Featured Deck: The Hallowe'en Tarot by Kipling West

Now, this is the reason I haven't  posted in a while - The Hallowe'en Deck, by Kipling West. It has absolutely stolen my heart, and I've been off in my own little world with this wonderful deck.

 

In the Hallowe'en deck, the four usual suits of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles are replaced with Imps, Ghosts, Bats and Pumpkins. While this may seem like a cute gimmick from the outside, with Major Arcana cards represented by, among others, mummies, werewolves and even Frankenstein's Monster, the level of research and attention to detail in this set quickly becomes apparent.

A lot of the artwork is directly inspired by the original Rider-Waite deck, and where the cards differ, this serves only to enhance the overall meaning of the cards. Previously 'difficult' cards such as the 3 of Bats/Swords and the  of Pumpkins/Pentacles take on a new, more thoughtful light - the feeling of doom and gloom is not gone, but the cards are imbued with a fresh sense of possibility, and potential for change.

With Hallowe'en right around the corner, these cards are an excellent way to celebrate the season - and also allow us to carry a little of the holiday with us, all year round.

Midnight Meadow Score:

Style: 10/10

Substance: 10/10

Sample Zigeuner WahrsageKarten Readings - 13/9/11

Ok, so in this post I touched on the idea that the less specific your cards are (i.e. a deck that does not speak to you, or one with very basic card meanings), the more specific your layouts have to be. So here is a short reading to illustrate the point.

I pulled these three cards for a general feel of things, assigning them very definite meanings:

Card 1= Love

Card 2= Wellbeing

Card 3= Work

This is to give as little room as possible for confusion as to what each card might mean. As I have mentioned elsewhere, a lot of people find this deck to be frustrating, and vague.

The three cards I drew were:

Love= Officer

Wellbeing= Falsehood

Work= House

It helps to begin by putting the cards in some kind of context. You can make a lot more sense of things by using knowledge you already have: Officer, for example, does not mean I am about to have a romance with someone in uniform, as my circumstances (being in a relationship) quickly rule that out. But does the card have to represent a person? It could refer to an attitude, a need to take precautions, and be more grown up about things. It could also be a gentle nudge to 'make it official' and tie the knot!

Falsehood is another tricky card. In terms of wellbeing, I would read it as things seeming better or worse than they really are - someone bottling up emotions, or crying crocodile tears; false recovery from an illness, or symptoms which are more harmless than first suspected; a lack of faith, or cynical facade. It need not be a negative card, but merely urges us to be thorough, and to always be certain.

Work/House is very straightforward, and encourages projects in the home, self employment, and self reliance. Since this has been my main concern of late, the interpretation is very straightforward, and very encouraging.

But what if the cards had come out in different positions? How would it alter their meanings?

Wellbeing: Officer

As a card relating to wellbeing, Officer takes on a much more serious tone. It calls for watchfulness, caution, vigilance - perhaps even professional assistance. Of course this may take many forms, depending on the kind of wellbeing you are talking about - it could involve going for a checkup, seeing a counsellor, or speaking to a priest. But it certainly suggests that one must go through official channels in order to succeed.

Work: Officer

In a work context, the Officer is a new card all over again. This time, he warns of audits, of sticking to the rules and not taking unnecessary risks at work - but, if surrounded by positive cards, can also indicate promotion and professional respect.

Love: Falseness

Quite simply, deception or insincerity of the heart. But fret not - it is not always a sign that your lover is untrue, although it certainly can mean that. Often, when Falseness is one of the cards drawn in a love spread, you are not being true to yourself, or are not sure what it is you really want.

Work: Falseness

If you are a procrastinator, if you like to seem busier than you really are (guilty!), you can expect to see this combination. Also, if you are stuck in a job you don't like, as opposed to the one you really want. Think misapplied energy, putting things off, and a general lack of commitment.

Love: House

Here we see that love does not always equal romance. While the House card may mean a long weekend in bed with that special someone, it also indicates warm exchanges at home with family and friends, and suggests a person who really thrives in a homely environment.

Wellbeing: House

The message here would most likely be to take things easy, advising a period of convalescence during which you should not push yourself too hard or try to do too much. It may also indicate that for a general sense of wellbeing, one must first take care of more mundane matters, and take care that all is harmonious on the domestic front.

As you can see, depending on card positions, each card can mean any number of things. But there are common themes - Officer pertains to officialty, regulation, what is right and proper; House is a card of family, our home life and most private moments; and Falseness encourages us to take a closer look, and pay attention to what goes on around us, and ask questions.

More On The Zigeuner WahrsageKarten - Part One

Or, in my case, the Cigany Kartya - which as far as I can tell is little more than a Hungarian reprint of the ZWK. Since I got this deck, I have been working almost constantly with it. Opinion on the cards seems to be divided, and a lot of people seem unsure of the cards and how to use them. I do not, nor will I ever, claim to be an authority on the subject - I haven't had them for long, after all - but I would like to share the way I have been using them, and hopefully this will be of some help.

Research

There are books available on the cards, and good ones. Buy or borrow a copy of Fortune Telling with Gypsy Cards by Esther Gombor (here is a link to the author's site), or the book Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards by US Games, to name only a couple. You can pick them up quite cheaply through sites like eBay and Alibris, and the research is well worth such a modest investment. It will save you hours of headaches later!

Approach

Although some books provide Tarot card correspondences for the deck, they are still two quite different things, and while some knowledge of Tarot will certainly benefit you - since cartomancy requires that we hone skills such as conceptual thinking and the recognition of symbol and metaphor - I suspect that some experience with Lenormand style cards will be of even greater help to you in understanding the ZWK.

I have spoken to many people who simply find the ZWK cards unusable - they have found that, as the cards do not seem to give out a lot of information, the deck does not speak to them. I can certainly understand this, as I had a little trouble forming an initial bond with them. The advice I would give is: the more vague your deck appears to be, the more specific you should be with it. By this I mean more specific questions, and more specific meanings attached to the card positions. You want to try and leave as little room for doubt in your own mind as possible. 

Spreads

While there are specific spreads for the ZWK, other types of spread can work just as well. A lot of Tarot spreads do not work effectively - but spreads designed for oracle decks tend to work quite well, as well as the traditional Answer Deck layout.

As already mentioned, spreads which involve detailed or clearly defined position meanings are the best to use. 

Over the next few days, I intend to post some sample readings, as well as interpretations for what are considered to be the more obscure cards. 

Until then, Good Journey :)

A Daily Spread

Lately, I have been working through a book called The Tarot Workbook by Emily Peach. In truth, I am a bit of a workbook addict - something about making a Sephiroth from paper plates and clothes hangers appeals to the eight year old inside, I guess - and this one is particularly good. An interesting thing about the book is the absence of card images, which are instead replaced with blank rectangles. The idea is that the reader can place their own cards in the spaces as they work on each card. This is quite liberating, particularly if you are using the book with a deck other than the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which an increasing number of people do.

This spread is one of the many supplied by the author - if you like it, the book is available on Amazon, Alibris and eBay to name only a few. It is called the Daily Spread, and is intended for questions on a specific day, with an emphasis on beginning projects and things of that nature.

First, a significator (a representative card) is chosen for the day and month. The ones provided are as follows. Note that the spread uses ASTROLOGICAL months, not calendar months:

Aries (March 21 - April 19) - The Emperor
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - The Hierophant
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) - The Lovers
Cancer (June 21 - July 22) - The Chariot
Leo (July 23 - August 22) - Strength
Virgo (August 23 - September 22) - The Hermit
Libra (September 23 - October 22) - Justice
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) - Death
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) - Temperance
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) - The Devil
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) - The Star
Pisces (February 19 - March 21) - The Moon

Sunday - The Sun
Monday - The High Priestess
Tuesday - The Tower
Wednesday - The Magician
Thursday - The Wheel
Friday - The Empress
Saturday - The World

We then lay out the cards:

Month Card                                         Day Card
                                     8

                                     9

                                    10

         1        2       3       4       5      6      7 

                                    11

                                    12

                                    13

Cards 11- 13 represent events leading up to do the day, with card 13 being least and card 11 most recent.
Cards 1 -3 represent events of the morning.
Cards 5-7 represent events of the afternoon.
Cards 8 - 10 represent the evening of the day.
Card 4 is an outcome card, and represents the overall tone of the day.

Dark Times At The Meadow...

Hello, all! I realise it has been deathly quiet here for the past week or so, and I should probably explain. I'm having a lot of deck trouble - cards going missing, that kind of thing - and am currently in the process of turning my entire house upside down in an attempt to find them!!

Interestingly enough, the missing cards are Deception, and the Ten of Wands. I cannot help but wonder whether this is significant. Often, when cards disappear without explanation, I later find that some area of my life needs attention, and interpreting the missing card or cards will often shed a little light on things.

Well, let's have a look, shall we?

The Ten of Wands is often depicted as a man struggling to carry ten wands in an unwieldy bunch. This represents the challenges, and often burdens, indicated by the card. The message is often one of needless suffering, of bearing the weight of something alone when there is no need to.

Deception is a card which warns that things are not always as they seem. It is about being lied to, or even lying to yourself.

So together, what do they mean? My guess is that I need to examine my own motives. If the cards do have a significance, then perhaps I am enabling a bad situation, fighting to keep something alive while lying to myself about the value of such efforts. Something in my life is a dead weight, and I would do well to be rid of it.

Of course, it may be that I'm just clumsy!

Back to business as usual next week - see you then.....

The Scales Spread

A friend taught me this spread a good few years ago. She called it The Scales:

Card One: The Situation

This card identifies the root of the problem.

Card Two: What is lacking

This card shows what there is a lack of in the situation.

Card Three: What is excessive

This card tells us what there is too much of, in the current situation.

Card Four: What is in balance

The fourth card shows us what we are getting right, what our strength is.

Card Five: Best Outcome

This card tells us the best outcome of the situation.

Example Reading:

To give an example, I used my Answer deck, though the spread can be used with many different types of decks. I have a new project in the works, a charity fundraiser of sorts. I asked the cards for insight into the situation:

Card One: Situation

The first card is straightforward enough. In a reading about charity, it is no surprise to see Generosity as the first card drawn. Quite simply, this card is about giving, of both possessions and your time.

Card Two: Lacking

The second card drawn is The Fool. In terms of a lack, this card seems to be reminding me to loosen up, and think outside the box. It is a reminder not to make a chore out of something which is supposed to be fun, and to find off-the-wall solutions. It may also mean that now is not the time to care about what others think, or about making a fool of myself.

Card Three: Excess

The third card is Heartbreak, in the Excess position. I think this card is a warning not to take things to heart. I do, I'm afraid, have a tendency to take failure personally. A little emotional investment is fine, but I think the message here is to not become weighed down by little disappointments, to learn from mistakes and move on.

Card Four: Balance

The fourth card, Challenge, is encouraging. It suggests that I am more than capable of making this work. Before doing the reading, I will admit to being a little concerned that I had bitten off more than I could chew. But as a card of balance, Challenge suggests that I have chosen a project which is exactly the right difficulty!

Card Five: Best Outcome

The fifth and final card is Strength. As an outcome, I think Strength is all about learning and growing. Perhaps it isn't really about whether I succeed, or by how much. It seems that it is more about the journey, and how we can all grow by accepting new experiences into our lives.

Answer Deck: Personal Reading For A Friend

Do not let the title mislead you: I am not one for 'spying', and I don't like to perform readings which pry into the lives of others. But I had some distressing news today. A dear, dear friend of mine is having a difficult time of late. I decided to call upon the answer deck, as I desperately want to know how I can help.

Anxiety/Woman of the World/Communication

 

Anxiety is a self-explanatory card. This friend of mine is suffering a great deal internally. They are having an emotional crisis of sorts. We've all been there: you have your worries, and then on top of those you have the agony of not knowing who to turn to, or what to say. This card simply states that my friend is in a fair amount of emotional distress.

Coupled with the Woman of the World, however, we start to see a different picture. This is one resillient lady: The Woman of the World is streetwise, strong, knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and almost impossible to fool. She has heard it all before - twice! Applied to my friend, I think the message here is that my friend is very strong, and that it will take a lot more than their current situation to keep them down. I must not underestimate this person, and their ability to survive.

Next is Communication. Again, a simple card. The overall message here is to keep the lines of communication open. My friend will be okay, it is not the end of the world and I would do well to remember that. But the path forward will be hard for everyone. Sometimes, the best you can do is just be there to listen. I think this is what the cards are really saying.

Sample Reading: The Answer Deck

Yesterday, I wrote a post about my newly-arrived Answer Deck. Today, I have a personal question to ask. It involves the relationship between me and someone who shall remain anonymous - we'll call her L.

 Things between L and I are complicated. Some people in life, you want to get closer to them but you aren't sure how. We have never been best friends, but I have always wished we were closer. With this in mind, I asked the cards what the nature of our relationship really is, and how I can improve it.

 

PAST: FAITH/TRUTH

To me, this indicates a friendship built on solid foundations. The cards suggest absolute trust in one another, and a complete lack of suspicion. Put simply, it means faith in the integrity of another, or in the very notion of truth itself. In terms of my friendship with L, I think it refers to a time when we were almost close, and assumed we would always be in each other's lives.

 
PRESENT: CHALLENGE/HAPPINESS

This combination also makes a lot of sense to me. Circumstances have greatly affected us - we do not move in the same circles like we used to, and have grown apart. Lately, I have become acutely aware of L's absence from my life, and it has certainly begun to sting. The cards also suggest that to find a happy solution, challenges must be overcome, and obstacles should be expected.

FUTURE: VULNERABLE/ABUNDANCE/LOSS/THE TROUBLESHOOTER

In the context of a relationship, especially a reconcilliation, I believe Vulnerability speaks of the risk involved whenever we open our heart to another - the fear of rejection, and the uncertainty of reciprocation. I think it also points to a relationship which is on shaky ground, one that will take work to mend.

I was a little confused about Abundance - I could not tell whether it referred to the previous card, indicating heightened levels of vulnerability, or the next, referring to great losses. I can only hope it is the former, not the latter.

Loss is an interesting card to find in a relationship spread. It does not necessarily mean an end to the relationship, but at the very least, there are troubled times ahead. This may come in the form of sacrifices to be made, but it just as likely means that even if we reconcile, things won't quite be the same. This is a risk I am more than willing to take.

The Troubleshooter is similar in meaning to the Tarot card The Magician. It represents creative solutions, and implies that we have all the tools for success already - it is just a matter of using them. I get a sense from this card that the way forward will not be easy, and that I may have to take an original approach to the problem.

OUTCOME: THE FAIR/GREY HAIRED MAN

It would seem that the fate of our friendship relies on a third person, someone who may have the power to make-or-break the deal. This could be someone with mischievous intentions, or simply a case of the wrong thing said at the wrong time. It just so happens that I know who this is: a mutual acquaintance who will make friendship difficult between us, as they often have in the past.

The general message of this reading seems to be that reconcilliation is well within reach, but that this can only work if both parties really want it to.

The Wishing Star

This is a variation of the classic star spread which splits a problem into levels. The positions of the cards mean different things depending on the type of question asked:

The centre card represents the core of the problem or question. The other position meanings are as follows:

In each instance, the extremes are placed at positions one and six. Cards two and three always explain card one, and likewise cards four and five give meaning to card six. For instance: In a Hopes/Fears reading, Cards 2/3 would tell you why you want the things that you want; Cards4/5 would tell us what you are basing your fears on.

Example Reading

Answer Deck

Star Used: The Ethics Star

Here is a test spread, to show you how it works.

First, we read the core, as this relates to the entire reading. The card here represents, in an ethics spread, by what standards the querent judges the world, and what makes them decide between good and evil. It is what you would call a moral barometer. Good Fortune as the core tells us that this person has luck on their side, and that this plays an important role in their character and moral decisions. This may mean someone who is fortunate to grow up in a stable family, or low-crime area, someone who hasn't really been exposed to the ugly side of life. Thus, the lesson contained in this card is to place yourself in another's shoes before you pass judgement.

Card One: Outer Self

Friend

The outer self card tells us how the querent would like to be seen by others. This card suggests someone who wants others to think of them as a friend, someone who portrays themselves as fun, helpful, and easy going. This card may indicate someone who is eager to be trusted, and loved.

Cards 2/3: Realm of Virtue

Peace/Fame

These two cards are intended to elaborate on the first, showing us why this person feels it is so important to be a good friend to others. Peace suggests that the querent simply wants to avoid conflict, as in the old saying 'anything for a quiet life'. It could be that the querent holds things back, refusing to speak their mind because they do not like to cause a scene. This is the card of a people-pleaser, a true mediator.

Fame suggests that this person's motives are not entirely unselfish. It represents that part of the querent that does good things simply for acclaim, and recognition. The card is not about considering others, and more about being seen to be a good person.

Card Six: The Inner Self

Judgement

The Inner Self is where we find the querent's true character. It is either a sign of how they truly are, or else the person the querent fears becoming, the part of themselves they keep locked away from the rest of the world. In this position, Judgement may indicate that a person is quite critical of themselves and others, but that they are able to keep this mean streak in check, turning such jibes into tactful, well-meaning advice. It could also mean someone who sets unrealistic moral goals (based on the surrounding cards), and so always sets themselves up to fail. There is also a hint of guilt in the card.

Cards 4/5: Realm of Vice

Deception/The Lovers

This is a realm of private thoughts and behaviour, of bad habits and secrets. Deception tells us that the calm, friendly outer self may be masking something entirely different, that the querent tries so hard to be friendly because of the problems they have getting along with others - that they are, in a way, overcompensating. Combined with the Lovers, there is a definite sense of guilt here, a feeling that the querent is not always true to what they want. It may be that, in their attempt to please everyone and seem like a good friend, they are neglecting their own wants and needs. It may also be that the person feels it would selfish to put themselves first.

Every once in a while, I lay out all five stars at the same time, to get a full 'Life Reading', and find that this works rather well. 

The Answer Deck Arrives!

Today, my newest deck arrived: Nicky Zann's Answer Deck!

The 73-card deck comes in a boxed kit, with an instruction booklet and foldout mat for placing the cards. The booklet explains only the cards that the creator felt were not obvious enough: The Master, The Fool, Woman of The World, The Lady and The Troubleshooter. Anyone with Tarot experience will quickly realise the meanings of these cards correspond roughly to The Emperor, The Fool, The High Priestess, The Empress and The Magician.

The cards are red-bordered, with black and white illustrations. Along with the Tarot inspired cards - ones like Justice, and Strength, but also simplified Court Cards like the Fair/Gray Haired Woman - the deck uses cards with simple pictures and keywords, such as Doubt, or Journey.

When arranging the cards, I had a bit of a weird experience. I wanted to get a nice shot of them, so I could show the deck on this site. Anyway, I shuffled them, selected three at random, set them down and spread the other cards in a fan above. I thought it would make a nice photo for the blog.

Then I looked at which three cards I had drawn, and since this was my first interaction with the deck, I have to admit I shivered:

Dark Haired Woman/ Journey/ Truth! Weird, right? I will be very interested to see whether this is a fluke, or a sign of things to come from the Answer Deck...

Daily Draw Site: Zigeuner WahrsageKarten Added!

The most common advice given when using the cards is to not take them too literally. Although their literal meanings do apply, you have to consider the concept presented with each card. Like many oracle decks, these interpretations are also greatly affected by the surrounding cards, which you must pay close attention to if you wish to understand their overall message.

You could do well by simply throwing yourself in and using them as often as you can, which is the best way to learn .I now have a Daily Draw site here, and am hoping that with practise, the meanings of the cards will become clearer. The information there will come not only from experience, but from studying the interpretations of others who use them. It is to be taken only as a general guide, not as definitive, and is meant as a jumping-off-point in discovering your own relationship with these strange and wonderful cards.

Zigeuner WahrsageKarten: Test Reading

It's my second day with the new cards, and before I leave for the weekend, I would like to do a test reading and see what the next few days might have in store.

Question: What should I be prepared for this weekend?

Cards Drawn:

Merriment - Ecclesiastic - Marriage

There are so many possibilities contained within these three cards!

Overall, the weekend looks good: the cards are lovely, positive ones, and promise a bright few days ahead. The combination of Merriment/Ecclesiastic is an interesting one. As I am not religious in any traditional way, I thnk it may indicate spiritual development, good advice, even some kind of epiphany. There is a suggestion that the coming few days will have a profound effect on my spiritual wellbeing, and that the weekend may offer a chance to reconnect with myself.

In certain situations, the three cards could indicate an actual marriage or proposal - but in my case, this seems unlikely, as I am already engaged and nowhere near getting married! Of course, it may also foretell an invitation to the wedding of a friend, or close family member.

With this in mind, let's look at the Ecclesiastic/Marriage combination. Marriage, like every card in the deck, does not have to be taken literally. It can also mean a commitment, or binding contract - the first steps in creating something strong and permanent out of our deepest desires. If you consider the wisdom of the Ecclesiastic card, and Marriage's indication of a commitment, the combination may also be interpreted as a need to heed your own advice, to practise what you preach.

Overall, I feel the cards are telling me that taking the time to slow down and pursue more spiritual and meditative endeavours will help me to see my priorities more clearly. I think this weekend will be a time to focus on what is important, and to find happiness in life's simple pleasures. There is also a suggestion of collaboration and co-operation, that true happiness will be found this weekend not by being alone, but by seeking out the company of the people I value most.

Zigeuner WahrsageKarten - Learning To Use The Cards: Timeline Spreads

As predicted, I have spent the day testing my new Gypsy deck in various types of spreads, from traditional Oracle and ZWK spreads to Tarot layouts.

I provided a test reading for somebody earlier, and their question involved a timeline spread, using the cards as an indicator of when something is likely to happen. Of course, this employs the cards as a fortune-telling aid as opposed to a tool for enlightenment, but I do enjoy both types of reading. I was curious about how the deck could be used in this way.

Earlier this month, I stumbled across this spread (the link is here) on Mary K Greer's Tarot Blog, an old - and almost forgotten - Yes/No Advice Oracle. Using this as my inspiration, I removed all the cards pertaining to romance from the deck (the question was about love), and set Lover to one side.

Next, I shuffled the remaining cards and chose four at random. I shuffled these, together with the Lover, and dealt the cards in a row:

Card One: The Next Month

Card Two: The Next Three Months

Card Three: The Next Six Months

Card Four: The Next Year

Card Five: Over A Year From Now

I then used position of the Lover to determine the timeframe. Example: If it was the third card drawn, you could expect love in the next six months. Then I interpreted the surrounding cards to clarify the situation.

You could use this spread for a lot of situations, such as finance and work (use Money, removing Fortune and Some Money from the deck), or awaited news (using Letter and removing Message). Of course, like Yes/No spreads, some say timeline spreads are too deterministic - but they certainly are fun to try.