily escapable; in this one escape isn't readily apparent. One could even see this apparatus as a sun screen which is not a bad thing. And that echos one of the readings for the more traditional Devil -- The Guardian at the Gate. The one who keeps us from going further/deeper, until we are ready to.

THE DEVIL, XV

This next, The Chariot/VII, is partly a joke. It's one of those photos I just get a kick out of. However, when I think on it the neural pathways for how we drive the chariots of our lives do get largely laid down in our youngest years.

THE CHARIOT, VII

Here's one I didn't see The Star (XVII) card in until I cropped it a bit for a photo exhibit. Then it became obvious. This was taken up in Solvang, CA in a town with a Hans Christian Andersen museum, statues, etc., that I love to wonder around. It's a pretty town that, at least for me, does tend to allow a little hope to sneak in to my spirit, no matter my mood.

THE STAR, XVII

And in that same vein, another photo taken in Solvang in which I see The Tower, XVI. A rather "Romeo & Juliet" balcony-type Tower, or better, an ivory or Rapunzel Tower. A painful distance between one's reality and the yearned for enlightenment. One could see this as a "pre-lightning bolt" Tower card.

THE TOWER, XVI

The last for today is one taken on the retirement community grounds where I live. As I've said before here probably, I love the contrast between architecture and nature. As a Three of Wands, this choice is (at least to me) pretty straight forward: looking forward. And those three little bars at the bottom, the three wands.

THE THREE OF WANDS

Right now that dark horizontal bar across the above Three of Wands is about all I seem to be focussing on. Maybe I should meditate on The Star.

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‘til next time, try keeping an eye out for Tarot images around you, and see what happens,

2010-07-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've just received my (print) copy of the American Tarot Association's Quarterly Journal for Summer 2010. In case you don't know about the ATA here's a link to the homepage: ATA. (They're also on Facebook.) Membership means you'd get a copy, too, of this current Quarterly Journal in which my article: Designing the Taiga Tarot: A dream-inspired deck of illustrated cards appears. The article describes how I came to be designing this deck, and includes graphics of five of the cards and a brief bio along with links to my other online efforts. A link to the cards I've so far designed in this deck of taiga is at the top of this blog. And here's a sample from the deck (note that the fifth line of the tanka reads down on the right):

It was a special honor and delight to appear in an issue in which Stephanie Pui Mun Law's "Shadowscape Tarot" is reviewed. (A deck I just recently added to my own collection and have been enjoying working with immensely. I'd been watching it's progress on her web site for a long time and having it finally in my hands was a high point.) And another deck the progress of which I've watched online with awe is reviewed in this journal, "The Gaian Tarot/Limited Edition" by Joanna Powell Colbert. This issue also has a reading layout, Tarot humor, more deck reviews, etc. Almost makes the cost of membership worth it all by itself! (Of course, there are more benefits for joining than receiving quarterly copies of this journal.)

So I highly recommend visiting the ATA's homepage and enjoying the wide range of Tarot related resources they offer.

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‘til next time, keep expanding your Tarot community,

FOUR MORE FOUND TAROT CARDS by Roswila

2010-05-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here's four more Found Tarot cards.

This first below I'm thinking of for the Ace of Swords -- this is in addition to a photo I posted early on for the AS. It may seem an odd choice. However, birds certainly can represent the sword element of air. And on Rider/Waite/Smith deck and many clones thereof, a hand is holding a sword draped with greenery up to the sky. In this case, I love the intimate feel of the child offering all the possibilities of the element of air directly to the viewer:

This next is an older photo that I just today saw as a possible Empress (III) card -- I've posted one for III earlier, too. As I've remarked on this blog before I see both The Empress and Death as doors, one into life and the other onto whatever lies afterwards. (The Empress's Hebrew letter even means "door" in noun form.) Also, those steps on the right can be "down" into life. And I really like all the lush greenery as The Empress is usually depicted in a garden:

This next is for The Moon (I've not posted one for it previously). Although that's not the moon, of course, but the top globe of a many globe lamp, I like the overall feel of this photo. Though I must admit I'm hoping to get a real moon photo someday that will do better:

This last is one of my oldest photos. One that I was surprised by when I first saw it on my computer screen ("Did I take that?" :-D). I just today realized it can be the Two of Cups. I've posted a previous 2C early on, but like this one more. Those two chairs are framed in a bower, and waiting to "cup" two friends? lovers? partners of some sort? while the windchime announces all is ready and waiting for them:

Just realized these four cards make an interesting reading for me tonight. What caught my attention was a sense of overall positivity in these cards. I find that unexpected given how poor my mood has been all day, and much of the time for many months. The reading could go -- very briefly put -- like this:

The Ace of Swords is urging me use my mind, and not just it's cutting ways but it's abilities to discern and consider all sides of things, and be creative.

The Empress is suggesting I be patient, that a birth of some sort is imminent in my life. And in the meantime, to be a good mother to myself. She, too, counsels use of creative energies.

The Moon raises my intense desire for clarity, and immediately, please! To which it also replies "patience." To remember that the relative unclarity of twilight (moonlight, intuitive) vision is a healthy balance to the mind's incisiveness. And that this "dark night of the soul" that The Moon card can sometimes represent, will not last forever.

Lastly, the Two of Cups may be saying that what I've been going through is a preparation for the sort of partnering I've been missing. This partnering could be with myself -- i.e., not being my own worst enemy, as well as with someone else.

Though this sort of thing keeps happening, I'm still a bit surprised when I stumble across Tarot cards and readings in my photos. But even moreso, I'm grateful for this wealth of possibility that we call The Tarot.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

ONE MORE FOUND TAROT CARD: Strength

2010-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Amazing how the associative mind works. I was not up to writing a new dreamku or even dealing with an older one for the daily post to my dreams & poetry blog. So I decided to just post a photo. Well, the photo I chose after a bit of a search began to resonate and I realized it was putting me in mind of the Strength card. Here it is:

Here's what I say today in that dreams & poetry daily post: One quick association: The Strength card in the Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot. Because, as on that card, one can't be sure if there's an opening or closing. Yes, technically its being a flower means it's opening, but given it's a frozen image the direction of motion is not captured. The eye can interpret it as going either way. Here's Strength in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

Even the colors are similar to my photo at the top. And I note that bottom middle petal in my photo is a bit tongue-like, as if we are looking down the throat of the lion.

I'd say this process has given me a reading for the day. There are both openings and closings going on in my life. And it is inevitable toward this end of life and given my health issues that the closings would be on the physical plane. (Worsening arthritis, e.g.) I'm also getting an intuitive tug that's urging me not to assume I have identified the openings and closings; that these are always taking place in our lives. LOL! I just saw the RWS Two of Pentacles in my mind's eye ...

... as I thought that what I need to do is get used to going with changes, even if they do make me vaguely sea sick. Note that ship on the rolling sea in the background, not to mention the figure's back and forth dance of balancing. And today I see ambiguity in this card also: Are the pentacles he's holding rocking him back and forth as they roll, or is he shifting them as he dances? Or maybe it's a chicken/egg question, or a happy partnering. Phew. My need to know and be clear is really not being satisfied today. And I'll just have to go with that as the ultimate message for the time being. AhHAH! Maybe there's a certain "strength" in just that: being with not knowing in a graceful accepting way. Unfortunately, even though my middle name is Grace, I'm not feeling very graceful these days.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

TWO NEW FOUND TAROT CARDS

2010-04-04T13:56:00.001-07:00

As often happens, I was thinking I should look for more Tarot cards in my photos. Then I did some card reading last night for myself and a new slant on the Nine of Wands popped. When I checked through my photos today for Tarot cards, there it was, an image for the Nine of Wands. Wish I could trust more in that sort of thing occurring in my life in general. It would certainly ease my anxieties! Anyway, here's a Found Tarot Nine of Wands:

One might expect the wands to be behind the greenery, as they are behind the figure on the Rider/Waite/Smith deck. But the above arrangement works for me, especially with the more "negative" new slant on this card I tapped into last night: Most of the wounding and pain you are feeling now is self-inflicted in your attempts to stay in denial. How did I come to that? I was looking closely at the odd expression on the face of the figure on the Rider/Waite/Smith Nine of Wands, almost fearful. As if he weren't resting after a difficult but successful battle, but being hemmed in or about to be attacked by the wands behind him. These cards can be such helpful nets in which to catch our own projections. Here's the Nine of Wands in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

The other card I found today is The Hermit.

If the image above for The Hermit puzzles you -- I've not shown it to anyone at this point, so I'm not sure how it comes across -- check out that shadow on the road.

There are more photos I've identified as possible Found Tarot cards. But I'll leave those for future posts. I might change my mind anyway, or take new photos that are more suiting (and certainly better technically; I'm still a newbie photog). I'm beginning to think that this deck may never wind up an actual physical 78 card deck. I have at least three Aces of Cups, and multiples of other cards. The Tower has at least a half dozen possibles, most of which I really like. It may just be that it's this process that's important. And that's fine with me. :-)

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

FIVE VESSELS: Link to Guest Post Tarot Reading by Roswila

2010-03-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

As a result of the way blogging has of connecting us, I was invited to do a guest post on Alayna Williams's "Delphi's Daughters," a blog about oracles. I designed a five card layout just for this guest post and did a reading for myself using it. (I rarely read for anyone else anymore, as I relate to the Tarot primarily as a personal tool for spritial and emotional growth.) I also talk a bit about my approach to Tarot. You can read the post here:

FIVE VESSELS: a Tarot card reading with comments

I think you will also greatly enjoy exploring Alayna's informative blog.

The Tarot card above is from a mini-Albano/Waite/Smith deck, obviously an old well-loved one. This Seven of Pentacles showed up in the reading and I am yearning for the rest it recommends; rest more of spirit than body at this point.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

FOUR FOUND TAROT CARDS

2010-02-19T20:41:00.001-08:00

This first one, The Ace of Cups, is one I've posted an image for previously and have yet another in my files I'm considering. It's rather nice to have a plethora of Aces of Cups, seeing as one of its most basic attributes is "The source of all the powers of love." Of course, that could only be reflecting my depressed state yearning, as opposed to being predictive or offering hope. At any rate, I do like this photo as the Ace of Cups:

These little round cacti give me pleasure, no matter my mood. They just sit there, sharing their bounty, which really fits the Seven of Pentacles:

These leaves are just about my favorite growing things around here to look at and photograph. I've probably said here before how changeable they are; from minute to minute they shift in the wind and light, becoming new. Wish I were as flexible. This one I'm considering for the Three of Wands:

And this last I'm not as sure of, but I am considering it for The Wheel (of Fortune). It has a sort of spinning around dizzy look to it and right now that's how I'm experiencing "fortune."

Hope fortune is treating you all well.

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‘til next time, keep watching for Tarot images and wisdom in unexpected places,

AND IN QUICK SUCCESSION, ANOTHER FOUND TAROT CARD

2010-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

It never rains but it pours ... literally. The brief break from a week of rain storms here in usually sunny South Central California is over. More rain, for which we can ultimately be grateful (especially if there aren't any mudslides from wildfire ravaged mountainsides). This time my mood is matching it, drop for drop. But that's mostly because we have a full moon coming on Saturday and I get wonky under waxing gibbous moons. Anyway, on to the new Found Tarot card...

I went around back to one of the gardens here on our grounds to try to capture some of the last clinging red fall leaves on a tree. And, as always, got caught up in everything around as well. I'd cropped the image below several different times trying to get it "right" when it hit me: The Two of Pentacles. (More accurately, The Two of Disks, as I was seeing its resemblance to that card in The Thoth Tarot.)

That second pentacle/disk on the bottom is a bit squished but that about fits how I'm feeling today. :-) Seriously however, I'm not surprised this card about change would present in my life just now. I've begun a major change. Or rather am clearly seeing the need for it. Hm, maybe that's the same thing because until we see the need clearly nothing can change. It's also a very timely reminder that the only stability is change. Even these succulents represent that principal. They weren't this big (at least a foot across) or lush even a few days ago. That week of rains has left an explosion of greenery and wildflowers behind it everywhere.

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‘til next time, keep riding the winds of change and enjoying The Tarot,

TWO NEW FOUND TAROT CARDS

2010-01-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

This first new Found Tarot card (as was the second, as well) was taken looking out from behind the front gate of the retirement community I live in. It's been difficult to get the true color on those bars; they are really almost black. (Have yet to find the time to read up on color in digital photography and I do need to; it's a challenge at times. In the case of these bars I think it has to do with them being a slightly reflective surface, even though I was not using a flash.)

I've been seeing the Wands suit a lot in the various photos I've been taking from behind this gate. I've posted two previous Two of Wands here (not taken from behind this gate), but the below image may be best so far:

Here's another I took today that could also be a Two of Wands, and the bars are their actual color:

And here's one that might be good for the Ten of Wands:

Interesting that I'd be dealing with two cards that speak to being contained in some way. In the Rider/Waite/Smith images -- one behind the ramparts of a castle, the other behind a burden. I'm learning to adjust my life's scope as I age and at times it does feel like imprisonment or at least unwelcome containment. That's why digital photography is such a boon for me. Once I start taking photos I enter another brain state, another world all together. One that is endlessly spacious and just keeps leading me onto further vistas like those the figure on the Rider/Waite/Smith Two of Wands is viewing.

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‘til next time, keep acknowledging the spaciousness of inner/creative life and enjoying The Tarot,

ONE NEW FOUND TAROT CARD: The Death Card, XIII

2009-10-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been quite some time since I've posted a FOUND TAROT card here. I do have a few in mind (and on my computer) but none have really grabbed me. Then tonight I was thinking of the photo below for some reason and it hit me "Death, it's the Death card!" (I've already posted a tentative Death card here - a tree stump - but I like this photo below much more.) Very untraditional design, true. But it says it for me. Especially that aspect of the Death card that is about transition. And even if one notes the bit of green growing in the distance, that this card is about clearing away the old so that the new can grow.

I'm struck that I've also chosen a door image for The Empress. But this makes perfect sense to me. She's our doorway into this material life and Death is the doorway out. That is, both III and XIII, in my understanding, can reference liminal states. The difference between them being the direction in which the energy in each is going.

If you are interested, there are several previous FOUND TAROT card posts below.

OK, off to work on finishing my Halloween Costume for the party in the retirement community I live in. I'm going as "Words in Search of a Poem." I'm pinning lots of my favorites words all over my all black outfit, and I'll carry around yellow sticky notes and a pen in case anyone wants to add a word to me. Last year's costume party was lots of fun, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow's.

Oh, my it occurs to me it's highly appropriate, and may even be the reason why, I thought of a Death card for the FOUND TAROT tonight for 'tis the season to honor those who've gone before, while the veil between the worlds is very thin.

Blessed Samhain!

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

2009-10-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

From My House to Yours:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
and A BLESSED SAMHAIN!

* * * * * * * *

FOUND TAROT UPDATE, by Roswila

2009-07-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

[See the several previous posts for other Found Tarot cards and info on this process. Also, please note that in most browsers you can click on the image for a larger version.]

OK, so I posted a Found Tarot Star card already. And expressed some doubt about it (the bright red color) and did not express a niggling sense that it has a harshness to it that doesn't go with The Star. But I was just letting those thoughts simmer. After I'd taken some more recent photos, I was told by one of our resident gardeners here that the particular flower's name is "amaryllis belladona" and that it's commonly called "Naked Lady." That's when I realized I'd found a far better Star card.

THE STAR

It's intriguing that this was the first photo that I waited a couple of hours to take because the sun was too bright. (As opposed to going ahead anyway, and getting lots of white "sugar dusting" over everything. LOL! This "dusting" effect works in a couple photos I have, but I knew it would have simply whited-out these blooms.) I also had waited a day for the buds to open.

The next is the Two of Cups. As I've mentioned before, I have many beautiful flower photos that vaguely call to me to represent various cups pip cards. However, this one isn't a vague call, but a definite gentle, embracing pull:

THE TWO OF CUPS:

This next Found Tarot card I've been wanting to post for a while, but kept hesitating as it's so architectural. (I happen to love the contrast of architecture and nature, and have lots of pictures in which I'm trying to capture that.) Then today it hit me, so is the Rider/ Waite/ Smith Two of Wands -- the figure is looking out from a castle rampart. [P.S. of July 12th -- Duh! Just realized I posted a different Two of Wands earlier, so the one below is an alternate version.]

THE TWO OF WANDS:

And last, a possible Queen of Cups. I have probably a dozen poor shots of this figure. It's in front of building windows that often show through the foliage in a distracting way; there's a blue hose running off/to the fountain on the ground on one side I need to be aware of; and it's difficult for me to get up close enough (my arthritic knees) to get good detail even if I manage to be by it when the light is right. This photo of it comes close to what I think I will eventually be able to capture; I want more of the fountain/water in the picture:

THE QUEEN OF CUPS:

That's all folks, at least for now. (By the way, since I first started taking digital photos in March of this year, I've taken 1,200. Who's addicted? :-D)

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

THE FOUND TAROT CONTINUED, by Roswila

2009-06-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm still taking digital photos as frequently as ever, and finding Tarot images in them. In this post you'll note that I'm putting up two possible Tower images, and another Hanged Man (see previous post for a different version). An email friend even found a probable Fool image in one of my photos that I'd not caught. (I'm not posting that one yet, as I want to re-take it from a slightly better angle.) What fun this all is! I'm even digging deeper into the manual that came with the camera to get more technically proficient. :-)

By the way, if you'd like to see some of my non-Found Tarot photos, visit my dreams & poetry blog. I've started posting a picture a day with my Daily Dreamku.

Now to the new Found Tarot cards/images:

Here's that alternate XII/Hanged Man I mentioned above:

And here's a "maybe" II/High Priestess, I really like those two pillars:

I'm seriously considering having the Page cards in The Found Tarot be Child cards. Here's what could be the Child of Swords, followed by the Child of Cups:

Now for something a bit darker, both literally and figuratively, the Five of Wands. This was taken in a rather small but fecund and jungle-like corner by our community's front gate, from a cross walk above:

I'm not sure about this one. I loved the willow that it once was, and now even the stump and it's beautiful patterns are gone. The patterns aren't quite as clear or colorful in this photo; I know now how to take a better one but it's too late. So this picture I'm considering for XIII/Death is permeated with feelings of loss for me:

Hm, is there is theme emerging in this post? Yeah, I'm in a rather blue mood. Anyway, the next and last are two photos I'm considering for XVI/The Tower. I think I actually slightly prefer the palm to the building as it has a mild sense of "looming," though I've still not quite captured the angle I want in a palm photo and I've taken many of them:

I have others in which I clearly see Tarot cards, but want to re-take due to some angle issue or obstruction/distraction. (Sheesh. That could be the theme for my life at the moment, why I'm in a blue mood. LOL! I just thought of that expression: "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.") I also have many in which beautiful flowers speak a little bit to me of various Cup pip cards. But I would like more than a whisper, so I'm waiting on those.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

CONTINUING WITH THE FOUND TAROT, by Roswila

2009-06-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

See previous posts for more info on the digital Tarot I'm beginning to develop.

This first new Found Tarot card I took the picture for weeks ago. But did not see The Empress in it until I'd begun using it on my desktop. I've always liked the feel of that little door; I kept thinking of it as a mysterious hobbit door. But then it hit me that III's Hebrew letter is Dalath, which in noun form means door! The association I have always made to that is She is our doorway into life. BTW, this door is to one side of Hillel Foundation's Jewish Student Center (Isla Vista, CA). So I think it's highly appropriate I made a Hebrew letter association, albeit unconsciously.

THE EMPRESS

This next Found Tarot card I'm a little unsure of, but only because I don't usually have a sense of the color red or fuchsia associated with The Star. But those "whiskers" (stamens?) just make me feel The Star's abundance pouring down on us. And the shape is rather star-like. I saw The Star in the process of cropping this picture.

THE STAR

Here's one that hit me as I took the fourth photo of this planter from yet a different angle.

THE HANGED MAN

And this next I'm saying is the Eight of Wands, even though there aren't technically 8 definite branches in it. To me it just so clearly called up the Rider/Waite/Smith Eight of Wands when I saw it on my computer screen, that that's what I'm saying it is. So there! :-)

EIGHT OF WANDS

This is one of my personal favorite photos. I had it up on my desktop, and even hung a small print for a while on my front door. The card within only surfaced (at least to my eye) after my first couple of Found Tarot posts had already been done.

TWO OF WANDS

And that's the last, at least for today. I can't stop taking lots of pictures. It's like Lay's potato chips, I can't have just one!

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

MORE FOUND TAROT CARDS, by Roswila

2009-06-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here's some more cards I've been finding in digital photos I've been taking. These are truly "found" cards as when I take the photos I am not seeing them as Tarot cards, but as something intriguing. I only see a card in any photo once it's on my computer screen, and even then not right away. I have, though, begun revisiting certain photo sites to attempt to get a better shot for a card I found in an unsuccessful shot. (See three previous posts for the found Tarot cards already posted.)

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

STRENGTH [not sure how well this works, but I see lion's feet in these roots, and root systems might be seen as a metaphor for the rising of kundalini in the human body often said to be represented in Strength]

QUEEN OF PENTACLES [This could also be The Empress as I see III as a combination of earth and water, but She feels more like a Queen; She could also be the Queen of Cups or Wands, but all that earthly abundance makes me settle on the Queen of Pentacles]

ACE OF SWORDS [All four Aces are now represented, which is nice given Aces tend to be about beginnings.]

THE SUN

FIVE OF CUPS

THE WORLD

That's all for now, folks! I'm obsessed and loving it. What I really want to do soon is squeeze in the time for some sort of class in digital photography. There's only so much I can learn about the technical aspects on my own, methinks. :-)

* * * *

‘til next time, keep staying open to the myriad universes around us (even in the familiar!) and enjoying The Tarot,

P.S. TO "MORE FOUND TAROT CARDS"....

2009-06-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

I was just wandering through some older photos I took. After cropping one I suddenly realized I had a much more powerful Ace of Wands than the one I posted yesterday (see previous post):

I may still take another version of the first Ace of Wands (in the previous post) when the light is actually lit, just to see how it comes out. Can you tell I'm having fun? ... Hold the phone, er, the computer, I'll go take one now. The light is by the entrance to my building and I'm on the ground floor...

Oh my, now I'm torn. I like both the striped red leaf and the lit lamp Ace of Wands. O joy, joy, joy.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep being open to joy's surprising arrivals, and enjoying The Tarot,

MORE FOUND TAROT CARDS, digital photos by Roswila

2009-06-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

What a delight this process is! As I said in my previous post, since I'd found one Tarot card "by accident" in the photos I've been taking, I was going to go looking through my files and see what other cards might be waiting for discovery. In all the many taken before I found the Judgment card (see previous post) I did not find one true Tarot card. Though I did find what will probably become the Nine of Wands once I re-take it closer up and from a different angle. And that image also gave me a possible idea for the image for the suit of Wands: lamps/lighting fixtures. (Although I love trees, so the Wands suit might wind up being a mix of lamps and trees.)

Then when I next went out taking pictures, I began to watch for Tarot cards consciously. Those results were not truly successful. Neither as pictures, nor as Tarot cards. I even got bollixed up in one case on which card I thought I'd "found," it was the Five of Wands though I kept thinking of it as the Five of Pentacles. I think looking for Tarot cards and pictures splits my focus (pun intended).

However, when I went hunting photos yesterday, with no intent to gather Tarot cards, but just to enjoy the process as I have been all along, I wound up with several Tarot Cards! After the fact, once I'd loaded the pictures on to my computer. (Maybe not thinking about Tarot cards as I wander taking pictures, is like the shuffling process before a reading.) And here they are:

The Ace of Pentacles (that bit of shadow in the lower right is my hands, camera, and head; hard to see that sort of thing in the tiny digital display but I'm getting better at noticing/anticipating this sort of thing):

The Lovers:

The Ace of Cups (this was a huge surprise and gift, a bowl of light! hadn't even noticed that light in the center when taking the picture):

The Ace of Wands (may re-take this at night when it's lit; it pales as it is now by comparison to the other two aces):

Looking at the above cards as a very simple reading for myself, it seems quite apt. Lots of beginnings and choices. A lot of youthfulness, and given I'm well on my way to 66 years old that's certainly encouraging! Since the only ace missing is the Ace of Swords, I see that as supporting my attempts to think less, and act and be and create more.

Hm, just re-read this post and note I'm talking about the "suit of Wands." Guess I have decided to build a full digital Tarot. :-) I can also see it's going to be a more than usually delicate balance between just letting it happen and organizational intent.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep focusing on the moment, and enjoying The Tarot,

A FOUND JUDGMENT CARD and reading by Roswila

2009-06-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

I've been trying my hand at a lot of digital photography, without any training and only having read the manual accompanying the camera. I'm actually having a wonderful time. It's a great solace as I go through a rough emotional time. It also calls on any artistic sense I have; trying to squeeze what I'm seeing into a barely discernible tiny square on the camera -- that goes unseeable in bright light, LOL! Not to mention that I think the challenge is helping to keep what brain cells I have left alive.

Now to The Tarot: I just googled to find out the name of the flowers in the above photo. And not surprisingly found that they are called Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia). As I read that it hit me, Judgment! Of course! No wonder this particular shot was so important for me to get down in at least a decent way. I actually went back to this Catholic church again a couple of days after my first shots because I just wasn't getting up close enough, or was at entirely the wrong angle. I'm still not totally happy with this shot, but it's getting close. And it can be said to be a found Judgment card. :-)

So life at large offered me a one card reading and it took me several days to get it. A new life is calling! Wake up! Yes, clean up whatever needs work from the old life, finish the mourning. But hear that trumpet call, don't ignore it's encouragement and energy.

See? We don't even have to have a Tarot deck at hand to have the Great Mystery offer us help via The Tarot's images. What a tremendous gift these images are.

P.S. Duh! I just happened to re-read my previous post, and guess which card is the first in the reading? Yup, Judgment, and that call to a new life. Well, I guess I should be grateful that when I fall asleep The Tarot images are there to wake me up with a clarion call. :-)

P.P.S. Of course now I'm wondering what other Tarot images I've missed in the slew of photos I've been taking ... so I'm off to check them out.

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‘til next time, keep responding to the gifts that the Tarot offers,

ILLUMINATING WITH GRAY MATTER, reading by Roswila using a layout by Craig Conley

2009-05-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Craig Conley, designer of The Portmeirion Tarot emailed me an intriguing Tarot layout a while ago. We agreed that I would eventually use it for a Tarot reading and post it all here. So, with my apologies to Craig for taking so long, here goes ....

I used my long time favorite deck, The Tarot of the Cat People. The question for the reading done this evening, May 9, 2009: What do I most need to be aware of in myself as I go through this painful and necessary end to an intimate relationship? The cards I got, in 1, 2, 3 order, were: Rejuvenation (Judgment); Ace of Pentacles; Two of Swords. When I saw these cards I was immediately struck by a sense of positivity, change, and choice. And given the situation precipitating the question this felt good indeed. (Although as I say in the question this is a necessary parting of the ways, I am still overwhelmed with waves of mourning at times, as well as having to deal with self-blame and anger.)

CARD ONE/EGO: "relating to issues of self esteem, judgment, tolerance."

XX Rejuvenation (Judgment in most decks) -- I find this astounding and encouraging, given my self-esteem has been rather low for some time now. Though I must say now that I've finally made the break from my ex, I seem to be more able to be kind to myself as I untangle and regroup. I am also struck with a basic meaning of this card: the call to a new life. Yes, I do feel this in those moments when mourning loosens its grip and I'm engaged in some challenging project. This "new life" includes learning to become less and less judgmental, and more and more tolerant of both myself and others. I know for myself that nothing stops my joyous response to the world faster or more completely than negative judgment and intolerance. I keep going back to the actual image on this card. I'm going to try that posture, literally let my own waist length hair loose, and affirm that I'm opening to my new life.

CARD 2/SUPER-EGO: "illuminating one's ideals, spiritual goals, guilt"

ACE OF PENTACLES -- Immediate thoughts on seeing the card: it often heralds a birth (that new life referenced above); beginnings; solid foundation upon which to build. Then I recall my long-time association of this card with food and nourishment issues. Whole grains are on this card in The Herbal Tarot, and I should not eat grains as they aggravate my mild IBS. I am only now beginning to cut them out of my diet again, along with excess sugar. Although I tend to crave these foods for comfort when I'm emotionally hurting, I've long known there are deeper impelling issues beneath that craving, such as guilt. As now, when I have been responding to my super-ego's criticalness and punishing myself by eating in what is essentially a self-destructive way. (There are many more levels to this, but what I've said here suffices for the purpose of this reading.) So here I have the double sided sword of my super-ego to deal with: a new life to be birthed and criticalness to defuse. (This two-sidedness sort of foreshadows the two of swords below.)

CARD THREE/ID: "revealing primitive ideas, selfishness, instant gratification"

TWO OF SWORDS -- Well, I'm not surprised that this card position was a hard one to read. :-) My immediate response was to be delighted to see this card, especially after the first two. It makes for a nice trio. But to go with the position meanings, I could see this character as holding on to everything, or at least wanting to; being rather greedy. "Wanting his cake, and eating it, too." LOL! given how I cannot eat wheat if I want good health, that expression is even more appropros. And if I take "cake" metaphorically, I can see there's a deep physical drive to hold on to my ex. That (as I have suspected) the physical bonding may be the strongest attachment and most difficult to release. It has roots that reach as deep as infant levels of bonding and affection. To anyone familiar with the Two of Swords this all may seem a very odd way to read this card, but it is what occurs to me. Ah, I can bring what I see in it now a bit toward the Two of Sword's more usual interpretation in a reversed aspect (if I read with reverses, which I don't): at a very basic, even immature level, I'm refusing to choose between my ex and a new life, I want them both. It is exactly this struggle and the pain it's generating that I've been coping with directly for a long time now. I left my ex several times before only to go right back. Now I see what I've been doing was shuttling between these choices, and committing to neither one because I want them both. This last time I left him, however, it became abundantly clear I must unbond or part of me would almost literally die. So now I mourn the death of our relationship and continue to comfort that infant in me who still craves it all, and does not really comprehend the need for letting go of anything. Oh my, I just thought of myself as a baby, crying endlessly for what she wants and recalled that a dear friend just today emailed me a picture of her 6 month old son in his Easter outfit. A baby, wearing a symbol of rebirth! That last sentence could be a seven word version of this reading.

To close I'll say that I'm already finding this reading tremendously comforting. Having the image of a baby needing comfort and care feels like a good one to recall when the waves of pain hit again. I can remind myself I cannot have both him and my new life, while I also acknowledge the craving and do what I can that is healthy to give myself comfort.

* * * * * * * *

There is a further level to this layout that Craig forwarded. (It has to do with the relationship of the above three card positions to conscious, preconscious, and unconscious material.) I may share this additional level in some future reading here.

BTW, here's a link to my review of Craig's Portmeirion Tarot and I highly recommend that you vist his website (link at top of this post).

* * * *

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

CARD JOURNEY by Adobe

2009-02-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

[NOTE OF April 7, 2009: I JUST DISCOVERED THAT ADOBE NO LONGER HAS THIS WONDERFUL DISPLAY UP ON THE WEB. THE LINK BELOW JUST TAKES YOU TO THEIR BUSINESS SITE. THE ORIGINAL LINK WENT TO AN ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL FANTASY WITH REGULAR PLAYING CARDS, IN WHICH THEY KEPT MORPHING, WITHIN A MEDIEVAL CASTLE AND SEA BATTLE.]

The card show linked to below is not of Tarot cards, but can readily be "transliterated." E.g., Ace of Spades = Ace of Swords; Queen of Hearts = Queen of Cups; and, of course, The Fool = The Fool. But just imagine how fabulous this would be with Tarot cards. Boggles my imagination.

What I find most intriguing about this card show, though, is how it is a visual representation of the way in which I find one Tarot card can open onto an entire universe of stories and insights. (One could wish for a more peaceful story, though I did get a laugh at The Fool swallowing up the entire brouhaha. :-D)

From a many-times forwarded email I received today --

"Read this first:

Click on the link below and a playing card will appear on your screen ... wait a few moments for it to load, then scroll down below the card and you will see a line that has a little red slider bar in it. Move the slider gradually to the right and stop and watch the show take place, then move it a little more to the right and stop and another show will take place and keep doing this till you are to the end. This is soooooo cool. The marvels of technology."

If you want, rather than stop and start clicking, you can very slowly slide the bar along. And be sure to have your speakers on for the music!

Adobe Cards.com

Many thanks to Adobe for designing and posting this ingenious journey.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep journeying to new worlds with The Tarot,

TAROT READING with THE CIRCLE OF LIFE TAROT

2009-01-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

Published by LoScarabeo, distributor Llewellyn

I have been thinking about and visualizing the amazing High Priestess (II, posted at the end of this reading) in this deck for some time now and not quite taking the time to figure out why. Then today I decided to do a reading with the full deck. I asked as I shuffled: "What do I most need to pay attention to as I make this difficult transition out of an intimate relationship?" and then pulled one card at random:

What hit me immediately was that she's pregnant, i.e. big in the belly and how just this morning I noted that my recent food bingeing is beginning to show a bit in my stomach (the first place I gain and the first place I lose weight). Then I noted that it's the Ace of Swords, which is to me primarily a card of the mind, especially of thinking ... thinking ... thinking. I hear that I need to watch very carefully how I think about myself in order to continue on my path toward a healthier body, especially as it has been and will be greatly effecting my will to eat and exercise as I truly want and need to. My Spirit has been getting bloated with thoughts of fear and anger and disappointment (in myself, in him, in the relationship) as I have been going through this breakup.

Then I checked with the accompanying little white book ("LWB") about the Ace of Swords: "Plans that take a long time to actuate are often the most reliable." This is not a meaning I have come across for this card before. But it seems right for me at this time. Actually at any time of change for me as I tend to become very impatient, rooted in anxiety. Maybe if I hold the idea in my mind that I'm pregnant with something new I can be more patient. What is intriguing to me is that images of pregnancy have been showing up in my life recently, so I think this is quite appropriate. E.g., I just this morning -- hours before doing this reading -- wrote this scifaiku (haiku-like poem with a sci-fi or fantasy theme):

some call Her a door
this pregnant Empress
on Her Tarot card

I just hope the birth is a gentle one, given how traumatic the pregnancy has been, at least so far. (BTW, that's said only half jokingly.)

I then felt urged to take a look at The Empress (III) in this deck:

The LWB says about Her: "Our image, when reflected, never corresponds to reality. If we only look in the mirror, we lose all contact with reality." Wow. The mirror of this relationship is accurate only to a certain degree, it has its distortions. I need to keep this in mind along with that idea of being pregnant. However, in a way it's the relationship that is the womb from which a newer me will emerge. I say "newer" rather then "new" because I believe we are never finished; ideally we are always changing and growing.

I'll close with The High Priestess (II) I referred to at the start of this post:

I immediately see those heavy horns of thought as resting on those pillars -- in the Qabala, the pillars of mercy and severity. As if, within the compass of intuition, even the heaviest contradictions and conflicts can be borne up. I see Her now as pointing to the path of inner vision, inner sensing, of feeling one's way along. Yes, I've spent far too much time (almost literally) lost in heavy, heavy thought during the vast majority of time in this relationship. It's past time to go home and curl up with supportive intuition, nurturing myself as I explore inwardly and await (yet another :-D) rebirth.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep honoring your intuition and enjoying The Tarot,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROSWILA (a/k/a Patricia)!

2009-01-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 4, is my 65th birthday and to celebrate it I'm posting below the cards that are my "family" in the Tarot deck. I did this sharing of my family of cards on my birthday two years ago with the quirky Terrestrial Tarot. The Tarot I'm using this time is the New Tarot for the Aquarian Age, by John Cooke and Rosalind Sharpe. The cover of an original old accompanying booklet is above; the deck was first published in 1968.

This New Tarot for the Aquarian Age was my first deck ever, given to me nearly 30 years ago by a co-worker. It is now a collector's item and worth a little bit of money; the only one in my collection of 90 decks that is worth much of anything monetarily. However, I would never consider selling it. It's too valuable to me personally. It even left my possession at one time many years ago, and very soon found it's way back to me. I rarely read with it as its designs are so "far afield" from the vast majority of Tarot decks. In fact, when first given it, I quickly moved to both the Rider Waite Smith and The Thoth Tarots whose images I immediately found more enticing and inspiring. But I do have a great affection for this first deck and take it out just to enjoy its images, every so often. And occasionally I'll have a dream about or a poetic association to one of the Major Arcana images in this deck (such as The Reverser below).

For those of you who may not know, you can determine your "family" of cards in The Tarot via various aspects of numerology and astrology. For example, here's the link to an article that explains using your birthdate to determine one of your Major Arcana cards: Innerchange Magazine.

I'll say just a little bit about each one in my Tarot family below, though I hasten to add the booklets accompanying the New Tarot for the Aquarian Age have rather different understandings of these cards though not totally unrelated. I suggest if you aren’t familiar with this deck or The Tarot in general that you might want to try some of the links I post on the right for further information or do some googling. I highly recommend aeclectic.net.

Above left: The Speaker (The Hierophant)-- Intuition; spiritual teacher; tradition; bridge builder.

Above right: The Reverser (Temperance) -- The sword tempered in the flame; I read somewhere it’s said to be on the most difficult path on The Tree of Life (in the Qabala).

Above left: Stone Queen (Queen of Pentacles) -- She makes do on less that almost anyone else; abundance and fertility; an Earth Mother type.

Above right: Blade Page (Page of Swords) -- The child of difficult parents who ultimately triumphs. (I think I read that somewhere in The Thoth deck’s comments on the card.) I've nicknamed this card the ACOA or Alanon child, i.e. the Twelve Step program child.

Above left: Three of Stones (Three of Pentacles) – Probably my favorite family member. :-) In the more traditional Rider Waite Smith deck and clones thereof, it has a stone mason working on a cathedral arch under what is sometimes said to be the supervision of the Hierophant and The Fool. (I generally don’t particularly care for unillustrated pips, as on this deck. Less symbolism for my intuition to hook on to maybe?)

Above right: Four of Stones (Four of Pentacles) – This card is often said to be ruled by Capricorn; in Thoth decks and clones thereof it’s called “Power.” Hoarding; good management.

Middle: Ace of Blades (Ace of Swords) – When I first studied with The Thoth deck, this card made me think of the story of the Gordian Knot, i.e. sometimes we simply can’t think our way out of or through something, but must just take action. It also often makes me think: the sword of the mind can cut both ways.

That last comment on the Ace of Blades is a good one for me to close this post with and keep in mind as I continue to go through the ending of an intimate relationship I’m choosing to leave, very sadly.

Not to end here on that note, I hope this New Year brings peace and prosperity to all our personal lives, and Peace and Prosperity to our world.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep having Happy Birthdays and enjoying The Tarot,

A FOUND "HANGED MAN"

2008-11-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Old photo on the blog The Boat Lullabies

Wow, I just love finding Tarot images in odd places! (Though technically I did not find this Hanged Man, a friend emailed it to me knowing my Tarot-mania. Thanks, oino.) The blog does not go into anything about the photo, but I seriously doubt it was taken as a Hanged Man Tarot card.

What I love even more is the synchronicity these Tarot images found in odd places often radiate. I just included The Hanged Man in the UFO deck in my previous post and in my response to a comment a visitor left to that post, I talked a bit about The Hanged Man. Especially referencing how the UFO deck XII version shares a somewhat unusual slant on this card in that the surrender appears to be involuntary. Whereas, in my understandings of this card the surrender tends to be voluntary. In looking at the above photo, I tend to think it's a voluntary surrender as well. Of course, someone could have slung him up there against his will; just as in the UFO version that figure could be giving over to the suspension voluntarily. But ultimately what this all says to me personally is that right now (1) The Hanged Man is active in my life in a big way, and (2) that this issue of volition is an important one to be aware of. E.g., is any given instance in which I "surrender" actually to my own High Self's guidance, say, or am I justifying slipping into old people pleasing behavior?

Another message from The Hanged Man is to keep suspending judgments. That came to me now as I was typing this post. I tend to jump to conclusions to relieve any suspension (i.e. the suspense of not knowing) that I find hard to tolerate.

I just "heard" another message from The Hanged Man. That I am in one particular and very intimate way, suspending, i.e. holding back out of a bit of fear. I'll need to look at this one more closely, but I suspect just acknowledging that fear and figuring out the need beneath it will ease the situation.

By the way, I don't share these illustrations from my own life because I think they are insights others may find valuable. But because the way in which I come to them illustrates my basic approach to Tarot (along with intuition and the more traditional meanings): seeing how these images resonate with, reflect upon, amplify, inform, etc. the present. Even in the years when I was reading professionally for others, this was part of my approach.

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‘til next time, keep responding to High Self's prompts and enjoying The Tarot,

TAROT DREAM TANKA by Patricia Kelly

2008-10-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

First, let me say I've not abandoned this blog. I've just been very busy, happily becoming more involved in a wonderful relationship. Which is quite a surprise at my age and given my deep hermiting tendencies. :-) But I'm enjoying him and our relationship immensely, and now working at re-balancing my life so that my other passions -- such as Tarot -- can also be honored. Now to get to this post....

The Magician card,
The Wheel, and The Hanged Man
lie in a straight row
I say: manifest change
and then surrender

The above is a tanka (poem), based on a dream I had in early October 2008. I did not see any particular version of the three Tarot cards in that dream. I simply knew what each card was, making my interpretation as I was dreaming.

Simply for the fun of it, I've chosen three unusual versions of the Tarot cards in the dream to share here below:

The Magician, from The Blue Moon Tarot

The Wheel, "Oh most true, she is a strumpet" from The Pen Tarot

The Hanged Man, from The UFO Tarot

You might have fun seeing how the above non-traditional images for these cards influence your exploration/interpretation of the dream shared in the above tanka. I'd love to hear whatever your responses might be. I particularly love collecting "new" meanings for Tarot images. Which is why (in addition to just loving the variety of art work) I like working with many different decks.

P.S. As I was proofreading this post (yet again) I saw some intense relevance to my life now in the dream tanka I did not see on writing it. Briefly put, starting last fall I worked my butt off to prepare for my move from New York City to Goleta, California. I arrived here in February, full of the energy and excitement generated by having actually manifested such a huge change after many years of withdrawal and giving up. Since then, I've noticed my life demanding a more "go with the flow" stance, a sort of surrender or openness to what comes to me. Not in a passive way, but a surrender nevertheless. Maybe another word for surrender of this type is "receiving." Though I must admit at times it does feel more like that beleaguered figure in the UFO XII above; i.e., that I'm being taken on a strange ride by unknown factors. :-D

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‘til next time, keep exploring the varieties of interpretations and images available in The Tarot Universe,

[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 Tarot poetry; and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka>****

THE ARTIST: a new Major in The Pen Tarot

2008-08-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Artist, a new Major from The Pen Tarot*

I was absolutely delighted when I came across some of the cards from this deck. Laughter and recognition and surprise all bubbled from me. I don't have the time now to go into any of the cards in my usual wandering way, but thought I'd at least get a link up to some of it's images for you to enjoy.

The card I've posted above does not exist in any other Tarot. The words at the bottom of it are: "If this be art, let it be magic..." Oh, yes, may it be so! And isn't it so already ... life is truly magical and we are all artists when we acknowledge it. And I'm not talking about that "airy-fairy," "isn't it sweet" way of understanding the word "magic." But rather magic as that constant transformation of energies that are coming into and going out of being, and back again, all the time, each moment. Not only artists surf these energies and use them creatively. I deeply believe that we each craft our lives much more than we tend to acknowledge. E.g., a change in perception alone can transform an entire day. (As Irving Berlin said "Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.")

Then there's the more active crafting we can participate in, the concrete steps we take. And it need not all be boring or frustrating work; magic has a way of tickling the funny bone and warming the heart. As I typed that I saw another level to that old wiccan salutation: "Merry meet, merry part, merry meet again." Joy and life's magic frequently work hand in hand, methinks, when we do not narrow our sights or attach to outcomes, but stay open to the many possibilities always coming into being.

Give yourself a treat and visit the link under the above image.

* My unending gratitude to aeclectic.net for all they do for the Tarot universe; along with my congratulations that they now have images from over 1,000 Tarot and oracle decks on-site.

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‘til next time, keep responding to the magic in life and enjoying The Tarot,

THE KNIGHT OF WANDS

2008-08-03T15:07:00.001-07:00

TODAY’S CARD is The Knight of Wands. This version below is from The Thoth Tarot:

FOR COMPARISON, here’s The Knight of Wands in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

THE KNIGHT OF WANDS: It was difficult to choose a Knight of Wands to head up this post. It’s one of the cards in the Tarot that I like in many different decks. I ultimately settled on The Thoth rendition because I have particular affection for it going back decades when I was working exclusively with that deck. The Knight of Wands kept popping up as I prepared to make my first trip to Block Island, R.I. (my favorite place on earth, until I moved here to Goleta, CA in February). The Knight of Wands (in any subsequent deck) has not shown up a great deal in ensuing years in my readings for myself so whenever it has it’s like an old friend dropping by. It showed up last night when I was trying to determine which of the strings in my current ball of wax I need to pull on first. I immediately knew I needed to attend to “getting on the road,” i.e. getting out every morning for a walk. I’ve been talking about getting back to doing this for some time and the Knight of Wands showing up like this is supporting and urging me to do so now. The lovely thing is that once I work up to walking all the way to the beach overlook again, I’ll be enjoying a view very much like on Block Island. What a gift I’ve been given to be living here.

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR The Knight 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):

Each of the four Knights can address getting into some sort of action, either literally or metaphorically, often in the initiating stages.

You are being manipulated by someone you admire and have given over too much of your own light to. “Get out of Dodge” now and reclaim that light!

Long past time to move past this negativity. You wound yourself by clinging to it. There’s a world of difference between wounding one’s self endlessly with negativity/guilt/anger, etc. and accepting responsibility for one’s feelings and actions.

Can indicate a tendency to rely on charm and enthusiasm, with very little follow-through. Big on charisma, short on actually doing anything.

Your impulsiveness needs to be tempered with awareness of others feelings on the issue. Even if their thoughts/feelings don’t make sense to you or hinder you in some way. These relationships are part of the process, not separate from or inimical to it.

You are a better leader/facilitator/teacher when you can also follow.

A little charm at this time may “help the medicine go down.” I.e., help someone with what you have to say or do that they may have some problem or trouble with.

Not a time to withhold even if the last thing you feel capable of is giving, be generous.

Someone who recognizes s/he does not see it all. But still shares lovingly and appropriately from what s/he does see in case it might be helpful.

Not resting on one’s laurels. There’s always something more to be learned and accomplished.

A big change (or a slew of little ones) are coming and fast. The more you know where you are at, the better able you will be to keep your balance, and respond creatively and appropriately.

Traditionally: card of travel to be undertaken, or of a change of residence.

For further takes on The Knight of Wands, see my design and thoughts for the card here on my Taiga Tarot blog.

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‘til next time, keep "taking your act on the road," and enjoying The Tarot,

JUDGMENT (XX)

2008-07-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Judgment in The Mary El Tarot

With my new home state of California burning right now, I've been recalling this Judgment card in the fabulous Mary El Tarot. (Do visit the site and check out the other cards in this amazing deck.) I will go into XX in general in greater detail in the future. Right now I just wanted to put this phoenix-like card up, with its implied eventual rebirth/regrowth. I'll only add that to a certain degree these fires do seem to be a "judgment" of how we humans have managed our forests, suppressing undergrowth burns for decades until the forests are tinder boxes. I do not claim to be an expert, nor am I saying that this is all that causes these fires, but I do think it is a large contributing factor.

I live three and a half miles from The Gap Fire, in Goleta. It is now about 80% contained. See my dreams and poetry blog post for writing and comments thereon about this fire and my experiences of its literal fall out. My heart and gratitude goes out to the fire fighters and all those helping them. Even as I think of all the displaced wildlife (e.g., we have more birds in our gardens than usual), and humans, too, of course. :-) And this is only the start of a long dry summer.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

THE NINE OF CUPS

2008-07-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

TODAY’S CARD is The Nine of Cups. The above version is from my newest deck (to be reviewed in a future post), The Forest Folklore Tarot.

Here’s The Nine of Cups in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck for comparison:

THE NINE OF CUPS: Very simply put this is often said to be "The Wish Card." The phrase that always occurs to me on seeing this card is something my stepmother used to say to me a lot when I was an adolescent and teenager: “Be careful what you want, Patty, you might just get it!” Back then I thought that this was ridiculous, if I took any real note of it at all other than to be annoyed that she was saying it to me yet again. But over the subsequent decades, it has come to mind many times, mostly to haunt me with its truth. I’ve grown to be very wary of my wishes and wants, even those I may harbor in my heart for the well-being of someone else. The more I learn, the more I see that my knowledge and awareness as one human being is terribly limited. I now work at trusting in that which is much greater than I am to light and lead the way. This is not to say that I have no wishes or wants, just that I am careful how much thought and emotion I put into them. As The Three of Cups can say, “What one holds in one’s mind, one eventually manifests.”

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE NINE OF CUPS: (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):

Preoccupied in thought and action only with what you wish for/want, to a problematic degree.

“Wishing doesn’t make it so.” Wishful thinking, to the exclusion of taking action and checking out the wish’s viability.

What you wish for may or may not not be viable or ultimately satisfying, but while you are working for it you will feel better for doing so. That by itself counts for something, and can be learned from.

There is an aspect of the ephemeral to this card. Whatever it is referencing is often quite temporary.

If what you wish for is just not happening (especially if you are taking thoughtful action on it as well), look deeper. You may find that, at some level, you really don’t want it to come about.

Two meanings I harvested from the above Forest Folklore version:

1) Beware of putting all your energy into the basket of this one wish. You may get unpleasantly dunked and tumbled around in the rushing stream of the rest of your life.

2) Take time out to examine what needs doing now, and what can rest in the wishing well of the future.

This card frequently has a large-bodied person on it, and I have seen it reference body weight issues. Usually advising to be happy with just how you are, at least for the time being. Though if you read with reverses, or if it is aspected by a “negative” card (like XV, e.g.), or if your intuition so urges, it might indicate a need to attend to your physical health.

And lastly, a basic traditional meaning:

“The wish will be/is granted.” If a wish was not what you came to the reading about, it can be very helpful if this card shows up to take some time and see what you may be unconsciously wishing for. Especially if some other meaning for the card does not seem to be appropriate.

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‘til next time, keep wishing and wanting judiciously, and enjoying The Tarot,

A TAROT FAIRY

2008-06-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across this fabulous Tarot costume photo. It was taken by "giddygirlie" at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con:

A Fairy in a Tarot Gown

What a lot of imagination, not to mention work, went into this. Wish I could have seen it "live and in person." I don't imagine, though, she could sit down ... unless she had a small chair/stool scooted up underneath it ... or maybe it was flexible like those old hoop skirts this old lady remembers wearing in her long ago youth. But even those hoops took a lot of negotiation or one wound up rather exposed up front when sitting down. LOL!

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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot, where and whenever it shows up in life,

THE EIGHT OF CUPS REDUX

2008-06-15T18:15:00.001-07:00

The Eight of Cups in the Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot

Today's post was prompted by a sort of "reverse reading." The insight came first, then I thought of the card that fits it: The Eight of Cups. This post is also a rather odd, but sincere honoring of my father for Father's Day. Much of the emotional underpinnings to this inquiry were based in feelings generated in my relationship with him.

The Eight of Cups showed up briefly in my review of and reading with The Bohemian Gothic Tarot recently. Although I got a lot out of the Eight of Cups then, I now see even more. I had a dream last night on which I did some journaling this morning. It became clear the issue I am dealing with profoundly now is disappointment. But of many different varieties and going in different directions at once. And it hit me, ahHAH! The Eight of Cups, since "disappointment" is a major meaning for this card. It also hit me that a dream from the night before had also been about disappointment.

Not to belabor this point, but my inquiry now is into how deeply I fear disappointing others, and how that has been a major theme (and unfortunately, reality -- deserved sometimes, but many times not) from at least my teen years. Not only that but recognizing how underneath the enthusiasm and energy with which I take on new projects is a deep fear of being disappointed by others, in addition to a fear of letting them down. I now see how this is one of the factors undergirding my tendency to be a hermit. I'm not saying this is totally realistic or that others don't also experience various disappointments. Only that given my particular history and issues, it's been an almost paralyzing "double whammy" of fear at times.

Then when I decided to make this post about what I am now seeing in The Eight of Cups, I went to my notes to see if there were any "new" meanings for it I'd filed away since my last post on this card. And there was this one I'd forgotten about: "You are more disappointed in yourself than they are." Phew. (Along with "Are you really willing to make this move/change? Be sure before going any further.")

All of this takes me down an avenue of thinking about expectations and hopes. How much can be invested in them without becoming so attached to them as to be sand-bagged ultimately by disappointment when they don't work out. I hadn't even -- until this morning -- recognized that what underlies so much of my withdrawal tendency *is* disappointment. Disappointment that prompts the walking away from we see in many Tarot versions of this card, as in the RWS version above, and this one from The Light And Shadow Tarot:

Or the diving deep, retreating from the outer world, to figure out just what is going on, as seen in this version by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law of Shadowscapes/Tarot:

Or taking off in the boat of one's own, ultimately too small world, to protect one's self, as seen in this version from The Tarot/The Complete Kit:

Here's a the link to my initial post about The Eight of Cups. It covers the issue of disappointment, among some other areas the card can be seen to address. It's illustrated with a version from The Sacred Circle Tarot.

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‘til next time, keep walking toward self-knowledge, and enjoying The Tarot,

THE THREE OF SWORDS REDUX

2008-06-12T19:07:00.001-07:00

The Three of Swords in the Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Three of Swords recently as in its best aspect it can be about singing. However, given the turmoil with which my determination to reclaim singing is rife, it really is a more fully negative Three of Swords experience – at first blush, that is. If you haven’t read my previous post, I have joined a chorus here in my new retirement community home in California. I haven’t tried singing in decades and even when I was, I was always terrified – not stage fright, mind you, stage terror – of singing in front of others, even close friends or family.

What I think tends to get lost in all the negative takes on the Three of Swords – you needn’t have studied Tarot to get what they are from just looking at the above version - is that the sorrow and pain it references goes some place. The storm ends, the sun breaks through. For me, the sun has come out brighter each time after I have hung in and weathered whatever the singing storm rained down upon me. I..e, I did not give up, or try to blame myself or others but went straight on through that storm, keeping as focused as possible on what I knew to be my love of singing. (By the way, these storms are internal, mostly stirred up by old family history that I’m still working through. The folk around me are wonderfully supportive and encouraging, though they know little to nothing of my “storms” or their terrible intensity.)

So what does this all say about the Three of Swords? Yes, there is pain and deep sorrow in life. But if we can go with it all and not give ourselves further grief by fighting the process or playing the blaming game or assuming further dire circumstances will come as a result, it all does most definitely tend to change. I’ll even go further and say that the nature of existence is to change. As one meaning for the Two of Disks (Pentacles) in The Thoth deck says: the only stability is change.

Boil this all down? Riding out the storms in our lives with a “wait and see” attitude. Though I must admit that for me in my reclaiming of singing it’s like riding a bucking bronco. I do hope I’ll become a more skilled rider with an at least somewhat tamer mount as I go along. :-) To see my previous post about The Three of Swords, with additional meanings, click here.

For comparison, here’s two more Three of Swords cards:

The Three of Swords in The Thoth Tarot

The Three of Swords in The Karma Tarot

And lastly, here’s a link to a You Tube video with the artist of the Mountain Dream Tarot about the Three of Swords card:

Video of Bea Nettles, creator of Mountain Dream Tarot

If you’re not familiar with the Mountain Dream Tarot, here’s a link to some cards from it:

Mountain Dream Tarot on Aeclectic.net

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‘til next time, keep knowing that all things change, and enjoying The Tarot,

THE WORLD (XXI)

2008-06-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

TODAY'S CARD IS The World (XXI). The version above is not a Tarot card, nor even an acknowledged art photo representing The World card. It's from an ad in this weekend's "Montecito Journal" (a California newspaper).

This ad leapt out at me from the page as an unusual World card, a fabulous one. I immediately cut it out to file it away, but realized I really wanted to post it now. It occurred to me also that I've not shared the various, less common meanings I've been collecting over the years for the cards, as I'd initially started doing when I began this blog, in a very long time. Almost simultaneously I realized that I was being offered a reading via The World popping out at me in the above ad. So before sharing the various less common meanings I've seen for The World over the years, I'll share what I hear XXI saying to me today.

I took a real risk today and sang a bit for the man who organizes musical shows in the senior community I live in. This may not sound like much. However, I suffer from terrible stage fright (even if that "stage" has only one person in the audience), and especially when it comes to singing. Yet I also love to sing. My father was a successful singer and his parents sang in Vaudeville. It's quite literally in my blood. So even as I shook and got vaguely nauseous, I felt great joy. Recalling this on looking at this "found" XXI card above I remembered how She can be seen as what begins to happen when we follow our true selves toward creative freedom. Yes, my spirit has been dancing all day long, ever since I took that risk. Something true, something essential in me is celebrating freely for the first time in way too long. Yes, I've taken a lot of risks recently. (Moving here to California was certainly the biggest.) However, none involved a central, deep aspect of my spirit in quite the way that singing does.

For comparison with the above non-Tarot image in which I see The World card, here are two others:

The World, from The Circle of Life Tarot

The World, from The Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE WORLD (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):

Exhibitionism.

Inertia.

Refusal to try new, necessary things out of fear.

The world of your life may be hemming you in. The best action may be to dance along as creatively as possible with its requirements and demands until the encirclement eases or opens.

A need for physical exercise (often advises dancing).

Shelter, protection, sanctuary is available.

Conversely, a need to leave this shelter for the new or unknown, to go back out into the world.

Somewhat like The Fool in terms of taking risks, only you know pretty much where you have been and where you are, just not where you're going ... and you are going to go ahead anyway, joyfully.

The World, generally speaking, is an extremely positive card.

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

**** [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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

GUEST POST: A Comparison of Two Alchemical Tarot Decks, by Craig Conley

2008-05-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to welcome Craig Conley, author and photographer of the intriguing The Portmeirion Tarot, as my first guest blogger. (I have reviewed his deck here.) -- Roswila (a/k/a Patricia)

Lovers of esoteric artwork and alchemical symbolism have two especially stunning Tarot decks to explore.

The limited edition Alchemical Emblems Tarot is a 22-card Major Arcana deck produced by Adam McLean. The deck was designed by F.J. Campos, using alchemical emblems colored by Adam McLean.

The Alchemical Tarot Renewed is a 79-card deck produced by Robert M. Place. This new version replaces the long out-of-print original deck published by HarperCollins and features two Lovers cards (one more visually explicit than the other).

In the side-by-side comparisons below, Adam McLean's Alchemical Emblems Tarot will always be featured on the left, and Robert M. Place's Alchemical Tarot Renewed will always be featured on the right.

Both decks are visual feasts. Place's deck features new artwork reminiscent of old alchemical treatises, while McLean's deck reproduces actual alchemical woodcuts. As a rule, Place's imagery is more streamlined than the old woodcuts, with sharper lines, stylized designs, and bolder colors. The artistic difference means that Place's imagery is somewhat more accessible at first glance, while McLean's remains more enigmatic. Place's imagery is more quickly apprehended by the conscious mind, while McLean's invites the unconscious mind to ruminate.

Some symbolism is similar between the two decks. Place's Hierophant appears to derive directly from the old woodcut, though he further echoes the lunar and solar energies in the arched windows and carved figures.

The Devil cards both feature the figure of the Alchemical Hermaphrodite, the result of the sacred marriage between opposites. This "Divine Child" is a fusion of polarities. Why it was chosen for the Devil card in both decks is beyond our comprehension. Presumably, the "enslavement" aspect of the Devil card is represented by the fusion of the man and woman, yet the hermaphrodite historically stands for an integrated Oneness, not a Duality. However, we will bow to superior knowledge of the Tarot creators.

The Hermit cards bear some interesting differences. Place's imagery follows traditional Tarot symbolism, with the addition of the ouroboros in the top right corner. McLean's woodcut is far more intriguing. It depicts a hermit who has resigned himself to an underworld journey of the psyche. He sits with arms folded in a gaping fissure, having relinquished his lantern for the light of the stars. His meditative spirit, represented by the winged figure, will follow the cycle of the cosmos, lifted and carried by natural currents.

We find some especially interesting differences in the Judgement card. Place builds upon traditional Tarot symbolism (echoing the resurrection of the man and woman with the wheat growing from the skull), while McLean's woodcut offers a whimsical approach. We see a lively circle of dancing monkey-like figures, suggesting an eternal recurrence of life as opposed to a linear resurrection. The figures dance around a double horn, one played by the Philosopher's Donkey, the other a blossoming cornucopia.

The two decks feature instances of similar imagery on dissimilar cards. For example, McLean's Triumph (Chariot) card offers the source material for Place's Two of Coins.

In the end, both presentations have their own strengths. Both feature stirring, deep-rooted symbolism. Both honor and celebrate inner transformation and the mystical journey toward wholeness.

Place revisits alchemical symbolism from a fresh perspective, while McLean offers a window into ancient wisdom. We hope this comparison will help you decide which approach resonates best with you. We personally couldn't resist either deck!

* * End of Guest Post * *

Roswila's P.S. -- A couple of the card images above are already inspiring a future post or two of my own here. I love that donkey on McClean's XX, and that VII and Two of Pentacles pair is lovely. Thanks, Craig, for your thoughtful and informative work and for allowing me to share it.

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‘til next time, keep enjoying the incredible wealth of images available in different Tarot decks,

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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

READING WITH & IMAGES FROM THE ART NOUVEAU TAROT

2008-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

I was going to say "Forgive me if I'm a little rushed" with respect to this reading, but its not really that at all. I'm just in a cranky mood and having a hard time focusing today. That said, I asked this deck "What's with my mood today?" I got The World ("XXI"):

I immediately thought "Ah, all the beginnings and endings I've been going through for months now are taking their toll; my world is quite literally utterly changed, and still changing." This is true but it is also true this is really going on all the time if we can acknowledge it. However, there are times in one's life when it happens at an accelerated pace and in deeper more impactful ways, as now in mine.

XXI in this deck is rather sweet, not particularly notable I would say. But as I note this I see the birds on her wrists and I think, yes, I need to hold still for a while and see what small things come to me that might not otherwise find a perch in the midst of all my busyness. I'm reminded of the birds on a fence that I so enjoyed watching as they watched me, while I simply sat in the park at the beach overlook. I need to make time for and pay attention to the little things, too, not just the huge or spectacular or the painful. The World is endlessly varied and rich at any given moment. We have much more choice -- even at the most difficult times -- than I tend to realize.

For comparison, here's The World card in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

I'm using The Art Nouveau Tarot today, BTW, at the request of "Puddle Duck" (who visits this blog occasionally). Below are the two cards she specifically asked to see, The Hierophant and The Lovers:

Overall, I like the Majors more than the Minors in this deck. They have the most original interpretations and interesting art on them. I was most struck by The Tower:

The Tower is usually pictured from up close. This long distance view across a vast wasteland is intense and very moving (you may not be able to see the lightning striking The Tower, due to my poor scanner).

As to the Minors, here is The Five of Cups:

The Minors are, IMHO, overall less effective than the Majors. Though each does tell a clear little story and are beautifully colorful. (I'm a sucker for bright colors in a deck, which is what drew me to buy this deck many years ago.) But it's also another deck in which I have a problem with faces. (See my comments in the previous post here about the Bohemian Gothic Tarot.) Almost all of the faces in the Majors appear to be portraits of actual people (see The Chariot just below) or at least are more realistically rendered.

Whereas in the Minors they are rendered in a rather "commercial art," even comic book style (see The Five of Cups just above, and even The Lovers at the top of this post). Some folk may have no problem with this, but it feels inconsistent to me. IMHO, the art in this deck is best when it is detailed and leans more to the realistic than the "commercial." Such as in The Chariot above, and The Ace of Pentacles below, which I think is fabulous and is an example of this deck's art at its best:

[My scanner is not the best, so you may not be able to see the distinctions I'm addressing. When I win the lottery -- I'll have to play it first, of course LOL! -- maybe I'll be able to afford a better scanner.]

My overall feeling about this deck is that it is really a perfectly lovely one, and my responses are just that, my particular leanings when it comes to Tarot (or any other) art. I've read that some folk don't like it's dated look (it was created in the latter 1980's) but, hey, isn't the Rider/Waite/Smith done in a Renaissance style? (Ooops, there's that crankiness again. :-D) I don't think an identifiable time frame for a deck's art is problematic. And last, given the clear stories these cards tell, it would probably make a good deck for a beginning reader.

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'til next time, keep being open to all moments in life, 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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

READING WITH & IMAGES FROM THE BOHEMIAN GOTHIC TAROT, & A DREAM TAIGA

2008-04-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot* is my newest deck. I’ll go into my responses to it a little after I share a one card reading I did with it on April 21, 2008. I asked: “How can I best let go of being deeply angry at and hurt by [a particular person].” I was especially concerned about having to struggle with wishing this person ill, or at times with wanting to out-compete them in some way. It all seemed like a terrible waste of time and energy, and worse, harmful. Certainly to me, and maybe even in that larger sense to the other person. I got the Eight of Cups:

Well, on first glance it did seem to accurately reflect my mood with respect to my question. I have been slogging my way through this particular long, dark, echoing hallway for a long time now. Constantly looking back over my shoulder, both trying to figure out what I did to bring myself to this pass in the relationship, and fearful of what negative effects might be catching up with me with regard to it. Traditionally, this card does often address “moving on,” and “walking away,” with a sense of progress in that. For example, here’s the Eight of Cups in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

But I have been attempting to walk away for some time and I’m still in this same dark hallway. I did not feel traditional meanings were helping me with my question. Nor did what the book says that accompanies this deck offer any new information. Both traditional meanings and the book seemed to be only descriptive, not prescriptive – the latter being what I was hoping for. Or at least something new, something I had not already chewed over, again and again, ad nauseam, that might point me in a new direction.

It took a dream that night to open up this reading and offer a new stance to take, a new way to step carefully for the rest of the distance I have yet to go before I reach that light in the distance seen on this card. Here’s the dream taiga (illustrated tanka) that I made out of the dream and the card:

The impactful part of the dream are the words “Thank you for coming.” Somewhere in the middle of writing this dream tanka it hit me: I need to be grateful that this relationship is giving me an opportunity to grow in some very necessary way, grateful even to the other person. Yes, it’s painful and difficult, and I have a way yet to go. But the voice that said “Thank you...” is that of the person urging me out of this dark house. As if it is time to be moving on, as the initial meaning I recalled of the Eight of Cups also says. So it is gratitude for it all – the good, the bad, the ugly (in everything, not just this relationship) – that is the key, that is the new element I was asking the cards to help me find. (I am considering changing that second line to: she herds me out of her house. Since it's illustrated, I need not describe the hall, and this new wording is less awkward.)

And that’s enough of wandering through my psyche... The Bohemian Gothic Tarot is a deck I have been wanting since I first saw images of it online and pre-ordered it. I have to say when I first went through it I was a bit let down and that feeling has not totally gone away. Many of the illustrations are stunning and highly appropriate, resonating deeply. And the book offers consistently unusual, yet not entirely “off the wall” meanings. But every so often, the faces of the people on these cards are very awkward, even laughable, dropping me right out of the Gothic mood and leaving me rather annoyed. Here are some of the cards I think are highly effective:

And here are some with faces that really disrupt the mood of the card:

My scanner is not the best, so it may be hard to see the face details. Anyway, except for the faces, I think the figures on these cards work quite well within their gothic settings.

Of course, I hasten to add that I’ve never “met” a deck I thought was perfect and there is much in this deck’s art work to be appreciated. I also like that a quote or two from a gothic story is appended to each card’s meaning and background. All in all? If you are inclined to the gothic either in art or in stories, you might really like this deck.

*Written and designed by Karen Mahony; Illustrated by Alex Ukolov, baba studio; Published by Magic Realist Press, 2007.

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‘til next time, keep being grateful for everything about life, and especially 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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

THE TAROT CHAPEL OF AVENIERES

2008-04-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

The links below come with my thanks to Mary K. Greer and her blog. I just have to share them here. You can read the details at the links below, but briefly put these are Tarot card wall mosaics, in a sanctuary dedicated to an American heiress's deceased beloved sister:

TAROT MOSAIC CARDS IN THE CHAPEL (groups of Major Arcana)

At the bottom of this above page, is a link "the XXII Tarot's card, one by one." It will take you to a page with each of the Major Arcana, one by one. (I tried using a Tiny URL version of this page's address, but it did not work. And neither did the full address link.) There are links below this one to the Majors, to other information about the Chapel and its history.

As I viewed these wonderful mosaics, I was immediately put in mind of The Portmeirion Tarot and Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden. I love when Tarot Archetypes leave their small playing card homes, to dance in space.

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‘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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

THE STAR(S) in The Cagliostro Tarot

2008-03-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Stars (The Star, XVII)

I chose a card at random from the The Cagliostro Tarot, asking "What do I most need to hear now?" What hit me first was that this version is titled "The Stars," as opposed to the traditional singular "The Star." My next thought was "Ah, much to be hopeful about; beauty coming from many different sources at once." Wow. That led me to think of the DREAMJIN group (see sidebar) I just started and what the members are bringing to this developing new poetry form. Blessings aplenty! And that each member is a "star" in her or his own right.

I also thought of all the wonderful elders I meet and greet every day here in my new home in a retirement community in southern California. Each person radiating their unique beauty, eternal youth, and hope. (This is not to deny or ignore the struggles I also witness and sense, but to acknowledge what lives in them even so.)

Now to this card in this deck a bit more specifically. At the bottom it says: THE DIVINE POWERS OF NATURE - NATURE - FECUNDITY. (This deck also has reverse meanings printed upside down at the top, which I happily ignore. I don't work with reverses. The range of a card is apparent to me upright. :-D) And I am reminded to more fully and regularly avail myself of the gorgeous gardens, large and small, on the grounds of this retirement community. Just as we all can be reminded to be open to all around us that radiates hope, healing, beauty, music, all the time. If only we can listen, be still. No instant results promised, but the opportunities are here. I am reminded of a haiku by the Japanese master, Basho (translation by Robert Bly):

The temple bell stops --
but the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers.

Here's The Star in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

The RWS Star seems to me to take what I say above a step further: What we do for ourselves and others, goes into the collective pool of possibilities. We are truly all in this together. Even as The Great Goddess radiates Her bounty for us all.

Brief comments on The Cagliostro Tarot: IMHO, it's an odd deck. I've always sort of liked the (I think) watercolor Majors (the Minors are unillustrated) but they are a bit strange, silly even at times. E.g., here's The Madman (The Fool):

I rarely use this deck, but something told me to go to it today and I am happy that I did. :-)

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‘til next time, keep opening to the blessings around us 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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

THE SUN (XIX) in The Gothic Tarot of the Vampires

2008-03-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Before I go on with this post I'd like to say I feel as if I've been cheating on this and my dreams & poetry blogs with my new Yahoo group, DREAMJIN (see sidebar for link to its introduction). DREAMJIN is for dreamku, BTW, a haiku-like poetry form for night dreams that I've been developing for some time now. Getting my DREAMJIN group up and running is taking even more of my time than I'd anticipated, but that's not a complaint; I love doing it. Now, to this blog.

I finally got my Tarot decks unpacked after my recent move to CA from New York city and put away. (Those in nice boxes and crocheted pouches are out on my shelves, however.) So I decided to just go to one of the two drawers of Tarot decks, reach in without looking, and pull out one deck. Then I'd chose a card from that deck at random. I got a deck I've posted about here before, The Gothic Tarot of the Vampires (published by LoScarabeo, distributed by Llewellyn), but picked a card I've not worked with here yet, The Sun XIX:

My immediate thought was a wry "But vampires have to avoid the sun!" I didn't get much further than that in my response to the card so I went to the little white book ("LWB") that comes with the deck. This LWB happens to be one of the more frustratingly unclear ones I've read. But as I went through it a sense of what this card is saying to me began to surface, especially once I sat just looking at the card for a while.

The LWB addresses each Major Arcana by its traditional name, a change within the metaphor of the vampire journey, and divinatory meanings. The change within the vampire journey for XIX is "The Truth." This really hit me. This vampire is digging, down on his knees, exposing various stone shapes (which I associate to bed rock or truth), and (as the LWB says) going "beyond the surface of things," and he cannot do this in the light of regular consciousness. This feels to me much like my task in this life, to work in the twilight of consciousness, digging always, exposed and vulnerable, revealing my scars as I seek, and then sharing what minute portion of The Truth I am fortunate enough to uncover. Here is my dream work, and work with the Tarot and poetry images. In all I feel my way in the semi-dark toward some shape that begs exposure and/or sharing. Only ultimately to see a glimmer therein of disatisfaction, that then becomes the urge to dig again.

And why is all this important to me now? I've been feeling a bit of pressure recently (from myself maybe even more so than others) to pull back on this sort of "digging" or introspection, to "let go," for instance. Getting this card now encourages me not to do so. We each have our areas and ways of work. This twilight digging is my life's work. (It may be gritty, dusty work, but somebody's got to do it! :-D) Which puts me in mind of an old dreamku of mine:

dream shard
children dig
for what's been buried

For comparison, here is The Sun in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

Very different images for The Sun card but, as I think on it, the "light" of full consciousness that XIX in the RWS deck has been said to represent can help us see beyond surfaces, also.

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‘til next time, keep seeking truth 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 Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

PATIENCE in THE ORACLE OF THE GRAIL CODE DECK

2008-03-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

PATIENCE, from the Oracle of the Grail Code deck, by Amy Sophia Marashinsky

This is not a Tarot deck, but non-Tarot oracles work the same way as Tarots. Not in their particular organization, of course; e.g., this deck has no suits. But non-Tarot oracles, just as the Tarot does, offer wisdom, support and guidance when we are open to them. And I've been in need of this sort of help as the enormity of my move cross-country to California has finally settled in. I'm feeling overwhelmed and a bit blue. (I have no regrets, though. I know now for sure it was the right move, at the right time.) So I took out this beautiful deck, one of my newest, and asked: What is my single most important challenge at present? I got the above card, PATIENCE.

Well, that got a big laugh of recognition out of me. I've been feeling compelled to get everything done, now, if not sooner, and endlessly impatient and irritated at the inevitable snafus and delays. That "everything" includes not only getting my studio completely together, but meeting and greeting all 200 residents here and remembering all their names, having some of my collages in a residents' art exhibit, performing in a residents' talent show, learning my way around the grounds and so on ... phew, I got tired just typing that. :-) And feeling very anxious when I take any down time, such as even to work on my blogs or (heavens forbid!) watch some T.V. So just seeing the name for the card and the lovely serene figure, prompted me to take a deep breath and tell myself it doesn't all have to get done in the first month I'm here.

Then I went to the small hard cover book that comes with the deck. (BTW, I will be featuring this delightful deck in a future post, and will go more into its philosophical underpinnings then.) The "Meanings" for Patience make clear the connection between impatience and a difficulty in knowing one has the right simply to be, as one is, at any given moment. I'd not realized my often fractious impatience is rooted in a feeling I'm not OK as I am at any given moment. Something needs to be done now or I will be judged and harshly -- by myself and/or by others. And my impatience with others is also rooted in that, because when I am delayed by someone else I feel I will somehow be the one at fault as I'm not OK (have no right just to be) to begin with. (That's very simply put, but I don't think this is the forum in which to wander any further through my psyche. :-D)

After the meanings offered for each card in the book, there is an appropriate and moving meditation one can just read or do. The meditation for Patience leads to a dialogue with the Divine Mother. (Synchronistically, my dreams last night indirectly referenced my actual mother.) How perfect, when something as fundamental as a troubled sense of one's right to simply be underlies the issue at hand...being reassured, encouraged, and guided by the Divine Mother.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

FEATURE (with reading) OF THE UNIVERSAL FANTASY TAROT

2008-02-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

From the first images I saw online in this deck I've craved it for my collection. Not only am I a sucker for color, detail, and richness in Tarot (or any) art, but I love fantasy writing and illustration. And now that I am a proud possessor of this deck, have gone through it several times, and have done one simple reading with it I can say it was well worth the wait.

At first I was a bit bemused as I'd gotten a somewhat different overall visual sense of the deck from the online samples I saw. But as I wandered through the deck I became more and more pleased with the corrections made to my preconceptions. It would be hard to describe all of these "corrections" but I can say, e.g., that I was not expecting the contrast between the mechanical and the biological (very broadly put) in many of the cards. A contrast which, by the way, is very effective when it appears. As in the Five of Pentacles:

I'd be very happy to be excluded from or outside of that city and/or future. :-) (This fits with one of the meanings I have seen myself for the Five of Pentacles in general: You are not meant to be part of that group or effort or situation.)

The Little White Book ("LWB") that comes with the deck is also of more help than many of Lo Scarabeo's tend to be. As an intense tarotphile I am endlessly grateful for Lo Scarabeo's commitment to producing a variety of unusual new Tarot decks. As I've said before here I only wish their LWB's were more accurate and actually related to the deck they come with. In this deck's case, the LWB is quite interesting. As in what it says about the Knave (Page) of Cups that I got when I asked: What single thing do I most need to do? (I deliberately ask a very open-ended question like this sometimes because maybe I'm not looking at some area I really need to.) Here's the Knave (Page) of Cups:

Before going into the LWB's comment on this card, I need to say that when I saw this card I thought in terms of a more traditional Page of Cups, as in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck in which a small fish is just about to maybe jump up out of a goblet/cup the Page is holding. I thought: Ah, something new...maybe I need to really be open to something very new that's coming. Then I looked back at the Knave of Cups in this deck and I laughed: Oh, my, that new fish is already out of the cup, fully here, and it's huge! And I associated that huge fish to the experience of being in my new home here in California, in a senior community of over 200 people. Lots of newness, I'd say. :-) I also thought: Have I got the strength for this, especially as I tend to be a bit of a hermit. So I went to the LWB, which says: "We must be careful in judging those who appear strong and remember that strength has no value if it is not controlled by ideals and sincere sentiments." In that I hear that more than being concerned with strength, per se, I need to stick to my ideals and be sincere. I also think there's a little caveat for me in that I tend to gravitate to those who appear strong and then feel let down when they, too, turn out to have human shortcomings. (Not to mention I tend to judge myself in that same way.) Yes, a truly big fish has come out of this cup!

A P.S. to the reading I did in my previous post, featuring the intriguing Portmeirion Tarot. The outcome card in that reading was the Eight of Pentacles. When I saw that card in this deck:

I thought: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." :-) Which is not something I've ever seen in the Eight of Pentacles before.

Before I share two more cards from the Universal Fantasy Tarot, one further comment. I wish when decks show nude female bodies frequently, they'd bring a bit of balance with some male nudes, as well. As it is, the many nude females and virtually no male nudes in this deck tend to annoy this aging feminist.

Two more samples:

The Ace of Wands

The Devil

All in all, Lo Scarabeo (distributor: Llewellyn) has produced another fantastic deck. And I hasten to add praise for Pietro Alligo who did the graphics and Bepi Vigna who wrote the instructions.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying the fantastic universe of 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

FEATURE (with reading) OF THE PORTMEIRION TAROT, by Craig Conley

2008-02-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve promised a couple of times here to feature a new photographic deck, Trump L’Oeil: The Portmeirion Tarot, photographer/author Craig Conley, and here that post finally is. My first new deck review from my new home cross-country in California.

I won’t give you too many details as I really want to encourage you to visit the link at the bottom of this post for an intriguing journey. I will say all of the photos in this deck are of architecture, statues, paintings, etc., found in the welsh village of Portmeirion. For those who have seen the wonderful classic surreal T.V. show “The Prisoner,” Portmeirion is where it was filmed. I love that a village can be so saturated with archetypal symbolism that Tarot images (as the author and photographer says) “pop up” as one wanders through it. It is not unusual for me to see Tarot images as I go about my daily life, but all 78 and all clustered in one place? Delightful, delicious, delovely! :-D

As to how these Portmeirion images work as a Tarot deck? Quite well, I believe, though some knowledge of Tarot might be helpful. Unless one reads very intuitively, then this deck would work absolutely fine. I’ve looked at those cards Conley displays on his site and see why he chose each aspect of Portmeirion. Each seems clearly suitable as a Tarot image, yet at the same time offers something unique. I have also done one three card reading at the site – see the link below to try a free reading for yourself – and found it’s particular images brought something additional to the experience.

I asked if it’s finally a good time for me to switch to that better way of eating I’ve developed over the years (in order not only to lose another good chunk of weight, but improve my health in general). I got the Eight of Pentacles, Strength, and The World. (By the way, I read three card layouts right to left.) The World in this deck is Hercules holding the world on his shoulders. Big wry laugh! All this weight -- and worry about it -- IS like carrying the world around. I don’t think I’d have gotten such an “in my face” response from a more traditional World card who’s figure is usually dancing and certainly not burdened looking. Strength spoke fairly traditionally: it will take a lot of strength and application, but in a gentle way, no forcing; more the sort of strength that permits things to happen. The outcome card, the Eight of Pentacles is one I have the image for:

A couple days before I did the above reading I’d thought how this photo calls up for me that aspect of “making pentacles” that is sometimes attributed to the Eight of Pentacles of developing one’s spiritual life, as opposed (or in addition) to the more usual attribution of physical work and skills. In this Portmeirion version I saw the possibility of moving from the archway on the left or the more material world, toward the archway on the right or the more spiritual. And then to have this same card come up later as the outcome in the above reading was quite encouraging. That is, to recognize that this material struggle to create better health and well-being for myself, is also very much a part of my spiritual work. When I typed that I thought how obvious that comment seems, but it’s easy to lose that awareness beneath each day’s more concrete demands, at least for me. I am not sure I’d have recalled that spiritual aspect to the Eight of Pentacles if I’d read with a more traditional deck.

Here’s a few more cards from the Portmeirion Tarot I’d requested images for some time ago, so you can get a little taste of the deck, before visiting the site:

I highly recommend that you visit Conley’s site (and check out the link to information about the village in general, as well): Trump L'Oeil: The Portmeirion Tarot. You’ll be intrigued.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying the universe of 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE FOOL in The Tarocchi di Pranzo deck

2008-02-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

I've begun working on a post about the Potmeirion Tarot (a very unusual and intriguing new photographic deck). But just ran across selections from this new deck in aeclectic.net's most recent newsletter. It's painted on crackers, and the designs do crack me up ... they are crazed in the very best sense of that word, taking a very different view of things. I just posted the design for The Fool in my Taiga Tarot project (see link at bottom of this post to that separate blog), so thought I'd post The Fool in The Tarocchi di Pranzo deck.

The Fool in the Tarocchi di Pranzo, by Barbieri Calori Martino

My Taiga Tarot design for The Fool is pretty much within the traditional. I love the Tarocchi di Pranzo's unique imagining.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep appreciating unusual views 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

TAROT RELATED DREAMKU with The Sun card in The Haindl Tarot

2008-02-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

The Sun in The Haindl Tarot

sudden death symbols
fill the borders of the quilt
his compassion

The symbols rimming the quilt were various versions of the astrology sign for the sun. In the dream I associated this to the Sun card in the Tarot and that it can indicate a sudden death. Rarely, but I have seen it do so. I'm not sure whether this is a precog dream or not. But I am certain the sudden death referenced is also the transformation wrought by my move from New York to California. Now that I'm finally here, it feels very sudden. :-)

Although my computer and scanner are up and running, I don't have an ISP yet. So I'm working at one of the public computers in the library of the retirement community I've moved to. I look forward to sharing from a new deck I was just informed about, a Welsh deck, once I have all my usual resources at hand.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

DEATH and transformation, in the Sylph Tarot

2008-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

Death in the Sylph Tarot

This will be my last post for a little while. I dismantle my computer for shipment to my new home cross country in California early Wednesday morning. When I was thinking what card to post a little bit about before I move, I decided to do the numerology for today's date which comes to 13. I was immediately struck by how appropriate this is, given I am in the middle of quite a life transformation. Then when I saw this above Death card image I thought it is very true to where I'm at: a chrysalis stage, dreaming of the wings to come (I fly to California in just a week).

So, there you have it. The Death card as representing transformation. And sometimes one that is preceded by a lengthy chrysalis phase in which the new winged form seems like it will never get here. In my case, the months of decision making, and then the two and a half months of dismantling an apartment stuffed with years of old things I could not -- nor would I have, in most cases, if I could -- take with me. This is also true of all the emotions and memories raised and released by leaving a home I lived in for 23 years, and New York where I've lived just short of all of my 64 years. In terms of the Death card, this latter phase is often said to be "cutting away the old so that the new can grow."

I'll be checking comments and emails in about a week and hopefully posting again soon thereafter from California. :-)

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

A TAROT HAIKU (Four of Swords)

2008-01-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

I recently had Ginny, of 78 Notes to Self Tarot blog, do a reading for me. (I recommend her thorough, insightful readings.) And one of the cards was the Four of Swords in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

One of the things Ginny mentioned was that a hurdle might present before I could experience the "peace" the Four of Swords can be said to presage. That started me wondering. I came up with a lot of thoughts about hurdles. (There will almost certainly be a few during this last 19 days I have left to finish up my preparation to move to California.) As I pondered, I recalled that I read somewhere, ages ago, that one of the interpretations of this card is as a sort of Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. And that prompted this Four of Swords/Tarot haiku:

this enervating
wish for rescue
a small death

Yes, I've been yearning for someone to take care of me during this push to move cross country. Feeling as sorry as I do for myself since I am doing it virtually alone. Of course, I would not have it any other way. But at some level, there's a wish to be taken out of this turbulent suspension and just whisked magically to California, without any further ado at all! And that sort of wishing, for me, can disempower me...therefore that closing image of "a small death."

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE FOUR OF PENTACLES in The Tarot of the Cat People

2008-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Four of Pentacles in The Tarot of the Cat People

OK, this is exactly how I've been feeling at each step along the way as I prepare to move to California on February 6th. As I accomplish a huge task -- each of which requires a great deal of letting go both literally and figuratively -- I cling to what is coming next. Right now I'm dreading the final big packing push. I know I can't take all with me that I'd like to (even after already weeding it out tremendously), but ....

LOL! I just recalled another meaning for this card: good management. And, yes, I'd say I have been a rather good manager so far. There are so many details, each of which has to dovetail (coming and going) with others that even my basically organized Capricornian nature has felt very taxed by it all. Then there's that intriguing version in The Thoth Tarot, that is called "Power." So I can take heart that it's not all about my clinging (well, more accurately wanting to cling) to what I must let go of. That is, I am managing things competently and I have the power to do whatever I must.

Sigh, it's still hard. But I have no doubt at all, well worth it.

(By the way, The Tarot of the Cat People is one of my favorite decks, one I refer to regularly. And this card in it, one of my favorites in the deck. I love the science/fantasy aspect to the deck -- it's set on another world whose cultures have developed around cats -- plus the colorful art, and unusual outfits and jewelry designs. And oh my goodness, I just realized today was my beloved Grandmother Hill's birthday. This card is often attributed to Sun in Capricorn, so it is a card in both my family of Tarot cards and hers.)

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE HIEROPHANT (Ganesh) in The Secret Dakini Oracle

2008-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Hierophant (5 Ganesh/Lord of Obstacles) in The Secret Dakini Oracle

In the previous post I spoke about how one can identify one's own "family" of cards in the Tarot. Although The Hierophant happens to be one in my family (I'm a 5 by birth date and my name also adds to 5), that is not why I chose it today. I just had a feeling this particular version had something to say to me after a particularly hard day dealing with many both worldly and emotional issues. As my move to California on February 6th gets closer, the problems multiply and my ability to cope shrinks.

As soon as I pulled this card up on my screen I got what it had to say, and then some! Yes, we may be caught in a huge web of snafus, delays, problems, hostilities, etc., but with dear Ganesh at our center we will make it through.

Then I noted that in this deck Ganesh is named "Lord of Obstacles," as distinct from "Remover of Obstacles" as He is almost always called. This points to something I have thought for some time. That Ganesh may serve an even more primary purpose than removing obstacles, He may place those we most need and can learn from in our paths to begin with so that we will be empowered by dealing with them. This is not to say that He does not also remove obstacles. E.g., many times today I felt Him moving me forward; in essence pushing the obstacle of myself out of my own way. :-D Oh my, I just flashed on a childhood memory that illustrates this. I was terrified to ride my first two wheeled bike without my father holding the seat behind me to keep me upright. He insisted I would do fine, then gave me a good shove to get me going, and let go. And I did do just fine.

And how might all this relate to Tarot "meanings" for The Hierophant? The Hierophant is, IMHO, above all about spiritual lessons/teaching. Especially intuition, i.e. "inner tuition." (Along with The High Priestess.) It is often due to those tugs and little shoves of intuition that we move in ways from which we learn.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE THREE OF PENTACLES in The Red Sunlight Tarot on Roswila's Birthday

2008-01-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Three of Pentacles in The Red Sunlight Tarot

Today’s my birthday. In the Tarot there are various cards we can determine to be our “family” of cards by our birth date, astrology sign, and so on. The card I tend to most identify with as representing me in my Tarot family of cards is the Three of Pentacles, which covers my birth date of January 4. (Some of the other cards in my family: The Hierophant, Temperance, The Devil. Click here to go to the post here on my last birthday, with the entire family of cards from the quirky Terrestrial Tarot.)

The above version of the Three of Pentacles is rather surreal and maybe that's why I’ve always been drawn to it. There’s something playful about it, too, maybe a child playing with building blocks. And that face sort of radiates like a sun. Though it does seem to be paying attention to something other than the building blocks. Hm, maybe that’s one way to see this particular card. Our sub- or unconscious is always building and creating, no matter where we have turned our conscious attention. And The Tarot and our night dreams, e.g., help us draw those creative efforts into consciousness.

In addition, that sun/face seems very calm and beneficent. Maybe it is also High Self watching over our lives through us. Now if that doesn’t sound strange, I don’t know what would. But that’s my mood as I turn 64 and come ever closer to moving cross country to California – where I’ll be building a new life. I.e., I hope that High Self is watching beneficently over me. And that leads right to the more traditional images on this card of a stonemason working under the supervision of what are sometimes said to be The Fool and The Hierophant. For example, here’s The Three of Pentacles in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

And lastly, here’s two links at which you can learn how to determine some of your own Tarot cards:

Birthcards-Tarot School
Calculator-Tarot School

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‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE ACE OF PENTACLES in The Karma Tarot

2008-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

The Ace of Coins (Pentacles) in The Karma Tarot

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
May it be filled with prosperity, health, and happiness for All.

I chose an Ace for this greeting because Aces are often about beginnings. This one in The Karma Tarot is particularly touching.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE FIVE OF CUPS in The RWS Tarot with poem by e.e. cummings

2007-12-28T10:06:00.000-08:00

[Five of Cups in The Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot]

let it go-the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise-let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go-the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers-you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go-the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things-let all go
dear
so comes love

poem by e.e. cummings

Note that there are two upright cups behind the mourning figure. And that the Two of Cups is often about love ....

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE FOOL in The Ukiyoe Tarot

2007-12-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Fool in the Ukiyoe Tarot

General comment: Sorry I'm so totally focused on the process of my move to California. I just hope the images themselves will offer you more about the cards I've been posting these last several weeks than I've been seeing in them and sharing with you. :-)

That said, this card grabbed me as I do see in it how I've been feeling: I'm standing at the edge of an abyss, or at least what appears like one as I can't really know what this move will be like until I'm actually living in my new home outside Santa Barbara. I also feel rather poor (the rags the character is wearing) and that I'm taking so very little with me (shipping is by the pound and I'm moving on the proverbial shoe string). But there is this tremendous optimism which is more apparent in other more traditional Fool cards, as in this version from the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:

But what really pulled me up short on viewing The Fool in the Ukiyoe deck is the different relationship between the little dog and The Fool. In most decks, The Fool seems almost oblivious to the little dog's presence and possible attempt to warn him that there's a cliff ahead. In the Ukiyoe version above, not only is The Fool paying attention, the little dog almost seems to be urging The Fool to take the leap! I was happy to note this, as the little dog is often said to be our deep intuition, that which comes from the Goddess. And it is my strong gut feeling that I am moving to a much better life that is keeping me even minimally sane during this turbulent process.

I'm sad to say I no longer have the Ukiyoe Tarot in my possession. Many years ago -- in a fit of poverty induced insanity -- I sold a number of decks. This is another example of how my "taste" in Tarot has changed over the years. E.g., I now also regret having sold The Karma Tarot and Elksinger's Perfected Tarot. However, I am grateful that these are among the very few regrets -- of any kind, small or big -- that I am faced with as I make this huge transition to not only a new home cross country but to a new life.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE TWO OF PENTACLES in The Karma Tarot

2007-12-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Two of Pentacles in The Karma Tarot

A friend recently mentioned this deck. As she talked I became extremely curious so I googled it and was utterly engaged by this 1980's deck. The Majors in the deck are, for the most part interesting and well-designed but not very unusual. However, it's in the Minors that this deck breaks out and mesmerizes, much like powerful dreams do. Like the card above....

The Two of Pentacles is often named "Change," and as in this Rider/ Waite/ Smith version:

... one often gets the impression that the change is being handled or will be coped with just fine. But with the Karma Tarot version the impression is much different. For example, for me, I see someone needing to change how they communicate, rather desperately, but torn in different ways by different, somewhat artificial aspects of self. Of course, I might see something quite different in this very dream-like image were that not exactly what I'm going through at this point in my life. (My preparation to move to California in about a month is requiring that I deal with more than just knotty material issues, both in myself and in others.) In fact, I will be very curious to see what comes to me when I view this same card at some distant future date.

Another intriguing thing about this deck is that it was a couple weeks after my friend mentioned it before I realized I had bought a copy of the Karma Tarot back in the 1980's, and eventually sold it as I had not liked it. How's that for a big "change"?

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE EMPEROR in The SpiroTarot by Draagonstorm

2007-12-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

The Emperor in the The SpiroTarot

I came across the images for this deck online just a couple days ago and was particularly drawn to The Emperor. It really gets across that sense of sheltering and protection of new and tender growth that can be represented by this card.

And, in case you thought you'd get away without me making reference to my move to California the first week in February again, this design also puts me in mind of the below photo of where I'm moving. It's of only one of the many gardens on the premises, this one in a courtyard:

I'd really recommend checking out The SpiroTarot via the above link to see more of this deck's intriguing abstract designs. While there you might also want to view Draagonstorm's the Tarot of the Golden Desert, a lush and unusual deck.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

A LITTLE TEMPERANCE MAY BE CALLED FOR....

2007-12-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

Temperance in The Maroon Tarot

I ran across the above image today when searching for a Ganesh image I thought I'd placed in a wrong folder (long story). I'd forgotten how beautiful and evocative it is. I'm a bit rushed and bleary-eyed today (all this getting ready to move to California is at a very wearying stage), so decided to leave it up to you, dear reader, to see what this card has to say today.

Then I got Aeclectic Tarot's new Tarot newsletter (visit the site and sign up for it if you haven't already!) and came across another unusual Temperance image, in The Chocolate Tarot:

So when I take my afternoon break (which usually ends with a nap, I'm getting to be such a Crone :-D) I'll definitely meditate a bit on what Temperance has to say to me. As I typed that into blogger, I recalled reading somewhere that Temperance's path on the Qabalistic Tree of Life is the most difficult path of all. Which given how I've been feeling during this preparation to move I could most certainly agree with. :-D However, there's also something about balance of opposites/intensities in this card -- e.g., the RWS images of a volcano and irises:

And even though this balancing may come hard, it will. Oh, well, so much for leaving it all up to you to respond to this card. What can I say? Tarot images can be so compelling and energizing.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE LUGGAGE (The Chariot) in The Discworld Tarot

2007-12-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Luggage (The Chariot, VII) in The Discworld Tarot

OK, so I said to myself "Self? It's time to do a Tarot blog post..." and the number 12 popped into my mind. Yeah, I know this card is numbered seven. But as blitzed as I am by all the packing and tossing preparing for my California move, I looked through all the stored computer images I have for XII, looking at all Tarot images numbered VII instead, and didn't even realize it until I went to do this post. Go figure! Actually, The Chariot preceded by a vague reference to The Hanged Man makes sense. I will be suspended for the next two months, neither really here, nor really in my new cross country home. But my focus does need to be on moving, on "getting my act together and taking it on the road."

At any rate, I could not resist posting this card today. It may not make much sense (other than being about travel) to anyone not familiar with Terry Pratchett's fabulous Discworld book series. The Luggage is sentient/magical, and a hoot! (See link below under "Resource" for a Terry Pratchett site.) I'm finding as I sort through objects and reduce their numbers to fit them into a studio, that they are becoming almost sentient. They are most certainly energized by memory and emotion. And I must admit I do wish the ones I cannot take with me would simply sprout feet like the ones on the card above, and waltz happily off into the sunset. I have so much stuff to find new homes for! A late in life lesson in living simply.

* * * *

Resource: A Terry Pratchett/Discworld Site, may take quite some time to load; it's massively resourceful.

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

JUDGMENT in The Medieval Cat Tarot

2007-11-27T09:56:00.001-08:00

Judgment (XX) in the Medieval Cat Tarot

I stumbled across the above card today online. And the first thing I "heard" was one of Judgment's more traditional meanings: "Call to a new life." (My impending move cross country to California, would you say?) Then I thought that the kitten looks to be flexing its muscles, in a classic body builder pose. On occasion -- when I'm not being anxious and whiney -- I do feel this way. Trying out new muscles -- both literally and figuratively -- even as I am building them by doing all this hard inner and outer work. The two adult cats put me in mind of the High Priestess and the High Priest, guiding and sheltering their anxious, rambunctious child.

By the way, my last few posts here in particular clearly demonstrate how I tend to relate to The Tarot cards. Much like beautiful, endlessly varied Rorschach ink blots, onto which is projected what is urging itself upon consciousness.

Do check out the link above to see a few more of the images from what looks to be a delightful deck, and not just for cat lovers, IMHO. I do not have the Medieval Cat Tarot so have not had the opportunity to see all of it's images. But from what I have seen, I would welcome it in my collection.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

MAGICIAN/HIGH PRIESTESS in Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden

2007-11-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

Magician/High Priestess in The Tarot Garden in Tuscany, Italy, by Niki de Saint Phalle

As I keep saying in my posts to this and my dreams & poetry blog, "As I was weeding out my files preparing to move to California soon, I came across..." in this instance, pages I'd torn from a magazine many, many years ago of the fabulous Tarot Garden in Tuscany, Italy, created by Niki de Saint Phalle. (See link above, and below under "Resource" for more images and information.)

These larger, nay huger than life Tarot inspired sculptures have always fascinated me whenever I've come across photos of them online or in print. Today, when I found the old article I was particularly struck by the photo of the merged Magician and High Priestess. (That's the Magician's silver head on top of the blue and gaped-mouth High Priestess.) I felt encouraged, as if at present I am like the Magician, working steadily to manifest a new life and home in California. Even as I adjust and respond to the often roiling waves of High Priestess-like intuition underlying and informing all my activity.

And, yes, there's something both a bit funny and grotesque about these images. It fits my experiences during this huge transition in my life. As things come apart and do not yet have a new form, they do seem rather strange, out of kilter, and frequently out-sized. Humor, the joy of where I'm headed, my dreams, and the Tarot help to re-orient me.

* * * *

Resource: The Tarot Garden, has more photos, some close up so you can see the details.

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

THE HANGED WOMAN in The Animals Divine Tarot

2007-11-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Hanged Woman, "Spider Woman," in The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt

As much work as I am doing, there is still so much more that simply has to wait on further information or on other things first being in place as I prepare to move cross country. I've never been very good at being patient, especially as the longer I wait the more anxious I get and I'm a rather anxious person to begin with. So yesterday I did some magic affirming that I am not anxious and am waiting patiently for as long as need be, then got on with what I can be doing now. This morning it occurred to me that this is a time of The Hanged One for me (or Man, or Woman, or Person, depending on the deck you are thinking of).

When I went to my image library for a Hanged Man card to accompany this post, the one above really grabbed my attention. I began to see that the times when we are feeling suspended (delayed, having to wait, anxious) are the times when The God/dess is spinning something new for us, while holding us safely in the web of the old. And I recalled an anonymous quote I had recently unearthed in weeding out my files: "Things work out in the end. If they haven't worked out, it's not the end." :-D

As ever, I hope you visit the Animals Divine Tarot site (link above under the graphic) to view Lisa Hunt's extraordinary deck.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

INVOKING GANESH

2007-11-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Hierophant (High Priest), by Lisa Hunt, in The Animals Divine Tarot

Ganesh is my favoritie Deity. Actually I should say, He's "first among equals" among the various Deities I consciously relate to. (I say "consciously" because I sometimes suspect others than those I am aware of have their influences and/or ways with my life.) I've been calling on Him even more than usual as I am going through this huge uprooting to move cross country to California.

My prayer, especially now given that I have actual material objects in my way (like an old huge couch to somehow get out of my living room without taking it out over the terrace the way it came in 23 years ago), is for Him to graciously remove all obstacles from my path. (One of His titles is "Remover of Obstacles.) I am willing to do, and am doing all the necessary work. I just really need His help, as well. It would be very helpful, too, if He continued to bless this new enterprise, this new life I'm heading toward. (Ganesh is often invoked at the start of new enterprises to ensure their success.)

As I sort, throw out, prepare for a house give-way and sale, type gazillions of emails to my out-of-town landlord (helping with the apartment repair list and obtaining a new tenant), begin to actually pack stuff in cartons (that I first have to put together) etc., etc. I do so wish I, too, had four arms. But I am more than grateful that Ganesh does. And that I continue to feel His loving presence along this tumultuous but welcome path of change.

By the way, be sure to check out the link to The Animals Divine Tarot (under the image above). It's an absolutely wonderful Tarot deck.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

A TAROT TRYPTYCH AND A WITCH HOUSE

2007-11-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

i build a small/white wood Tarot tryptych/witch house

The above is a haiga, an illustrated haiku. (Technically the poem on it is a dreamku, a haiku-like poem based on a dream.)

The image is a scan of an actual white wood tryptych given to me by a dear friend. Funny thing is when I recalled the dream and wrote the dreamku, I did not relate it to this tryptych which I have to pass everytime I enter and leave my kitchen. Even funnier (in that sense of being odd) is that the dear friend who gave it to me lives in California. And this dreamku reflected my difficulty in deciding which (the pun of "witch" in the last line) of two senior residences to move to -- a California one, or one in upstate New York. After the dream I kept worrying and finally decided: I move to California the end of this January. What I did not know until searching for an image to accompany this Tarot dreamku today -- many days after the dream, was that this dream was giving me the answer I had been searching for: California. Not only that but that the threeness of "tryptych" is the number of women friends I have living near (and one actually in) that California residence. Well, duh, nothing like hindsight, is there? LOL!

As to Tarot? I see this tryptych as a version of the Three of Cups, which is often illustrated with three women celebrating together. And personally I can see this tryptych as saying I am building a new home, that will be filled with Tarot. I'm moving from a three bedroom, two bath apartment, into a studio. Folding down, as a tryptych does, into a smaller space. So my 80 Tarot decks, numerous Tarot books, and Tarot posters will take up proportionately more room, making it even more of a Tarot house than I have here. I look forward to it.

* * * *

‘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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

2007-11-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

The Eight of Cups (Brother and Sister) in the Fairytale Tarot

I believe our lives are always being guided by the mythic, and sometimes that sense of an underlying framework is even stronger. My life has been like this for some time now as I prepare to pull up 23 years' of roots in this apartment (60 years worth in New York city as a whole), for a retirement residence in parts as yet unknown.

The Fairytale Tarot seemed the perfect deck to consult tonight. I randomly pulled the above card, The Eight of Cups whose story in this deck is "Brother and Sister." I was astounded (I am always grateful that after over 30 years of working with many different decks I can still be astounded) at what meanings the authors gleaned from this story. But mostly how absolutely on the mark it is for me right now. Here's just a few excerpts:

Leaving one thing to move on the next. A sad parting but a new beginning. Mingled regret and anticipation. Making the steps that are necessary, even though it's hard. ....usually contains an element of pain in the parting. The sad but sensible decision that Brother and Sister take in moving away from their unhappy home is a very good example of the mixed feelings of both hurt and hope that are at the heart of this card. ....It also recalls the Death card in Tarot, a card that is as much about transformation, and a journey from one 'life' to another, as about any actual physical death. ....However, the Eight is essentially a positive card. It tells us to acknowledge the difficulties of deciding when change is needed, but it also assures us that sometimes it's a decision that has to be made.

This story and what the authors say about it have confirmed the necessity of and my resolution to make this move. This confirmation will help to sustain me as I continue on through all the uncertainty, sadness, happy anticipation, and hard work.

* * * *

‘til next time, keep facing up to the difficult decisions and changes, 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

HAPPY HALLOWEEN and A BLESSED SAMHAIN

2007-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

All the above are from The Halloween Tarot

I'm off again (this time a three day trip) to upstate New York to check out another retirement residence I'm interested in. I seriously doubt I'll have computer access while way, so won't be checking comments and emails until Friday, November 2nd.

Have a Happy Halloween and a Blessed Samhain. If you'd like to read some Halloween haiku-like horror poems, with a link to information about Samhain, you can visit the post on my dreams and poetry blog here.

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‘til next time, keep honoring changes 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

TAROT LIGHT BULB JOKE

2007-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

How Many Major Arcana Does It Take to Change A Light Bulb?

To see the very funny answer(s), Click here for the post on The Tarot Channel. (Joke is copyright of: SerenaPowers.com.)

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‘til next time, keep enjoying the humor that abounds in 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

HAIKU ABOUT THE SUN CARD by Patricia Kelly, with a recommended article & reading spread

2007-10-24T20:22:00.001-07:00

Sun card image by Simone

the sun nourishes
we share our lights with the world
in turn

I just stumbled across this intriguing article by Geraldine Amaral about The Sun card as representing our "bright shadow self," as opposed to The Devil card which can represent our dark shadow. I highly recommend trying the Bright Shadow Spread that is included in the article. It gave me a very inspiring and supportive Tarot reading tonight.

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‘til next time, keep recognizing and sharing your Bright Shadow, 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****

HAIKU ABOUT ADJUSTMENT in The Thoth Tarot

2007-10-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

adjusting
again and again
the still point

[Image: "Adjustment" (Justice) card in The Thoth Tarot]

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‘til next time, keep re-striking the balance, 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 Tarot poetry and Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka).****