polkadotfairyposts

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Ok, so as an english person living in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I now actually really *get* the need for independence.

Here's my brief, foggy and perhaps mildly innacurate because im a bit shit with dates and names but bear with me. I was also drunk when i wrote this but it still stands

So, Scotland is one of the oldest *established* countries in europe, in 843 or 834 it became a recognised country

England, being England, kept on invading and there was a lot of dispute about territory.

You know thoose historical figures you hear about a lot, William Wallace of Braveheart fame, Robert the Bruce of Outlaw King. These guys were about in the 1300s. Contantly battling with England over their sovreinty

In 1314, the Battle of Bannockburn happens, Robert the Bruce pretty much destroys the English army near Stirling

1320, the Declaration of Arbroath is signed, stating the people of Scotland, not a king or leader, but the people theselves are sovereign, in quite a dramatic comparison so England's monarchy and heirarchical system. Yes, the Scots had kings and nobility, but the people were the most important, kings were not chosen by God

It was written in Latin, but says the following:

As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself".

Boom, right?!

The union of the crown happened, im hhazy on it all, watch Mary Queen of Scots to get a fairly good idea. Its mostly to do with a lot of Protestant/Catholic issues, mostly fuelled by English politics, as far as i can see, but i. Could be v wrong. There was alot of hoo-ha regarding recognising Scotland's monarchy, especially involving the "Auld Alliance" with France, who England was continually picking fights with

1703: The Scottish Parliament passes the Act of Security, under which Scotland will not in future be bound to accept the same monarch as England unless Scotland is accorded completely free trade with England and the colonies.

So, the Treaty of the Union happened in 1707 (thats right, its only just over 300 years old) but lets just look at the curcumstance in which it was signed

In the years (maybe decades) leading up to this, England imposed some kind of tax or restrictions on scottish trading.

5 February 1705: The English Parliament pass the Alien Act, restricting scottish exports and trades. Big economic impact here. Many purses made a lot lighter.

So, the Scottish Parliament (made of nobles and officials, no vote for the people. Rumoura of bribery and threats abound) decide to enter into this Union. A draft is written, its voted in, the Scottish Parliament is dissolved. There was a LOT of anti-union feeling about this. Theres a rumour the Treaty was signed in an actual basement in edinburgh to avoid protests happening around the city. (I obvs dont know the truth in that)

Magically, when the scottish parliament was dissolved, restrictions were removed and scotland was able to trade freely as part of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain"

Now, theres a king, exiled, James, or "the Pretender", hanging in France, decides to rally troops from there and head back to try and sort a Jacobite uprising. This, in 1708, failed.

1715 sees another Jacobite uprising. Defeated

1720 Spain tries to. Help another Jacobite uprising. Defeated.

Honestly, just keep on going through rinse and repeat until the big one.

You all know Bonnie Prince Charlie and the 1745 Jacobite uprising and the absolute massacre of Culloden, especially if youve followed the Outlander series.

This was the last big rebellion. And I'll tell you for why.

Scottish culture was all but outlawed. Kilts, Tartan, Pipes, Gaelic, all punishable offenses. The Highland clearances happened (basically rich people owned the land, decided it was gonna make them more money to feed cattle than people and moved villages and townspeople to the most barren areas, on the brink of survival. A lot of folk were destitute, some left in ships bound for the US willingly , many were sent as punishment for even minor crimes)

Now, im not saying the Scots were angels and innocents subjected to English rule, a good few profited highly from Slave Trade and many oof Glasgow and Edinburgh's city statues are of questionable admirability.

But this Union of Equals is anything but.

In the 1990s, the Scots had to fight tooth and nail to get their own parliament back. This was under Labour and Donald Dewar became First Minister.

In 2014, there was an epic vote for Scots on whether to become and Independent country again. From polling at just 26%a year or so before, the Yes vote went up to 45%. Not enough to win the referendum, but a huge improvement. The Better Together campaign raised questions such as EU membership, pensions, currency, could Scotland afford it?

The DAY AFTER the No vote was announced, David Cameron announces EVEL (yeah, it looks like evil) English Votes for English Laws. Freezing Scottish MPs out of decision-making. So much for "Stay with us, Scotland. Lead us, dont leave us"

2016 the goddamned Brexit vote happens. It was 52/48 Now you know, if that had been the outcome for Yes, the uproar would have been "its too close to call" "thats not a big enough margin!" but because it was what an underlying majority of Tory backbenchers actually wanted, it was accepted. People who voted to stay in the EU were labelled Remoaners and the 16m+ who voted against it were ignored in favour of the 17m+ who voted for. Also worth noting, scotlannd voted 62% to stay in the EU. A much higher margin than to remain ppart of the UK. We were ignored. So much for Scotland staying in the UK to stay in the EU

Oh, and the last decade of Tory austrity has seen oension age increase and pension amount decrease. We've one of the worst ppensions in the developed world. There goes that argument

As a result of the Brexit vote, the sterling decreased in value. Fuck it, a number of Scots wouldnt even mind using the Euro if we were to rejoin them, but we'd be well within our rights to use our own Scots ££££

Also, the Macrone report shows pretty well that Scotland has a wealth of natural resources it would be able to use, we could definitely afford it.

Soooo, we comme to the "once in a generation" arguement. This was said a lot, by both sides. As a turn of phrase. Same as many things. Boris Johnson said he'd rather be dead in a ditch than take an extension for EU talks. He took that extension and thougb ive been thoroughly searching ditches up and down the UK, not spotted him yet.

Nowhere in the Edinburgh Agreement (the document agreement 2014 referendum) does it state "once in a generation". It *does* state that scotland can holld another referendum following "constitutional change". One word. Brexit. Thays one big motherfucking change.

If were talking about a generation, in human terms, thay could be 20/30/40/50 years or so. But if we're talking political generation, its worth noting in talks with Ireland, this was defined as seven years. Since the Edinburgh Agreement was signed in 2012,we're past that. And even if we go by 2014, thay makes 2021 the year we can do another.

12 consecutive polls have shown Yes well ahead for independence. Scotland also allows 16-18 year olds to vote. And EU citizens living in Scotland.

The point is, if Scotlannd wants it, Scotland shoukd be able to choose it.

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I do miss going to Edinburgh 🖤

Instagram: dearnatashalou

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Puritannical feelings/ Capiitalism

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Reblogging for my own info

Oxymels and Fire Cider

If you are in the northern hemisphere, you are probably going through the cooler seasons, I know here in PA we are. I am enjoying the cool air after such a hot summer, my ghost peppers dropped so many blooms even in the shade! But I wanted to share my fire cider recipe here!

½ Cup+ grated horseradish (thanks mom!) ½ Cup+ chopped onions ¼ Cup+ chopped and bruised garlic ¼ Cup+ grated ginger 1 tbsp ground tumeric 2 tbsp dandelion root - dried 5 deseeded and chopped ghost peppers (you heard me right) Elderberries (I eyeballed it and used dried elderberries) Lemon Thyme - home grown Sage - home grown Lemon with peel thinly sliced ½ large grapefruit with peel thinly sliced 1 cup pickle brine Fill rest of container with Apple Cider Vinegar

Store in dark spot and shake daily for 2-3 weeks or longer. Let infuse for month or longer.

Once done, you can take as is or mix in honey to make an oxymel that is easier to down. For cough syrup, 1 part vinegar 2 parts honey - take tablespoon each hour or more as needed.

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Sometimes I make things. Sometimes I'm proud of them

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Its not finished (and i know im just tumblr dumping tonight, its like i just remembered it exists and noone i know irl is following me so...) but im making my Pa a few bits, inncludinng this Terry Pratchett inspired bookmark. I quite like it.

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This is Millbank House near Ketlleholm, Scotland. If you take a wander down the Annandale Way, a lovely public footpath going from the Devil's Beeftib near Moffat all the way down to Annan, you'll stumble across this absolute beauty.

I dont know enough about the history, but i believe it was uused in World War Two as some slrt of barracks or hospital and not treated too well. Eventually, it was left to rot and fall down. You can still go in and find magnificent fireplaces and mosaic floors still in tact after all these years and the whole place give you a sense of wonder and amazement, as well as a great sadness.

The only information I've really been ablle to find on it is here : https://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/915795

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I havent had milk in my tea for more than three years.

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Holy shit, it me!

Day 10-12 // pancake plant + magic //

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Reblogging for myself more than owt else

To be a Local Witch

Throughout history and our legends, Witches and Wizards were the crazy men and women that lived on the outskirts of the village. Their craft was wild and strange to those that lived in the village, but, nonetheless, people would seek after their wisdom of the land, the plants, the local spirits, and for wisdom or guidance in their path. These men and women, often bachelors, would know the ins and outs of the region and often went walking alone. 

Today, our villages are less rustic and more like local towns, and suburbs. But one can still be a Local Witch, and develop special connections with the land you call home. 

Become a Local Witch: 

Learn Local Lore Folktales, legends, and even tall tales develop the culture of a town or area. Learn these. Retell them over summer campfires, and over drinks with friends. People will start to LOVE your stories. 

Start Frequenting locally owned shops and stores Develop connections and relationships with the owners and those that work there every day. Learn their names, and introduce yourself after visiting more often. Supporting locally owned shops helps small business owners and provides nourishment to your community. This is putting down roots, and develops your connection with the people that shape your town.

Find a Local Bookstore This is an extension of 1 and 2. Locally owned bookstores always have a Local Writers, Local Plants, and Local History sections. Ask inside where these sections are, and start devouring these books. Not only will you be supporting a local shop, but you have a direct source of helpful information. Oftentimes, employees and owners also know a lot of Lore. Talk to them about what you’re interested in learning. They probably have some hidden gems of information. 

Learn about your Indigenous Plants Start researching and learning about the flora that grows locally, learn their lore, their uses, and magical or folklore associations. If Natives from your area used these plants, find out how. Learn where these plants grow and research local foraging. If you’ve never foraged, see if you can find a local group that can serve as helpful guides to stay safe. Never ingest anything unless you are SURE. 

Start a local Plant Grimoire Keep dried presses of flowers and plants in it, draw and diagram to help you remember what they look like. 

Learn about the indigenous animals Research their folklore and mythology. Start finding out what they eat, and what their habitats are. (Safely) Do your part to help foster their growth and health. This could be making insect houses to help local endangered pollinators, or leaving out special birdseed for endangered bird species in the area. (Safely) Start interacting with the non-aggressive species and leave them treats. This is great for birds, deer, rabbits, moles, chipmunks, hedgehogs, etc 

Join local Conservation Projects  Getting directly involved in wildlife conservation strengthens our spiritual and natural ties to the land we call our home. Taking personal responsibility and interest in it’s stewardship is honoring the spirits of the land, and the Gods. 

Use Google Maps while exploring parks, or protected open spaces to drop pins and places where you find animal habitats or useful plants for foraging. 

That’s all for now. More will come later I’m sure. Now go be the best local Witch or Druid you can be! 

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you can only reblog this today

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Coffee Lore & Superstition ☕

☕ leaving coffee and bread inside a house will prevent ghosts haunting it

☕ bad luck follows if you stop using the regular coffee mug

☕ a cup of coffee will cure a headache

☕ when divining with coffee grounds, and the reader must not be thanked or the future foretold will not come true.

☕ drinking coffee might prevent you from growing facial hair

☕ if a coffee pot overcooks, it will bring bad weather.

spilling ☕

if you spill coffee on the plate under your cup by accident, you’ll come into money soon.

dropping a coffee while drinking, or smashing a coffee cup will bring bad luck

spilling coffee can be precursor to a blessing

if a girl spills coffee while brewing it, her lover is thinking of her

bubbles ☕

if the bubbles in the cup move towards the drinker it will foretells wealth.

if the bubbles in the cup move away from the drinker it will foretells loss.

catch the bubbles on your spoon and eat them to bring prosperity to you

one big bubble in your coffee is an omen for bad news.

a large bubble could mean a friend will arrive later.

bubbles gathering in the edge or the center of the cup indicates the weather, sunny in the center and rainy by the edges

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Describe yourself with only the pictures you have; you cannot download or search for any new pictures; tag some people.

I was tagged by @comic-books-and-bars and literally don't think I have anyone else to tag on here to be honest. But here goes

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The Canterbury Ghost- Oscar Wilde // I Know It’s Over- The Smiths // Ship to Wreck- Florence + the Machine // Work Song- Hozier

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Social Isolation Chat

I was tagged by @comic-books-and-bars

Four things I'm doing to get myself through these difficult times

1) sorting the garden out and planting veg etc. Mid march is a great time to plant potatoes!!

2) sorting out wee jobs in the house I've been needing to do for months but had no time. Spring clean, Marie kondo and shift things about to make it seem like a different place

3) I'm technically a front line worker, running a wee corner shop, doing our best to keep the local community with food a groceries, so we're open for now but planning a delivery service if we need to go down to reduced hours

4) Walks through the woods. I'm lucky, I live rurally with hunners of lovely woodland areas to explore. And we have some secret squirrel routes to follow meaning we don't meet a soul. Heading into the woodlands and r grounding yourself caan be one of the best mental health medicines in the world.

Just a note, I'm in the UK and so far, we're not actually in full lock down so have a bit of freedom to roam about, while still managing social distancing.

Stay safe, people, look after yourself. Learn a new language (currently trying Scottish gaelic on Duo), write a story (even if it's faan fiction or nonsense), paint something, draw a picture of your cat, plan your world wide adventure when all this is over. Learn yoga off of YouTube, check our some of the museums doing virtual tours online. Pamper yourself, both physically and mentally. ❤️❤️

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I'm the Wheel of Fortune, that description was really good and quite relatable!!

Which Major Arcana are you?

So, recently I’ve been wondering which Major Arcana card I see myself as most, and I stumbled across the interesting idea that everyone’s birthday relates to a different Major Arcana card. It’s easy to figure out using simple numerology. 

For example:

If my birth date were 05/07/1990, I’d add those numbers together to get 31.

0+5+0+7+1+9+9+0 = 31. 

Now, if your number is 21 or lower, that number becomes the number of the Major Arcana card that you (according to your birth date) are most associated with or influenced by. There are only 21 Major Arcana cards, and so anything higher than this needs to be made smaller. The example birth date is 31, which is greater than the number of cards, and so the numbers need to be added together to make a smaller one. Like so:

3+1 = 4

So, in this instance 4 becomes the number associated with your card. You would then look through the Major Arcana cards to find the card associated with you (in this case it would be The Emperor.) 

Below, I’ve written my own interpretation of what I believe each of the Major Arcana cards would be like as a person, along with a simple sentence or two of advice. 

0 - The Fool

If you’ve added up your birth date and you’ve managed to get 0, I think you need to have another crack at it. Then again, if you’ve managed to add numbers together and find 0, perhaps this is the right card for you after all. If you were to be influenced by The Fool you would be someone who threw your all into everything without thinking of the consequences. Sometimes reckless and impulsive, you believe ‘if it’s meant to be, it will be’. The universe will provide it. Your life will be full of adventure, full of ups and downs, full of travel and journeys, and you’ll never be bored. You accept everything as it comes with no worries and no judgement. Remember: somethings need finesse and planning, don’t jump into everything head first. Just because you can’t see the bottom of the ocean, doesn’t mean you won’t find jagged rocks should you jump off the cliff.

1 - The Magician

The Magician is someone who has the power and the knowledge to make anything manifest. If you are influenced by The Magician, you work hard, are totally committed, and as such have the focus to create and enjoy all that life has to offer. You reach for your goals and you meet them, every time. You’re charming, charismatic and people will seem to in awe of you, though you need to be careful of this as you have the potential to use this awe to manipulate people, especially with the added use of smoke and mirrors. You’re very good at creating illusions to help you get your way. You might not even know that you’re doing it. Remember: not everything can be manipulated to your will. If you do it too often, you might just earn a reputation which will make your life a hell of a lot harder.

2 - The High Priestess

The High Priestess is full of wisdom, knowledge, and intuition, and as such, she can almost be seen as the keeper of secrets. If you are influenced by her, you will feel a pull towards a higher power, towards anything mysterious and spiritual and esoteric. You have a lot of inner wisdom, and as long as you can learn to trust your inner voice and subconscious, you will succeed. You’re quite private and prefer to follow your own path rather than everyone else’s. You decide who gets to know what and how much of what you know. Because of this, you remain mysterious and elusive to most people, potentially even distant, cold and smug. Remember: just because you know more than others, doesn’t mean you need to share that knowledge. Sometimes others won’t appreciate your attempts at sharing as it reminds them of just how little they know.

3 - The Empress

The Empress is the mother to all. If this is you, you have a fierce nurturing instinct and are naturally inclined to create abundance and life. You create chances and opportunities for people and things to grow and become what they always should have been. You’re the person who looks out for the underdog and nurses them back to health when they’re beaten down. You are incredibly creative in all that you do, whether this relates to working at the office, planning a date, cleaning the house or painting. You have a love of pleasure, of all things luxurious and beautiful, however, be careful of overindulgence. As the empress, you have natural power and leadership. You feel you know best in most, if not all, situations and because of this, you may have a tendency towards anger and control if you feel you are challenged. Remember: not everyone will accept your natural role as leader and mother. Sometimes you will need to let others rule, you will need to take a knee and let others blossom into leadership in your absence.

4 - The Emperor

The Emperor is a strong authority figure. You had a high level of self-discipline, and are protective of those who you see as “yours”. As such, you are charismatic and seem to have a following wherever you go. You are a natural, successful leader and come will all the natural traits that follow this: logical, organised, confident and ambitious. Your ambition naturally encourages you to be determined and focused on whatever goal it is you want to complete. Your vision narrows, and your whole being becomes fixed on your dream, your goal, your plan.  With this, however, comes a tendency to tread on those who are not as successful as you, mostly due to your single-mindedness. You don’t mean to do it, however, those you use as a stepping stone don’t know this. You can be seen as a tyrant, or as someone who doesn’t care about those outside of your circle of ‘followers’. Remember: compassion can be the greatest trait of a wise leader. There will always be someone who is left out in the cold, you can help them all, but there’s a difference between not helping them and kicking them to the curb as you surpass them.

5 - The Hierophant

The Hierophant is a lover of rules and boundaries and doesn’t often move from the orthodox way of attempting things. You are a rule follower, you do what is expected of you, and take joy from tradition. You might be drawn to exploring different philosophies and ways of looking at the world as you enjoy figuring out and learning about how and why things work like they do. You are a natural counsellor and mentor because applying these findings to other situations is a logical step for you, and you seem to be able to understand the small idiosyncrasies that have built up to cause the larger problem at hand. Incorporating your natural problem-solving skills and your love of tradition into a profession may mean you become a teacher, leader of a club or a spiritual leader. On a slightly negative note, you have a very strong view of what you think is right and you aren’t often tempted to sway from it. You may have a tendency to become too rigid and feel threatened when someone is encouraging you to break the rules. Remember: Just because there is a rule, doesn’t mean it is the right way to do something. Sometimes you’ll find it freeing to break out and forge a path for yourself.

6 - The Lovers

The Lovers not only stand for love, but also for balance. You strive for all things in your life to be in harmony, for the yin and yang, for the femininity to complete the masculinity. You enjoy bringing together two opposites or two broken things and making a whole. You’re a natural problem solver and you can’t resist tinkering and working every single aspect of your life. You may find yourself to be a matchmaker of sorts, constantly medalling in everyone else’s life to aid them in finding the balance. How can you relax when there are friends, or family, or parts of your life where not everything works as it should? Your life will be strewn with choices, with temptations and opportunities. They can seem overwhelming and distracting, but don’t allow the desire for balance distract you from your main goals. Not everything needs to be 100% balanced 100% of the time. Remember: whilst harmony is a beautiful thing, don’t allow the temptation of fixing others pull you from the important decisions you need to make in your own life.

7 - The Chariot

The Chariot is about opposing forces working together to reach victory. You are controlled, confident, wilful and, overall, successful.  Sometimes it may seem like your head and your heart wants two completely different things, however, as long as you stay focused, you have the sheer strength of will to reconcile these difference and make it work. You need to keep moving forward to reach victory, even when everything seems to be moving at an impossibly frantic and uncontrolled pace. Focus and direction will be everything for you. Once you have lost those, it will seem like you have lost control of everything. It may also seem like every aspect of your life is pulling you in a million different directions. Remember: you can’t control everything. The key to success is to control what you can and to not worry about what you can’t.

8 - Strength

Strength, no surprise to anyone, is incredibly strong mentally and emotionally. When life knocks you down, you are able to get back up, dust yourself off and carry on. Even when it seems like you’ve been hit a hundred times and every time you attempt something it fails, you have the sheer strength of will and determination to keep going. You are the embodiment of ‘Keep calm and carry on’. You also have a lot of compassion and love for others. People lean on you in difficult times as you radiate stability and power. Despite this, if your focus is lost, you can sometimes force issues and end up pushing too hard. The term ‘you don’t know your own strength’ springs to mind. Remember: sometimes the best thing you can do is to be patient and wait for the right moment. Push something too hard and it will break.

9 - The Hermit

The Hermit is a very introverted soul. You prefer your own company, often needing to draw back and spend time alone. You use this time to analyse things and to develop your own inner wisdom. You’re not one to ask for advice, preferring to work things out in your own head. You may find that many others are drawn to you for advice, seeking your counsel on all manner of things, and this can sometimes irritate you. Don’t become too insular, though. Isolation is fine when it’s for a purpose but everyone gets lonely sometimes. Being around other people can bring fresh new ideas and approaches to problems. Remember: a problem shared is a problem halved. Even if you’re not going to follow someone’s advice, sometimes asking for a fresh perspective can encourage new thoughts.

10 - The Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune deals with the unpredictability of fate. Have you ever noticed that your friends call you lucky? Opportunities are seemingly hounding you and pounding on your door. They arrive out of the blue and can take you completely by surprise. Finding a £20 on the floor, friends gifting you tickets to a concert, a dream job, finding the love of your life. It happens all the time to you. There will, of course, be bad times when things don’t go your way. Times when your luck has disappeared and you’re drowning under that big black cloud with holes in both your shoes. When times like this happen, you have a tendency to become overwhelmed and discouraged. You forget the highs and only focus on the lows. Remember: the purpose of a wheel it to keep on turning. You can’t appreciate the good without the bad.  

11 - Justice

Justice represents justice of any kind. You treasure truth, balance, fairness, and logic. You weigh things up very carefully, looking at the pros and cons of a situation before you make your decisions. You are aware that your actions have long-term consequences and it is because of this that you analyse everything. You seek the truth behind all, as you value honesty and until you know the truth, you cannot be honest. However, you also need to be aware that not everyone is as honest as you, which means thing won’t play out the way you had hoped. Sometimes people allow their emotions to rule their actions, and this is something that you forget. You can have a tendency to be slightly cold, or not as compassionate as you could be. Remember: not everything needs to be analysed. Sometimes it’s okay to do things just because. Allow yourself to have fun and leave Justice’s scales at home.

12 - The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man reflects the need to suspend action and not rush into things. You are the type of person who needs to contemplate your actions before you jump in. As with The Hanged Man, you may be someone who has a completely different view on the world; as one might image, being suspended upside down causes you to view things in a revolutionary new light. What is up becomes down, and what is normal becomes unusual. You are aware that some things need to be sacrificed if you are to move forward, hence your ability to suspend action in the face of decision when the natural instinct might be to keep moving forward. However, this ability can sometimes lead to you becoming stuck and restricted, or tied up, as it were. You need to get in touch with your emotions in order to truly be able to move on, and not just concentrate on what’s going on in the physical world. Remember: Not everything needs to be viewed in a completely new light. Sometimes things have simple answers. Don’t be tempted to over analyse.

13 - Death

Death represents the ultimate transformation and rebirth. You are someone who doesn’t care for tradition. You don’t want rigid patterns and suffocating structure and useless rules, you want something new and fresh and beautiful. You want to chuck out the old and usher in the new. You revel in endings and new beginnings. You are the type of person who always has sometimes new on the go, who is constantly closing one door to open the next. You create new projects, new meetings, new events, and opportunities, all so you can have that rush of newness. You try to never do the same thing twice. But because of this, you feel stagnant when you’re stuck doing the same thing. If change doesn’t happen, you feel constricted. However, just because something doesn’t change, doesn’t mean you can’t approach it in a new way. You can be the change you need to see. Remember: just because something is old or traditional, doesn’t mean it always has to be changed. Things become the tried-and-tested-way for a reason.  

14 - Temperance

Temperance is a card that talks a lot about balance. If this is you, you’re someone who doesn’t often get lost in your emotions. You feel emotion, but at the same time, you’re quite logical. You’re not tempted into excess, you’re grounded, and peaceful and calm by nature. When you’ve got ten projects on the go at the same time, you don’t let it overwhelm you. That doesn’t mean to say you don’t have a fire in you. You’re driven and focused, and willing to do just about anything to see what happens. You’re the type of person who experiments. The person who will put two opposites (people, elements, magics, religions, anything) together just to see what happens, to see if it works or to see if it goes bang. Remember: not everyone will appreciate being experimented on. Don’t let your curiosity allow you to forget people still have feelings.

15 - The Devil

The Devil is all about temptation and power. You’re very good at getting what you want and you get it by any means necessary. This might be through manipulation, through control, through smoke and mirrors, or simply by knowing just when to strike. Regardless, you get what you want and be damned all those who stand in your way. No one else controls you, you are your own power and ruler. You enjoy being in charge and in control, and when one of your ‘minions’ slips away and begins doing something that you don’t approve of, it can make you angry and irritable. You may give in to temptation far too often and have a fixation on materialistic things, or on something rather addictive. You can be distracted by ‘shiny’ things and you often find you obsess over them until they’re yours. Remember: being hell-bent on an idea, situation or endeavour might be your greatest downfall. Obsession can only lead to unhealthy relationships, addiction, and dependence.  

16 - The Tower

The Tower symbolises sudden and tragic changes. You find that your life isn’t stable and it is often shaken up on a regular basis. You dream about stability, about calm and tranquillity, yet it never seems to come. If you’re not changing job, you’re moving house or breaking up with your significant other. It’s one thing after another with you. You need to learn to accept the new experiences that life throws at you and accept that you won’t be able to control everything. The energy of the tower is dramatic and powerful, so even though it feels like your life never settles down, at least you know it will never be boring. Remember: Everything has a silver lining. With new experiences comes new understandings – you’re going to be incredibly wise and nothing will ever faze you.

17 - The Star

The Star represents hope and faith, and a sense that the Universe is looking over you. You are a romantic, optimistic and perhaps a little dreamy. You accept new phases of your life with a calm energy and mental stability as you know you will get through it in the end, perhaps because you believe you are being watched over and protected by a higher power. You’re someone who uplifts and inspires those around, you bring a fresh, bright energy to any room you’re in and people love you for this. Forgiving and forgetting is a natural way of life for you as you know it simply won’t matter in the long run, but don’t allow your faith and dreaminess to allow you drift off and become unreachable. You’re beautiful, inside and out, with an open-heart and generosity to spare. Remember: not everyone is as giving as you. Some will take without giving, and you may find yourself wrung out because of it.

18 - The Moon

The Moon often symbolises illusions and mystery. As such, you are someone that many people don’t quite understand. You have a completely unique look on the world; you are artistic and creative in how you approach tasks, and you seem to tread a path that others can’t see. You have very strong highs, for example when you like something you completely and utterly love it, but you have just as strong lows, and these can seem devastating. You may seem a little uninhibited sometimes, wild and free and willing to give in to your baser instincts. You can pull people in and your energy and spirit seem infectious. To others, this can seem overwhelming and confusing, and this might cause some to dub you as ‘strange’. Remember: just because others misunderstand, that doesn’t mean you aren’t right. It might take some time or explaining before others truly see your vision of the world.

19 - The Sun

The Sun symbolises fun, warmth and positivity. It should come as no surprise that you embody the same traits. You are blessed with the ability to love life to its fullest and to find the fun and the silver lining even in the most difficult of times. You bring energy to all situations and, due to your confidence and enthusiasm, it’s often infectious. You may find yourself at the centre of attention more often than not. People seem to orbit you, loving you and worshipping you, but don’t let that go to your head. Whilst having a huge group of adoring fans may seem like the ultimate goal, you may find it difficult to find your true friends. After all, there are some people in this world that are nothing but leeches in disguise. They will take your warmth from you and leave you drained and broken, lying on the floor. Remember: don’t allow the people who wish to bask in your warmth encourage you to gain delusions of grandeur. The higher you soar, the further you have to fall and fall you will.

20 - Judgement

Judgement represents a calling to something higher, something holier. You need to learn how to take the high road if you haven’t already done so. Grudges, resentment, failings, addictions, it should all become a thing of the past. Overcoming those things which have been pulling you down means you are, in a sense, reborn. Letting go means you can become the new you that you were always meant to be. There will always be something that calls to you, something that comes above all else, and you’re going to dedicate yourself it, be it religion, human rights, overcoming addiction or any other walk of life. Your determination allows you to walk the talk, to take action to accomplish and live up to the high standards you have set. Embrace it and follow your path without fear or doubt. You have the courage, perseverance, and determination to complete your goal in life and fulfil your life’s purpose. Remember: don’t be tempted to unfairly judge those who don’t see eye to eye with you. Use your knowledge and passion to teach, not condemn.

21 - The World

The World symbolises victory over obstacles. You are excellent at following your plans and seeing them through until they reach their completion. Your dreams have a way of coming true and you can always find the solutions to your problems. However, you may have a tendency to start a hundred different projects and spread yourself too thin – you’ll still get things finished, after all that’s what you’re all about, but it might near kill you to do it. Remember: even if you can do it all, doesn’t mean you should, especially not all at the same time. Concentrating on one of two things will reap better rewards.

Remember, this is just my own interpretation of the cards, yours may be slightly or completely different to mine. Use your own intuition and judgement.