Lunar Nomad Oracle Interview

Interview with The Lunar Nomad Oracle by Shaheen Miro (Weiser Books).

(To read my review of this deck, click HERE.) 

Here are the questions I asked this oracle deck and the answers she provided.

(1) What would you like me to understand about you?

PATHWAYS – Card 22

Understand that I am here to show you options and opportunities, to help you make decisions about which direction to take when you are at a crossroads, and to tell you when it is time to let something go and move forward on your path.

(2) What would you like me to understand about myself?

FOX – Card 14

I would like you to understand that you have within yourself the qualities of a trickster – sometimes not in a good way. Yet, these qualities can be harnessed and directed to your benefit, giving you power in competition (The Fox is the patron of entrepreneurs and creators). The part of you that aligns with The Fox knows that opportunities must be taken while the iron is hot. Timing is everything. Uncertainty can be lethal.

(3) What strengths and/or weaknesses do we have as a team?

COFFIN – Card 8

Together we approach the stages of life as endings and beginnings, loss and gain. We learn and teach the art of letting go and surrendering to the natural cycles of change. The ability and willingness to do this is a strength, but there may be times when even together, we are not able to embrace the message that time is passing or running out. We may see only troubled times until and unless we are able to flip our perspective and experience a new way of being.

This is good information and food for thought as I begin to do readings with these cards!

REVIEW: The Lunar Nomad Oracle

R E V I E W

The Lunar Nomad Oracle: 

43 Cards to Unlock Your Creativity and Awaken Your Intuition 

by Shaheen Miro

Book: 160 pages

Cards: 43; 4-1/4 x 6 inches

Publisher: _Weiser Books_

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1578636310

ISBN-13: 978-1578636310

_About My Reviews_

Having fallen in love long ago (2013) with Shaheen’s Tattered Nomad Oracle (see my review of that deck HERE), I couldn’t wait to get his Lunar Nomad Oracle deck and book in my hands.

EDITED TO ADD: The Lunar Nomad Oracle and Tattered Nomad decks are not identical. Some have been reworked for the Lunar Nomad deck. (zs 3 Apr 2018)

My copy of the Tattered Nomad deck is “poker size,” meaning fairly small cards (3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches). The Lunar Nomad deck cards are larger (6 x 4-1/4 inches), so I can appreciate the art even more.

With the Tattered Nomad deck, I received an 8 by 10-3/4 inch paper insert giving keywords for each card and a diagram of how to lay out the cards for a reading. The Lunar Nomad Oracle comes with a 143-page guide filled with so much more than keywords.

I love this new “incarnation” of the Tattered Nomad Oracle as the Lunar Nomad Oracle! The cards are packaged in a lightweight cardboard box, which is then placed into a sturdier box made with one side open. The guidebook slips neatly into that heavier box alongside the box of cards. Kudos to Weiser Books for this attractive and practical presentation!

I read the guidebook cover to cover, while looking at each card as I read Shaheen’s descriptions, insights, and commentary. The care, attention, and writing style all combine to create an enjoyable, informative experience.

The idea of my Lunar Self appearing in “sudden sparks of inspiration, the stirring of dramatic gut feelings, in vivid dreams” resonates strongly with me. I would like to think that I am not burying my Lunar Self these days or allowing my Solar Self to take over. However, at one time in my life, I am certain that I did do that. I agree with Shaheen when he writes, “It is important to understand that the Solar and Lunar Self are not in opposition with each other when they are fully venerated. The Solar Self supports the Lunar Self. . . The Solar Self takes the abstract impressions of the Lunar Self and finds a way to utilize the information in a logical sequence.”

Let’s visit some of my favorite cards…

MOON (32)

Keywords: “emotion, feeling, intuition, lunar cycle, art, hidden talents, imagination, winter”

Favorite Quotes:

“The Moon offers a passage into your unconscious mind where your wisdom, potential, and power really reside.”

“Something deep within you is awakening. Make space for that beautiful moonbeam to glow and gain light.”

Mushrooms are plentiful on this card. As a symbol, mushrooms can represent longevity, an image of primeval Heaven, the souls of the dead or reborn, or life regenerated (life from death). Supernatural associations with mushrooms are also common.

TOWER (19)

Keywords: “authority, large business, buildings, places of power, school, church, enterprise, condescendence”

Favorite Quotes:

“Historically the Tower was built as a defensive structure. . . Whoever watches from the Tower is alerted to your presence before your arrival.”

“The Tower can become a shadow or a torch. What are you locking away from the world? What feelings are you trying to swallow?”

Unlike traditional Tower card in the Tarot, there is no lightening or fire hitting the central structure, nor are the people falling from the windows or parapets. Huge wings seem to me to suggest the possible beneficial nature of place of power, depending on what you are looking for or rebelling against.

STARS (16)

Keywords: “wishes, hopes, possibilities, guidance, independence, dreams, expansion, fame”

Favorite Quotes:

“In the vast expanses of the sky, an octopus floats tranquilly in the embrace of infinity. He is an emblem of mystery and intelligence. The enigmatic quality of the octopus mirrors the mystery within each of us.”

“Consider looking at your natal chart to gain more insight on the energies that are working in your life. Moving with the cosmic flow allows you to create more fluidity.”

I just love the design and coloring of this card, especially the octopus as he shoots through the sky as if sky and ocean were one and the same.

CLOUDS (6)

Keywords: “confusion, conflict, lack of focus, obstacles, worries, depression”

Favorite Quotes:

“Confusion can blow in like a deadly storm or slip silently through the cracks like an insidious smoke.”

“The Clouds may seem ominous, but avoid holding them in contempt. They are teachers of tough love. Usually they show us where we are working too hard and pushing against our own wisdom.”

I love that this illustration shows a perfume atomizer and clouds of fragrance, capable of confusing not only the eye but the sense of smell and taste. Clouds up in the sky seem far away, but clouds of smoke or perfume swirling around your head add a dimension to the card that I find enriching and enlightening.

PUBLISHER’S PRODUCT SUMMARY

The Lunar Nomad Oracle is a set of keys for unlocking and understanding your intuitive side, your "lunar self." As a nomad on the path of the lunar self, you will awaken your sense of wonder and discover your creative desires to facilitate introspection, awareness, and lasting change.

The Lunar Nomad Oracle is inspired by the traditional Lenormand system, but unlike the Lenormand, this deck comprises 43 cards and additional significator cards that are multiracial and multiethnic. The Lunar Nomad Oracle cards are rich with layers, colors, and imagery, all designed to speak to the intuitive self. The book and deck allow users to explore their inner depths, looking for clues and prompts to activate their lunar side--their creativity, intuition, and inner wisdom. The symbolism of the cards helps the user formulate a story or reading. The process will be familiar to followers of tarot, but because The Lunar Nomad Oracle does not have suits or a linear structure, readers have the freedom and fluidity to really explore the deck and add their own insights and interpretations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shaheen Miro is a spiritual nomad working with people all over the world to help them reclaim their power through intuitive guidance, energy work, and spiritual cleansing. As a tarot and tea leaf reader, he conducts workshops and presentations nationally. Visit him at www.shaheenmiroinsights.com.

Stay tuned for a deck interview!

Animal Tarot Time: The High Priestess

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:

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

To read my post about The Fool, click HERE.
To read my post about The Magician, click HERE.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Now let’s look at how The High Priestess is portrayed in these seven decks.

Animal Tarot Cards (Virtue, Valentine, Hay House)

OWL (“This is a time to pause and reflect, not to take action.”) – On this card, an owl glides over the water that flows between two pillars, dipping the tip of the scroll he carries into the water. Although this particular owl is “taking action,” owls are often seen sitting silently in a tree, observing, contemplating, and perhaps even reflecting. With perfect night vision, owls wait for the perfect time to take flight in pursuit of prey. Owls represent both knowledge (information) and wisdom (experience), making them an excellent choice to portray The High Priestess.

The Animal Totem Tarot (Robertson, Smith, Llewellyn)

BLACK WIDOW – “But I know who I am and each and every day I honor my divine self by being true to my vision of myself who I am.” Robertson begins by pointing out that this “small, unassuming, nocturnal creature” who “prefers silence and solitude over the spotlight” has nevertheless become “one of the largest archetypes both on and off the silver screen.” Robertson compares the black widow spider to The High Priestess by writing that both of them have “transcended the limits of manmade boundaries, labels, and restrictions.” In that sense, I do see how this spider can play the part of The High Priestess, although I have been conditioned over time to fear the black widow and to think of it as sinister and threatening, qualities I would not associate with The HP.

The Animal Wisdom Tarot (Brunke, Liola, CICO)

CAT (“Knower of Secrets”) – Brunke offers “Mystery, Knowledge, Awareness, Intuition” as Keynotes for this card. The message she assigns to the card is “Still and silent, seek wisdom within.” Having living with cats my whole life, I can easily see a cat in the role of The High Priestess. When I look at the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith High Priestess card, I have no trouble replacing the woman in that image with a cat. As a Knower of Secrets and Guide to the Mysterious, the Cat calls us to consult our dreams, pay attention to our inner visions, and fine-tune our instincts. As Brunke puts it, “Cat helps us to realize the supernatural is simply natural – an expanded part of our true self.”

The Animal-Wise Tarot (Andrews, Dragonhawk)

SPIDER (“Intuition and Weaving of Fate”) – Here we have another deck which, like The Animal Totem Tarot, uses a spider to represent The High Priestess. Ted Andrews writes that spiders “signal an awakening of our creative energies.” He adds that the spider reflects three kinds of magic at play within our life: the magic of creativity, the magic of assertion, and the linking of past and future, death and rebirth, waxing and waning (reflected in the web’s spiral). As I mentioned above, I can see why the spider might be chosen to represent The High Priestess, but I always think of a spider’s web as a place where it traps its prey and kills them, which doesn’t quite match how I view The High Priestess sitting between the two pillars.

The Animals Divine Tarot (Hunt, Llewellyn)

BAST (seeking knowledge, following intuition) – Lisa Hunt chooses the ancient Egyptian cat goddess Bast for her High Priestess. A benevolent deity, Bast protected the population from vermin and assured fecundity and health. She was associated with the lunar mysteries of the night, an association that reaffirms her connection to The High Priestess card, which the Order of the Golden Dawn links to the Moon. As mentioned above, the nature of the cat seems very much in keeping with the qualities associated with The High Priestess.

The Animism Tarot (Cheung)

STRIPED OWL (rebirth, knowledge, secrecy, foresight, intuition, inspiration) – Like The High Priestess, the owl in this deck represents “the insight and wisdom found deep within.” With her power drawn from the moon, she links the conscious and unconscious. A creature of the night, the owl nevertheless brings the light of knowledge into the darkness, revealing what we otherwise could not see.

Tarot of the Animal Lords (Giannini, Lo Scarabeo)

COW ELEPHANT – The elephant is a marvelous choice for The High Priestess, in my opinion, given the qualities we associate with both.  Although elephants can be unruly and aggressive (particularly the males) in certain situations, for the most part we see them as gentle giants who care for the other members of their herd much as humans care for family members. The herd is led by the oldest and often largest female in the herd, called a matriarch. Elephants are extremely intelligent and have memories that span many years. The instructions by Bepi Vigna offer the following keywords for the upright card: study, wisdom, mystery. Reversed, the card can indicate hysterics, selfishness, ignorance.

The tally for animals portraying The High Priestess in these seven decks:
OWL – 2
SPIDER – 2
CAT – 2
ELEPHANT - 1

I think, if forced to choose, I lean towards the Owl as an animal representative of The High Priestess, with the Cat a close second. I appreciate the effort to give spiders the respect they no doubt deserve, and I do love the idea of the elephant in her blue dress, but they don’t quite resonate with me the way “the owl and the pussycat” (LOL) do. What do you think?