Parlour Trick

Hello there, loves.

I hope everyone is well.

Sorry I haven't been around very much. I still love my job, but it means I am up by 6am and in bed before 9pm most days and I am just too tired from enjoying my day to check in with you (and myself).

Today is my day off and I celebrating by finally watching Week 5 of my Advanced Tarot class.
I was originally planning on just doing one big traditional spread to try reading the cards, but the second I saw this new spread, I got super excited.

First off, I pulled a Goddess card. And I did it a little differently than I have in the past, but I really liked it and I think it worked out well for me.

So I shuffled my cards in the usual way a couple of times, but it just wasn't feeling right. So I did something which has started feeling really natural to me of late, which is to take all of the cards (face down), and one by one just put them into different piles in any order I choose. Maybe I'll do 3 piles, maybe I want to do 5.  I just do what feels natural at the time. Then I just layer over the piles every other card in the deck. In any order. It's not like dealing in poker where you go a certain direction so everyone ends with the same amount, I just lay them as I feel.

Afterwards, I was planning on putting them one on top of each other to create one full deck again. Instead, I decided to merge this with some of our intuition exercises and just hovered my hand over each pile. When I found that I really had a magnet pile that felt awesome, I just turned over the top card, as though that was where I had cut the deck.

So, who came to see me today? A lovely new visitor named Oonagh.

 

She says "There is no need to hurry or force things to happen. Everything is occurring in perfect timing," which is a really lovely thing to hear.

As you may have noticed, one of my constants is saying that I have all these plans and I need time to get them off the ground and it's going to happen soon...blah blah blah.

But the thing is, that's very true. I want it to happen now, but I realize that now is simply not the time. I cannot set up an online/postal business while I live in temporary housing and I don't know what state (location wise) I'll be in by the end of the year. But I keep freaking out like VeVa was saying in the Week 4 video, I keep thinking I'm a fraud and if I don't do it know people will think I'm all talk. I seriously cannot wait to start, but I have to make do with being in a holding pattern for now.

After that, I started shuffling my Dreaming Way tarot, the usual way. The first card that Jumped out, was The Lovers. As I was trying the Parlour Spread, I wasn't really sure what to do with it. Should I leave it out, as a guiding card? Should I do a different, simple 3 card spread? But, no, this felt right. The center card for me was going to be the Lovers. I am alone a lot of the time and don't really connect romantically with people. But within this past year or so, I've been really lonely. I have been looking for my other half. My ride or die. The person I mentioned previously is not out in a bad way, but there's a time change and different schedules between us. As we didn't want to make it official for fear of ruining things, we kind of let it drift, which is sad to me. So, while not necessarily applicable at this very moment, I am looking and I am hopeful.

So there I am. Me. The Lovers. 

I kept shuffling and shuffling and had 2 more pop out, in this order, The Page of Wands and Page of Swords. I used those as my cards 2 and 3. 

I shuffled a bunch more with no more jumpers and eventually was ready to pull from the top. I got the Queen of Swords and then the Knight of Swords.

Holy moly.

 

So let's see here. We've got 1 Major, 4 Court Cards, and 3 Swords.

This is a crazy reading.

I am the Lovers, as stated above. 

My past is all about finding things I'm passionate about and getting into that amazing magical head space. I love that and it is pretty true; I get excited about every new thing I learn and my mind goes crazy about all the things I can do with it. 

In space number 3, my magic is the Page of Swords. This is also pretty accurate. I have probably [definitely] mentioned before that I am that person that says no to Bullshit. I am uber logical which is a blessing and a curse. It makes it hard for me to connect to people sometimes, but at the same time it is what draws people to me. It is why I can be an important part in people's lives. The people that get it, and need it, are keepers. I don't have a huge group of friends, but the one's I do have, have been with me for over a decade.

What can my Parlour loves help me out with? SUPER CUTTING THROUGH THE SHIT. We are such an awesome support group and I love it. Whenever one of us is down, or not feeling good about ourselves, or a bunch of random awful shit is going down like it was this past week, every single one of us jumps up and says NO, THAT IS BULL, YOU ARE AWESOME AND WE WILL FIX THIS. I find that fucking amazing.

My current lesson? I need to fucking get on the horse. Which I say every time, but this time, paired with Oonagh, I don't feel pressured. My magic is the dreamy logic of the Page. I need to take it to the next level, but do it when it feels right. Feeling pressured to go out and buy all the things, to buy a set up I have no use for and just let it sit here for months until I have time and space is not logical. I have time; but I need to have faith that I will do it.

That's all for now. How did you think I did? How would you read this spread?
 
**PS I super duper love that the shape of the spread looks like it mimics the Lovers card. It just looks...perfect to me.

Lots of Love and Luck,
Andy <3

Cups [Court Cards Included]

Yesterday was such a wonderfully lazy day, I was super tempted to repeat it today. But, alas, I have things to do and should get back into the habit of waking up early as my shift starts at 8 tomorrow morning. Boo.

Since I pulled my Goddess cards so late on Monday night, I did not feel I needed to pull one yesterday. But today I have two! My Goddesses love to repeat themselves.

First off, I shuffle a bunch, and while I don't usually like to peak at the bottom card (I personally shuffle and pull from the top only), I felt the urge to take a quick glance. Who was there? Why MAEVE of course. I have pulled her 3 times since reading for my blog and it was funny to see such a familiar face. You can read more about the times I pulled her here, here and here.

After pulling from the top, who was there but Diana! The very same Goddess that I mentioned in my Pentacles post just this past Monday. Hello, darling.

Naturally, I said hey, and then shuffled some more and pulled another.

A completely new love popped up to say Hi. White Tara, Sensitivity. Underneath her she says, "You are becoming increasingly sensitive. Avoid harsh relationships, environments, situations, and chemicals."

This card may seem weirdly specific, and that's what I thought when I saw her when I went through all my cards initially. However, she is extremely fitting for what is going through my life right now, in a number of ways.

This is my second week living in Florida. While I've visited here before, I was usually out doing things with my family. Too much movement to see if this new climate was effecting my body in a new way. What I've so far learned is that the humidity is awful for my allergies and that I can apparently get a cold from the air conditioning even when it's at 75 degrees. I've been coming here for at least 15 years, but I'm learning things about my body that I had previously been blind to.

Another thing is, as I mentioned in my Pentacles post, I am getting better at opening up to people in general. Last night, I was in an extremely introspective mood. I was deeply considering writing about these issues and past experiences that I have thus far so purposefully skirted around. I got in touch with an online counselor. I am coming to terms with the things that I've been through. One of the things that I've constantly felt is that I haven't been through something traumatic, so I haven't the right to write about it. I don't like the idea of painting myself as a victim because unless I fall into one of my dark moods, I don't think that I am, and I think putting it out in the world would make me seem like I'm screaming for attention. Clearly, I'm still talking in circles. But I'm accepting that people have different thresholds and I have every right to share what is on my mind, just like it is everyone else's right to simply not read it.

I have yet to share any of my writings except for in the Parlour (Intensive) because these people just seem safe, and like the least judgmental group I've ever been a part of. I will hopefully share more in my blog, and in turn share my blog to the outside world soon. I like to think I am getting there.

Now, let's move on to Cups, shall we?

Ace:
What are some things that make you want to propose a toast to Life?
Well, let me see...definitely my lazy days. Yesterday was magical. I wanted to go swimming but was too cold, so you know what I did? Took a 3 hour bath and just lounged and splashed. It was glorious.
Hmmm what else...Friendship of course. And luck. I have a very good friend here in Florida whom I just met a week ago. I always seem to have good luck with my roommates. I have been randomly placed with people 4 times now and every time my roommate is a gem.
Another one...I'm going to lump family in with friendship so...my traveling experiences! I've been so lucky as of late to have to the freedom and support to wander off willy nilly and plop down in a space of my choosing :)

Two:
Who do you want to toast to? Who makes you feel completely accepted?
Currently, it would have to be my SF friend. We haven't spoken as much since my move, lots of different things moving around so it's hard for us to coordinate, but he's probably the person I've confided in most these past few months and I've yet to feel him judge me

In order, Le Tarot des Femmes Erotiques, Dreaming Way, and Joie de Vivre.

I really like this card in every deck as they each show a completely different idea of companionship or love. In Erotiques, it is two women who just look like they are completely enjoying one another's company. They also seem to be doing a balancing act of some kind, each keeping the other in check. In Dreaming Way, there is a man and a woman who do seem to be literally toasting each other. Unless you count the shape of the smoke, there doesn't seem to be a literal translation of romantic feelings. The owls in Joie de Vivre seem very much in love, however. They are in symmetry, or balance like in Erotiques, but also have heart hanging over their heads, with two cups overflowing with water (intuition) at their feet.


Three: 
Who is in your gang?
Don't have one at the moment; I'm working on it.

I LOVE my femmes card because it looks like 3 ladies just went on an interpretive dance spree. That's what my future gang will look like, for sure.

Four:
What are somethings that you aren't quite as grateful for as you should be? Things that happen on the daily that you forget are gifts?
Kindness, shelter, a job.

Five:
When depression hits, what is there to snap you out of it?
Usually I just let it run it's course, honestly. I do know that my friends are there for me, but I just prefer to go it alone, be depressed until I'm so sick of it that I just walk towards that bridge and head to the castle.

Six:
Six is all about nostalgia and bringing out your inner child. What do they want to do right now? Is there a happy memory that instantly brings you back?
My inner child love to just dance and run around. Explore, draw. Whenever I feel like I need a break, I throw on some music and dance around my house. I think a lot of my early good memories are just about time with my family, going to the movies or out to dinner together. It's peaceful, and when I'm in a funk like in the Five of Cups, doing those activities alone help me out a bunch.

Seven:
Lots of options and creativity! What are some of the things running through your mind?!
I always have projects in mind. Knitting, sewing, painting, blogging, my future store...the key is to actually make a move on something if you want it to happen. My procrastination is a huge problem for me, I rarely ever work on personal projects. I like to think I am getting better at blogging though :)

I love the Dreaming Way 7 of Cups. I think it illustrates the idea of options and creativity super well. It also looks like it can go hand in hand with the different suits. There's coins (pentacles), cups (the woman looks like she's flying to me), wands (maybe the smoke? Fire, making things happen) and swords (the snake). I also see different activities; dreams, flying, a castle or home, a crown for making decisions, the snake for poisonous actions...etc.

Eight:
This card is about moving on and finding what works for you. Examples?
This entire year has been my moving on from a bad situation. No looking back.

"Bye, Felicia"

The Joie de Vivre card is great, I think. A lot of 8 of Cups cards depict someone leaving the cups. This deck has someone using his cups to escape. He didn't have what he wanted so he inverted his cups to create something new and took flight. I love that he also looks happy about this decision, I think that's important.

Nine:
Your heart's desires are coming true! What do you wish for?!
Shhh, it's a secret ;)

Ten:
MAGIC IS HAPPENING! WHAT DO YOU FANTASIZE?
I haven't mentioned my new job title cause I could get in trouble if I mix my two lives too much, but lemme just say DISNEY WORLD. I work for the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH and I've only been applying here for 4 years. MAGIC BABY!

Note: The Court Cards have a similar meaning throughout the suits.

Page (Novice):
The Page is dreaming of love and life and happiness! She's the daydreamer who isn't necessarily paying attention, but has a head full of thoughts.

I love my Femmes card because...just look at her! Dreamy. Underneath, she says "Unexpected Love."
Dreaming Way is pretty cool too. I think she looks sad, which I never liked before, but if you actually look at the picture as a whole, she is filling her cup with her thoughts. Her head is literally dripping with intuition!
Me and the Page are biffles. Dreaming up new things and new loves is just about my favorite past time haha!

Knight (Lady):
This lady is on it. She's starting that journey and wants to make your dreams come true!

Queen (Chatelaine):
I think the Queen of Cups is super important. She's the protector. She's protecting your heart and your dreams. She's allowing that Page to keep on daydreaming.
I think that right now I really relate to the Queen of Cups. She is protecting me and my feelings, while also helping me to grow. I've already started my journey and am doing what I enjoy, but I haven't completed anything yet. I'm working on it.

King (Queen):
The king is there! You've fulfilled your dreams and are doing what makes you happy!

I love how all of these cards look as they don't just seem to have reached their goal, but they seem set on helping you (or others) reach it too.
Look at Femmes. Underneath her it says "She Who Offers Love," and she looks like she's just waiting for you to pop down next to her on the bed and share some delicious tea and cookies. The King in Dreaming Way is sitting alone, but he's got a nice, knowing smile like he'd happily help you up or get you your own floating throne. And then there's the Joie de Vivre. He looks like a witch doctor to me and in one hand he's got a cup/bowl full or magic, while his other is beckoning you to come forward and get some magic of your very own.
I definitely admire the King right now. Some people get what they want and that's it; this guy is intent on sharing the wealth, so to speak.

Hope you enjoyed my stories today :)

Lots of love and luck,
Andy <3

Pentacles [Court Cards Included]

So...I apparently had a manic moment a few weeks ago as I wrote and shared 3 posts in 1 day. And every time I've tried to write since then I haven't felt peaceful enough to do so. These past 2 weeks have also been extremely busy as I have successfully moved and have started training at my new job.

I also generally prefer to pull cards alone; it just helps me concentrate and is a form of meditation for me. So going from having my own place for almost a year to being in a house/dorm of women and rooming with someone was a bit of a shock in that sense. Even if I felt confident in myself to draw a card, I didn't necessarily want an audience.

But I've gotten over that as my roommate is not 10 ft from me and I am here, with you, drawing my cards :)

Right off the bat, I pull a Goddess card. I did pull one right before I left, but did not have time to jot it down. I pulled Diana previously, which is all about aiming for your goals. She says Focused Intention at the top, and at the bottom, "Keep your unwavering thoughts, feelings, and actions focused on your target, and you will make your mark." Now, today, I have pulled Aine; 'Leap of Faith.' Funnily enough, I saw her when I pulled Diana 2 weeks ago; I just took a peak at the deck before I pulled and there she was. So, here she is, saying Hi again. Underneath her it says, Take a risk, and put your heart's true desire into action!"

Although read 2 weeks apart, they can both be easily interpreted as me jumping into this new job in a new area without knowing anyone. And I was nervous, but I really am enjoying it. The job is easy (for me it's kind of old hat) and the people are nice.

I will say I love the imagery of Aine. I think that's why I remember seeing her 2 weeks ago. She's a pink and purple fairy diving into the sky with clouds and what looks like lightning glowing around her. She's gorgeous.

[Sorry she's blurry >.<  ]

 Now, onward to some pentacles! I'm gonna take a look through the handy dandy notebook Veronica Varlow gave during her Tarot Intensive (as of this date you can still sign up!!) as I look through all three of my decks to see what jumps at me. I will not be posting photos of every card (could you imagine? Whoa).

As always, all questions are paraphrased from the Witch Mama.

Ace: 
What can you start doing immediately to make your dream a reality?
I like to think I'm doing it! I'm training at my job and networking to hopefully move up the chain soon :)

 I do want to point out that in my Dreaming Way Tarot, my Pentacle is floating in midair above a field, much like the Hand of God in the R/W deck. In my Joie de Vivre deck, a pentacle is growing like a seed, feeding off love and stars, much like the seed VeVa said is the inspiration to start to grow whatever you desire. In my Erotique deck, it says "The Gift of Work in the World" and it shows a woman lounging with a large Pentacle that looks like a shield.

Two:
How can you improve the balance in your life? 
As I've stated before, I need more work than play, but when I play, I've got to play hard haha My ideal week would be most of the sunlight hours spent working, but spending any time with the moon with my friends or on my own relaxing. Since I'm just starting out, a lot of my time is spent training for my job and sleeping. I get the next two days off though so I'm excited to spend the time running around the parks.

Three:
Who would you love to collaborate with? What would you bring to the table?
I honestly don't know. I love people, but I have yet to find people that I would want to be on a working team with every time. No dream team for me yet. I, in general, bring logic and objectivity to any group setting, which is not always relished.

In my Dreaming Way Deck this card is hard to read as it just has 1 person staring out of the card, while three Pentacles fall. There is no feeling of teamwork for me in this image; maybe it's stating that you're lonely and need that team desperately?

Four:
Do you feel like you're holding too tightly to material things? Can you give anything away?
No...and yes. I've definitely figured out how to operate on less since I've been moving around lately, but I am a hoarder by nature. Lately, though, I think I am happy with what I've got and for the moment, I spend my money on experiences.

Five:
This card is about lacking in some way and not recognizing the good in your life. What are somethings you are grateful for?
I am grateful for my friends and the fact that I have these opportunities to travel and try new things at this time in my life. I'm glad I have family supporting me. Growing up I had one of the only "stable" families in my friend group and even now I know a lot people that don't have that support.

Seen Below: In the Erotiques deck, the Four says "Miserliness" and Five just says "Poverty" so those in succession always made me nervous. I'm glad I understand them more.

Six:
How can you give to make the world a better place? How can you open up to receiving life's gifts?
I think I am bad at both of these things. I love giving gifts to friends and family, but I don't think that necessarily means I am making the world a better place. I think I am giving of my time and I am interested in anything which means I am open to listening and sharing...but I don't know. I need to be more open to receiving in general, I think...

The Erotique deck has such a great photo. A woman tearing down her suspenders, holding them up by the straps like straight pimpin'. Underneath is says "Easy Money" haha Come at me Bro.

Seven:
What are you proud of? What can you clear out to make more space for what you love? What else would you like to do?

I am proud of how far I've come this year. I think I've opened up to more people these last few months than I have in my previous 23 years. I am definitely still holding on to things, but it's getting easier to loosen my grip and to talk about them without getting upset (even though I've only skirted the subjects on here I think the blog has helped a lot). I would love to keep moving forward in my life.

At first I thought it was kind of strange/out of place, but I think the Dreaming Way tarot shows this card clearly. It shows a woman carrying six shopping bags with Pentacles on them, not really weighed down at all, just carrying them home. Her eyes, however, are looking over her shoulder, where there is a seventh Pentacle floating behind her. She seems to be evaluating what she can let go of in order to snatch a different Pentacle.



Eight: 
What do you love to do so much that you lose track of time?
Just crafts, really. I still have the idea of my shop floating in my head and I think that once I get settled back in my real life with all my machines and half finished projects I can really get a move on. I still have a lot to learn but am super excited about the idea :)

Joie de Vivre has a fox/wizard making a potion in the forest and he's wearing mismatched stockings and I think I love him <3

Nine:
How do you spoil yourself?
I honestly just lounge around naked haha. Drink coffee, walk around, pull cards in bed...as long as I'm naked I just feel so comfortable while also feeling like I'm treating myself to a little naughty, or taboo time haha ;)

Ten:
What has made you feel successful? What does that look like for you?
Well in true pentacle form, success looks like financial independence to me. I don't know why; I've been lucky and never really lacking (knock on wood), but I'd love to be able to solely rely on myself. And the completion of any project feels like a success to me. Like completing the pentacles tonight! I am such a procrastinator, that if I finish something on my own time (you know-not work or deadline related) then I feel awesome.

Erotiques looks so down with this card. One woman is staring knowingly into the camera while another is helping cover her nude body with a robe. The bottom says "Wealth Forever."

Note: The Court Cards have a similar meaning throughout the suits.

Page (Novice):
The Page is dreaming of ways to make that money! Learning and trying out new skills.
I think I am definitely still in the Novice stage. I know what I want, and while I am planning my moves, nothing is tangible yet. I can't wait to take that next step!

Knight (Lady):
This guy is one his way to making that dream a reality! He's on the horse and on the move.
I think I currently look up to anyone who embodies the Knight or Lady. It's hard to get out of that first stage, but once you get moving is when you're taking chances and really going for your dreams.

That 'On the horse' phrase makes me giggle because in Erotiques it just shows a woman lounging in bed with the phrase "She Earns her Way" haha Get it, girl.

Queen (Chatelaine):
The Queen is making sure your plans are being followed through. She is protecting this project of yours :)
The Queen/Chatelaine and Page/Novice are ones that I love deeply. It's the dreamer and the protector. I switch in and out of those roles fairly often and I get alone well with those who can relate to both of those sides.       *Erotiques straight up says "She Controls the Money."

King (Queen):
The King is owning this shit. You are there. Making that money and doing what you love!
 I find the King, the completer, hard to relate to at the moment. As I said, I'm a procrastinator so any small finish line is huge for me. While I know the King still works hard to keep what he's got, I just see him as someone who's figured it out (at least for now), and that's so not me right now.

Nighty night guys, love and luck as always,
Andy <3

Ryde or Die

When I was writing the first 2 Homework Set posts, I was in San Francisco visiting a friend with whom I've lost touch with over the years, but who has re-entered my life in a big way in the last few months.

While I was there, I got to know my friend's roommate, J, fairly well. He flashed me his phone at lunch one day and I saw the words "Ryde or Die" on his header. I mentioned it, and he said he didn't have a header and it definitely didn't say that, which confused me because I could have sworn that's what I saw. Anyway, I let it go; not that big a deal.

During my visit, I also got to know J's girlfriend. She Loves the Fast and Furious series, which I've actually never seen. She then told me she lives by the FF tagline, "Ride or Die" and that she has a hat with that slogan on it for when she needs a pick-me-up.

I didn't connect the two until later because, not only was I writing the homework sets in San Fran, but I was also watching my Parlour videos, some for the first time. And there again was the message; The Lovers: Ride or Die.

*mind explosion*

My friend and I...got together during my time there. We've been talking pretty exclusively for a couple months now, but we both decided we shouldn't make anything of it, because we live across the country from one another, and I'm moving for a new job even further away for a couple months. But we said if I were to ever move closer, we would keep that in our back pocket.  We've already made plans to do a cross country road trip and steal all the dogs together. Even if it's just a lot of silly talk, it's so much fun to have these kinds of "plans."

I don't recall ever pulling The Lovers card, and in my homework set, when it asked who my Ride or Die buddies were, I said I didn't have any. Just because I've never quite felt that huge pull before. I have amazing friends, don't get me wrong, but I'm a fairly lone character, and I dig it that way.

But of course, the day I return home from my trip, Tuesday the 11th, who is there to greet me?

*trumpet noise* BUM BA DA DA!

 

"The Soul's Deepest Need" 

Regardless of how this shakes out, maybe he's my soul's bestie. At least for the time being. I mean, how often is it that two people will not talk for over 5 years, only to fly cross country to spend time together?

That's kind of fucking awesome.

__________________________________________________________________________

So, for this post I also pulled a Goddess card. And I got Maeve AGAIN!

I don't know; I'm starting to think she likes me, guys.

She looks super relaxed, and dancing, like she's painting with her wand on the water.

I wonder what Cycles and Rhythms are coming for me...

Lots of Love,
Andy <3

Respecting the Moon and her Cycles

Tuesday the 4th, at 12:08am I pulled my first tarot cards in Far too long.

I have been a part of Veronica Varlow's Tarot Intensive course, but am sorry to say I have not been keeping up with my homework or even the classes. I have been out of state every week since it started, and 5 different cities. While I wish I have been a better student, I do love watching everyone else progress and learn. It's a lot of fun to interact with people that are learning at a similar pace as you, and since I'm one of the few that have experience reading (simply meaning that I have been looking to cards for a while and am self taught), I still get to throw in my two cents along the way.

On Tuesday when I pulled cards in the early morning, The Moon slipped right off the top of the deck while I was trying to decide how to feel the shuffle. The Moon is a gorgeous card in most decks, but I adore the woman in mine. She is sitting with her knees up, angled away from me, lifting a sheer white curtain around her backside. Breathtaking and playful. Underneath she says there is "A Turning in the Journey."

Since I didn't quite feel she was my card, but more of a guide, I shuffled and pulled. Who was there to greet me? But the Queen of Swords of course! My number one lady and clearly a magnet card for me. She once again tells me "She Thinks the Unthinkable." My strong, logically lady telling me I am behind and need to get my shit sorted.

So here I am, two days later, on a different coast, trying to get my shit sorted.

I also wanted to say that this morning, before my flight, I pulled a Goddess Card, which I haven't done in an even longer time than the tarot.

This morning I pulled Maeve; the very first Goddess I pulled with my deck.

Underneath her dancing form it says, "Honor the cycles of your body, energy levels, and emotions." I think that while she was saying it's okay not to have kept up; lately I've been meaning to but have had a feeling of ick I didn't want on my cards, it is about that time to get over it, and get my bum back in gear.

Basically, everyone's telling me I gottta werk, bitch.

I want to shout out to VeVa again because she has started an instagram pull where she has 3 cards, you choose whichever one you feel drawn to, and then she posts a reveal. So cool; she's awesome. So I found out I was drawn to the Fool, which is kind of a hidden card for me. I'm a big planner, and while intuitive, I dislike not knowing what I'm doing. But I am now on the opposite coast for the first time in years, taking a spontaneous journey to see someone I haven't seen since high school! All planned within the past week!

She also did an August read for all the Zodiac signs which was spot on as usual. Tying in with my "logical, needs structure" type of life, I am a Capricorn and she pulled 3 of Wands for us.  That card, as stated in her video is all about rocking your shit OUT, traveling maybe, working hard and getting to where you want to be! Again, I am on a brand new trip this very second, but I am also moving to a completely different area for a new job before the month is out. It's a place I've been trying to get a job at for 4 YEARS and it's happening now, this August. Much love to Veronica Varlow and that lady's Danger Diary.

You can find those videos and by extension, the rest of her blog right here!

Lots of love and luck,
Andy <3

Pax

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I didn't pull a card yesterday because I was emotionally and spiritually drained. In those times, I'm sure it would be extremely beneficial to have something to look to, but I wasn't ready to make peace enough to go through my deck. I also didn't want that negativity on the cards I just cleansed.

I've been having really bad insomnia lately which is also adding to the feeling of disconnect. I actually woke up around 1am last night (after falling asleep around 9ish) and freaked out my roommate who was just coming home from work. I was only half asleep and when he came through the door I still thought it was early and yelled at who I thought was a stranger entering my house.

After waking up again at 4, and falling back asleep for a couple of hours, I finally deemed it okay to get out of bed. I made some hot cocoa coffee (it's delicious if you've never tried it) and relaxed enough to pull a Goddess card.

This morning Eireen came to me. Goddess of  Peace. She says "There is no need to worry, as everything is working out beautifully."

I know, every card can probably be applied to every situation if you try hard enough. I'm not here to put on airs and pretend everything I see is gospel.

I just love seeing the magic in the days.

I was literally not at peace yesterday. I wasn't up to touching my cards and I freaked out in my own home.

Then Peace came.

It's  just nice when everything comes together.

Peace and Love Always,
Andy

Good Morning!

Morning, dear.

I hope you had good dreams.

I woke up singing a Dropkick Murphy song and I've been listening to them on repeat for the last three hours. It's quite a different environment here than it was last night.  I love that; daily differences.

Listening to my Celtic Punk, I poured myself a hot glass of homemade sangria. The warmth made my morning sweet and hopefully will bleed onto my entire day.

Normally, if I remember my dreams, I remember them the second I wake up and sometimes still think I am in them. But today, I realized belatedly that I dreamt I saw someone who's been a cause of strife for me lately.  I've dreamed of him before, and often see people I know in my dreams, but this was different. Rather than seeing something happening to him, or talking to him, I was enjoying my time, hanging with a couple of people, and I just walked passed him. I saw him, but I didn't acknowledge him. It was weird, and something that had never happened before.

I realized that in my dream, I had noticed my problem and literally moved on.

That's a pretty powerful message to  receive and I am once again grateful.

I thought the best way to top this off would be with another Oracle reading. I shuffled in my dominant hand, using my non dominant to cut the deck and I had a jumping card!

A jumping card is one that you don't necessarily draw, but slips out of the deck during shuffling.

I receive jumping cards fairly often, so it might just be that I'm a horrid shuffler, but I always like to read with them just in case; you never know!

This morning, Isis slipped right off the top of my deck.

When I was younger I was absolutely in love with Egyptian Mythology so I recognized this Goddess right away.  She says "This situation involves your past-life memories." I love Isis, but felt this card was more of a reference than my reading, so I went to pull another.

I felt my deck and didn't think it needed to be shuffled, so I simply pulled the next card off the top and it was Isthar. She says, "Boundaries, Love yourself enough to say no to others' demands on your time and energy."

This was my card.

Pairing the two together is a pretty great read. The issues I am having right now are actually extremely similar to an experience I went through ten years ago and it still hurts.  Part of my healing has been to know my limits and to try extracting myself from the narrative of others.  I think with my head rather than my heart, and I often feel like if I could do something to help out, the logical response would be to do it; but now I've seen the scars I give myself in those situations. I still like doing what I can, but I must learn that it can be healthier for me to take a step back and say no.

Love always,
Andy

Cleansing My Cards and My Life

I got home from work today and had this great surge of appreciation and thankfulness for the life I have.  This will (hopefully) sound commonplace for a lot of you, but those of us who aren't that lucky can tell you what a gift these kinds of days are.

I couldn't be bothered to get dressed today so I put on my roommate's skirt as a dress, threw on some blue eyeliner, and went off to work.  The day seemed so short and even regulars who can be annoying had me beaming all day. I got home to find the greatest gift waiting for me in my mailbox; the Goddess Oracle cards I've been waiting for.

When I walked through the front door, threw off my shoes and looked in the mirror, I could only think of one word; Goddess.

I felt so blessed. I've been going through a very tough time lately, and had only yesterday confided some of my trouble to my roommate, who proved over and over just how amazing she is.

I looked in my mirror, wearing what could easily be used as a tent, my hair messy and eyes red from allergies, and I just felt happy and whole.


A Goddess.

I opened up my Oracle cards and started reading the little work book inside. Based on both that and the Oracle Parlour class I took with the wonderful Veronica Varlow a few weeks ago, I gleaned that the best way to purify my deck and get it attuned to me was to hold them in my dominant hand and use my non dominant hand to touch every card.  Seeing as I am a tad OCD, I wanted to keep all the cards in order while I purified them so my first reading would be completely clean in my mind. I also figured this would be an awesome time to reconnect with the two tarot decks I own. I lit some incense and got started.

I bought Le Tarot des Femmes Erotiques years ago as my first ever deck.  I have a great love and respect for vintage ladies both as women and art so this seemed like a perfect match. I had originally planned to shuffle and pull 1 card every day until I had learned all of the cards, but life of course got in the way of such a strict routine. I toned it down  to pulling once a week, and then again to just whenever I felt the need.To this day there are cards in this deck that I have never once pulled.

My second deck is called Dreaming Way Tarot, and I got it maybe a year after my first. When I was picking these out, I was torn between this and another deck. I felt a tinge more of an affinity for the other deck, but at the last second decided to pick this one instead. Because of this, I have always felt a tiny disconnect. Also, I have never actually pulled from this deck because I was adamant that I learn the cards in my first deck before muddling it with other imagery. While I've looked through the cards before, they have stayed in their natural order for at least two years.

To make sure everything was the same (again, OCD here), I used my "touching" time with Les Tarot to actually reorder the cards. That way they were in the same natural state as my other two decks and I could purify anew. The idea behind purifying was to touch every card, maybe hold the deck to your heart, and whisper or think what you want the cards to do, or the energy you want the cards to have. I don't want to say exactly what I said, but I stuck closely with the examples in the Goddess Book which is basically "I want an honest reading that will help me in my endeavors." I then took each deck one at a time, shuffled using my non dominant hand to cut, and pulled a card.

My first ever pull from this Goddess deck was Maeve, the Goddess of Cycles and Rhythms. Underneath her image it says, "Honor the cycles of your body, energy levels, and emotions." As someone that struggles with my emotions and my darker side almost daily, it was lovely to see someone tell me to honor that, own it, and love your cycles. As I am on an up today, I have clearly begone to cycle through my emotions and start to move on. When I looked her up, her "meaning" is to love yourself, respect the changes you go through, and find someone that you are comfortable confiding in. As I have only just last night told my roommate what has been bothering me for months, I felt like this was perfectly timed.

Next, I went to my Le Tarot deck. I had already put my ladies in order, and shuffled in the same manner as I had the Goddesses. I pulled the Queen of Swords (King of Swords in most decks-Le Tarot is extremely femme based). I love this woman. I actually voiced wanting to get a tattoo of this exact card within the past week. She is strong. When my emotions flared a about a week ago, I pulled a card and it was she. She says "She Thinks the Unthinkable" and is about someone strong and complex. She is almost hyper logical to the point where it would be construed as cruelness, but the words and meaning are still important. While you might not want to face her,  she holds the answers you need. I thanked my deck and put it next the Goddess and moved on to Dreaming.

Now, as I said, I have never once pulled from Dreaming. She was in her original order and I have felt like I've neglected her in the past. Because this is the case, I will say what I asked of this deck as I touched every one of her cards. I asked her to forgive me and that while we haven't been close, I hoped that we could trust each other and she would give me the answers she felt I needed. I shuffled, pulled, and received the King of Swords. Remember how Queen in Le Tarot is the equivalent to King in most decks? I was too amazed for my jaw to drop. One of my favorite cards ever was pulled in succession in two separate decks.

You have no idea how blessed I feel and I can't stop staring at my spread.

Today as been amazing in so many ways.

Thank you for the love I feel. I hope you feel loved too, wherever you are.

Always,
Andy