Out to Lunch

I am going to take a brief hiatus. It’s probably not necessary for me to announce this – an absence of posting would indicate much the same thing – but I guess I feel like I’m being slightly more courteous by putting up the “Out to Lunch” sign.

There’s a lot I want to write about (after having nothing to say for so long!) but I am tired and feeling a little bit 10 of Wands and I should be taking it a bit easier I think. Only two months left of my pregnancy and I’m starting to feel it.

Anyway, I will see you anon, whatever that means.

Tarot of Trees

You know when you suddenly stumble upon something that makes your jaw drop? That’s just happened to me with the Tarot of Trees.

Its creator, Dana Driscoll, describes it as a “whimsical” deck…and it is. But it is so much more than that. It’s a wonderful idea, beautifully executed. (I am in love with the whole suit of Pentacles.) Most surprising and delightful about it is that the paintings make sense. Perhaps it is their whimsical simplicity that makes them so easy to read, like picture books.

I also love that each suit is linked to a season and that this is reflected very clearly in the images. Wands are summer, Swords are autumn, Pentacles are winter and presumably this means Cups are spring (she doesn’t say).

And the colours….oh the colours! Aren’t they divine?

Tarot of Trees - The Moon

Image copyright Dana Driscoll.

It’s Evolution, Baby

As I was lightly pondering the tarot eights this morning, the word ‘evolution’ popped into my head. And I realised that – if one was the kind of tarotist to use keywords – evolution would be a very good keyword to use for the eights.

The figure eight just keeps going round and round, so I guess it could seem repetitive. But in life, when patterns repeat, they evolve. We may seem to do the same things everyday – wake up, brush our teeth, go to work, etc. etc. – but we are not mindless drones performing the same actions ad nauseum. Every day, despite the repetitive nature of our daily lives, we slowly progress towards some conscious or unconscious goal. And every day, the different experiences we have and the ways in which we react to those experiences, cause us to evolve.

Looking at the familiar RWS eights, it’s easy to see how each one shows the theme of evolution. Wands are fast, so the evolution shown in the 8 of Wands moves very quickly (in the Haindl, this card is named Swiftness). Change is happening and it’s happening now, things are in motion and when the Wands land, things will be different to how they were before. But evolution isn’t just change for change’s sake. It’s improvement, refinement, development. It’s change for the better. The 8 of Wands falls between the 7 – which shows the querent is a defensive position, on the back foot – and the 9 – which shows the querent steadier, stronger and more sure of where he stands.

In Pentacles, the evolution is a lot slower (because earth is a lot slower than fire). This is the slow grinding evolution perfected over a long, long period of time. This is the kind of evolution that gave fish legs or whatever it was they got (natural history is not my strong suit). The worker hunched over his pentacles is perfecting his craft and it may take him days, weeks, months or even years to improve. But with this slow, steady evolution comes a certainty that once improvement happens, there will be no going back. The apprentice moves up the ranks to become the master and – provided he keeps his focus – is in no danger of slipping back to being the apprentice again.

Cups work a little differently. Water flows, so the evolution shown in the 8 of Cups is more of a gentle, flowing change. We see a figure leaving the cups behind in search of something new. The evolution happens gradually – usually it starts with the feeling that something needs to change, that something more is needed, and it can take a while for us to identify what that something is. The 8 of Cups shows the person moving on in search of something new even though they haven’t fully finished letting go of what they had. There may be some back and forth, some working against the current, before they get to where they need to be.

Finally, in the 8 of Swords, evolution is hinted at rather than shown. The old way of thinking is creating more problems than solutions and a new way has to be found. What’s that saying about only a fool does the same things and expects different results? That’s what the 8 of Swords is showing. It’s time to think outside the box, to look for creative solutions, form new neural pathways, adapt and thrive. Your tried and tested tactics are no use here.

Well, I don’t know. These are just some random musings and they’re fairly superficial at best. Nothing mind-blowing but then who needs mind-blowing on a Saturday afternoon?

The Celtic Tarot

I really should not be allowed on the internet without parental supervision…

The Celtic Tarot by Courtney Davis and Helena Paterson (not to be confused with about a gazillion other Celtic Tarots) caught my eye some time ago but I have always hesitated. I have seen scans where the images are bright and beautiful (as below) and some where they look very pale and insipid. Not knowing which I’d get, I’d managed to resist ordering it so far. But earlier today, as I was searching for something entirely different, I came across scans of the entire deck…and I was smitten.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I am supposed to be writing about and appreciating my new Sheridan Douglas. I am supposed to be studying my Haindl. I am supposed to be saving all my money for baby (I hear they can be quite expensive).

I blame Amazon. Yes, it’s all their fault. They just make it too easy. But look! How could I not? Even the “plain” non-scenic pips are beautiful.

I do not regret the decks I bought…only those I did not buy.

Reasons why I love the Haindl, Part II

Of all the Fools in all the decks, I love this one the most.

The Haindl Fool possesses such purity and grace. His expression conveys both sadness and wonder, such aching joy for all that the world holds – from the blood pulsing beneath a swan’s white feathers, to the slow invisible movement of planets in the sky. And here he stands before it, inadequate in his patchwork and bells, with the realisation that he is small, human, humble and nothing - in the face of the incomprehensible beauty of everything. 

I am a fool, he says, for believing I knew anything.

Fear Itself

Since yesterday afternoon, I have been in the grip of an irrational fear. It kept me awake last night, and it is still with me this morning. The “kept me awake” part might make you think of the 9 of Swords but actually, all this time, it has been the image of the Moon that has haunted me.

Whilst the 9 of Swords seems more suited to real, tangible worries about specific situations, the Moon deals in large, unfathomable fear. The fear I feel has grown out of nothing – I have no reason to fear, nothing to worry about. It’s just a feeling, a big heavy shadowy dread. It’s the fear that the worst thing that could possibly happen will happen today. And because I have no basis for this fear, I can’t do anything to overcome it.

I wrote at the top of this post that my fear was irrational – and it is. Yet it is also terrifyingly logical. It is the very raw knowledge that bad things happen to people every day and there is no reason whatsoever that they can’t happen to me. It’s the realisation that this thing I have this crippling, irrational fear of, is possible.

You know when you walk down a dark corridor or alleyway and feel scared, like someone is going to grab you from the shadows or – even more irrationally – like there is some thing there, just behind you, that you can’t see but which can see you? All you can do is keep walking. The same with the Moon. In that strange landscape, full of cold grey light and shadows, there is nothing to do but keep walking – away from the pool, past the howling wolves, between the two towers. Even though you’re terrified, there is really no option but to walk through your fears – or at least, walk with them. The same in real life. I have no option today but to carry on, to go about my business with my fears shadowing me the whole time.

It reminds me a little of Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Except I do fear. My world and my daily life look exactly the same today as they did yesterday, but I am in different territory. The Moon does that to you: takes everything that is familiar and safe and dependable, and distorts it. And suddenly nothing seems certain anymore.

Discrimination? Really?

The latest hoo-ha in the tarot community concerns a tarot reader in Seattle, WA, who was allegedly discriminated against by the King County Solid Waste Division (KCSWD). In a nutshell, and as reported in the Seattle Weekly, the KCSWD solicits small local business to donate their services at a reduced rate to be distributed as gifts during the holidays, “in the hope that grandmothers and other gift-givers will replace ugly sweaters with experiences that generate less trash”.

Alexandra Chauran offered her skills as a tarot reader, crystal ball diviner and tea-leaf reader and was turned down. The American Tarot Association (ATA) have leapt to her defence, issuing a press release and writing to lots of county officials, as well as the editor of the Seattle Weekly, etc. etc. You can read their press release here at the Aeclectic forum.

Okay, so I’ve a feeling this isn’t going to be a popular post but I just don’t get what all the fuss is about. It seems the KCSWD has been running this Waste Free Holiday Program for a few years. They clearly invest time and effort and probably money into running it and, as it’s for a very good cause (saving the planet) they want it to be as much of a success as it can be. Presumably they have a limited amount of space and a particular audience in mind, so they want to include the services that they think will most appeal to that audience.

So they reject a tarot reader because they say tarot is controversial. Well, tarot IS controversial. Yes, it’s the 21st Century. No, there’s absolutely nothing satanic or occultish about tarot. We understand that but a large part of the population still doesn’t, hence the controversy. I could happily give a wellness spa break to almost any member of my family but I’d have to think very carefully about who would appreciate a tarot reading. It just doesn’t have the same mass market appeal.

The KCSWD explained they have also rejected financial planners and tutors. “We try to limit it to something you would see on a wish list,” said Megan Sety, of the division’s Recycling and Environmental Services department. Fair enough then.

It’s important to note that – unlike the Miss Toronto tourism officials - the KCSWD didn’t cast any disparaging remarks on tarot at all (you know, associating it with witchcraft and the like). They just simply – and politely – refused Chauran’s offer, and now they’re in hot water. So if someone offers you their services, you’re not allowed to reject them? I’d understand if Chauran had offered to rescue orphan kitties and they’d turned her down because she was a tarot reader. That would be discrimination. But they didn’t really reject her…they rejected the service she was offering and it’s the service that they’re passing on to the public. I run an online store and I get approached a couple of times a week with link exchanges – most of which are relevant and most of which I politely refuse. I exercise my right to select the most appropriate content for my site’s visitors. God forbid I have to start accepting all of them for fear of discriminating against anyone.

Perhaps the KCSWD’s only error was to be so up-front and honest about their reasons for turning Chauran down. They could have just said the program was full this year, and saved themselves some hassle. Guess they won’t make that mistake again.

As for the ATA…well, I don’t see that it was necessary for them to weigh in on this. Well, okay, if you like, use it as an opportunity to educate the public about tarot, but don’t use it to accuse the KCSWD of discrimination. Don’t take everything so personally guys. Yes, it’s a shame – I’m sure there are lots of people who would be delighted to be given a tarot reading as a holiday gift – but no one’s got hurt and no one’s missed out. There’s no fight to be fought here.

Crossing the Chasm

Here’s a question for you:

Who would you rather be? The grieving figure in the 5 of Cups or the defeated and swordless losers in the 5 of Swords? How about choosing between being hit with a big stick in the 5 of Wands or limping along, bloody and bandaged, in the 5 of Pentacles? What’s that you say? Don’t fancy any of them? I don’t blame you. Whichever way you look at them, the fives paint a pretty gloomy picture. It’s hard to find a single positive note in any of them.

But can they really be all that bad? It doesn’t seem fair. Which other number in the tarot dishes out such hardship across the board? The 3 of Swords is at least balanced by the 3 of Cups. The same with the tens. What’s so special about five that makes it the harbinger of such bad luck in every suit it touches?

To understand that, we have to backtrack slightly – to the fours. Fours give us security and stability – whether that’s a steady nine-to-five job or the safety and protection of living with mum and dad. Fours are great, but things are rarely stable for long. Either we get bored and start wanting something more (a more exciting job, a place of our own) or life comes along and pulls the rug out from underneath our cosily slippered feet. Either way, suddenly we find ourselves in the realm of the fives; the only difference is how we got there.

Fives break the box. With five fingers we reach outside of ourselves and touch. With five senses we experience the world around us. The number five takes us out of our comfort zone and presents us with new experiences – the trouble is, we have no idea whether those experiences will be good or bad until it’s too late to turn back.

Five is what makes us order the exotic-sounding dish on the menu, even though we’re not really sure whether it will be the taste discovery of the decade or something out of a bushtucker trial (and a waste of money too). If it’s the former, great, life has changed a little for the better. If it’s the latter, well, too bad. We’ll probably be a bit wiser next time. Either way, there’s been a shift and we’ve broadened our horizons that little bit further. We’ve grown.

Unfortunately, most of the time when we encounter five energy in our lives there’s more at stake than a bad taste. In this way, fives can be about risk, and where there’s risk, there’s potential for loss. More specifically, fives represent the chasm between where we are and where we want to be. This is no ordinary chasm. This is a Grand Canyon, Wily Coyote, Indiana Jones type chasm, complete with pointy rocks and a couple of circling vultures. We stand on one side – the side of the fours – safe and sound. On the other side is our goal, the glory, harmony, success and generally good vibrations of the sixes.

We want to be over the other side but we’re all too aware of the yawning void – the five – that separates us from what we want. So what do we do? Do we take the risk, make the leap (or cross the rickety rope bridge, either way we’re dicing with death)? Or do we decide to stay where we are – and stay the same? The truth is if we chicken out, life will probably make us cross that chasm anyway…or fall in it.

For example, let’s look at our steady nine-to-fiver. She wants out of her desk job and longs to…oh, I don’t know…hunt yetis in the Himalayas. Does she do the responsible thing and keep going into work, day after day, knowing that it provides her with a good salary and a promising retirement fund? Or does she throw it all away to pursue her crazy dream?

What if the situation were different? What if – whilst still pondering the pros and cons of a career as a yeti-tracker – our nine-to-fiver is suddenly and without notice made redundant? She still finds herself without a steady job and the cushy retirement fund. In both scenarios, the chasm is the same but the viewpoint is different. She’s either poised on the edge sizing up the risk or she’s standing at the bottom of a narrow gully looking up at two sheer rock faces, clutching her redundancy cheque and wondering what the hell just happened.

Clearly then, fives can spell trouble or – if you want to be philosophical about it - challenge. But that really isn’t the point of the fives. Life is full of troubles, we don’t need a number to show us that. Fives are important not because they show us that the troubles exist but because they show us that the troubles have to exist, because without them we cannot grow, we cannot strive to get what we want and be who we want to be. By forcing us to take risks or by putting us in difficult situations, fives give us the opportunity to show the world what we’re really made of. As one Chinese proverb says, “Heroes create circumstances; circumstances create heroes”.

Relating this back to the suits then, we can see how the energy of the fives disrupts and challenges each element. Fiery Wands love the number five. Show Wands the chasm and you’ll be lucky if they stand still long enough to don a crash helmet before taking that leap. Sure they know the risks, but what’s a few cuts and bruises – or broken bones – compared to the glory of making it to the other side? That’s why the 5 of Wands typically depicts people in the midst of a fight. Wands gladly accept the challenge presented by five.

For watery Cups, the challenge is more intimidating. Broken bones are nothing compared to the potential of a broken heart. Whether you’ve lost a loved one or you’re contemplating telling that certain someone you’d like to be more than just friends, the chasm can seem overwhelming. We rarely escape unscathed when we put our emotions on the line, but that’s exactly what we have to do if we want to find true happiness. The typical image depicts three cups that have spilled their contents while two remain upright. It may seem like the risks far outweigh the rewards; on the other hand, who wants to spend life like the 4 of Cups?

Swords present a different challenge. When the element of air breaks free of the bonds of the four, the result can be chaos. Free-thinking and the questioning of authority can lead to the breakdown of established power. The 5 of Swords can also signify a breach of the “my word is my bond” trust found in the four. Broken agreements, double-crossing, breach of contract: any way you slice it, the 5 of Swords means someone loses. But conflict is a necessary part of life. Without it, nothing changes. Vive la revolution!

Finally, we come to Pentacles. With its depiction of physical and material hardship, the 5 of Pentacles is perhaps the most depressing card of all. In the element of earth, five attacks the very things that we take for granted, the things which keep us alive – or, at the very least, warm and dry. When we talk about risk in the suit of Pentacles, we’re talking about the kind of risk that has us taking out a second mortgage to fund a business venture or betting the deeds to the family home on the spin of a wheel. Literally, putting our money where our mouth is. What’s more, when it comes to the physical realm, everything seems to be connected. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where a run of poor health could lead to no job, which could in turn lead to no money and no house. In the 5 of Pentacles, our very foundations may crumble and what then?

As with any of the fives, we get on with it. We take the risk, we accept the challenge, and we prove what we are really made of. That’s what the fives are about after all.

New Article

About two years ago, I wrote an quick guide to tarot for absolute beginners, which I intended to put up at the store. But for some reason, I never got round to uploading it. I came across it today so I thought I’d upload it here – well, it’s better than leaving it to languish on my hard drive.

It’s quite likely that, if you’re reading this blog, you already know quite a lot about tarot so it will be no use to you whatsoever, but if – serendipitously – you’ve arrived here thinking, “what’s this tarot lark then and how do I do it?” then this is for you.

Wishlist

My passion for tarot has only just returned and already I am frantically adding new decks and books to my wishlist. Here’s a sneak preview of what I may be talking about in the not so distant future…:)

Sheridan-Douglas Tarot

I have wanted this deck for a long, long time and finally (hopefully next week) it will be mine. I just find the bold blocks of colour and clean lines so appealing*. And I am reliably informed it is Rider-Waite-ish enough to be easily readable and yet not so Rider-Waite-ish that it’s nothing more than a clone. Expect to hear me wax lyrical about this one repeatedly.

(*A forum friend of mine says her baby particularly likes this deck because of the simple colours and lines. What this says about me, I’m not sure…)

Back in Time Tarot

I’m really looking forward to reading this one (even though I’ve just noticed the release date on Amazon.co.uk has been pushed back to January – luckily the book is published in the US in October). The Back in Time (BIT) method sounds like one of those ways tarot should be used – giving the kind of personal feedback that tarot is good at - and something that anyone can do regardless of their experience or reading ability. I hope it’s a method I’m going to be using a lot.

Shadowscapes Tarot 

Perhaps no surprises here as I think everyone is eagerly looking forward to this. Stephanie Pui-Mun Law only has four cards to finish (the four Kings) and then…well, word on the street is that the deck will be published by Llewellyn in Spring of 2010!! The illustration is exquisite - beautifully detailed, with little surprising touches that hide and then leap out at you when you least expect it – and the cards are also well thought out and meaningful. I think it will be a joy to read, as well as to look at. If I get nothing else, I will still definitely be getting this.

Wild Mercy: Tarot Inspired Musings

“I am gathering fragments of sun
in my arms
and taking the fire inside.”

‘Nuff said. Wild Mercy is a book of deeply personal poetry inspired by some of the more challenging major arcana cards (Death, Judgement, the Lovers, etc.)

Dame Fortune’s Wheel Tarot

I love the vibrant colours of this upcoming deck from Paul Huson. Apparently, Lo Scarabeo will be publishing it in 2009, but to see more cards in the meantime, visit Aeclectic.