Reverse Tarot Challenge

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this challenge!   I think it is a brilliant and imaginative way to think about the cards.  My goal during the month of May is to post a card from 1-3 decks each day to my IG.  What will happen here is more in-depth reasoning as to why I picked the cards.  I have decided that I will do weekly round-up of my favorite cards of the week.  (I am really bad with daily blogs)

 

The PLAN:

Each Day on IG I will post a card from my everyday deck, Legends of King Arthur.  I will also try to pick a card from one or two of my other decks ie Shadowscape (this may be a good way to start learning this), Celtic Dragon, Runic, and the Rider-Waite.  I would like to point out that I read more intuitively so the "standard meaning" of the card may not match the theme of the day but I will try to make sure those cards are explained in the weekly blog.


Day 1 Looking Beyond the Obvious

As soon as I saw this prompt I knew exactly what card I wanted to use from the Arthurian Deck.  No doubt for me it is the Nine of Shields Ragnell.

As Gawain gazed into the fire, the Loathly Lady shed her skin and emerged as the comely Ragnell. (from the booklet)

I love this card's story.  It is all about looking beyond, being kind, and not judging.  This is also about making sacrifices for the greater good.  Depending on the surrounding cards I will read it either as look at your negative thing in a new light or "suck it up buttercup" and you will be rewarded.


I decided to go through the Shadowscape deck looking for a card that embodied the teme.  As I said I am starting to read more intuitively so I am looking a the booklet at all for this deck yet.  The 7 of cups just seemed to fit the bill.  I am loving the muse pointing out what is beyond, showing the man what can be,

NEW Deck Time

Yesterday I bit the bullet and ordered my first new deck in ages.  I use to love collecting decks but just stopped for some reason.  But I think I will restart collecting with getting a deck a year or so.

So yesterday (with my bonus) I ordered the Shadowscape deck.  You have seen it shown in many of my card posts cause I am love with the artwork. I just had to have it.  It should be in tomorrow.

This brings up a good question.  Do people read multiple decks?  I do not mean at once but have multiple decks to chose for readings.  I imagine it would be quite nice to set out like three decks in front of your client and ask which deck calls/appeals to them.  I wonder if it would make for a more connected reading.

Bullet Journal Ideas

So I have asked Jason for a notebook to use as a journal.  Last year I was introduced to the idea of bullet journaling.  It looks awesome and I use a very simple for of it at work to keep organised.  But I leave that journal at my desk at all times because it is for work info and tracking known issues.  Also I do not want my personal endeavors listed in a work Journal.

So I have been looking on line at different videos and ideas.  One Youtuber made a great point, list out what you want to track and what sections you want.  So I am going to make that list here.  Since one of my goals this year (my birthday is coming up and I want to start that weekend) is to be more active in my Tarot blog and in the craft, so they will be in my journal.

The List (subject to loads of changes)

• Mood
• Water
• DTC
• Monthly Layout
• Deck own & lust list
• Birthdays
• Books/Movies/TV to partake
• daily flash journaling
• Dance Days (need to move more)
• The Moons

Things need:

• notebook
• Bullet Ruler (silly but please)
• pens
• stickers (I cannot draw so pretties!)

UPDATE:
Jason "bought" me a new journal.  He helped me pick it out cause it has to me.

My Deck

This morning I overslept and was distracted so I did not pull a card.  I remembered in the car as I was pulling out of the apartment.  So instead I am going to talk about my deck.  I read and pull my daily cards from the Legend Arthurian deck by Anna-Marie Ferguson.  This is a lovely deck that I have been using roughly for 15 years.  It was gifted to me by my sisters one year for Christmas.

I fell madly in love with this deck.  I have always loved the Arthur legends and have read multiple books on the legends.  Hence the reason my sisters picked it.  But it was not only the link to my favorite stories, the artwork is amazing as well.  I am apparently a fan of watercolors.  I seem to be drawn to this medium both in tarot decks and in general art as well.  This deck feels like you are peering through the veil into another time and reality.

What is really nice, is that I like the back of the cards.  I use the labyrinth on the back in multitude of projects.  It is comfort to sit and think about.  Everyone always talks about the imagery on the front of the card but I find the back to be just as important.  If you cannot stand the back of the card but like the front, avoid the deck.  There will be another deck that resounds more with you.

Apologies

I am sorry for missing both Sunday and Monday postings.  Yesterday, I was very ill and did not do anything but lay in bed.  Sunday I had planned to do an oracle card of the week.  I drew a card on Sunday and quickly realized I needed to understand the Oracle card process before attempting to post about them.  I will be researching them for the next few weeks and I will bring them in later.  For now I think Sunday will be the weekly 3 card spread.

I will share the card I got on Sunday but there will be no discussion.

The Brat

Daily Tarot: Ten of Cups

Daily Tarot Card 

Ten of Cups (upright)
~Corbenic~

I love this card. It just looks magical. It is a soft landscape with a castle on an island in a lake. It is a very serine and calming place. It brings to mind just being clam and finding a happy place.

Taking a quick look at almost any other deck I own and I see this happy theme continued on. I have seen said that cups are the emotions and I can agree with that in this case. Happy and clam is what this cards puts in my mind.

It seems appropriate that I get this card on a Friday. The last work day before the weekend. Today feels more relaxed already.

AL/RW/Goddess/Shadowscape (wishlist)

*Recap*
Yesterday was a nice happy day to end the week.  Nothing special but easy and comfortable.

Explaining Daily Tarot

So as you see I am doing a daily tarot card.  But I think I need to explain this a bit more.  Each morning I am going to draw a card while concentrating on "What do I need to keep in mind today?".  The entry (hopefully) will start of with my description of the card and my initial reaction/feeling about the card.  I will then move on to a comparison of this card in the Arthurian Legends deck (my reading deck) to my other decks.  Lastly I will give my reason why I think this card has appeared for the day.   The next day, I will come back and do a short recap of the day.

I will also be adding artwork of the card so you can see what I am seeing and also show how the card is depicted in other decks.

Please feel free to comment about the cards or my thoughts but keep in mind disrespectful and/or immature comments will not be published.

Daily Tarot: Seven of Swords

Daily Tarot Card

Seven of Swords (reversed)

The Sword in the Stone

This card confuses me.  A knight is pulling the sword from the stone in a lake, he is turned so we see his face and chest as he grips the sword with one hand and has other arm outstretched for balance.  I get all that but I never feel much when I look at this card.  Nothing really just pops in my head like the past 2 days.  My confusion is doubled when the card is reversed.  The card is meant by the book to mean new beginnings when upright and bad advice when reversed.  But I just cannot see it.  I just have no idea what to make of this card.

I think a lot of my confusion comes with that this card is so different from the Rider-Waite card.  Remember, I learned on the Rider-Waite meanings.  In the R-W it always felt this card was up to no go, that the man was stealing 5 swords out of the 7.  It is the same in the Celtic Dragon deck with a man creeping down a dark hall with the swords.  But this is not what you see in the Arthurian deck, here you see a hero pulling the sword from the stone.  Very Confused.

I am not sure how to take this card today.  I am dwelling on the card more today than normal.  I will see what happens and try to link it afterwards.

Shown in Reverse as card was drawn

*recap*
Well, yesterday was a nothing day.  No strong emotions, no new events, and just status quo.  Still confused on this card.  I will have to scour Acclectic Tarot forums to get some more ideas.

Daily Tarot: Six of Cups

Daily Tarot Card

Six of Cups (upright)

-In Ectors Keeping-

This card just makes me smile.  I love seeing it come up.  The card shows a swimming hole and youths taking time to enjoy it's cool waters.  I can practically hear the shouts and laughs filling the air.  The first thing I think of when this card appears is nostalgia and remembering happy times.

In my other decks, I do not feel that overwhelming sense of nostalgia but I still see that youthful carfree time.  It feels like this card is meant to be one of looking back to your youth or taking time to enjoy what is around you.

I am always living with one foot behind me.  I am always looking over my shoulder at what has been.  I think I will make more of an effort today to look at the bright spots, and enjoy the small things around me.  Smile to brighten my day all day.

Arthurian Legends/ Celtic Dragon / Rider-Waite

*Looking back on yesterday*

Again work was being trial.  It is silly I know and I know it will be resolved, I just hate having to remind others what they need to be doing.  I was trying to keep this card in mind today.  i was using it as my guide so to say.  So when things got to point of utter annoyance, I went for a walk to clear my head and enjoy a few moments in the sun.  When I came back it was much easier to adjust.  I also made more of an effort to smile and be cheery.  Overall I think the day went very well.

Daily Tarot: Five of Shields

Daily Tarot Card 

Five of Shields (upright)

The Wasteland

This card just sounds horrid to me.  I always feel despair when it is drawn.  The card depicts a bleak landscape that has seen battle or ruin but most likely both.  The book meaning is lost of resources.  I can feel that in the card.  There is nothing but 2 people slowly and wearily journey through the wastes.

In all the decks I have used this card always seems to depict lost and movement.  My thought is it should be a trail that one goes through.  The outcome may not be known and hope may be hard to see but we move on.  We always move on, looking for something better and something brighter.

Yesterday was a really bad day for me.  I had a horrid headache, I fell and rolled my bad ankle.  I had an altercation with a vile man on the phone.  Just over all the day was miserable.  I think that this card can up this morning cause yesterday was so rough.  My deck was reminding to push trough the bad and find that brighter spot and go for it.

*Next day looking back*

Yesterday was a good day.  I had a stressful and trying day at work.  After work I went and visited with Dad and had a mini photo shoot with the Sadie child.  My foot was pretty bad yesterday and I ended up just going to bed early to finish the day.

Returning to reading

I am a tarot reader.  I really love collecting tarot and reading with my Arthurian deck.  I have not been very active over the pass few years.  I am looking to change that.  I actually have a "gig" for being a fortune teller.  I am really looking forward to it.

I am also a little nervous since it has been so long.  May be I should do some warm ups in the next few weeks.

I am going to go over my intro to reading tarot.  This is not how to read tarot but what i tell my clients. I use client cause I am offering a service but I am not usually asking to be paid.  Tips are always welcome

Hi there soandso.  I am going to be reading your cards today.  I do want to let you know a few things.  What I see and say is written in sand.  Just like life it is not set in stone it all can changed.  I suggest using what we learn here as a guide.  Now clear your mind and think about what you need assistance with.

I did not say I will read your future.  Sometimes yes I see what MAY be down the line.  But more often I see a general path.  I cannot usually tell you if you will marry and have kids.  But I may be able to tell that is what you want and identify those who will help or hinder.

My favorite reading was done for a friend who never had her cards read but I needed to practice so she agreed.  She has always been one for new experiences.  Most of her reading was about settling into her new life (they had just moved to the area a few months before).  I am going through picking up on an anxiety,  I get to one card and stop.  I know this card can mean babies...but she had not said anything about wanting or trying for kids...  I giggle and say this card is about a pregnancy but I don't think it could mean that, lets move on and come back to him.  we go through the reading and forget to touch back on this card.  Well, a month later she announced her pregnancy.  I was floored.  One, at her amazing poker face, she was pregnant during the reading after all.  Two, that my cards knew.  She is now a happy mother of 2 very settled in her community.


My other strongest memory for a reading was done in college.  I was sitting in the dorm lobby reading for a few friends when a floormate asked to be read.  I was hesitant, she was not known for being the most open minded woman.  I gave her the above statement and tacked on that once she said stop it all stops.  As in all the cards get put back in the deck and the reading comes to a full stop.  I will not even try to finish a reading after being asked to stop.  She nodded her consent and we started.  I will not speak of the reading's subject but I will say it was emotional.  I was taking it slow, trying not to upset her.  I think we got about half way in and she suddenly said stop.  I look up to see her on the verge of tears.  I nod quietly gather up the cards and just sit with her for a few moments.  She said "Thank you, I did not think this was real.  But you just started getting close to implying things I don't want to talk about."  She got up and left.  She and I were never friends before or after the reading but we were always respectful to each other.

These are always the 2 readings I think of when I return to readings.  They show me the scale of what I can do with my cards.

Favorite Card

If you have spent time reading Tarot in public.  Someone will eventually ask you "What is your favorite card?"  This is such a hard question for me to answer.

Honestly, it depends.  It depends on the deck (or decks) I am using.  It depends on how well my cards like me that day.  It depends on the flow of the readings.  It also depends on if you are asking what is my favorite card based on artwork or meaning.  This is not a simple question!  It does vary deck to deck (especially the artwork question).  I hate to pin one card down.

I have 3 decks that is primarily use and one that is an alternate.  I then have 3-4 decks that I just collected and don't use for readings.

I will answer for artwork for each primary deck.  That card seems to change the least.  I may pull a card from my collection decks to show off as well. Most often The Strength card is my favorite card. Both in symbolism and artwork.

From left to right: Celtic Dragon; Arthurian, and Rider Waite.

Bonus card:

Amy Brown Oracle Cards

Fortune Telling

For those not aware (and there are many), I am a novice fortune teller.  I actually really love the tarot.  I collect decks and I give decks as gifts so my collection is always growing and shrinking.  Tarot has been a part of me since I was a teenager.  I read in college for my friends, I read in England also for my friends, and I have read for charity.  I do not find the cards evil. I do not see them as demonic.  I see them as a line into the unknown that guides me to the past, the present and the future of my reader's soul/psyche/river of life.

I have not been upfront with my passion, in fact I have been known to hide it in the shadows.  This has made the currents angry.  Yes, you read that right.  I believe in life currents.    I believe items have power beyond what we see.  Thus when I say the currents are mad, I mean my cards are mad at me.  They refuse to answer questions or do so in the most infuriating manner.  So, to make them happy and to return to our balance I am bring them back into the light!  I will hide "my wicked ways" no more!  There I have said it, and it feels so very good.

I do have many decks (current count is about 7) but I primarily read with only one deck.  I love her, she speaks to my soul so easily.  Yes, my deck is a girl just ask her yourself.   She is an Arthurian Legends deck published by Llewellyn's and art by Anne-Mare Ferguson.  She was given to me (as all great decks are) by my sisters who understand me better than I do myself.  She was with me in England, in fact my best friend there had the same deck!  She was also the deck that I used to first read my husband, which is how we met.

Sample of the artwork

My hope is to spend some time posting tarot card studies, linking articles on fortune telling, and may be even digital readings.

This series will be cross posted in my mundane blog as well.