New Year's Spread

I really love the spread Helen Howell designed for a New Year’s reading, so I am going to use it with my newest deck, a Christmas gift: Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright (REDFeather).

I did make one change to the spread, using just one card in positions 3, 4, and 5 instead of three cards for each of those positions.

_NEW YEAR’S SPREAD _

Designed by Helen Howell

Card 1: What appears to be the overall energy that surrounds you in the New Year?

Card 2: How can you make this year successful for you?

***

How can you make the best of your:

Cards 3: Health?

Cards 4: Career/work/job

Cards 5: Romantic Relationships? (or Relationships in general?)

Card 6: What one thing this year do you really need to change in your life?

Card 7: Based on the above cards, what is the overall outlook for the New Year?

* * * * *

Card 1: What appears to be the overall energy that surrounds you in the New Year?

NINE OF PENTACLES – “Personal achievement, satisfaction, independence, solitude”

I like this card very much as an indication of overall energy surrounding me in the New Year. I look forward to having a sense of security and awareness of my accomplishments to date.

Card 2: How can you make this year successful for you?

SEVEN OF PENTACLES – “Assessment, disappointment, evaluation, new options.”

It seems clear that I can make this year successful by continually assessing and evaluating what I am doing, facing and coping with disappointments when they arise, and actively considering new options. Even though the overall energy is that of satisfaction and achievement, I will still need to keep up with what is happening and how things are going.

How can you make the best of your:

Card 3: Health?

TEN OF WANDS – “Burdens, feeling overwhelmed or tired, duties.”

This rings so true for me, as I do find that I feel tired or fatigued on a regular basis. I know that I have always had a tendency to carry burdens that I don’t have to carry. I take my duties seriously, even when they are self-imposed (Virgo rising, Taurus Moon), and I need to be more careful about how I let this affect me.

Card 4: Career/work/job

SIX OF WANDS – “Success, recognition, awards, fame.”

Well, I have to like this, especially when combined with the Nine of Pentacles as overall energy for the year. I have more than one “career” and it will be fun to discover which one(s) will “take off” in 2018.

Card 5: Romantic Relationships? (or Relationships in general?)

FOUR OF WANDS – “Formal celebration, security, achievements, parties.”

Celebrating my relationships and the sense of security they bring sounds like a great idea to me. I don’t go to many (if any) parties, but just getting together now and then with friends or family can be a party of sorts.

Card 6: What one thing this year do you really need to change in your life?

FIVE OF WANDS – “Struggle, competition, different opinions, conflicting ideas.”

I think the message here is that I need to struggle less, compete less, and not take different opinions or conflicting ideas so much to heart. I need to ask myself, “Does this really matter?” when I feel that tendency to get upset or stressed out.

Card 7: Based on the above cards, what is the overall outlook for the New Year?

SEVEN OF WANDS – “Opposition, defense, courage, standing up for yourself.”

Well, in spite of all the success and accomplishment energy shown in previous cards, it does seem that I may come up against someone or something that requires me to defend myself and to stand my ground. I feel this “opposition” could come from outside or from within, as shown by the Five of Wands above. The Seven of Wands indicates that I am at an advantage, and I need to remember that. If I do have to fight, I am in a good position to do so successfully.

All Pentacles and Wands for 2018! I don’t see anything here that seems out of character or “outlandish” for me. It all makes a lot of sense.

Court Case Follow-Up

This post is a follow-up to two readings I did on this blog, one on November 8 and one on December 2, concerning a court case. Here are links to those readings:

Court Case / Lawsuit Reading

Court Case - A Lenormand Perspective

Now I will give a brief summary of what happened concerning this case.

The hearing scheduled for December 19 was postponed while court representatives checked the decedent’s safe deposit box to determine if it contained a Will. It did not. The hearing was held as rescheduled on Friday, December 22. Petitioner #2 (the decedent’s son) was named Personal Representative for the Estate and the decedent’s children received the house and property on which it sits.

A couple of comments about the readings:

Indications were strong in the November reading that Petitioner #2 (KING OF SWORDS) and his lawyer (ACE OF WANDS) had a lot of power and positive energy together, whereas the lawyer (KNIGHT OF CHALICES) representing Petitioner #1 (the decedent’s estranged spouse) (FIVE OF SWORDS) did not.

The Five of Swords suggested that Petitioner #1 was battling or struggling. Her chances of winning were represented by the SEVEN OF WANDS (showing her in a defensive position), whereas the chances of winning for Petitioner #2 were represented by the SIX OF WANDS (the quintessential “Victory” card).

The Final Outcome in the reading was shown by the KNAVE OF WANDS, a card that is not only the same suit as Petitioner #2’s lawyer (ACE OF WANDS) but bears the same caduceus symbol on it as that other card.

I felt that the dominance of “active” (Fire, Air) energy in the reading suggested a quick decision from the judge, which also turned out to be accurate once the hearing was actually held.

The Lenormand reading carried a sense of delays or obstacles to a decision, and that turned out to be true, if only for a few days (Dec. 19 postponed to Dec. 22). The “loss of a job” could very well have referred to Petitioner #1, who had petitioned to be named but was NOT named personal representative.

I feel the cards in both readings gave credible insight into the energy surrounding this matter and the likelihood of a particular outcome.

Elemental 4-card Reading with Dragon Oracle Cards

The newest member of my oracle deck collection is a lively deck called Dragon Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper (Hay House). Each card represents a particular dragon and the guidance and support it offers. I am using this deck for a simple 4-card reading to discover which of the dragons in this deck can be most helpful to me right now in four key areas of life: Air (thought/communication), Earth (health, wealth), Water (intuition, emotion), and Fire (passion, creativity, career).

The layout looks like this:

(1) Air [thought/communications]: 

AIR AND WATER DRAGON – Helps you to connect to higher frequencies.

Assisting me with the area of thought and communication is a fourth-dimensional blue and green air and water dragon. Fourth-dimensional dragons in this deck are said to “love humans and nature and help every aspect of the natural world.” They offer us assistance in moving between the dimensions, preparing us energetically for the higher frequency energies to come.

The Air and Water dragon is able to help me use my intuition as well as my spiritual knowledge and wisdom to see everything “from an illumined perspective.” Concerning communication, these dragons are said to attune me so that my voice expresses the true notes of my soul.

(2) Earth [health & wealth]:

GREEN DRAGON – Helps you tune in to the secrets of nature.

With the Green Dragon I move up into the fifth dimension. These dragons “touch our psychic centres and help us to tune in to the sacred geometry in the trunks of trees, the petals of flowers, the shells of snails and everywhere in Master Pan’s kingdom.” The Green Dragon is the perfect creature to support me in the area of health and wealth, emphasizing the importance of spending time in the “green world.”

(3) Water [intuition & emotion]:

BLUE DRAGON FROM THE PLEIADES – Prepares you to accept Source healing.

The Blue Dragon from the Pleiades is a seventh-dimensional dragon, one that works with the “luminous devas, the angelic beings who work with the blueprint of creation.” The Blue Dragon helps me “accept a heart activation,” which is a lovely thing to have in the area of intuition and emotion (Water). Heart healing is the gift this dragon brings to me. It can also assist me in directing Source healing to a person or situation.

(4) Fire [passion/creativity/career]:

SOURCE DRAGON – Attunes you to the Infinite.

The Source Dragon is one of just four ninth-dimensional dragons. These dragons work with ninth-dimensional devas, “the visionaries who manage the cosmos and ensure everything works together in harmony.” The Source Dragon helps me experience a period of “stillness with awareness.” If I can be digilent, calm, and focused in the area of passion, creativity, and career, I have an opportunity to welcome something very sacred into my life.

The concepts underlying the meaning of the Dragon Oracle Cards are fascinating and not entirely familiar to me. I am going to enjoy working more with this deck.

Animal Tarot Time: The Fool

Hopefully this isn’t one of those things I begin with great enthusiasm, only to let it die before it gets very far along (a typical Sagittarius trait, by the way).

In any case, I am beginning a new series here at Tarot Notes called “Animal Tarot Time.” For this series, I will be exploring the choices of animals made by various deck creators to correspond to traditional Tarot cards. My initial goal is to get through the Major Arcana using cards from seven different decks:

• Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine (Hay House)
• The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeze Robertson; illustrated by Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)
• The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)
• The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)
• The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)
• The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
• Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)

And…. big surprise! I’m starting with The Fool! Let’s see what “Foolish” animals we can find.

Animal Tarot Cards (Virtue, Valentine, Hay House)

SHEPHERD PUPPY

Titled THE DREAMER rather than The Fool, Key Zero in this deck is represented by a “shepherd puppy.” I love how this could easily have been the little dog shown on The Fool card in the Rider-Waite-Smith and other traditional decks. Here, the dog is on his own, chasing butterflies. We do see a knapsack on the ground nearby, and an angel observing in the background.

Keywords from the Guidebook: “Excitement. Joy. Following your heart even though you may lack experience. Playful innocence and the belief that you can do anything.”

I also like that the shepherd breed was chosen for this card because this is one of the most intelligent dog breeds, very quick learners, with many natural abilities. So although this puppy may appear to be “throwing caution to the wind,” we can be sure that it is very much aware of its surroundings and ready to meet challenges that might arise. And the puppy does have an angel looking out for it.

The Animal Totem Tarot (Robertson, Smith, Llewellyn)

GRASSHOPPER

As I understand it, the American television show Kung Fu is the source for the use of the word “grasshopper” to designate a neophyte or trainee who is learning a skill or discipline. That usage seems quite appropriate for “The Fool,” whose lack of experience and training makes him an innocent at the beginning of a journey. Grasshoppers leap – and then, based on conditions they feel or smell, decide the next place they might want to land. Notice that they do not simply jump without any reason or purpose for doing so. It may not be evident on the surface, but The Fool, like the grasshopper, has inner instincts and intuition that play a part.

The Animal Wisdom Tarot (Brunke, Liola, CICO)

COYOTE: The Trickster

I normally think of The Magician as being “The Trickster” character in the Tarot, but the free-spirited, adventurous coyote isn’t a bad image for Key Zero. Coyotes are known for being adaptable, willing and able to adjust to conditions and circumstances in order to survive and even thrive in spite of obstacles they may face. The Fool, too, trusts in his ability to meet an overcome challenges that might arise when he ventures into unknown territory. Far from being a “blundering idiot,” the coyote (and The Fool) tend to be sharp, observant, and willing to take a chance.

Keynotes from the Guidebook: “Originality, Humor, Unconventional Wisdom, Freedom”

The Animal-Wise Tarot (Andrews, Dragonhawk)

COYOTE: Wisdom and Folly

The coyote was chosen to play “The Fool” in this deck because of its reputation as “an extremely gifted animal, embodying intelligence, playfulness, adaptability, and loyalty.” Once again, we see that The Fool is not expected to be a foolish, mindless character. The balance of wisdom and folly is at the core of this version of The Fool. There is a knack to being just foolish enough to take a chance and just wise enough to know why and how to do it. As Ted Andrews puts it, “Even if wrong decisions are made – you will quickly recognize them and have the instinct to correct them.” The Fool reversed brings in the ideas of being inflexible or taking oneself too seriously OR being reckless and careless.

The Animals Divine Tarot (Hunt, Llewellyn)

COYOTE: Native American

Surprise (or not)! It’s the coyote again. Hunt’s card shows us a coyote on a rocky path covered with entwined roots. He is not leaping into the air, but he still must navigate and negotiate the earthly protrusions in his path. As Hunt points out, in Native American traditions, the Coyote plays “the fool, the teacher, the traveler, the transformer, and the trickster.” Sometimes his brazen self-confidence leads to a positive result; other times, his impetuous behavior creates terrible trouble. But the coyote’s zest for life is unquestionable. He teaches and guides us to “adapt, change, and grow as new situations present themselves to us.” (Hunt)

Meaning from the Guidebook: setting upon a journey, adventurer, inexperience

The Animism Tarot (Cheung)

CCARA LLAMA

Joanna Cheung describes the llama on this card as “barreling along without a care in the world.” While we may worry that he is naïve and impulsive, we have to admit he is also confident, positive, and full of potential. Once more we see this balance between folly and wisdom mentioned by Ted Andrews. There is a sense that it is not in The Fool’s best interests to completely give up either of those qualities. I love the rendering of the llama on Cheung’s card – a nice departure from the coyote.

I did a bit of research and discovered that llamas can be divided in two groups according to the length of their fur: short coated called Ccara, and the medium coated called Curaca.

Keywords from the Guidebook: tenacity, curiosity, steadfastness, joy, fortitude, impulsiveness

Tarot of the Animal Lords (Giannini, Lo Scarabeo)

BADGER

An interesting choice here for The Fool in this deck. Badgers have rather short, wide bodies, with short legs for digging. They shelter underground, living in burrows called setts. Their behavior doesn’t really seem to go along with the idea of The Fool, in my opinion, as badgers seem somewhat stodgy and definitely down-to-earth, unlikely to take a skipping leap off a cliff. (Ted Andrews place the badger on hit Four of Pentacles card in the Animal-Wise Tarot.) However, the badger-man on this card seems carefree and jaunty enough, carrying a puffin under one arm for reasons perhaps known only to Angelo Giannini and Lo Scarabeo.

Keywords from the Guidebook: “Spirit of initiative, desire to travel; Reversed: thoughtlessness, madness, slavery.”

(Interesting side note in light of the prominent coyote-Fool cards, Wikipedia tells us: “In North America, coyotes sometimes eat badgers and vice versa, but the majority of their interactions seem to be mutual or neutral. American badgers and coyotes have been seen hunting together in a cooperative fashion.”)

THE FOOL: Shepherd Puppy? Grasshopper? Coyote? Llama? Badger? 

What works best for you?

Week Ahead Reading with Mystical Wisdom

This 3-card spread looks at the week ahead, with one card pulled for each of these positions: (1) beginning of the week, (2) middle of the week, and (3) end of the week. The purpose is to reveal “what will present itself for the coming week or what issues you need to focus on.”

I found the spread in the guidebook for the Mystical Wisdom card deck by Gaye Guthrie, with art by Josephine Wall (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.) I am using that deck for this reading. To read my review of this deck, click _HERE_. 

(1) beginning of the week

UNICORN - Invite Serendipity

We start the week with a Unicorn – always a nice beginning! In the Mystical Wisdom deck, this card advises us to “invite serendipity,” with serendipity being defined as “the occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” I will do my best to invite serendipity early this week, with the goal of having good luck in making “unexpected and favorable discoveries.” I expect magic to happen!

(2) middle of the week

LETTING GO – Learn to Let Go

In this deck, “letting go” is about freeing myself from “situations that no longer serve me.” This is a good thing to do from time to time all through one’s life, I think, and perhaps there is something specific I need to let go of around the middle of this week. Is there an unhealthy attachment or bond that no longer serves me in a positive way? I need to find the courage to acknowledge the situation and welcome change.

(3) end of the week

FRIENDSHIP – Nurture Your Relationships

A lovely card that actually appeared the last time I did this spread with this deck. Clearly an ongoing theme for me. I have an opportunity to focus on how to be a good friend, how to enhance existing relationships and/or develop new ones. There may be an opportunity to offer understanding, compassion, or comfort to someone, or to show someone that they can trust me to be there for them.

Court Case - A Lenormand Perspective

I did a reading about a court case/lawsuit back on November 8 using the Tarot. To read it, click HERE.  

I have decided to do a reading today on the same matter using one of my Lenormand decks. In keeping with Lenormand tradition, I will read a line of cards rather than using positional definitions.

I am doing a Lenormand line of five, where there is a central focus card, plus the following steps:

* The heart of the matter (2+3+4)

* 1+2

* 4+5

* Reflect 1+5 and 2+4

My question is: “What do my nieces and nephews need to expect or understand about the hearing on December 19?” 

I am using the Mystical Lenormand painted by Urban Trösch (AGMÜLLER). Here is the line:

CHILD (13) …........ MICE (23) …....... PATHS (22) …... ANCHOR (35) ….. PARK (20)

The Heart of the Matter: MICE + PATHS + ANCHOR

Guidebook: Loss, sorrows, theft PLUS alternatives, decision PLUS work, job, training, stability

This does describe the situation. The court case stems from a loss (death) and therefore sorrow, plus each party in the lawsuit considering the other to be a “thief,” taking things that belong to them. Both parties are seeking stability (Anchor) for themselves.

Regula Elizabeth Fiechter describes the combination of MICE and PATHS as “all ways blocked at the moment.” PATHS combined with ANCHOR = “way with a lot of work.” ANCHOR combined with MICE = “unemployment, difficulty at work.”

I get a sense of delays, blockages, or obstacles at the heart of this court case, that may make a resolution difficult and time-consuming. The Anchor can indicate being “stuck.”

1 + 2: CHILD plus MICE

Guidebook: Children PLUS loss, sorrows, theft

A very appropriate reference, as the children of the person who died (mentioned above) are on one side of this lawsuit, in danger of losing what they feel rightfully belongs to them.

4 + 5: ANCHOR plus PARK

Guidebook: work, job, training, stability PLUS public places, many people involved

There is a possible connotation here of a profession that involves working or contact with the public. Certainly that would apply to the attorneys and the judge in this situation.

Reflect 1+5 and 2+4:

CHILD plus PARK: If we take the “Child” as a reference to the children of the deceased person, we see them here in a public setting (the courtroom?).

MICE plus ANCHOR: Can suggest loss of a job, which could refer to any number of things here. Perhaps one of the parties will fire their attorney(s)? Perhaps the judge will be replaced? It is also interesting to consider that both parties are petitioning to be named “personal representative” for the deceased. One of the parties will be given that job officially by the court; the other will "lose" that job.

I can’t help thinking that things may not be completely resolved on December 19. There may be delays, perhaps due to a change in attorneys or judge or something being “stuck” in place causing a postponement or delay.