Daily Tarot Card Draw, 17 August 2010: Two of Pentacles (reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 17 August 2010: Two of Pentacles (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Good evening! Tonight, after a hectic, busy day, I pulled the 2 of Pentacles, in the reversed position, from my RWS deck.

The two of Pentacles depicts a man in leggings and a doublet and a tall hat balancing two pentacles, surrounded by an infinity sign. There are waves in the background, with ships on the peaks of the waves.

I did do a bit of delecate balancing today, sneaking around to get co-workers to sign a card, then set up a birthday cake without the recipient knowing. I also chose coffee beans for husband while at the shop today.

I find relating my card to the day I've had to be a lot more challenging than pulling a card in the morning- I also find I'm more likely to pull a card in the morning than in the evening. The other thing I've noticed is that my RWS deck is starting to feel well-used. Compared to my Morgan-Greer deck. which was lightly used when I bought it second hand, or even my Tell-Me Tarot that just doesn't have as many miles on it, my RWS deck has nice, soft edges that aren't so sharp to handle. It is really becoming my tarot deck!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 16 August 2010: Queen of Diamonds

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 16 August 2010: Queen of Diamonds
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Whoops I missed pulling a card yesterday! Oh well, it happens.

This week felt like a week where I need to pull a card at the end of the day instead of in the morning. So here we are, 20 to midnight and I'm pulling my card. I haven't handled or thought much about my gypsy witch cards lately, so that's what my hands fell on to look at for my daily card.

I pulled the Queen of Diamonds, or Number 12 by the Gypsy Witch numbering system. The standard Queen of Diamonds card, pictured in the upper left, shows a card that looks the right way up either way. The queen has a tired expression, and is wearing a wimple. Her robe is very ornate, and it looks like she might be holding a flower in one hand. The Gypsy Witch illustration, buttom right, shows two children, a boy and a girl, playing indoors (either in a very plain house, or possibly in a barn). The girl has her back to the viewer, and she is holding a doll and flower. The boy is facing her (and us) and has both hands stretched out. The caption in the top right reads: "No. 12/Children signify friendly disposition - gentleness".

Interpretation: I don't think that the Gypsy Witch cards lend themselves well to a daily draw, so that makes them a pretty good challenge. I've been thinking about cartomancy since December, that's about 9 months now (!!). I've been reading a lot of threads at the Aeclectic Tarot forums about reading with playing cards, and there's a book that looks good on the subject in the SGR public library. But I'm dragging my feet here- what's the card mean? Well, we had a group visit from a local youth organization at the museum today. We have had some difficulties with the group in visits past and were apprehensive, but it turned out pretty good. Really, we had a lot of young visitors today. A less obtuse interpretation, picking up on the suggestion of "gentleness", when I got home, husband was very frustrated with some feedback he got from his advisor about his work on his writing. I hope that by being gentle and not prickly, I might have helped him a bit to talk it through. It was also a gentle kind of day for interacting with some of our museum visitors and other colleagues, too.

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, 15 (16) August 2010: 8 of Pentacles (rev)

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, 15 (16) August 2010: 8 of Pentacles (rev)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Late to the party! Here's my weekly tarot card, which I pulled on Monday morning instead of Sunday night.

I pulled the 8 of pentacles, in the reversed position, from the Morgan-Greer Tarot deck. It depicts a man hard at work with a chisel and mallet, carving a disc (pentacle) on his work bench. He is surrounded in his work.

I think that the theme of this week will be hard work and specifically practice. I don't necessarily interpret this card to depict the man surrounded by saleable product, but by practice pieces. The past couple of weeks I have been a bit lazy about my (belly) dance practice, and if I'm going to get what I want out of dance then I gotta step it up. I need to get back into a home practice routine. That said I think this week will be a rough one to reinstall a home practice regime, JWP is home and sister is pretty ready to have her baby! I have lots of distractions, which I think is the reversal here.

Stay tuned for a evening daily card in a bit- this week I'm going to try pulling a card at the end of the day and looking back at my day rather than pulling a card in the morning for the day ahead!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 14 August 2010: 9 of Swords

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 14 August 2010: 9 of Swords
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Sorry for the pic, I wasn't at home this morning (we stayed overnight at my in-law's) so I took a quick camera-photo instead.

This morning I got the 9 of Swords from the Morgan-Greer deck (which I've used all week?). The card shows a man's bound fore-arms. There are 9 swords in the air (horizontal). The sky is red and there are trees silhouetted in the background.

Interpretation: I think I'll be so busy at work, that I won't be able to get away from the front end for a single solitary second.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 13 August 2010: 7 of Pentacles

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 13 August 2010: 7 of Pentacles
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Whoah nelly late-night tarot card blogging :) This morning with breakkie (a homemade breakfast sandwich, yum!) I got the 7 of Pentacles in the reversed position from the Morgan-Greer Tarot.

This card depicts a man working in a field with a plethora of pentacles around him. There are mountains in the background.

I didn't get the chance to really interpret my card before my day started, but now that I look back at it, it sums my day up pretty well- I was pretty busy. I worked with a volunteer that I don't know well on a textile piece, I took a lot of calls, got back in CFAMS (artifact cataloguing software) for the first time after a computer snafu a while ago, and stepped out front to assist in the front end a lot. We also saw husband's brother who's just got in from New Zealand via New York via Toronto, so there was a lot going on.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 12 August 2010: 3 of Cups (reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 12 August 2010: 3 of Cups (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Whoops! It's been such a busy day that even though I photographed my card this morning, I didn't get the chance to describe and/or blog it. Anyhow, this morning I pulled a reversed 3 of Cups. It depicts 3 young women with different flowers/greenery in their hair. They are surrounded in leaves, and in front of them on a table, there are 3 golden chalices and a variety of fruit.

Interpretation: I don't really read reversals all the time. I think I had a card that was reversed earlier this week, but I chose to disregard the reversal because I found it very distracting (I'd like to get a good book about reversals. Who knows, maybe I'll pick up some hot reversal tips at the Tarot workshop at Little Mysteries next month). In any event, this card is very similar to that in the RWS deck, but a little more low-energy. I think this refers to a quiet celebration. Husband has finished a very laborious round of edits on his thesis, and has been more upbeat. If I chose to take a lot out of the number 3, then this card could refer to husband's brother being in town, and could show the three of us hang out.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 11 August 2010: 5 of Wands

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 11 August 2010: 5 of Wands
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning, I got the 5 of Wands out of my Morgan-Greer Tarot deck.

The card depicts 5 staffs being smacked around each other by 5 different hands (5 different people). In this deck, you can't see anybody's faces. There are a few hints that they are of different walks of life based on their sleeved arms: one person is wearing a cloak, another a studded gauntlet, etc.

Interpretation: I don't think this is what the card means for me exactly but it always reminds me of makulele which is a stick-fighting aspect of Capoeira. (I love Capoeira, but find it way too hard to do!) This card doesn't look as elegant and choreographed as makulele. It does look very busy, and here I am at work and it's a busy day. I think like the people depicted in this card, I just need to keep a level head today.

Workshop at Little Mysteries

I don't know who I think reads this that wouldn't already know, but I just wanted to put it out there that I am super pumped for a upcoming workshop at Little Mysteries :) On September 28, I'll be attending Pierre Belanger's Introduction to Tarot workshop at the shop. I am pretty excited, there are not a lot of training opportunities in Halifax that I'm aware of and Pierre is a cool guy- he used to contribute to Maritime Noon, my favourite CBC Radio 1 programme, pretty frequently. Last time this workshop ran, it filled up really quickly and I wasn't able to register, so I am delighted to participate this time. He currently reads at Little Mysteries. Check out the facebook page for the workshop, and you can find Pierre's bio (as well as the other readers at Little Mysteries) here.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 10 August 2010: The Moon

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 10 August 2010: The Moon
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This rainy morning, I drew the Moon from my Morgan-Greer Tarot deck.

Description: The Moon depicts two dogs/wolves howling at the full moon, framed between two towers (one square, one rounded). There is a foot path between the two towers, receding into the horizon. In the foreground, a lobster emerges from a body of water.

Interpretation: *shrugg* I couldn't figure it out over breakfast, so I packed a few tarot books with me to take to work and looked it up on the bus on my way in. Eden Gray calls the Moon "the key of sleep and dreams", I hope this means that my dreams will be inspirational or enlightening. The moon card can also divine the concepts of intuition, imagination, deception, bad luck for loved ones. None of these jumped out at me this morning, though I did read for a co-worker a bit with M-G so maybe my reading and using my intuition is what this card was for this morning.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, August 9 2010: Page of Pentacles

Daily Tarot Card Draw, August 9 2010: Page of Pentacles
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning over breakfast, I pulled the Page of Pentacles from my Morgan-Greer Tarot Deck. For a second hand deck, is sure does still have new-deck smell and firm edges :)

Description: This card depicts a young man in a red hat and dark cloak, in profile. The sky is a golden yellow (dusk or dawn?). There is a body of water in the background with a tree and rolling hills (or small mountains). The page is looking ahead to a large pentacle.

Interpretation: As I was sitting to quickly write up this card in my diary at my desk at work while I sipped coffee before the day started, I got a phone call from a local organization looking for a voluntary position for a young man. Alternatively, the lads working in the restoration bay could feature heavily in my day, or most likely, JKP might be my page of pentacles. According to "The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need", this is the card of the student/scholar. This card could refer to JKP and his work on his thesis- his adviser frequently remarks that it is good enough to be published, and as his dissertation reaches the end of its cycle, he is thinking more and more of what to do after it. I think that the page in this card is looking into a pentacle at sun rise, thinking about his future endeavors. Really, this card has made me realize how many Pages of Pentacles there are in my life- one of which I am happily married to. I hope this card means JKP will have a great working day.

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, 8 August 2010: 9 of Wands

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, 8 August 2010: 9 of Wands
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

New Deck! :) Over the weekend, I went to Little Mysteries in downtown Halifax. I picked up two new decks, Brian Froud Faerie's Oracle, and Morgan-Greer Tarot. Both are second hand decks.

So after flipping through the whole deck a few times, I decided to do my weekly card draw from the Morgan-Greer. I pulled the Nine of Wands. It depicts a man dressed in battle armour, holding a staff, surrounded by 8 other staffs. There are mountains in the background against a golden sky.

This 9 of Wands is pretty different looking from the 9 of Wands in the RWS deck and I found it hard to interpret. I googled for Morgan-Greer Tarot and 9 of wands and the first hit was tarotteachings.com's website on the card (http://www.tarotteachings.com/nine-of-wands.html). Some of the key symbols in the card are the man's armour and the mountains, symbolising protection, preparation and strength and triumph and challenge. It looks like I'm going to need to be strong and persistent in the face of a challenge this week- I can't think of anything in particular that I know to be an issue this week, so I'm not really sure what it's all about. I'm curious to see what will happen this week and what Morgan-Greer Tarot has to tell me! Most curious of all, my daily card today was the 8 of Wands from my Tell-Me Tarot deck.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 8 August 2010: Eight of Wands

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 8 August 2010: Eight of Wands
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Happy Sunday everybody! Another outdoor tarot blog pic. This morning during Corrie, I pulled the Eight of Wands out of the Tell-Me Tarot.

Description: On this card there are 8 staffs floating in mid-air. They all have little sprigs of leaves on them. In the background, there is a small village on the horizon near a river or stream. The description reads: "Eight of Wands = Rain of Activity (+) Wishes and desires become reality. Your actions are focused and creative. Now is the time to act."

Interpretation: I think the Tell-Me Tarot is well aware that I have a busy day- Samba in Halifax, dance class in Dartmouth. The river reminds me of how Halifax and Dartmouth are on opposite sides of a body of water. Anyhow, it's a beautiful sunny day and I have to get out the door. Tonight I plan to pull a weekly card before I turn in for the night!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, August 7 2010: Four of Pentacles

Daily Tarot Card Draw, August 7 2010: Four of Pentacles
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Wow, it's hard to take webcam pics outside in the sun! It's a lovely Saturday morning, so I am blogging from my balcony. My apartment's on the front of the building, and people coming in and out the front door are giving me funny looks for sitting out with my computer with CBC radio blaring.

Anyhow, today I drew the Four of Pentacles from the Tell-Me Tarot deck. The card depicts a cloaked man holding 4 coins/pentacles close to his body. He is standing in front of a window in a small room or alcove. Keywords on the Tell-Me Tarot card read: "Four of Pentacles = Attachment (-) You are holding on to the past. Attachment blocks you. Release your fear of losing, so you can progress."

I think I probably do hold on to the past; history and heritage is my trade after all so it's a little bit to do with that. But, that doesn't have a negative connotation like this card holds. More specifically, there were two things that jumped to mind for me. One is that last night while browsing dvd's at HMV, I was telling JKP that there are certain television programs that I simply cannot watch anymore because a former friend whom I am no longer friendly with was really into them. The other thing that popped to mind was that this week I have been excited for Saturday so I can hit up Little Mysteries to pick up a new deck. Maybe Tell-Me is telling me that I shouldn't be that attached to this deck- it might not be there, or maybe there is another deck that is more suitable for me. I am going to approach all of these things with an open mind and without holding on to outdated ideas, so I can move forward unrestricted.

News Story Tarot Reading: "Backyard chicken fight heats up"

I'm going to try reading Tarot about current events and news stories. I find that I don't really follow up on anything when I'm reading for myself, so I don't know how effective my readings are. Of course, one flaw for this is that my "querent" isn't sitting here with me, so they can't hear my prediction and take from it whatever they need to get the result they'd like (of course, I shouldn't be so vain to presume that I'd inspire anybody to do anything!). Anyhow, here goes!

I have selected the CBC Nova Scotia news story "Backyard chicken fight heats up", last updated on Friday, August 6, 2010, 6:08pm. I did this reading at about midnight on August 7, 2010. This news article is about Fred Connors, who is currently fighting HRM city hall over keeping hens in his backyard. A local businessman and advocate for urban farming and buying local, this story has garnered a lot of attention. You can read the story here.

Deck: Tell-Me Tarot
Querent: JGP for Fred Connors
Question: What will come of Fred's Chickens?

..... 1.....
2.....3......4

Card 1: Outcome
Cards 2,3,4: Contributing Factors

Card 1: The Star
Card 2: 5 of Swords
Card 3: 6 of Swords
Card 4: The Hanged Man

When I drew these cards, they were all reversed. However, the Tell-Me Tarot Deck, which can read more like an oracle than a Tarot deck due to the keywords printed on the back, I decided to flip them all around rather than put a lot of thought into the reversals.

I see a favourable ruling for Fred and his chicken dilemma (card 1, the Star). I think that despite conflict with HRM council (card 2, 5 of Swords) the community and his supporters will rally around him (card 3). All he has to do is trust in his resources and supporters and let them help him (card 4).

The next card in the deck was the Nine of Wands, and the card on the bottom of the deck was the Queen of Pentacles (reversed). (I can't help but check!)

Anyhow, you heard it here first! Fred's chickens are here to STAY.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, Aug 6 2010: The Empress

Daily Tarot Card Draw, Aug 6 2010: The Empress
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning as I sat with my green tea and poppyseed bagel, I drew the Empress from my Rider-Waite Tarot. For reasons that I've expressed in past writeups, I don't 100% relate to this deck, but I've felt very compelled to work with it this week.

Anyhow, The Empress. The card depicts a lady in a flowing gown decorated with pomegranates (yum) and what looks to me to be a crown made of flowers. She is lounging on some luxurious pillows in a field, with trees and a stream behind her.

I got two reads on this:

I'm sure The Empress is my sister, who is expecting. Earlier this week, she had occasion to be in hospital (false alarm) and that day I got "The Empress", "The Star" every time I picked up my deck. I think sister is ready to have her baby.

I'm also wondering if The Empress is me, but not for baby reasons, just general lady reasons. I've been growing out my hair and wearing jewelery again for the first time in a long time. Heck, I'm wearing a skirt today. I wonder if The Empress represents my renewal in a more lady-like wardrobe.

Happy Friday everybody!

Daily Tarot Card, Aug 5 2010: Wheel of Fortune

Daily Tarot Card, Aug 5 2010: Wheel of Fortune
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning I took some time to get back into photo blogging my daily Tarot Card Draw. If I'm honest, I haven't drawn cards very regularly the past couple of months. That said this week I've been working with the cards a lot, inspired by some reading that my sister-in-law and I did on the weekend. This week I've done a lot of shuffling, and have been looking at the minor arcana. I hope to soon move on to the court cards, and I think once I'm past my court card block, I'll enjoy the cards a lot more- I am also considering a new deck (Morgan Greer or Robin Wood, would like to go to Little Mysteries and handle them both first).

This morning I pulled the wheel of fortune. Though it's only Thursday I feel this card actually sums up my week so far pretty good, the boss lady is away so we have all been taking initiative to keep everything on the rails to a variety of results*. I also think that the beasts in the corners, all reading, show my Tarot study from this week, and my belly dance class homework :)

*After I put my summary up and put this up to facebook already so sister-in-law could see, I realized that I didn't really speak to why it sums up my work week very well- I think the quantity of different figures/beasts could show all of us at work (I haven't assigned co-workers to any of them in particular, their variety eludes to the variety of experience and positions we hold, I think, and like us, they are hard at work) and since we're all working a little bit on things that don't usually have our attention, we're all doing a sort of balancing act like the sworded sphynx on top of the wheel of fortune. There now! That's a better write-up!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, March 25 2010: 8 of Pentacles (reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, March 25 2010: 8 of Pentacles (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Yesterday morning, I drew the 8 of Pentacles in the reversed position. (Full disclosure: I had a crazy day today and skipped pulling a card at all, let alone blogging it! Sorry!)

In the 8 of Pentacles we see a man with a lot of his work surrounding him, and he is still working on another piece. Regardless of the reversal, I think the image Pamela has depicted in this card completely and utterly describes my day on the 25th. I worked fastidiously on tax receipts (it's that time of year again!) and helped my boss put together a document that was highly time-sensitive and we worked right until the very second we needed to submit it. I strongly identified with the figure depicted in the card yesterday, so I was quite appreciative of my later social outing last night (went to see Shutter Island with a friend) and enjoyed a well-deserved day-off today (even if it did start in the dentist's chair- eep!).

Hopefully I will get back "on" with my daily draws during or after the weekend, I've been not leaving for work so early (what do I have to go early for anyway?) so I find I have time to sit down with my tea and pull a card, and to photograph them. Hopefully I can start blogging them in a more timely way.

Daily Tarot Card draw, March 24 2010: Death (reversed), Tell-Me Tarot

Daily Tarot Card draw, March 24 2010: Death (reversed), Tell-Me Tarot
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Oh man, I kind of look like death today!

I've gotten the death card before, and the divinatory meaning eludes to the end of cycles so new cycles can begin. I can't think back to much that happened yesterday that fits that bill:

I was late for work because of the bus system in Halifax (how nice it must be to not *have* to do your duties as expected!). I did some tidying up, and artefact handling, and spoke to a donor and that conversation ended in us agreeing to disagree (long story). After lunch, I measured up around some planes for a barrier system, and my friend A.D. came in to start volunteering- she's helping me carve foam disc mannequins for display (she's previously worked a lot in foam building wacky mascot costumes for sports teams etc). After that, we went to dance class and she came over for supper and a tarot card reading (my birthday gift to her- happy birthday!). The readings were surprisingly heavy.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 23 March 2010: The Emperor

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 23 March 2010: The Emperor
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Yesterday, I pulled the Emperor as my daily card. Before I consult a book or online to see what it means, let's go over my day yesterday:

I was working in my customer-facing position at work (as opposed to working in my behind-the-scenes role). It was fairly quiet and I got a lot done. Towards the end of the day, I had some difficult visitors who were hard to get to leave at closing time (a group of girls who had been in earlier and were now back to look for something they'd lost). This was very distressing for me, as I had to take the bus home and had somewhere to be at a certain time. I barely made my bus, then barely made it on time for my appointment- a concert at the CBC featuring my favorite ukulele player. The concert was amazing, husband and I had a great time. By the time we left, we were hungry (no time to eat supper before the concert) and picked up takeaway on our way home. Then I talked to my friend A.D. who is going to be volunteering at the museum today.

According to Aeclectic Tarot, the Emperor eludes to matters of control. Was I the Emperor yesterday? I had to take a firm hand with our younger visitors to eject them in a timely manner (I'm not a very big lady, so teenagers and big kids don't necessarily see me as an authority figure). Or was time and the bus system in Halifax the Emperor? It was very acutely in control of my life from 5:00 when I left work to 7:00 when the concert started. I also wonder if the artist last night, James Hill, was the Emperor because of his fantastic command of the ukulele.

Numerology Past, Present, and Future Spread

I was looking around on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum for a couple of good birthday spreads (it's a good friend of mine's birthday this week, and I want to try a few cool birthday-specific spreads for her) and this one, Numerology Past, Present, and Future, popped up because the word "birthday" is mentioned in the thread. It looked neat, and I don't know a lot about numerology, so I thought I would give it a try.


Click any pic in this blog post to check it out on Flickr to get a larger photo.

My birthday, 24 July 83, breaks down to some big numbers- my past section has 6 cards, my present has 7, and the future has 3.

Past

Emperor (reversed), 9 of Swords (reversed), 9 of Cups, 2 of Swords, 6 of Pentacles (reversed), Page of Swords

For me, the past was the most difficult of this spread. I don't want to break down every card in this blog post in great detail, but what I see here is my past desires to be successful, but not too successful. For example, I didn't want to fail any classes in school, but I didn't want to be too good at anything, either. I always self-evaluated myself harshly, and wouldn't fight it if, say, a teacher obviously made an error marking a project or test or quiz. I also see in this part of the spread being stuck between a rock and a hard place when my two closest friends in school had a monumental falling out- I tried very hard not to take either's side, for a number of reasons, including self preservation- and I also see that I wasn't able to really be a good friend to either of them because of this, but I also see success and contentment (of course, nobody's life is all doom and gloom! I accomplished some cool stuff in high school- I challenged for credit to have more art on my high school transcript, and I'm proud of the way my graduation solo was in ballet, stuff like that). The Page (of swords) solidifies for me that what I am to read from this spread is my time spent in school.

Present

In the present portion of this spread, I see a lot about work and my family. I think that the Empress is obviously my sister's pregnancy. The 2 of Wands picks up on the fact I actually am on staff at work for two different positions, and the 8 of Pentacles is an indicator that one of those positions (the one that I feel is more in line with my career path) is very laborious. I also see some of my workplace conflicts in the cards, and a hold-over of my self-depreciation.

Future

The future's a pretty short bit of this spread because of the way the numerology worked out, huh? Interestingly, all the cards in this bit are reversals and this is the second time I've seen one of these cards (the Ace of Wands from the Tell-Me deck was my daily tarot card today). Basically, I see a lot of delays in my (and my husband's) immediate future. We are yet to settle into our careers as my husband contines to work on his PhD, the 'old guys' at work will continue to fight me as I try to do modern things at work like digital media, and I will continue to neglect personal creative projects, like I usually do.

I thought this was an interesting spread, I was at first daunted by the sheer amount of cards in front of me (16 cards!!!) but it was worth the effort to do it. I wish I knew more about numerology, I can notice patterns but can't figure out what to do about them when they turn up in my spreads. All in all, a rewarding and fairly relevant spread to work with. I'd do it again, and will probably suggest it for my friend for her birthday!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 22 March 2010: Ace of Wands (Reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 22 March 2010: Ace of Wands (Reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This *afternoon* (I had the day off and I've only just started my day after 1, eeep!), I pulled my daily card from the Tell-Me Tarot. I got the reversed Ace of Wands.

This is, without a doubt, the silliest card in the Tell-Me Tarot- I won't tell you what it looks like as you can probably all figure that out for yourselves! The description on the card reads: "Ace of Wands = Action (+)/This is an excellent time to act. Be creative. Let your enthusiasm take you to new horizons and heights."

So what happened today? I had the day off. My husband and I walked downtown, and hit the library and our favourite coffee shop where we had the most ridiculous and delicious croissant. We came home, I watched tv and read a bit, we watched a movie, I went for a run, and cooked supper. This evening, I've been half-heartedly watching Dancing with the Stars (like I said on facebook- in grade 5, I had no. idea. that my hero Buzz Aldrin would be on a reality tv show for ballroom dancing) and did a new tarot card spread.

So what do I think this card meant for me? I'm not sure. I don't think my day holds true to Eden Gray's suggestion of false starts for a reversed wand. All I know is that in this deck this card looks absolutely silly.

Weekly Tarot Card, 21 March 2010: King of Pentacles (reversed)

Weekly Tarot Card, 21 March 2010: King of Pentacles (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Thanks for all your patience while I've been lazy, internets! Plz to be enjoying my weekly tarot card draw post :)

This is kinda funny, because it's the second time I've got the King of Pentacles this weekend- I also pulled it as my daily card (from my RWS deck) and a 9 of Pentacles on Saturday. My father-in-law is a banker, and is taking a trip soon- I think that this week is going to be all about his trip.

Friday Fun Tarot Draw, Daily Tarot Card Draw: 19 March 2010. No. 24/King of Hearts, Gypsy Witch

Friday Fun Tarot Draw, Daily Tarot Card Draw: 19 March 2010. No. 24/King of Hearts, Gypsy Witch
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Sorry I fell off the Tarot wagon girls and boys! I've had a trying couple of weeks- I haven't updated the blog since the 2nd? Ugh!

Anyhow, I recently picked up a deck of Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards from eBay. This was inspired by my mother in law, who, when I first got interested in Tarot, told me that her family in Cape Breton used to read playing cards (because where would Cape Bretoners when she was young even *get* Tarot cards? Which is a fair question I suppose!). It's a standard deck of playing cards with secondary images and a description with the card's divinatory meanings. I I have a book out from the library about reading playing cards, but I haven't read it yet, favouring Mary Greer's 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card and Back in Time Tarot (author un-remembered right at the minute).

Anyhow, this morning I did my daily draw from the Gypsy Witch deck for a change of pace. I pulled No. 24, which is on the King of Hearts. It shows a picture of a man and woman holding or shaking hands. The descriptor reads "Hand in hand indicates confiding disposition; when in close proximity to 38, 39, 42 or 47, friendship will warm into love. When near 45, favour will be found with superiors, near 48, financial success." (In the interest of seeking out what this card is near, the next card in my deck is 44, and the card under that is *42*! I guess I will have an amorous friend?)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 2 March 2010: Temperance (reversed)

AM: In Temperance, we see an angelic figure with a halo in a robe pouring water from one chalice to another. The figure is at the edge of a body of water, and there are wetland flowers and greenery nearby. In the viewer's left is a path leading to some mountains, and the sun is rising or setting (I say rising).

PM: My day today, hmm. Productive but not productive. Frustrating but rewarding. I am having difficulty arranging interviews for a AV project being done for us by a local college student. I am feeling harassed by a museum "user" or "patron". After work, I went for a run and it was amazing, but now I'm a little tender.

Interpretation: The Only Tarot Book agrees with me, the sun is rising :) Temperance is all about balance and patience. In the reverse position, as I drew it today, Temperence suggests that things are stalled and will be sorted with patience. I don't mind being patient for the AV project because that's going to be awesome when it all sorts out- but I don't want to have patience with the museum user I feel in conflict with. The Only Tarot Book suggests that I need to "temper inner extremes that throw you out of balance." That's pretty good advice no matter what's going on. Maybe I should do some sun salutations to keep me mellow.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, March 1: The World

Monday morning, I drew The World- what a way to start the month and the working week!

AM: The World depicts a nude, female figure, partially covered with a flowing shawl, encircled by a garland. She holds a baton in each hand (they are vertical). The garland is bound at the top and the bottom with red bindings that resemble the symbol of infinity. In the corners of the card are the heads of a man, eagle, oxen, and lion. I suspect they are meant to elude to the 4 elements.

PM: Monday was actually a pretty cool day at work- we caught of glimpse of the Canadian Forces new helicopter, the Cyclone, as base personnel towed it 'down the hill' to the lower base for ship trials. I found the rest of a donation that I had been searching for for a couple of days now. I went home at the end of the day and spent some quality time with my husband.

Interpretation: The World, Card number 21, is the last card in the Major Arcana. According to The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need, The World represents balance and a feeling of complete-ness (my paraphrasing) spiritually, and the ending of The Fool's journey (I only pulled the fool on February 26, so it's hard to think I've gone the whole way through the Major Arcana since then, ha!). More practically, I think I knew deep down inside that I would find the rest of that donation. I was also looking forward to just chilling out and relaxing and giggling with my husband that evening.

Eowyn's Full Moon Spread

The 28th of February, as you may know, was a full moon. I handle my cards every day doing daily single-card readings, but I don't do a lot of spreads, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something a little different. Over at the Aeclectic Tarot Forum, Eowyn posted her Full Moon spread. You can check out the thread at the forum here. I decided to use my Tell-Me Tarot deck- I had used RWS all week for my daily and weekly single card readings.

From the Thread:

This one, the Full Moon Spread, should be done whether commencing the First Quarter, during Waxing Gibbous or on Full Moon Night of course. ***3*** ***2*** ***1*** ***0*** 1.- What can be seen with clarity, so bright that can even blind you. 2.- What gets completed. What closes a cycle. 3.- What begins to fade away, to darken, to abandon you... or what needs to be. 0.- Yourself. Shadow card, from the base of the deck.

Here's what I drew*:

1.- Five of Cups
2.- Two of Pentacles
3.- Knight of Swords
0.- The Empress

1.- Five of Cups. From the bottom of the Tell-Me Tarot Card: "You feel depressed as you focus on the negative. Recognize the positive aspects and you will feel better." I thought this card made a lot of sense- I am very preoccupied with money this month. I have a few less days than I usually get. But really there is no reason to get that bent out of shape over this. There's enough cash to pay the bills. I don't need any more than that- my husband loves me, my friends are great, and it's getting warmer. And I got my bike back out of storage! I will be so busy this month I won't have time to notice that "I'm poor".

2.- Two of Pentacles. From the Tell-Me Tarot Card: "You are indecisive and have difficulty making commitments. Decide and commit in order to find fulfillment." This card to me is less immediately apparent. There's obviously something I need to make a solid decision about but right now, I don't know what this is.

3.- Knight of Swords. From the Tell-Me Tarot Card: "You are confident and courageous but move too fast. Slow down. Enjoy getting there as much as being there." At the time I did this reading, I interpreted this as a general need to stop rushing, or perhaps I will be rushed by somebody else. As of this evening, I'm wondering if this is to do with my running- I've been following a training programme but due to some really adverse weather (not just a bit of rain or wind or snow- the roof came off my drum group's practice space!) I've fallen off the turnip truck a bit. Today I got back on track and ran for 25 minutes with no walk break. I felt very accomplished but now, about 2 hours later, I'm tender. I think that "what needs to be" is that I need to slow down. I'm pretty poor at pacing and I think my Tell-Me Tarot Deck knows it!

0.- The Empress. From the Tell-Me Tarot Card: "Abundane, prosperity and success in response to your inquiry. Fertility and possibility for a pregnancy." I'm hoping that this card in this position means that this part of the lunar cycle is going to be OK for me and I'll have some general success. I also wonder if it might be that I will learn some more info about my sister's pregnancy, which she recently revealed to me.

So! What needs to be seen with clarity is that any percieved woes are pretty minor. What gets completed is that I will make some sort of decision or commitment. What needs to be is I need to slow down (literally). My shadow card is the Empress, which overall indicates either some successes or that I'll learn something further about my sister's pregnancy.

All in all, I really liked this spread. I look forward to trying out Eowyn's New Moon spread when that rolls around too!


*I decided not to read reversals for this reading. I was more interested in generally trying to make connections between what I saw in the cards, and thought it would just be an extra layer of complicated and full moons are crazy enough without reversals ;)

Weekly Tarot Card Draw: Feb 28, 2010 - 4 of Cups (reversed)

Weekly Tarot Card Draw: Feb 28, 2010 - 4 of Cups (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

It's getting late, but there's still enough time for one last card tonight. I've done a lot of tarot reading today, actually. I visited with friends today- childhood friends- and we read tarot cards and drank tea. We had a great time. I read for AD and LD, and AD read for me (I asked her if I was bonding well with my RWS deck and she read yes, but be careful, but have fun, but still be careful).

So this week, I should keep in mind the 4 of Cups (reversed). In this card, there is a man sitting under a tree, possibly meditating- he makes me think of Buddha under the Bodhi tree- and there are 3 cups on the ground in front of him. A hand floating in the air by a cloud is either bringing him another cup, or taking it away, I can't tell for sure. The sky is clear and blue.

All right! In a week, I'm going to check in with this card again, before I draw my next weekly card, to see how this card relates to the week I'm about to have.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 28 February 2010: King of Swords (rev)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 28 February 2010: King of Swords (rev)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

AM: In the King of Swords, I see a man- a king- seated in a throne, holding a sword upright. He is wearing a tunic and a cloak, and his crown is veilled. There is a clear blue sky in the background with only a few clouds, there are a few birds in the sky, and the landscape is sparse.

PM: Today, I got up and watched Coronation Street. I had a hard time getting the hubby out of bed to go run errands with mother-in-law. We did a big grocery run, then we went for coffee with MIL and SIL and nephew. We came home, and the hockey game was on. I went to visit with friends (and we gossiped and drank tea and read tarot cards). Before I knew it, it was nearly 11:00!

Interpretation: I'm stumped. I can't pull anything out of the imagery of the card, so I'm going to refer to some material. Let's see what Wilma Carroll's 2-Hour Tarot Tutor has to say (I only have it a few more days before it really has to go back to the library). Wilma gives me a list of people in professions that the card could indicate, doctor, lawyer, etc. Also an insensitive man. I'm not digging it. I don't really like interpreting court cards, still. Perhaps I need to consult at Aeclectic Tarot forum or something for more ideas.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 27, 2010: 8 of Cups (reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 27, 2010: 8 of Cups (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

AM: This morning afer my run, I pulled the 8 of Cups, reversed. My visual description of the card is that I see a figure (can't tell if it's a man or a woman) crossing a difficult, coastal terrain (kind of like by the wharf in my hometown where we used to play when we were kids). It's night time. It looks like the figure could be sneaking away (I say this because the figure has their back to us, and to the cups in the foreground).

PM: Today I got up and went for a run. I had a pretty healthy lunch, then went to the library to pick up some books. I took the ferry to downtown Halifax, and went to drum group practice. When I got there, I found out that our practice space was damaged in the storm. We decided to practice anyway, until we got kicked out by the lady in charge of the facility. I met my husband, we did some shopping, went for supper, then came home.

Interpretation: The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need tells me that my reversed 8 of Cups means I'm trying to escape from my problems without facing them. It warns that I really ought to give it all a second chance, and if I split without doing that, I could regret it. I'm not really sure what this means to me right now. When I was writing up my day, one thing that struck me as kind of funny was that there's a lot of water depicted in the card, and somebody travelling over it, and I took the ferry today. I don't think that I've experienced what this card is meant for today- so I'm going to keep an open mind over the next couple of days to see what it could mean.

In other news, I've finished up with 2 Hour Tarot Tutor, so today, I went to the library and picked up a few new tarot books to flick through- so soon, I'll post my impressions of 2 Hour Tarot Tutor, and as I get one with these books, I'll post about them, too. I picked up "Fortune Telling with Playing Cards" by Jonathan Dee, "The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present" by Janet Boyer, "21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card" by Mary K. Greer, and a novel called "Little, Big" by John Crowley, as recommended by a thread in the Aeclectic Tarot Forum.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 26 February: The Fool (reversed)

This morning, I drew the Fool from my RWS deck. I'm still following my tarot blogging template from the Tarot Connection #71 (check yesterday's post for further details). Basically, in the morning, I pull a card and describe it, in the evening I write about my day (like a regular journal) then I check a LWB or other document about tarot to tie it all together.

AM: The Fool depicts a young person, with no home, obligations, on a vast journey. The Fool doesn't notice the dog warning him that he is about to walk off the edge of a cliff. To me, it looks like he's holding a Yorkshire rose delicately in his fingertips.

PM: My day today- pretty typical. We are experiencing a pretty yucky rainy windstorm in Nova Scotia today, and it was very cold at work- I found myself trying to find things to do in other parts of the museum to keep warm, because the part of the facility where my office is kept is cold like whoah. I left work early for an appointment at the bank (they now know my married name- so exciting!). Then I came home and had tex mex for supper with my darling husband. We are now listening to Queen and watching Olympic culing (women's).

Interpretation: Today, I'll be using "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" by Eden Gray. A classic, it's novel-sized, and therefore easy to transport, and was recommended by a friend when he saw on my facebook that I'm learning to read. Let's see what Eden Gray has to say about The Fool in the reversed position.

Well, Eden Gray says a lot of things- this is the first time that I've cracked open this book, actually (I had a library book I wanted to finish first). Gray goes to great lengths to describe the card, and she's pointed out a lot of things that I noticed too (though she calls the rose simply a white rose- I guess I'm projecting my time spent in England onto the Fool). She also points out things I didn't see, like the fact that the Fool's hobo bundle is more of a purse of bag with an emblem of an eagle (I would have said it looks more like a stag!). Gray's divinatory meaning section is quite small, and says a lot of the same old stuff about the Fool, like how the Fool is a dreamer, and how he has the desire to accomplish a great goal but must be careful to make the right choice. In the reverse, the Fool means indiscretion, thoughtlessness, and making the wrong decision.

Hmm! I've definitely had my head in the clouds lately; I'm very preoccupied with money (earlier in the week, my Ace of Pentacles was actually more of a bad omen). I'm short 4 days of my contact this month as I've already worked and been paid for them earlier in the year, I hadn't realized I'd done that much overtime and now this month, I will monetarily suffer for it. I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how to make up the difference and I have a couple of aces up my sleeve, I hope. Maybe my drawing of the Fool, at what is the end of my work week and month (though not the calendar month *yet*) means I have to think carefully and keep my eyes open so I don't do something stupid.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 25 February 2010: 4 of Swords (reversed)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 25 February 2010: 4 of Swords (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

I was listening to a back-episode of the Tarot Connection podcast, #71, "Tarot for Writers". I think I might try to do what the guest said to do in the interview- examine the card, journal that, then at the end of the day, write what happened through the day, then check the little white book (or whatever). So let's do that!

AM: In the 4 of swords, I see a tomb (in a church or cathedral) with a sculpture of the deceased person on the lid. 3 swords are displayed over the tomb/figure, and one lies horizontally with the remains of the person, on the side of the tomb itself and below the sculpture. It is a peaceful scene and it looks to be daytime.

PM: Let's see. Boss was still out sick and it was pretty nutty when I got to work- there were a lot of guys from 'the base' in installing radon detectors (!!!) and HOBO dataloggers for temperature or humidity changes or something (I know why I would use one, I haven't a clue why DND would). I did some paperwork, submitted some paperwork, and assisted a unsavoury character in the gift shop. I went to belly dance class, and my former roomie AM wasn't there (we take classes together) as she was ill. Then I came home and hung out with hubby. I have had a terrible headache since this afternoon.

Interpretation (with help of LWB or other document): I picked up my trust ol' The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need, and of the 4 of Swords, it says that the 4 of Swords is a period of rest after the sorrow of the 3 of Swords (as you may know that's a pretty grim looking card). It represents rest and recuperation and introspective and solitary examination of your problems. It goes on to say that reversed, it means I'm not giving myself the rest I need, and I'll make myself sick if I don't take some downtime.

So how's that all go together? Maybe my headache is indicative of my not taking the rest I need (I'm not going to get it soon- it's already past 11 at night, and tomorrow I have to get up early and shift my working patterns by an hour). Or maybe the card is actually for AM who wisely stayed home tonight- she is suffering with a terrible ear infection and generally feels run down.

3-Card Reading for G.P.

Maybe I should stop bringing my Tarot cards with me to work, my co-workers might be a little too into it! ;) I did a series of 3-card readings for G.P., who works out front in the gift shop. I keep a paper record of most my readings, but I'm only going to post one here because I think its of the most interest to anybody else- the other two, one is about issues of health (I know, I know... we didn't read for a diagnosis, just to know if she would find out from her doctor anytime soon), and the other is about a house sale.

Question: Could (G.P.'s son) see dead people when he was a little kid?
Date: 24 February 2010 Deck: Rider-Waite Tarot

Weird question, huh? I'll elaborate a bit more on information G.P. said after the reading after I've discussed my reading itself. I did a 3-card spread, again my usual past-present-future layout in the interest of fitting in a reading before going back to work after lunch.

Card 1	Card 2	Card 3
The Empress reversed	Knight of Swords	The Sun
Past	Present	Future

In the past position is the Star in the reversed position. I think this indicates that G.P.'s son, when he was young, had a very deep and powerful subconscious, which the people in his life couldn't understand. In the present, we see the Knight of Swords. As confirmed by G.P., her son never speaks of having been able to see "dead people", and will actively deny anything. In the future position is The Sun. The Sun depicts a child riding a horse, with a powerful sun in behind him/her. I think this indicates that discussion of P.G.'s son seeing "dead people" is not buried in the past, but will resurface and be directly addressed when he starts his own family.

G.P. went on to tell me a really amazing story about when her son was young. He had terrible recurring nightmares, which it later turned out were shared with a family friend with a similar birthmark. Her son also saw a forerunner of a family member whom he'd never met when he was about 3 (he called her by name and described her despite having never met her before her death). G.P.'s son will deny any of this if you asked him about it now. Anyhow, this was a really interesting reading to do which inspired great conversation (G.P. left shortly after her reading and I was too freaked out from ghost stories to sit in my office alone and found things to do that made me be around my other co-workers). Initially, I didn't think my standard, 3-card past/present/future spread would work well for this question (which, on the surface, looks like a yes/no question) but ultimately the cards told us some pretty interesting things about it all.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 24 2010: 8 of Swords (reversed)

This morning, after a bit of a streak of getting cups and pentacles in my readings, I pulled the 8 of Swords in the reversed position from my Rider-Waite Tarot deck. My gut instinct is that this card looks so freaking lonely. With all those swords around the figure depicted in the card, it looks like it could infer feeling like those around you are strange and faceless. Or perhaps it indicates being put into a tricky or dangerous situation 'blind' to what needs to be done to get a resolution. It's around noon, and nothing seems to be creeping up in my day that strikes a chord with any of this; the only issues I have at hand, I feel confident in how I plan to handle them. The boss is home sick (making the workplace a person lonelier than usual) and it's too cold in my office to spend any great amount of time in there, but those things don't feel as severe to me as I feel the card makes something out to be.

3 Card Spread: A reading for K.C.

Good thing I take my cards with me to work so I can play with them on the bus. My co-worker, K.C., asked me to read her cards before she left this afternoon!

K.C. is an older lady who works in an administrative position. As part of her duties, she edits the newsletter for the museum's 'friends of' type organization. This is a notable year for the Canadian Navy (the centennial year in fact) and many members of this friends of org are former RCN types. I suspect K.C. might be feeling a bit of pressure to put out a really fierce newsletter this quarter, so she wanted to know how well it would be recieved.

Question: Will the newsletter be enjoyed by the membership?
Date: February 23, 2010. Deck: The Rider-Waite Tarot

I laid out a three card spread. Card 1 for the past, Card 2 for the present, Card 3 for the Future.

Card 1	Card 2	Card 3
The Lovers	Ace of Pentacles reversed	King of Pentacles reversed
The Past	The Present	The Future

(First of all, I really like 3 card spreads. Retrospectively, I think I probably would have quantified the three cards laid out for K.C. differently, but while I am still learning to get a whole train of thought out of multiple cards, it's served its purpose.)

The Lovers in the past position, I think, refers to the many choices K.C. has had at hand in general in her experience working with the newsletter; she's seen a lot of material be submitted not only for this issue but for all of the newsletters. The reversed Ace of Pentacles eludes to the 'richness' of material submitted- she might have doubts about some of the stuff (hence its reversal), but there's no doubt that she's spoiled for all those choices she's had in general for past issues, and for this one specifically. The reversed King of Pentacles to me reads like a successful and well-recieved newsletter, though the entheusiasm for it might be a bit conservative. The King of Pentacles could generally be indicative of powerful men who are in a position to provide financial benefit to the friends of organization, or directly to the museum. They might be a little reluctant in the current economy but I think they'll pony up ;)

This was a fun reading- K.C. is a hoot to read for as she is very entheusiastic and usually has a big cheeky grin when she requests a reading, and she likes to talk about the imagery in the cards. She takes her role as newsletter editor very seriously and wants to do right by the readership and the subject material.

Anyhow, that's what I see- how would you have read this spread?

23 February, 2010, Daily Tarot Card Draw: The Ace of Pentacles

23 February, 2010, Daily Tarot Card Draw: The Ace of Pentacles
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Back on the ball with photo-documenting my tarot card daily draws (maybe literally by the looks of that ace). I've been spending a lot of time with Tell-Me Tarot, which is a deck that I do really like, but I decided to pick up my Rider Waite today since it's gone unused for a few days now. As you can see, I drew the Ace of Pentacles.

To me, the Aces usually indicate a beginning, and I'm sure most folk will agree with pentacles indicating money or wealth. It's nearly income tax time, and it looks like Tarot might already know that? Otherwise, I can't think of a lot that this card could indicate for me, I don't expect a raise or suspect there are any out-of-the-ordinary opportunities for me to make some extra cash.

Weekly and Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 15 2010

Normally I try to pull my weekly card on Sunday evening, but we have a pretty busy Sunday- our nephew was playing Timbit hockey at the metro centre during the Halifax Moosehead's game (between 1st and 2nd period) and he also got picked to dress up in a little Mooseheads uniform and got announced as part of the starting lineup! Let me tell you we went BANANAS. Then when we got home, we crashed we were so tired from all that excitement. So without further adieu, here'smy weekly and daily Tarot card draws!

Weekly Card: Queen of Cups. Pulled from Tell-Me Tarot
This morning, the first thing I did when I got to the office, before I poured a cup of coffee, even, was pull my weekly card (otherwise it wasn't going to get done!). From the Tell-Me Tarot deck, I pulled the Queen of Cups. It reads:

"Queen of Cups= Transformation (+)
"Destruction and transformation take place to allow personal growth. Use your intuition to seek change."

Interesting! I am hopeful that I will have a creative week, and I'm already seeing that might be the case- I'm starting this week with two posts on my Tarot blog (eep!) and today, I worked extensively on a creative project at work. I've picked up some new dance music over the weekend and hope it will inspire me not only in my dancing but other activities as well. I'm also hoping to step up my game in regards to my running. Hopefully, I will be an intuitive runner and get some serious miles in this week like I'm hoping! All in all I'm feeling good about this card- the Queen of Cups seems pretty calm balancing a cup in her hand from her throne, which is bobbing in what looks like a slightly tricky sea state. She doesn't seem worried, so neither am I.

Daily Card: 10 of Pentacles (reversed). Pulled from Tell-Me Tarot.
Hmm, after what felt like ages of only getting swords and occasionally wands, I seem to be getting more pentacles and cups in my (daily) readings. The Ten of Pentacles in the Tell-Me Tarot, like most of the cards, has a lot in common with its counterpart from the Rider-Waite Smith deck. In the foreground is an older gentleman and a couple of dogs, further back in the scene (of a city or town) is a young couple with their child (a son). There are pentacles scattered in the image. The card reads:

"Ten of Pentacles = Success (+)
"Happiness, wealth and joy are inherent and long lasting. Good family life. Success in reference to your question."

Well, that sounds all right, doesn't it? I didn't really have a question other than what does the day bring, and I suppose that retrospectively, I did have a successful day. I got mostly everything I planned to do done, including my blogging here to catch up, I went for a run that went really well, I talked the hubby through marinading some steak and later cooked it without cooking the crap out of it, and got an unexpected task which was harder than I thought it would be completed.

Well, there, I'm back up to date now. Sorry for the walls of text, but it seemed daunting to take that many pictures of myself holding Tarot cards in such a short period of time! I think I might change the format of the blog a little bit. I don't think I'll photograph my Daily card draws *every* day, maybe Mondays, Wednesdays, and maybe Fridays and just write up the rest. I think it's probably worthwhile to photograph the weekly ones every time, because they're only done weekly anyway. I definitely need to put in some more time working with spreads. I find it hard to thing of stuff to ask for myself, so I'll se if my co-workers would like to have their cards read at lunch.

Playing Catch-Up

Eeeep I've been naughty and haven't posted since the 16th!

I was trying out pulling a card in the morning but not blogging about it until the evening, but a lot of my recreational activities are in the evening, and I'm also an "early to bed, early to rise" kinda gal, so obviously it hasn't worked out! Here are my previously-unblogged-about daily draws (though without photos)

17 February: Knight of Swords (reversed). Pulled from RWS
All I remember about this day was that we had a snow day, a lot of snow fell overnight so Wednesday morning, my boss called to say that the base was closed for the day. I played on the internet all morning and watched tv all afternoon, I don't think I pulled my daily card until after noon some time.

18 February: 4 of Pentacles (reversed). Pulled from Tell-Me Tarot
This card didn't mean much to me at the time I pulled it, but later in the day, I conversed with some colleagues who have university and college on the brain. When I thought back to our conversation, I recalled being very bitter about my student loan situation. I need to let go of worrying about this as thinking about it so much causes me nothing but stress and bitterness.

19 February: The Chariot. Pulled from Tell-Me Tarot
Friday evening, I went to a dance workshop. I am a avid belly dancer and runner, and I hope to do well in both (though I think the way I quantify "well" in both disciplines is pretty different- I want to have performance opportunities in my belly dancing, which I don't think is unrealistic, and for running, all I want is to continue running injury free, and run in a variety of different races- I have a 5 year goal to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon, though I certainly don't expect to win it!). I wonder if the two beasts pulling the Chariot's driver is indicative that my two interests are pulling me in two different directions. I hope I don't have to chose one over the other.

20 and 21 February: No Cards. Was lazy and busy over the weekend and didn't pull daily cards. This seems to be the norm.

This week's weekly and today's daily card coming up in the next post!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 16 February 2010: The Star

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 16 February 2010: The Star
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Well, this morning I drew the Star from my Tell-Me Tarot deck, and thought I'd try something different- instead of interpreting the card when I drew it, I thought I'd keep it in the back of my brain for the day, then blog about it. Thing is, I don't think I have any further thought about my card now than I did this morning.

I started my day not very optimistic about a somewhat frequent patron at work whom I feel constantly at conflict with, but I did end it optimistically about the fire safety report (which wasn't as bad as I thought- I think we mostly knew about the stuff they noted). So I feel like I've run the full course of things to be optimistic about. I am also optimistic about my shin splint; today I went for a run and didn't suffer any pain (awesome!) so I'm hoping to be racing fit for the Bluenose Marathon's 5K and running a full marathon later in the season.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 15 February 2010: Three of Pentacles

Daily Tarot Card Draw, 15 February 2010: Three of Pentacles
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning, I got the three of Pentacles from the Tell-Me Tarot deck. The card reads "Three of Pentacles = Appreciation (+) You will be highly praised and rewarded. The time is ripe to exhibit or publish your work."

Cool! I can't think what I've done lately for others to appreciate, though. We're having steaks tonight, maybe they're going to turn out pretty good. In any event, I think that that's really just about all there is to say about the card, I don't see anything in the image that really speaks to me per se. I don't think it's clear from the image which figure is being appreciated, the two in green, or the one in purple. I suppose today I identify with the chap in purple as I haven't collaborated with anybody on anything lately.

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, February 14 2010: XI Justice (Reversed)

Weekly Tarot Card Draw, February 14 2010: XI Justice (Reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This evening for my weekly card draw, I came up with Justice, reversed, from the Tell-Me Tarot. The description on the card says "Look inward at past actions t odecide on your future path. In legal matters, justice will be done.".

The red-robed figured in the card looks pretty severe, he has a piercing stare and looks very observant. I think the reversal indicates I need to pay closer attention than usual to the things going on around me, and to make my decisions with as many facts as possible, or I won't be happy with the ways things work out this week.

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 14 2010 (Valentine's Day): VIII Strength (rev)

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 14 2010 (Valentine's Day): VIII Strength (rev)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning during a weekly ritual of watching the Sunday morning Coronation Street re-cap, I pulled a card during the commercial break. I pulled the Strength Card, in the reversed position.

I think the Strength card generally refers to a gentle strength, an emotional strength. The lady in the card is handling the lion, which has a snarling jaw, with grace and purpose.

I'm not sure if this means that I have that strength, or if I will need to in my immediate future. So, I've consulted the most recent addition to my Tarot library, Eden Gray's "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" and it suggests that the reversal indicates Domination of the Material, and fear of the unknown, and abuse of power. Well, that sounds pretty grim!

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 13 2010: The Wheel of Fortune

Daily Tarot Card Draw, February 13 2010: The Wheel of Fortune
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

I feel like I haven't seen a lot of Major Arcana yet this week in my daily draw (not entirely true- I got the Death Card but it feels like a lifetime ago!). Today, I've got the Wheel of Fortune. This is a pretty comforting card to get today as I have a busy day ahead of me- I have band practice and we're playing a gig tonight for Brazilian Carnivale (I'll be working as a stage hand, not playing- I'm the newest and need more practice before performing) and I'm going for supper with my husband as well. It's going to be a pretty busy day, and I think the variety of images in the Wheel of Fortune reflects that. But with a name like Wheel of Fortune, it's gotta be a good day :) I've even already done all my prep work for the day with little trouble. I feel encouraged by this card today.

Feb 12 2010: Daily Tarot Card Draw, Page of Swords

Feb 12 2010: Daily Tarot Card Draw, Page of Swords
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning, I pulled the Page of Swords out of my Rider-Waite tarot deck. I get a lot of swords when I do these one-card readings in the morning, if I get pips then they'll be swords or pentacles, rarely cups and rarely wands. I've previously stated that I don't really like getting court cards, as I find them hard to interpret, but I won't say no to a Page. I find the Pages to be less frustrating for me than the Kings and Queens are. In the Page of Swords, I see a person (possibly young, or possibly just new at something) who is not necessarily experienced, but is confident. The scene looks windy to me (kind of like how it usually is in Nova Scotia).

The 2-Hour Tarot Tutor suggests that the Page of Swords could represent an angry young person, a headstrong youth, an immature person, somebody on the defensive, a poor planner, but I didn't immediately percieve anything like that from it. Again, I don't usually get a lot out of the court cards without some further study.

My guess is that there will be rough times ahead, I might not have all the necessary skills needed to tackle the situation but I should stay the course and keep my chin up and just do it.

Daily Draw 11 February 2010: 3 of Wands (reversed)

Daily Draw 11 February 2010: 3 of Wands (reversed)
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning I pulled the 3 of Wands out of my Tell-Me Tarot deck, in the reversed position. The card reads "Three of Wands=End of Chapter (+) You have successfully completed your goals at this stage. You are invited to explore new paths." I hope the end of a chapter is here- last night at half midnight, our downstairs neighbour who is a paranoid schizophrenic stomped up and down the hallway outside screaming death threats at us because we pulled a chair out to sit at the kitchen table. He thinks everything we do is an attack on him. So, we called the super, who called the cops, and we were up until 2:30am waiting for cops to talk to him and whatnot. I hope this is the chapter that is ending and that he's going somewhere else- we've called the super, the building manager, and the cops. I hope that I've accomplished everything I need to so that this can change. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else this card could mean for me right now as I don't feel I've accomplished many "Goals" per se.

I haven't really interpreted this card for the reversal as they deck's Little White Book doesn't indicate how to interpret them in that state- I note it here, however, for future reference.

Tarot Card Daily Draw: IX of Swords

Tarot Card Daily Draw: IX of Swords
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning, I drew the IX of Swords (while listening to a metal cover of Lady GaGa's Bad Romance- I don't have a lot of time in the morning before I head out to work, so this morning I multi-tasked). To me, the 9 of Swords is a very mournful, regretful looking card. It looks kind of tired. I checked in with "The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need" to see what it signifies in the reversed state, and it told me that it represents mental anguish, and that it's time to face the facts that beliefs previously held are now holding (the querent) back from progress. I'm not sure what this means for me today.

Daily Tarot Card: Feb 9 2010- XIII Death

Daily Tarot Card: Feb 9 2010- XIII Death
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

O Y halo thar Death card!

Drew Death this morning for my daily Tarot card, from Tell-Me Tarot. The card reads "Death = Termination & Renewal/Let go of past patterns, people, or activities in order to allow renewal and personal growth." Yesterday I was reading 2 Hour Tarot Tutor (it's a library book, due back Wednesday) and she mentioned that lots of beginner tarot readers get death a lot in their practice readings, which makes sense I guess- the Death card really refers to the end of a past cycle so a new one can begin. I can't think of anything particular that the Death card could mean for me today, so I'm going to assume it's to do with taking up Tarot. The Death card isn't so bad, especially in this deck- look, the sun is even coming up. I can't decide if the little tree is sprouting out of a pile of rubble, or a burial mound. "Life" after "Death", to me, the Death card has more to do with what comes after a "death".

Feb 8 2010 - Daily Card: The Queen of Cups

Feb 8 2010 - Daily Card: The Queen of Cups
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

This morning for my daily card, I drew the Queen of Cups. I will straight-up admit that I'm not crazy about court cards (in my daily 1-card readings), they speak to me the least of all the cards in the deck. 2 Hour Tarot Tutor (Wilma Carroll, Berkley Books, 2004) suggests that the card represents a loving wife or mother, a woman who likes to cook and sew.... cosmetics, jewelery. The Only Tarot Book suggests that if the card doesn't represent a person, it might represent a situation with creative aspects, or a relationship or circumstances that are positive.

Meh. Court Cards. If I think about *who* the Queen of Cups could be, nothing jumped out at me, but it could be my friend Annalise who is quite domestic and one helluva jewelery artist. As a situation, I am going to be working on a display case all year (change it once a week) at the museum, and I've just bought some art supplies.

Weekly Card, Feb 7 2010- XVII The Star- reversed

Weekly Card, Feb 7 2010- XVII The Star- reversed
Originally uploaded by j.goreham

Every Sunday night, I try to pull a tarot card to get some inspiration on what I should focus on this week, to help contextualize my daily draws as well. Today I drew The Star, reversed, from my Tell-Me Tarot deck. The card says "The Star = Optimism (+). All your dreams will come true. Think positively. You are radiant and could become famous." Well all right then! :) In this card, I am drawn to the figure's red and blue shawl (and the colourways depicted), and the hue of the blue in the sky. I think in general, this card means my week isn't going to be too bad- we've got a busy one, we have a radiation inspection, a board of trustees meeting, and a student doing his placement with us who will be spending some time in doing background work. It'll be busy but I don't think anything negative will result from any of it.

OK, well, that's what I thought immediately when I saw the card. Here's what "The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need" (Skye Alexander, Adams Media, 2008) has to say: "When the star is reversed, you are seeking your own path in a private way, without regard for the outside world." Alexander goes on to talk about feelings of aloneness, feeling withdrawn, and resentment. The Only Tarot Book suggests that I need some alone time to re-energize. Well, I can see how this applies to me immediately, but not necessarily how it applies to me for the week ahead- today, I did an extra day at work and feel a little low-key and drained as a result.

Preamble

Hey dudes. My name is Jessica. I am a beginner tarot reader. I kee pthis blog to compile all the data I generate into one place. Right now, my routine is that I pull a weekly card on Sunday evenings, and a Daily card every morning at breakfast. These cards, I photograph with my webcam and post to flickr (and will cross post here) with a breif synopsis of how I'm interpreting it for the week/day. I do quickie three and four card readings for myself once in a while, sometimes from work, and don't always get to photograph these spreads- I'm thinking that I'll scan my journal pages instead.

I currently own two tarot decks:

1. The Rider Tarot Deck (Arthur Edward Waite, Pamela Colman Smith)
2. Tell-Me Tarot (Arik Eyal, Nir Cassuto)

I treat the Rider-Waite like a banger deck, a very multi-purpose deck. When I read for myself, I tend to be drawn to the Tell-Me Tarot which I find to be less harsh in its colourways, and the illustrations are a little tamer and friendlier.