This Friday (November 6, 2020), we’ll be going live on Jenna’s Instagram channel. Listen in as we talk about animal symbolism. I’ll share some tips about how you can use them in your readings and a bit about my connections to the animal world. Through the event, we’ll be pulling cards from Jamie Sawyer’s Nature Portals.
Friday’s event is hype everyone up for next week’s Main Event. Throughout this year Jenna was hosting a Gallery Reading event where she and a lucky reader sit on zoom for a few hours to read up to 25 lucky guests! Next Thursday, November 19th at 7 pm Eastern, she and I will be reading for those lucky attendees. This is the last time she’s hosting these reading Galleries. So if you wanted to know what goes on, it’s time to sign up!
To recap, in 2020 I’m using these decks: The Sovereign Oracle, the mini Ceccoli Tarot, and the Animantras deck. I chose them because I wanted to play with mini decks this year. They give me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a cute animal to act as the guide for the lesson. This whole spread sits on my desk where I can see it, work with the energies, and integrate them into my day.
Theme: Focus How: 3 of Wands Helper: Horse (be reliable)
November 2020 Planning Spread. Click to embiggen.
I adore this month’s theme: FOCUS! This is the month that kicks my ass into gear and makes me take charge of what I want to leave behind in 2020. I’ll be taking the time to look hard at what unfinished projects I have (on my desk, in my head, and on the various lists) and start knocking them off one by one. I want to cultivate more attention to what I enjoy doing and attempt to clear the clutter and distractions.
How I’ll be doing this is the Three of Wands. In this tarot, we see a young woman sitting in a tree and she seems to be pondering something down in her lap. My first thought is that she is reading or writing dreams down in a notebook. I have plans. I had big plans this year but the pandemic put it all on hold. Instead, I can dream and focus my attention to what is in front of me, both literally and goal-wise, and where I want to go in the future. So, I will focus on those plans and start laying down the seeds to get from where I am now sitting in my house to sending those items and ideas out into the world in 2021 and beyond.
My helper on this journey is Horse whose message is be reliable. Horse belongs to the sacral chakra, which focuses on creativity and feelings of security. I’m deathly allergic to horses and I love them. There is a beauty and grace to them. They have been humanity’s friend for thousands of years, carrying us and our possessions to leading us to safe areas and water. Kayti says that horse is here to remind us that we need to be held accountable to ourselves as well as those who rely on us. While the continuing stay-at-homeness of this new world makes it really easy to slack off, I still need to be reliable to my partner, my friends, and all the creative projects and clients who are continuing to work with me. I promise to be reliable to them all this month.
To recap, in 2020 I’m using these decks: The Sovereign Oracle, the mini Ceccoli Tarot, and the Animantras deck. I chose them because I wanted to play with mini decks this year. They give me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a cute animal to act as the guide for the lesson. This whole spread sits on my desk where I can see it, work with the energies, and integrate them into my day.
Theme: Sensuality How: Queen of Wands Helper: Peacock (be dazzling)
October 2020 Planning Spread. Click to embiggen.
October’s theme is Sensuality. What a great theme for the month in which most of my favorite tastes arrive. Pumpkin spice chai, pumpkin pie, the scents of autumn, and fires burning from fireplaces. I’ll admit that Sensuality is an odd trait for me to explore. Many tie this notion in with sexuality and sex, and as I am asexual, it’s a bit harder to distinguish from something I really like or love. However, I do like the card’s “tactile approach” idea, so this month I will attempt to be more hands-on in my approaches to work and creativity. I will cultivate more fiber arts by creating a few more crochet cases, I will continue to sew some items, and to fix up so favorites. All my Samhain decorations have a various tactile feel to them, from various pumpkins made from different fabrics to the colors and smooth bits of wood statuary on my mantle.
The Queen of Wands is a perfect woman to guide me into how to accomplish the theme. She is no stranger to sensuality and being hands on. She is drama and flare and loves the lavish lifestyle. While I may not have a Queen’s budget for decoration or description, I do have imagination which can help me craft the notion of a sensual lifestyle.
My helper this month is Peacock. Another fantastic critter to have for October. Be dazzling is their message and peacocks love to display their colors. Peacock belongs to the Third Eye chakra and he reminds me that it’s okay to show off every now and then. So, with his message and the power of the Queen of Wands, I will show off my love for the witching season in my decorations, in my clothing, and in the music I love to play throughout this month. Need a fun 8-hour plus playlist that includes songs from through the ages and across genres? Give my “Samhain Songs” playlist on Spotify a try! It’ll delight anyone’s haunts.
To recap, in 2020 I’m using these decks: The Sovereign Oracle, the mini Ceccoli Tarot, and the Animantras deck. I chose them because I wanted to play with mini decks this year. They give me a theme, a means to apply the theme, and a cute animal to act as the guide for the lesson. This whole spread sits on my desk where I can see it, work with the energies, and integrate them into my day.
Theme: Restriction How: X The Wheel of Fortune Helper: Raven (be watchful)
September 2020 Planning Spread. Click to embiggen.
This month we kick it off with Restriction. I like this card because it reminds us to use less, be less, and make good choices on a daily basis. It’s a perfect card to learn how to operate in our pandemic world. My partner and I have restricted where we shop to places we know have our health in mind. We stay home when it’s not safe to be outside. I always bring my mask with me. This month, I choose to restrict my world in various ways to allow my creativity to grow. I’ll do my best to complete books or projects that have already been started. I will attempt to keep the shiny at bay.
Giving me more information on how to delve into the ideas of restriction is the Wheel of Fortune. This card is one which speaks of awareness to the cycles of life, to the fate and future we all want to create for ourselves. September begins the first month in the change from summer to autumn. The air cools down, the squirrels get busier in gathering food, and I break out the hoodies and pumpkin chais. There is a powerful force in restricting your view to the seasons. Especially when you stay indoors and peer out at the darkening of the leaves and world. This restriction gets me closer to the cycles of nature and to be more aware of how this season affects me and my energy.
Raven appears as the helper for the month. In live in an area where there are lots of corvid. Ravens and crows peck at the ground for food and they chase each other and the squirrels around the neighborhood. As I watch them through my window, I can see how they respond to dangers or use cars to crack open nut shells. Incredibly intelligent, they are a delight to watch. In her booklet, Kayti says, “The energy of raven reminds us to develop relationships with trusty friends and partners in life.“ That we should “watch and listen carefully to the world around us and understand it so well we can use its elements to go after dreams bigger than ourselves.” Their motto on this card is to “be watchful” and they are red for the Root chakra. Being watchful and mindful and present in each moment. Which pairs perfectly with bearing witness to the changes in seasons. So this month, I will be watchful of my desires, money, and proximity to others.
I read five books. I slept a lot. I took many walks in a nearby park with my partner. We watched bunnies and dogs and wore our masks. I even slept a lot. We walked through the Portland Rose Gardens, and I had fun taking pictures of the honey bees as they got so drunk on the pollen they were wobbling around.
Look at the happy bees on the lavender! Click to embiggen.
All this gave me the time to let my heart open a bit more and grieve. I grieved for this past spring and the events I wasn’t able to do. I talked to my therapists, and they nailed some of the new issues I need to work through. And being on the edge of burnout won’t help me learn the long term lessons I desire to grow into.
Calm and peace entered my body, and with this knowledge, I have learned that to pursue a new balance in my life. I’ll work hard and also take more time to myself to read and recharge my batteries.
