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Happy Thanksgiving!

(from the Wizards Tarot deck)

May your Thanksgiving be full of the good wishes of the Three of Cups!

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Happy Birthday Scorpio! (Oct 23 - Nov. 21)

The tarot cards linked to Scorpio and its rulers are, not surprisingly, intense. The card linked directly to Scorpio is Death. Scorpio is ruled by the planet Mars, represented by The Tower, and Pluto, represented by Judgement. All three cards describe different aspects and stages of death and rebirth. 

While many zodiac signs are represented by very different tarot cards, showing the different aspects of the signs, Scorpio is linked to cards with the same theme, perhaps showing why Scorpios are generally regarded as such fervid and emotional people.

The Death card in a reading generally refers to the end of one thing and the beginning of another. I love the Crystal Vision Tarot art of the Death card because it has butterflies, the symbol of metamorphosis. The Tower card, often regarded as the scariest tarot card, represents the absolute destructive end of something. Again, I love the art of this card because in the destruction something has been freed, represented by the birds flying away. Finally, Judgement literally represents Judgement Day, when bodies rise from their graves. Usually this card indicates a feeling of rebirth or an awakening and leaving behind that which we no longer need.

Looking at these three cards next to each other, you can see the connection. The Calla Lilies are in both the Death card and Judgement, directly representing death, while Death and The Tower both show the power and freedom of flight. Actually all three cards have winged creatures. Scorpios, generally known for the intuition, passion and emotions, are represented in the Tarot as a beacon for the power and possibility of rebirth. 

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Hope in the Five of Pentacles

I've always thought of the Five of Pentacles as a very straight forward card until I started looking at the work of various artists. Most interpretations I've read matched the Waite deck's art and seemed to work for other decks as well until I took a closer look.

The usual definition, for the Waite deck and others, tells a story of loss and hopelessness, usually dealing with money or health. The injured man in the Waite deck looks up at the falling snow, or heavens, or maybe even the church he's passing, wondering why this fate has befallen him.  Most decks that use this imagery usually have two people, one injured, in the snow passing by a stained glass window with five pentacles. And most give the same impression. Why wouldn't those inside let these two in?

After seeing the Five of Pentacles from the Sharman-Caselli Tarot deck, one of many inspired by the Waite deck, something dawned on me. Do these two men realize there is a building right behind them. Why would the man on the ground give up when he is so close to shelter? An interpretation involving the inability or unwillingness to see help gives this card a much more hopeful meaning.

The Five of Pentacles from the DruidCraft Tarot deck can also be interpreted this way. At first I read this card as I usually read the Five of Pentacles - she is distraught and the five pentacles chained to her belt symbolizes that her problems involve money or health. But this illustration can definitely be interpreted as though she does not see what she already has in her possession.

Finally, the Five of Pentacles from the Shadowscapes deck illustrates this inability to see help with an incredible amount of optimism. This woman exists in her gray bubble, not seeing the colorful world around her. But a butterfly (a symbol for metamorphosis) is amidst piercing that bubble, bringing with it better days.

No matter the deck, when the Five of Pentacles is pulled in a reading I find it helpful to ask the querent to interpret the illustration. Does he think the card shows opportunity for help and hope? And does the person or people in the midst of this crisis see this opportunity? What a querent sees will show you his level of optimism in his own strife and help you better interpret the rest of his spread.

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Happy Birthday Libra! (Sept 24 - Oct 23)

The Tarot card linked to the Astrological sign Libra is the even keeled, diplomatic card of Justice. Libra is ruled by the planet Venus, which is linked to the beautiful and graceful Empress. If you're a Libra, pay special attention if these cards turn up in a reading.

I chose the Gilded Tarot deck to represent Libra because of it's swanky quality. While Libras are gifted communicators who are moderate and well-balanced, they are also known to love the finer things in life. They enjoy surrounding themselves with elegance and beauty and I thought this deck might catch a Libra's eye.

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Happy Birthday Virgo! (Aug 23 - Sept 22)

The Tarot card linked to the Astrological Sign Virgo is the quiet, contemplative Hermit. Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury, which is linked to the logical and skillful Magician. If you're a Virgo, pay special attention if these cards turn up in a reading.

I chose the Herbal Tarot deck to represent Virgo because of it's earthy quality, as Virgo is an Earth sign, as well as it's straight forward, clean art, which reminded me of the practical Virgo. I didn't realize how similar The Hermit and The Magician were to each other until now! It's as if they really are working together, The Magician using the orb to utilize all his talents, while The Hermit uses it to light the way as he explores his inner guidance.

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Happy Full Sturgeon Blue Moon!

Did you know that the definition of a blue moon as the second full moon in a month was a mistake? 

(From the Wildwood Tarot deck)

The original qualifications of a blue moon are based on seasons. Most seasons have three full moons, but occasionally a season has four and the third full moon of a four moon season is called a blue moon. An article from 1946's Sky & Telescope magazine inaccurately defined a blue moon as the second full moon in a month and the definition stuck. The next seasonal blue moon won't occur again until May of 2016.

Tonight's full moon is known as the Full Sturgeon Moon. Ancient cultures named full moons based on the behavior of animals, plants and weather. August's moon was named after the sturgeon fish, which was most readily caught in August. Other names for August's full moon include Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon and Full Red Moon.

The moon is currently in transit through Aquarius, which is, luckily for us, one of the less moody signs. The moon in Aquarius brings us a feeling of freedom, creativity and the need to be social. So go out and celebrate tonight's blue moon with friends!

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Aspects of Astrology

Suit of Pentacles and Earth Signs

The suit of Pentacles deals with all things practical and physical such as money, health and work. The element related to Pentacles is Earth, which make these cards important to people who are Earth signs.

Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo are the three Earth signs of the Zodiac. Earth signs are practical, realistic, and responsible, which also happen to be the traits of the Queen and King of Pentacles. If you are an Earth sign, pay special attention when Pentacles turn up in a spread. 

(Left - Mythic Tarot deck, Center - Radiant Rider-Waite deck, Right - Witches Tarot deck.)

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August 14th is World Lizard Day!

(From the Medieval Cat Tarot deck by Lawrence Tang)

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Connecting the Dots

The Ace of Swords and The Devil

The Ace of Swords represents clarity and finding the truth, but drawing The Devil in a spread with the Ace of Swords brings out the true nature of the Ace, a new beginning.

When I explain the Ace of Swords in a reading I don't generally bring up the idea of starting anew unless another card in the spread calls for it. I usually explain the idea of clarity, truth and getting to the bottom of something. The presence of The Devil in a spread brings up a need to break away from something that is hindering us. The Ace of Swords alongside The Devil tells a specific story.

The clarity brought by the Ace of Swords will lead to the discovery of an unhealthy relationship that The Devil's presence suggests. Something in our lives needs to go. And after we break our ties we can start fresh, fulfilling the hope and promise of the Ace.

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August 12th is International Youth Day!

(From the original Rider-Waite deck)

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The Evolution of The Tower

In early versions of Tarot cards (when they were only used to play games) The Tower was not always a tower. In the 15th Century Italian Minchiate deck, this card was called Il casa del Diavolo - The House of the Devil - and shows two people running from a burning building. In some Belgian decks it was called La Foudre - The Lighting - with an illustration of lighting striking a tree.

Over time this was adapted, some believe after one incarnation as the Biblical Tower of Babel, into the current card of The Tower, usually depicted as a tower being struck by lighting and burning with people falling from it, combining images from both The House of the Devil and The Lightning cards. The Rider-Waite Tower, below, inspired many others than look just like it.

The Tower represents a major upheaval in ones life or a very sudden change and is seen by some as ominous. And no wonder. A crumbling building on fire is an extreme image, especially post 9-11. That's why I love The Tower in the Crystal Vision deck.

There are no people falling from the tower, but instead birds take flight, having successfully escaped. The tower is isolated in the water, which makes me feel that it can more easily be left behind, as opposed to the Rider-Waite Tower, which stands atop a mountain peak as a beacon of destruction. I have always read this card as a necessary upheaval that eventually brings about a positive change. And I have read that definition multiple times in direct reference to the Rider-Waite deck. But the art from the Crystal Vision deck helped me internalize this meaning.

I would never suggest anyone stop using a deck just because it has a card you don't like, but it's important to explore the art of multiple decks (including historical ones) to gain different perspectives of the tone and meanings of the cards. Afterwards you can arrive at your own feelings and conclusions about what the cards are really telling you.

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New Moons and New Beginnings

The Ace of Swords

Tonight is a new moon and the beginning of the next phase of the moon's cycle. A new moon represents new beginnings, as do the Tarot's Aces. Pay attention if you receive an Ace in a spread on the night of a new moon.

Each of the four Aces lends it's own advice, but because their illustrations rarely involve people and their actions, I find it can be difficult to feel connected to the cards and their meanings.

I recently bought the DruidCraft Tarot deck by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and find that the art of the Aces, by Will Worthington, better captures their aspects than the Rider-Waite deck and many other Rider-Waite inspired decks. 

The Ace of Swords represents clarity and finding the truth, which makes sense to me because I imagine the single sword figuratively "cutting through the bull." But I've never felt a strong relationship between this card and the idea of new beginnings until I analyzed the art of DruidCraft's Ace of Swords.  

An arm thrusts a sword upward through the water triumphantly. Clarity has been found, the right to the truth has been won, and this sense of mental victory is what paves the way for something new to begin. DruidCraft also makes note that this victory might result from breaking away from something. Falsehoods perhaps? The Rider-Waite deck alludes to victory with a crown and wreath atop the sword. But their symbolism does not summon the strong sense of pride I feel when looking at the arm above, rising from the water. It's this emotional sense of victory that helps me believe something new is on the horizon.

Let the new moon tonight remind you of the importance of a fresh start and allow the power of the Ace of Swords to help you break away from thoughts that hinder you. Imagine yourself as the person attached to that arm holding the sword and think of what you can accomplish as you rise out of the rejuvenating water, reborn and determined.

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The Art of The Seven of Cups

I love the Seven of Cups because it's meaning and original illustration in the Rider-Waite deck allows artists and illustrators to really use their imaginations. 

The Seven of Cups indicates ungrounded, over-imagination. In the Rider-Waite illustration and many other Rider-Waite inspired decks, a man looks at a cloud with seven cups each filled with different objects. The man has a great imagination of what he desires, but presents himself with too many choices. And none of them are reality. I've had many querents ask what the objects are and mean, and unfortunately, A.E. Waite never said.

After scouring multiple sources I have compiled the following information:

That is a lot of information about one card to store away in your memory. And there are many decks that have slightly different objects, like a mask instead of a head, while other decks have completely different objects in the cups. What do they all symbolize? That's why I love decks that depart from Rider-Waite in order to illustrate the idea of daydreaming.

The Druidcraft Tarot deck (left) shows a woman with one real cup, but she seems more interested in the reflections of six cups in the water. The Shadowscapes deck (right) goes in a completely direction with a woman imagining a castle in the clouds as her male companion focuses on the realities of their journey.

What I do love about the Rider-Waite illustration and others it inspired is that it gets people asking what the illusive objects mean, myself included. And this is the exact point of this card! It doesn't matter. None of them are real until you make them a reality. We get so caught up in our fantasies that we forget nothing will come to fruition without action. 

So if the Seven of Cups comes up in a spread, pay special attention to the action oriented Wands cards that also appear, as they may be telling you how to make one of your daydreams a reality.

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Happy Lughnasadh!

Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) is a pagan festival of Celtic origin marking the beginning of the harvest season. It's held on August 1st, which is approximately halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox.  

I chose the Seven of Pentacles (from the Morgan-Greer Tarot deck) to accompany this post for two reasons. The obvious being that this card usually features a farmer harvesting his or her crops. The other involves the meaning of this card, which implies a pause, even a sense of confusion while we decide what to do with the fruits of our labor. Sometimes when this card comes up in a reading it indicates a frustration because our efforts have not paid off yet.

Lughnasadh celebrates not just what is harvested but the hard work that was invested. So acknowledge and celebrate your hard work. You deserve it!

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Spread of the Day

The Blind Spot

This is a wonderful spread that I found on the Raven's Tarot Site. It deals with how you perceive yourself, how others see you, and discovering your inner potential.

The Outside - your outside appearance, what you know about yourself and what others see as well.

The Inside - what you know about yourself that you keep hidden from others.

The Unknown - what you're not aware of, other's don't know, but is secretly governing your thoughts and actions.

The Blind Spot - what you don't recognize in yourself, but others do.

Here's an example spread with cards from the Druidcraft Tarot deck.

The Outside - The Fferyllt (Temperance) indicates that you and others are aware that you a patient person with the ability to bring calmness and balance to any situation. (A fferyllt or pheryllt was a Druid alchemist.)

The Inside - The Five of Cups indicates that a loss weighs heavily on you, perhaps a bereavement others think you've made peace with, even though you have not.

The Unknown - The King of Wands involves leadership, creativity and drive, all traits that you and others would recognize. The King of Wands also indicates an enjoyments of challenges. Perhaps a need or desire to be challenged is what is unknown to you and others.

The Blind Spot - The Three of Pentacles involves skill and teamwork. You may not realize, but there are others out their who truly recognize your abilities and are interested in collaborating with you.

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Aspects of Astrology

The Suit of Swords and Air Signs

The suit of Swords deals with the mind, thoughts, words and intelligence. The element related to Swords is Air, which make these cards important to people who are Air signs.

Libra, Aquarius and Gemini are the three Air signs of the Zodiac. Air signs are thoughtful, logical and are great communicators, which also happen to be the traits of the Queen and King of Swords. If you are an Air sign, pay special attention when Swords turn up in a spread. 

(Left - Hanson Roberts deck by Mary-Hanson Roberts, Center - Robin Wood deck by Robin Wood, Right - Druidcraft deck by Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Philip Carr-Gomm, Will Worthington )

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What's in a deck?

The Three Of Swords

Pain, sorrow, heartbreak all describe The Three of Swords. Take a look at how the artwork of a deck can truly change the tone of this particular card.

The traditional Rider-Waite deck (left) shows a heart pierced by three swords. A cloud hangs overhead and it's raining. Melancholy indeed, but in more of a symbolic way. Rain falls in the background, showing sad times, but the heart filled with swords doesn't really look like it's in the midst of the storm. The card is not very colorful, either. Other than the red heart, it looks stark, cut off from any deep emotions. After all, this is the heady, intellectual suit of swords, not the sensitive suit of cups.

The Tarot of the Magical Forest deck (right), inspired by the Rider-Waite deck, contains wide eyed cartoonish animals. This is one of the few cards that does not, but it's an excellent example of how even the slightest change to an illustration can change the tone of the card. The soft, three-dimensional heart, the rain that envelopes it, and the deep colors of the whole card gives it a much more mournful tone. I am struck by a sense of loneliness.

The off-kilter, somewhat disturbing Deviant Moon Tarot deck shows a gothic, three-legged, bald woman, crying a black tear, stabbed directly through the chest with three swords. The pain and sorrow of this card becomes much more personal when the heart is still attached to the person. However, the stylization of the woman ads a level of detachment. She doesn't look like she's in actual pain.

The Shadowscapes deck is a dreamy, beautiful swirl of pastel watercolors met with elegant detail. Most of the cards are generally uplifting with fairy like people surrounded by animals. But The Three Of Swords in this deck is one of the saddest examples of this card I've ever seen. If you thought a person literally run through with three swords was bad...

The swan, unlike the woman in the Deviant Moon card, feels the pain, it's head hanging low, a small stream of blood running from the bottom tip of a sword. Even the heart above, a nod to the Rider-Waite deck, cries blood. And on top of everything, the coloring of this card projects a level of purity, signaling that an innocent has been injured. The level of pain and sorrow of The Three Of Swords is brought to a very emotional level with a sense of unwarranted, shameful infliction of pain. The regal detail of the swords even make it look like the swan might be someone's prize. 

The Three Of Swords - symbolically woeful or absolutely devastating. An example of why the reader's explanation of a card is only part of the story, as a querent's reaction to the art of the deck can be equally significant.

(Top Left from Rider-Waite deck by A E Waite & Pamela Colman-Smith , Top Right from Tarot of the Magical Forest deck by Leo Tang, Bottom Left from Deviant Moon Tarot deck by Patrick Valenza , Bottom Right from Shadowscapes Tarot deck by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law )