Blog, Readings

Super Blue Full Moon Eclipse in Leo Readings

Wonderful Full Moon Eclipse in Leo image designed by Carrie Paris and used with permission.

Say it with me now, “Super Blue Full Moon Eclipse in Leo,” what a mouth-full, right? But that’s what we had earlier this morning at 5:30am Pacific. Before I get into the spreads, here’s a recap of what that all means. We get 13 full moons a year. Sometimes, on average 2.5 years, we get what’s known as a blue moon… a fancy way of saying two full moons in a month. On top of that, the moon was also a super one, meaning the moon is closest to the earth. So it appears bigger when we look up. Full moons, for the magically minded, are great times of the lunar cycle to charge forward with new projects, powering up wishes and hopes for the best outcomes. The Leo bit is the astrology of where the moon appeared as far as signs go, so it takes on the traits of the leonine personalities (which I so happen to be one, ahem). Eclipses happen when the moon passes behind the Earth into the shadow. Apparently this is the first time in 152 years that we’ve gotten this combo. Amazing, right?

What can we do with all this? We use this info to see how these energies influence tarot and tarot readings. To start, I looked at what Theresa Reed, the Tarot Lady had to say. She’s both a tarot reader and an astrologist. She posted this lovely bit about the cards she drew for each sign according to this event. Here’s what she said about Leo:

Leo: Five of Pentacles: Proud Leo, this Moon is going to hit you directly. Which means you may want to consider asking for help if there is something in your life that is dragging you down. What or whom needs to go? Seeks some support around this – and then drop that heavyweight so that you can rise to your full potential. If you continue to hang on to the things or people you’ve outgrown, your journey ahead will be tougher than it needs to be. This day is also excellent for making a change in your finances. Whether you start a new job, invest smarter, or finally accept help into your life, a change today could have lovely consequences down the road.

So, with that in mind, I prepped for the event and my own readings by placing my tarot deck, pen, journal, and phone (with spreads queued up) on my night stand. Then, I set my alarm for 5:25, giving me just enough time to feel somewhat awake to read some cards. Getting up this early isn’t easy, let me tell ya, but I did it.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to view the epic red moon. Too many clouds obscuring from where I am. But the energies were potent. I originally was going to do one quick three card reading but for some reason, I did two. Maybe I wanted to go deeper for this, to highlight the depth of combining tarot and astrology with the lunar phases. Maybe I’m just an over achiever? Whatever the reason, you win and get to view my interpretation of two spreads.

My January 2018 Leo Full Blue Moon spread from Ethony Dawn. Featuring the Triple Goddess Tarot.

The first reading I choose to do was from my pal, Ethony Dawn. She did an amazing 5-card spread specifically geared towards this event. Here’s what I got:

1. Personal power: Where is my power during this full moon?
Page of Wands. This card is a force of actively practicing your creativity. So, during this time (and it’s so true for today because I have been steeped in creative design projects) I’m going to put my creation making process into overtime. Writing, designing, anything I deem creative gets a workout. Yay!

2. Drop the drama: What belief, relationship or habit no longer serves me?
6 of Pentacles. Okay, so this was hard-hitting. This card represents reciprocity for me. It’s the equal exchange of energies. So get back what you put out. I’m taking this card to heart. It’s time to declutter and cut out the relationships, energies, and exchanges that do not feel equal. Time to take back my power and put it towards efforts which feel mutually good.

3. Take a risk: What area of my life could benefit from a risk taken?
Moon. I am so glad this card showed up in a spread. I especially love my Triple Moon card. The moon is about busting through illusions, that the darkness is not at all what it seems. So, quite literally, I need to examine the darkness in my life, dare to challenge some assumptions, and push forward to mold my life how I want. I also need to accept certain things about myself which I haven’t been able to do yet. Life is a work in process.

4. Be creative: How am I being challenged to be creative and think outside the box?
Tower. Creativity, at its core, is destructive. Flashes of insight come at inopportune times, and if you don’t grab hold of them, they may pass you by. The Tower is a wonderful card for creativity. It asks me to shake up what I do and what I know, and get innovative. Try new things, shake up routines.

5. My needs: Where am I seeking validation in my life?
5 of Wands. Ah, the card of chaos and confusion and loosing perspective. Yeah, I’m really good at loosing perspectives. Being self-employed is hard because you do so much and sometimes. No one gives you feed back on what you do, how you do it, or what you can be improved. As a Leo, I’m very outward focused. I seek attention and validation outside of myself. Well, I can’t do that anymore. I need to stop looking for others to tell me how good I am and just remind myself that I am awesome. Time to flip the table and give myself credit for the shit-ton of awesome things I do on a daily basis.

My January 2018 Leo Full Blue Moon spread from Lori Lyle. Featuring the Triple Goddess Tarot.

This next spread, crafted by Lori Lytle, was going to be the only spread I played with during this time. It’s a simple 3-card draw that seems to help you reveal, release, and focus on for this period of time. I think this is a great spread to attune a reading around the energies of a full moon. It may become something I do during each full moon.

1. What truth is being revealed to me?
Knight of Swords. The Knight of Swords is a quick thinker and doer. This describes me as I can never shut my brain off. I’m always thinking about the next project, the next day, and what could be. I’m an insomniac who has to run her batteries out ever day so she can get some sleep. The truth here is that this is not sustainable. I need to find a way to balance all this heady stuff with living a real life of accomplishment.

2. What needs to be released?
Temperance. Another favorite card from the deck, this is all about finding balance and restoring sanity. When this card flipped out from the deck, I was confused at first. Why should I release temperance? It’s alchemy, the blending of things to create a new thing. That’s good, right? Well, perhaps I already have it. This is a bit like the 5 of Wands card from above. Instead of seeking out for this thing, perhaps I need to sit with the idea that I already have it. The balance of my life IS temperance, not some elusive goal with no clear image of what it looks like.

3. Where will it serve me well to focus my intention and energy?
Justice. In an odd sense, we’re back to a balance. However, this balance is more karmic. I see Justice as an answer to this question as being what will happen once I relax and release burdens. Sometimes, I feel like I have a tight grasp on things (projects, schedules, stress). Doing this causes more anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to stop. If I follow Lori’s first card items, then I can relax more. I give myself up to the larger picture and allow new flow into my life. Doing so elevates me to a higher level and gives me more freedom to create and pick projects I want to do.

And there you have it. Did you do anything for the Super Blue Full Moon Eclipse this morning? Did you get any good photos of the moon? Please let me know!

Blog, Readings

January 2018 Planning Spread

In this post, I’ll attempt to demystify January’s 3 card mini-spread from my Overview of 2018 spread. To recap, the three decks I used were The Enchanted Map, Triple Goddess Tarot, and Spirit Cats. I chose these 3 for their ability to give me concise info and for their ability to work together. The Enchanted Map card represents the theme of the month. The Triple Goddess card elaborates ways to achieve the theme. The Spirit Cats card gives me a guide card whose energy I can call upon when I need support.

Theme: #47 Sacred Pool
How: The Sun
Helper: Guardian

January 2018’s 3-card spread

The Sacred Pool is all about learning to love the reflection in the mirror. I’ve been really hard on myself and the past year was rough for me. Honestly, I can say I do not like what I’ve seen in that mirror. I need to celebrate myself and learn to recognize the good and worth in myself as others have seen in me. So, this month I’ll be doing some self-care and focusing on health and me-ness.

The Sun is a joyous card. In working on me, this month, I’m going to focus on the things that make me happy. This includes working out, reading, writing, tarot, and exercising. I’m taking a step back from things that drain me and my energy: like Facebook. Instead, I want to reconnect with the flow of the world and what I am.

The Guardian, Lavandrille, stands tall against negativity, and defeatism. This kitty is a perfect companion for me this month as I learn to be kinder to myself and focus on what I want and need. I’ll keep the card on my desk and look at her to remind myself of who I am and what I stand for.

Blog, Readings

2018, A Spread

2018 at a glance

I went a bit overboard with my 2018 spread. To be fair, though, I wanted to kick things off “right” and to solidify tarot as a prominent figure each day of the new year. Hence, the 36-card, 3 deck spread thing. Go ahead and laugh… it’s okay. It was a great idea; however, I haven’t really had the post-spread care time to dump into making all the connections for this beast yet. The cards still sit on my desk. This post is an attempt to summarize the whole shebang. Each month, I’ll post a detailed overview of each set of 3 cards and how I think they’ll influence the month.

I mentioned on Tarot Visions how this spread was in homage to my friend, Jennifer Diallo. She’s combined tarot and oracle decks in beautiful ways so they give clarity and bring helper aspects to her clients life. This is a modified version of what she does. The first deck, The Enchanted Map, by Colette Baron-Reid, sets the thematic stage of each month. I saw this card as what to focus on for each reading. The second deck, my Triple Goddess Tarot drawn by the wonderful Franco Rivolli, gives me the details on how the theme should be accomplished. Finally, the last deck, Spirit Cats by Nicole Piar, give me a cute “spirit guide” whose energies can help me keep the focus.

As you can see from the image, doing a reading this size can get out of hand. However, this is just an overview post (and I’ll come back to this index to link each month as I go along), so I’ll leave the interpretations for later. However, as you look at the image and read the month’s cards, notice the patterns. Some cards seem to be colored similarly. Some names are close on others. All of these overarching items help out in a reading.

January
theme: #47 sacred pool
how: the sun
helper: guardian
February
theme:  #22 intension
how: 2 of Swords
helper: night magic
March
theme: #18 magic stream
how: King of Wands
helper: flow
April
theme: #12 slow and steady
how: judgement
helper: warrior
May
theme: #33 peaks of joy
how: magician
helper: seeker
 June
theme: #3 wizard of awareness
how: Knight of Swords
helper: patience
July
theme: #3 rock bottom
how: tower
helper: majesty
August
theme: #35 education
how: 8 of swords
helper: cuddles
 September
theme: #27 home
how: 4 of cups
helper: unconditional love
 October
theme: #48 wishing well
how: wheel of fortune
helper: mystery
November
theme: #11 balancing act
how: 8 of pentacles
helper: passion
December
theme: #8 come together
how: knight of cups
helper: balance

Blog, Readings

2017 NYE Spread

my NYE Spread

In keeping with the new theme of doing more tarot and blogging for 2018, I kicked off this new year with a New Year’s Eve spread. I chose to use, and modify, the NYE Spread from Beth of Little Red Tarot. This 10-card spread is designed to guide you in the transition from one year to the next. Ten cards is a lot, so I modified it by pulling fewer cards.

1. Center: What surrounds me right now? I pulled one card and got The High Priestess. Which is fitting because my word for 2018 is faith. Having this show up as my center for tonight’s energy seems auspicious. I welcome these energies and look forward to finding my center through it all.

2. Dusk: What am I leaving behind this year? I pulled one card and got the 5 of cups. 2017 had a lot of tears. I lost many friends and dealt with health issues. It’s time I leave all the tears and negativity behind, clearing my way forward. I cannot be held back by the pain and disappointment.

3. Horizon: What comes into my life this year? I pulled one card and have Justice. Justice IS the card of 2018 (adding all the numbers up, we get 11). Love this synchronicity. I’ve been through a lot in 2017 and I feel like I’ve been given a chance to start fresh this year. Things will return to balance this new year. I’m looking forward to it. And here’s to being back on track for my goals.

4. Focus: Where should I put my attention in 2018? I pulled two cards, the 4 of pentacles and the 4 of swords. Work and Health. I need to return to my words and to what matters to me and share my gifts more often. Hence, the need for blogging and writing. I also need to rest and find the balance in my mind. Perhaps it is time to give meditation a go again.

5. Tools: Resource to draw upon. I pulled one card and got the Queen of Wands. It’s time to let my leonine side out more often. I was made for the limelight and haven’t really allowed myself to go free. Let go of the dumpy, the boring, and paint the world once more with my perspective and colors. It’s time to be fearless and don’t look back.

Blog, Conferences, Publications

2017, A List of Accomplishments

2017 has been rough. Between health issues, deaths in my tribe, and the events on a global stage, it’s amazing any of us were able to get anything done. The last few weeks have been especially rough. As a result, I created this list of accomplishments for 2017. This is my reminder–no matter how shitty things go, I DID do something. I matter and the things I do make an impact.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten some items and some things (like events I’ve read at) are deliberately left out. Overall, these are the things I’m most proud about.

Tarot Visions Podcast
Charlie stepped down from being co-host/producer and asked me to step in. Since then, I’ve been recording my voice, processing the shows, and writing the show notes as of February. I recorded 28 new podcasts with Rose Red. We interviewed a lot of awesome people from our tarot tribe and had some great discussions around the cards.

Triple Goddess Tarot
The big release this year, my first directed tarot deck. I had been working on this vision and the booklet since May 2016 and it released in March. I’m very proud of this creation, and while I know it’s not 100% perfect, it represented the vision the triple goddess ladies gave to me. Since it’s release, it’s gotten a lot of positive feedback and it was nominated for “Best New Traditionally Published Tarot 2017” from Spread This, Witches. Art from the deck was also featured in a museum in Turin, Italy for an installation by Lo Scarabeo. I’m pretty happy and look forward to teaching classes around this deck, writing a companion book for it, and to using the lessons I learned here for other deck ideas.

Taught a class at NWTS
I taught Imbibe and Divine at NWTS this year. It’s my 21+ tarot class where attendees drink a glass, or two, of wine and do readings for one another. The goal isn’t to get drunk and read, it’s to see how being in altered states affects your readings (good or negative). I’ve taught this course a few times over the years and was never satisfied with the flow. This year, with the changes I made (and the help of the hotel’s bar!), I think I finally have the recipe to make this class a success.

Taught a Study Class at Readers Studio
I taught Inspiring the Muse, in NYC for Readers Studio. This course combines my love of creative writing with the cards to help students craft fun stories and remove writers block. Seeing the spark for writing shine in my attendees eyes was amazing. I also got to spin my glow poi during the banquet, which was the first time I did a show since hurting my ankle in 2016.

Runes of the Northern Light
This was my first foray into writing oracle booklets. Lo Scarabeo contracted me to write a rather lengthy booklet for this stunning rune deck. I created mini-guided meditations and stories to go along with the meanings for each rune.

Panda Tarot
Yes, I wrote the booklet for the Panda Tarot! I even had fun doing it, so there. It’s a deck with pandas on each card and honestly, it’s not bad. I chose to do some fun things with it and even made a write-up on my blog about how pandas REALLY invented tarot. If you like anthropomorphic pandas, then this deck is for you.

Triumph of Life Tarot
The Triumph of Life Tarot is a collaborative art deck featuring 72 artists within our tarot tribe. All the proceeds of this deck go to help kick cancer’s butt! With the help of my partner, kender, and Andrew McGregor, I submitted an image of my face for the Queen of Swords card. I also helped edit and collate some of the instruction material.

Etteilla Tarot Deck for Kickstarter Project
This was a quick project, to write up and modernize meanings from an Etteilla deck produced for Lo Scarabeo’s Tarot Compendium kickstarter. Sadly, I don’t have a copy of this project, so I’m not sure how it turned out. If you read this and have a copy you’d be willing to give/sell, please let me know!

The Cartomancer, Volume 3, Issue 4
Throughout this year, I edited many of the articles in The Cartomancer. However, I wrote “Divine Inspiration” from Volume 3, Issue 4 on using the cards for creative plot and character generators. It’s a small taste at what I love to teach in Inspiring the Muse.