Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess: Computer Fixed by Expertise and Magic

This week I will be working with another self-published deck. This time it's a Majors-only deck called Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess. Today I drew Moon, Empress and Death.

These cards are describing a major event that concluded last night. As you all know, my computer crashed last month. My main concern was losing all my files. I had a year's worth of pictures of my kids on that computer. (A huge lesson learned in backing up files!) So I was not willing to attempt to restore my computer to factory settings without first saving my files. So after many weeks of frustrating failed attempts, hours of generous help from a computer-savvy friend, and a little magic, last night I was able to both extract my files, and restore my original laptop.

When these cards came up this morning, the Empress was in the middle, illustrating that in the center of the entire situation was something that had to do with my role as a mother. My wanting more than anything to save the pictures of my kids was at the heart of the matter.

The Moon shows the confusing nightmare that I have been going through, trying to figure it all out, wondering with a fair amount of fear, if I would be able to accomplish my desire. The Moon card also holds a bit of mystical magic to me, and I will get to that in a minute.

The Death card shows the end to the situation. Death + Moon is the end of the confusion and mystery. You can see the moon through the window in the Death card, literally behind the woman, as the effects are the moon are behind her, in the past now.

Upon looking closer at the cards, I noticed with amazement the red dot on each of the outstretched palms of the woman in the Death card (crucifix wounds to match the ones on her feet). The two hand dots immediately reminded me of the "magic" that I used to help fix my computer last night. I have been learning about Matrix Energetics, which involves manipulating reality on a quantum level, utilizing two points from your fingers (the two points on the woman's hands!) At one point last night when I was trying to open a folder on my computer to access the files within it, there was nothing in it. It was completely empty. I tried again and again to open it, but every time it was empty. So I two-pointed the file and imagined opening it again and seeing files in it. Sure enough, the next time I opened the folder, there were tons of files in it... where there were none before!

I then looked to the Moon card, and her hands are also held out at her side like the Death card. And the Empress too! Open palms, one at each side. And the affirmation at the bottom of the Moon card reads, "I use my intuition and intelligence to guide me at all times". This is exactly what led to my computer being fixed. My intuition (using Matrix Energetics) in combination with the intelligence of my friend and another online expert was what solved my problem!

Returning to the Empress card, I now see the bounty that I have available to me. I am a happy mama, having all my kids' photos back!

And now, right now, I am going to back up all the files I rescued!

Deck: Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess (by Pamela Wells, published by Artmagic Publishing)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Deck Review: Tarot of Trees

The Tarot of Trees is a whimsically delightful deck, self-published by artist Dana Driscoll. There is also an accompanying book available, which I don't have, so I will be reviewing the deck alone.

The Cards
I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of card stock on this deck, as it is self-published. The cards are playing card size, professionally printed with a glossy finish. The cards have a nice black border and the colors are vibrant. The font has a bit of an amateur feel about it and is difficult to read at first glance, but this could actually be considered a plus if border titles tend to distract you. The gorgeous backs are reversible, and just might be my favorite back of any deck I have.

The paintings for the cards were created using watercolors, acrylics and inks. Dana graciously walks us through the creation of the Three of Swords on the Artistic Process page of her website. I really enjoyed seeing the stages of the card from beginning to end. This is something I'd love to see more tarot artists sharing. Not being an artist myself, I am fascinated by the process through which the talent journeys.

The box that the cards came in isn't as well constructed as the deck. The glue on mine came undone within a week, by my only opening it gently twice a day, to extract and rehouse the deck.

The suits in the Tarot of Trees depart from what I am used to. They correspond to the four seasons in the following manner:

Wands - Summer
Cups - Spring
Swords -Autumn
Pentacles - Winter

Though it would have been that much more wonderful to have the seasons match my personal correspondence, one has to realize that everyone has different points of view on the subject, and you can't please everyone. I really don't use the seasonal timing in my readings anyway, so it doesn't make any difference for me as a reader.

While Dana was still in the creating stages of her deck, I had followed her blog eagerly to watch the progress of the cards. I was instantly attracted to the style of her drawing. I loved the whimsical, spiral lines. I was drawn to the watercolors in purples and pinks, and impressed by how she seemed to manage to express the essence of each card without using humans or animals.

One of my favorites is the Knight of Wands, because the tree almost seems human as it grows in the middle of a path. It looks as though it is crossing the road, its adventurous spirit not being tied down by roots. The Queen of Pentacles shows a tree bent over so its branches are touching the snowy ground. There is snow falling on the top of the canopy it has created, while underneath, safe from the cold of the falling snow is a pentacle. This nurturing queen has literally bent over backward in hospitality and care taking.

The Seven of Wands shows a scene of houses dotted here and there while seven trees stand tall in the distance, between two mountains. They are holding their ground, defending their territory as the threat of new housing development is insinuated. The Lovers card shows two intertwined trees, their bottom branches creating a heart in the space between the two.

There are a few cards that require a stretch of the imagination to make them fit the RWS meaning, if at all. For example, the Seven of Swords shows a windy autumn day with seven swords in a row stuck in the ground. I don't get any real "Seven of Swords-y" feeling from looking at this card. There are a few others like this, which when they come up, I will either have to just read them by the title alone, or forget the RWS meaning and create my own meaning based on what I see. Fortunately, there are only a small handful of these cards, as the majority of the cards are very easily understood at first sight.

I am especially impressed by the way the branches have been used in such a natural manner. Rather than making them arm-like, which would have been disappointing, they look like actual trees. If they are holding an object such as a cup, sword or pentacle, the branches are wrapped around them in a natural way. This was one of the most pleasing aspects of the deck for me, that the trees have not been anthropomorphized. They are more truthful and believable this way.

Another thing that was a refreshing plus in my book is the lack of religious symbolism. This deck frees you to read the cards as you see them, and not limiting your view of cards such as the Hierophant.


How it Reads
Ah... so now we get to the real question. Sure, the cards are pretty, but how does a deck read that has no humans in it? Can a deck full of nothing but trees be considered a working tarot deck? The answer is yes, the Tarot of Trees is definitely a reading deck. It's amazing how expressive the trees are, and how much character they have, considering they have no eyes, facial features or body parts with which to express themselves. Dana has done an amazing job of using color, wind, scenery and especially tree branches to illustrate the meaning of each card.

When doing a reading, as soon as I lay down the cards, I see a fluid scene. I see movement in the cards, I feel the temperature changes between them. In fact, not having human expression in the deck actually allows for a wider variety of interpretations.

The conflict in the tangled trees of the Five of Wands is felt immediately. The tree cut down in the Death card illustrates perfectly the finality of that situation, and the trunk so close to the stump, at the point where it was severed shows the rawness and longing for what was. The Knight of Wands so obviously depicts the feeling of doing something risky, doing something that maybe others said couldn't be done. The Four of Swords is a tree whose trunk has veered to the side (horizontally), to take a brief rest on four swords sticking up in the ground before continuing its growth upward.

These are just a few examples of how expressive the cards can be, and how they are easily interpreted as human emotions and situations.

Additional Info
The Tarot of Trees book can be purchased together with the deck, or separately. You can see a preview PDF of the accompanying book here (which looks lovely!) The artist also offers a variety of accessories such as hand painted deck boxes, silk tarot wraps, incense tins and the original paintings used for the deck (while supplies last).

Final Thoughts
I knew when I first saw images of this deck online that I was attracted to the artwork, but I wouldn't know how it read until I used it for myself. Now that I have, I am very happy to discover that it reads so openly and freely. Another plus is that it is a completely non-threatening deck for any sitter. There are no scary images, no religion thrown in your face, and obviously no nudity in question. This is a deck that can be used to read for people of all ages and walks of life.

The Tarot of Trees is a beautiful, workable deck that has been very thoughtfully created. The production quality of the cards is stellar, and they are easy to shuffle. Dana Driscoll's self-published contribution to the tarot world with this deck is one that I hope will be supported and celebrated by the tarot community.

See below for 12 more images.

Suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, Pentacles
Court Titles: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Justice/Strength: Strength 8, Justice 11
Cards: 78
Card Size: 2.5" x 3.5"
Card stock: Glossy
Backs: Reversible
Artist: Dana Driscoll
Publisher: Artistic Journeys











To see more images, visit my daily draws with the Tarot of Trees.

To purchase this deck, visit the artist's website: Tarot of Trees.

Deck: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Deck Review: Tree Affirmation Cards

Tree Affirmation Cards is a 44-card self-published deck with an accompanying 95-page softcover book, published in London by Vicky Lewis. Because it is a deck with a tree theme, you can't help but be reminded that trees are cut down to create decks and books. So I was very impressed and pleased that the paper for the box and book is 100% recycled. The cards and book cover are made from sustainable sources. In addition, 10% of the profits from this set are donated to tree-related charities. This really made the deck all the more meaningful and sincere to me.

The Cards
Straight out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the lamination. These cards are so smooth to the touch, unlike any other deck I've owned. They are literally a joy to have in my hands. When my kids were looking through them, they immediately commented on the same thing. They were oohing and aahing over how smooth they were to touch.

The cards are large (approx 4 1/8" x 5 7/8") which I thought would pose a shuffling problem, since I like to poker-shuffle. However, the cards are amazingly pliable enough to shuffle with great ease sideways (vertically), yet still remain sturdy.

The watercolor and ink illustrations are simply lovely and really capture the essence of each tree. The Weeping Willow has always been my favorite tree. And in this deck, it feels as though I am actually sitting beneath the tree's comforting, shade-generous hanging leaves. The Pendiculate Oak brings back summer memories from childhood. The Maritime Pines give such a strong visual of wind blowing through the branches.

The illustrations are done in an old fashioned style, yet with a modern vibe to them (a concept which I find too complicated to explain beyond just that). It's a very pleasing blend that provides an instant level of comfort with the cards.

On the bottom border of each card is the name of the tree. Along the top border is the theme. For example, the Apple Tree's corresponding title is Love. And the imagery evokes such a sweet, old-fashioned feeling of love that could easily bring to mind feelings of family love, love of friends, or the pure love of a gentle sweetheart.

There aren't any negative cards in the deck, as it is designed for positive affirmations. The closest this deck comes to the dark side is the Turkey Oak card (Healing the Heart) which speaks of oak heart disease that has affected this tree. The passage explains the healing process the tree goes through when recovering from this disease, and relates that to healing human pains of the heart.

How it Reads
Though I have only had the pleasure of owning this deck for a few weeks now, so far the cards I have drawn have proven to be helpful and relevant to my inquiries. And when pulling a card as an accompaniment to a tarot reading, it always adds a helpful dimension to the reading.

I have a lovely example of how this deck was gently relentless in giving me a message I needed to hear, though it was one I didn't expect. Using it for my daily oracle draws, I pulled the Orange Tree (Prosperity) three days in a row. On the second day, my computer crashed.... yet I continued to draw the Prosperity card day after day. So I was having some doubts about the cards' accuracy. I wasn't able to access my online income, so I was feeling pretty much the opposite of prosperous. A week later, my mom told me she was ordering me a brand new laptop (a much nicer one... huge upgrade from my previous laptop) which would arrive the following week! Although I hadn't realized it at the time, the cards were adamant about letting me know that abundance was mine, even if I couldn't yet see evidence of it.

The Book
The accompanying book (which is the same size as the cards) is subtitled, "Wisdom of the Standing People" and is very thoughtfully written. The intro gives a beautiful commentary on our ancient connections with trees. For each card, there is a black and white image of the tree on the card, and beneath it an affirmation. On the facing page is a couple of paragraphs with thoughts on the tree and the meaning the card holds for you.

Excerpt from the book:

Honesty - Chestnut:

When I am honest with myself I gain in authenticity.

This large chestnut tree in Kew Gardens has beautiful glossy leaves with light green prickly pompons that conceal sweet chestnuts. There is something straightforward about its demeanour. If you walk under the canopy you will see the beautiful bark bearing the marks of its growth and see by the twists and turns of its branches that its growth hasn't always been straightforward. But it has eventually become a magnificent tree with a wonderful symmetry.

It can be difficult being honest with oneself at times, especially when we have learnt that it is not acceptable to make mistakes. It is also very hard when we feel we have to be right and are faced with others who also feel that way. We may at times shy away from looking at what's really going on and go through all kinds of contortions trying to figure out who's right and who's wrong. Often situations are complicated and then all we can do is acknowledge what we really feel.

Drop all "shoulds" and try and simply accept where you are at this moment. By doing this without judgement we gain in self-acceptance and authenticity. We let down defences and are no longer afraid to be vulnerable, as we have nothing to lose. We are free to become more of who we truly are.

There are three spreads included in the book: The 4-card 'Four Directions Spread', the 6-card 'Tree Spread', the 7-card 'Pathway Energy Spread'.


Final thoughts
I am a huge tree lover. I have always felt comforted by the gentle strength of trees. There are several tree oracles on the market, but none had called to me much until I saw the Tree Affirmation Cards. This is, so far, the first tree-based oracle deck that I have resonated with.

Tree Affirmations always seems to provide a message that I need to hear on any given day, whether or not I had realized it yet. They are very wise and comforting cards that, like the trees themselves, are both gentle and strong. This is a beautiful deck for readings, inspiration or meditation.

See below for more images from the Tree Affirmation Cards.

To see more images and readings I've done with the Tree Affirmation Cards, visit my posts with the deck here.

Tree Affirmation Cards are available for purchase through the artist's website: http://www.vickylewis.co.uk/Trees.

Deck: Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Lenormand Astrologisches - Thanksgiving

I wanted to do a quick Thanksgiving reading today. The first deck that came to mind was my Lenormand Astrologisches, which has a Thanksgiving-y feel to it. I wanted to ask the cards what I should be consciously thankful for today. I chose the Bouquet card to represent "being thankful" as it's a card that I associate with gifts and gratitude. So I shuffled the deck and then dealt the cards until the Bouquet came up. I then read the cards that came before and after the Bouquet card.

Scythe + Mountain... This illustrates an ending to a challenging time or situation. The Scythe chips violently away at the Mountain (obstacle), causing it to crumble. So right away my most immediate thought was how grateful I am to have a computer again. My mom sending me this new laptop brought an immediate end to the huge ordeal I faced suddenly being without one. I am very thankful for this today, and have already video chatted with her today for Thanksgiving.

I will keep this theme in mind for the remainder of the day, and contemplate more instances where I have been grateful in my life for bad situations finally reaching the end of their course (there have been many!)

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate with friends and family today!

Deck: Lenormand Astrologisches

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Update

Just wanted to post a quick update that I'm back online! Yay!! I received my new laptop yesterday and it's such a huge relief! I have a ton of catching up to do with emails and blog comments and such, so I won't be blogging my daily draws this week, but will be posting reviews on the Tarot of Trees and Tree Affirmations decks sometime this week. Next week I'll be back with my daily draws.

I'm so glad to be back!

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Tarot of Trees & Tree Affirmations - Confidence in any Weather

Today I drew the Knight of Wands, Justice and The Empress. The Tree Affirmation card of the day is Self Esteem (Mallow). Click on images to enlarge.

I saw myself in these cards. I immediately identify with the Empress as my role as a mother. The Knight of Wands shows a tree daring to grow where no trees grow. Right in the middle of the road. It looks as though the tree is actually trying to cross the road. It's not allowing its roots to keep it held in one place. This is the risk taker, the adventurer. I have made many choices in my life, and the most adventurous ones have been since becoming a mother, regarding my parenting. I don't do things like everyone else does, I certainly stray from the norm, and even sometimes from certain laws that I don't agree with (Justice). These cards made me think about how I haven't done anything adventurous lately. I think I'm long overdue.

Another thing I saw in the cards was a snapshot of a potential future. Ever since deciding that I wanted to move, the Knight of Wands has been my token card for that issue. I'm the Empress, and the beau in my future is Justice (In my soulmate reading with the Archeon Tarot, the Justice card came up to answer the question, "Who is he?") Guess he's just popping up to remind me not to forget about him!

The Tree Affirmation card, Self Esteem, made me take inventory today on my self worth, and how much of it is tied up falsely in what I do and how I do it as opposed to who I am. The book describes the Mallow shrub as ordinary for most of the year, suddenly blossoming in the summer with full exuberance. Like this tree, I realize it is possible to be ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. The passage also speaks about how self worth is directly related to self acceptance, which fosters confidence. The affirmation is, "My self esteem grows when I accept myself as I am." The last sentence of the passage reads, "Recognize and affirm that which is most beautiful in you and watch it flower."

Tying this in with the tarot reading, I need to appreciate where I am right now. Whether I am in the middle of a risk-taking adventure, or just sitting around with nothing but the mundane to do, I'm still me. My worth doesn't rely on what I'm doing, but who I am. Life is cyclical, so there is a time for adventure and a time for relaxation. Accepting myself during every cycle is the key to confidence and self-esteem. I need not identify exclusively with one or the other.

Decks: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)
and Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Tarot of Trees - The Hidden Obvious (& Tree Affirmations - Reconnecting)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Today I drew The Fool, King of Wands and Six of Wands.

I see the sun and clouds in the Fool card, continuing in the Six of Wands. They are interrupted by the huge trunk of the King of Wands. This made me think that there is something big getting in the way of a successful new start (Fool + Six of Wands) for me. This is very interesting to me because I have been thinking a lot lately about making a fresh start at something, but there is this resistance there that I haven't been able to put my finger on. The King of Wands has a huge presence. I will need to think this over today, because it seems as though there is something enormous standing in my way, right in front of my nose, but I can't see it. Sometimes something is so big that you overlook it. That's what this feels like. So these cards have helped to to discover that the resistance that I'm looking for is something more obvious than subtle. There is something staring me right in the face, I just need to step back to get a wider zoom on it.

When I went to shuffle my Tree Affirmations, a card fell out of the deck. Peace (Olive Tree). For some reason I wanted to draw another card, so I cut the deck, and instead of cutting once, the deck actually fell and cut twice. So I took the two top cards, Love (Apple Tree) and Friendship (False Acacia). (Click on image below to enlarge.)



I looked at the three cards and they complimented each other beautifully, as though they were one singular message. Peace, Love and Friendship. How beautiful is that!? I have been missing the contact I usually have with friends and family online. I don't have a phone, so all of my long distance contact is via email and video chats on Skype. I have missed communicating with my loved ones, much more than I normally would for some reason. One day last week, I drew the Community card from this deck, and it really made me realize how much I depend on my different online communities for support and friendship.

So, today I will focus on being peaceful in my heart while I wait for regular internet access to be available to me again. I will think about those I love and treasured friendships and how I can keep in better touch with them from now on. I'm usually really bad about my response time to emails from friends and family, and this being out of touch has made me want to change that. So there's the silver lining to this computer upset.

Decks: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)
and Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Tarot of Trees & Tree Affirmations - No Computer? ... Plan B

(Click on image to enlarge)

I'm posting yesterday's draw, since my desktop wasn't cooperating yesterday (I'm all too eagerly awaiting the UPS guy's arrival with my new laptop. It'll be a struggle to refrain from throwing my arms around his neck with glee when he arrives!)

Yesterday I drew the Two of Swords, Knight of Swords and Three of Swords. I knew when I saw these cards that my desktop wouldn't be working. I was just too lucky that it allowed me to post the day before. The Two of Swords shows stunted growth. There I was, that little tree, just starting to get back online, when the two swords came down upon me with a big fat NO to that. Despite my most valiant efforts to get the computer to work again (Knight of Swords), I knew it would be a waste of time, because the Three of Swords shows my despair. So, although I did try to get my computer to work, I didn't spend all day at it, because the cards had already warned me against wasting my efforts.

And notice how bruised all the cards seem! All three Swords cards have the same purple/pink/yellow coloration in the background, which all feel like painful bruising.

The Tree Affirmations was ready with Plan B. I pulled the Celebration card (Tulip Tree). Usually the oracle cards blend cohesively with the tarot, but yesterday the card was quite contradictory with my tarot draw. However, it made perfect sense, because it was providing me with an alternate outlook to the day's disappointment. I could find something else to celebrate instead. So I did. And I had a great day. I had fun with my kids and read an entire novel, start to finish. It's been a long while since I've had the time to do that!

I have to note that tulips are my favorite flowers, but I have never heard of a tulip tree before!

I will work on posting today's draw with the cards as well, depending on how long my computer allows me!

Decks: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)
and Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Tarot of Trees and Tree Affirmations - A Happy Ending!

(Click on image of cards to enlarge)

Wow... what a week I've had. I have missed my online community so much! I am awaiting a new laptop computer in the mail, which should arrive by next week. Right now I'm typing this from my old desktop which acts like a cantankerous old man, working only when it feels like it. Some days it won't boot at all. Some days it will turn on, but will automatically reboot every minute or two, leaving me precious few seconds to do anything. Today, it is allowing me to actually be online so I thought I'd post something. I'll continue posting this week as my desktop allows. I'm continuing with last week's decks, since I didn't get to share my draws with them.

This morning I drew the Queen of Cups, Ten of Cups and Five of Wands.

I have drawn the Ten of Cups from this deck numerous times over the past week. I think the cards have been trying to comfort me during this stressful time of trying to figure out how to fix or replace my laptop. The Queen of Cups is me, and today also represents my mother, who is also a water sign. She is the one who is gifting me with a new computer. The water overflowing from the cup is my tears of joy and relief that I experienced this morning when she told me she had ordered me a new laptop. The Ten of Cups shows a happy ending to the Five of Wands week I have been experiencing.

The Five of Wands in this deck reminds me of the angry trees in the Wizard of Oz, which my kids and I watched the other night. Over the past week, I have frequently felt like pulling my hair out (to say the least!) as I have struggled with my failed attempts to fix my laptop. I am thrilled to see the Ten of Cups overcoming the Five of Wands today.

My Tree Affirmation card for today is Flow (Japanese Maple). Such a gorgeous card, with a serene feeling. I placed myself in the card this morning and felt a sense of peace. It was exactly what I needed to see today. This card suggests that we be like water and flow right through difficulties. The quote "This too shall pass" came to mind when I saw this card today. I have been trying not to let stress get the best of me this week.

Funny thing is last week when I was unable to blog, I drew the Orange Tree (Prosperity) card from this deck THREE days in a row! It felt like the cards were telling me that a big surprise was waiting for me, but when my computer died, I couldn't figure it out. Now, a week later, I have a newer and better laptop on its way to me. The cards were just telling me to trust in the abundance of life!

Funny, over the past week, I have done a few readings about my computer situation with my Legacy of the Divine Tarot, and I kept getting the message that I would be receiving a new computer as a gift, which I really didn't see coming.


P.S. Thank you so, so much for all of your concerned emails. I can't get back to everyone just yet, but I promise I will just as soon as my new computer shows up and I'm back online next week. I miss everyone so much!

Much love,

Kiki

Decks: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)
and Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Computer crashed

My computer crashed so I don't know how long I will be offline. Don't have another computer or resources to purchase a new one. I am painstakingly typing this and posting from my Wii, believe it or not. Will be back as soon as I possibly can. Send my computer some miracle healing vibes...

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Tarot of Trees & Tree Affirmations - A World of Abundance

This week I'll be working with two beautiful tree-based self-published decks. Dana Driscoll's new Tarot of Trees and Vicky Lewis' Tree Affirmations.

(For some reason Blogger is acting wonky with my images today... the size I usually upload pictures is now too big, so I have to go smaller.)

This morning I drew The World, Four of Pentacles and Seven of Cups. And the accompanying oracle card, Prosperity (Orange Tree).

The first thing I thought of was that the World card came up for me just yesterday. So today I am getting a deeper look into yesterday's cards. The World card in this deck is beautiful. The tree wraps itself around Earth, showing me that this issue is all encompassing. The Four of Pentacles made me think of "pinching pennies" because of the firm grip the branches have on the pentacles, as though they are pinching them. So this confirmed for me that the cards are referring to a financial issue. (Not completely satisfied with yesterday's cards, I had looked at the card at the bottom of the deck, though I didn't post it. It was the King of Coins, so I had the idea the ecstatic joy I'd be experiencing would be financial. Today's cards confirmed this, with the Four of Pentacles and Prosperity/Orange Tree.)

The Seven of Cups shows a different story from the Four of Pentacles. The cups are open and free. There is nothing tight or constricting about them. There are many options, and each tree has the freedom to grow up and out of the cups. This tells me that I need to release my "pinching pennies" mentality, because abundance is all around.

The Orange Tree card titled "Prosperity" rounds out the reading perfectly. In fact, the passage in the book even alludes to one of my tarot cards, indirectly:

"Imagine the smell and feel of an orange picked straight from the tree. Look at how perfect it is, as if the whole world is contained in it. That is abundance: knowing that you, like this perfect orange, contain all that you need within you."

The passage goes on to suggest that we celebrate even the smallest of abundance in our life, as it will then grow. What struck me today was the word "world" in the text, and more specifically, the phrase "the whole world is contained", as today's version of the World card shows the earth contained by the tree's roots.

This is a synchronous message for me, getting the World sign three times now in the past two days. I do believe the universe is telling me that I have a World of Abundance available to me, as I live in an abundant world. This is a mindset that I need to shift toward more and more, until it becomes my personal truth.

I look back at the Four of Pentacles and see the cold snow on the ground. The branches are holding on tightly to the pentacles because they know no more can grow at this time of winter, so they hold on to what little they have so they don't lose it. What I see now is that seasons change. Snow melts and leaves blossom. All the other cards are lush and thriving, sprouting, bearing fruit. I get the feeling that this financial season in my life is about to change... it's time for new growth!

The affirmation for the Prosperity card is "I am rich beyond my wildest dreams." I will be sure to repeat this phrase many times today!

Decks: Tarot of Trees (by Dana Driscoll, published by Artistic Journeys)
and Tree Affirmations (by Vicky Lewis, published by Yellow Seed Media)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Deck Review: Legacy of the Divine Tarot

I recently received a copy of Ciro Marchetti's Legacy of the Divine Tarot deck/book set. It was a deck I was interested in reviewing, mostly because the online scans drew me in, despite my aversion to CGI art. When I received the deck, I was immediately blown away. I devoured the entire 295 page book in one (long) afternoon. The first reading I did with the deck amazed me with its crystal clarity.

The Cards
The cards themselves have a beautiful matte finish and are lovely to shuffle. The borders are a perfect fade-to-black which makes you forget there are borders there at all. These are the borders every deck should have. The backs are reversible. The imagery coloring is very vibrant and alive.

One of the first things that stand out in this deck are the Knights, which are depicted by a single helmet and background. There is no body to go with the helmet. This unique concept allows the reader to immediately recognize the knight, yet it leaves the persona behind the helmet fresh with every reading. This is more effective than you might imagine. When looking at the Knight of Wands, I can practically feel the heat coming off the fire in the card and the overpowering feeling of energy the card exudes is almost tangible.

There are far too many fabulous cards to rave about, so I'll share just a few brief comments on some of the cards that stand out for me. The Devil (shown above) is sexy and alluring and all those naughty things that draw you into something you know you should avoid. The stunning Death card (below) is the one that reached out, grabbed me and drew me to this deck in the first place. The Six of Swords (below) was unanimously recognized by me and my kids as the "Phantom of the Opera" card, as it reminded us all of the scene where the Phantom and Christine sail in the boat in his underground lair, singing the title song. The refreshingly inclusive Faith card (below) replaces the usual Hierophant and depicts four different religious leaders.

The Nine of Swords (below) has a nice eerie Jane Eyre feel to it. I find the Queen of Swords interesting and unique because, despite her menacing sword fan, she has...freckles! For some reason, in my mind, that gives her an innocence that I wouldn't ordinarily relate with this queen. The Fool is creatively shown halfway through the Major Arcana, as the Hanged Man. He also appears in the Wheel and Devil cards and shows up again at the end of his journey in the World card.

There are a very small handful of cards that I wouldn't call favorites. The Two of Swords has an uncomfortable hardness to it which gives it an almost robotic feel. A card I can't take seriously is the King of Coins, because he reminds me so much of Billy Ray Cyrus, which is amusing to me. The Queen of Cups has oddly raised eyebrows as though she is surprised, which I find a bit limiting. I think my least favorite card would have to be the King of Cups. He looks so weird to me. He has a bit of a Neanderthal look to him which I find very bizarre. I also have an aversion to the guy in the Lovers card. I think maybe it's because his look is outdated.

That being said, I find the rest of the deck stunning. Ciro Marchetti has previously published two other tarot decks, the Gilded and Tarot of Dreams, neither of which I have ever been interested in acquiring. For one thing, the borders in the other decks are far too loud and distracting for my taste, as they take away from the focus. The borders in the Legacy deck make such a huge difference. Also, I have seen the full scans of the other two decks online and it looks to me as though Marchetti's artistry has matured with each deck, making the Legacy the most polished, refined and masterful of the group.

Not being a fan of computer generated art, I was surprised to find that the Legacy of the Divine immediately took its place in my Top Favorite Decks list, both because of the captivating imagery and the beautiful way it reads.

How it Reads
The Legacy of the Divine Tarot is a reader's dream. The images are instantly relatable and they draw you into this alluring world, as though you are experiencing a parallel universe which is both familiar and new, with enough of a fantasy feel to keep you mesmerized. From the very first reading I did with it, I have received nothing but clear readings. I have yet to lay down cards with this deck and scratch my head, wondering what the cards might be saying. As soon as the cards are set down, they either begin telling a story, or the entire story is flashed into my mind in one quick instant. The images are fluid and have a lifelike quality to them, as though they are much more than pieces of cardboard.

This deck is a fantastic choice for intuitive readings, as they engage all of your senses. I can hear the music coming from the Three of Cups and the splashing sounds the horses are making in The Chariot. I can feel the cool crisp air of the autumn night in the Seven of Swords as the window is opened. I feel the cozy warmth from the fire in the Ten of Cups and the coolness of the water in the Eight of Cups. I can smell the plumeria flowers surrounding the Queen of Coins (above) and taste the mouth watering fruit in the Nine of Cups. It's not often that a deck arouses all of your senses. This adds such a rich additional layer to a reading.

I often find myself choosing a deck based on either the type of reading I'm doing, or the person I'm reading for. Sometimes a deck is too girly for a certain situation. Sometimes a deck is too childish, or too kitschy or too dark, etc. The Legacy is a deck that isn't "too" anything. As Goldilocks would say, this one is "just right". It would be appropriate for any sitter - without being boring or flat like other all-purpose decks (such as the RWS) can sometimes be.

There are also astrological and planetary symbols incorporated in the cards, so this would add another layer to your reading if you are versed in astrology. (I personally am not, but I don't find the symbols intrusive.)

The Book
The book which accompanies the deck in this set is titled, "Gateway to the Divine Tarot" and begins with the story behind the images in the cards. It's a story of an ancient world destroyed. Having their devastation foretold, they were able to plan for survivors and leave behind a legacy of secret portals of knowledge. The bulk of the book, however, is dedicated to commentary on each of the cards in the deck. There are thoughts shared on each card by the deck's artist, Ciro Marchetti, along with tarot professionals Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef and Leisa ReFalo.

Lisa ReFalo contributed a chapter titled "How to Read Tarot" which gives very basic instructions on tarot reading (formulating a question, interpretation, finding a bag for your deck, etc.). She also includes a few brief breathing techniques and five spreads.

While the book is a nice addition to the deck, it certainly isn't necessary to read it before working with the deck. The Legacy of the Divine stands alone and can be read straight out of the box (assuming you are already familiar with basic tarot.)

The boxed set also includes a black drawstring organza bag to house the cards.

Final Thoughts
I really can't praise this deck enough. I would recommend it to anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is suitable for any type of reading. I can't think of a single reason why you shouldn't run out and get a copy for yourself. And I have other, very beloved favorite decks, that I couldn't say that about.

See below for 12 more images.

Suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, Coins
Court Titles: Page, Knight, Queen, King
Justice/Strength: Strength 8, Justice 11
Cards: 78
Card Size: 2 3/4" x 4 5/8"
Card stock: Matte
Backs: Reversible
Artist: Ciro Marchetti
Publisher: Llewellyn












To see more images, visit my daily draws with the Legacy of the Divine Tarot.


Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot, published by Llewellyn.

 ~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.