#linstrider

[redladymoon]

Can't wait to work with these oracle decks this year. And maybe some of those on my wishlist too. Click the link in my bio to watch day 11 of the 31 days of tarot challenge. 🃏 #scarletmooncreations #linstrider #tarotreader #cartomancy #tarot #divination #witchcraft #intuition #deviantmoontarot #thothtarot #llewellyntarot #witchywoman #yogamom #priestess #selfcare #oracle #tarotreadersofinstagram #psychic #witchcraft #brianfroud #faeriesoracle @ethony #moneymagicmanifestationcards #colormageoracle @thecolormage #higherself

[moonlit-minds]

Finally, my first tarot deck arrived in the mail today! I couldn't be happier 😻

[cupcarded-blog]

if blue inherited her mother / family's abilities, her deck would likely be a. the linstrider tarot, b. the fountain tarot, c. the starchild tarot, or d. the wild unknown tarot

[growingmyplantsandmysel]

The past few days have been hard, but they’re getting better.

I was feeling really down recently, and being so isolated with all that’s going on hasn’t been helping. I understand that it is important to avoid people right now, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult. It also doesn’t help that I am trying to navigate a new payout system with the university for students who cannot continue their student jobs due to the recent shut down. My partner has been more than amazing through all of this. They are supporting me in every decision I make and are always available to talk through the rough times which definitely removes some weight from my shoulders.

And did I mention my tarot deck finally arrived? I looked online for ages to try and find one that felt right and I came upon the Linstrider’s Journey by Siolo Thompson and immediately felt a connection. It’s got beautiful illustrations and brings a lot of nature into the cards which I really love. I also just enjoy the feelings it evokes in me, and I’m not sure how to describe those in a way that would make sense to others. It manages to produce a sense of safety and understanding that makes it so easy to trust them. I cleansed my cards in moonlight last night and now I’m learning the deck. I started by going through the stack and marking in the book which ones made me uncomfortable. There was one card that called out to me for some reason, and I didn’t know why and so I marked that down and came back to it once I had gone through the whole deck. The card I eventually came back to was the moon.

I took some time to examine the card again before looking it up in the book that came with the set, and quite a bit of the description felt relevant. “The moon may appear in a reading when you feel uncertain or have lost your way.” Um, yeah. “At times this card can be quite dark, warning of things working against you, or your own darkness rising, with fears and insecurities blocking your path.” I’ve been terrified lately, and my own “darkness” has been my depression. The few days before the deck came in I had hardly gotten out of bed. The book goes on to discuss the contrast between tame and wild, the dog and the wolf. And I’ve definitely been feeling those pulls lately, wanting to do well in school and be good for my parents, but also wanting to try new, unknown things and follow a bit of a more wild path.

[briarswitching]

Card of the Day 04/09/17

The Hermit Reversed 

When the hermit is reversed it shows isolation, loneliness, and someone whose lost their way. 

I’m currently in my last semester of high school and I’ve never felt more isolated from the people I believe to be the closest. I’ve spent this year focusing on my own personal growth and betterment, which is great, but this introspection has left me detached and dejected in a time meant to be filled with nostalgia and joy.

This card has helped remind me of the steps I need to take in order to balance my time alone with the time I give to others in my life. 

This card is from the Linstrider deck.

[faevictoria]

16 Questions

wrAnswer 16 questions and tag 16 people you want to get to know better.

I was tagged by @zatanna-maximoff

1) Height: 5”2

2) last thing I googled: linstrider tarot deck

3) Favorite musicians: Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Queen (all of them are legends), Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Lady Gaga, Jessie J, the list is probably longer but these are the ones that on the top of my mind.

4) Song stuck in my head: Ex-Wives by the cast of Six the Musical (with which I’m obssesed right now)

5) Followers: 348

6) Following: 918

7) Do you get asks: Not as often as I would like.

8) Amount of sleep: mmmh hard to say....at best 9, my bare minimun to work is 5 but I usually get 6 or 7.

9) Lucky number: 7 and 13

10) What are you wearing: Mickey Shorts and an old t-shirt from Universal Horror Nights

11) Dream Job: full time actress/performer.

12) Instruments: singer

13) Languages: spanish, english and I can read french but I can barely understand it when I hear it. 

14) Favorite Song: Currently: Six by Six the Musical. 

15) Random Fact: I learned how to read at 3. (I’m not sure if that’s normal or not haha)

16) Aesthetic: City witch I-would-kick-your-ass-if-you-mess-with-me leather glam

I tag @jojoeatsoreos @devikafernando @scarlet-benoit-is-my-rolemodel @bitchezbebonkers @broadwaybaby53 @scionsofterredange @wrecenthy @hopefullyhappy @moonchild-sirensong @dietcokeandmusicals @w-i-t-c-h-y-g-i-r-l @friduus @roguexunited @sassrnaster @verdantdecay @goddamnitmano

[keepthatup]

Hey witchblr, baby witch here to bug again. I have a question I’m hoping someone can answer, especially those in the tarot reading community.

I’m struggling to get accurate readings on my Everyday Tarot Mini deck. Which surprises me since it’s the deck I carry with me everywhere. But I just can’t seem to bond with it? I didn’t have this issue with my Deviant Moon, Tarot of the Gnomes, or Wild Unknown Tarot, or even my oracle cards. But for some reason the everyday and linestrider deck have been giving me trouble.

I’ve carried them with me, shuffled them habitually, I’ve even tried meditating on the linstrider deck (which seemed to help a bit), but idk if there’s something else I can do? I’d sure appreciate the help!

[aksarbengothic]

I’m simply in love with how beautiful this deck is! Our interview together went swimmingly and I so look forward to working with my Linstrider’s tarot.

I’ll be offering free 1 card readings as I’m still practicing and need to work on my interpretations!

[afrocentric-divination]

Afro’s Cards of the Day -  April 5, 2018

The Devil, 2 of Pentacles

We’ve got 10 more days until this Gatorade ends ya’ll. We’ve got this. But, we can’t forget about healing ourselves during this time. Don’t let hushed feelings and thoughts hinder your growth. Accept the shadow that is your’s and find the time to figure out what it is your heart is really yearning for. What is it that you keep putting to the side? What is that one thing you don’t like bringing up or talking about? Are you continuously bringing out the fake you and not being your authentic self? It’s ok to be raw and to be yourself. Who else are you supposed to be? Incorporate some small shadow work later on tonight, when you’re finished not being your authentic self once more, and analyze yourself. You owe it to yourself and your well being to take care of you.

Deck Used: Linstrider Tarot

Want a more in-depth reading tuned to you? Order one from me today!

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[moony-venus]

Hi love! Can I please request a free tarot reading, first of all I'm roua (28/06/1997) so I love someone and I feel a very strong connection with him" j"but there are Many circumstances that stop us from meeting and I feel a sort of negativity around me that is stopping this from happening, can you pick up what this connection that I feel towards him and in the far future is it possible for us to be together? Thank you so much I'll make sure to leave a feedback you're so generous!

Hi sweetheart ! Sorry for the late reply, I had so much to do. But here I am ! I used the Linstrider tarot for this reading and I have drawn 3 cards. The first one is you and how you feel about this connection, the second is the obstacles that keep you away and the third is the outcome of your situation.First card (you) : “Ten of Wands”. When this card comes in a reading, it can indicate that the querent feels an inordinary amount of responsability in a partenership. The negativity you feel around can come from the fact you feel this relationship will put on your back heavy responsibilities and the exhaustion and ressentment coming from that will sour your relationship. It can also indicates you are holding onto an unnecessary amount of worries.

Second card ( the obstacles) : “The Hierophant”. This card is associated with tradition, hierarchy ans institutions and their value. It is a symbol of the need to conform to rules or fixed ideas. Here, it could mean you’re afraid of the fact this relationship could destroy the idea you have of the perfect relationship and you are afraid of the outcome. It could also mean the feelings you have towards him are different from what you expected or from what you experimented. Maybe you are afraid of the influence this relationship will have on your happiness, life, success and will make you change into a person you are afraid to become. Reexamine what you wish for and/or the system of value you are holding to.Third card (the outcome) : “Six of Swords - reversed”. In this position, this card may indicate you are running away from a problem that still need to be dealt with. It can indicate you feel trapped and want to set sail for something new but you are unable to. If you didn’t talk about what you feel with your crush, maybe it’s the time to do so. Don’t be afraid to speak about things you’re afraid of and to be in touch with what you truly want. Maybe this way you can let go of your worries and move on into a relationship with him. If you do not deal with your problem, your relationship may fall apart. Choices are hard to make but they will set you up on a new and optimistic path.I hope it will be helpful ! Thank you for letting me draw cards for you. I wish you all the best !

[auroraliferous]

Choosing a Tarot Deck

So you’re getting into witchcraft, there’s a big wide world of stuff, and divination’s struck your fancy. Tarot’s one of the most accessible and best documented forms out there, so it’s no surprise that it’s extremely popular. But with popularity comes variety, and variety is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have a wide range of decks to choose from! On the other, you have to choose from them. And if you’re anything like me, choosing stuff is hard.

Never fear, I am here to (try to) help! My aim with this post is to break down some of the factors that go into choosing a tarot deck, to help you decide what you want out of your cards. My reasoning? When I started in the world of tarot I went by the “star rating” of each deck, and didn’t form my own opinions based on the info I was given. I want to give you the tools to make better choices than I did when I started out. Those tools are under the cut!

The Physical Factors

There are three (3) factors that make up the physical properties of a deck of cards, and I feel that they’re often overlooked when people talk about what makes a tarot deck “good” or “bad”. Those three are the cardstock, the dimensions (size), and the finish. 

They all come together to impact how easy a deck will be to handle and shuffle. Decks that are often marked as being “good quality” will be on the larger side, with thicker cardstock. If you’re like me however and have hands on the smaller side of average, these high-quality decks end up being too big to hold and impossible to shuffle. Instead, my preference is for decks that others say are “low quality” - smaller sized, with thinner cardstock. I can hold and shuffle and use them, even though it may mean they don’t stand the test of time as well as other decks would.

Cardstock

Perhaps the most commonly complained talked about physical aspect of the cards, this regards how thick the paper used for the cards is. This is most often measured in gsm, or grams per square metre. The higher the number, the thicker the card. Anything less than about 120gsm can be considered paper rather than card. If you’re lucky, a publisher will list the gsm or weight of their cardstock in pounds on their website. Otherwise, you’ll just be going off reviews using words like “sturdy” or “flimsy”. Take these descriptions with a grain of salt, as thicker card might mean better, but may not mean better for you.

Dimensions

Unless you’re looking at the Mini tarot decks made by Lo Scarebo, most tarot cards are larger than your standard playing card. Regulation poker cards are 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches. There are no regulations for tarot cards, so makers will often take liberties or have proprietary dimensions. The dimensions for their cards should be published, if not on the marketplace you’re buying them from, then on their own website. If you can’t find the dimensions of the cards themselves (not just the size of the box they come in), try to check for reviews, or find someone that already owns the deck you’re interested in and ask them to measure a card. 

For example, The Wild Unknown Tarot is roughly 4 3/4 by 2 3/4 inches - noticeably larger than your normal deck of playing cards! I find these larger decks difficult to get one hand around completely and therefore impossible to shuffle, so I prefer smaller cards. The Ukiyoe Tarot is one example of a smaller deck. Its cards are only 4 7/16 by 2 1/2 inches. That, coupled with the thinner card, means I can hold the whole deck in one of my tiny baby hands without strain.

Finish

As the last major factor that goes into the physical makeup of a tarot deck, the finish on the cards directly impacts their “shuffleability”, or slip. There are two main finishes, matte and glossy. Here I’ve made a gif that illustrates the impact these two finishes have on the slip of the cards:

On the right is The Wild Unknown Tarot, which is a coated matte card. The left is the Welcome to Nightvale Tarot, which is glossy. Personally, I find TWU impossible to shuffle - I dislike how the cards stick together. But, I also dislike the WTNV tarot, because they are so slippery that when I set the deck down, they try to slide everywhere.

Card makers will sometimes get creative with the finishes on their cards, so you’ll wind up with matte, semi-matte, semi-glossy, etc. At the end of the day though, once you’ve used a deck enough times that the natural oils from your hands have seeped into the cardstock, they will be easier to shuffle, but also will have enough grip on them that they won’t slide about. Think of it as an incentive to practice with your cards!

Other Factors

With the physical aspects of the cards out of the way, let’s look at some of the other things to consider when choosing a tarot deck. These are even more subjective than the factors listed above, so it’s important to consider what things you like or are open to trying, as there’s no objective “better” or “worse”.

Base Deck

With Tarot, you’ll often find that most modern decks use a handful of base decks as their source material so they don’t need to come up with an entirely new system of symbols. One of the most common bases is the Rider Waite-Smith system (the top left-most card in the above image). Others include the Marseille, Thoth or Golden Dawn, Aquarian, etc. It’s also not totally uncommon for new decks to feature entirely new systems, and to depart almost entirely from these aesthetic bases and instead to opt for art that depicts base meaning, such as the WTNV tarot.

Alternatively, if you’re unable to get your hands on a proper tarot deck and are relegated to using playing cards (Maybe you’re a secret witch!), the only part you will miss out on in your readings is the major arcana. There’s no emphasis on symbols either, which means you might have to use a few guides until you’re able to remember what each of the cards mean, as there won’t be much to go on intuitively.

Art Style

In a similar vein to the above point about base decks, the art style of a tarot deck can heavily impact is appeal and how useful it will be to you. I personally love decks with a strong, unique aesthetic. I am not a fan of “traditional” decks like the Rider Waite-Smith, because I can find the symbols to be a bit difficult to understand and remember. The Linestrider Tarot is often cited as a beginner-friendly deck because its images are easier to understand as a whole, but also contain enough depth that if you want to look at symbols for meaning, you can. Ultimately though, it all depends on what you like to look at and how you want to use your cards.

Numbers, Pictures, and Pips

Another point of contentious personal preference, it’s up to you to decide if you want your minor arcana cards to have pictures (like the Linstrider on the left), or are okay with pips (like the Ukiyoe on the right). Traditionally the minor arcana never had descriptive images, and pips were the only option available. But, these days it’s pretty rare to find a deck that relies on just pips.

Another factor is whether you need to have the Major Arcana numbered from 0 to 23, or are content with just their names. Having the numbers can make it easier to put them in order if you ever feel like doing that with your deck, but it isn’t necessary. Additionally, there’s some argument about what the “true” order of the Major Arcana is, so it’s not uncommon to have cards like Strength or Justice in different positions within different decks. Personally, for me, it doesn’t matter so much. With time and practice, the order of the Major Arcana can be learned and memorised.

Storage

Finally, the factor that I think is often completely skipped over when talking about tarot: How do you want to store your deck? When purchasing or acquiring a tarot deck, they’ll often come with some sort of storage option already. In the image above I’ve shown some of the different options available. These are what I had on hand, but there are plenty more out there.

From left to right:

Silk Pouch: This I purchased from a New Age store, and while marketed for holding jewellery, is the perfect size for a tarot deck. I use these sorts of bags for decks that did not come in sturdy enough packaging for my liking.

Llewellyn Packaging: This is the sort of box that decks such as Shadowscapes and the Linestrider come in if you order the deck and the accompanying book. The cards simply sit in the cardboard insert inside the box, held in place by the book. For me, I find this storage method difficult to use, as the cards can slide around within the box once they’re out of their plastic film, and I can’t store the book outside to use as reference whenever I’d like.

The Wild Unknown Packaging: The sturdy two-piece tuckbox with a black ribbon belongs to TWU, and is one of my favourite examples of practical tarot packaging. This box was packaged in a larger box similar to the Llewellyn box (as I ordered the deck with its accompanying book), but because the cards were also given a safe box for just them, I am comfortable keeping them in what I was given.

Simple Cardboard Box: Perhaps the cheapest way to package a deck, this is also the sort that’s going to deteriorate the fastest. Cardboard boxes like these are not designed for repetitive opening and closing, and start fraying, ‘dog-earing’, and tearing if you’re not very careful. Buying decks that come in these sorts of boxes is often cheaper than more elaborately-packaged decks, however.

Welcome to Nightvale bag: This was the bag that my WTNV tarot came in, and is perfectly sized for the deck. It’ll do the same job of keeping the cards safe as the silk pouches I buy for most of my other decks, and I didn’t have to buy it separately, which is great.

Other forms of storage include fabric Tarot wraps (which you can make yourself or find for sale on Etsy), speciality bags and pouches designed specifically for tarot decks, third-party wooden and cardboard tuckboxes, etc. There are so many options. My only recommendation is to stay away from hairties and rubber bands to hold your decks together. While visible in the above image, I was using those hairties to keep my decks together while I had so many out and in use. They are not appropriate for long-term storage, as they may bend or dent the cards. As stated above, I use silk pouches to store my decks, which are pretty and protect them from the sun.

Conclusion

Like a lot of things in witchcraft, Tarot is more complicated than it initially seems, and that can make it daunting to begin getting involved in. If you spend some time with yourself however, assess what you like or think you’ll like and how you’d like to use your cards, it can make it easier to pick out which ones you’d like to acquire from the thousands of decks that are on the market. I’d like to leave you with some final tips when it comes to dipping your toes into Tarot:

Talk to people! Ask around in a witchy community you’re comfortable in what sorts of Tarot decks people use, which ones they like, and some of the problems they’ve come across in their experience.

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. The worst that’ll happen is you’ll end up collecting tarot like me and the rest of Tumblr’s tarot-users. Welcome.

Read reviews, but don’t rely on them 100%. We’re all subjective, biased individuals, and any review someone writes is going to be influenced by their own likes and dislikes, which you may not share.

Try to get your hands on a physical deck first. While extremely hard to do for a lot of people, if you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity, take it. You might just discover a new deck you didn’t think you’d like!

Use the Internet. My absolute favourite website for in-depth analysis and reviews of tarot decks is Aeclectic.net. They have almost every tarot deck on the market listed, most with example images of the cards as well. Youtube is also a popular place for reviews, and you can also often see from videos how easy a deck is to shuffle, or how big the cards are, better than what numbers on a webpage will tell you.

If you have any questions about my post, feel free to send me an ask! I’d love to help however I can.

Keep Casting,

- Sam.

DISCLAIMER:

I am not an expert, nor a qualified authority on any particular aspect of witchcraft or divination. I am simply speaking from my own personal experiences, and am seeking to assist where I can. All opinions stated in this post are my own, and are not intended to offend. All images are my own. This work is protected by standard international Copyright law. Do not reproduce, repost, edit, sell, or claim my work as your own.

The decks pictured in this post are:

The New Mythic Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Simon & Schuster.

The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans, published by HarperCollins.

The Welcome to Nightvale Tarot by Jay Holloway, published by Topatoco.

The Rider Waite Tarot by A. E. Waite, illustrated by Pamela Coleman-Smith.

The Linestrider Tarot by Siolo Thompson, published by Llewellyn Publishing.

The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, published by Llewellyn Publishing.

The Ukiyoe Tarot by Koji Furuta, published by U.S. Games.

Gudetama: The Lazy Egg playing cards by Sanrio, published by Cardinal Industries.

[growingmyplantsandmyself]

For those of you who celebrate, happy Easter! And for those of you who don’t, happy beautiful Sunday morning! I hope your day is treating you well!

I did my daily draw this morning, but I felt a bit guilty while I did. Yesterday my older brother found my tarot cards, and his immediate reaction was to tell me to burn them. They’re demon tools and it’s communing with demons and hellish spirits to tell the future. I know they aren’t but he was so hateful towards them that it stung quite a bit, and now today is Easter and my parents always used to take us to church on Easter and sort of feel as though I’m disrespecting this holiday in a way. I haven’t said anything to my parents or any other family members about my practice, and I don’t plan to, so I know I’m not rubbing it in their faces, but it still feels like I’m cheating on them and their spiritual choices.

The card I drew was the Knight of Swords, which honestly made sense. “The court cards — knights in particular — generally represent other people in the querent’s life. Is there someone in your sphere who is brash, loud, maybe offensive?” (Page 220, The Linstrider’s Journey). Why yes. Yes there is. This card also warns about a lack of compassion, and because of that, I am going to remind myself to be compassionate to my siblings. That my older brother doesn’t mean to hurt my feelings, he simply has different beliefs than mine, and that his knowledge and experience of tarot and witchcraft in general, is not necessarily positive, and that he’s been warned against it.

[mysteriouskod]

Whhoooo boi! Here's my little list of feelings on my decks!!

The Shadowscapes Tarot: this was the very first deck i ever bought for myself. This deck -clenches hands- is beautiful. It has such a calming feminine-esc energy to me. It's like Loving Mom Friend energy. It's great with relationships, and is usually insight rather than advice orientated.

The Linstrider Tarot: i have the same feelings as the Shadowscapes Tarot for this one, only to me feels more masculine/neutral to me. Kind of like that firm Dad/older sibling type vibe. Much more advice orientated but when it gives insight it's kinda roasty. Great with the self.

Both these decks I've wanted to use for Shadow work.

The Witches Tarot: doesn't really have a particular vibe, which I relate to. This deck is just.. an absolute joy as well. But it feels like a very good mesh between the two above. I have done a past life reading with it once, and ifelt like I had finally found a deck to do that kind of reading outside of my Past Life Oracle (which I'll get into) The energy with this one is pretty light, and i think it would make a really good starter because of this (note: many people say their copy didn't come with a physical book. Mine didn't either. I know that's frustrating, but it DOES come with a QR code for the book :) )

The Viking Oracle: roasty mcroastonson here. It's a very call out neutral vibe. I love it because of this but also because it helps me connect with my deities from the Norse pantheon. Another good starter deck, just watch out cause it's a kinda heavy vibe on my experience.

Victoria Frances Oracle: I haven't worked with this one too much, but it's very edgy imo. It's got lovely artwork, but it feels like the depressed goth kid stereotype in a deck. The guide book pro is it has multiple language in it but the con is the descriptions of the cards are very short

The Conscious Spirit Oracle: Big Sister energy all the way. It's an advice deck, and I love using it for self care focus :)

Past Life Oracle: as in title, it's an oracle deck for readings past lives. This deck imparticular is draining. I don't know why but any time I go to this kind of thing (past lives) my energy is sliced in half (hence why my most expensive reading ((which is prob underpriced)) is a past life reading) It can be tricky to work with, but it's a great deck tbh. I love pairing it with other decks to see a bigger picture. This is definitely a more advanced deck, but only because of the energy thing. Wouldn't be bad to pick up though :)

The Magical Dimensions Oracle: this is the hardest deck I've ever worked with. I quite frankly couldn't even give a vibe other than confusing. I'm sure if I sat down and work with it more, I could get a better feel for it, but I haven't quite gotten the energy to do that. It doesn't give insight but will give advice. I would not recommend this deck until you get to a "more advanced level" just because it is so dang frustrating.

I hope this helped some!! Sorry if it was more rambly/boring than i intended. I just love tarot/Oracle. I hope you finda lovely deck for yourself 💞💞

I’m in the market…

What is your most beloved tarot deck and why?

[afrocentric-divination]

Afro’s Cards of the Day - March 1, 2018

The Tower, The Hierophant

Happy First Day of March and Full Moon!

Most people think that disciple is harsh. Those who want a shortcut to learning their lesson try and take the shortest route. They become selfish and speed through the important key points in their learning. There is a destination. but there are little things that help you get you to your destination. Like that compliment you got the other day from that stranger, or that random dollar you found on the ground that helped pay for your lunch the other day. Maybe you started giving yourself little notes to encourage yourself or maybe you went to bed earlier and found the joy in waking up earlier. All of these things are smaller lessons and goals that lead to your biggest goal. But you can’t rush through the learning the lesson. Studying at the last minute for a test has been disproven multiple times to be the worst idea for retaining information, so why should you do that with your practice? Expect to put in your place a little bit, humbled. Not to embarrass you, but to put in perspective the journey that is your teaching moment. What are you supposed to learn? What are you thankful for in getting to the point that you are at now? Look around you and take time to think about this today.

Deck Used: Linstrider Tarot

Want a more in-depth reading tuned to you and your path? Book one with me today!

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