Halloween Tarot and Playing Cards: Big Day Tomorrow

This week I'll be using my Halloween Tarot in Tin along with an accompanying playing card from the newly released Halloween Playing Cards by the same artist. (The playing cards feature the same artwork as the tarot deck, though only 52 of them.)

I haven't been posting because after my kids and I all recovered from pink eye, we all got colds. It really sucks when all you want to do is curl up in a ball and stay in bed all day recovering, but instead you have to run around all day long taking care of three other sick people.

So tonight I was getting ready to go to bed, just after midnight, when my son called from his room, "I threw up!" Oh my god. It was like a dam burst in his room. There was vomit everywhere. So I had to put him in the shower, clean his bed, and now I'm up washing his bedding and pajamas, which involves several loads of laundry, so I won't get to bed for another couple of hours even though I'm sick as a dog. Oh yeah, and my folks are coming into town tomorrow to stay with us for a week. So I've also been cleaning up and still have much to do to prepare the house for their arrival tomorrow.

So since I'm up, I thought I'd get a head start on tomorrow's cards, since I know I won't have time tomorrow. I asked what tomorrow would look like. The Seven of Ghosts (Cups) says there will be much to do, and I will have a hard time deciding what to do first. I can definitely see that happening tomorrow morning, for sure. The Ten of Pumpkins (Pentacles) can indicate a family gathering, especially with older relatives, so that makes sense with my parents coming to town.  And I often think of traveling long distance when The World comes up, which refers to the two-day drive for my parents to get here.

The supplemental playing card I pulled was intended to be a general theme for the day. The Two of Diamonds is a card of give and take, sometimes a power struggle or needing to come to some sort of agreement. I think of it as a sign to find a win-win situation where there is conflict. An agreement that needs to be reached so that  both parties will be happy or at least satisfied. I don't know how that will play out tomorrow. Maybe with my parents here, I can take a little bit of a rest for an hour or so.

The Diamond suit (in the Playing Card Oracles method of cartomancy that I use) is paired with the element of fire. Coupled with the number 2, what quickly came to mind was two people with fevers. I really, really hope this isn't something that happens tomorrow. Because I've had just about enough sickess to last my family a great long while.

Decks: Halloween Tarot in Tin and Halloween Playing Cards (both by Kipling West, published by US Games Systems, Inc.)



~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Tarot Leaves: A Romantic Offering

Again I'm a day late in posting. These were yesterday's cards.  When I drew them, I was like, whoa...what?  The Lovers sitting right next to the Two of Cups is pretty big stuff. Then I remembered... the day before, a new acquaintance of mine expressed a romantic interest in me and asked me out on a date.  I told him that I wasn't interested in having any type of romantic life right now, but I hoped we could become friends. I'm not sure how he took that, as I haven't heard from him since.  The Ace of Pentacles is a card that I often think of as a seed being offered (as the typical RWS card shows the pentacle being offered by a hand). This seed has the potential to grow into something more, but only if nourished. In this case, the seed of romance was offered but not accepted.

Deck: Tarot Leaves (by Beth Seilonen, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Tarot Leaves: Oh Tarot, You're Such a Card!

Ah, you like that pun there in the title? These were yesterday's cards. Yesterday I had a shitty day. Superbly shitty. All day. By evening time, I was at my wit's end, frustrated and angry and overwhelmed. So I grabbed my deck as a way to just sit and breathe for a minute. It was meant to be a break from all the crap I was dealing with. So I shuffled with no question in mind. And these were the three cards I dealt myself. If I had it in me to laugh out loud in that moment, I would have. But I did crack the tiniest smile which was a miracle. And inside I was laughing. Inside, I was laughing hard. Because what a trio of cards!  The deck just threw all the dramatic negativity I was feeling right back at me. Devil. Bam! Three of Swords. Bam!! Death. Ba-dum-bump! That's some funny shit.

(LOVE the cemetery scene in this Death card.)

Deck: Tarot Leaves (by Beth Seilonen, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Tarot Leaves: Full Moon Reading

I've been looking forward to tonight's full moon for awhile. I feel more connected to the symbolism of the fullness this month, having completed such a major life change. So instead of my regular daily draw, I wanted to do a more focused reading. I charged the Moon card in my deck, and keeping in theme with the phases of the moon, I asked the cards to show me what has waxed in my life, and what I should now allow to wane.  After shuffling, I searched for the Moon card in the deck and looked at the flanking cards. The card to the left of the Moon is what has culminated in my life and the card on the right is what I should allow to fizzle out.

It's really interesting to me that the cards surrounding the Moon were the 7 and 8 of Pentacles, in that order.  What has been waxing in my life, what has been coming full circle and growing to culmination is the Seven of Pentacles. Something that has been a long time coming. Something I have been working toward for awhile. My big move. Typical of this card, there were many times where I checked my progress and wondered if I'd ever get there, as it seemed such a long way off. But now here I am, in the full moon glory of completion!

What I should allow to wane, or decrease, in my life is the Eight of Pentacles. The working-hard card. I have been working like a dog setting up our new home. And while there is still so much left to do, I have crossed over into a place where I am slowing down and not feeling the urgency anymore. I can do it a little at a time, without feeling like I'm keeping my nose to the grindstone like this card exemplifies.  So that makes sense.

This was a nice little reading, and confirmed where I am and that I'm on the right path.

Deck: Tarot Leaves (by Beth Seilonen, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Tarot Leaves: Contagion

How I wish this title post was referring to the new movie Contagion.  Alas, it is not. It is referring to the spread of pink eye through our family. I thought my son was safe and out of the woods, but it looks like he's not. A few years ago, he narrowly escaped the chicken pox outbreak the girls had, by contracting a single pock mark.  So I thought his mighty powers of immunity would keep him safe from contracting this dreaded pink eye we have all succumbed to. But this morning he woke up with signs of it.

I drew these cards this morning, and my eyes followed the yellow orb through each of the cards. (Major TMI alert: Pink eye is accompanied by yellow gunk oozing out of one's eyes. Completely disgusting. It seals your eyes shut during the night so you can't open them in the morning.)  So that's what I saw... the yellow orb is the contagion, and it has moved from the females in the house (right between the High Priestess's eyes) into the Knight of Pentacles card. He represents the messenger, carrying the contagion (pentacle) to the third card, where my son lies sleeping. The orb is just appearing at the top of the Nine of Swords. It's in the beginning stages. And it was in bed, waking up, that he discovered that he might have it too.

At this point, I only hope that it ends with him, and doesn't loop back around to the girls again. My middle daughter's eye looks red again this morning. I really hope she hasn't caught it again.  We have been sanitizing and washing like crazy. I just want this to end already!  My folks are planning to stay with us for the week of my birthday and stay until Halloween, but I don't want them coming if we are still infected. I'd really hate for them to cancel their trip. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be done with this nightmare within the next two weeks.

Deck: Tarot Leaves (by Beth Seilonen, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Tarot Leaves: American Horror Story

This week I'll be working with my new Tarot Leaves deck. The release of this deck is very timely, as I look out my window and see the leaves falling from the tree in our front yard as I type this.

This morning I drew the Moon, Four of Wands and the Hanged Man.  I've been feeling a bit moon-y lately, with the arrival of October and the full moon coming up. I've been wanting to read or watch something somewhat dark and gothic. Today it's even cloudy and rainy, my favorite weather. The Four of Wands is a card that I think of as "home", so next to the Moon, it made me think of a haunted house. The Hanged Man added to the gothic ambiance in a creepy way.  After all this ran through my mind, I had to go about my day, so I forgot about it.  About an hour later, I was online and completely coincidentally stumbled upon the link to the pilot of the new FX show American Horror Story.  

So I watched the pilot episode on the show's Facebook page (here). I can't say whether I liked it or not. It left me unsure. It was a tiny bit over the top. I think I would have preferred it if the scary scenes were more subtle. But there were a few twists that I enjoyed (love the housekeeper angle), I enjoyed Jessica Lange's character, and Dylan McDermott's nude backside wasn't hard on the eyes. So I think I'll have to watch the next episode to see if it's a keeper for me or not.  It did leave me curious at the very least. In any case, the cards I drew nailed the theme of the show. A haunted house (Moon + 4 Wands) where multiple murders/suicides occured (Hanged Man) and madness abounds (Moon again).

Deck: Tarot Leaves (by Beth Seilonen, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Deck Review: The Journey Oracle

The The Journey Oracle is a vibrant, modern 46-card oracle deck created by Adrienne Trafford and published by Schiffer.

"Why am I here and what have I done of worth? Find these answers as you explore emotions, fears, hopes and self-realizations with this 46-card oracle depicting beautiful and strong, decisive women representing everyday issues. Improve yourself, day-by-day, as you find answers to doubts in your heart or struggles along your path by allowing the oracle to help you see where you were, where you are now, and where you may be going.

As you journey, you will find that though our paths may not look the same, we are all seeking the same truths. But your journey, throught these cards, will reflect your personal pathway to those truths.  Whether the cards advise you to "Stand up, dig your heels in, and fight back" or that "Even on the dreariest day, the sun is still there behind the clouds", you will feel the pull of your heart strings as you warm to the beat of a journey meant only for you."

(Above excerpt taken from the back of the box.)

The Cards
The cards measure approximately 2 7/8 x 4 1/2". The finish is glossy and the card stock is sturdy yet flexible. The backs are not reversible, as I don't believe the cards are meant to be used with reversals. The backs feature a lovely image of a tree with a nest in it. The two blue eggs in the nest are also featured in several of the cards, a symbolic nod to the artist's two daughters.  The borders of the cards are colorful and bright, with a thin inner border of black jagged line, which I really like.  The titles of the cards are featured along the bottom border in an attractive font.

A unique feature of this deck is that there are four horizontal cards. They don't appear to stand out more than any others as far as meanings go. But they do draw more attention in a reading, as they break up the monotony of the spread. There have been times when I only wanted to draw two cards, but the second card was horizontal, and it felt unfinished until I closed it up with a third, creating bookends to the horizontal card. This additional card supplied an answer to the question that the first two cards piqued. So while some may find the inconsistency distracting, I find the horizontal cards an interesting and delightful addition to the deck.

I also really like that there are the four playing card Queens (Hearts, Clubs, Spades and Diamonds). And I love the fairy tale references (Snow White in the Eternity card and Alice in the Confined card).  There are even a couple steampunk themed cards, which I love. There are also archetypes such as Goddess, Vampire, Mermaid, Eve, Actress, Mother Earth, Ancestors. And then there are cards that are titled to portray a feeling or trait such as Independence, Loss, Resilience, Appreciation, Drifting, Passion, Hope, etc.

There are only women featured in the cards... not a man in sight.  So, for some, this may limit the deck's use to feminine readings.  The women display an array of emotions in the cards: sassy, bold, confident, melancholy, pensive, distraught, playful, etc.

How it Reads
I have found The Journey Oracle to read very thoughtfully. I normally pull three cards in a reading, but I intuitively felt that this deck should be read with pairs of two.  So that's how I have used it, and the pairs have always been relevant to my day or specific inquiry. In the case where I felt drawn to pull a third card, it has proven to provide a helpful addition to the reading.

I have done several draws where two similar cards will come up side by side, serving as an emphasis of the importance of the theme of the reading.  One day, I drew The Goddess and The Radiant One together. And a couple days later, I drew The Wish and Desire side by side.  (The latter reading was the one I referred to earlier, where the Desire card was horizontal, so I pulled a third card which showed me how to best fulfill the wish/desire I had.) 

The readings I have done with this deck have been truthful and helpful in a very gentle but strong way.

LWB
The Little White Book that accompanies the deck is 96 pages, with a thick shiny colorful cover. There is a brief introduction written by Trafford, followed by the  meanings for the cards. Each card is given a two-page spread. The left side displays the meaning of the card, while the right side features a black and white image of the card. The LWB wraps up with an "About the Artist/Author" page.  There are no spreads in the book.

The deck and book are housed in a box where the lid lifts and closes magnetically, which is something I've mentioned before as being a genius idea by Schiffer.

Following is an excerpt from the book:

Talisman
What this card says:
It does not belong to you, but you will feel quite powerful with it in your hands.

What this card means:
You are holding something dear.  This is your talisman.

Perhaps it is physical - your grandmother's blanket, a smooth pebble or shell from a favorite trip, an old letter, a lock of hair.  It could be metaphoric: You hold the heart of your love, the memory of one who is gone.  Hold it in your hands and at the front of your mind, and recall the person or place to which it is attached.

They are with you today more than ever and have a message for you: No need to worry; they will protect you.

Final Thoughts
I really love this deck. I love the modern, whimsical lines and bold colors. I love the beautiful women in it, and the many emotions they encompass. It's a great deck to bring out your inner femininity and strength, and to seek gentle compassion and empowered advice. It's most definitely a treasured addition to my arsenal of decks.

See below for more images from The Journal Oracle.

To see more images and readings I've done with The Journey Oracle, please visit my posts with the deck here.


Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)


~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Oracle: The Luxury of Doing Nothing

These were yesterday's cards. I was still feeling icky, so I didn't have the desire to post. I thought it was interesting that the very last card I drew for the week was the Home card, and it was also the very first card I drew at the beginning of the week (here).  So Home both started and ended the week. Home is my primary focus nowadays as we are still getting settled, and it's also where we've spent the majority of our time, as we have been ill.

Luxury is relative. Yesterday, still suffering from pink eye, my form of luxury was doing absolutely nothing. I futzed around all day and watched my football game. I made a lovely dinner for my kids and myself. And then we watched a movie together on the couch. It was a good day. Luxury isn't always about the finer things and being pampered. Sometimes it's just about enjoying doing nothing. There is luxury in not "having" to do anything, but doing only that which makes you happy and comfortable. And yesterday I definitely basked in the luxury of being at home.

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Oracle: Being Grateful

Last night I had a nightmare about my daughter having a horrible fatal condition that no doctor had ever heard of. I tried again and again, in vain, to find a surgeon who could cure her. She needed surgery immediately, but every doctor I went to said they either couldn't help, or didn't care. Didn't care! Or so very nonchalantly said that they would "try".  That wasn't good enough. I needed confidence. A solution. And all I got were indifferent doctors, laughing after I had left them.  I was crying throughout the entire dream, trying to get someone to care about her, trying to make them see how much I loved her and needed her to be better. It was awful. So very awful.  I woke up this morning as grateful as I've ever been to know that she (and my other kids) are healthy. Sure, pink eye sucks, but it's small potatoes.  I hugged my little girl with all my might this morning, tearing up at the remembering of my dream.

The cards I pulled today made me smile. The Actress is my daughter. She is such a ham. Always putting on a show, telling elaborate stories, sometimes being a drama queen. She is The Actress.

So, next to her, I saw myself as The Queen of Diamonds, her mother. The LWB's offering was very appropriate for how I felt this morning. Here's an excerpt (the bold emphasis is mine): The Queen of Diamonds is a reminder to you of all your good fortune. You might be charmed right now, having an abundance of health, wealth, hope or beauty. What you do with it today may impact the rest of your life.

I woke up this morning still in the disgusting gooey throes of pink eye, but I felt blessed beyond belief that my kids are fundamentally healthy. While it's something that is usually taken for granted, I am mindfully celebrating the good health of my beloved little actress today. (As I am typing this, she is sitting next to me reading a poem aloud from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends, but she announced that she "has come up with a melody for this poem" and proceeds to sing it instead of just read it.  See? Actress o' mine.)

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Oracle: Vampires Suck!

I have been waiting for The Adventurer card to come up all week!  I knew it would come up, and every day that it didn't, I was surprised.  But today, unfortunately, it appears with The Vampire. When I saw these cards together, I thought of the vampire sucking the adventure out of life. I had planned a fun outing for me and the kids for tomorrow. But I woke up this morning to find that I'd contracted their pink eye. So I don't know if I will be up to a grand adventure tomorrow.  I hope I am... but it might have to be postponed a bit if tomorrow I look like I have the devil's eyes.

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Tarot: Independence and Changes

Today I drew Independence and Changes. I'm definitely experiencing both at the moment. Independence, as I'm setting up our new home all by myself, and also because I don't know a single soul in the state I have moved to, so all I have to rely on is myself.  And Changes is the grand theme of my life right now as I'm starting out in a new home in a new state in a new climate. They're all incredibly wonderful changes and I feel so liberated and refreshed and grateful and thrilled to be here. It's almost like a dream, it doesn't quite feel real to me yet. But what it really is is a dream come true. And that feels indescribably fantastic!

(I love the skull in the woman's hair in the Changes card. It reminds me of the Death card in tarot, which also symbolizes great change.)

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Oracle: The Divine Feminine Within

Today's cards ooze with feminine divinity. I was surprised at how similar these two cards were and that they appeared together for me.

Taking the advice of yesterday's cards, I woke up this morning with the conviction that I was going to enjoy the day and not rush around at all. I'm also not going to do anything I feel I "have to" or "should" do. I'm just going to do what I want to do, whatever I feel like doing. Now looking at these cards, I feel even more empowered.

I'm going to include the LWB meanings for these cards, to show how similar they are in theme.

The Goddess (which very much reminds me of a Klimt piece): Powerful women who once walked the earth watch over you now. The Goddess is the ultimate symbol of all that is feminine, and she walks with you. This card appears because she wants you to exult in your womanhood or the traits that link to your feminine side. You radiate beauty and power in all that you say and do.  The world will see the goddess in you today and be inspired.

The Radiant One: Wherever you go, people will be glad you are there.  You can inspire them to do great things. You are like a magnet for all that is divine.  The Radiant One is the center of the universe - all things that inspire you to create wonderful things. This card heralds a day ahead filled with light and warmth, bright ideas and productivity, friendly communion with loved ones.  People are noticing this and treating you accordingly.

So today I am being urged to embrace my inner divine femininity, and radiate this outward. This will be a much needed (and deserved, if I dare say so myself) respite from all my recent hard work.

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Journey Oracle: Slow Down!

I had all my regular October decks out and paired with oracle decks to read with this month. But now that it's here, it just didn't feel good to me. So I decided to change it up. Instead of my usual dark October decks, I'll be working with some new decks that I haven't had much chance to read with yet.  (But I will still be bringing in Halloween week with the Halloween Tarot... can't shake that one.)

This week I'm using the lovely Journey Oracle. I really, really like the drawings in this deck. In the short time I've had it, I've found that this deck works best for me when I draw pairs of cards.  However, today I felt a strong urge to pull three. And it made sense.  I drew Home, Resilience and Patience. 

The first thing I noticed was that Home and Patience feature the same two eggs in a nest. The cards are telling me to be patient about something regarding my home life.  You can't rush the hatching of an egg. I've been running around like crazy, furnishing our new home, as we left with only what fit crammed into a minivan.  I've needed to buy beds, tables, chairs, book cases, a sofa, basically everything. And I've been cleaning and putting up new blinds and getting the carpets cleaned, decorating, buying plants, putting furniture together, and dealing with a suddenly-broken garage door emergency. I haven't had a chance to breathe because I want it all done NOW. The repetition of the two eggs shows that I am doing this so expediently for the sake of my kids... to give them a feeling of "home" despite being in a new place. (And in the midst of all of this craziness, I've been administering to both of my girls who have contracted pink eye, grocery shopping, cooking, playing with my kids, driving to the library, doing laundry, and all the mom stuff I do on any ordinary day.) 

These cards are telling me to slow down a little bit.  I want the house to look like a home immediately, so I've been rushing around trying to get it all done.  I really need to enjoy where I am and how far I've come. The cards are telling me that the details can wait.  Easier said than done. But I'll take it into consideration and try to put at least a tiny bit less on my to-do list tomorrow.  I've already planned to take the kids to the movies tomorrow, so there's at least a couple hours of down time for me scheduled in.

Resilience is in the center of the card, asking me to draw my attention to it. Resilience is one of the traits I always associate with myself. I am nothing if not resilient. I've been through a lot in my life, and I always bounce back. This card kinda made me sit down and realize what a huge bounce I have just made. I've made a significant shift in my life and I've been in such a whirlwind of activity that I haven't had a chance to absorb the reality of what has happened for me. I've let the details overwhelm me when I should be looking at the big picture. I am where I have wanted to be for such a long time, and I really, truly need to experience the joy of this moment in my life.  I have overcome a lot. And it has taken a long time. But I am, and expect to always be, resilient.  (Patience I'll have to work on though.)

Some relevant excepts from the LWB on Resilience:
• You've been through a lot, and need to rest. (Spookily accurate)
• When the Resilience card appears, take a closer look at the cards around it. Their meanings are especially important and you should listen carefully to their message with an open and honest mind. (Amplifying the message of the Home and Patience cards.)

Okay, message received, loud and clear! Tomorrow I will try really hard not to put too much on my plate and just enjoy my new life.

Deck: The Journey Oracle (by Adrienne Trafford, published by Schiffer)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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