Tarotize

Quit Smoking with the Tarot! (Vlog)

2012-01-26T20:05:00.002Z

This is a reading I did for a friend who wants to give up smoking. I'm using the Rosetta Tarot deck.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Tarot Healing Meditation

2012-01-26T11:21:00.001Z

Is there something weighing you down right now? Are you short of funds or do you have health niggles? Perhaps your relationship is 'complicated' or maybe you are in the process of healing your heart after a bad break-up.

Art - Soul Alchemy - from the Thoth Tarot

Sometimes, it's pretty much impossible to do a reading for ourselves. Whenever the mind is weighed down, it is difficult to be objective about the messages in the cards. So what do we do? Do we put the cards away and distract ourselves to not have to deal with the icky stuff? No, there is a better way.

This is when the healing power of the tarot can really be allowed to shine. You don't need a lot of cards to tell you how you are feeling or what to do - you need to let just one card work its mojo on you!

Light some incense - frankincense or sandalwood are ideal. If you like, you may also want to play some healing or meditation music.

Make sure that you ground your energy and centre yourself before pulling the card. You can easily ground and centre through the breath. Just allow any tension to drain through the soles of your feet, down into the core of the earth on the outbreath and pull healing earth energy into your body on the inbreath.

Focus quietly on your issue for a minute.

Choose the card from a cleansed deck, ideally a deck that you use only for healing and meditation.

When you have turned the card over, just look at it quietly for a minute and register your initial reaction. Try to observe it without judgment - especially if you picked a 'difficult' card.

Next you need to feel where in the body the card's energy lands. You are focusing on the interaction between your energy and the essence of the energy captured in the card.

Is this an energy that you want in your energy field?

Where in the body is it now and where do you want it? Hold the card against the part of the body (facing you) where you feel it belongs. You may want to lie down and relax, allowing the card energy to seep through in a state of total relaxation. Allow your intuition to guide you for how long you need to meditate with the card. Observe any images or words that arise. These are answers to questions that you may not even know you had, relating to your issue.

Complete the meditation by sitting back up and taking a few deep breaths to ground your energy back into your body. Stamp your feet if you feel a bit 'floaty' and have a drink of water.

Is this an energy or outside influence you want to get rid of?

Banish it by moving it over the smoke from the incense. Use your breath to channel white light through your crown on the inbreath. Watch the negative energy you feel is associated with the card drain to the core of the earth through your feet on the outbreath. Drink a glass of water to help your body further clear out any toxins relating to this energy.

Make sure you ground your energy before getting on with your day.

I hope you enjoyed the tarot healing meditation!

Please take 10 seconds to sign up for the Tarotize Newsletter (in the sidebar) if you haven't already done so. The next issue is due out on the New Moon in Pisces. If you sign up before Valentine's Day, you get a the FREE eBook Tarotize Your Love Life!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Valentine's Day Giveaway

2012-01-25T14:24:00.003Z

To help you celebrate Valentine's Day, anyone who signs up for the Tarotize Newsletter between now and Valentine's Day will get a free copy of the eBook Tarotize Your Love Life (PDF format).

Tarotize Your Love Life contains spreads, tarot love magick, relationship tools, love card combinations and more.

The eBook will be sent to the email address you provide when signing up for the Tarotize newsletter.

Don't miss out on this amazing love offering!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

The 4th House in My Solar Return Reading

2012-01-25T08:10:00.000Z

Today I'll be zooming in on the 4th House in my solar return reading. This House relates to Cancerian energies and the sphere of the home/family.

Bohemian Gothic - Crystal Visions - Anubis Oracle

I really like seeing the imaginative and sensitive energy of the Page of Cups here. It's the card that best represents my inner child. If there were a World Championship in daydreaming, I would have won the gold most years in my childhood.

The energy of the 2 of Wands (my Shadow in the 4th House) contrasts sharply with the vulnerable energy of the Page of Cups however. All emotions need equal expression or there will be hell to pay. The Page of Cups tends to sublimate the anger and irritation expressed through the 2 of Wands. She is not always fully present because of this. The anger splits off tiny portions of her soul into a happier place, not of this earth.

There is room for both anger and vulnerability. A happy home is a home where people feel their voice is heard and where they are free to be authentic about their emotions.

The Temperance card has shown up twice already in this reading, first in the 1st House (as the theme), then in the 3rd (as the shadow) and now in the 4th (as the helpful influence). In the Anubis Oracle, the Egyptian goddess Hathor corresponds to Temperance.

Hathor is the Goddess of joy, beauty, music, creativity and motherhood. This is interesting because here we have the only Temperance card I know of with a theme of mothering and the 4th House is where the influence of the mother shows up in a person's birth chart.

Amazingly, the message of this card also perfectly addresses the issue of blending two sharply contrasting influences:

"As you focus on her loving presence, begin to resonate with the essence of the brew she's creating for you, a blend that includes the oppositions in your life, combined alchemically to transmute into unconditional love."

It looks like my home will be a real melting pot this year and that is fine... as long as what's cooking is love.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distance Healing!

Moving Beyond Poverty Consciousness With The Healing Key Tarot Spread

2012-01-24T21:06:00.000Z

Tonight, I decided to do a reading on how to heal a negative thought pattern which is blocking abundance using the Rosetta Tarot deck and the Healing Key Tarot Spread.

Read the Introduction to the 22 Keys to Healing to find out more about how to work with the tarot for healing purposes.

Thanks for watching!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

22 Keys To Healing - The High Priestess

2012-01-24T11:48:00.001Z

The High Priestess

The High Priestess tends to meet up with us in wordless spaces so trying to capture her or do her justice in words is tricky at best.

Her voice is poetry and her language dreams. She meets us with visions from our own depths and makes us be still to receive divine wisdom as well as an understanding of the deeper meaning of what is happening all around us.

Through the use of symbols, she reveals layers of truth that cannot be accessed any other way. She teaches us to keep secrets so that our heart energy does not become diluted. The third eye belongs to her and by virtue of ruling our emotions, she also rules large portions of our health - both physical and mental.

Her wisdom is veiled from waking consciousness but can be accessed through dream work and divination. She is the feminine portion of the unconscious that Jung referred to as the anima. Many tarot readers identify with the High Priestess and I believe that women who are highly attuned to their High Priestess archetype are often seen by men as the ideal woman (a projection of their anima) and therefore out of reach.

Veiled High Priestess with crystal ball

"I am like those temples where exorcism is practiced, where you must take off your shoes before entering, where the air is purified with incense, where believers are washed with holy water." - The High Priestess in 'And If The High Priestess Spoke' from the book The Way of Tarot by Alejandro Jodorowsky

Meditating with The High Priestess for my 2012 tarot vision board, I received a vision of her handing me a basket, delicately woven of white feathers. This basket held only one treasure - a precious pearl. Ever so slowly and gently, the basket was lowered from another realm until it rested firmly on the foundation of my heart... See what I mean about the High Priestess and language? There is no way for me to explain what 'the foundation of the heart' is other than to say, 'It has nothing to do with anatomy.' And this is often the way of the High Priestess: She defines what is by showing us what it is not.

The spiritual gift of the High Priestess is wisdom. Emotionally, she grants us receptivity (a prerequisite for empathy). Her physical gift is relaxation and her blessing on our intellect is serenity.

By virtue of corresponding to the Moon, female cycles and health issues fall under her domain. She rules the conditions for fertility, while The Empress rules pregnancy and sexual health issues. Breast cancer and costochondritis are physical symptoms relating to the High Priestess. Lymphatic disorders and problems with the glands are also in her domain, as is weight gain due to comfort eating.

The High Priestess contains within her the full expression of the lunar Triple Goddess but she only reveals the relevant face/phase. The anima may reveal the approriate face/phase for integration in dreamtime.

Psychologically, healthy boundaries might be an issue for someone who has not learned to protect the High Priestess energy. They become psychic sponges and take on problems and even diseases from other people without ever being aware of it. Scan the third eye and sacral chakras to see if they are too open. The antidote is the discernment brought through the Judgement card and the 9 of Wands.

People with underdeveloped psychic energy (closed down third eye) often overdevelop their sacral chakras and become dependent on the approval of other people. This could be the underlying problem for gossiping and backstabbing (seen in the 7 of Swords).

Mental health issues connected with unbalanced psychic/lunar energy fall within the bipolar spectrum. Being hysterical is also a condition connected with the High Priestess. The etymology of hysterical is interesting since it means 'of the womb' - a part of the anatomy ruled by the Moon.

The Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Correspondences

Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Chakra: Third Eye, Sacral Chakra
Colour: Indigo, White, Black, Orange
Crystal: Lapis lazuli, moon stone, carnelian, pearl, obsidian, jet
Body: The digestive system, breasts, sternum, uterus, ovaries, glands, lymphatic system, pancreas
Exercise: Only gentle exercise such as belly dance, yoga, qi gong
Stance: The corpse pose (Savasana - see pic above)
Magickal Tool: Crystal ball, scrying mirror
Associated Major Arcana Cards (through numerology): Judgement
Associated Minor Arcana Cards: All card associated with the Moon (these are the minors to use in the Healing Key Spread).

9 of Wands (Moon in Sagittarius). Healing through establishing healthy boundaries in relationships.
4 of Cups (Moon in Cancer) Healing through engaging in creative pursuits and nurturing others as well as self.
2 of Swords (Moon in Libra) Healing through allowing the mind to calm the emotions by analysing the situation objectively.
7 of Swords (Moon in Aquarius) Healing through being honest, true to one's word and keeping secrets.
6 of Disks (Moon in Taurus) Healing through engaging in mundane tasks, trusting that success will follow - an antidote to overly passive HP energy.

The High Priestess in the Archeon Tarot

The High Priestess Through The Elements

Being aware of your own Elemental balance is key to working with the archetypal energies of the Tarot. You can learn more about the Elements in your birth chart HERE.

Corresponding to the watery Moon, The High Priestess archetype finds its most positive expression through Water and Earth. This is where the High Priestess is serene, psychic and well balanced. She may not be very productive in the Earth element but she is able to use resources at hand with minimal effort since she is so intuitively attuned to their uses.

A fired up High Priestess might alienate herself through hysteria. Or she may choose to isolate herself from other people because she feels under constant attack due to projecting her own shadow on others.

An air-born High Priestess might suffer from an addiction to gossip and tattle magazines. Or she may become sharp-tongued and manipulative. There could be a total separation between mind and heart. Anxiety and poor digestion is a common problem with this energy.

Media (Air) bombards us every day to keep our High Priestess energy low. Turn off the telly, get off the mobile/cell phone and turn off the internet to allow your soul to catch up and rebalance the lunar energy within your psyche. Attune to the lunar cycles with some daily quality quiet time.

Remedies - to increase the High Priestess energy in your life:

You can make a tarot essence to increase The High Priestess energy, using the High Priestess card of your choice, along with any of the crystals above.
The black crystals (obsidian and jet) are good for psychic protection.
Pearl (or mother-of-pearl) heals feminine health issues.
Carnelian is a wonderful healing crystal for the digestive system.
Place the High Priestess card or lapis lazuli directly on your third eye to increase your psychic ability.
Place the High Priestess card on your sacral chakra do decrease dependence on the approval of others.
Create a tarot essence of the Judgement card to transmute repressed or unawakened energy and to help you be more discerning about your personal boundaries
Create a tarot essence of one of the associated Minor Arcana cards (see above for uses)
Keep a dream journal and divine the meaning of your dreams with the tarot.
Mediate with your tarot cards to receive messages from your subconscious.
Always trust your intuition. The more you do, the stronger it will get.

Affirmation: "I trust my intuition."

Grounding/Balancing/Banishing

Grounding is especially important with an overactive third eye. Learn a method that works.
Wear red to balance passivity. Better yet, wear red to an aerobics class!
Learn basic psychic protection, including how to monitor and close your third eye.
Burn the High Priestess card to banish infertility or to rid yourself of the influence of backstabbers.

N.B. Always seek medical assistance for recurring and/or worrying symptoms. These remedies are not meant to replace medication or the advice of your GP.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Tarot Fortune Cookies

2012-01-23T16:26:00.000Z

If you're anything at all like me you'll jump at any opportunity to celebrate. The Chinese New Year is a wonderful excuse to throw a party - and what's not to celebrate if you're a Dragon lover!? The Year of the Water Dragon is coming up. Wohoo!

Water Dragon - aka Black Dragon

It seems to me that an 11 numerology date (2+3+1+2+0+1+2=11 Master Number) which combines the New Moon in Aquarius with the Chinese New Year energies is great for new beginnings. Why not use this opportunity to invite some good mojo into the lives of your loved ones as well as throw a party?

So how could you make the most of this auspicious day with very little time to prepare?

* Cook a Chinese meal, order a Chinese takeaway or go out for a meal
* Give away red envelopes with money for good luck and abundance in the year ahead
* Make Tarot Fortunes for everyone to unwrap at the end of the meal and take turn listening as people interpret and share their fortune for the year ahead (use a dragon or Chinese themed deck)
* Wear red (lucky colour according to the Chinese)
* Toast in red wine
* Light red candles
* Decorate with dragons
* Teach your children dragon lore

The above are just examples of things to do. Feel free to use your imagination! I sometimes hear people say you shouldn't celebrate Christmas or the Chinese New Year if you are a pagan. Piffle! Anything that brings in good mojo should be celebrated... but only if you feel like it :) Just don't tell me what to do, please!

The Number 11 is closely associated with Aquarian energies, since the 11th House of the Zodiac is the house of Aquarius. It is sometimes called the number of the light-bearer. It carries a highly selfless and intuitiv vibration.

The sign of the Dragon roughly corresponds to Aries in Western Astrology, so this would normally be a highly individualistic energy, but by virtue of being a Water Dragon, the dragon energies of 2012 are highly concerned with the feelings of others. The energies set in motion today will serve humanity well on the path to creating a new paradigm, built on passion and compassion rather than greed.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Lunar Tarotscopes for the New Moon in Aquarius

2012-01-23T12:01:00.000Z

About Lunar Tarotscopes: Lunar tarotscopes are done for your Moon sign and cover the period between this New Moon and the next. They are designed to give you an overview to give you the main lunar theme for the month ahead. The Moon rules our emotions and our instinctual reactions. Lunarium.co.uk has a moon sign calculator if you are not sure about which sign the Moon was in at the time of your birth.

About the New Moon in Aquarius: The New Moon in Aquarius is a time to contemplate and sow seeds of friendships, innovation, any work done in groups with others as well as humanitarian work. What you sow in these areas and carefully tend to will grow in the month ahead.

Moon in Aries - Queen of Wands: The New Moon in Aquarius will ignite your creative spark. Any creative pursuits will put you in an instant state of flow and it feels great to be you. You are not interested in following but that won't cause much of a problem as others will look to you to lead the way. Let the minions worry about the details as you set your plans in motion. You're thinking big and your passion runs high. Make the most of it! By the time the Moon in Full in Leo in two weeks, you will have accomplished a great deal. This is a time for action and incentive. Exercise that isn't vigorous simply won't satisfy your need for speed and movement this month.

Moon in Taurus - 8 of Pentacles: The New Moon in Aquarius is a good time to prepare and plan your work and studies. There will be a need to pay attention to the small print in the weeks ahead. Read any documents you need to sign carefully. What skill would you like to develop? This is a good time to learn something new, like a foreign language or pottery. Your mind will be keenly attuned to the details of any system/discipline. What you learn now will be of benefit for many years. This is also an excellent time to invest in your health. Perhaps a detox is in order if you haven't gotten around to it yet after the holidays?

Moon in Gemini - 7 of Swords: In the period leading up to Valentine's day, you may come to realise that you need a big change in your most intimate relationship. Things may not be going as well as you hoped. But have you spoken your mind? Or are you expecting your significant other to read between the lines? Your ability to detach (an innate ability of Gemini Moon) is at its peak. This is a good time to gain clarity on what it is you really want as well as what no longer serves you. Just be careful that you are so completely detached that you forget all about compassion and empathy. It is only when your heart and mind are aligned that you can make your dreams come true.

Moon in Cancer - 7 of Wands: You are being asked to step outside this comfort zone in the month ahead. The home is your castle and comfort zone but the New Moon in Aquarius is an invitation to step out and interact with groups of people. You may be pleasantly surprised to find yourself invigorated by activities that normally drain you of energy. Don't say no to coffee dates, workshop invites or parties. Your sense of self-esteem will grow from interaction with people who are happy to let you shine. Sounds scary? Wear reds and golds to boost your self-esteem. This months Full Moon in Leo will be a great time for you to manifest anything to do with work promotions. Work that mojo!

Moon in Leo - 4 of Pentacles: This New Moon's humanitarian vibe is not giving you much incentive to step out into the world and share of yourself and your resources. You are more inclined to provide for those nearest and dearest and make sure your family is taken care of. There is no need to justify this feeling. Looking after your family is a valuable contribution to us all - not everyone has to be a spokesperson for Amnesty International or be seen to give. You are happy to walk to the beat of your own drum. Health matters of interest this month could be anything to do with your skin or teeth. Perhaps it's best to make sure you have a pretty penny tucked away for possible visits to the dentists.

Moon in Virgo - The Magician: An influx of creative energy along with a great big does of intellectual stimulation is likely to hit you like a bolt of lightning around the time of this New Moon. Did you ever dream of writing a book? Now is the time to start! Any plans that are set in motion now will pay off later on. Your skills and talents are being highlighted. Don't be shy. What you contribute is invaluable. Just make sure your boss knows that you know that too when going in to ask for that pay raise or promotion. You will feel great for most of this lunar cycle. The only problem might be insomnia. You know the drill. Avoid stimulants and turn the telly off at least an hour before going to bed.

Moon in Libra - 5 of Cups. It's time to face how truly unhappy you are with the lack of love, kindness and romance in your life. Life should be beautiful and people should be kind and polite, right? That hasn't been your experience lately though. Use the New Moon in Aquarius energy to detach from that which has caused you pain. There is no need to take it to heart. Do allow yourself to grieve for that which you feel you have lost or which never came to pass but don't dwell on it. Move on. Disappointment is part of life. Dwelling on it to the point of bitterness is not a great idea. Celebrate moving on by throwing a party around the time of the Full Moon. Invite only kind people.

Moon in Scorpio - 8 of Wands. Who put fire ants in your pants!? There will be messages flying back and forth this month and Lord have mercy on anyone who isn't quick enough on getting back to you! You may find that you have a stronger than usual interest in occult studies in the weeks ahead. Do you have unread books on metaphysical topics lying around? Now might be a good time to read them - IF you can sit still for long enough! An exercise type that suits your holistic and metaphysical world view might be great for balance and inner peace. How about Yoga or Tai Chi? Teachers with a Scorpio Moon will have an exceptional ability to inspire this lunar cycle. Your mind will travel, even if you won't.

Moon in Sagittarius - Knight of Swords. You are on a quest for the truth this month. Your BS-meter will register the drop of a pin... in China! This is the Aquarian Knight who, energised by the New Moon, might be tempted to go on a mission - any mission. Choose your stage, words and enemies carefully. Not everyone will appreciate what you consider to be a 'frank approach.' Make the words 'tact' and 'diplomacy' your mantra in the weeks ahead. There is usually a way of getting your point across without hurting the other person's feelings. What is important to you may or may not be important to another. The temptation to see things as black or white is huge this month. Do a rainbow meditation.

Moon in Capricorn - 6 of Wands. The influences of the Sun in your Moon sign still linger and you feel a lot more confident than usual. Good for you! This is a month to display your innate leadership ability. You inspire confidence in others and they are likely to depend on you more than usual. Moon in Capricorn natives would also do well to invest in their appearance in the weeks ahead. A total make-over perhaps? Nothing too gaudy as you're not one to show off but perhaps adding a few more classic accessories or clothing items to your wardrobe? And when was the last time you treated yourself to a full salon treatment for your hair? It feels good to look good.

Moon in Aquarius - 6 of Pentacles. How wonderful! The cards confirm that this is your lunar cycle! Pretty much anything you put your hand to will be successful. The resources are in place and the right people will cross your path. Any long term health problems might be taken care of with help from the right professionals. You feel lucky and money is not a problem this month. Recession? What recession? You may not necessarily experience a financial windfall but your contentment levels are high as you know that all your needs are being met, one way or another. Now is a great time to change your diet. Results will be almost immediate. Click HERE to learn more about this highly auspicious card.

Moon in Pisces - Princess of Swords. There is a sense of overwhelm if you neglect your own needs in favour of helping others. Any dietary changes made at this time should include plenty of home-cooked meals in order to stabilise the influence of the Aquarian lunar energy, which makes you restless. Out of all the Moon Signs, you are the most sensitive to the changing tides and signs of the Moon. Keep warm and minimise your stress levels. The world may well have to spin without your active involvement for certain periods of this lunar cycle as you withdraw to recharge your batteries. And speaking of batteries... Minimising contact with electronics might help. Carry a piece of fluorite.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

What Tarot Card Are You?

2012-01-23T09:11:00.000Z

I found this test on my friend Michael's website and had to try it for a bit of fun...

And look at this! I came out as my Empress Soul Card! Whohoo!

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Elements of Consciousness Oracle Spread

2012-01-22T10:15:00.000Z

I belong to a lovely online Tarot community, aptly named Tarotholics Anonymous. Yes, granted, a lot of tarot enabling goes on there (I've been told I'm a pretty mean enabler myself!) but there are also wonderful discussions about all things tarot. And when people go off topic slightly, the discussions are still always lively, thought-provoking and engaging.

A perfect example of an engaging off-topic question is the one I couldn't resist replying to this morning: What exactly does it mean to be conscious and to act consciously? (Thank you for asking, Shirley!) It doesn't get much deeper than this, right? Many interesting answers were given, all adding to the truth. This is what I felt might be worth also considering:

To be aware of the motives of one's actions. All Elements are engaged in a creative, spirit-filled way, preventing reactivity and allowing fear-free responses. Fire - true self expressed, Water - intuiting approriate response, Air - detachment and Earth - trusting that all is well when expressing and acting on my truth.

Acting in a conscious manner is important as it helps us keep our environment stress-free. It is also a must for us to see what is really happening. Reality filtered through a fear-filled ego is what the apostle Paul talks about when he says he sees "through a glass darkly." Reactive behaviour screws things, situations and relationships up.

Can the cards be applied to help us improve our consciousness levels? You betcha! A Star layout of five cards is all we need. I felt drawn to work with the Anubis Oracle for this reading.

The Anubis Oracle

The central card shows me how to align with my Higher Self in order to release any blocks to Spirit energy.
The card at the bottom represents the Fire Element and my ability to express my true self - being authentic.
The card to the left is Water and shows me what I need to know about my intuition in connection with recativity/response.
The card on top is the Earth Element and signifies my trust in the ability of creation to receive my responses in the constant dialogue of life.
The card to the right is the Air Element and represents how I can learn to detach and become the Observer.

Spirit - Anubis: This is a card of ego mortification which is an absolute must in order to reach higher levels of consciousness. It is also a card of shamanic journeying, something I might need to do soon.

Fire - Nut and Geb: This is a card of wholeness, a reminder to not allow myself to become split off into different personas but to allow for my full authentic expression in all situations. I am meant to bring a strong sense of Self to all situations.

Water - Tree of Life: The Anubis theme is repeated. The time for rebirth is nigh. A calling to surrender more deeply... Again and again. Watch the Shadow at play in all interactions... and surrender to the Light.

Earth - Ptah: Being a channel and a co-creator on earth. Loving the world and the process of transformation to the point of passionately engaging with it, both on a global and individual level. Trusting my vision and knowing that when I open my mouth to speak my truth, new worlds are born.

Air - The Dove: This was the central card in my New Years Eve reading that I did for myself. The quality of innocence helps me detach. Looking at the world with childlike wonder... Wondering rather than assuming. Staying open and non-judgmental.

I found this reading amazingly empowering. Feel free to try it with whatever deck you have at hand or feel drawn to. I would love to hear how you get on!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

New Moon In Aquarius Tarot Reading

2012-01-21T22:48:00.001Z

The video below contains my New Moon in Aquarius mini tarot reading. Check out the message for this lunar cycle... Enjoy!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Tarot Monopoly®

2012-01-21T12:00:00.000Z

Certain individuals within the tarot community have started monopolising global tarot events by trademarking them. To me, this is a bit like trademarking Imbolc or Ostara. Why would you?

Do people choose to exclude and monopolise events this way because they don't trust the tarot community to rally around an event unless it is ruled with an iron fist?

Is it all about the money and the prestige?

Is protecting interests and excluding people more important than collaborating and creating good will?

Is there really any need for hardnosed business tactics like these in a soft industry like tarot?

Ugh. Just ugh.

And here's my message to those who seek to monopolise tarot community events: You may seek global dominion... but I will never be your minion!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Zooming in on the 3rd House of My Solar Return Reading

2012-01-20T09:18:00.000Z

Whereas the 2nd House of the Zodiac covers the things we value in life, the 3rd House covers that which influences us in our formative years (besides our parents): language development, siblings, neighbours, lower education (grammar/primary school) and short trips. As an adult, factors that influence communication and relations with neighbours/siblings as well as conditions for short trips are found here.

In my solar return chart, which you will find in the overview of my solar return reading, the cusp of the 3rd House is in Virgo, but most of the house is taken up by Libra. There are no planetary influences.

Besides, the central theme card, the 10 of Swords, the most challenging influence in the year ahead is found in my 3rd House. Only two days after my birthday, these energies came out to play in the form of an incident with a drunken and disorderly neighbour.

Bohemian Gothic - Crystal Visions - Anubis Oracle

There is heavy emphasis on the 3rd House this year, for a number of reasons:

The third house cups is in Virgo, corresponding to the Hermit - my year card.
The central theme card is 10 of Swords (Sun in Gemini) and the third house is the house of Gemini
The Temperance card found as the central card in my first house is repeated here - as the Shadow
The tarot theme card here, 5 of Swords (Aquarius) is from the Swords suit, same as the central theme card
The oracle card is Sothis which corresponds to the Star/Aquarius

Let's begin with the Shadow, Temperance - repeated from the first house. She looks cold and alone. The only fire in this normally fiery Sagittarian card is found in the last rays of the setting sun. Did she go to this cold place in the forest by choice or has she been 'frozen out'? The healing issue that is rising to the surface is about belonging where you live - being apart of the community... but also, in connection with the message from the tarot in both the central theme position and the third house, recovering from betrayal.

The backstabbing theme is strong in the Crystal Visions Five of Swords. I know exactly who the two swords in my back belong to. The theme of snow and a setting sun is repeated in this card. There is no help in sight. I'm on my own.

The thing to do is to rise above. Sothis - The Star - urges me to ignore the drama caused by people who are not interested in helping humanity. I can keep shining without their permission.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

First Reading w/ The Alchemical Tarot Renewed Third Edition

2012-01-19T14:46:00.000Z

The long awaited third edition of the Alchemical Tarot by Robert Place arrived through the post today. Being one of the few tarotists I know who doesn't already have either the first or second edition of the Alchemical Tarot, I don't have the problem of having to compare this edition to previous ones.

Not being much of a reviewer, I decided to take the deck for spin around the block as it were and jump straight into a three card reading instead.

This is the reading method taught by Robert Place in the book Tarot - History, Symbolism and Divination. He speaks of the three card combinations as 'hieroglyphs for the soul', pointing out that with all the possible card combinations (more than 400,000!) there is no need for 'upside down readings.' This style of reading suits me since I stopped using reversals a while back.

This is the tarot hieroglyph I got when asking how I could become a better tarot healer (i.e. someone who uses the tarot cards for vibrational healing as well as readings).

Alchemical Tarot Renewed, 3rd edition
card back - 3 card spread - LWB

The High Priestess, The Lovers and the King of Vessels (Cups) form a beautiful hieroglyph, urging me to express what the High Priestess receives in dialogue between the solar and lunar self (Lovers) in order to promote healing/union. It speaks of the veil being lifted and the still waters of the depths being offered through the vessel of the self (the Holy Grail).

I felt the cards should be read in a linear fashion in this case. In the book, Place outlines five more patterns for interpreting the cards, depending on which way the figures in the cards are facing etc. It is a fascinating system and it works well.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

22 Keys To Healing - The Magician

2012-01-19T11:19:00.001Z

The Magician

Researching The Magician I learned a wonderful new word: prestidigitator from the French prestidigitateur - conjurer. This is one of the key words used by Alejandro Jodorowsky to decsribe the Magician in his book The Way of Tarot.

Prestidigitation (from the Free Dictionary)

1. Performance of or skill in performing magic or conjuring tricks with the hands; sleight of hand.

2. A show of skill or deceitful cleverness.

The Magician archetype contains the full spectrum of meaning - from skillfulness to sleight of hand. He is indeed the ultimate prestidigitator. Corresponding to the planet Mercury, his cunning is cleverly expressed in speech and writing. Let it not be said that selling snow to eskimos would be a job too challenging for him!

The Magician from the Rider Waite Tarot

"With the Wand createth He.With the Cup preserveth He.With the Dagger destroyeth He.With the Coin redeemeth He." - Aleister Crowley

The Magician's spiritual gift is the ability to co-create. Emotionally, he grants us adaptability. Agility is the physical gift he bestows on us and the ability to detach is his intellectual endowment.

On the soul level, he is the animus. Without a full integration of this masculine energy in conscious awareness, people suffer from lack of expression of their true will. To fully integrate something in conscious awareness means to allow for that which has been suppressed to surface and then to cut away any destructive thought patterns. Doing this is actually an expression of the Magician who is the 'divine messenger' (Mercury/Hermes) and so in doing the 'great work' we integrate the archetype that we express.

The highest expression of the Magician is that of the ego personality aligned with Source, so that little will and Higher Will are aligned. This is the Magician in service to humanity - the full expression of the Divine Messenger. But first he has to become aware of himself and his place in the bigger picture. This can be done through another Mercurial pursuit - study. Observing himself and his place in the greater scheme of things, the Magician allows for individual expression and personality even after aligning with Higher Will. There is no mortification of the personality because there is an innate understanding of the need for unique expression. Existence would be pointless without it. And the point is 1, the number of the Magician.

When the Magician serves the ego, we have a destructive power at hand. Effort is focused to achieve selfish goals - at any cost. Empathy is non-existent. People and resources are used and abused. The personality supersedes the soul. This is the Black Magician. His sympathies often change in accordance with who can offer him the best deal. Would he lie to you? You betcha!

When the Magician is unaware or repressed, physical symptoms may occur. Psychologically, shyness, conformity, inability to act or focus and lack of personality/creativity are all symptoms of a weak Magician archetype. There is a strong need to heal the inability to express one's will. There is no 'one size fits all' formula for this. It is your unique expression that is being healed, remember? Methods for healing could include counselling, soul retrieval, self-help, flower remedies, crystal therapy...

Correspondences

Element: Air
Planet: Mercury
Chakra: Throat, Solar plexus
Colour: Azure blue, yellow
Crystal: Aquamarine, citrine
Body: Shoulders, arms, hands, nails, lungs, bronchial tract, nervous system, brain, tongue, thyroid, bowels, spleen, intestines
Exercise: Gymnastics, aerobics, running, stretching
Stance: "As above, so below" (see pic of Magician above!)
Magickal Tool: Wand
Associated Major Arcana Cards (through numerology): The Wheel of Fortune, The Sun
Associated Minor Arcana Cards: All card associated with the planet Mercury (these are the minors to use in the Healing Key Spread).

8 of Wands (Mercury in Sagittarius). Healing through slowing down.
3 of Cups (Mercury in Cancer) Healing through making sure that the heart and mind are aligned.
6 of Swords (Mercury in Aquarius) Healing through detachment and moving on.
5 of Disks (Mercury in Taurus) Healing through taking action and possibly seeking help, change of diet.
10 of Disks (Mercury in Virgo) Healing through focusing on how to provide a firm foundation for future generations.

The Magician Through The Elements

Being aware of your own Elemental balance is key to working with the archetypal energies of the Tarot. You can learn more about the Elements in your birth chart HERE.

Corresponding to Air, The Magician archetype energies flow more freely through Air and Fire. His quick wit really shines here. Too much Air might cause anxiety and too much Fire might cause delusions of grandeur.

A Water-logged Magician might become manipulative and full of deceit. He might seek power over others. On the other hand, as seen in the 3 of Cups, a harmonious alignment in Water might cause joyful communication and communion with others.

An Earth-bound Magician might suffer from nagging worries about health and finances. Harmonious alignment in Earth, as seen in the 10 of Pentacles, sees him taking action and providing an abundance for others as well as himself.

Remedies - to increase the Magician energy in your life:

You can make a tarot essence to increase The Magician energy, using the Magician card of your choice, and a clear quartz crystal, a citrine or an aquamarine. The citrine is especially good if the Magician energy is suppressed, as it strengthens your solar plexus chakra (will centre). The aquamarine is one of the best crystals to aid communication and it also helps you detach.
Gentle stretching increases agility of both body and mind.
Place the Magician card directly on your throat or solar plexus to strengthen these chakras.
Wear blue to aid communication if you have an important meeting.
Light a yellow candle while studying for intellectual stimulation. Wearing yellow can be overpowering - yellow on the body works better as accessories.
Create a tarot essence of one of the associated Major Arcana cards to transmute repressed energy: The Sun for confidence to speak your truth and The Wheel of Fortune to have the courage to set creative plans in motion.
Create a tarot essence of one of the Aces. The Ace of Wands brings in vitality and creativity, the Ace of Cups conjures a new relationship or greater compassion for self and others. The Ace of Swords gifts you with brilliant ideas and problem solving ability. The Ace of Pentacles provides physical health or potential for abundance through work. The Magician is an initiator and the Aces are numerologically linked to him, as are all new beginnings.

Affirmation: "I enjoy my unique expression."

Grounding/Balancing/Banishing

Going for a run or other vigorous aerobic exercise grounds the energy and quietens the chatter of the 'monkey brain.'
Balance an overabundance of Air by eating home cooked, nutritious food at least twice a day. A person who is extremely mercurial sometimes even forgets to eat at all!
Standing in front of the mirror and saying 'me, me, me!' until you crack yourself up transmutes any delusions of grandeur.
Bury the Magician card to banish the workings of a liar or black magician. (Don't use the deck you dedicated for healing work to do this. Do read up on psychic protection.)

Tarot Vision Board - The Hermit

2012-01-18T21:40:00.000Z

Just to let you all know that my tarot vision board is not being completely neglected. I use a bit of 'quiet time' in the evenings to tune in and communicate with my tarot archetype buddies. I'm finding that some are definitely chattier than others. The Hermit not so much.

The Hermit, my tarot year card, from the Lovers' Tarot

I won't post all the individual Trumps but I will take a picture of the final result and post it here on the blog. Please visit the Tarotize FB page if you want to see how Strength turned out.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

22 Keys To Healing - 0 The Fool

2012-01-18T12:10:00.000Z

The Fool

The immediate gift of The Fool is an infusion of Source energy. He touches the intellect with innovative ability and playfulness. He gives us emotional freedom and innocence. Physically, he grants us buoyancy and the ability to leap, as well as quick reaction times and clear eyesight. His spiritual gifts are purity and trust.

Top row: Tarot de Marseilles, Thoth Tarot, Faerie Tarot
Bottom row: Crystal Visions, Wild Green Chagallian, Watcher Angel

Last night, invoking The Fool before falling asleep, I had a dream in which I leapt up in the air, time and time again. Not only did I leap but at the height of each leap there was a Nureyev-esque moment of suspension and it felt absolutely fantastic... exhilarating. That was all. No words, no other profound symbols or events.

Pure Fool energy is accessed constantly by children but by adult only in states of flow, i.e. when we are so absorbed in what we are experiencing that time ceases to exist.

The Fool does not observe himself. He is not mindful because his mind is empty. Mindfulness is the spiritual state of being achieved in The World archetypal space, when we transcend those ideas and concepts that have not yet formed in The Fool but that are present within the Source energy that animates him.

Blocked Fool energy results in immature and irresponsible behaviour, madness, lack of trust, stuckness and poor timing (leaping too soon or too late). Physically, we experience lethargy, blurred vision, heavy legs and slow reaction times.

Ungrounded Fool energy leads to anxiety, insomnia and madness.

Correspondences

Element: Air
Planet: Uranus
Chakra: Higher Crown
Colour: White light
Crystal: Clear quartz, Aqua Aura
Body: Calves, ankles, eyesight and nervous system
Exercise: Yogic breath and eye exercises, leaping, skipping, jumping, dance improvisation
Stance: Arms forming a V, head tilted back to gaze at the sky
Associated Minor Arcana Cards: All/none. For the purpose of the Healing Key Spread, there is no need to pull an additional advice card if this card shows up in the 'action/focus' position.

The Fool Through The Elements

Being aware of your own Elemental balance is key to working with the archetypal energies of the Tarot. You can learn more about the Elements in your birth chart HERE.

Corresponding to Air (but actually containing all Elements), The Fool archetype energies flow more freely through Air and Fire where the emphasis is on endless creative possibilities, brilliant ideas and the ability to 'just do it.'

A Water-logged Fool might struggle with lack of trust due to past experiences or caring too much about how others feel about him.

An Earth-bound Fool might be stuck in the mud, fearing chaos and lack of structure if he leaps into the unknown.

Remedies - to help increase the Fool energy in your life:

You can make a tarot essence to increase The Fool energy, using the Fool card of your choice and a clear quartz crystal.
Hang crystals in sunny windows to catch the light and spread rainbows in the room for creative inspiration.
Turn on the radio and improvise a dance to a random piece of music.
Wear white and bright colours; yellow for intellectual stimulation and innovation.
Carry a clear quartz crystal, programmed for exhilaration and flow.
Amber increases trust.
Smoky quartz clears stuck energy.

Affirmation: "Out of nothing all this was made. The same creative power dwells in me also."

Grounding/Transmuting

The Fool energy cannot be banished. 'Foolishness' does not result from too much Fool energy as there is no such thing as too much of Source. However you may need to ground your energy if you feel yourself going bonkers or are getting overwhelmed with ideas.

Go for a walk in fresh air and clear your head. Notice the stability of the ground.
Sit with your back leaning against a tree for a while.
Grow roots from your base chakra in meditation if seated and from the soles of your feet if standing up.
Do some weeding in the garden.
Bake bread.
Create Water Element tarot essence if you find yourself 'too detached' (Queen of Cups) or an Earth Element tarot essence if you struggle with being realistic (4 of Pentacles).
Count your breath if you find it difficult to ground your energy before sleeping. As you lie in bed, slowly count to 6 on the outbreath and to 4 as you breathe in.
Earth colours can help ground excess energy. Beware of wearing too much black and navy as these colours are inhibitors for the Fool energy.

Young mothers, having just given birth may suffer from rampant Fool energy in need of grounding due to the release of creative energy through the birthing process and the presence of soul of the child itself. Too much may have come unstuck too quickly. Making a Queen of Pentacles tarot essence may be helpful.

22 Keys To Healing - Introduction

2012-01-17T15:34:00.000Z

In the new series 22 Keys to Healing, I outline correspondences between the Tarot Major Arcana cards and various vibrational healing modalities such as colour and crystal therapy. I also explore the movement and meditation energies of each card. Parts of the body for each card will be covered, based on astrological correspondences. I draw on my experience as a dancer as well as a healer and tarot reader in these posts.

Tarot and crystals - wonderful healing allies

Apart from using these posts to learn more about the holistic healing properties of each card, you can use the information in the 22 Keys to Healing for deeper insights into the Healing Key Tarot Spread, as well as the Death and 'What Should I Wish For?' spreads (especially the health portion of the latter).

Each Minor Arcana and court card card belonging to a Major Arcana card through an astrological correspondence (Golden Dawn system) will be listed, along with specific healing properties and therapy suggestions for that card.

The tarot cards themselves are energetic vortices which can be used to trigger healing vibrationally by simply gazing at the image, placing the card directly on the body or creating a tarot essence.

How to draw on and increase certain archetypal energies will be covered, as well as how to banish unwanted influences.

These are posts that I will add to as I learn more about the card energies. There is also a possibility that I will be adding videos with movement sequences eventually.

Throughout this tarot healing series, I will not be working with the symbology of any any particular deck or tradition, nor do I go into detailed comparative studies. I draw on an amalgam of knowledge and direct experience, having gained an energetic sense of each archetype through working with many different types of decks. In this I am deeply indebted to the tarot artists who have channelled archetypal wisdom through visual means.

Below you will find a list of the posts (work in progress) that contain major arcana healing meanings, correspondences and associated minor arcana cards, including their healing meanings.

The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Creating a Healing Tarot Essence

2012-01-17T14:46:00.000Z

Tarot essences can be wonderful tools for healing and manifestation. In this post, I give you the recipe for creating your own tarot essences.

Charging the Thoth 4 of Wands by sunlight

Before creating the essence, make sure you are using cards from a cleansed deck. Ideally, you should use a deck that is dedicated for healing work to create your essences. Any type of deck is fine but it needs to be a deck that you have an emotional connection with. You also need to have a familiarity with the individual cards. The more you meditate with this deck, the more potent your healing work will be.

Creating a Tarot Essence is really very simple and can be done in one of two ways.

The first method is to fill a glass with pure spring water (or filtered tap water) and place it directly over the card for a minimum of 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes is enough if the essence is charged by direct sunlight. Other conditions usually require a longer period of time - allow your intuition to guide you. Feel free to put a clear quartz crystal (or a crystal corresponding to the card energy) in the glass for programming at the same time.

The other way is to place the tarot card in a glass (or jar) inside a bowl filled with spring water (or filtered tap water). Again, you need to let the water absorb the card energy for at least 15 minutes before drinking it. This method is ideal if you are creating an essence for more than one person.

Pay attention to lunar phases. The most potent essences are made on the night of the full moon, in a sign corresponding to the card. Leave the water to absorb the essence of the card over night if at all possible. Certain lunar energy cards such as The Moon, The Queen of Cups and The High Priestess are definitely best charged by moonlight. Again, allow your intuition to guide you.

If you wish to banish a card energy, this should be done on a waning moon, in the corresponding astrological sign. I do not advice creating essences for banishing. It is better to burn (influence to banish in Water or Earth) or bury (influence to banish in Air or Fire) the card. Essences should be created on a waxing or full moon.

Can all cards be used for essences? Yes, but please beware that if you have a really difficult relationship with a card, like some of the Swords cards, you need to be certain before imbibing the energy. It can certainly help you heal conditions associated with these card energies but do be prepared for a healing crisis.

If you are working with one of the more challenging cards, it would be a good idea to do it with someone so that you are not completely on your own in dealing with what comes up. Swords, for instance, is Air/Communication and very amenable to 'talk therapy.' It is when the energy is allowed to 'fester' in our minds that things tend to get really bad.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Tarot Vision Board - The Chariot

2012-01-16T21:19:00.000Z

A picture says more than a thousand words...

The Chariot on my slowly but steadily growing Tarot Vision Board for 2012

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

How To Shuffle A Large Tarot Deck - Video

2012-01-16T19:35:00.001Z

In the video below I'm going to demonstrate my technique for shuffling larger decks. It's very similar to regular riffling but slightly 'softer' and i don't lift the corners of the the deck. Notice that I grip the middle of the deck and riffle from there, allowing the cards to fall in place like snowflakes... It takes a bit of practice but it works beautifully every time once you've mastered the technique.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Focus on the 2nd House - 12 Houses Solar Return Tarot Reading

2012-01-16T10:59:00.000Z

Today, I'm taking a closer look at the main theme and influences in the 2nd House (Taurean energies) for 2012. You will find an overview of the Solar Return Tarot reading I did for myself HERE.

The 2nd House shows me where my assets are in the year ahead. Here I find everything I value, both in terms of material things and non-material assets such as talents and support. 1st House influences are strengthened and grounded through the 2nd House. On the flip side, a failure to ground the 1st House influences due to challenging planetary aspects can show up here in terms of disempowerment and feeling unsupported.

So how do my cards match up with my solar return 2nd House Virgo energies?

Bohemian Gothic - Crystal Visions - Anubis Oracle

There are some interesting correspondences here, with the Moon and Mars both in Virgo in my 2nd House. As some of you may be aware, my tarot year card for 2012 is The Hermit (Virgo). And here we find the Hermit, right where she belongs - in Virgo. She is rather ethereal looking... almost fragile...

Being someone who suffers from vertigo, I'm not so keen of the image of a Hermit dangling her legs off a high cliff. She makes me want to rescue her! But the Crystal Visions Hermit is determined to face her fears. And I will take her lead. It's in the cards for me in 2012 after all - no escape with the 10 of Swords as the central theme!

Astrologically, the 2nd House Moon supports my intuitive faculties and Mars may serve to restore my vitality. The challenge is to ground the Fire of the 1st House (King of Wands as the shadow card), both in terms of creative inspiration and vital life force. The Bohemian Gothic King of Wands is on stage. It looks like someone is handing him a prop.

What is the shadow message here? Am I not trusting others to support my creative vision? The Hermit doesn't care so much but the King of Wands needs an audience. His desire is to inspire. Also, Leo rising craves the spotlight. Humility - lack of - might be an issue.

Wadjet resonates with Mars in the 2nd House (Note the correspondence with the 16th Major Arcana, The Tower/Mars)... but also with Virgo since this is a purifying life force. Wadjet gracefully bestows her gift of wisdom to those who approach her with a humble heart.

The synchronicities between my chart energies and the cards astound me... I would be a fool to not pay close attention.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Top 10 Tarot Decks in 2011

2012-01-15T17:31:00.001Z

So many wonderful tarot decks were released in 2011 that voting for just one on the Top Ten Decks Published in 2011 contest over at Aeclectic Tarot was a little bit like torture. To give recognition to some of the truly remarkable decks I feel deserve recognition, I decided to put together my own top list with decks from as many different categories as possible.

These are my favourite decks published in 2011 (in no particular order):

The Rosetta Tarot - Another member in the small but distinguished Thoth tarot family. This is a great reading deck, with a slightly softer energy than the Thoth itself. You can find my deck interview with the Rosetta HERE.

Cat's Eye Tarot - Best animal themed deck in 2011. A must for cat lovers and also a great choice for children.

Most magickal deck of 2011. I have many profound experiences and aha-moments with this bright and enchanting deck. The shamanic journey work that has gone into the creation of this deck is evident in the deck energy. Powerful stuff.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral - Best Lo Scarabeo release in 2011. A quirky deck with lots of interesting historical details to explore further for added insights and personal enjoyment.

Best new Dark Deck in 2011 - Alchemy 1977 England Tarot

Favourite whimsical deck of 2011 - The Joie de Vivre Tarot

Best angel themed deck of 2011 - Watcher Angel Tarot. This is no ordinary angel deck. You really have to meet it in person to understand... Read my interview with the Watcher Angel Tarot HERE.

Crystal Visions Tarot - The prettiest tarot deck published in 2011. Top points for readability.

Best modern deck released in 2011 - The Silicon Dawn Tarot.

Best fantasy deck in 2011 - Wizards Tarot. This deck is set in the fantasy world of Mandrake Academy. The companion book also serves as a primer for those interested in learning the craft.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Watcher Angel Tarot - Deck Interview

2012-01-14T18:04:00.001Z

The Watcher Angel Tarot arrived today. At a glance, this is quite a somber deck but I don't like to judge a book by its covers. I like to get to know my new decks in person and in order to really connect with the spirit of each deck, I have previously used a deck interview spread that I found on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum.

However, feeling the need to prepare properly before interviewing the Watcher Angel deck, I wanted to see if I could find a different angle through the types of questions I asked. I wanted to get a sense of the essence of the deck and I also wanted to see the deck's qualities in the light of service - service being a main them in my Hermit year.

The questions I decided to ask were:

1. Describe yourself in three words
2. How would your best friend describe you using only three words
3. What gift do you bring?
4. What do you expect in return?
5. How can you help me serve?
6. Is there anything else you would like to tell me about yourself?

The top two cards are questions 1 and 2. Below these two are cards 3 and 4. The final two cards (5 and 6) are to the right.

Apologies for the uneven light distribution and poor picture quality - they cards are all the same colour!

1. 8 of Cups: Three words to describe myself? Seriously. *rolls eyes* OK, I'll humour you: Transformation-nudger, path-worker, lifter-upper

2. King of Cups: This is a lot easier. My friend constantly calls me a dilettante. Two more words, eh? Moody bastard. Hehe. It's fair - we've known each other since primary school!

3. VIII Strength: I give you spiritual nourishment in an easily digestible format. I don't sugarcoat the truth but make it go down a bit easier none the less. This is my gift to you.

4. The High Priestess: Please make sure that you are in a receptive mood. That's all. I'm not asking you to share your Watcher Angel readings with others. They can be our little secret.

5. XVIII The Moon: Transmute your fears. Become more authentically you by freeing yourself from anything that holds you back. Your authenticity is your best gift to humanity.

6. The Tower: Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? All I will say for now is... Expect the unexpected!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

The Lovers Show The Path To Relationship Happiness in 2012

2012-01-13T20:20:00.000Z

Have you ever wondered about the connection between the Tarot Lovers and the Gemini zodiac sign? To put it simply, Gemini is all about communication and as we all know, the key to relationship harmony and happiness is communication.

Often the emphasis for the Lovers is on choices rather than love relationships or romance. For my Tarot Vision Board, I am willing The Lovers to be about love and romance. Choices I can deal with one at the time, in order of appearance. Relationship happiness needs a bit of New Year's vision mojo though.

Reading in the excellent Tarot d'Amour about The Lovers for inspiration, I came across a lovely sentence which perfectly combines the image symbology with what we know to be true about Gemini:

"Your mind searches and finds a path leading to improvement of intimate communications."

In my experience, there is always room for improvement in intimate communications. This can be a fun challenge if we choose to make it so. Oh dear, back to choices again! :)

The Lovers from The Lovers' Tarot

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

12 Houses Tarot Reading - 1st House Influences

2012-01-13T13:19:00.001Z

Today, I'm zooming in on the 1st House in my 12 Houses Solar Return tarot reading for myself. If you click on the link, you will find a picture of my astrological solar return chart. You can get yours for free on astro.com (extended chart selection).

This is the first year where I've used three cards per House. The central card from the Crystal Visions Tarot is the main theme for the house in question. The shadow card from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot is the shadow influence (i.e. that which needs to be brought into the light of my awareness) and the card from the Anubis Oracle provides further spiritual guidance.

Astrologically, my Rising sign (cusp of the 1st House) is Leo for the year ahead. This makes the Sun my chart ruler and the Sun is found in Capricorn in the 6th House. This is the House of Virgo which corresponds to my Hermit year card.

My chart is weighted heavily towards the Earth Element this year and there is grand trine in Earth, involving the Moon (Virgo), Mercury (Capricorn) and Jupiter (Taurus). The Sun is squared by Saturn and Jupiter and trined by Mars. Hopefully, there will be enough of me to go around with the planet of my personality in the House of Work, Health and Service with such challenging aspects. Perhaps these aspects are why we find the 10 of Swords as the central theme card for the year (see overview).

Bohemian Gothic - Crystal Visions - Anubis Oracle

Temperance is a lovely card for the first house and my Leo rising this year. This tells me that if I come across as 'fiery' (the Ascendant is how others perceive us) in spite of all the Earth in my chart, it will be in my capacity as a healer. Temperance is also known as 'the alchemist' which is extremely synchronstic with the Alchemist card from the Anubis Oracle showing up here.

In the Alchemist card we find Mut, Nephthys and Isis. It was Isis and Nephthys I invoked before laying the cards out, so this feels very reassuring. According to the Anubis Oracle companion book, this card tells me about something new and surprising coming into my life. Something that will make me have to embrace the unknown...

My shadow card is The Moon, Piscean energies. In this year's solar return chart, Chiron (the wounded healer) is found in Pisces in my 7th House. It feels like my worst relationship fears might be brought up for healing this year. I am old enough to know that won't be easy but I am looking forward to feeling completely free of fear in my close relationships. 'Is that even possible?' asks a worried little voice in the back of my head. I believe so. Alchemy has the power to transmute fear. And with Isis and Nephthys as guides...

How others view me and how I express myself will centre very much around freeing myself from fear in 2012. And now the 10 of Swords as the central theme card makes even more sense. I am up for the challenge!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

My Solar Return Reading - Overview

2012-01-12T17:38:00.002Z

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...! :) It is the day of my solar return, which occurs at exactly 5.54 PM. The earth has then revolved around the sun precisely 42 times. Happy days! As promised, I have done my usual 12 Houses Zodiac reading for myself. This covers the year ahead until my next solar return and I read it together with my solar return chart in order to divine major themes and lessons for the year ahead.

My Solar Return Chart

This year, I decide to do the 12 Houses reading with a twist, i.e. by adding more cards for deeper insights to the main theme of each house. This was inspired by my friend, Anton, who suggested adding a shadow card to each house - brilliant idea! Another friend, Ashley, suggested adding an oracle card for further spiritual guidance and I thought, 'What the heck! Let's go full hog this year.'

First I laid the 12+1 Tarot cards out. One for each of the 12 Houses of the Zodiac + one 'central theme' card. I used my current favourite tarot deck, Crystal Visions Tarot:

12 Houses Solar Return Tarot Spread

Then I laid out 13 cards from my favourite 'dark' tarot deck, The Bohemian Gothic:

12 Houses spread with shadow cards

Finally, I added oracle cards for each of the houses from the Anubis Oracle:

12 Houses tarot spread with shadow and oracle cards

This is a mahoosive spread to say the least. I will break it down in bite sized posts in the next few weeks (one per House). Here is a zoom of the central theme for my next revolution around Sol:

Emperor Shadow - 10 of Swords Central Theme - Anubis Oracle

As might be expected, there was an 'ugh' moment when the 10 of Swords showed up as my central theme for the next 12 months. The shadow card is The Emperor and this is a clue that the 'ugh' is very much connected to paternal issues. I don't have a particularly dim view of the 10 of Swords on an intellectual level though. I do appreciate that this is a definite ending which is necessary in order for something new and better to be born. I can deal with the fact that it is always darkest before dawn... but how long will it be before I see the light of sun again. And when I do, will I be able to stop worrying?

Anubis is my guide through this process of transformation. He will show me the way. In the Anubis oracle, he is the significator and you can either place him above the other cards in a reading or leave the card in the deck. When the card is used together with the other cards, the deck creators suggest meditating on what message Anubis might have for us. I feel that this is appropriate and I will most certainly do so when I feel myself in a state of 'overwhelm' - a sensation I very much connect with the 10 of Swords.

As the perfect antidote to the kind of stress induced by mental and emotional overwhelm, Donnaleigh de LaRose posted the following birthday blessing & reading on my wall earlier today:

"Happy Hatch Day, Lisa! For your birthday I decided to pull a card from Kat Black's Golden Tarot. When I pulled the deck out of the box, one card lingered behind and I thought, "Aha! There is her spiritual lesson." The 8 of Wands came up reversed, and this is a beautiful message of stopping to smell the flowers. You need not feel so very pressured to multi-task and hit several targets at one time at the expense of losing the experience of life itself. Reversed, this is (excuse the pun) like slow foreplay with life, really taking time to explore every facet of what is around you. Take time for decisions, enjoy your projects, and sometimes, it's good to get lost in the details around us even if it means delaying some deadline just a wee bit so that we can squeeze in a bit of the good stuff of life. Enjoy this magical year of landing in a soft spot, even visiting the past a bit, and .... journaling may also carry a very positive "inner touch" experience for you. Happy birthday!"

Ahhhhhh... Yes. Stop. Breathe. Unwind. Thank you, Donnaleigh!

What the 10 of Swords wants to teach us is that even in the darkest hour we have reason to hope that things will turn out for the best in the end. In fact, it's not the end until everything is perfectly beautiful. This is my Hermit year where the birds go quite just before sunrise... Wait! I can already hear the blackbird. He sings with such promise....

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Ear To The Ground - The Hierophant's Message for 2012

2012-01-11T19:39:00.001Z

The Hierophant is the scrubbed up, 'acceptable,' guilt-free version of the Baphomet archetype. He holds the keys to worldly power but unlike Baphomet who rules through chaos and rebellion, the High Priest rules through conformity to norms and tradition. I know a lot of creative people who struggle to get on with the Hierophant because of his message of unyielding traditionalism.

Personally, although I don't conform much any more, I do get along and have a mutual understanding with The Hierophant. I spent many years in his patriarchal and orderly sphere as an active Christian in my teens and 20's. He gave me the security I needed at the time and made the world seem less scary. Those of you who are in tune with zodiacal energies will know what I'm on about if you think about the grounding and stabilising influence of some of your Taurean friends.

As a teacher, I also have an affinity with the Hierophant. He creates a safe learning environment.

So what is the Hierophant's message for me in 2012? What does he have to say about increasing my happiness levels in the year ahead? In his deep and sonorous voice he booms: "Keep your ear to the ground, my child!"

The Taurean energies correspond to the throat chakra which governs the ears, nose and throat as well as clairaudience. The singing voice is governed by Taurus, as is hearing.

The Hierophant is telling me that my main duty as a teacher is to listen and take in all that is going on around me. We are in a Hierophant year (2012, 2+0+1+2=5) and without this all-important ingestion there can be no true understanding of the prophecies.

There is musicality in the sense of harmonies with this teacher archetype and he reminds me of Vivaldi, "Il Prete Rosso," a priest, composer and music teacher who taught music at an orphanage for many years.

Taurus, ruled by Venus, is a lover of peace and harmony.

"Listen out for harmony and discord. Use your gift of clairaudience. Listen joyfully to the harmonies! Then joyful teaching shall follow."

Here is The Hierophant on my Tarot Vision Board:

The Hierophant from the Lovers' Tarot

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Will The World End In 2012? - Asking The Tarot

2012-01-11T13:48:00.001Z

Before I let the cards answer this question, I would like to refer to people who are in the know about the scientific side of things. NASA scientists answer questions about the various disasters that are rumoured to play a part in the supposed apocalypse HERE.

The short answer, of course, is 'No.' The world won't end in 2012. Certain people, some deluded and some with their own agenda, have done a lot to spread apocalyptic fear through the Internet. We may not be dealing with actual physical threats but we are dealing with fear-mongering and the effects of it - especially among the younger generation - those not old enough to have become cynical after the whole Y2K scare.

So if the world won't end, will anything at all change or is it 'same old, same old' in terms of our self-destructive ways and slow suicide as a race? Perhaps, if the latter is true, a swift, more dramatic ending would be preferable and perhaps this is the real reason why the so called 'Mayan Prophecy' has gained popularity all over the world. Collective Thanatos, anyone? Poor Mayans - they never even said the world would end just because their long count calendar did.

Some people dream of the dawning of a New Age on the 21st of December this year: A 'The lion shall lie down with the lamb' type scenario when all will be 'peace, love and understanding.'

Which will it be? When asked what will change and what is the best approach for us humans in view of this change, the Tarot gives it to us straight:

The Empress and Judgment from The Crystal Visions Tarot

OK, so there is no denying that the 21st of December will be a date of some importance with two Majors showing up.

The Empress tells us that there will indeed be natural changes (a much better term than disasters) that affect us globally occurring on this day. Mother Nature opens a gateway and a new energy emerges. Something that will affect us all is being born this day. She wishes to take the opportunity to communicate with us all.

The wise will listen and make a decision on how to proceed from here. That the changes instigated by Mother Nature will be big enough for humanity on the whole to pay attention can't be doubted with Judgment signifying the best approach for us. Choices will have to be made - choices that will usher in a new era. Much of what no longer serves us will have to be left behind.

It will not be just another day, nor it will be the end. Something new begins. What choices will be made on the 2012 Winter Solstice? What are you choosing right now in order to make this planet habitable for future generations?

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Baphomet Sits Between The Emperor And The Hierophant

2012-01-10T14:02:00.000Z

The first dream vision of my Hermit year is of Baphomet. This dream came to me after having contemplated the message of The Emperor for 2012 and before beginning my work with The Hierophant. I have never really spent any time with Baphomet before and all I knew of him was that he is sometimes associate with The Devil in the Tarot.

Baphomet

I do remember going to bed with The Devil on my mind last night though. A reader had commented on the What's In A House Number post about having pulled The Devil as 'the helpful influence' card. She felt this was a bad omen and that perhaps she needed to move house.

To me, as a tarotist, one of the most delightful challenges is to find the energy at the opposite end of the spectrum of every card, as I know each of the 78 cards holds the full spectrum of that particular archetypal energy. Last night I did spend some time in thought on how can The Devil can be helpful. The most obvious answer to me is through the correspondence to the Saturn energies which are about learning to transcend (self-imposed) limitations... but I also had a sneaky suspicion that The Devil himself might be helpful in all sorts of lesser known ways.

Because of the influence of the Church in the last two millenia, we know him as the adversary. He was made the scapegoat for our own evil deeds. He is the quintessence of 'evil' - i.e. all that we find within ourselves that we would rather project onto others. I think what The Devil wants us to look at is how much energy we lose by not owning our own darkness. The darkness is the fertile soil of our creativity. Unbound, unfettered... known only fully by those that the sheeple of this planet label 'rebels.'

The dream came in the morning, after the school run. I was driven to bed by exhaustion since I have a lingering throat infection. My sleep was light all the way through and the dream vision was clear as day:

I walk into a dark temple - black as space itself bar an indigo coloured sphere at the back of the 'room.' The sphere starts spinning and and expanding. In the centre, Baphomet appears, perfectly still. I remember thinking how truly awesome his horns look. Then, without Baphomet lifting a finger, I feel his energy reaching out to me.

Ever so slowly I start 'falling' backwards until I am completely horizontal, with my feet facing Baphomet. Telepathically, I know that something will happen to my root chakra at this point. Then something becomes unblocked and light shoots out from my root chakra.

Aleister Crowley used Baphomet as his alias in the OTO.

I woke up feeling completely fantastic. Yes, the last of the infection is still lingering but I feel confident that I will recover now.

What is Baphomet's secret that the church doesn't want us to know? The Baphomet archetype viewed in the light of Spirit is one of pure strength, power and virility. Those who look with gladness upon his horns can feel that they belong here on the earth plane - a prerequisite for staying grounded.

Now more than ever do we need Baphomet to show us the way. We need grounded spirituality. We need people who are not afraid of their own shadow or getting their hands dirty in the fertile soil of their own creativity.

I have always loved Crowley's Devil in the Thoth tarot. As a Capricorn, this is one of the few Devil images I feel proud of. There is a sense of transcendence combined with humour. How often do you see those two in tandem?

Hail Baphomet!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

The Emperor Packs a Punch in 2012

2012-01-09T14:17:00.002Z

My Tarot Vision Board is slowly coming together. I've had a forced break from meditating with the cards because of yet another infection. My immunity has been low this winter and by the sounds of it, I'm not the only one who has been catching every single virus that's been doing the rounds this season. Perhaps it's the mild weather... or perhaps we are being prepared and strengthened for what is to come in 2012. Maybe both and maybe this is all totally synchronistic...

Either way, I can't meditate to receive visions when I am too under the weather. I have felt under attack and have yearned for the strength of the Emperor to hit back at the germs and viruses that have invaded my body. Low immunity relates to a weak root/base chakra and The Emperor is the card to use for strengthening this chakra on a vibrational level. Yet I have not been able to draw on his strength for myself even though I have channelled it for others.

In the Emperor we find an ample supply of Fire/vital life force and also the stability of the 4 - the number of the earthly realm. The fact that I have had to wait to receive The Emperor's message for 2012 tells me that I am made to pay extra special attention to this archetype in the year ahead.

The astrological correspondence for The Emperor is Aries. Having an Aries partner, I am surrounded by this influence. However, in my own chart, the only Aries influence is represented by Chiron, the wounded healer. I believe this is the reason why I am able to be a channel healing for others when I can't seem to be able to strengthen my own immune system. Internalising the Emperor archetype represents a challenge to me and I believe that 2012 is the year when I face this challenge in full awareness.

In Tarot symbology, we often find the Aries Emperor depicted with an eagle. This is interesting from an astrological point of view because the ruler of Aries is Mars, who is also the ruler of Scorpio in classical astrology. Scorpio's transcendent form is the eagle.

Golden eagle attacked by a seagull defending her young.

The Eagle is a symbol of power, but not of absolute power. Absolute power is only found in another Major Arcana vibrating to the earthly number four, i.e. the 22nd Key (2+2=4), The Fool, usually assigned the number 0 and represented by the white dove of Source/Spirit. The white dove is a symbol of absolute power because it is a symbol of peace. Who has absolute power? Only the person who is always at peace, no matter what... Someone who is capable of absolute trust in all circumstances - not trust in other people so much as trust in Source. The white dove is also the highest evolutionary form of the Scorpio energies, linked numerologically with The Emperor and The Fool through the 13th Arcana, Death (1+3=4).

Here's the Emperor on my vision board:

The Emperor from the Lovers' Tarot

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

What's In A House Number?

2012-01-07T18:43:00.000Z

Numerologists agree - there is no chance involved when it comes to your house number. Ever since I started connecting the dots between Numerology, Tarot and Astrology, I have been amazed by how many people live in a house number that ties in with either their Star Sign (Sun or Moon) or Life Path Number... or both!

You calculate your Life Path Number by adding the day, month and year of your birth date together and then reducing to a single digit. Just as your Life Path Number has a message for you, so does your house number.
To find out the meanings and correspondences for individual numbers, click HERE.

My own Life Path number is 3 and my house number is 18 - a multiple of three. The number 18 takes on extra significance for me this year as it resonates with 9 (1+8=9) - same as my Year Card, The Hermit. The other interesting aspect about the number 18 is that it is found on the tarot card, XVIII The Moon, the Pisces card in the Major Arcana... and Pisces is my Moon Sign!

Luna 7 January, 2012

The 18th Major is about using our intuitive perception to transcend fear. It shines a soft lunar light through our third eye on the things we try to hide in the realm of our subconscious out of fear, guilt and shame. This is where we find all the swept-under-the-carpet emotional and karmic stuff that needs to come up for healing. And this is what my Holistic Tarot practice is all about... So, as you can see, living at number 18 was meant to be for me!

As I was contemplating the connection between my vocation, my house number and an idea for putting a newsletter together, I realised that I was passionate about teaching people to work with Lunar energies - hence the idea to include monthly Lunar Tarotscopes, based on your Moon Sign. If you don't know your own Moon Sign, you can find out for free on the Lunarium website.

Another idea I came up with was to do a Tarot spread reading based on your house number and the Major Arcana card(s) it corresponds to. In my case, the cards would be The Moon (18). Reduce any number larger than 22 to get the Major Arcana Arcana tarot card corresponding to your house number.

3 Card House Number Spread:

Shuffle and randomly pull three cards face down. Turn the first card over. This card represents your main spiritual lesson tied into with living where you. Read this card together with the Major Arcana card corresponding to your house number.

The second card represents the greatest challenge for you while living here. This card is placed to the left of the first card. The third card, placed to the right, tells you what the most helpful approach/influence is while living here.

The Crystal Visions Tarot

Here we have The Lovers as the main spiritual lesson for my house number. Reading it together with The Moon, I take it to mean that the main challenge is overcoming fears relating to the sphere of Gemini/Lovers, i.e. communication and relating. I get a sense of cyclical relationship lessons and learning to let go.

The other two cards are also both Air Element cards, interestingly both corresponding to Aquarian energies (my MC is in Aquarius). The biggest challenge with my Knight of Swords birthday court card (ruler of the last decan of Capricorn as well as the first two of Aquarius) is to learn to be gentle in communication with self and others.

The 5 of Swords - Venus in Aquarius - tells me that the most helpful approach throughout these cyclical relationship lessons is to learn to cut my losses with dignity. Humble pie is a household staple food. There is grace in acknowledging one's cock-ups. And even then, I need to be gentle with myself... Because the other lesson of The Lovers is that I'm here to learn to choose compassion. Always. I move on without beating myself up... and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

3 Secrets to Tarot Reading Success

2012-01-06T17:35:00.002Z

Whether you are reading for yourself or another person there are three ancient truths you need to be aware of in order to be a confident and successful reader. These are the secrets of the ancient oracles that those with intuitive gifts sense naturally but that so easily get lost in the process of learning how to interpret the tarot cards.

The Pythia, the mouthpiece of Apollo

The ancient oracles spoke with such great authority that people travelled for weeks to see them. This is because everything the oracle said was quote-worthy. The advice from the ancient oracles can be summarised with these three sentences:

* Know who you serve
* Be succinct
* Learn to say no

* Knowing who you serve is how you learn to speak with authority. You come to the tarot reader/oracle with a question, so you want it answered in a way that reassures you, i.e. with authority. This is especially a problem when reading for yourself but also when people are just starting to read the cards for others. The answer to the problem is getting out of your own way.

What the ancient oracles teach us is to get in touch with the divine and to be a clear channel for spirit. Whether you choose to see the oracular messages as coming from your higher self, spirit guides, the angels or a deity, you need to be clear on who/what you are channelling. You want answers that are detached from your ego personality.

Tarot reading is sacred work. What makes it so? Knowing who you serve and setting the intention to be a clear channel.

* Being succinct follows on naturally from the first truth. When you are a clear channel, you won't waffle. Allow the answers to float to the surface of your consciousness, like the fumes drifting from the underground into the nostrils of the Pythia. There will be a peaceful feeling when an answer arises and the answer will be short and sweet. If it gets too wordy, you can be sure that your ego is interfering.

Write your answers down. This is holy scripture - just as holy as any of the ancient manuscripts.

* Finally, a good oracle knows when to say 'No.' Sometimes we have questions that aren't ready to be answered yet. Sometimes others come to us with questions that are not meant to be answered yet... or ever. The powers that be know. As a reader, it's your job to know when the powers know and to gracefully bow out.

Oracular Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

Top 10 Tarot Decks for Kids, Tweens and Teens

2012-01-05T20:40:00.002Z

Choosing a deck that is suitable for a child isn't always easy. Children are individuals and their tastes and interests vary just as much as those of adults. I put this list together to inspire more than anything, as you will find a wide variety of deck types in this list. My choices are mainly based on my tarot experience with my own children (one boy and two girls - 16,15 and 10). Perhaps you can think of other decks that would be suitable or that you know kids like...?

Please let us know what they are in the comments section below!

Here is my Top 10 List for Children's Tarot Decks:

* Tarot of The White Cats - The perfect deck for cat lovers of all ages. It follows the traditional RWS symbology. Suitable for younger children.

* The Whimsical Tarot - A brightly coloured fairy tale themed, non-traditional deck. Suitable for younger children.

* The Mystic Faerie Tarot - A great deck and book set for all who love faeries. The deck is suitable for younger children but the book may have to wait as it is written for a grown up audience.

* The Wizards Tarot - Children who love Harry Potter will probably fall in love with this deck. Suitable for tweens and teens.

* The Gummy Bear Tarot - This deck doesn't really have an age limit but is most definitely suitable for young children. It follows traditional RWS symbology and comes in a cute tin that kids will love.

* Manga Tarot - The perfect deck choice for the tween or teen who loves Japanese manga and anime.

* Is your tween or teen a lover of myth and fantasy in general and dragons in particular? Then they'll probably have hours of fun with the Celtic Dragon deck and book set.

* The Tarot of Vampyres - The deck for older kids who love Twilight and Vampire Diaries!

* Steampunk Tarot - another trendy choice for teens. Comes as a set and is now available for pre-order. Get it hot off the press to really impress!

* The Wheel of The Year Tarot is the perfect gift for older kids who are interested in paganism and the pagan wheel of the year.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Sign up for FREE Distant Healing!

The Joy of The Empress In 2012

2012-01-04T21:38:00.000Z

The Tarot Vision Board series continues... Today, I've been searching my soul for what message The Empress might have for me about joy in 2012. The Empress is my Soul Card and the goddess corresponding to The Empress, Venus, is one I have had close ties with for the past three or so years. Praying to Her comes naturally to me...

Most gracious, Venus, I run to Thee! What I most dearly wish for is Thine to grant or withhold in the year to come. Yet I know that no matter what, I will always run to Thee with outstretched arms, Blessed Lady!

"My child, I am with you always. Remember the apple seeds? There were four - no less. You will not have to wait long before your wish is granted. It pleases me that you serve me with such joy and for no other reward than the satisfaction of the beauty of creation. I will grant you your wish because it pleases me."

Anael is the corresponding Archangel for The Empress. As usual , I'm using a card from The Lovers' Tarot for the vision board. The other images are from various magazines.

As I was meditating on The Empress earlier today, I came across this NASA image of a nebula:

Do you see what I see? The Empress giving birth to an entity of pure light... This picture gives me goosebumps every time I look at it, which means I need to pay attention. There are no accidents and it's not by chance I came across this image today of all days....

Thank you, Lady of Love!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Top 10 Modern Tarot Decks

2012-01-04T10:14:00.000Z

Debbie of Two Rivers Tarot set me the challenge of recommending a tarot deck for a client who was looking for something "modern, simple, and elegant." If you know me, you'll know I'm into fantasyscapes, childlike, whimsical, colourful, pretty and dreamlike artwork mostly so it wasn't easy but I came up with a few suggestions and thought to myself that this would make another great Top 10 post for people to disagree with. :) As usual, I want to hear which modern decks are your favourites.

* The first deck that springs to mind with the word 'modern' for me is The Faulkner Tarot, a black and white photographic deck with real life archetypes and symbols.

* A colourful photographic tarot deck is the visually stunning Quantum Tarot - undeniably modern with its space and quantum science theme.

* Moving onto surrealist decks, the Dali Universal Tarot gets top points for elegance but may not be 'modern enough' to some.

* If that's the case, perhaps a more modern surreal deck like the colourful Sakki-Sakki would do?

* Or the playful, almost goofy (i.e. not so elegant) Phantasmagoric Theater - The characters in this deck have strong personalities and I believe anyone who likes Coraline would bond instantly with these guys.

* If you are looking for something ultra modern and stripped to the bare bones, the abstract Rotin Tarot might work for you. This is probably as minimalist as it gets. (Majors only)

* If you like something minimalist but not skeletal that still reminds you of traditional RWS tarot meanings, there is the International Icon - a great non-offensive deck to carry with you for those impromptu readings at Starbucks.

* And if the Thoth deck isn't modern enough for you, there is the Liber T which would sound more modern without the edition of 'Tarot of Stars Eternal.'

* If you like a cartoon look and you want a deck that empowers you as a woman of the world, then you might want to check out the Vanessa Tarot. (again, not what I would class as elegant... but fun and funky!)

* At the opposite end of the spectrum, far far away from anything cartoonish yet oh so modern, we have the Margarete Petersen Tarot - arguably one of the most beautiful decks ever created. The Death card takes my breath away.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

The High Priestess Unveiled

2012-01-03T13:20:00.001Z

This is the third installment (out of 22) in the Tarot Vision Board series. Today I'm trying to get some insights into happiness in 2012 from the High Priestess.

I know that a lot of tarot readers identify with the High Priestess and see themselves in her when she shows up in a reading. I never did. This is odd in a number of ways....
First of all because I wanted to be a woman of the cloth growing up and secondly because I am born on a Monday under the auspice of archangel Gabriel who is the corresponding archangel for The High Priestess.

The corresponding planet is The Moon and all the mysteries of Luna belongs to the placid and secretive High Priestess. She is the Mistress of the mantic arts. What's not to love, right?

Yet she leaves me cold like the back of the moon... I suspect my relationship problems with The High Priestess reflects how I feel about my absentee mother. The robed pale-face sits and does nothing. She is barren and happy to be so. She needs no one. Ohhhhh... Now I see myself in her.

The High Priestess from The Lovers' Tarot

As expected, she didn't say much when we met for a chat. She basically told me to close my eyes and lightly touched my forehead. Images began appearing against a backdrop of velvety night sky. I saw a basket woven of white feathers, delicately holding a pearl. The basket was lowered by invisible hands until it rested firmly against the foundation of my heart. This is what she thinks I need to know in 2012 and what it means cannot be conveyed in words. Yet I know that some of you will 'get it.'

I am amazed to say that tonight was the first time the High Priestess truly touched my heart during meditation. She has gone from being the distant gate keeper of the mysteries to being a magickal source of poetry within my own psyche. And now I understand that this is where she wanted to be all along....

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Top 10 Tarot Decks for Beginners!

2012-01-03T10:34:00.001Z

Are you interested in learning the tarot but confused by the amount of decks available? Perhaps you have read or heard somewhere that the Rider Waite (aka Smith Waite) tarot deck is the deck for beginners but you can't seem to connect with the images...? The reason why the Smith Waite comes so highly recommended is that most beginners books are based on it.

But do you really have to start with this deck?
No, you don't! There are plenty of decks out there that are just as suitable for the beginner tarot reader. Here is a list of links to reviews of decks with clear symbology and illustrated number cards (pips) that will work just as well as the Smith Waite and hopefully you will find one that you resonate with.

My top 10 beginner decks:

Crystal Visions Tarot - a beautiful and rather feminine fantasy type deck
The Morgan Greer Tarot - very like the Smith Waite but very 70's and close-ups
The Hanson Roberts Tarot - also close-ups but softer than the Morgan Greer, child friendly
The Connolly Tarot - bright colours and Christian overtones
The Anna K Tarot - easy to read with, much thanks to the vivid facial expressions
Smith Waite Tarot - Centennial Edition - an antique feeling Smith Waite version, so much nicer than the standard deck. Comes with the 1910 A.E. Waite 'Pictorial Key to the Tarot' which is also available for free online
Gilded Tarot - lively colours, beautiful digital artwork, very easy to read with - two sets to choose from, both with excellent companion books for the beginner
The DruidCraft - the perfect beginner deck for the Pagan/Witch/Druid, the companion book is an excellent introduction to the Tarot
Tarot of a Moon Garden - for those who are in touch with their inner child and like dreamlike fantasyscapes
Pearls of Wisdom Tarot - lots and lots of details, bright colours, a deck that never fails to uplift (the link for where to order this deck needs updating on Aeclectic - you can purchase it HERE)

Happy learning in 2012!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

The Magician's Vision for a Happy 2012

2012-01-02T19:19:00.000Z

This evening, I added the second Major Arcana card to my Tarot Vision Board for 2012, The Magician.

I asked him how I could achieve greater happiness in 2012
and he reminded me to speak my truth as well as to set daily word targets for my writing. He's nudging me to think big, free my mind and not let anyone come between me and my dreams.

He told me that I sometimes forget that a day without magick is a day wasted. I can sprinkle a healthy dose of magick on everything I do and things will go so much better. Then he giggled like the trickster he is and said, 'It's not strange you forget when you can't even remember to do your morning meditation!'

"And no, it's no coincidence that you have problems with your throat from time to time. Your throat chakra is clogged by shoulds and oughts. Laugh more and be less concerned with 'doing right.' Your own true expression is always good enough. Perhaps you would like my assistance as you learn how to make tarot videos? I'm really clever with stuff like that, you know! Are you brave enough to put yourself out there?"

The archangel associated with The Magician and the planet Mercury is Raphael, the Healer.

In my solar return chart (find yours in the extended chart selection on astro.com), Mercury is conjunct Pluto in Capricorn in my 5th House of creativity (Leo energies). So loving this as it totally supports my creative goals. This conjunction is supported by trines from both the Moon and Jupiter. Uranus squaring Mercury might give me (even) shorter than normal attention span though. Either way, Mercury/The Magician is definitely one of my main players in 2012.

Mercury is also the ruler of Virgo which corresponds my Hermit year card.

What is The Magician teaching you about achieving happiness in 2012?

Plenty of space left on my mahoosive board. How is yours coming along?

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

The Fool's Vision for a Happy 2012

2012-01-01T18:07:00.000Z

OK, so I have started my Tarot Vision Board for 2012! At the very centre of my board, I placed a Hermit Christmas card by Jytte Hviid which I totally fell in love with. He's at the centre because he's my guide for 2012 as my personal tarot year card.

First out is the vision of The Fool. I asked him how I could be more happy in 2012 and he reminded me that everything is perfect just as it is... and if you remember to breathe, life is one big adventure! (I'm definitely happier when I remember to do my yogic breath meditation in the morning.)

The archangel associated with The Fool is Lumiel, the starry-browed one.

The planet corresponding to The Fool is Uranus, which is found in Aries in the 9th House in my solar return chart for 2012. This is a visionary and inventive position in the house of higher and spiritual studies. May we all benefit.

What is The Fool's message for you in 2012?Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Create A Tarot Vision Board for 2012!

2012-01-01T16:12:00.000Z

Hope 2012 is getting off to a great start for everyone! This year is a Hermit year for me. To find out which Major Arcana card is your guide for 2012, click HERE.

As I was pondering how to make the most of this year, I was reminded about the Top 5 Regrets "Carpe Diem" Tarot Spread I created a few weeks ago. I believe those regrets are worth keeping in mind for any changes I implement in the next 12 months, especially the one about not choosing to be happy often enough. My main goal is to be the kind of person who chooses happiness at every turn.

In the past, I have created a vision board at the start of the year. I've put pressure on myself, aiming to complete the board in an afternoon... or to do it with the kids as a rainy day project. This year, I'm not going to put such time limits on my vision board.
Instead, I'm going to allow the Majors of the tarot deck to teach me about manifesting more happiness in an organic way.

I'm starting with The Fool today. I have a deck I can use for the board. I intend to place images and quotes that fit with what The Fool teaches me about happiness around the card and then I'll keep going through the rest of the cards in the Major Arcana until my (rather large) vision board is filled up.

Please feel free to join me on this journey of discovery. Some of you may to prefer creating a digital slideshow vision board. How you do it doesn't matter so much as actually doing it. This could change your life... Are you ready?

I'll post The Fool's Vision for 2012 as soon as I've received it. Watch this space!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

A Sneaky Peek at My New Year's Tarot Spread (Video Warning!)

2012-01-01T00:14:00.000Z

Happy New Year! I can hear the fireworks outside my window as I'm typing this. I've just completed the New Year's Eve Tarot Spread for 2012 that I posted yesterday and I thought I'd try something new... A video!

Please bear with me as this is a first. Watching it back, I realise that I have a lot to learn about making videos... Oh well, at least you'll know what I sound like (-ish as I'm tired and have a bit of a sore throat) if you watch this.

This is my first impression of the spread. I'll watch this back to uncover more layers of wisdom as the year progresses. I'll probably watch it back and blush about the general poor quality too :P

No tarot decks were harmed during the filming of this video. The participating decks were the Wild Green Chagallian, the Tarot de Paris and the Anubis Oracle.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

The Essential New Year's Eve Tarot Spread For 2012

2011-12-31T13:25:00.000Z

It is an ancient Swedish Tradition to foretell the future on New Year's Eve. My grandmother who lived just south of the polar circle used to melt lead over the open fire in her cottage and pour it into a glass of cold water. Personally, I prefer using my cards. Also, I wouldn't know where to buy lumps of lead and I don't have an open fire in my flat. It is a great memory though and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

My own personal tradition is to do a 12 Houses Zodiac spread for the year ahead but because my birthday is in January, I will do that on the day of my solar return instead (watch this space!). It will be a pretty huge spread this year since a couple of my friends on in the Tarotholics Anonymous group inspired me to add a dark deck shadow card as well as on oracle deck for each house (thanks Anton and Ashley!).

For this simple six card New Year's Eve tarot spread,
you will need to begin by figuring out your personal tarot year card for 2012. Ideally, you should use the Major Arcana of your tarot year card from a different deck so that you allow for your year card to double up in the spread but this isn't necessary.

In my case, The Hermit is my year card for 2012 so I place him to the right of the spread to remind me to see the whole spread through the lens of the hermit. It's great if you can find out as much as possible about elemental/astrological/planetary correspondences for your year card. For instance, The Hermit corresponds to the zodiac sign of Virgo and the planetary ruler is Mercury. Any cards in the spread carrying those astrological energies will be emphasised.

The six cards of the spread will be laid out in the shape of a pentagram with the sixth card at the centre.

Lay the five Elemental cards out in the following order: Earth, Spirit, Fire, Air, Water. The sixth card is not a regular card - it's an interface card for your interaction with the energies of 2012. The reason for this card is that we cannot ignore the Mayan prophesies. I am not an expert on what they mean for the planet but this central card is a tool for you to find your role in the greater scheme of things. You can use an oracle card for this position if you prefer. I am working with the Anubis oracle to find out how I can best be of service.

The Earth card shows you what will emphasised for you in terms of physical health and financial stability in 2012.
The Spirit card represents your main spiritual lesson. (Here too you can choose to place an oracle card)
The Fire card shows your creativity, fertility, willpower, courage and ambition. This card relates to your work/calling theme for 2012.
The Air card highlights problem solving in the year ahead. Your main communication theme/challenge for 2012 can be seen here.
The Water card represents the sphere of emotions. Your main relationship theme/challenge for 2012 is found here.
The central 'interface card' shows you how you can be of service to humanity in 2012.

I will post my own New Year's reading some time during the first day of 2012. Please feel free to share yours in the comments section below... and for those of you counting down, there are 355 days until the end of the Mayan calendar!

Order your own New Year's reading based on this spread for only £15! Place your order by clicking on the PayPal button below and email me with your date of birth. Offer good through January 2012 only.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-18T10:35:00.000Z

Dear readers,

There will be a blog hiatus over the holidays but I will still be available for readings. Please note that delivery times for email readings may be slightly longer than normal.

Bright Blessings

Lisa

Friday Love Tarot - Top 5 Love Tarot Cards

2011-12-16T10:40:00.007Z

The Lovers from the Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz

Doing a love reading for yourself or a friend and not quite sure what to look for? It's easy to get lost in the many different interpretations for each card, so I decided to put together this Top 5 Love Tarot Cards Guide to simplify your love readings.

Top Soulmate Card: The 6 of Cups. When you meet someone under the auspice of the 6 of Cups you are likely to bond instantly and have the feeling of already knowing this person. That feeling is there for a reason. You have journeyed together in a past life. Look for combinations with the Ace of Cups, Knight of Cups and Wheel of Fortune for incoming soulmates. Soulmate love always promotes growth but can be difficult depending on your karma and may or may not last.

Top New Love Card: The Ace of Cups. In a love reading, the Ace of Cups is the card that tells you to keep your heart open to welcome new love in. Look for combinations with Court cards (also known as 'people cards'), the 2 of Cups, The Lovers and The Knight of Cups. A court card next to the Ace of Cups might tell you a bit about the personality of your new love. If the Court card happens to be the Knight of Cups, you can expect him to fall head over heels in love with you.

Top Great Date Card: The Three of Cups. Communication will flow and joyful emotional bonding should be a doddle. Be warned though, as this card could easily end up with a 'Your place or mine?' scenario. Make your mind up whether or not this would be cool before stepping out and avoid over consumption of alcohol if you want to keep your head clear.

Top Reciprocal Love Cards: 2 of Cups & The Lovers. Look for combinations with The Empress and the Knight of Cups.

Top Commitment Cards: The Hierophant for wedding bells. The Four of Wands for moving in together. The World for lasting love. The Sun and the 10 of Cups for relationship happiness. The 10 of Pentacles for telling your grandchildren about how you first met. Look for combinations with all of the cards mentioned above.

Additional cards you may want to look out for: As usual, the 9 of Cups and The Star signify luck and getting your wish granted.

The Other Knights: The Knight of Pentacles signifies steadfastness and reliability but may be a tad dull. The Knight of Swords will most likely end up hurting you. He may look like your Knight in Shining Armour but he's not able to care deeply for another. The Knight of Wands is often an incurable flirt - fun while it lasts but don't count on him popping the question.

Tarot Love Magick: Just as these cards are the best ones for guiding you on your path to a wonderful love relationship, they are also the best for manifesting true love and relationship happiness. Watch this space for future Tarot Love Magick posts!

Hopefully this key to love readings will help you to quickly get an overview of any main relationship theme but don't get stuck in formulas and always trust your own intuition.

The Secret To Healing With The Tarot - The Healing Key Tarot Spread

2011-12-15T11:12:00.000Z

In her healing classic, You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay lays out a system for diagnosing the underlying spiritual/emotional/psychological reasons for physical ailments. I have referenced this book many times and find it to be accurate in most cases... In other cases, I have found it too simplistic.

Looking at the correlation between the energy of emotions and their physical manifestations, I find that there is more scope for a correct diagnosis if we allow for the full spectrum of possible sources of disease contained within each zodiac sign. Each sign of the zodiac corresponds to a body part as well as
the full range of spiritual and emotional issues connected to the part of the body ruled by that particular sign.

Sometimes it can be very straightforward. Let's say you have a sinus infection (which I happen to have right now). According to Louise Hay, sinus problems are caused by 'irritation to a person.' If I were to pick a card to describe this, I would choose the 2 of Wands, Mars in Aries, where we often see two people engaged in combat/conflict. As it happens, Aries rules the head and therefore the sinuses. Simples.

However, what if the underlying cause goes a bit deeper than that? Could that be possible? Heck yeah! There could be issues of suppressed anger going back to specific events to which Aries issues are only secondary to. This is where the Tarot can show off. Not only are each of the 12 zodiac signed contained within this little deck of cards - the full spectrum of elemental and planetary components are found here.

After many years of contemplating the many uses of Tarot for healing work, I have come up with a Major Arcana core diagnostic spread, The Healing Key Spread, which allows you to look at both the underlying issue as well as the most helpful approach in easing the dis-ease on the emotional and intellectual level (i.e. don't stop taking the medicine your doctor ordered!).

Please note that the Healing Key Spread is not intended to replace traditional medical treatment. It is a self-help tool to help you get to the very core of any underlying issue, in case your gut tells you there might be one. Don't overuse this spread. Not every sniffle is sent as a karmic lesson. I know people who live as if this is the case and I find their approach as less than helpful. You might have come across one or two 'navel gazers' yourself.

Use this spread for ailments that are difficult to cure, that are repeated or where you just know that there is an underlying issue.

This is how to do the HEALING KEY SPREAD:

STEP 1. Separate your Majors out from a full deck or use a Major Arcana deck. Shuffle and randomly pick three cards. Turn the first card over. This card represents the underlying issue. The second card is turned over and placed to the left of the first card. The second card is something you need to avoid right now. The main point of pulling this second card is to sharpen the focus for card three which is the key to your healing. Place the third card to the right of the first card.

Allow both your head and your heart to guide you in your interpretation. It's helpful if you know a bit about astrological correspondences and their health implications. However, you can do this spread guided by your psychic senses alone too. Allow the card images to become portals for your imagination and write down what you access psychically.

STEP 2. This step is helpful in terms of giving you a specific action/step to focus on in the healing process. You will separate out the Minor Arcana cards that relate to the Major healing key you just pulled. Let's say you pulled The Devil. This is Capricorn, so the cards that you will separate out are the 2,3 and 4 of Pentacles as well as the Queen of Pentacles (the Capricorn court card). I'm using the Golden Dawn system of correspondences. Feel free to use a different system that you are more comfortable with. From these four cards you will randomly pick one card.

TIP: You can keep using the full Minor Arcana and just pick the first corresponding card you come across by pulling cards off the top if you feel more comfortable with that.

If you get an Elemental Major such as Judgment (Fire), it could be an indication that the key to your healing is found in balancing the Elements. This is where the contrast between the second and third card comes in extra handy to hone in on what can be done. No Minor card needs to be picked if you get an Elemental Major in the third position.

What if your Major has a planetary correspondence rather than a corresponding zodiac sign? Let's say you pick The Wheel. The Wheel corresponds to Jupiter. If you're the lucky owner of a Thoth deck you will find the symbol of Jupiter in each of the cards corresponding to Jupiterian energies throughout the zodiac.

This is what I got for my very stubborn sinus/ear infection:

The Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz

With the Hierophant as the underlying issue (Taurus, ruled by Venus), the Tower (Mars, ruler of Aries) representing what to avoid and Justice (Libra, also ruled by Venus) representing the key to my healing, it is relatively easy to zoom in on the real underlying issue which has to do with something I don't want to hear about a close relationship that is a source of much frustration. That Venus connects the dots here shows me that there is something I learned (Hierophant) in my younger years about love relationships that is not working.

The most helpful thing I can do is represented by the Libra Queen of Swords. So what would she do?

She would probably detach as much as possible before making her point. She makes sure her heart and mind are aligned before opening her mouth. Life has taught her that sometimes necessary sacrifices have to be made and that now is probably the time to choose what to sacrifice. She will live with the consequences and not cling to childhood dreams of fairy tale romance. She has no need to suppress anything or to close her ears to the truth because she trusts in her own ability to discern right from wrong.

Learn the healing meanings for each of the cards in the 22 Keys To Healing series where the minors associated with each of the major arcana cards are also listed.

7 Questions You Need To Ask Your Tarot Year Card

2011-12-14T14:01:00.000Z

As 2011 draws to a close, it is time to look ahead to what 2012 might have in store.

One way is to prepare for the lessons of your year card in 2012. Below, I will show you how you can do this for yourself by asking 7 basic questions of the spirit of your year card. Please click HERE if you are not sure what a year card is or what year you will be in during 2012.

Personally, I'm coming up to a Hermit year in 2012 so I will ask The Hermit my questions. The other day, I ordered some Tarot Christmas cards from Jytte's Etsy shop. I was thrilled to see the Hermit as Father Christmas and will ask my questions of him rather than a traditional tarot card to keep with the spirit of the season as well as of the archetypal space I'll be navigating in 2012. You can choose your year card from any deck but use a separate deck to pull cards from for each of the 7 questions in case your year card chooses to 'double up.' This week I'm working the Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz so I'll let the faeries help with the questions.

So here are the 7 questions:

What lesson is still lingering from the year gone by? (above The Hermit)
Where did I excel? (to the left of The Hermit)
What do I need to let go of in the new year? (to the right of The Hermit)
What do I need to take with me? (far left in the row below The Hermit)
What will I be introduced to?  (second card in the row below The Hermit)
What do I need to do more of?  (third card in the row below The Hermit)
Where is the support?  (far right in the row below The Hermit)

Click on the image to enlarge it

Hello lovely Santa Hermit, thank you for taking time to answer some of my questions about the year gone by as well as about the year ahead. First of all, I want to know if there are any aspects of last year's Strength lesson still lingering?

The Santa Hermit: Yes, the Knight of Wands shows me that you could do integrating more of the Knight of Wands Leo qualities in terms of passionately pursuing your life purpose - and having fun while doing it.

Yes, I would have to agree with that. So what lesson did I master last year?

You managed to find a vision that firmly set you on your path of service. You raised a lot of Fire and balanced your Elements by doing this. (King of Wands)

What do I need to let go of as I enter your domain?

That tendency to daydream and not ground your vision into reality. (Page of Cups)

What would be useful to take with me?

The new perspective you gained on your strengths and weaknesses... but you will need patience in order to truly develop your strengths. My year is all about going within, just like the Hanged Man energies. I will teach you how to apply and integrate your new perspectives.

What will I be introduced to?

Students. You will begin mentoring people to a higher degree. (Page of Pentacles)

What do I need to do more of?

Take leadership. Be organised. You will learn to manage the Fire Element. This lesson started with your Strength/Leo year. I will teach you how to balance your Fire and to not get burnt out as you follow the path of individually expressed divine will.

Where can I find support?

Where can you not find support? It's everywhere. The world conspires. Expect support. It's there.

Great advice! Thank you so much.

My pleasure. Hohoho!

Another way to prepare for 2012 is through the Zodiac 12 Month Tarot forecast - An in-depth email reading which lets you know the major theme for each area of your life in the year ahead (£30). This also makes an excellent gift for the one you love. Gift vouchers are available HERE.

How to Avoid the Top Five Regrets - The Carpe Diem Tarot Spread

2011-12-13T12:15:00.004Z

Yesterday, a Facebook friend of mine shared a link to a website where a hospice nurse listed the top five regrets people have before they die. The link went viral and it is easy to see why. None of us want to lie on our deathbeds filled with regret.

The top five regrets were:

Not being true to oneself and one's path; living life to please others
Spending too much time at work and missing out on family
Not being open and honest about feelings to keep the peace
Losing touch with friends
Not choosing happiness

So how can we avoid living and dying with hearts burdened by regret? Simply reading the article is extremely thought-provoking and probably kicked some people into gear but some of us might need more guidance. This is where the Tarot comes in. The cards can show you where you are on your journey with regards to each of these five possible regrets, what the current main challenge is and also a specific step you can take to avoid regret.

I created the Carpe Diem tarot spread to use for guidance. It can help you seize the day, find contentment and, hopefully, help you cross over with a light heart knowing that you have fulfilled your potential. This is an important spread and hopefully one you will revisit time and time again. Save it and store it somewhere safe.

I laid the cards out in five groups of three cards each. The three central cards represent being true to oneself: the card to left shows where you are on your journey, the middle card is the challenge and the card to the right is the action you must take now in order to move forward. The group of three cards above deal with the work and home-life balance. The group of cards below deal with suppressed emotions. The group of cards to the left deal with friends and the final group of cards to the right deal with choosing happiness.

I used the Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz for this spread. Apologies for the picture quality. For some reason my camera isn't working today... Mercury retrograde strikes again, methinks. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Rather than interpreting all five groups of card, I will choose one group as an example so you can try this for yourself at home. I picked the happiness group to the far right: 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Pentacles and 6 of Swords

One of the things I love about the Faerie Tarot is how easy it is to read from the illustrations. Even people who know nothing about the tarot should be able to conduct meaningful readings with this deck if they open up to their imagination. When I did the deck interview with this deck, the faeries let me know that this is how they prefer for the cards to be read so I tried to put my preconceived ideas to one side and just look at what the fairies in the images were doing instead.

In the 2 of Pentacles we have a blonde faerie maiden busy gathering the fruits of the harvest. She has a far away look in her eyes, as if she'd rather be doing something else. The challenge, represented by the 3 of Pentacles, shows a little sprite surrounded by ladybirds playing merrily in a field similar to the one in the first card. The challenge is to simply do more of what I enjoy. This doesn't necessarily mean that I should work less (the 3 of Pentacles is very much a work card!) but that I should find more work that I enjoy. An action to take right now is to go on holiday with my beloved. The gods know we need one. Together.

Carpe diem.

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

The Weekly Tarot and Angel Forecast

2011-12-12T10:11:00.001Z

As of this week, I have decided to alternate decks on a weekly basis here on the Tarotize blog. This week, I felt drawn to work with the Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz and since it's Monday, I thought I'd let the fairies tell us a bit about the week ahead. I also pulled an angel card from the Angels of Atlantis Oracle for further spiritual guidance.

The Three of Wands in the Fairie Tarot is no Smith Waite clone. Here we have a little imp straddling a great big frog, ready for his next adventure. The imp is no spring chicken but he has an aura of steely determination and his steed has all the muscle power he needs to propel him forward. The three of wands usually signifies fruitful networking, the next big step in a project after some initial success, moving forward with confidence etc.

However, being mindful of animal lore and symbology, the frog brings in another dimension for me. Frogs are about purification and term easily associated with the Golden Dawn title for this card, i.e. "Virtue." It is important to move forward in a virtuous manner this week and to cast aside anything that pollutes the mind, body or spirit. Moving forward without being spiritually aligned with one's higher purpose will not yield any long term results.

The angel card, Shamael - Serenity, reminds us to find pockets of peace and calm in the days leading up to the seasonal celebrations. Set aside a few minutes every day to realign and to connect with your inner peaceful core in any way you find beneficial, whether it be through yoga, chanting, connecting with your breath or just lighting a kindle while being mindful of the flame.

Wishing all of you an amazing week with lots of fun adventures and peaceful rest. The magick of the yuletide season is very much about both and blessed are those who get the balance right!

"Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand." - Confucius

The Blooming Spread by Arwen

2011-12-10T10:23:00.001Z

Yay! It's Saturday and I had my first sleep-in in ages. Good morning, everyone! This morning I had a request on the Tarotize Facebook page by Krysten, author of the Violet Kitty tarot blog, to use my Swedish Witch Tarot and not long after I found the perfect spread to use it with - The Blooming Spread by Arwen which she shared on her blog not long ago.

But before I lay the cards out I need my first cup of coffee... Trust me - you don't want to read what I write in a pre-caffienated state... BRB!

Ahhhhh... That's better! And now that my brain is working again, I remember that Chloë, author of the Inner Whispers tarot blog, has also posted about this spread. The fact that I couldn't remember this in spite of having commented on that particular post shows precisely how useless my pre-caffienated brain is.

On to the spread!

I decided to lay the cards out in the shape of a flower with six petals:

The centre of the flower represents my own centre and the six petals (beginning with the 5 of Swords and moving clockwise) represent the following five statements:

"Embrace Joy," "Inspire Hope," "Cultivate Love," "Build Intimacy," and "Celebrate Life" - Arwen's own addition to these statements is "Live Authentically"

Getting the 6 of Swords "Vetenskap" (Swedish for science) for my own centre feels apt. I'm detaching and changing directions. I'm not allowing my emotions to hold me back. I'm 'unsticking' myself from all expectations, including my own. I love the image of the little witch on her broom here... Perfect!

The 5 of Swords shows me that I'm possibly not embracing joy at the minute. The card title is "Oro" (Swedish for worry) and it's true that I'm worrying a lot at the minute. Nothing kills joy quicker than worry - there's no denying it. So what am I worrying about? Please don't laugh. I'll be flying soon and as happy as the little witch in the first card looks to be on her broom that's how unhappy I will be about being stuck in a tin can 10,000 feet up in the air. I'm really good at embracing joy when I don't have air travel looming - promise.

So how am I inspiring hope with the 5 of Wands? I'm inspiring people to stand up and fight for their rights. Being spiritual does not equal allowing yourself to be walked all over. I'm slowly learning that standing up for my own rights is OK too. I don't have to be the underdog's champion all my life and never be my own champion. Learning to be my own champion is very cool even if it's scary at times.

Cultivating love is obvious with The Lovers. The main expression/lesson for this is found in my relationship with my other half at the minute. The learning never ceases and the love continues to grow. May it bloom eternally. (I just wish I didn't have to fly away from him so soon.)

The Strength card for building intimacy is purrrrrfect! Her we find the 5th House Leo energies: playfulness, creativity, romance, sexuality... Yes please! I'll be all over this once I've got that pesky flight out of the way!

And who is better at celebrating Life than The Fool? I'm sitting her with a big grin on my face. The Fool tells me that there is no better place than the here and now. Ever. For real. I bet he loves flying too!

Authenticity comes through in the form of the Prince of Coins. If the work I do lacks perseverance I won't be able to keep faith in my path. His message is in stark contrast to The Fool's but absolutely necessary. I need to ground what I do into reality. Not for other people but for myself, in order to be whole.

Thank you, Arwen for creating this lovely spread!

Yule Tarot Spread

2011-12-09T10:37:00.001Z

As we approach the midwinter solstice and the new year, many of us are reflecting on the year gone by. More so than any other year, I have heard people talk about what a hard year this has been and how happy they are to wave it goodbye. On a global level, it's quite clear why so many of us have struggled this year. It has been a pretty horrific year in many ways and there's no denying it. But many of the struggles people have shared with me have been on a personal level and some of the people I have spoken to still struggle with seeing a any light at the end of the tunnel.

Here's a little Yule-tide gift for you - A simple and concise tarot and angel card spread to help you face your challenges and give you hope. I have laid the cards out in the shape of a Christmas Tree. At the bottom of the tree, you see (from left to right) a message each from the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future. The ghost of Christmas Past wants to tell you of the major challenges you have overcome so far or an issue that is still lingering. The ghost of Christmas Present shows you the challenge you are currently facing and the ghost of Christmas future shows you a main theme you will be dealing with in the year ahead.

The two cards above show attitudes and approaches that won't (left) or will (right) work to meet your current challenge and take you to the next level and the star at the top of the tree (angel card) shows you what blessing of grace you can call on from Spirit to see you through the next 12 months.

Centennial Edition PCS Tarot and the Angels of Atlantis Oracle

The reading I did for myself using the Yule Tarot Spread:

Ghost of Christmas Past - 7 of Swords: Coming to terms with the fact that so much of life is 'politics' and choosing to maintain integrity instead of playing the game
Ghost of Christmas Present - Ace of Wands: My reward for choosing to act with inegrity... A free flow of creative energy
Ghost of Christmas Future - The Emperor: My future challenge is to harness the influx of creative energy and give it structure
What won't work - 6 of Pentacles: Doing stuff for free, teaching and not charging, spending more than I earn, poor investments of time, money and energy...
What will work - Knight of Wands: Doing something I believe in and not being afraid to accept any rewards due. Making a name for myself. Having fun and sharing that fun with others. Acting from the heart.

The way I see it, this reading is all about unhiding the light I have hid under a bushel for too long. I'm always encouraging others to follow their dreams and share their gifts with the world. This spread has just told me to unwrap the gift of me and start shining. Yeah, I'll be honest - It scares me. But that's not a valid excuse.

Star: The angel card shows me that I am allowed to enjoy the ecstasy of my creative fire and that I can draw on this for strength and hope at any time... This ecstasy is my true reward - not how my work is received. There are no politics or compromise involved in the creative process - I'm not writing for 'a market'... I'm writing for Spirit. The structure I need to get my work out is generated with my own resources. I am self-reliant, self-employed and moving on along the path of my calling.

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." - Epictetus

"Literature is strewn with the wreckage of those who have minded beyond reason the opinion of others." - Virginia Woolf

"To freely bloom - that is my definition of success." - Gerry Spence

No more excuses.

Now you try it!

An "Alchemy 1977 England Tarot" Celtic Cross Reading

2011-12-07T13:20:00.001Z

The first thing I do when I acquire a new tarot deck in order to bond with it is to look through the cards one by one. Most of the time I find that they are in the right order and with none of the 78/22 cards missing. Luckily, none of the cards were missing in my new Alchemy 1977 England Tarot deck either and I had fun looking through the cards with my youngest daughter. She found several of the images 'really cool.' The plain pips didn't do much for either of us but my daughter seemed to like the dark roses that were used in the Wands/Batons suit number cards.

The second thing I do is to look in the LWB or the companion book (if the deck is part of a set) to see if there are any new spreads to try out. I adore playing around with new spreads and always feel a wee bit short-changed if there is nothing new and original for me to try with a new deck. Since the Alchemy 1977 England Tarot only comes with a multi-lingual LWB, I didn't expect much in terms of original spreads but when I flipped through the LWB while my daughter was at school, I got drawn in to try the Fournier version of the Celtic Cross spread since it suggested laying all the cards in the spread out in a line after reading them in the original positions. This was something I had never tried before!

This is the Celtic Cross diagram from the LWB:

I also decided to use all the suggestions and card interpretations included for this spread, so please beware that this is not my normal reading style... but I do believe in shaking things up every now and again in order to keep my 'psychic flexibility.'

The first instructions were to 'spread the Tarot deck in a quiet room with subdued lighting.' I decided that it was OK to have some soft meditation music playing in the background. Yorkshire in December provides me with naturally subdued lighting even around noon, so I felt fine to go ahead without pulling the blinds shut.

My focus for the reading was 'How do I best wrap this 8/Strength Year up and make the transition into my 9/Hermit Year?' I entered into my Strength year only days after losing baby Willow and days before the break-up with Willow's father.

You probably can't see the first card in the picture below, but I laid the cards out exactly as in the diagram above, using the High Priestess (suggested in the LWB for female querents - male querents are to use The Magician) as my significator card. Normally, I don't use a significator.

What a beautiful spread! Maybe I was just in the right mood for reading with these cards but I did find them very pleasing to the eye. Resting against the rather Gothic dark oak candle holder, is a card showing the card back. It was a randomly picked card but since I don't really believe in 'randomness' I flipped the card over at the end of the reading and discovered none other than Death which felt apt since I am so ready to move on and to embrace the unknown. It is a very beautiful Death card and one of my favourites in the deck:

Rather than boring you with my interpretation of the Celtic Cross which I did pretty much by the LWB card meanings - for a giggle - I thought I would share my summary of the reading based on the row of cards instead.

First comes the High Priestess. She represents my inner wisdom which I sadly ignored during seasons of wild grief which occupied long periods of 2011. But now there is hope again and the challenge is to balance all parts of my physical existence and make sure the output equals the input. Much of the grief was caused by a relationship break-up (Knight of Cups). This Knight accidentally ended up reversed even though the Fournier Celtic Cross doesn't allow for reversals in the position of what is 'beneath the querent.' Then again, there are no accidents. He was topsy turvy for a reason. Oh yes.

Now we move on to the recent past where we find the reversed 3 of Pentacles... scrambling to get my sh*t together work-wise even though what I really need is a holiday. But what's really on my mind is the dream of the restoration of a happy home and the reversed 4 of Wands tells me that it's so close to coming right, I can taste it. However, the Queen of Swords tells me that I am still somewhat unwilling to make certain compromises in the near future. My integrity remains my most precious possession after all the heartache I've been through... and maybe that's a good thing.

The 6 of Wands tells of a fear of failure due to pride (normally I read this card as the main energy expressed through the querent rather than the main fear). The reversed 5 of Wands warns me of conflict and outside influences that do not resonate with my best interests. I hope to free myself of any remaining disillusionment so that I can believe in a brighter tomorrow (8 of Swords), which is sure to come in the form of Temperance turning past hurt and loss into soul alchemy learning.

Elementally, this spread is short on Water/Cups. It's not difficult to see that past negative experiences make it difficult for me to trust completely and to keep my heart open but it's wonderful to see that healing is underway and that I'll be able to end the year on a high.

The Temperance card in this deck is most unusual. It makes me think, "I'm not afraid to show you my bare back - I've sprouted wings and if you try to hurt me, I will simply fly away." In front of her lies a whole ocean and she no longer has anything to fear. The waves can't pull her under any longer.

Laying the cards out in a row was definitely worthwhile and something I will try again with other decks too.

The Five Stages of Grief - A Dialogue With The Cards

2011-12-06T09:38:00.001Z

The five stages of grief do not follow a linear model. Most people who have experienced loss and grief can testify to swinging wildly between stages and even revisiting 'early' stages years down the line.

Coming up to the Christmas holidays, I am reminded of the sad events that occurred around the same time last year. Almost exactly a year ago, I was going for my 12 week dating scan. This was the first pregnancy I had actually been able to enjoy all the way through and my partner and I were both getting excited about finally seeing our little miracle in the scan images.

That scan was the start of three weeks of hell going in and out of hospital (including Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve), waiting for test results, trying to prepare for all eventualities and finally receiving the worst possible news. After the CVS done on Christmas Eve, the doctor phoned up on the 29th and told us that our baby baby girl had Edward's Syndrom (T18), one of the worst genetic disorders known to man and I was faced with the decision of medical termination.

'Luckily', my prayers were answered and the decision was taken out of my hands. On New Year's Eve, a final scan revealed that the baby's heart had stopped and on the 5th of January this year, my angel baby Willow was born sleeping at 15 weeks, on the birthday of my 9 year old.

I sometimes wonder how I survived the following months on my own since my partner left about a week and a half after we lost Willow. One of the best things I did for myself was to focus on physical fitness, forcing myself to go to the gym even when I didn't feel like it... I gradually got stronger in every sense of the word but it was undoubtedly the most difficult period of my life and I sometimes wonder about the long term effects. It seems I still have healing work left to do.

Hence I decided to use the tarot cards for personal reflection about the five stages of grief, picking cards that represent each of the five stages and pulling additional random cards (from a different deck in order to allow for duplicates).

The five stages of grief go under the acronym DABDA and are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I chose one card each from the centennial edition of the Pamela Coleman Smith Tarot:

Denial - 'Everything is/will be fine,' 'This isn't really happening/never really happened': The 7 of Swords
Anger - 'Why me?': 5 of Wands
Bargaining - 'I'll be good if you let me keep my baby'
Depression - 'What's the point of carrying on?': 5 of Cups
Acceptance - 'Instead of fighting, I'll let go': Death

Notice how all the four Elements of the Minor Arcana are present as the process of grief has to seep through all levels of our being: mental, emotional and physical. The ultimate spiritual lesson means embracing change, and is represented by the Major Arcana Death card.

After laying the cards out in a linear fashion, I decided to lay them out in the shape of a cross before adding a randomly chosen card each for the five stages to represent where I am in the process from the Rosetta Tarot.

With all the Air Element cards present it become apparent that I'm intellectualising the grief process at the minute. I'm detaching enough to be able write about it in this blog post so that makes a lot of sense. I feel confident that I have navigated the bargaining space and don't need to revisit it which the Adjustment card testifies to. The main problem areas are 'anger' and 'acceptance'... The anger seems repressed with the 4 of Cups card challenging the 5 of Wands/anger stage.

Death/acceptance is not far off with the 8 of Swords as the main challenge here. I can choose to move on at any time... or as soon as I have given my anger a healthy expression. Choice is also indicated with the 2 of Swords challenging the 5 of Cups/depression stage.

This worked really well for me in terms of getting a feel for the energies I'm actually dealing with regards to the grief process. Tomorrow morning, I have to go back to the hospital where the final scan took place for a check-up. I can thank the tarot for being better prepared but it still won't be easy.

Stalked By A Card

2011-12-03T11:52:00.001Z

Tarotists sometimes talk about being 'stalked' by a tarot card. A card stalks us when it keeps showing up in reading after reading, sometimes even flying out of the deck as we shuffle it.

This will happen again and again until we sit down and figure out what is going on. There is no way around the lesson contained in the message of the card that is stalking us - We have to work our way through it and the sooner we grapple with it, the sooner it will stop stalking us. It's not that we don't know what the card means; we're simply not willing to face it on a deeper level.

To say that the last few months have been hectic is an understatement. I have had to juggle my new business with a complete renovation of my flat as well as lots of other changes in my private life (all good but change is still stressful), so it was no surprise to me when the 2 of Pentacles started showing up in reading after reading - no matter what deck I read with. This card veriefied that I was trying to juggle a lot... Duh! So why would it not leave me alone?

2 of Pentacles from The Golden Tarot

Rather than doing the wise thing, which would be to sit down with the card and meditate on the message after the first three times it made an appearance, I kept ignoring it... That is, until yesterday, when the lovely Ferol Humphrey emailed me. We briefly discussed one of the new decks I had been given by my other half, The Golden Tarot by Kat Black. She mentioned how much she loved the description of the 2 of Pentacles in the LWB that comes with the deck - completely unprovoked, as I had not mentioned being stalked by this card.

There comes a time when you can't ignore a message from Spirit any longer. For me that time is now. I also realised that Spirit had been very kind to me in giving me a nudge through Ferol and that there was no reason I shouldn't pay particular attention to the message in Kat Black's LWB. The latter part of the card meaning in particular stood out to me:

"Tact and diplomacy will see you through difficult times"

This message resonated very much with a word that I looked up in the dictionary the other day - circumspection. As some of you may know, I'm not a native English speaker and I do need to look up words I come across every now and again. I'm now at that stage where I have a fairly good idea about the gist of most English words but sometimes the gist isn't good enough and I believe in looking up every word that bugs me.

I'm ready to heed this message now. I know what it means for me and I'm fairly sure it won't stalk me any more.

Are you being stalked by a card right now? What will it take for you to face the message head on?

Is The Shadowscapes Tarot A Readable Deck?

2011-12-02T13:50:00.001Z

A tarotist friend of mine in the Tarotholics FB group wanted to know if the Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law was 'readable.' Shadowscapes had a large following on the deck creator's website for years before it was finally published and is well known to be a very beautiful deck... but can you actually read with it too? The answer to that is, of course, very subjective but since I was recently gifted the Shadowscapes myself, this question prompted me take her out for spin. Will she sing or whisper to me? Will she take me places? And yes - this deck is most definitely a she.

What I noticed when I looked through the average sized cards is that this is a finely detailed deck in beautiful pastels with shimmering lilac borders. I'm not very visual and because of this, I usually prefer brightly coloured decks that don't overwhelm me with detail, the exception being the Pearls of Wisdom deck by Roxi Sim (bright but very rich in detail) for the simple reason that the images make me happy. It's evident that every single card in the Shadowscapes deck has both beauty and grace. My eyes are drawn to the light in each card and I feel uplifted. Larger sized cards would not only be helpful in order to see more of the details properly but would also allow for greater enjoyment of the artwork.

I decided to randomly try one of the companion book by Barbara Moore and landed on "Will It Last" - A seven card spread that shows you the potential of a relationship.

The top three cards are positions 1-3, the bottom three cards are positions 4-6 and the card to the far right is card position 7.

1. My hope: The Empress
2. His hope: Page of Cups
3. Strength of the Relationship: 4 of Pentacles
4. My fear: 9 of Pentacles
5. His fear: The King of Cups (sorry, the flash is interfering with the card image here)
6. Weakness of the Relationship: 8 of Cups
7. Outcome: The World

And I'm happy to report that this deck is definitely readable. I like to get a feel for the elemental balance in the spread first and like in other spreads I have done about my relationship, there is an abundance of earth and water cards - showing compatibility. I'm a Capricorn with a Pisces Moon. He's Capricorn Rising with a Scorpio Moon. The Fire that used to be out of control in the distant past is nowhere to be seen (no Wands). The conflict and miscommunication which would have been represent by the Swords suit is not anywhere to be seen either.

Comparing the top and bottom rows we see that hopes, fears, strengths and weaknesses mostly revolve around fertility and material stability... The 8 of Cups can be seen as a lingering difficulty with moving through the grief of having lost a baby.

I find that the Shadowscape softly hums its message and although there are no clearly defined words, it's no bother at all discerning the theme of the tune. Very readable indeed.

An Interview With The Rosetta Tarot

2011-12-01T12:15:00.001Z

When I found out there was a new Thoth style deck released, I jumped on the opportunity to get one of the 777 copies. Mine is number 84. Get yours over at www.rosettatarot.com before it's too late!

After looking through the cards one by one, it quickly became clear that this is a deck like no other. It speaks to me because it's a grown up Golden Dawn-themed deck with all the correspondences in 'the right places' (personal opinion, of course) but the artwork has an almost childlike poetic quality to it, which allows for more vulnerability than the classic Thoth deck or the Liber T (a deck I never connected with).

I do love my Thoth deck and it almost feels like I'm welcoming a new member of our little Thoth family with the Rosetta Tarot.

The enigmatic deck creator M.M.M. also included an extra card with my name in hieroglyphs. (see pic below) To get your name card you need to order sharpish as this offer is time limited. And no, I'm not getting a cut of the takings before you ask, I'm just uber excited about this deck and don't want my fellow tarotholics to miss out.

As usual, I'm using FireRaven's New Deck Interview Spread. This is the layout :

****** 5 ****** 6 ******
********** 4 **********
****** 3 ****** 2 ******
********** 1 **********

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
2. What are your strengths as a deck?
3. What are your limits as a deck?
4. What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me?
5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

Jumping straight to the answers:

1. My most important characteristic - The Star (Daughter of the Firmament): I have the ability to bring hope to any situation. I might visit you in dreamtime to help deepen your understanding of the lessons I bring. One day you'll wake up with a great new idea and have no clue where it came from... It's OK - you don't have to thank me ;)

2. My strengths - 10 of Cups (The Lord of Perfected Success): I can bring you emotional fulfillment and also help you let go of things, situations and relationships that no longer benefit you. I'm really great at making people feel good. Some call me a natural empath.

3. My limitations - The Empress (Daughter of the Mighty Ones): I'm as limitless as Nature. I'm not dishing on my shortcomings. Pffft. (Ohhh, a bit temperamental then! A Diva perhaps? That's Ok - We'll get along just fine!)

4. What I'm here to teach you - 9 of Wands (The Lord of Great Strength): If you listen carefully, I can teach you all about sound boundaries and who to trust. I'll be your strength if you let me.

5. How you can best work with me - 4 of Swords (The Lord of Rest From Strife): Please try to approach me when you are in a detached frame of mind. I really don't do stress and chaos. Get some sleep first. Seriously. You will need to engage your brain to get the most out of me.

6. The potential outcome - 6 of Cups (The Lord of Pleasure): Do you think it's a coincidence you feel like you've known me all your life? Think again. We've journeyed together before you and I. I've got your back.

A Reflection of the Tarot Community in the Cards

2011-11-30T13:57:00.001Z

Recent events have made me reflect on the meaning of the word community. I looked online for quotes that illustrated community in a positive sense and the following two are the ones that I really resonated with:

‎"There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community."M. Scott Peck

"Men of integrity, by their very existence, rekindle the belief that as a people we can live above the level of moral squalor. We need that belief; a cynical community is a corrupt community."John W. Gardner

Again, I felt drawn to work with Emily Carding's beautiful Tarot of the Sidhe. Would the cards add any additional insights or confirm what I already knew/felt? I randomly pulled a card each for my three most pressing questions concerning community...

The first card, the Warrior Three (3 of Wands), represents the word community. I can honestly say that this is the card I would have picked if I would have been free to choose a card. The Tarot of the Sidhe strikes again! This is also the card I picked for one of my friends who had been targeted by a bully and the message I got with it was to draw on the strength of her friends from within the community.

The second card represents the current state of the tarot community. Here we find the Dancer Seven (7 of Cups), "Illusion's Depths." The title and the image say it all - No further explanation needed.

My final question was concerning my own actions within the community. Should I take a back seat and stop speaking up? It looks like I'm meant to continue to take a stand with The Warrior of Fire as my answer... I will meditate on how I can do this without completely depleting my own energy reserves.

I must say that working with these images has already had a healing and uplifting effect.

Do you have a sense of community? What is your role in the community?

Meeting The Challenge Of A New Idea

2011-11-29T10:41:00.001Z

This morning, I came across the following quote:

"Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships, that is why good ideas are always initially resisted. Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it." - Hugh Macleod

I find this to be true when I consider all the great ideas I have had myself that just fizzled into nothingness. I had never really considered the potential of a new idea to change the power structure of relationships (including the one with my Self) but it rang true. I tested this theory on an an idea for a creative project I've had for a week or two and my oh my... It made me very determined to not let this one get away from me. When I reread the quote I realised that it breaks down nicely into a four card tarot spread:

Card one shows me the potential of the new idea
Card two (crossing) shows me where the resistance lies
Card three shows me how I can meet this challenge
Card four shows me how the balance will be changed provided I follow through with the idea

These four card positions slot nicely into a standard four card spread which I believe can be used to answer pretty much any question. I decided to try reading about a new idea of mine using the Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr. I also pulled an additional card from the Anubis Oracle (also illustrated by Kris Waldherr) for further spiritual guidance.

The card that represents the potential of this new idea is The Empress. This is my Soul Card and all of a sudden it made so much sense to me why it is so difficult to follow through on creative ideas. The weight of responsibility weighs me down. I need the Emperor energies to help find structure and discipline. There is great potential to create something which nourishes other creatively in turn though and I need to keep my eyes fixed on the desired outcome.

The 6 of Pentacles represents the resistance. Here we have the incredibly abundant and helpful 6 of Pentacles. Ugh. I feel slightly embarrassed now. All the external physical conditions are in place so I have nobody to blame but myself for not moving forward. This clearly represents an exchange of energy, i.e. movement in the inter-relational power balance, which is an almost perfect example for what is expressed in the quote above.

The card that shows me how to meet this challenge is none other than my Personality Card. In the Goddess Tarot this is Gaia. The traditional astrological correspondence is Saturn - discipline. Gaia is telling me to ground the idea into reality and Father Time is telling me to stop wasting my time. Alright guys, you can stop chastising me now... I get the message!

The result card is my favourite card in the whole deck - The Ace of Cups. And after doing this reading I know on a very deep level why this card is my favourite card. It represents why I chose to incarnate this time. If I rise to this challenge, then perhaps (the gods willing), there will be no stopping my creative flow... It will be a fountain of joy that never dries up; an expression of joy and devotion that spreads in the world like rings on water.

For further spiritual guidance I got "Entering the Mystery" from the Anubis Oracle. In this card the Seeker is represented by the White Dove (a symbol often associated with the Ace of Cups). The Goddesses present are Mut, Nephthys and Isis. I feel very blessed and protected by them. According to the companion book by Nicky Scully and Linda Star Wolf, pulling this card means:

"Something new and perhaps surprising is happening in your life, requiring you to take a chance or plunge deeply into the unknown. You have all the support and guidance you need."

I adore how this last card dovetailed with the four cards in the main reading!

"The pain of making the necessary sacrifices always hurts more than you think it's going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creative is one of the most amazing experiences one can have, in this or any other lifetime. If you can pull it off, it's worth it. Even if you don't end up pulling it off, you'll learn many incredible, magical, valuable things. It's NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opportunity- that hurts FAR more than any failure." - Hugh Macleod

Tarot Reversals - And Why I Don't Use Them

2011-11-28T09:26:00.001Z

There can be no doubt that tarot reversals bring another and much needed dimension to the interpretation of the 78 Arcanas of the tarot deck. When I first began serious tarot studies, I was very keen to learn both upright and reversed meanings. Thankfully, it wasn't too long before I got my hands on one of the best Tarot books ever written, i.e. The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals by Mary K. Greer which transformed my (ongoing) learning process of the reversed card meanings.

So how come I stopped using reversed cards in my readings almost entirely? Because I reach for the more subtle meaning of a card when it is reversed, I started to feel as if the cards were visually shouting at me when they were upside down... Kind of like they were in all caps and the other cards were in lower-case. That is when I decided to try if I could start listening to the cards to discern if they were trying to give me their upright or reversed message.

When I stopped reading with reversed cards, I set the intention that the full spectrum of meanings be present and for the cards to whisper their message to me. I do much prefer cards that whisper rather than shout. So far, it is working swimmingly. Also, there is never the worry about the percentage of cards that end up reversed due to chopping and changing the way I mix and shuffle the cards.

This method works for me but I fully understand that it might not be everybody's cup of tea. My top two clairs are clairaudience nd clairsentience, so being in dialogue with the cards often works better for me than looking for visual clues. Also, when it comes to general learning, my auditory sense is by far the strongest. Messages that I have heard stay with me and are more easily integrated.

How we learn and work with the Tarot is very much connected to the functioning of our senses and our clairs so it pays off to be aware of one's strengths and weaknesses. Are you perhaps more of a visual or kinesthetic learner? Find out more and take a test HERE. I would be very surprised if your main learning mode did not relate to your main clair. If you come out as a primarly kinesthetic learner in the VAK test, you will most likely be primarily clairsentient.

I would love to hear from you about how your primary clairs and learning styles relate to your tarot card readings in general and your take on the reversed cards specifically!

Brightest Blessings, Lisa

Order a Holistic Tarot Reading Today!

Taking A Stand Against Bullies in the Tarot Community

2011-11-25T10:20:00.001Z

Dreamer Seven from the Tarot of the Sidhe

This morning, I felt compelled to write an anti-bullying note on Facebook. The reason for writing this note was because I had been alerted by some of my fellow tarotists that a certain member of the community had been bullying other members, not only on Facebook but by, among other things, writing a slanderous eBook with extremely vile and hurtful content. The eBook was loosely veiled as fiction but the person behind it bragged about how it was a character assassination of her enemies on her personal Facebook page. Twisted or what?

There is a tendency to operate on spiritual bypass in the spiritual community when it comes to this sort of thing and the Tarot community is no exception. However, since a couple of my friends had been targeted, I decided to no longer sit by and watch this. How do we deal with bullying, backstabbing and public slander in supposedly spiritual circles? Any school child will tell you the simple answer: we unite along the zero tolerance line.

After writing the note (below), I pulled a card from the Tarot of the Sidhe to see what personal lesson was contained in this experience. I got the Dreamer Seven - Against All Odds. The picture pretty much speaks for itself. Please note the person peaking out from behind the tree... Will she take action and intervene on behalf of the person about to be knifed... or will she do nothing?

Bullying doesn't stop when we leave school and not even people working from home are safe from cyber bullying... In fact, not even people involved in spiritual work are safe from bullies. The latter case is especially problematic because the bully fully counts on not being outed, knowing that spiritual people are very reluctant to get involved in anything remotely resembling slander - sometimes to the point of completely failing to defend themselves as well as to intervene on behalf of friends who are being bullied.

I am here to tell you that to name and shame a bully is not slander - It is Justice. When the bully is careless enough to leave evidence on public websites, we have gone beyond the realm of hearsay or word-against-word scenarios and it is safe for anyone who cares about justice to pitch in to put an end to the bullying.

I am also here to tell you that I am here to intervene on your behalf if you are being bullied. It is something I have done since primary school and what I have recently decided to keep on doing when I found out that some of the best and kindest people I know in the Tarot community were being mercilessly bullied and stalked.

Invoking the Fire of Sekhmet.

Yours in Service,

Lisa

5-Card Love Spread With The Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck

2011-11-24T08:57:00.001Z

After weeks of stress due to having my flat renovated and beginning to feel quite burnt out and demotivated, I was gifted with a beautiful and magickal gift by my other half...The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Set. It feels like Christmas came early this year and my passion for the Tarot has been revived.

Before you ask, I haven't read the beautifully illustrated 'The Artwork & Times of Pamela Coleman Smith' by Stuart R. Kaplan included in the set yet. First thing's first. The antique-looking deck that comes with the set begged me to read with it straight away... and who am I to not oblige in the presence of such epic tarot greatness?

I didn't feel like I could just fling these cards onto any old surface. I got my handmade burgundy velvet reading cloth out for the inauguration of this deck. I also lit a few candles and put some chakra healing music on to set the mood. Believe me, this deck is worth it! The Smith Waite Centennial deck is totally different to your average RWS copy. You can feel the love that has gone into the production of this deck. Respect to the production team.

Oh, and speaking of love - Thank you for including a postcard sized version of The Empress, a.k.a Venus/Goddess of Love... My Soul Card. She got pride of place for overseeing the 5-Card Love Spread that comes with the set (2 further spreads are included).

The 2 of Pentacles represents what I bring to the relationship and the King of Cups represents what he brings. The 9 of Pentacles represents what I desire and the 7 of Cups shows what he desires. The 8 of Cups is the symbol of our union - why we are together, what we can learn and how long we will be together.

I found the final card of the spread particularly striking as the astrological correspondence for the 8 of Cups (Saturn in Pisces) resonates strongly with our composite chart. Rather than providing my own interpretation of what this might mean, I will let you decide for yourself upon reading the A.E. Waite interpretation of the 8 of Cups below. Not straightforward, is it? (Reversals were not used for this spread.)

Elementally, there is great harmony between me and my other half - Earth and Water are wonderful allies. The quint (not including the King of Cups) works out to 8 (Strength) and including the King of Cups with an assigned numerical value of 14 it works out to 4 (The Emperor).

The 2 and 9 of Pentacles are cards that I resonate deeply with at the moment. I even used the 9 of Pentacles (Venus in Virgo) as my profile picture on Facebook recently. Next year is a 9/Hermit personal year for me and I'm beginning to feel the vibe already. The watery cards I pulled for my fiery Aries sun sign partner didn't really surprise me either. Moon in Scorpio. Says it all.

I've decided to include a picture of the card back below for your viewing pleasure. Trust me, this whole reading experience has been a feast for the senses.

Next time I read with this deck, I will light some incense too. Oh yes.

A Lesson from the Prince of Disks

2011-11-22T07:48:00.001Z

The Prince of Disks and the 5 of Disks from the Thoth Tarot

Say what you will about the Taurean Prince of Disks but he does have a steadying influence.

When I pulled him as my card of the day this morning I felt guided to pull en additional card for what message he might have for us and ended up pulling yet another Taurean energy card, the 5 of Disks (Mercury in Taurus), titled "Worry." As you can see, not all Disks (Earth Element) cards bring stability.

The Prince seems to be telling us to put our shoulder to the wheel and work away steadily. If we put our sweat into it, we have no time to worry. Have a plan? Stick to it and just do it! Don't have a plan? Get one and start working towards your goals in a methodical manner. No questioning, no doubting. Just do it. Long term as well as short term goals are needed and setting the alarm to go off an hour earlier won't harm. How badly do you want it and how hard are you willing to work for it?

Need help? Ask. Asking and not getting can be a blessing too though. Then we have to dig deeper and can be really proud of what we achieve.

Mercury and the number five of the 5 of Disks are destabilising influences on the Element of Earth - such as the recession which is forcing a global change. The Prince of Disk helps bring enough stability for us to get on with it in spite of the great financial changes which are occurring right now. Look after the little things and the little things will look after you. Take pride in your work. Add an element of beauty even to the simplest task. You will sleep better for it.

5 of Cups - Transcending Jealousy

2011-11-21T11:42:00.001Z


The 5 of Cups from the Thoth Deck

The Thoth 5 of Cups is much harsher than the Waite Smith version - I felt the Mars in Scorpio sting as soon as I pulled it. I didn't ask the Thoth Tarot for a daily guidance card this morning. I simply asked, "What should I write about?" Naturally, there is a perfectly good reason as to why I should be writing about the lessons contained in the 5 of Cups and there is no escaping the fact that these lessons apply to me personally. I know on a very deep level that this is more than just a daily guidance card. This card relates to the process of individuation and a lesson I need to learn in order to transcend to the next level in all my relationships. It is not a lesson I can master over night but I can meditate on the 5 of Cups in order to keep it in my awareness and thus make speedier progress.

Waite Smith 5 of Cups

It hurts to find out that those you thought were rooting for you, those you called 'friends,' harbour ill will toward you. It hurts to be made to feel rejected and as if you don't fit in. It hurts to know that not every single person on this planet wishes you well but that they instead rejoice when you stumble and fall. As a parent, it hurts even more when you realise that your children are sometimes made to feel this way.

In the Waite Smith version there are three toppled cups but two remain standing. All you have to do is turn around and pick them up. In the Thoth 5 of cups there is no respite from the stinging pain inflicted by traitors, haters and backstabbers.

So what is the 5 of Cups trying to communicate to us? The quote below pretty much sums it up. There is strength and beauty in every single living being but until we stop projecting those qualities onto others as a 'Golden Shadow' rather than striving to cultivate them in ourselves, we will end up both betrayed and disappointed.

"Betrayal is about learning not to idealize external sources." - Linda Talley

When we learn to own our own beauty and goodness, we can stop projecting our golden shadow onto others and transcend jealousy. Jealousy is what makes people rejoice in the misfortune of other people. The best gift we can give our children is to teach them to be truly happy and at peace with who they are.

Schadenfreude is deeply rooted in humanity. When I learn to be happy in my own skin and with what I have, I will have less need for rejoicing in the misfortune of others and I will also become immune to the ill will of others.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." - Dalai Lama

Thoth 6 of Disks - Lunar Exaltation & Tiphereth

2011-11-18T06:25:00.001Z


The 6 of Disks from the Thoth Tarot

The 6 of Disks/Pentacles is the most auspicious of all Minor Arcana cards when it comes to manifesting our wishes. It is most definitely one my favourite cards in any deck (except the Wildwood Tarot where it has the title 'Exploitation'), so I was very pleased when it showed up as my card of the day.

The card title, "Success," is apt since this card is associated with successful manifestation at every turn. Let us take a closer look at why this is.

First of all, the element is Earth - the element of physical manifestation.

Secondly, the Earth is complemented by the watery and magickal Moon which is the planetary correspondence for the 6 of Disks. Earth + Water = Fertility and Abundance.

Thirdly, the Moon is said to be exalted in the sign of Taurus which is the zodiacal correspondence for the 6 of Disks. The Moon's fickle nature is stabilized by the fixed Earth element of Taurus. Also, Taurus is ruled by sensual Venus which is a good match for the Moon.

Finally, for things to grow we need the light of the Sun. This is found through the numerology of the 6 of Disks. All 6's land on the sephira Tiphereth in the Tree of Life. This is the sphere associated with the Sun, beauty and splendour. In Vedic astrology, the Moon is said to be extra exalted at 3° Taurus since this is the degree which corresponds to the Sun's influence.

To show just how successful this combination is, Aleister Crowley, added all the planetary symbols in a circle around a solar disk.

Today I can easily affirm: All things conspire to provide me with success.

Thoth 3 of Cups - Showered in Blessings

2011-11-17T13:14:00.001Z

We have our lives back now that the workmen are done and it feels great! But I am also extremely tired.

How do you celebrate an epic flat renovation when all you want is a date with your pillow? And there is still more sorting out to do. But that can wait. I just need to go find myself first. Right now, I'm so tired that I keep bumping into things as if I placed the outline of my body among the stuff that's still packed away.

Getting the home functional and decked out again is quite an enjoyable process but I have been going at a superhuman speed and I get today's message from the Tarot: C'mon girl, let your hair down and kick your heels back for a while. The work will still be there waiting the next day and you'll be able to tackle it with gusto!

The astrological correspondence for the 3 of Cups is Mercury in Cancer, which is a call to reconnect my mind with how I actually feel and to withdraw for a while if I need to recharge my batteries. I'm communicating with others in caring way and my 'feelers' are on red alert. Naturally quite sensitive, being close to exhaustion easily makes me oversensitive.

The card title 'Abundance' resonates deeply as the renovation of the flat has raised our living standard and thereby our quality of life. Before the renovation we had a bath but no shower. I nearly cried when I had my first shower - A very 3 of Cups moment.