Sepiafoto Lenormand: Sneak Peek!

I've been busting at the seams to make this announcement, but the secretive Scorpio in me wanted to wait until the project was completed to share the news.  Since I'm only about a week away from being finished, I couldn't wait any longer!

I'm creating a sepia photographic Lenormand deck! 

Stay tuned for details on the release!

Deck: Sepiafoto Lenormand, self-published by yours truly.

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Enchanted Map Oracle: Advice as Clear as it Gets!

This deck continues to amaze me.  This morning we had a doctor's appointment for my son, and while we were out, I planned to make a trip to the library and possibly the bookstore as well. I have really been dying to get the companion book to the cartomancy book I've been studying. I was going back and forth in my mind, not wanting to spend the money, yet really wanting to have the complete system at my disposal now.

So I took out my deck and while I was shuffling, I was thinking, "I really, really want this book. I have a yearning to continue my education with this system and I want the full knowledge that the companion book offers. I want to learn the method... but I don't know if now is the right time to be spending extra money..." I was just going on and on about education and knowledge and these books.

So when I cut the deck and flipped over the Education card, I was bowled over. I smiled a big smile. How amazing is that? I mean, really. The girl in this card is reading a book, for heaven's sake!  And the LWB even says "...you might not have enough knowledge about what you seek." Precisely why I needed this companion book!  Education, knowledge and a book... the three exact words that were running through my head while I was shuffling.  You didn't have to tell me twice. I popped up off the couch... it was settled then! 

We ended up going to the library and two different bookstores. I did get the companion book I wanted, and now I'm a happy camper.

And how awesome is this Enchanted Map Oracle?  I almost picked up a second copy at the bookstore today, but there was only one left and I thought I should leave it for someone else to be blessed with it, should it catch someone's eye today.

(The cartomancy books I'm referring to in this post are Cards of Your Destinyand Love Cards.)

Deck: The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards by Colette Baron-Reid, published by Hay House. 

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Joie de Vivre Tarot: Doctor's Appointment

Today's cards were very practical, while at the same time the three Major Arcana cards illlustrate the seriousness of the situation.  My son had a doctor's appointment today (Hierophant + Emperor). (And we also went to two bookstores and the library afterward...notice the book in the Hierophant's hand).  The Hanged Man shows how differently we both feel about his diabetes appointments now, as opposed to how we felt a month ago. It's a very different point of view we have now, as we are much more at ease, and have surrendered to our new reality. I even kept my calm when the doctor was telling me what to do when (not if) we have to go to the emergency room next. It's not something I look forward to, but it's also not something I feel worried about right now. I'm not going to live in fear of dreaded potentials. I'm taking each day as it comes, being grateful for every day of good health.

Deck: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (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.

Enchanted Map Oracle: Ending a Relationship

Working again with the Enchanted Map Oracle Cards, today I drew Coming Apart. The imagery in this deck is so stunning, most of the time when I draw a card, I am just mesmerized by it for awhile. Today was no exception. This card is so striking.  And I knew what it meant right away.

This main phrase for this card is "Now is the time to take separate paths." According to the book, it's a time of separation and dissolution, the separation bringing good fortune.  The reason I knew what this card was referring to so immediately is because I have been studying my playing card charts for the past couple of days, and it's written all over it that I'm experiencing a life-changing separation from my father. And in my chart, it's marked as a blessed ending.

We left Florida a couple months ago, and I have had very little correspondence with my father since then. If you are a long time reader of my blog, you will know that he was an absent father in my childhood and we reunited after twenty years. We have nothing in common except DNA and a love of football. It all ends there. He is very outspoken about his disapproval with how I live my life and raise my children. I feel he is more of a judgemental stranger than a blood relative of mine. There is no love lost.  When we moved across country, I knew I wouldn't see him again. I knew I would let our correspondence fizzle out. I knew that it would be the end. That the relationship had come full circle, and there was nothing to salvage.

So that's what this card is referring to. My decision to end a relationship that was not a healthy one for me or my kids.  And that this separation is not only recommended, but ultimately beneficial.

Deck: The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards by Colette Baron-Reid, published by Hay House. 

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Joie de Vivre Tarot: Football Prediction (Jets vs. Bills)

I didn't really have anything to read about today, and I didn't feel much like doing my general daily reading.  So I found myself shuffling my cards as I sat down to watch my football game this morning. I thought I'd do a predictive reading for fun. Who would come away with the much-needed win today? My Jets or the Bills?  I drew three cards. One for the Jets, one for the Bills, and one for the game as a whole.

My initial thought was that the Jets would win, because of the joy found in their card. The Ten of Cups is the happily ever after card, and the two "team players" are seen rejoicing.  The two players at the foot of the Bills card, The Emperor, don't appear to be celebrating at all. They look pissed off. I also initially saw The Emperor as representing the Bills' coach, and the fiery colors surrounding him gave me an angry vibe, despite his happy enough face.

On second thought, I thought I'd look at it from the standpoint of a male, football league. The Ten of Cups is a bit mamby pamby and soft. Maybe the Jets would play too softly. And the Emperor is in charge. Being an authority figure, and a Major Arcana to boot... doesn't it seem like he would have the upper hand, if looking at it from a testosterony viewpoint?  But... I was doing the reading from MY point of view, so my leaning was more toward my initial vibe. The Jets would win.

The third card showed some information about the game. The first thing I thought of when looking at the Two of Coins is that the game would be tied up for most of the game. And this turned out to be true. Neither team was ever way ahead of the other. They went back and forth, continually tying up the game until the end.

I looked to the two coins the cat was juggling.  The coin on the left represented the Jets, and the coin on the right was the Bills (because that's the left-right order the previous cards were attributed to each team). At first glance, the Bills appear to "come out on top".  But then looking at the coins as weights on a scale, the Jets' coin was heavier, indicating their final score would be higher. I even saw the weight of this coin being the catalyst that allowed the cat to smoosh the creature beneath his feet into the ground. I went back and forth, unable to decide which way to look at it, so I figured I would just let the card indicate the tied-up nature of the game. After the game, I would take the scores into consideration for future reference.

The Jets won! Yay!!!  So... now, the next time I do a predictive reading and come across a card where there are two options to weigh, as in the Two of Coins card, I will use the scales metaphor rather than which one is "on top".  Or... I will pay attention to additional signs that push my thoughts one way or another (like the added smooshing of the creature underfoot) and I'll go with that. And it turns out my gut intuitive feeling about the team cards was right afterall. Since I was doing the reading for me, and not for the masculine members of the teams, the Ten of Cups was my happy card, so it indicated a win.  And the fiery energy I felt from the Emperor turned out to be accurately describing the upset felt by the losing team's coach.

This was fun. I really should do this more, if for no other reason than to practice trusting my intuition.


Deck: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (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.

The Enchanted Map Oracle: Home

Yesterday I bought a beautiful new oracle deck, The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards. It's really lovely. I bought it blind, without having seen any card images online (which is something I never do), so I had pretty low expectations.  I'm so happy to say that I was thrilled at how gorgeous the images were!  What a find!

The oracle deck was created as a companion to Colette Baron-Reid's book (The Map: Finding the Magic and Meaning in the Story of Your Life) but it can totally stand alone as an oracle. I've had the book for awhile, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

This morning, I had a bit of a headache, and felt blah. I was tempted with the idea of having a pajama day, but got dressed with the hopes that it would give me more energy. It didn't.  So I decided it'd be a day at home today.  A few minutes after deciding not to go anywhere today, I took out my new oracle deck and asked the cards, "Where am I today?". I meant metaphorically. Like where am I spiritually, mentally. The cards gave me a more concrete, physical, direct answer. Home. Ha! Too good.

The Home card does actually talk about "home" in a metaphorical sense... feeling good in your own skin, being comfortable with who you are. But sometimes, home just means home. And today is one of those days.

Deck: The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards by Colette Baron-Reid, published by Hay House. 

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

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

Joie de Vivre Tarot: I'm Cheating!

Today's cards made me laugh. It looked to me like the cards were telling me that I was cheating. A romance/love relationship is indicated in the Two of Cups.  And Death is headed right toward the relationship, with the new love of the Fool on its heels. It's true. I confess. I am cheating. On my preferred cartomancy system. As a big fan of the Playing Card Oracles system, I actually felt a bit guilty for having bought Robert Lee Camp's Cards of Your Destiny yesterday at the bookstore. I have been tempted by this book for about a year now, ultimately dismissing it every time I passed it in the bookstore or came across it on Amazon.  But yesterday I just couldn't resist. I felt drawn to it and needed to have it. Now I regret not also having bought the companion book, Love Cards. I had mistakenly thought Love Cards was only about romantic relationships, when it appears it's also a deeper look at all of the personalities behind each card.  That'll have to be my next book purchase.

I was up until 2 a.m. last night, completely absorbed in my new book. The thing with this system is that your entire past, present and future are already mapped out for you in this intricate method. There is no need to pull cards of your own. That was disappointing to me, because I do like dealing out the cards myself.  However, you can still do a weekly reading using your own set of cards. And there is still a lot of figuring out to do in one's chart. It's a bit complicated, but I like that it's not as easy as looking it up in the book. There is still a lot of interpretation to be done with the cards.

The method will take a bit of getting used to, and I haven't even begun to read the meanings for the cards yet. Since it is so fundamentally different from the Playing Card Oracles system, I don't see why I can't read with both, as though they were separate oracles (nevermind that they share the same playing card markings). So that eases my sense of cheater's guilt quite a bit.

Have any of you used this method? Thoughts?

Deck: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (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.

Joie de Vivre Tarot: Unconditional Feline Love

Today I was suprised to see the Tower followed by the Star, as I had discussed the order of these two cards when the Star came up for me yesterday. I have pulled the Tower in this deck quite a bit since we've returned from the hospital. Definitely more than I've ever pulled it in the past few years combined. The creature coming out of the tower delights my son, as it looks like a Mongolian Death Worm, which he loves to draw.  So again, these two cards refer to his shockingly sudden illness and his current healing.

The sword in the Ace of Swords immediately brought to mind a syringe, which is now just a part of our daily lives. I've always been squeamish about needles, so it's surprising how normal injections are for us now. I never thought I'd be injecting anyone, let alone one of my children, with a needle. My son has actually taken over all of his own injections, though he still prefers me to do his finger pricks to test his blood sugar levels. (The finger pricks usually hurt more than the injections.) The Ace of Swords also indicates a victory, and just yesterday my son said to me, "I think we're managing this diabetes pretty well." We both feel like we have a good handle on things, and we are much more comfortable than were were just a few short weeks ago.

The cat sitting atop the boy in the Ace of Swords, with the gift of a rose in her mouth, reminded me of an unusually sweet love story that occurred while we were in the hospital. My son is like our cat's alpha male. He is the one who grabs the cat when she is in attack mode. Not me. I get afraid of her when she hisses or threatens to claw. But my son is fearless with animals, and he controls her immediately. So I think she has a certain respect for him. She sleeps in his room. She hides under his bed when someone new comes to the house.  So anyway, the week while we were at the hospital, my mom and daughters told us that every day, the cat would roam around the house meowing constantly (which she never does). She knew my son was missing and she was searching and calling for him. (I don't think she cared a bit that I was also gone the whole time.) One day, my mom found a few pieces of cat food on my son's bed!  Since she's an indoor cat, the closest thing to a "kill gift" she could manage was some of her cat food. She left him an offering. A plea for him to return.  (Which is what I thought of when I saw the rose in the cat's mouth in the Ace of Swords.) When we heard that, our hearts were so very touched. My son couldn't wait to go back home to give her some love.

When we got home, the reunion was quite a sight to behold. The cat was crazy in love with my son. She was on his lap the whole time, whether he was on the couch, his bed, or at the dining room table.  She followed him around from room to room, making sure he wasn't going anywhere. She guarded the room to his door, and got fiesty when anyone came too near him. It was so funny and so, so sweet. Like the cat in the card, perched atop the boy's head, she attached herself to him to ensure that he would not be leaving her again.

Deck: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (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.

Joie de Vivre Tarot: My Son's Healing

I felt the call to return to blogging. But with all we are going through, I can't say with what regularity it will be.  For the time being, I will be using the lovely new Joie de Vivre Tarot. This deck was one of the new ones to greet me when I returned home from the hospital with my son.  It was my first return to the tarot world. It was a very kind and gentle return, thanks to the sweet imagery and coloring of this beautiful deck. 

Today I was shuffling, wondering what to read about, since nothing seems important anymore, other than the health of my son and the closeness of our family.  So I'm shuffling, not knowing what to ask the cards. Three cards flew out of the deck. I picked them up, and saw that the deck had decided what I should write about today.

The cards immediately made me think of a beautiful comment someone had left for me, responding to this post about my son's illness: "I am sure your little page will become a tremendous king.". My son, in the cards, has always been the Page of Cups.  So when the King of Cups flew out of the deck, it brought to mind that comment.  It's him, all grown up. Thank the stars above, he will someday be all grown up. And stars above are what surround him in this grouping of cards.

On the left is the Star card, and on the right, in the Eight of Wands, the little guy is in space, floating among the stars themselves. The Star is a card of healing. It comes right after the Tower. We definitely experienced the Tower last month, and now it's time for the healing of the Star. In the LWB, the King of Cups is even described as a natural healer. In fact, the first keyword for this King card is "Healing".   

The Eight of Wands is about progress and speed. My son, for as dangerously sick as he was, recovered quickly. His body bounced back beautifully. I see him in this card... he is drawn to mythical creatures, and those little tentacled guys at his feet are beings he would love to draw and learn more about. I see this as him being able to continue shooting for the stars, following his passions.  I was also drawn to the fact that the mouse in the card can't survive in space without his helmet and oxygen tank. That, to me, represented my son's necessary survival pack... his need to always have insulin, syringes, a blood glucose meter and emergency food with him wherever he goes.  So he can do whatever he wants to do, as long as he is packed and prepared.

I also noted the three hearts on the King's chest. Everyone who has ever met my son has remarked how special he is. Family, friends, new acquaintences. The nurses at the hospital were touched by how sweet and kind he was to them. He has always been a sensitive, compassionate and loving soul. The world is better for him being in it, and the hearts on the King's chest and gown show how much heart he has, and will continue to have, as he grows.


Deck: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (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.

My Son

Today is World Diabetes Day. This is unfortunately significant to me now, and it's the reason I've been gone for a few weeks.

The last time I posted, I wrote about my son throwing up in the middle of the night. The next day, he became delirious and by the evening he fell into unconsciousness. He was completely unresponsive. The nightmare that followed included a harrowing drive to the emergency room, followed by a week in the pediatric ICU. He had DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and pancreatitis.

I am not ready to write in detail about that night yet because I'm not ready to mentally relive it. And there are no words anyway, to accurately describe what it feels like to wonder if your child will make it to the emergency room. To wonder, in heart-shredding disbelief, if those eleven years were all I would have with him. To drive a car with one hand while holding up his slumped body in the passenger seat with my other arm, constantly maneuvering my hand to feel under his nose that he was still breathing, crying and begging non-stop for him to wake up, to hear my voice, to say something. With his little sisters in the back seat, crying and begging him for the same. Mentally cursing every red light, wondering if that red light would be the difference between life and death. There are no words that I can write that would make anyone understand what that feels like. Unless you are a parent who has also looked at your child, afraid that he was going to die right before your eyes, you can't understand what it feels like. I can't say any more than that right now.

The week that followed was spent in the PICU.  Vomiting blood, a stomach tube kept in for days through the nose, IVs in both arms, oxygen tubes, heart monitors, blood pressure cuffs, blood tests...  Thankfully, every day was better than the day before as he slowly gained awareness and began to eat again after several days.

Fast forward three weeks.

We are home. He is healthy. I am grateful beyond comprehension. He has Type 1 diabetes. He will need to give himself insulin shots several times a day for the rest of his life, unless a cure is discovered in his lifetime. He has to monitor every food intake and supplement accordingly with an insulin shot. He will have to closely monitor his physical activity. He will have to constantly maintain his blood sugar levels so that he doesn't go too dangerously low or high. I now wake up at 2 am each night to test his blood sugar level and administer care if necessary. I plan his meals meticulously. I keep a log of everything he eats, his blood sugar levels and amount of insulin given throughout the day. Our daily lives have changed dramatically.

But he is alive. And his condition, though a far stretch from the carefree, spontaneous life he was used to, is manageable.  My beautiful son is still with me. Nothing could ever feel as good and right as that feels.


~ Kiki
Tarot Dame