This reading will consist of three cards in a somewhat non-traditional spread.  The cards will represent Gifts (what you can expect to receive spiritually and energy wise over the next couple of days), Gathering (the trends with family and friends over the holiday), and Reflections (inner feelings and musings with the holiday this year).

Gifts – Nativity
In the traditional tarot this card, card 13, is the Death card.  Death is connected to more than just the ending and passing of one state of being but it’s also about the rebirth and renewal on the other side of that change.  Here Nativity honors the birth aspect of death with the Biblical story of the birth of the Baby Jesus.  The Three Wise Men and a shepard are there to past their respects, Mary and Joseph look in in delight, and a cow is in the manger to give milk to Mary to feed the baby.  Everything is at peace and in a state of awe because of this new spark of life and everyone is ready to do what they can to lend a hand to make things as perfect as smooth as possible.

This is the thing about Nativity and the Gifts that this holiday shall bring.  This is a time to look forward, not look back.  With only a week left in the year you are being called to spend some time preparing yourself for a rebirth or renewal.  What things are you being nudged to bring into the world and manifest?  Maybe it isn’t that you need to create something yourself to give birth to but you may be the “wise man/woman” or “shepard” that needs to guide someone else to their destiny.  The Gifts for you this holiday are all about making changes for the better and presenting opportunities for you to find ways to pave a new future for yourself.

Gathering – Krampus
If you’re not familiar with Krampus, the Holiday Devil, be sure to check out the 21 Days of Yule post that I did about him recently.   Krampus is a character from Christmas folklore from Europe, originating from Austria, who serves as the other side of the coin to St. Nicholas.  Where St. Nick comes along to give the good boys and girls toys, Krampus comes to the bad ones, whipping them with switches and chains, and dragging the particularly bad ones away in a basket to eat for his Christmas feast.

With Krampus showing up here it’s a reminder to be on your best behavior with friends and family this year.  Don’t bring up things that you know are going to cause family arguments and do your best not to add any fuel to those fires.  Krampus, as a magickal figure, is a wonderful representation to help guide us away from the things that cause us to be bad or cause us to get into troublesome situations.  If we remember that Krapmus is waiting in the wings to make things even more difficult for us it can encourage us to keep things on the right track.  When you’re at your Christmas gatherings this weekend be sure to keep your focus on the positives, setting aside your differences, and just enjoying being with the ones you live.

Reflection – The Hermit
The ultimate card of reflection, The Hermit, comes through in this position to really emphasize what we received in the Gifts with the Nativity.  There is a new year and whole new world of opportunity on the horizon.  Santa, as the shaman and the Hermit here, sits on the hill and watches the sun setting, waiting for his time to move forward with what he needs to do.  This is a great remind about the stillness of this time of year and the fact that more than any other time Yule and Christmas are key reflection points for us. Below the Hermit are two rabbits, symbols of fertility and new life, healthy and happy, waiting to see what he’s going to do next.

This is a wonderful sign, a sign that there is so much opportunity and hope up ahead but there is a need to make sure that you have the right path chosen before you move forward.  The sack the Hermit carries is heavy and he needs to know where he’s going before he starts on his journey otherwise he may waste a great deal of energy in the process.  He is supported with his walking staff, so he has something to help carry him, but he still has to know what direction to head in.  Take time after the holidays have passed for you let yourself come to a point of stillness. Give yourself some time to meditate on what you want for your new year, what you want to find for yourself on that horizon.  And know that if you start out on the right foot with the right support you can make anything happen.

 May you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! 

At this time of the year we’re celebrating and honoring the return of the Sun (and the Son in the form of the God). While there are several cards in the tarot that are appropriate for this time of year, there is none more-so than The Sun card.  In the Rider Waite Smith version of the card we see a baby, often said to represent the Child of Hope and Light, riding a white horse carrying a red flag with a bright and glorious sun in the background.  The stone wall with the sunflowers that he is seated in front of traditionally represents the blocks and hurdles that we have had to climb over and reach beyond in order to get to our spot in the sunlight.  How wonderful as an affirmation of the Winter Solstice!

When we place The Sun card on our altars and make it part of the focal points of our Yule rituals, it can help us to find a focus for the energy that we are calling back.  During the winter, especially if you live someone that really lives out that cold, winter weather, it can be hard to imagine the sun at all.  When you don’t see the sun too often and you don’t feel its warmth or see its light it can be hard to feel that energy to call it back.  This card can help with that a bit.

Here are a few other Sun cards from other decks…

Pick out The Sun card from your favorite deck of tarot.  If you don’t have a deck print out one of the images above or find a Sun card from a deck that you find appealing and print that out for your altar.  Place your card in the center of your altar along with a candle of a fire/sun color (yellow, gold, orange, or red).  Take a few moments to look at your card and really put yourself into the scene in the card.  Feel the rays of the sun shining down on you, warming your skin.  Breathe deep and smell the scent of warm grass and dirt on a summer day after the rains have come and gone and the sun is drying things again.  Feel the power of the sun and the life it creates and supports.  Then bring yourself back to this cold and dreary winter season and know that you will once again feel that sun on your skin again soon as now is the time that it is reborn to the earth.

Light you candle and chant the following:
Return O Sun
Return O Lord.
Bring back the light
And light restored!

Let your candle burn down through the night of Yule to help guide the Sun and the God back through the cold and dark earth.

This month, because it’s October and it’s time for Halloween, I decided to work with a deck that has a bit of a darker look; The Twilight Realm, A Tarot of Faery. Unfortunately I do not have images of this deck to post (and these cards are glossy making them difficult to photograph). I have included a few in the post to show examples of some of the cards.

The month of October in my Pagan spiritual tradition is a month that signifies the end of one year and the start of another. In the Celtic calendar the year isn’t divided into four seasons. As an agricultural society they worked with two seasons, summer, the growing time, and winter, the dying time. Samahin, pronounced “sow-en”, Gaelic for November, signified the end of summer and start of winter. Samhain Eve, known to most of us as Halloween, is a night for honoring the Ancestors that use this in-between time as a chance to poke their heads in through the veil between the worlds to pay us a visit. This is a month where we see the last harvest and the beginning of a time of rest.

Enjoy!

Aries – 5 Rings
October might be a bit of a cold and lonely month for you, but it’s not a time to be sad or feel despondent. It’s a time to prepare for what’s coming next. There is a chance for your to easily fall ill or fall into feelings of seasonal depression this month if you don’t keep your eye turned to something positive. Stay aware of what’s happening around you and remember that this is very much an in-between time with Samhain and Halloween occurring now. Anything is possible, so stay on top of what’s happening around you.

Taurus – 10 Cups
Joy and celebration will be largely on your mind this month. You may find that during October you’re social calendar is going to fill up quick and you’re constantly being looked at the be the life of the party. Things at home are going to be busy but happy. Make sure to take time to decorate for the season and welcome the Ancestral spirits that visit us during this time of year.

Gemini – Ace of Rings
There are some great opportunities for financial change and growth this month if you’re ready and willing to grab that ring and run with it! If you’re looking to make some personal financial changes before the holiday season in order to afford those expenses that always rack up, now is the time to start putting into place a savings plan into place. Try and keep things simple this month and pay attention to your energy, making sure to give yourself the necessary rest and downtime.

Cancer – 2 Wands
Much like how the faery in this card is sending her energy to the plant to help it grow, this month will be a time for you to lend your energy to those around you. What ventures can you be instrumental in being helpful with? Are there projects going on at your place of employment or something that friends or family are doing that you can lend a hand with? Look for opportunities this month to put your creative energy to work for someone else as a way to give back to the Universe that has blessed you in the past.

Leo – 7 Wands
If you’ve been feeling like it’s time to give up on something, don’t! In this card Rumpelstiltskin helps the desperate daughter of the King learn to spin the gold that she must produce for him to save their kingdom. In the last moment she is saved by someone who knows what it takes to get the job done. The month of October might be a bit of a struggle for you to accomplish a difficult task placed before you, but don’t give up! Help is there if you’re willing to accept and you will prevail over anything.

Virgo – 5 Cups
The faery in the 5 of Cups is a faery that loves the water but she comes here because there is a sense that she can let her emotions flow with the water. She can cry and her tears are unheard over the sound of the rushing waters around her. You may find that this is a month for a lot of healing and some emotional release. But the thing about this faery is she know this is part of her journey and something that she needs to let out. Know that this is OK and you are loved and supported during this time.

Libra – King of Cups
The King of Cups come forward to hold out his cup for you. He is kind and compassionate and he’s a strong leader who’s been through everything you’ve been through at one time or another. He knows how to help you if you are looking to accept some help. October may be a month for you that has a focus on healing through the help of others. Taking time to sit in meditation, by water if at all possible, and listen to the messages that water can offer you. Learn to let your emotions ebb and flow like the tides and let those around you with experience help you learn how to ride those tides.

Scorpio – 4 Swords
The sword that has been thrust in the roots of this leafless tree shows a time of rest. The tree is in it’s winter sleep and the sword has been set aside so it’s owner can also take a breather. The faery lights guide the tree and the sword and wait for the return of life and energy. October is going to be a time for you to finally get some rest. It will be a time for you to put down your proverbial sword and just give in to your body’s need to rest and recuperate. You’ll be watched over and guarded while you rest and everything will be there waiting for you when you’re ready to come back.

Sagittarius – 5 Wands
These elfin guardians stand by and keep an eye on their passage, making sure to guard against anyone that may come to pass that shouldn’t. For the most part they don’t mean to cause trouble or harm but not everyone understands or knows they’re motives. This month be careful that your joking and playful actions do not become confused or misunderstood by those around you. It’s possible that things could be taken a bit too far by some and could cause you more drama than you really need.

Capricorn – The Devil
This faery is stuck, stuck between two rocks and in a tight place where trying to escape could mean more pain and more difficulties. Maybe it’s better to just stay put. October may be a time where you find yourself either hitting rock bottom with something or feeling like you’re at that point where you have to decide if making some serious changes to escape your difficult spot will be worth the pain that changes can bring. The faery in this image shields her face from her own reflection in the water to avoid seeing what’s happening. Don’t avoid your reflection; find what needs to be changed and start making those steps toward freedom.

Aquarius – 4 Wands
It’s time to stop and take a moment to acknowledge your accomplishments and the successes you have had this year. These two faeries are stopping from their work with the plants and the flowers to let the other know what a great job they have done. We often work so hard that we miss out on our success and we often never slow down enough to congratulate others on a job well done. Take time during the month of October to not only celebrate your accomplishments from the year but also to pat the back of someone else who has worked hard and done well for themselves. It’s a matter of showing gratitude and appreciation to others; the world will always reward you for that!

Pisces – Princess of Rings
This Princess is a healer. She comes along to help others find their potential and make sure that they are caring for themselves so they can live out that potential. With her arrival for you for the month of October she signals that it’s important to pay attention to your health this month. Don’t let the darkening season be a reason for you to start slacking off on your health and activity. Take a little time to look at your diet and your exercise routines and see if there are any things that need to be changed to keep you going or to inspire you to maintain your health over the coming winter months.

 Don’t forget to to check out my newly redesigned main website, RowanPendragon.com! 
Visiting this site will give you easy access to places to purchase readings, consultations, and coaching sessions as well as articles and posts not found here in my blog! 

In March 2010 I finally got my hands on the full collectors deck which I did a review of back then.  From the moment I opened it I fell in love and it became my regular reading deck.  But, like I said, this was quite a departure for me.  I most typically work with either Rider Waite Smith clones or darker themed Gothic decks.  Despite this I found the earthy, Goddess energy of this deck to be exactly what I needed at the time and many of my clients connected with it as well.  Unfortunately many people that would ask about where they could purchase the deck weren’t able to afford this special collector’s piece so when Joanna announced that the deck would be available as a mass release by Llewellyn Worldwide in September 2011 there was hope for more people to get this amazing deck!

And now it’s here!  Llewellyn did an amazing job with translating Joanna’s gorgeous artwork from her original pieces and the first version of the deck into a deck that anyone can afford to have.  The set comes with the full 78 card deck and a fantastic 269 page guidebook that includes explanations, meanings, and affirmations for all the cards along with a selection of tarot spreads designed just for the theme and energy of this deck.   The deck is the perfect size while not compromising the art itself.  The deck focuses on the natural world and has a definite Goddess feel.  I would highly recommend this deck to anyone who has an affinity for earth-based spirituality who is looking to try out a deck that breaks away from the RWS style.

When I get a new deck I need to connect with two specific cards otherwise the deck just doesn’t work for me; I need to like the High Priestess and the Hermit cards.  And in this deck I love both!  There are a few changes to the traditional cards, beyond just the change in the suits.  In the Gaian Tarot the elements are used for the suits rather than a symbol of them, for example rather than Cups we directly have Water, and so on.   But a few other cards take on a bit of a different incarnation as well such as The Tower is now Lightning and The Devil is Bindweed, one of my personal favorite changes in this deck.

I had a chance to interview Joanna a little about her experience with creating this amazing deck and the wonderful community that she has created out of the deck, the Gaian Tarot Circle.

1. One of the things that you have expressed as a reason for doing the work of the Gaian Tarot was from your connections to the natural world and the people in your community around you.  Why did you decide to express this in the form of a tarot deck rather than some of the other art forms you’ve worked with over the years?

I love the structure of the tarot. It’s almost as if I had a ready-made form that I could pour my content into.  The 78-cards of a classic tarot deck is divided into Majors and Minors, with the Minors divided into four suits. This structure is elegant, and carries a long history as a Wisdom-Keeper. People have been using tarot cards for several centuries, and the structure of the deck itself resonates with wisdom and spiritual growth.

On another level — tarot cards are fun! They are more user-friendly, in some ways, than a painting you hang on the wall or a book that you read.  Every time you use the cards, you have a new experience.

And . . . I’m a Capricorn, and I love a challenge.    Painting 78 in-depth images was a big challenge. It taught me a lot about persistence.

2. How has your personal spirituality and views on sacred earth played into the overall creation of the deck?

My personal spiritual path and my relationship with the sacred earth are the fertile soil from which the deck grew. There is no division between the two.  It’s a very authentic deck that came straight from my heart and from my experience.    <Rowan – not sure if you were getting at something else with this question.  Please ask another for clarification if you need to.>

3. You’ve done such an amazing job of being able to take some of the traditional cards and bring them into a earth spirituality incarnation.  Were there any cards in the deck that you found particularly challenging to do this with?

Not really. There is only one card in the entire deck that is set completely inside, and that is the 3 of Air. (The 3 of Earth is set in a kitchen, but there is an open window to the outdoors.)  There are no obvious references to the natural world in the 3 of Air, except for the feather in the jar and the stylized birds on the man’s shirt.  When I created the minors, I would meditate on the energy of the number and how it might be expressed through the qualities of the suit.  Three means flow, abundance, harmony, manifestation to me; and Air is all about thought, communication, writing, the mind, meditation, clarity, decision-making etc.  I thought about the act of writing, and how thoughts and ideas often rush through us and out onto the keyboard or through the pen when we write. So I decided to show a man writing in his journal, surrounded by shelves full of books.  I didn’t realize until later that I hadn’t put in a window.   I thought about doing the card over and adding a window, but decided to leave it as it is. The shadow side of the card (or the reversal) could emphasize the stuffiness of a room that gets no fresh air. Sometimes we get stuck in our own minds and there can be a lot of pain and frustration when that happens.  So the card carries a continuum of meaning, from positive to negative, as every card does.

4. Did you find that there were any cards in the Gaian Tarot that ended up taking on a different meaning or interpretation from the more traditional tarot meanings just based on the premise of the deck?

Oh my, yes!  This happened quite a bit with the Minors, because of the way I put together the energy of the number with the quality of the suit, as I mentioned above.  I didn’t look at the RWS cards and try to come up with a different take on Pamela Colman Smith’s imagery.  Instead I came up with my own.  Some of the cards do carry a reference to the RWS cards but others don’t.  For example, the Eight of Fire shows meteors streaking across the sky, which is a clear reference to PCS’s eight wands flying through the air.  But the Tens are completely different from the RWS Tens.  I see the Tens as being cards of transition. They are each mini-death cards, because they stand at that place of death and rebirth, before cycling back to the Aces.  So instead of a man lying on the ground with ten swords in his back, we see wild geese flying across the sky, heading south for the winter: bittersweet transition.  Instead of a man burdened down by carrying ten wands, we see a forest fire. Up in smoke! Some folks have seen my Ten of Water, the “dead fish card,” and bemoaned the loss of the happy family looking up at a rainbow.  My Ten of Water shows the salmon cycle, with dead salmon by the side of the stream, but spawning salmon in the river, bringing forth new life.

5. The amount of time that went into creating each individual card, up to 100 hours each, is quite impressive.  With the whole package of the book and deck taking you nine years to complete, did you have moments where you thought you might have taken on too much?  Did you have times where you were ready to throw in the towel and give up?  How did you push through to eventually complete the deck and the book?

Oh, you bet I did.  There were times when I just had to step away, for days or weeks or even months.  The task just seemed overwhelming at times.  But I am a pretty persistent person, and I had a vision and a goal. I knew that the deck was touching a chord in a lot of people, because of the feedback I received as I posted the images on my blog.  Sometimes I despaired of how long it was taking me. I never would have imagined it would take nine years. But life got in the way, as so often happens with creative people.

I did feel that I had a calling and mandate from Spirit to create this deck, so not finishing it was never an option.  It just took sure-footed, plodding persistence.

6. One thing that I love about the Gaian Tarot is how you’ve managed to create a whole community out of the deck; it’s so much more than just a divination tool for those that really want to dive into it.  What made you decide to create the Gaian Tarot Circle?  What are some of your hopes for having a community like this connected to the deck?

I love the Gaian Tarot Circle!  I love the community of people that is growing around this deck.  The seed idea for the GTC was planted when the Limited Edition deck was published, and I started to get feedback from a lot of folks on how they worked with the deck.  I was amazed and delighted to hear that people were discovering things in the cards that I didn’t consciously put into them.  I realized that, while I had a lot to teach and share about the deck, I also had just as much to learn about the deck from others.  So the idea of creating a membership site for people who love this deck was born.

People who are drawn to this deck also have a deep love for the natural world, which is not surprising. They come from all sorts of different spiritual paths and traditions, and all are respected.  There is a small fee to join the circle, and I have found that the fee acts as a kind of gatekeeper.  It keeps away the internet “trolls” and people who are just mildly interested.  I have been really amazed at the kind of community that is created on the twice-monthly phone calls and on the forum.  Even though we haven’t met in person for the most part, we are getting to know each other’s voices and personalities.  Sometimes we do meet in person, at events like the Readers Studio and BATS and the upcoming Gaian Tarot Retreat.  That makes our online connection even richer.

My hopes for the community?  To have a safe place where people can share their spiritual growth through the deck and through their relationship with the earth; to support and be supported by others; and where we can co-create a new paradigm for living on the planet, one that is based on respect and love for each other and for the sacred earth.

I want to thank Joanna for taking time to answer these questions and to share some insight into her wonderful tarot offering to the community.  Please be sure to grab a copy of The Gaian Tarot from Amazon or your local metaphysical bookstore!

Cover by the wonderful Devin Hunter!

E-books are funny things!  Every eReader is different so the format of the e-book is missing the graphics and some of the formatting that you would see in a print book.  The reason being that not all eReaders render images the same and even with trying to work the images for this book into this format there was a really good chance that it wouldn’t come out right.  SO, with that said, if you purchase the Kindle, Nook, or other e-book version you’ll be missing those images and instead you’ll have descriptions of things like layouts.  The one electronic version that hasn’t lost anything is the PDF version.  Here you’ll get an exact copy of the print book but in electronic format for your computer, iPad, etc.  So basically you get to pick your poison with this. 

The e-book versions are $15.
The paperback version will be $24.99

The page count varies based on what version you buy but I can tell you the paperback will be approximately 340 pages.  As soon as the paperback versions are proofed and ready to go I’ll be sure to let everyone know but since most people I’ve talked to are looking for Kindle or iPad versions, I wanted to get them out there right away rather than waiting for the traditional books to be ready.

So, are you ready?!  Here’s where you can go to purchase yours!

For the full PDF version, click this button to purchase with PayPal and go to a direct download!

For all other e-book formats (.mobi, .epub, RFT, LRF and more) go here!

I’m so excited and have spent so much time writing what I think is a great all-around tarot book for anyone interested in the cards or anyone that works with the cards now.  Here’s another rundown of the contents of the book…

Introduction

Chapter 1 – A Deck of Possibilities
A short look at tarot history and its origins.

Chapter 2 – Choose Your Weapon
Picking a deck, getting to know it, and preparing it for use as a powerful tool for insight and magick.

Chapter 3 – The Fool’s Journey
A look through the major arcana and the symbols and messages in the cards.

Chapter 4 – Seeing the Details
A look through the minor arcana and the symbols and messages in the cards.

Chapter 5 – Meeting the Courts
A look through the royal arcana and the symbols and messages in the cards.

Chapter 6 – Tarot Grows on Trees
A brief look at the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah, its influence on the tarot, and how its structure can help us get more meaning and understanding from the cards.

Chapter 7 – Working with the Sight
Learning to develop your psychic abilities with a variety of exercises and tips to read the cards intuitively.

Chapter 8 – Cracking the Code
Using colors, animals, symbols, and numerology to go even deeper into the messages within the cards and your readings.

Chapter 9 – The Tarot Road Map
Working with and creating your own tarot spreads for just about any purpose.

Chapter 10 – Reading with Honor
The importance of reading ethically and how to create your own personal set of ethics for your readings.

Chapter 11 – Becoming the Reader
Setting the right tone for doing readings and how to really step into the role of the reader.

Chapter 12 – Do It Like A Pro
Moving from tarot hobbyist to tarot professional with tips for starting a tarot business and discussions on the somewhat tricky subjects of charging for your readings.

Chapter 13 – Magickal Tarot
Working with tarot for magick and manifestation, including how to create your own tarot spells, both simple spells with just the cards and ones that take it to the next level with candles, crystals, and herbs.  Sample spells are included for things like attracting a new love, protection from gossip, fixing a damaged relationship, releasing crossed conditions, healing an alcohol addiction, and more!

Chapter 14 – Personal Exploration
Using the tarot for meditation and journaling to help you learn and discover more about yourself!

Resources
Easy access to correspondence sheets from throughout the book, worksheets for different exercises from the book, and a list of recommended books and websites to grow your practice.

While I’m still plugging away and trying to get “Within The Cards” complete, I realized that it was getting to the point where I need to start getting together a list of folks to share the book with!  So I’m putting out the call…would you like to receive a preview copy of the book for review on your blog or website?

These will be PDF uncorrected poofs, for the most part, of the book.  It will be missing the graphics and some of the layout specifics and will have rough notes on where some things will go like layout diagrams and such. But the main focus is the content and that’s what I’m really looking to share.

I’m looking for tarot bloggers and other tarot folks with websites and social media outlets who would be willing to review the book and share it with others. Some of these reviews and snippets from them may be used on the back cover of the book (or if you feel so included as to write something that you would like to have as a cover endorsement, you’re welcome to do that too!).

If you’re interested and would like to receive a copy when they are available, please contact me at rowan@rowanpendragon.com with your name and your website. I will be sending out copies (most likely) in August.  I am going to be limiting the number that I send out but I haven’t decided to how many yet.  Those writing specifically within the tarot genre will be at the top of the list, naturally.  So email me today and let me know if you’re interested!

So far it’s not a big deal since they aren’t going to be as in-depth as my descriptions of the major arcana cards (I always knew I wouldn’t be dedicating that much time to the minors, though that may end up being another small e-book down the road).  While doing this today something came to me.  Sure, writing a description of the cards is nice, but how about showing how they express themselves?  So I’m writing a small story for each of the suits called “The Tale of Ten ____”.  These don’t include the court cards because they have their own chapter, but this is just a story that will show how the story of each suit.

I thought I would share the one I wrote for the Wands.  I thought it would also be nice to see some of what I’ve been working on like mad!  So here you go!  I present to you…

The Tale of Ten Wands
A spark, a thought, a creation; everything began with an idea and a dream and the realization that anything is possible if one is willing to seize control and power in their own lives. At least that’s how the story started out for Edward. (Ace of Wands) Edward grew up in a castle which overlooked the ocean. As he grew up living his days in this remove seaside village, Edward began to get restless and started to daydream about what else might be out in the world for him. He’d never left him hometown and didn’t know if the stories he’d grown up on were true. He would stand atop the parapet of his home, looking out at the ocean dreaming, contemplating, and wondering about what could be. (Two of Wands)

As the years carried on, Edward grew even more restless and one day, while standing on the edge of the rocks overlooking where the ships came to port, he decided it was time to go out and find adventure. (Three of Wands) After announcing to his friends and family that he was ready to venture away from home they threw a lavish party for him to celebrate what would surely be a wonderful time for him. Edward knew as he stood looking back at his parents who waved at him as he left, that he would come back one day as a man they could be so proud of. (Four of Wands)

Edward found a group of other boys and young men who were seeking adventure and they spent their time together developing their battle skills, learning how to fight and work with weapons. Edward learned a lot about dealing with others his own age during that time and learned about the power of competition. He’d never had to deal with this before and he learned so much about himself during that time. (Five of Wands) After a handful of years away, and having fought several battles with success, it was time for Edward to return home. He’d had his adventure and he’d been victorious, proved what he felt he needed to prove to those around him, and now he was on his way back to his seaside village. Never did he imagine that his return would be full of so much celebration and fanfare! It was in that moment, as he crossed the threshold he’d previously waved farewell through years ago, that he sat up taller on his horse with more pride and realized that he would need to take time to adjust to life in the village again. Edward also knew deep in his heart that he now had a responsibility to those he would be among to guard them and protect them. (Six of Wands)

One morning there was a loud noise coming from the shore that startled Edward from his sleep. Immediately he was reminded of his silent oath he took to defend his home and the people of his village so he sprang into action, throwing on whatever clothes and shoes were within arms reach. He grabbed his wand and ran to the edge of the cliff at his home, ready to defend against the intruders who were slowing making their way up the cliff face. (Seven of Wands) Edward worked hard to defend the village that day but all his battle skills came rushing back to him as though he’d never put down his wand in the first place. He battled and was quick to run off the enemies that would have come to ravish the small village. As a sign that all was well and that everyone was safe, Edward flung the wands of those he defeated through the air from the clifftop and toward the village. He did this to send a message; no one shall defeat him and he shall always keep the village safe. This news left everyone to let out a sigh of relief and they had hope that they would never need to worry about intruders again. (Eight of Wands)

As time went on, Edward continued to defend the village and he worked non-stop to ensure that everyone was safe. Edward was seen as one of the most treasured guards of the villages and his endurance and stamina were shown in his willingness to go to great lengths to keep watch on everyone around him. Even though he knew this was his calling and what he needed to do, Edward began to grow tired and this caused him to get overly defensive when someone would comment on his work or efforts. Edward knew it was almost time for him to give up his post. (Nine of Wands)

Then, one day, after so many years of holding this position in the village, Edward decided it was time to leave and go home to rest for good. Edward gathered together his wands and his trophies from all his hard work, including the wands of those he’d defeated in his battles, and prepared to leave. As he made the journey back to the castle of his family, his back began to hurt and he started to walk hunched over from the weight of his load. Edward stopped for a moment to rest and realized just how much he’d been doing for others for all these years and how now, at a moment where he could have used someone to come to his aide, there was no one there to help him. While Edward held no regrets for his years of service, he knew that he was making the right choice and that it was time for him to go home and release his burden. (Ten of Wands)

Current Mood: crazy  
(only because I don’t have an icon for batshit crazy)

Within The Cards
Using Knowledge and Psychic Vision to Read the Tarot

Introduction: Looking at why I wrote this book, how to use the book, and suggested materials to work with.

This is where you’ll find the weekly and monthly tarotscopes, links for reading specials, tarot reviews for decks and books, and tarot related posts.  I’m going to be starting a teaching series focused around Emily Carding’s Tarot of the Sidhe which will be starting this week.  And we’ll talk about tarot spreads, tarot ethics, tarot reading techniques and other such things. It’s going to be a fun place to talk about tarot, talk about psychic development, and a place for people to ask questions and learn about tarot on a deeper level.

So come by and check it out. I’ve added it to NetworkedBlogs so you’ll have the chance to follow it that way and you can also subscribe to the RSS feed for the blog.   Check it out and join me for some tarot fun!

Rowan’s Tarot Blog

Psychic Tarot: Using Your Natural Psychic Abilities to Read the Cards is an interesting read, but not for the reasons I had originally anticipated it would be.  While the book’s title might lead you to believe that this is a book on tarot reading I would definitely say this is secondary to this being a book on psychic development.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing!  In fact I think that putting this emphasis within a tarot book is important because so many tarot readers, especially beginners, shy away from reading the cards in any way other than with the meanings and methods outlined in most of the books on traditional reading.  As someone who personally views tarot as a mirror to the Divine Self I find it key to learn to read the cards with the Sight, as Antenucci and Howard put it.

But, again, tarot is somewhat secondary to the emphasis on learning to develop the skills to read as an intuitive or psychic reader.  The authors use the cards as the tool or focus for the psychic development exercises in the book.  This is one of the things that I particularly love about this book is the number of exercises and practical tools that are presented to the reader.  Rather than just telling what you should do, Antenucci and Howard show you how to them and how to work with them beyond just the tarot reading setting.  So again, this gives the book more of a psychic development tone,but what they give you definitely are tools well suited to a tarot reader that wants to be more than a reader that just memorizes card meanings.

One thing that I really appreciate about this book is that, while images of the Rider-Waite Smith deck are found in a few places, there is no emphasis on the images in the specific cards making it easier for the reader to take the information presented and feel free to use it with any deck without having to make modifications.  In fact, focusing on the specific images found in your own deck you have chosen is stressed during exercises that focus on learning to see and read the cards literally, symbolically, and psychically.

In later chapters of the book there are sample readings that show you how to apply the different skills and the six principles of reading that are presented throughout the book.  These will certainly help to put things in perspective for many new readers, and the chapter demonstrating tarot reading verses psychic reading verses blended reading was a delight to read; it’s nice to see workable examples of how to perform psychic readings without the cards while showing someone who may want to delve into this form that, yes, it is possible with the right tools and the right amount of practice, patience, and time.

Toward the end of the book there is a section featuring reference images of all 78 cards from Lo Scarabeo’s Universal Tarot and a wonderful self study guide that lays out all the key exercises and points from the book in a handful of pages making it the perfect quick reference.

Overall I would say this is a really nice book for readers that are ready to take their skills to another level and get out of the habit of relying on memorization or feeling tied to the Little White Book that came with their deck.  The book is easy to read, laid out in a simple and practical format, and has plenty of anecdotes and examples to keep it from feeling dry or impersonal.