HR Giger Reading For A Friend

Alright, for this next reading we are returning to Tarot, although not the standard deck. This is another requested reading, and the selected deck is the HR Giger Tarot. 

For this spread, I chose to use the Celtic Cross layout outlined in the book, which differs from the traditional Celtic Cross in shape only: instead of a cross, the cards are laid out in the following manner:

Card One: Current Position/ State Of The Querent

Wheel Of Fortune

The first card drawn suggests a need to accept oneself regardless of circumstance, to make peace with not only your good qualities but also your flaws. It would seem there is a tendency here to rebel against nature, and to accept far too much blame for your own circumstances. Your current situation requires a serene and delicate approach, and while it can be easy to become overwhelmed by circumstance, your inner peace will be a guiding light to you, if you choose to seek it. Though life may be difficult at times, the strength of your will and the power of your beliefs must not be underestimated.

Card Two: Barriers/ Obstacles/ The Repressed Self

The Sun

This card shows us what stands in the way of the Querent's goals, including the Querent themselves. The Sun  in this position represents a powerful longing in the heart, and the fear that perhaps true joy will forever be out of reach. This card reminds us that we must not falter in times of doubt, that we must hold onto our ultimate goal and never lose sight of it. All you wish for can be yours, if you will allow yourself to reach out and take it.

Card Three: Main Goal/ Priority Of The Querent

Death

As the classic card of rebirth and reinvention, as a goal Death may symbolise a need to escape a current situation entirely, to start over in every respect. It suggests that the Querent is holding onto an outdated belief or way of life, that although it can be difficult to do so the time may have come to rid yourself of some destructive influence in your life. While it is often noble to stay and fight, there may be a person in your life who has outstayed their welcome, a habit which needs to be dealt with, or simply an overhaul with regards to the way you look at the world. In short, it may be time to take a different approach. If someone is a dead weight, now is the time to stop carrying them, and move on toward your own happiness.

Card Four: The Root Of The Matter

The Fool

The Fool in this position serves to remind us of our own inner freedom, of our ability to change the way we see the world. It is an indicator that some new phase in life is just beginning, but in order for it to pass there are other influences which must be left behind. So then, it represents something which may be frightening to some extent, as are a lot of new experiences. But it is human nature to be wary of change, and The Fool encourages us to embrace that, to reach outside of our comfort zone and free ourselves to the whim of fate, from time to time. There is no sense worrying over that which cannot be controlled.

Card Five: Recent Past

Judgement

This is a card of reincarnation. You may not have had the easiest life so far, but you have been reborn from the ashes like a phoenix, and are stronger than ever. It may be that you are beginning to realise this, and if not then it is most certainly time to do so. There ids a sense here that in order to realise your future dreams, you must forgive yourself for past mistakes, and move on from them emotionally. You cannot progress until you cast off the weight of self-criticism, as well as the judgement of those who would oppose you. Allow yourself to be reborn, and you will become more powerful than ever.

Card Six: Immediate Future

The Universe

You are in a magical place right now, one in which your own personal energy and that of the universe are completely aligned. What you want is also what fate wishes for you, and you can expect a much easier time ahead, one in which you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Your hearts desire is well within your reach -be clear about what you want, and the universe shall oblige your request.

Card Seven: Area Of Growth/ Potential

The Lovers

This card brings with it a warning. It suggests that the Querent may have a tendency to hold back in relationships. Whether this is because of past experience remains unclear, but the message here is that unless you give all of yourself to another person you will not find the love you seek. The path of true openness may lead to pain and heartache, but the alternative is a numbness, the empty feeling that comes from unsatisfying romantic encounters. It may be tough to open your heart to others, to allow them to see your true self, but if you seek true companionship which has significance and is founded on mutual care and respect, then this is the path you must take.

Card Eight: Environment/ Situation From The Perspective Of Others

The Star

This is a lovely card to draw, in terms of how others see you. It represents someone who is a dreamer, creative and inspiring. Someone who dreams big, and has the courage to follow it through. There is also an indication of someone who has a mystical aura, an almost magical charisma. Your love of life, your vivid imagination and your innate hopefulness are an inspiration to others.

Card Nine: Hopes And Fears

Strength

As far as hopes and fears go, this card is very direct in its message. It is all about inner fortitude, endurance and resilience. There may be times when you fear that you cannot possibly continue on your current path, when you come close to giving up entirely, Yet your hope, your belief in your own internal will, is what will carry you forward. Your doubts are just that - doubts, but nothing more. The trick here is to determine what is worth fighting for, to differentiate between when you are being firm, and when you are being stubborn. There is a time and a place for each, and knowing the difference may be the key to your current situation.

Card Ten: Culmination

The Chariot

Here we find ourselves at the end of the journey, and The Chariot shows us the lesson that the Querent's current situation is trying to impart. It very neatly reinforces the rest of the reading, with the emphasis on inner will and determination. Once the path to your dreams has been set in motion, nothing short of the hand of destiny itself can derail it. Use you focus, your ability to go after what you want. Keep your eyes on the prize, and do not allow anything or anyone to steer you from your current path. The message of this reading, then, is simple. Nobody knows what you want better than you do, and nobody else has ability to make it happen. With determination, with faith in yourself and your abilities, there is nothing you cannot achieve.

White Eagle Reading For A Friend

Wanting to kick start this blog again, and needing to warm up a little after a few periods of absence, I have decided to post a couple more readings. This first one was requested by a dear friend of mine, who is experiencing a lot of stress at the moment and came to me seeking guidance. 

I hope that this helps, to some extent.

Firstly, I laid the cards out as explained yesterday:

I chose the dragonfly as a guide card for this reading. In the book, the dragonfly's rhyme is:

Dragonfly skill

Adapting to grow

Seeing all 

Learning to know

It goes on to describe the dragonfly as a creature who brings magic as it dances between the elements of air and water. According to Wa-Na-Nee-Che, this is a reminder to us, that it is important to find a balance between our mental and emotional needs.

As stated yesterday, we first read the four cards of the outer circle, then the four cards placed in the inner circle.

The Outer Circle

The first four cards highlight the more negative aspects currently influencing the life of the Querent. They are read anticlockwise, from north to east.

Card One: Horse - The northernmost card pertains to negative mental attitudes, and intellectual restriction. The Horse in this position indicates someone who is fenced in, restricted in some way. The Horse is wild, and has a strong and energetic spirit. When it gives it's power away and allows itself to be tamed, the Horse can become restless, and frustrated. This may manifest itself in a number of ways, from acting out in the form of unpredictable or uncharacteristic behaviour, to the more quiet reaction of depression and withdrawal. 

Card Two: Otter - The card furthest west relates to physical and material problems. This suggests, as mentioned yesterday, someone who has become too rigid with themselves, and may need to live a little more. The Otter reminds us that while a little self control is a good thing, too much can be just as destructive as excess. There is a balance to be found.

Card Three: Dog - The southernmost card looks at the negative emotional aspect of our lives, dealing with trust and relationships. For the second time, we find the Dog card here. The Dog asks us if we have become too reliant on others, if we are seeking outside approval instead of developing an inner acceptance of ourselves. He asks us if we truly need to be validated by others, suggesting that true confidence and inner peace can only come from the self. Do not allow yourself to be defined in others' terms. 

Card Four: Rabbit - The card furthest east examines the negative aspect of our creative life, our lack of clarity and inspiration. Here, the Rabbit suggests someone who is drained by the negativity of others, whose own positivity is restricted by the attitudes of those around them. Rabbit also warns us that we may be losing a lot of energy through worry and stress. In terms of creativity, this may manifest itself as a creative block, an inability to concentrate on any one thing because so many things are competing for our attention. It is the niggling doubt at the back of the mind, the distraction of negativity and problematic circumstance.


The Inner Circle

The second set of four cards bring positivity back into focus, drawing our attention to the strengths we have, the opportunities around us, and the areas of life in which we will find our solution. These cards are read clockwise, from north to west.

Card Five: Elk - The card to the north of the inner circle reminds us of our mental strengths, our inner wisdom. The Elk reminds us of our ability to love, and allows us to find our strength through the care we have for ourselves and each other. He may also represent someone who knows when it is time to stand their ground, but also when it is time to flee. If thew cause is just, the Elk will not back down until the fight is over. If it is not, he simply will not waste his time. Some battles cannot be won, and the Elk indicates that the Querent is very good at knowing when this is the case. 

Card Six: Buffalo - The eastern card of the inner circle is a source of inspiration, helping us to gain clarity in difficult times. Here, the Buffalo is a source of healing and nourishment. He suggests that to regain focus, we must be more sensitive to our own needs. Take care of yourself, live healthily and comfortably, and the ideas will come flooding in. It may be time to relax, to step back and reconsider your position. 

Card Seven: Hawk - The southern card of the inner circle is the source of trust and laughter in our lives, an emotional comfort. The Hawk card in this position enables us to put things into perspective, and promotes appreciation through understanding. It reminds us that sometimes if we are to deal with an emotion we must first examine it, and recognise it for what it truly is. Hawk suggests that the Querent has an inherent ability to see the larger picture when it comes to relationships, and tends to think long term. This is a person who truly understands the effects of their actions on others.

Card Eight: Beaver - At the westernmost point of the inner circle, we are reminded of the source of physical and material harmony in our lives. In this case, we find the Beaver. His message is simple - that we can build a better world for ourselves  That by utilising our industriousness, by working with others, we might find some sense of happiness. In terms of the physical/material, this may manifest itself as a need for a physical outlet of some description, it may indicate a change of job or a new project for the Querent to throw themselves into. It also suggests someone who is a natural leader, and cannot find happiness in a situation if they are being led by others. They are not made to follow, and in such an environment will not thrive. 

White Eagle Medicine Wheel Reading

Recently, I received a new deck, as a gift from a dear family friend: the White Eagle Medicine Wheel deck, by Native American spiritualist Wa-Na-Nee-Che. While I will be writing a piece on the deck itself later on this week, I wanted to share my first reading, using the Four Directions Medicine Wheel layout described in the accompanying book.

For this reading, the cards are laid out as shown below:

Each of the compass points corresponds to a different aspect of life: north pertains to mental attitudes, intelligence and wisdom; east pertains to creativity, ideas and inspiration; south pertains to trust, and to the emotions; and west pertains to the physical and material world. 

At the center of the wheel is the guide card. For this reading, I chose the Badger card. In the White Eagle book, this card is accompanied by the following rhyme:

Badger will organise

Day to day

Live life in order 

Is what it will say

Badger is associated with the gifts of tenacity and appropriate anger, is self-reliant, and can encourage these traits in others. For this reading, he seemed to be the perfect guide.

To read the cards, we first read cards 1-4 of the outer circle, then cards 5-8 of the inner circle. 

The Outer Circle

The first four cards highlight the more negative aspects currently influencing the life of the Querent. They are read anticlockwise, from north to east.

Card One: Otter - The card at the northernmost point of the wheel reflects our own negative attitude. The otter in this position suggests that the Querent is far too rigid with themselves, and needs to step outside of their comfort zone. Otter suggests a reluctance to try new experiences and challenge one's self. When the Otter falls into this position, the message is simple: LIVE A LITTLE!

Card Two: Hawk - The card at the westernmost point of the circle is associated with physical and material difficulties. The Hawk in this position suggests a need to focus on the interior world, on the self. It asks that we look at our health, at our weight and our bad habits, and make the necessary changes in order to move on with life. The Hawk reminds us that a healthy body is needed if one requires a healthy mind.

Card Three: Dog - The card at the southernmost part of the circle relates to trust and the emotions, and to hindrances in this respect. To find the dog here suggests either unreliability on the part of the Querent, or else a sense that one has become too dependent on others. Dog encourages us to stop looking to others for a sense of self worth, reminding us that a healthy attitude toward the self must come from within. Inner stability will translate into stability of relationships with others but also, the reverse is true. Inner instability will also manifest as mistrust and insecurity.

Card Four: Spider - Finally, the easternmost card of the circle pertains to creative blockages, and lack of clarity and inspiration. The Spider in this position suggests that the Querent is trapped, either in a prison of their own making or one of another's design. Either way, the end result is the same - an endless cycle of negative thinking and derivative thought, originality quashed by doubt and restriction.

The Inner Circle

The second set of four cards bring positivity back into focus, drawing our attention to the strengths we have, the opportunities around us, and the areas of life in which we will find our solution. These cards are read clockwise, from north to west.

Card Five: Horse - The northern card of the inner circle reminds us of our own wisdom. It is a great source of mental strength. The Horse in this position suggests an ability to endure suffering, to tolerate hardships and keep on going. A person with the Horse to the inner north is strong, and tenacious.

Card Six: Buffalo - The inner eastern card relates to our source of creativity and clarity. Here we find the Buffalo, which suggests a person who gains inspiration from others, from compassion and sensitivity. The Buffalo in this position reminds us that sometimes when we are lacking in inspiration we need only look to the people around us, that by tuning into them we tune into ourselves.

Card Seven: Elk - The inner card to the south reminds us of the strongest source of laughter, happiness and trust available to us. The Elk is a fitting card to find in this position, as it reminds us of our own ability to love, not just others, but also ourselves. If you find the Elk card in this position during a reading, you have valuable friends around you, and have a stronger support network than you may realise. Take care of others, and take care of yourself - by doing this, you will find that you are never emotionally lacking.

Card Eight: Snake - The card to the west within the inner circle pertains to physical and material balance. Snake in this position immediately suggests a need to rest, and warns against burning out by not taking the time to properly recharge one's batteries. It would seem then that for the Querent to enjoy good physical health, it may be time to take a holiday of some kind, a break from day to day routine. The message here may also be as simple as ensuring that you get enough sleep, if you wish to be at your best. 

Answer Deck Reading

Well it is the start of a new year, and the start of a new creative project, so it seems like as good a time as any to get some practice with the Answer Deck! 

Talent/Confusion/Anxiety

This combination tells us straight away that this is a period of self doubt, and a lack of confidence in one's own abilities. There is a sense here of being afraid to go wrong, afraid of not measuring up somehow, and of being unsure of how to proceed. As the first card drawn, Talent places the emphasis of the reading on natural ability and creative pursuits - very fitting, for the current situation.

Strength/Troubleshooter/Heartbreak

The Troubleshooter makes for an interesting center card, and suggests that the key to everything here is in how you approach, that sometimes you must be resourceful and willing to adapt. Where you find this card, the solution is near, if you are only willing to try. The trick with this card combination is to learn to manage negativity, to turn a weakness into a strength and pain into power. 

Battle/Fame/Truth

This combination can be interpreted in many ways. it could indicate a struggle to make the truth known, or a situation in which you are struggling to make people believe you. On the flipside, it could also indicate a situation in which notoriety comes at a price - that positive attention comes hand in hand with negative attention, and one must be prepared for both eventualities. Certainly, the theme here is revelation, realisation, and the struggles which inevitably follow. 

Talent/Strength/Battle

Again, the message here is to utilize strengths, and turn them into a weapon - that the querent possesses the skills needed to succeed already, and it is just a manner of learning to wield them efficiently. Increasingly, in this reading we are seeing an overall theme of self belief and capability, suggesting that the problem is really more a matter of attitude and perspective. 

Confusion/Troubleshooter/Fame

The advice here reminds me of a quote I once heard: "Ask, and you are a fool for five minutes, but don't ask, and you will be a fool forever". It is best to clarify the situation rather than quietly wonder, to ask questions and voice concerns rather than allowing doubts to fester and grow.

Anxiety/Heartbreak/Truth

There are surely some difficult things to accept, where this combination is found. The truth can hurt, and it can be tempting to turn away from it in an attempt to protect oneself from hurt and damage. But this is only an illusion - in reality such actions often only serve to prolong suffering, rather than end it. To live in denial is a dangerous thing, and these cards remind us that even if it is not the easiest path to follow, honesty is still the right choice.

Anxiety/ Troubleshooter/ Battle

While anxiety is indicated, a solution is also offered here, in the form of the battle card. This suggests a need to stop running and stand firm, to actively challenge oneself by confronting fear. By owning the problem, it is possible to regain some form of control over it, turning hindrance into motivation. 

Talent/Troubleshooter/Truth

This last combination sums the reading up quite nicely. Sometimes the only way to alleviate doubt is to face it head on, to be true to yourself and utilize your strengths while being honest about your limitations. Sometimes, the only way to find out whether or not you can do something is to try.

The Unidentified Deck

I managed to stumble across this Tarot deck in a charity shop, and picked it up for only a couple of pounds. I know a lot of people are very particular about only purchasing brand new decks, but I've always felt that so long as you properly acquaint yourself with your cards - with regular handling, constant use and even purification rites, if that's your kind of thing :) - then it really shouldn't be a problem. 

The deck came without a box, and was bound together with a simple elastic band. After hours and hours of searching online - without even a name to go on - I still haven't identified them.

If anyone out there has any more information, it would be greatly appreciated! :)

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.