Easy As MNO...

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE.

For GHI, click HERE.

For JKL, click HERE.

Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

*

M is for MASTERY. 

On the Eight of Pentacles from the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, we see a woman working in a studio. At the moment, she is an apprentice, still learning her craft, but her goal is mastery of that skill. Why else would she work long hours and devote endless energy to her work? Mastery may require tedious repetition and practice, but if we are passionate about our goal, we can be enthusiastic about the process.

N is for NATURE.

The Strength card typically represents interaction between our higher and lower natures, and how our higher nature can overcome or subdue the lower nature in a calm, gentle manner. In Tarot of Northern Shadows (one of my oldest and dearest decks), the beautiful giantess Grid is poised to take on strong, negative emotions that threaten to overcome us. We might use the term “gentle giant” to suggest the approach taken by the higher nature in dealing with the lower nature.

O is for ORDEAL. 

With the Ten of Swords in the Otherworld Tarot and many other decks, we are often looking at “rock bottom” when things can’t get any worse. We may not have much hope for the future or may feel beaten down or overwhelmed. The good news is that this last card in the suit of Swords often points to the start of something bright and new, better times after a period of darkness. Nowhere to go but up!


*********


M: Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras (Llewellyn Publications)
N: Tarot of Northern Shadows by Sylvia Gainsford and Howard Rodway (AGMuller)
O: Otherworld Tarot by Alison Williams, Artwork by Sarah Howell (Schiffer)