Week at a Glance: 6 of Wands

The purpose of drawing a "Week at a Glance" card is to get a sense of the sort of energy, circumstances, or personal qualities I might need to be aware of during the upcoming week. I also use this opportunity to become more familiar with decks I don't work with a lot, so you will often see me quoting the creator of the deck or someone who has a closer relationship with the deck than I do at this time.

For the week of June 16, 2013 I am using the Gill Tarot by Elizabeth Josephine Gill (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.).

My card is the SIX OF WANDS.

The Gill Tarot (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Titled "Victory," this card is bathed in rosy pink, a color that suggests love, nurture, and harmony. The center image, within the circle of the number Six, is a Star of David formed by six Wands. The star is formed by two triangles, one point up like an arrow, the other receptive like a cup.

Gill writes, "The star as a whole shows successful integration of aspiration and the reception of higher guidance." Certainly that integration would result in a state of love, nurture, and harmony. I look forward to seeking and hopefully experiencing some measure of this nurturing energy this week.

REVIEW: Astrology for Writers

R E V I E W  _About My Reviews_

Astrology for Writers
by _Corrine Kenner_
_Llewellyn Publications_
Paperback: 336 pages
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
ISBN-10: 0738733334
ISBN-13: 978-0738733333
TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

As an astrologer and writer, I was eager to see what the talented and accomplished Corrine Kenner would come up with for this book. I have used astrology to create characters in the past and found it quite interesting -- although I also found that I tended to get a bit bogged down in the astrology part to the point where my character became much too complex. Characters need to be multidimensional, of course, but I felt that I was drowning in personality traits, motives, feelings, thoughts, and behavioral tendencies. I hope to try again sometime!

Anyway, Astrology for Writers is useful and instructive in many different ways. Kenner provides marvelous, detailed information about each planet and sign, also delving into the asteroids (e.g., Ceres, Pallas Athena, and Juno), the Black Moon Lilith, and the North and South nodes -- so the astrology component is well covered. In segments titled "Creative Guidance" and "Twenty Questions" we receive a wealth of insights, tips, and prompts that we can use in creating characters, plots, and settings.

I do think perhaps this book might overwhelm someone who has little or no knowledge of astrology before picking it up. The astrological information is so comprehensive and detailed. I think the ideal reader would be someone like me -- already familiar with astrology and writing, and interested in combining those fields.

PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

Enhance your storytelling with the cosmic drama of the stars!

The nighttime sky has inspired writers and astrologers alike to spin stories on the strands of starlight. Discover that inspiration for your own creative writing in Astrology for Writers, the essential guide to understanding the core concepts of astrology—the planets, signs, and houses—and discovering how they correspond to the elements of fiction.

Unleash your creativity with a wide range of ideas that help you add astrology to your writing practice. Learn how to use the planets for characters, the signs of the zodiac for plot and themes, and the houses of the horoscope for settings. Develop unique characters based on mythic archetypes, use astrological imagery and symbolism for your descriptions and dialogue, and put theory into practice with writing prompts and examples. Invite the gods and goddesses of astrology to enter your writing and share their stories through you.

Corrine Kenner

THE AUTHOR

Corrine Kenner specializes in bringing metaphysical subjects down to earth. Her work on the tarot is widely published, and her classes and workshops are perennial favorites among students in the Midwest. Corrine is a certified tarot master, and she holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from California State University, Long Beach.

Corrine is the author of Tall Dark Stranger, a handbook on using tarot cards for romance, and Tarot Journaling, a guide to the art of keeping a tarot diary. She was also the creator of Llewellyn's Tarot Calendar. She is a contributor to the 2005, 2006, and 2007 editions of the Llewellyn Tarot Reader. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, Kenner edited Llewellyn's popular Astrological Calendar, Daily Planetary Guide, and Sun Sign Book. She is also the author of Crystals for Beginners.

Corrine has lived in Brazil, Los Angeles, and the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She now lives in the Midwest with her husband Dan and her daughters Katherine, Emily, and Julia.

You can find her website at www.corrinekenner.com.

BASIC INFORMATION

Part I: The Planets (pages 9-152)

"We'll begin our study of astrology for writers by looking at the planets -- the major players in the drama of the night sky. In this section, you'll learn how to develop fictional personalities based on planetary characteristics. You can assign one planet to each member of the cast, or mix and match them, just like real life." ~ Corrine Kenner

In Part I we are given information about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses who inspired the names of the planetary bodies in our sky. The Roman names (e.g., Venus, Mars, and Saturn) are the names that we readily recognize as applying to the planets. Beginning with the Sun ("The Star of the Show") Kenner provides several pages about each planetary body. We also learn about planets in aspect and other astrological information.

Part II: Signs and Stories (pages 153-250)

"As the planets revolve around the Sun, your characters will move through the signs of the zodiac, and their stories will unfold. We'll follow the plot, and discover what obstacles and conflicts keep them from reaching their goals. We'll also study the ways that the symbolism of the same twelve signs can be the foundation of story structure, theme, and symbolism." ~ Corrine Kenner

This section covers the signs of the zodiac, followed by a Mix-and-Match Character Creator, a section on the Twelve Labors of Hercules, and several pages about the Hero's Journey. We are told how we can use The Elements, Duality, and Modes of signs in story and character creation.

Part III: The Houses of the Horoscope (pages 251-296)

"The twelve houses of the horoscope provide a backdrop and setting for the drama of human experience. If you're searching for the setting of your next story or scene, you don't need to look any further than a horoscope chart." ~ Corrine Kenner

This part of the book contains a chart showing each house, rulership of that house, ruling sign, and ruling planet. Kenner also provides a couple of pages on each house, including how that the nature of that house could influence scenery and setting in a novel, story, or poem. A section on "How to Read a Horoscope Chart" is also included in this section.

Part IV: Quick Reference Guides (pages 297-313)

"Use this section to clarify concepts as you incorporate astrology into your creative writing practice." ~ Corrinne Kenner

At the back of the book, Kenner includes a Recommended Reading list.


In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.

Week at a Glance: High Priest

The purpose of drawing a "Week at a Glance" card is to get a sense of the sort of energy, circumstances, or personal qualities I might need to be aware of during the upcoming week. I also use this opportunity to become more familiar with decks I don't work with a lot, so you will often see me quoting the creator of the deck or someone who has a closer relationship with the deck than I do at this time.

For the week of June 9, 2013 I am using the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, illustrated by Lisa Hunt and written by D.J. Conway (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.).

My card is the HIGH PRIEST.

Fantastical Creatures Tarot

Right away, I am struck by the difference between the "energy" I normally get from a traditional High Priest (or Hierophant) card and this one. In most traditional decks, The Hierophant gives me a feeling of strong, steady, stern, serious energy. I typically don't pick up much (if any) emotion from the main character on the card. It's probably my least favorite card in any Tarot deck.

In the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, the High Priest is portrayed by the _Arabian Ruhk_, a gigantic bird that appears in the tales of Sinbad the Voyager and The Arabian Nights. Like the traditional Hierophant, this card can represent "an advisor or teacher of spiritual ideas" and the keyword for this card in this deck is "spiritual advice" -- but the energy I pick up from this version is active, aggressive, angry energy that suggests (to me) unpleasant consequences if that spiritual advice is not followed.

This week, perhaps I am going to be revisiting or reexamining (again) my spiritual journey to date, a journey that includes an effort to subscribe to traditional religious teachings as well as a rather dramatic departure from significant aspects of those teachings -- and a realization that I honestly don't need or desire to latch onto one specific approach or creed or dogma. (I am amused by the fact that I originally typed "Fanatical" instead of "Fantastical" when writing about this card...)

Free Cat-Themed Reading #3

This is the third reading request I received in response to my offer of three _free cat-themed readings_:

The Seeker asked: "Are there anymore babies for my partner and me?"

If you read Free Cat-Themed Reading #2, you may already know what I'm going to say about this question. I hope you will forgive me for repeating myself.

Let me begin by noting that this question is what we call a "yes-or-no" question. In other words, the answer can only be "yes" or "no" (or "maybe"?). Second, this question calls for a prediction of the future.

Now, I always caution my clients that I don't feel the Tarot does too great a job with yes-or-no questions. There is a 50-50 chance of being right or wrong. I also remind clients that the Tarot cannot predict the future with any certainty. There are simply too many variables, not the least of which is the free will of each person involved in a situation.

My years of experience have taught me that while I cannot predict the future with certainty or guarantee 100% accuracy on yes-or-no questions, I can at least provide a sense of whether the answer to the question is "very likely," "somewhat likely," "somewhat unlikely," or "very unlikely." And the client needs to understand that I am looking at trends or tendencies based on current conditions, not a future carved in stone.

Having said all that, here we go!

Spirit has led me to use the Cat's Eye Tarot by Debra M. Givin, DVM (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.) for this reading. While shuffling the cards, I meditated on the question, asking that only enlightened insight come through from the Highest Source. Next, I drew three cards, which I will read as a group rather than assigning positional definitions. Here are the cards that came forward for this Seeker to answer the question: "Are there anymore babies for my partner and me?"

KING OF WANDS, reversed
JUDGMENT
FIVE OF SWORDS, reversed
Beginning with elemental associations, we see that all three cards are from active, positive ("masculine") suits -- two Fire cards and one Air card. If we use the elemental method for answering this question, the answer is that it's "very likely" that there will be more babies for the Seeker and her partner.

At the same time, let's consider the fact that we have two Reversed cards in the set vs one Upright. That suggests the answer "somewhat unlikely."

So how might we use the meanings of the cards to help us understand?

The KING OF WANDS is typically viewed as representing big, bold, brave energy -- power, authority, and force. But the card was drawn Reversed. That suggests pessimism, lack of confidence, and ineffectiveness. Could this refer to the Seeker or the Seeker's partner? Or does it indicate an overall tone or energy that could delay or block the Seeker's desires?

JUDGMENT suggests to me the involvement or influence of a higher energy or spirit in this matter. I'm also getting the sense that a critical decision needs to be made that will have an impact on this matter. It is important that this couple consult their Higher Selves in order to make a careful, honest evaluation and decision.

The FIVE OF SWORDS, Reversed, may indicate a slightly softer or shorter-lasting version of the discord, defensiveness, and defeat the Upright card often represents.  There is a chance that self-interest will yield to mutual support, and that fear and anger will be offset by rationality. Yet there is still a feeling of antagonism in thought and word, if not in deed.

As I mentioned above, the elemental associations of these three cards offer a lot of support for the Seeker's desire for more babies. At the same time, there are factors that might cause delay or obstruction. If the Seeker and her partner want more babies, they will need to do whatever they can to address and overcome any potential problems or roadblocks.

_Free Cat-Themed Reading #1_

 

_Free Cat-Themed Reading #2_