Mystical Kipper Reading

I’m ready to break into an oracle deck I was gifted for Christmas: the Mystical Kipper Fortunetelling Cards by Regula Elizabeth Fiechter, painted by Urban Trösch (AGM Urania).

According to the Little White Book (LWB) that comes with this deck, “the original Kipper cards came into being around 1900, but their precise origin remains obscure.”

Urban Trösch spent a year creating the paintings for this deck on small wooden plates that were first primed with chalk. He then applied egg tempera colors layer by layer. Regula Elizabeth Fiechter adopted the original names of the Kipper cards, even if some of them appeared outdated.

For this reading I am going to use a spread that is commonly used with Lenormand decks. It’s called 3+1.

The far left card gives background, the center card reveals the current situation, and the far right card is the probable future/outcome. The 4th card drawn is the Clarification card.

My question: What area(s) do I need to be especially mindful of this coming week?

(1) background: HOUSE (20)
Possessions, material values, stability, domesticity, family, need for security and self-confidence

(2) current situation: HIGH HONORS (25)
promotion, progress, new assignment, long-term success, long-awaited recognition

(3) probable future/outcome: PLEASANT LETTER (7)
Communication, documents

(4) clarification: RICH GOOD GENTLEMAN (13)
young man, positive news, finances, money, fast and good solution possible

I get a positive vibe from this set of cards concerning the upcoming week. I not only live at home, but I work from home – designing and making jewelry, writing books, and working with Tarot and oracle cards. I have a stable home and secure home life. The High Honors card looks great, as does the Pleasant Letter. I confess I am not sure what to expect with the Rich Good Gentleman card as “clarification.” But taken as a group, the cards seem to bode well.

Helen's 2015 New Year Reading

Let's see what Helen has in store for 2015...

2015 New Year Reading

by Helen Howell

I thought for my New Year Reading I would take Zanna’s ‘Quarterly Forecast’ Spread for a run. I like the idea of the cards indicating to me what opportunities the new year will offer me.
Just a quick reminder of how the Spread works. It’s a five card spread, one card to represent each quarter, read from left to right and a fifth card as the Quintessence. The Quintessence is found by adding the numerical value of the other four cards which you then reduce until you get a number that corresponds with a Major Arcana card. Zanna tells us that the “Quintessence card represents the overall influence, energy, or message for the year.

I decided on the Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy and published by U.S. Games Systems Inc. for this reading.

1: January- March - 3 of Coins

It appears that the beginning of the year is a time where I will or should be focusing my energy and talent towards creating something new. This may involve me in working with others and if so I will need to put strategies in place to ensure that this collaboration works well. I really like how the three creatures depicted in this card all hold a coin each and are giving it their full attention. The beginning of the year then offers me the opportunity to work with others and to produce something new that can become a reality.

It’s a number three card and it shows how the individual elements of an idea can be brought together and formed into something more tangible.

2: April - June - 3 Wands

This is the period where the cards indicate that it is those ideas that can now be taken and move one step further. The time for planning is over; the time for doing has arrived! The key to success is to allow one’s creativity to flow and their confidence to grow. Both these two elements are what will move me forward and bring these goals into reality.

Again another number 3 card showing how one can expand an idea and head towards completing it.

3: July - September - 9 Coins

The cards indicate to me here that it is through maintaining a confident outlook and determination, along with trusting my inner wisdom to make the right decisions, that my efforts will see rewards. This card suggests that this will be a period where I can enjoy and reap those rewards.

A number 9 card, in tarot often represents struggles, self-evaluation and final completion. It’s that last step before we move on again to something new. It’s through the struggles that we face and the self evaluation that we are enabled to make those decisions  that can transform life/a situation for us and help us to achieve our goals.

4: October - December - Justice

The cards seem to suggest to me that with the number 9 above one project/idea is brought to its final conclusion. This will now be a period where I must think carefully about my next move. There is a need to balance out all my options in order to arrive at a decision, but the underlying message here is honesty: Be true to myself and the best outcome can be achieved.

A number 11 card which breaks down to 1+1 =2 the number that often represents, duality, union, balance and choice, along with co-operation. Twos can often be about balancing out opposing forces in order to make them work together rather than against one another.

5: Quintessence - Strength

The overall message this year seems to indicate that by maintaining patience and a calmness and drawing on my inner strength, I can overcome my fears/doubts and come through any challenges that may arise. The key is to have confidence in my own abilities.

This year then seems to be offering me the opportunity to start something new. Also to work with others to see it through to its end and the possibility of enjoying the success of this achievement, but not without a certain amount of effort.

It appears to indicate that this is a year when I will renew my self confidence and determination — I may just start believing in myself again!

Old English Tarot: 4 of Swords

In today's blog entry, Helen Howell continues her exploration of cards from the Old English Tarot by Maggie Kneen (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Old English Tarot

4 of Swords

by Helen Howell

The Old English Tarot’s 4 of Swords has a little more energy to it than the traditional image of the Rider Waite. The Rider Waite shows us a statue of a knight lying still on a stone tomb within a church, three swords hang over his head while a fourth is sideways along the coffin. It’s message is a clear one of rest. But the Old English image is different in that it does indicate rest, but not necessarily inactivity as the Rider Waite one does.

Let’s take a closer look at this card.

The image: We have four swords interlocked above the figures in this card. To each side of them is a colourful tent. Three knights sit at a table, holding what I assume is a wine goblet. They may be resting but they are definitely not sleeping!

The image of the interlocked swords could indicate here for us, that sometimes one gets locked into a thought pattern that will not necessarily help solve the issue or problem we may have to solve. The different coloured tents could well signify opposite sides. Those knights represent different houses that joust against each other. So that in turn could also represent conflicting thoughts perhaps. This lends weight to the idea that the interlocking swords (this being the suit of thought, mental activity and logic) show that the thought pattern we have is not serving us well.

The three knights sitting together, drinking and chatting, may be a symbol of resolving those conflicting thoughts by bringing them out and opening up to new ideas. The Old English 4 Swords shows us that it is in a relaxed state that we often find resolutions or a new way forward.

The card, like its more traditional brother the Rider Waite, does indicate that one needs to take time out to contemplate the alternatives - the need to call a truce with our thoughts in order to get them into working order or we will find we become trapped in that thought pattern. Also both cards indicate that it is a time to recuperate in order to renew ourselves both physically and mentally. But the one difference I see between the Rider Waite and the Old English symbolism is that although resting, one does not need to be inactive, but rather actively seeking a resolution in a relaxed way as opposed to total withdrawal.

The LWB says:
Replenishment, rest, rejuvenation, recuperation, seclusion.
Reversed: Activity, precautions, attempt to recover losses.

New Year Spread

It’s New Year’s Day here in North America, so I am going to celebrate with a spread for 2015.

I am using “Joanna’s New Year Spread” from Journey through the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert (Llewellyn Worldwide). My deck is Tarot of the White Cats, with artwork by Severino Baraldi (Lo Scarabeo).

The Spread

The Positions

1. What do I leave behind in the Old Year?
2. What do I open up to in the New Year?
3. Key Opportunity of the New Year
4. Key Challenge of the New Year
5. Hidden concern (pull from bottom of the deck)
6. Deep Wisdom / Advice from God/dess (pull from middle of the deck)
7. Key Theme of the New Year

My Reading

1. What do I leave behind in the Old Year?

KING OF SWORDS – My impression of this King in this deck is that he is judgmental, stern, and inflexible. Kate Warwick-Smith describes the King of Swords using these keywords:

• Advisor (“knowledge in its pure state”)
• Dictator (“leaves out the human element when considering options”)
• Pragmatism (“ability to focus, concentrate, and be mentally determined”)
• Ruthlessness (“when we sell out our dreams and refuse to acknowledge our emotions, we deny a part of ourselves”

I am being encouraged to consider which of these King-of-Swords qualities I need/want to leave behind in the Old Year. The choice is mine.

2. What do I open up to in the New Year?

TWO OF WANDS – When I look at this card in this deck, I get a sense of patience, optimism, confidence, and receptiveness, along with the idea of a partnership or a balance between seemingly opposing energies (the number Two). The LWB suggests that I widen my mental horizons, act, learn, and experience new emotions.  Joan Bunning views the Two of Wands as a card of “personal power, boldness, originality.”

3. Key Opportunity of the New Year

TWO OF PENTACLES – Looking at this card in this deck, I get a sense of juggling or balancing two “sides” or two types of energy. The cat on this card does not have a happy expression on his face. To me, he looks a bit worried or perhaps he is just concentrating on his task. The LWB offers an interesting idea: “When everything is changing follow the favorable wind without, however, relinquishing morality.” Bunning offers the keywords “juggling, flexibility, fun.” Pentacles is the suit of Earth, representing the physical, material world, which suggests to me that a key opportunity of the New Year will be to maintain flexibility and balance among real-world needs, responsibilities, and situations.

4. Key Challenge of the New Year

THE MOON – The Moon could certainly be a challenge to keeping it all together in the physical, material world. From the LWB: “A fascination with mystery can lead to dangerous places. Unpleasing surprises can occur without necessary protection.” And from Bunning: “Fear, Illusion, Imagination, Bewilderment.” Perhaps a key challenge for me could be preventing my imagination from “going off the deep end” to the point that I do not see, appreciate, or take hold of what matters in the day-to-day physical world. In the pale, shifting light of the moon, I may think I see things that are not there or fail to see something that is very real.

5. Hidden concern (pull from bottom of the deck)

KNIGHT OF CHALICES – The Knight on this card looks at me with what seems to be a sensitive, caring expression. His horse seems spirited and restless. Warwick-Smith describes the Knight of Cups using these keywords:

• Lover
• Possessor
• Desire
• Rejection

The idea of this Knight as a fear of rejection – or a tendency to “reject someone or something we feel we cannot have or do not deserve” – resonates with me in this case. A hidden concern for me could be my relationships and the role(s) I play in each of them.

6. Deep Wisdom / Advice from God/dess (pull from middle of the deck)

STRENGTH – This card immediately reminds of one of the children’s books I wrote: Big Cat, Little Kitty. From the LWB: “Even the stubbornest people can be convinced through kindness and a touch of charm, but it’s best never to trust wild animals.” Bunning’s keywords: “Strength, Patience, Compassion, Soft Control.” From this card (which is usually one of my favorites in any deck), I always get a sense of being brave enough to approach a “wild beast” with quiet confidence and an unshakable belief that unity is with that untamed energy is desirable and attainable.

7. Key Theme of the New Year

THE FOOL – In short, this card suggests the theme “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” It refers to fresh beginnings, new adventures, and unexpected opportunities. Yet the messages “follow your bliss” and “trust the universe” are balanced by a warning to avoid being foolhardy or reckless. The key is to be open to taking a risk or stepping outside my comfort zone without throwing caution completely to the wind.