Book Review: Dark Oracle

Dark Oracle
by Alayna Williams (Pocket-Juno Books)
(Also available on Kindle)

"As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi's Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try."

Dark Oracle is a mystery novel by new author Alayna Williams. When I received the book from Alayna, I was excited to dive into a story whose main character was a tarot reader, even if in the back of my mind, I expected the storyline to pale in comparison to the tarot bits I was looking forward to. I was delighted to find that the entire story captured my attention and held it. It kept me on my toes, turning pages, wanting to find out what happened next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, start to finish. It contained action, mystery, mysticism, drama, romance and Tarot (as well as other divination methods).

Dark Oracle: The Plot
Tara was a criminal profiler, using her intuitive tarot skills to help her track suspects and solve cases. She abandoned her career after a near-fatal experience with a serial killer she tracked down. She is urged out of hiding by Delphi's Daughters, a secret society her mother was a member of. They request her help with the case of a missing scientist who has harnessed the power of dark energy, which in the wrong hands, could prove disastrous for humankind.

Tara's unlikely partner is left-brained Agent Harry Li. Their attraction to one another develops throughout the story, hindered along the way by Tara's secret intuitive side which she keeps hidden from him, along with her self-consciousness from being physically and emotionally scarred.

While Tara and Harry are on the trail of the missing scientist, they are being tracked themselves by a wayward and dangerous member of Delphi's Daughters and corrupt government officials who want Tara dead.

The Use of Tarot in the Book
As the story progresses, Tara pulls out her tarot deck every once in awhile to guide her in the next direction. We are privy to her readings, as she uses several spreads.

Following are the spreads and readings you will find in the book. Each reading is detailed with the card drawn, the position it falls under, and the interpretations. Tara also frequently connects the cards to the cards drawn in previous readings throughout the book.

Chapter 1: Celtic Cross
Chapter 5: Impromptu 3-Card Spread
Chapter 8: 9-Card Past-Present-Future Spread
Chapter 15: Two 1-Card Readings & a 7-Card Ouroboros Spread
Chapter 16: Impromptu 2-Card Spread
Chapter 20: 9-Card Tree of Life Spread (This is the only reading she does for another person.)

In addition to tarot cards, there are also other methods of divination used by the members of Delphi's Daughters including geomancy, runes, scrying and pyromancy. I loved this fascinating additional layer to the story.

The experience Tara goes through, in hiding her tarot cards from Agent Li is something I think a great many tarot readers will relate to, as hiding this aspect of one's life from certain people is an unfortunate reality I believe many tarot readers have had to deal with at one time or another.

Behind the Story
I was interested in learning more about how tarot played a role in Williams' writing. She told me that she has been reading tarot since she was a teenager, though not professionally, reading mostly for herself and occasionally for friends. The deck she learned to read with was the Hanson-Roberts. Although the deck featured in Dark Oracle is fictional, Alayna did use a variety of decks to help her with the storyline and character backgrounds, usually grabbing whichever deck was handy at the time. These included the Hanson-Roberts, Quantum Physics Tarot, Dragon Tarot, Thoth, Rider-Waite, and Mystic Dreamer (the latter being her current fave.). Says Williams, "Whenever I got stuck on plot or needed information on a character's motivations, I started drawing cards. It's really a fun way to write. The Tarot makes great visual story prompts."

When I finished the book, I wanted more. I wanted to know what was next for the characters. So I was very happy to hear Alayna's answer to my question of whether there would be sequels: "DARK ORACLE is intended to be the first in a series. The sequel, ROGUE ORACLE, is coming out in March 2011. In that story, Tara and Harry are pursuing a Chernobyl survivor who's selling nuclear secrets to the highest bidder. I wrote it the same way, with cards at hand."

About the Author of Dark Oracle
Alayna Williams has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she's never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses. Like the Pythia in Dark Oracle, she's been known to belly dance. Unlike the Pythia she'd never consider herself a professional.

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame


If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Deck Review: Tarot of Vampyres

The Tarot of Vampyres, along with its accompanying book, Phantasmagoria, are the brilliant creations of artist and writer Ian Daniels. This definitely isn't "just another Vampire deck". When I first received the set, I was more than impressed with how Daniels was able to capture the darkness, the power, the seduction and the loneliness of the vampire world without the abundance of gore. But this wasn't the only thing that set this publication apart. The book is phenomenal. I was quite taken aback by the depth and intelligence contained within its pages. I was happily surprised with the magnificence of the set as a whole.

The Cards
The cards measure 2 3/4" x 4 5/8" and feature backs which aren't quite reversible, but enough so that it's difficult enough to tell at a glance which side is up. The cards are bordered on three sides with black. The titles on the bottom are surrounded by vines. It looks as though the titles could almost be gravestone headings. I do like the black borders, even though some of it is already chipping off (showing white) after two weeks of usage. This doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as if the borders were white to begin with. The black borders were definitely a good call with this deck. The card stock is lovely, very easily and smoothly shuffled.

The Majors are unnumbered, which is quite refreshing. Those who have conflicting views on where Justice and Strength should fit in the deck will find this a happy compromise for all.

The suits are named Scepters, Grails, Knives and Skulls. The Courts are titled Lord, Queen, Prince and Daughter. The Lords follow Thoth tradition, as they are the ones on horseback.

I was surprised to find many variations on vampyres in the deck. There are quite a few hybrid creatures, mixing vampyre with serpent, wolf, angel, gorgon/siren, feline, demon. This definitely helps keep the cards from seeming monotonous, giving it that extra little something to keep you interested.

For me, the hardest part of writing a review is when a deck has so many fantastic cards, that it's difficult to highlight only a select few, and struggling with which ones to display. So that I can end on a happy note, I will first discuss the cards I'm not a fan of.

I do have two least favorite cards. The first is the most jarring card in the deck for me. It's the only one I find to be violently gory. The Hanged Man (below) shows a demon vampire hanging upside down on a cross while blood pours out of his mouth, creating a bloody fountain depositing into a natural basin at the foot of the cross. I get an evil vibe from it that makes me uncomfortable... but maybe that's the whole point.

The other card I'm not fond of is the Nine of Grails (below). There's something extremely unappealing about the woman's face. She reminds me of someone who repels me, but I can't put my finger on who. It also has a bit of a dirty-porn feel to it. Definitely doesn't give me the "Nine of Grails" feel when I look at it.

Two cards out of seventy-eight isn't bad. And I can even imagine myself eventually acquiring an appreciation for the Hanged Man, so it's really just the one.

Favorites. That's much harder. This deck is so beautiful. I even appreciate the bits of blood trickling out of the corners of so many of the vampyres' mouths, because it's tastefully done (so to speak!).

The Lovers card (above) is amazing. Romantic and haunting, it gives off that feeling of "nothing else exists but this moment". The Five of Knives (above) captures my attention, and holds it there for a long while, each time I look at this card. It feels both dangerous and peaceful at the same time which is a fascinating paradox. The Four of Knives is another card that grabs my eyes and keeps them there as I yearn to know more about what is going on in the scene. The Three of Knives (below) is one of the many cards in the deck that (thankfully) strays from RWS tradition. It is yet another which begs us to interpret what has just happened with this girl as she sits in the snow covered graveyard, barely clothed (considering the weather) with a bloody knife, a rose and black bird.

The Four of Grails (left) is, interestingly enough, the only card which shows the predator/prey scene in the present moment of The Bite. And it's done so beautifully.

I love the Ace of Skulls (below), which has a Day of the Dead vibe to it. I adore the contrast of the purple roses against the lifeless hues of the thorny vines. The High Priestess (below) is beyond gorgeous and mesmerizing with her floating book before her. The Eight of Scepters (below) made me laugh at first because it's such an angry, passionate, aggressive take on this card, though it's a nice stray from the usual (boring) eight sticks flying in the air. It definitely captures the rapidity of "something happening, and happening NOW!"

I like the variety of personalities on the Daughter and Queen cards. For example, there is a stark contrast between the Daughter of Knives and Daughter of Skulls (below). The former exudes the vibe of a rebellious teenage girl while the latter is more down to earth and has a calmer attitude (reminding me both physically and demeanor-wise of Ellen Page). The Daughter of Scepters (and Queen alike) is sultry and seductive, while the Daughter of Grails appears more emotional.

How it Reads
The cards read very fluidly. The emotions of the vampyres are palpable and relatable. The expressions on their faces, or the setting of the scenes are very telling, yet at the same time mysterious enough to get you to delve further into the stories they attempt to tell you. The images draw you in and facilitate readings that are more emotional/intuitive than logical. If you allow yourself to enter the scenes, they will tell you a story to help you with your inquiry.

The Book
One of the things I love about tarot is that, as a reader, you will never cease learning. You can read the cards from youth to old age, and continue learning all the way. Phantasmagoria is a wonderful reminder of this truth.

There are many deck/book sets where you think, after browsing the book, "I definitely could've done without the book and saved myself a few bucks." Phantasmagoria is not one of those books. It's more than worth the price. The book can stand alone, and really deserves a review all its own. I won't go into too much detail, therefore not doing the book justice, merely to save this review from being way too long.

The 301-page book is written with a quantum view of the world, and thus, the cards. It explains such things as how the blood in the cards symbolize life force energy, how shadows aren't always negative, and throughout the pages, the author strongly affirms personal power and the ability we have to create the lives of our choosing. The interpretations are so well thought out and described in a way that I've never read before in a tarot book. It's a great read for any tarot reader, whether novice or seasoned.

The book begins with an Intro & Background, starting with the background for the inspiration behind Phantasmagoria. The subsections following are Fear and the Shadow, The Hunger, The Blood Rose, The Nature of Matter & Time, and The Tarot of Vampyres.

The second section "Alchemy - About the Cards" provides your basic information about the cards and includes a couple charts linking certain cards with their elemental/planetary/zodiacal correspondence. There's also a section on Kabala and the Sephiroth.

The third section, "The Awakening" includes nine spreads and 5 exercises.

The fourth section, "Kith & Kin" includes information on creating your own personal Vampyre name, as well as a chart to help you configure your personal cards, based on your birth. These include your Dynasty card (Major Arcana), Vampyre Clan (which of the four suits you belong to), a Bloodline card (a Minor Arcana card), and your Vampyre Court Card. Once you know these, you can discover your Ancestry and Descendency cards.

The card interpretations are divided into sections. First is the brief Alchemy and Kindred Spirits associations for the card. Then the Essence (which is a list of keywords and phrases). The Message provides an in-depth interpretation on the meaning of each card, which is followed by the Analysis & Symbolism, which details the card imagery and symbolism. Lastly, the Shadow interpretation is given.

I'd say, on average, the length of each interpretation is about 3 pages long, with the Major Arcana often being even longer. The detailing is immaculate, and the author takes such a deep, thoughtful, quantum look at each card.

Final Thoughts
Judging the kit as a team, it's got to be the best value I've probably ever seen for a deck/book set. Ian Daniels' artwork and writing are both stunning and captivating. The deck and the book could each stand alone on their own merits. Together as a set, they are an combination worthy of awe.

See below for more card images.

Suits: Grails, Scepters, Knives, Skulls
Court Titles: Daughter, Prince, Queen, Lord
Justice/Strength: Majors are unnumbered
Cards: 78
Card Size: 2 3/4" x 4 5/8"
Artist: Ian Daniels
Publisher: Llewellyn










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

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Intuitive Action

The Seven of Knives returns again today, exactly one week after the post where I first introduced this deck. I'm beginning to look at the Seven of Knives in this deck as one of intrigue, independence, innovation and intuition. Lots of I's... which fits in with the independent theme, the word "I" meaning "solely me".

The Prince of Scepters is all about burning desire and instant gratification. He wants adventure and excitement and risk and exhilaration. This card represents all the desires I have, and how I want them to manifest yesterday! Normally I get frustrated with myself when I think of how I want my life to change, and how it hasn't yet. Looking at the flanking cards, I see them closing in on this guy. Intuition is beginning to lead my way more than impulsive action. The way I look at things is slowly changing. I am learning to be more at peace with things the way they are. I realize that by resisting what I don't want, I am pushing what I do want farther away. Perhaps this intense struggle is precisely why I don't have what I want yet. It reminds me of a quote by Mother Teresa:

"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."

I'm starting to test out the theory that there really is a difference there, and that it really does affect the desired outcome. The Prince of Scepters isn't necessarily a bad way to get what you want. But when that fire is accompanied by frustration that it's not coming fast enough, that's where I get stuck. I am finding it necessary and more natural to take a calmer approach.

The man in the Two of Knives (who I thought was a lady until I read the book) is blindfolded with bleeding eyes. He cannot see in the physical sense at the moment, so he must use his intuition to guide his decisions. The knives crossed at his chest signify a halting of the conflicting thoughts dueling in his mind. There is peace for the time being, while he chooses his next course of action. Instead of forcing my way through life, I am trying to experience more acceptance and love, which I believe will ultimately allow my intuition to guide me along the path of least resistance.

(I find it interesting that the angle of the scepter in the Prince's hand makes a cross similar to the position of the two knives in the following card.)

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Love and Marriage

Surprise, surprise! The Lovers! I actually chuckled when the first two cards came up. First of all, because of all the love in my cards this week (and this being the third time I've drawn the Lovers card this week). Secondly, they reminded me of an email I sent in jest to a friend yesterday. Using my playing cards, the Love & Marriage cards came up for me yesterday, and they repeated ridiculously, continuously throughout the day. I had emailed my friend with the subject header "I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!" So today when I turned over the Lovers, and Four of Scepters (the card I often deem as the Marriage Card), I had to laugh.

Then the third card brought me back to reality. The Ten of Scepters says I still have some work to do, unloading the heavy resistance I have to the whole idea. I am making progress, but I'm not quite there yet. I like the take on this card. Rather than carrying a bunch of heavy sticks, the woman in this card is being held down by thorny roots, as she struggles to free herself and rise up.

The Four of Scepters is beautiful. The image illustrates the ceremony or ritual that this card signifies. Though the ring encircling her is made of blood, there is a great peace and beauty that exudes from this card. I get the feeling of "everything is all right" when I meditate on this image. And not just a consolation message, but a solid everything is really, truly, completely, undeniably all right. This tells me that I am on the right track, as far as love is concerned. The cards today were a reminder of that, as well as a gentle nudge letting me know I still have a bit farther to go. But the Ten of Scepters is the last numbered card in the suit, so it appears I don't have as far to go as I may have thought!

(The title of my post made me think of the song, Love and Marriage, by Frank Sinatra. Which made me think of the show Married... with Children. Which made me laugh. And laughing is good.)

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Love...Life's Magic Shortcut!

If you have been following along this week, you'll notice a theme. ♥ Love ♥. Today is no exception. In fact, the cards I drew this morning illustrate a brilliant interpretation of what I've been discovering. In the center is the basic symbol for universal love, the Ace of Grails. It is surrounded by The Beginning (Fool) and The End (World). The entire journey from beginning to end can be summed up with one card. Love. It's the shortcut that gets you where you want to be. It's both the journey and the destination. Both the desired outcome and the means to get there.

The Fool holds the Ace of Grails in his hand. The bird of freedom which is flying in the foreground has found its way to the World card. He took the magical fast track of love. The man and woman both have arms outstretched and are leaning into ecstasy. The white rose is seen in both outer cards, and green roses are also surrounding the Grail in abundance. White roses have many meanings but fundamentally symbolize a pure love. The green roses, according to the accompanying book, symbolize emotion.

There's not much that needs to be added to this reading. Love is the answer. Even when you don't know the question. Just apply love to anything and everything in your experience, and watch it change. That's the assignment I have given myself over the past couple of weeks, and the cards seem to keep encouraging my efforts with great enthusiasm.

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: The Slow Progress of Opening to Possibility

Don't know if you could find a trio of less enthused gals. No one looks very happy at all, even the Ten of Skulls, which is supposed to be a pretty satisfactory place to be! Regardless, I did see progress in these cards. They struck me as sort of a past-present-future progression.

The Queen of Knives isn't someone I normally relate myself with, unless we're talking about my role as a single mother, which today we are.

The Five of Grails is such a great card in this deck... I really love the serpentine Vampyress. She is lamenting letting go of something. As I mentioned yesterday, I have reservations about the idea of becoming involved in a romantic relationship, mostly because I have grown so accustomed to my life as a single mom. I have a fear about what bringing another person into our lives would do to the close knit family dynamic I share with my kids. The Five of Grails is telling me that I need to release the fear/sadness I have about this, because...

...what awaits me is the Ten of Skulls. This card promises an even fuller life. Security, stability, love, family, financial joy, the works! Finding the right person to share my life with won't be taking anything away, but rather adding to what we already have. Icing on the cake. I can understand that, in theory, but it's a difficult thing to believe. I'll have to work on that.

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Love and the Big Bad Wolf

Today's cards were pretty straightforward. When you have The Lovers and the Two of Grails together, the message is clearly about love. The Five of Skulls is the uncomfortable obstacle between the two. This card made me think of two things, and after doing my reading, I looked at the book and found that both interpretations were mentioned in the passage, which surprised me, because it's not how I would typically interpret the Five of Pentacles.

First, it reminded me of a dream I had the night before last. It was a anxiety-filled, uncomfortable dream only slightly bordering on nightmare. The dream was about someone who I have been talking with (a potential reunion with an ex). In the dream, I was very worried about him, as he was making some very bad decisions and acting negatively. When I saw the werewolf in this card hovering over the girl, sandwiched between the two love cards, that dream was what I initially thought of. And the book refers to the werewolf as "a nightmare - a phantom or illusion".

The next thing I saw was the werewolf representing something that is holding me down, or holding me back from making progress in the love department. There is a dark scary thing preventing me from reaching the Lovers and Two of Grails. I have many fears about being in a relationship, after being single for so long. And oddly enough, the book refers to this also:

"The card can refer to something that was holding us back or a situation that,while comfortable, must end to make way for a blessing to continue our life journey, such as breaking away from the single life or getting out of a destructive relationship.")

Indeed. Although I am much more open to the idea of a romantic relationship than I was a year ago, I am still not quite there altogether. A large part of me now does want that, but there are still parts of me that are afraid to leave my comfort zone for various reasons. If this is something I decide I definitely want, I need to work on releasing the werewolves inside me. While it looks like the werewolf in the card is separate from the girl, I know it's really my own inner self that is creating these demons in an attempt to protect me from getting hurt again. But the Five of Skulls is also a card I relate to the word "barren"... which describes the desert of my non-existent love life for years now. Maybe it's time to risk getting hurt, in order to feel that certain type of love again. The cards seem to have been nudging me in this direction for some time now. All I need to do, when I am ready, is open myself to it fully and completely, and release the fear. Hold my breath and jump in!

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Reflection and Passion

Today I drew The Priestess, Daughter of Skulls and Four of Knives. The reading has a very feminine, reflective and contemplative feel to it. The ladies all look like they are deep in thought about something. The Priestess pauses from her floating book as it seems to have confirmed something her intuition was already telling her. The Daughter of Skulls seems to me to be reflecting on something, with a lit candle serving as a center for her meditation. And the Four of Knives, according to the book, has just escaped a Vampire's attack. She has retreated to the calm safety of a graveyard, and looks back toward where she fled from.

All of these cards remind me that this is a good time for me to reflect on where I've been, and what has led me to where I am now. Not only that, but where I want to go from here. I have been meditating lately, and setting aside time every day to be still and quiet. These cards encourage me to continue this practice. There seems to be some message I'm overlooking, that once I find it, I'll realize it was something I knew all along.

I was inspired to look at the bottom of the deck for an additional card, and saw The Sun. This particular Sun card is pretty steamy and passionate, taking the heat of the sun to a whole new level. This card made me ask myself where my passions lie. And my answer is that my passion for life has been pretty dormant lately. I need to get fired up about something... in a good way. Maybe this is the something I need to think more about, and the ladies in the above cards are telling me that meditation is the key to unlocking these answers and rediscovering my passion.

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Tarot of Vampyres: Life Lesson Reading

This week I'll be using the delicious new Tarot of Vampyres. Rather than doing a general daily draw today, I wanted to use a specific spread. I've been going through a challenging time, and I feel I really needed to take a look at what lesson I'm supposed to learn from all of this. I'm using my Life Lesson Spread.



1. What lesson do I need to learn most right now?
The Lovers
This initially surprised me, but in the end it really didn't. I had expected to see a card about responsibility or finances or strength or resolve. There has been a love theme in the backburner of my life recently, but it's always been an "aside", taking back seat to the more pressing family struggles I'm going through. However, sometimes, just sometimes, I'm wise enough to realize that life isn't always so neatly compartmentalized. And that love really does encompass all. I'm hearing "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles in my head right now... and as I'm typing this, I realize I just watched the movie Love, Actually last night, and there was a wedding scene where this same song was playing! Lots of "love" synchronicity happening here.

So in addition to the possibility of a romantic future, Love has also played a part in this situation I'm going through. I have deliberately applied love to the places of discomfort, and have sent love out to the backstabbers involved, and have sent love to everyone involved, be they friend or foe. Doing this felt unnatural at first, but when the inspiration hit me to do it, I surrendered to it, and found that I felt much better afterward.

So apparently the lesson this challenge is meant to teach me is, at least in part, about love. Love of so many different things. Love of my children, love of myself, love of our life, love of people who support me, and love and understanding to/of people who have betrayed me. Love of the challenge which has shown me my strength. The love of knowing that "this too shall pass". There's so much love to be found in this horrible situation, and it's really eye-opening for me to discover that.

This particular Lovers card is so sensual, so beautiful, and really does give off (at least from my perspective) a universal love vibe, not restricted to just a romantic nature. There is a deep surrender seen in the card, a giving of oneself up to a higher power. Letting go of all worries and sinking into Love, while all else fades away. If this is the lesson I am meant to learn, then I can start to feel grateful for the situation which I have thus far mostly deemed as negative.

2. What will help me learn this lesson in the easiest way?
Seven of Knives
I like how this rendition of the Seven of Knives focuses more on the independent fend-for-yourself nature of the card, rather than the more limiting "thief" aspect. The book (which is fantastic, by the way) talks quite a bit about the intrigue and mystery of the card.

This card tells me that I need to rely on my independence and intuition. I cannot depend on anyone else to hold my hand and walk me through this. Learning to apply love to everything in life is a personal journey, and not one that maybe everyone will understand. So it's best kept to myself (and uh, all the readers of my blog, I guess). There are still things about it that I don't quite understand myself yet, so it remains a puzzle for me to piece together, which I must do using my own skills and inner power.

3. What will be the result of my learning this lesson?
The Chariot
The first thing I thought was that this is the card that comes directly after the Lovers in the sequence of the Major Arcana. So this is quite literally the next logical place for me to progress to. This is precisely where I should be after learning the lesson of the Lovers. I thought that was really neat. In fact, the first sentence in the accompanying book is: "The Chariot contains powers that result from the realization of the previous card, The Lovers." Neato.

The Chariot indicates overcoming obstacles and, among other things, movement. I have been seeing a lot of the Hanged Man lately, so the victorious forward progress of The Chariot would be a most welcome event in my life. The aggressive hybrid creature pulling the chariot makes me want to growl in primal and enthusiastic triumph myself!

The Lovers lead to the Chariot. Love conquers all.

Something that caught my eye was the black wings prevalent in the reading. There are two sets in the Seven of Knives... worn by both the Vampyre angel and the mask on the wall behind her. The panther/serpent/crow/wolf creature in The Chariot also has black wings. The blackness of them made me think of the hard times that I've been experiencing, while the wings themselves made me think of freedom. I have been hoping that this life lesson will result in a greater freedom for me when all is said and done, and this black-winged symbolism seems to be affirming this to me today. Also, I received in the mail today the Dark Angels Tarot, which is positively swarming with black wings!

And... amazingly enough, after looking back through the book, the passage for the Seven of Knives actually mentions looking for repeating symbols in the adjacent cards, for clues on how to solve the puzzle this card presents. This reading is full of synchronicity!

Deck: The Tarot of Vampyres (by Ian Daniels, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Deck Review: Sun and Moon Tarot

The Sun and Moon Tarot is a Thoth-flavored deck created by artist Vanessa Decort. The images are stunning in their simplicity. Surprisingly, the most obvious and quirky fact about the deck (the people have no facial detailing) is something I have found I don't even notice when reading with the deck. I was looking forward to the publication of this deck for awhile, and was definitely not disappointed when I was finally able to hold a copy in my hands.

The Cards
The cards measure 2 3/4" x 4 3/4" and feature reversible backs. The font is an attractive one, and there are keywords on the Minors (with the exception of the Aces and Courts). The cards have a very light sheen to them, but are mostly matte, which I really like.

The deck is, quite unfortunately (for me), printed on relatively inflexible and thicker card stock, similar to (but seemingly not quite as stiff as) the Paulina Tarot. I know some tarot readers love the new card stock, but I am not one of them. This is a fairly new development from U.S. Games, and it is so disappointing to me, because these are two decks that I would love to use on a regular basis that I will not be able to, simply due to the lack of comfort and ease while shuffling. I find this card stock easily creases and remains unyielding no matter how much shuffling is done. (I shuffled the Paulina daily for at least four months with the hopes of breaking it in, and it never became any easier to shuffle.) A large part of the reading process for me is the ease with which a deck shuffles, so this is a bigger deal to me than I wish it was.

That's the bad news (and won't even be bad news to those who like this new card stock). The rest is only good news!

The images on the cards are delightfully refreshing. The artist didn't fill in every square inch of space on each card (making it feel quite the opposite of the minutely detailed Paulina or Shadowscapes). I find myself enjoying immensely the serenity of the empty spaces in these cards. The images get their messages across in a simple way, without needing to give a thousand clues to help you along.

The people in the deck have blank faces, completely devoid of eyes, noses or mouths. I found the effect to be similar to the Sakki-Sakki Tarot (which features headless bodies). When reading with the Sun and Moon Tarot, I don't even notice the figures have no faces. The atmosphere of the card, along with the simple symbolism and body postures express everything quite clearly. I think this is a wonderful deck to practice reading intuitively, as it gives your mind space to wander on its own.

The Minors each have a common background. The Wands all take place on terracotta dry land, with a dark night (sometimes-starlit) sky as a backdrop. The Cups show early evening moonlit skies, with people in the water (the only Cups card without a moon is the Ace). Swords figures are either in the clouds themselves, or set in front of a daytime, blue-skies-and-white-clouds day. And Pentacles all have an orange-yellow sky, some cards with grass and others set on desert sand.

Some might find the suit themes monotonous, but I really, really like it. I think if the colors were bright and garish, it would be too much. But the colors are muted and soft, and flow nicely together, even if several cards from the same suit are next to each other. I like being able to look at a spread and tell right off the bat how many of each suit are there. The "uniforms" of the suits make it easy to instantly see how much of each type of energy is prevalent in a reading.

The deck is called Sun and Moon Tarot, which had me wondering a bit. I see the Moon in the entire Cups suit (and several Major Arcana cards), so I was expecting one of the other suits would equally feature the Sun. A bit perplexing, that. The actual sun only appears in three Major Arcana cards, one of them being, of course, The Sun.

It's hard for me to pick some of my favorite cards, because there are just so many! The Moon card (above) is so dreamy... with a lovely lady sitting on the crescent moon, looking down into the rough waters, two lighthouses serving as the towers. I was thrilled to see a delightful new take on the Universe card, (left) featuring a beautiful depiction of the Hindu God, Shiva as Nataraja. The Lovers (above) is another favorite, mostly because it features an interracial couple embracing. (I love it when tarot addresses real-world unity like this!) I also adore the sassy stance of the Princess of Swords (below).

The Threes are particularly awesome: The Three of Swords appearing as a cloudy thought bubble. The inspired spiritual graffiti artist in the Three of Pentacles. And the Three of Cups is so fun, with three joyous and tastefully bikini-clad women raising cups and splashing in shallow water.

Then there's the creative interpretation of the Wheel of Fortune (below), with the domino effect of the cogs in motion. The Star card is gorgeous, depicting a mermaid, half in and half out of the water, with a green sky. And Death (below) emphasizes rebirth with a Phoenix.

One card that makes me wonder a bit is Strength (below). It looks more like a Moon card to me. Half of the card is taken up by a full moon. And there is a woman sitting on the back of a wolf, who is howling at the moon. Lovely card imagery, for certain, but doesn't remind me of Strength as much as The Moon.

Because the cards are Thoth-based, the Kings are on horses and the Princes (Knights) ride chariots. Since I'm accustomed to RWS type decks, and I didn't want to train my brain to switch systems, I switched the cards to better suit my intuition. My mind sees "Knight" when I see a Court guy on a horse. And the chariots seem more Kingly to me. So that's how I used, and will continue to use, this deck. I also switched one Queen and Princess, explained here.

How it Reads
I really love the way this deck reads. It's smooth and to-the-point. Since the imagery is so simple, there's not much to confuse or muddle the reading. It is what it is. And I like that. I can fully appreciate that as a breath of fresh air. I find that the cards do a wonderful job of setting the story that my intuition needs to tell.

The LWB
The Little White Book starts with an Introduction to Tarot and the Sephirot. It's a nicely detailed LWB, as far as LWBs go. There are detailed meanings for the Majors, and sufficient explanations for the Minors as well, with all 78 cards given astrological correspondence.

There is one spread in the book, a 2-4 card layout called "Sun and Moon (Yin and Yang) Reading". The LWB ends with a brief bio on the artist and a few pages for notes.

Final Thoughts
I love this deck. In fact, it's one of my favorite new decks I have discovered in awhile. I think the artwork is beautiful and thoughtfully done, and it reads wonderfully. I find the images so visually attractive... it's a deck I could definitely see myself working with on a regular basis, if not for the card stock. Perhaps one day U.S. Games will make the "Sun and Moon Tarot in a Tin"... with the same card stock as the other "tin" decks. I'd be all over that!

See below for more card images.

Suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, Pentacles
Court Titles: Princess, Prince, Queen, King
Justice/Strength: Justice 8, Strength 11
Cards: 78
Card Size: 2 3/4" x 4 3/4"

Backs: Reversible
Artist: Vanessa Decort
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.








To see more images, visit my daily draws with the Sun and Moon Tarot.

Deck: Sun and Moon Tarot (by Vanessa Decort, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Sun and Moon Tarot: The Hanged Man is Stalking Me

The Hanged Man is stalking me. He has come up three days in a row now. Here, here, and now today as well. Also, yesterday I was playing around doing a super quick reading using Random.org. I had the number generator choose three numbers between 1 and 22, for a Majors-only reading. The second number that came up was 12... .The Hanged Man. I was thinking about that just now, before starting this post, so I thought I'd do another quick one-card draw using Random.org. I thought to myself, "Watch, it'll be the Hanged Man"... and no sooner did I think that while clicking the "generate" button, did it spit out "12". (I also find it amusing that the generator produced the same number (12) for a quick reading I did for a friend... also in the second spot.) The Hanged Man is showing up every chance he gets.

Today The Hanged Man is followed by the Knight of Pentacles. (Yes, the card says "King", but as I explained here, he's a Knight to me.) The Knight of Pents and the Hanged Man don't make for a very exciting pair. There's a lot of patience and diligence and taking your time when you meet up with this duo. Blech.

The Three of Pentacles is the card that I view as being the master of your field. Being the best at what you're good at. Being an expert at something, after having put in the time and effort to become the best. I suppose you get there by way of the Hanged Man's patience and the Knight of Pentacles' work ethics. (I do like the spiritual graffiti artist depicted in this card. Makes a nice change of pace for this card.)

The cards seem to be telling me that all of this slow-going stuff is going to pay off for me, if I am open to it. I suppose it is teaching me some sort of valuable lesson which will pay off in the future.

Another thing I thought of was my ex-fiance, who I have been talking to lately. He is a cross between the King of Swords and Knight of Pentacles. It's in his nature to be very slow and cautious to make any sort of life change. This is the Knight of Pents in him. His lack of adventure can be a tad frustrating and... well, boring. The Hanged Man is him taking foreeeever to make any sort of decision about anything. The Three of Pents says he will get there in his own sweet time, and when he gets there, it will be good. I suppose he thinks if something's good and right, it's worth waiting for. I, on the other hand, think if it's worth doing, it's worth doing now. Nobody's ever getting any younger!

I guess all this waiting and surrendering and releasing is leading to something good. Maybe I need to take a cue from Mr. Hanged Man, and start doing some yoga to pass the time in a peaceful manner. I do enjoy the tree pose, which is what this dude is doing, albeit inverted.

Deck: Sun and Moon Tarot (by Vanessa Decort, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Sun and Moon Tarot: Hurry Up and Wait

Yesterday's Hanged Man returns today. He is preceded by the Ace of Wands and The Chariot. There is a lot of energy and movement in the first two cards, but the third card says I need to wait just a little longer for it. I have all these things I want to do, but I have to pull in the reins on my Chariot until other things are resolved first. It feels like being anxious to go somewhere, but having to wait for someone who's late.

These cards scream to me: Hurry up and wait. And that's exactly how I feel right now. But I guess it could be worse, so this is not me complaining. Just observing.

Deck: Sun and Moon Tarot (by Vanessa Decort, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.

Sun and Moon Tarot: Over the Hump

Yesterday was a very good day, I'm happy to be able to say. There was a breakthrough of sorts in the icky situation I'm going through, and it was a huge relief. It still has not reached an end, and there is more to wade through, but the thing I was most fearing went through without a hitch.

The Four of Wands and its keyword "completion" make me feel that the end is near. At the very least, I feel like I'm over the hump, and that's a good place to be. The Four of Wands is a card I also think of as a stable and happy home. I like the wheel in this card, as it reminds me of the Wheel of Fortune, and a fortuitous turn of events.

Another thing I saw in the Four of Wands was that the flames are sure to burn those wands up pretty quickly. The people holding onto the wheel seem to be struggling to hang on, which is how I have felt lately. Just hanging in there by a thread. When the wheel is burned to ashes, they will be set free, and will no longer need to struggle. So again, I saw an end in sight.

The Hanged Man shows that there is still more patience required of me, and I know this. But the guy hanging seems to be meditating in a very zen-like pose. I feel like I can relax a bit more about the whole thing, and that the worst is over. I hope this is true, anyway.

The Princess of Cups is my son's significator card (well, when it's called the Page, not the Princess). When it's titled Princess, it reminds me of my girls also. So this card reminds me of the happiness I share with my beautiful children. My youngest daughter (6 years old) woke me up the other morning with this: "Mama, you wanna hear my new motto? ... 'There's never anything to worry about, but there's always something to be glad about.'" I told her she was wise beyond belief, and I have since adopted her motto as my own.

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I have chosen to keep the details about my current struggle private, as it involves family, and it's a personal matter. However, that has not stopped so many of you from offering your support via comments, email, Facebook, etc. I haven't had the chance to answer everyone yet, but I will. I just wanted to say thank you here... Each and every one of your kind sentiments has made me feel loved and supported, and it has *truly* helped me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have much love for all of you!

Deck: Sun and Moon Tarot (by Vanessa Decort, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please visit my website for details.