Tarot Of The Day July 30, 2018 - Day 37: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 9 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 30, 2018 - Day 37: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 9 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-seventh session follows.

The 9 of Cups in the Rider-Waite deck shows a man, dressed like a merchant or simply a man of wealth, seated before a curved altar holding ten golden goblets. This card speaks (visually) of being satisfied, of having all that one could wish for. The Rider-Waite booklet says, “ The goodly personage is feasting to his heart’s content, and abundant refreshment of wine is on the arched counter behind him. Concord, contentment, physical bien-etre, also victory, success, advantage, satisfaction for the Querent or person for whom the consultation is made (upright,) truth, loyalty, liberty. But the readings vary and include mistakes, imperfections, etc. (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater shows the 9 of Cups as a beautiful skyscape with 9 ravens flying through it. She writes, “ Happiness. I could leave that single word as the descriptor for this card, and anything you could imagine would be all right. The Nine of Cups is a joyful, wonderful card, representing all of your emotional dreams coming to fulfillment. Whatever you’ve been working towards in your relationships - be they friendly or familial or romantic - it’s all here. You feel deeply content, and like things are about to get better. You’re probably right.”

Maggie  gives the following keywords for the 9 of Cups: bliss, fulfillment, and pleasure.”

Tomorrow - 10 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 29, 2018 - Day 36: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 8 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 29, 2018 - Day 36: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 8 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-sixth session follows.

The Rider-Waite 8 of Cups shows  a figure with his back turned to the cups, walking stick in hand, leaving them behind as he travels into the distance. The moon shines above, and the landscape is a rocky shore with craggy islands.  The booklet describes this scene: “A man of dejected aspect is deserting the cups of his felicity, enterprise, undertaking or previous concern.”

It lists the following keywords for the 8 of Cups: The card  speaks for itself on the surface, but other readings are entirely antithetical - giving joy, mildness, timidity, honor, modesty (upright,) great joy, happiness, feasting (reversed.)

Personally, I find the booklet’s keywords absolutely contradictory to the imagery provided, and have always read the card as symbolic of abandonment, and all of the emotions that go along with it. The reversal, however, I do agree with the Rider-Waite booklet on.

Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven’s Prophecy deck shows the eight of cups as four white feathers resting on the surface of still water, their reflections making up the other half of the eight.  She writes, “I chose to use an image of reflected feathers on the Eight of Cups to call back to the reflected image on the Four of CUps. Both the Four and the Eight speak to stagnation and plateauing in your relationships. The difference is that the Four represents new relationships suffering because of neglect, and the Eight represents established relationships that are simply not satisfying. The situation in many ways has become untenable, and the longer you stew in it, the more nothing happens. Those floating feathers on the card aren’t going anywhere without a wind of change.”

Maggie offers the following keywords for the Eight of Cups: stagnation, moving, dissatisfaction.

Tomorrow - 9 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 28, 2018 - Day 35: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Practicum 5: ‘I am The Storm’ Spread

Tarot Of The Day July 28, 2018 - Day 35: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Practicum 5: ‘I am The Storm’ Spread

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-fifth session follows.

It rained a bit today where I live, and I went for a drive and it REALLY rained on me! I could hardly see through my windscreen for a while, but then I drove out from underneath the storm, and entered a fresh, green, and clean area. It was nice. Sometimes, we see storms as forces of nature and destruction, and yes, they are that - but they are also cleansing and full of power. Use this layout to set your course through the storms of life.

Here are the cards that I drew for this spread:

1. Page of Wands - Brilliance, learning, courage, beauty, self-liberation, release of fear, spontaneous expression, freedom, new directions, adventure, spring, nothing to fear.

2. Queen of Coins - Creativity, talent, fertility, health, nurturing, stability, fulfillment.

3. 9 of Swords - Despair, misery, desolation, disaster, self-criticism, mental cruelty.

4. Queen of Swords, Reversed - Narrow-mindedness, intolerance, bigotry, artifice, prudery.

5. Ace of Cups - Breakthrough, life-force, open heart, trusting heart, spiritual heart, expression.

So, according to the cards I drew, my storm, the energy waiting within me to be released, has a lot to do with self-confidence and the ability to express myself fully without fear of criticism or judgement. This will recharge me with the lightning of creativity - as an artist, so far this reading really connects with me! The energy of the rain will nourish my spirit by ...this card, the 9 of Swords, I call the ‘Night Terrors’ card. It is full of mental anguish and pain, and at first glance, getting this card here seems off, because how could mental anguish nourish my spirit?  But let’s look at this from another angle. Sometimes, when a card appears that seems incongruous to the rest of the cards in the story, we need to try looking at it differently to get the message being sent. Here, perhaps it means that the energy of the rain will cleanse and heal my spirit of the mental anguish I suffer ( I do deal with anxiety and depression, among other things.) I will keep these energies from overshadowing things with ...narrow mindedness? Again, an odd card means we need to look at either the position of the card differently , or the meaning of the card itself differently. This card is all about being closed to things - which makes sense when we see that the card position is about HOW to protect my other energies from the energy of this storm. So I need to be closed to the energy of the storm, which was the newfound self confidence - perhaps this is a warning me to not take that energy too far, which would go from confidence to arrogance and being cocky. Finally, after the storm passes me by, how will I have grown? The final card is a return to the first - meaning I will grow from this breakthrough storm in to a more open and trusting in myself person.

Tomorrow - 8 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 27, 2018 - Day 34: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 7 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 27, 2018 - Day 34: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 7 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-fourth session follows.

Oh, to be blessed with an abundance! All of the wonders - and temptations - of the world are laid out before him, but like a mirage, they may disappear in the same puff of smoke they have arrived upon. The losses of the past have made him greedy, and he grabs at all of them selfishly. It feels good to feel good, and he could get hooked if he isn’t careful. The Rider-Waite deck’s 7 of Cups shows a familiar figure with a bounty laid out before him. Each golden goblet has a different thing to offer; one literally is a castle in the sky!

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following  for the 7 of Cups: Fairy favors, images of reflection, imagination, sentiment, things seen in the glass of contemplation, some attainment, in these degrees, but nothing permanent or substantial is suggested (upright.)  desire, will, determination, project (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater chose to show the 7 of Cups as a crowd of seven ravens, each with a different treasure in it clutches; the lantern of the Hierophant, the crown of the Emperor (also seen in the Death card, and again later in Judgement) The Moon, an oak leaf from The Wheel of Fortune card, the feather and pearls from the Justice card, and a snake. She writes, “The Seven of cups shows a variety of choices, some of them immediately satisfying, some of them spiritually enriching. When the Seven of Cups appears in a reading, it’s a sign that you’re facing a lot of choices...and many of them might not even be real choices. Instead, after the fanciful meditation of the Six of Cups, your thoughts are full of imagined possibilities, and it wouldn’t be too hard to convince yourself that some of those daydreams might be actual choices here and now. Moreover, of the choices that do exist, many of them would do far more harm than good.”

Maggie offers the following keywords for the Seven of Cups: choices, temptation, options, and wishful-thinking.

Tomorrow - Practicum 5

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 26, 2018 - Day 33: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 6 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 26, 2018 - Day 33: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 6 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-third session follows.

The Rider-Waite 6 of Cups shows two children, according to the booklet in ‘an old garden’ (but what seems like a courtyard or square,) and all of the goblets shown in the scene  are filled with flowers. It evokes innocence, childhood, and nostalgia, as well as perhaps new beginnings. 

The Rider-Waite booklet offers these words for the 6 of Cups: “A card of memories and of the past. For example, reflecting on childhood, happiness, enjoyment, but coming rather from the past, things that have vanished. New relations, new environments, and new knowledge (upright,) renewal, the future, that which will come to pass presently (reversed.)”

Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven’s prophecy deck shows the 6 of Cups as a Raven watching 6 bubbles float by. She writes, “ This is the nostalgia card. Its theme of looking back might seem very similar to the Five of Cups’s obsession with what has passed, but I generally read the Six as a positive card. You’re looking at the past, just like in the Five, but unlike in the Five, there’s no pain. ...Of course, excessive nostalgia can keep you from moving forward. The past tends to look rosier than it was, so it’s not difficult to get caught in a stereotypical “when I was a kid” talk. Nostalgia can be incredibly stifling if all you do with it is compare it to the present and find the present constantly coming up short. But  if you instead use your memories to be grateful for the life you’ve lived so far, and to remind you of the things that are important to you, they can be a powerful tool for helping you move forward.”

Maggie offers the following keywords for the Six of Cups: nostalgia, childhood, and revisitation.

Tomorrow - 7 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 25, 2018 - Day 32: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 5 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 25, 2018 - Day 32: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 5 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-second session follows.

The Rider-Waite 5 of Cups depicts a black-robed standing figure, before whom are three overturned goblets, their contents spilling over the ground, while behind him stand two intact goblets. Beyond them a river flows, and a bridge crosses the river. On the opposite side of the river on a hill is a building. The figure appears to be entirely focused on the spilt goblets, and much like the Ace of Cups being offered to the despondent fellow in the previous card, he is ignoring the two behind him. Where the previous card seemed to imply an obsession with  what was lost, this one is the depression that comes after the loss, as if the cards are entering the stages of grief.

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following words for the 5 of Cups: “It is a card of loss, but something remains; three have been taken, but two are left. It is a card of inheritance, transmission, and patrimony. It maybe a card of marriage, but not without bitterness or frustration. (upright) News, alliances, affinity, ancestry, return, false projects (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater chose to show the five as two mourning ravens, with three raven feathers hanging like leaves in the branches - all seen through a mist or fog. She writes, “All of the Fives symbolize adversity peculiar to their suit, so of course the Five of Cups is about the loss of a relationship. Sometimes this can be sudden and unexpected, such as a friend moving away or the death of a loved one. But more often this card hurts because you saw the parting of ways coming and couldn’t or wouldn’t stop it. Now you’re stuck in an endless loop of wondering how you could have made it better or wishing that they would have seen the error of their ways.   ...The biggest message of this cup is not the loss, however. It’s not a warning, like the Four of Cups, to change your ways. Instead, the Five of Cups appears when you’re trapped in regret. All of your thoughts are preoccupied with what you’ve lost.”

Maggie offers the following keywords for the 5 of Cups - loss, solitude, sadness, and grief.

Tomorrow - 6 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 24, 2018 - Day 31: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 4 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 24, 2018 - Day 31: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 4 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirty-first session follows.

My understanding of the 4 of cups has always been that the youth sitting under the tree in the Rider_Waite deck is lonely, hurt and dejected. The three cups before him represent all that he wants and desires, and he is entirely focused on them, despite that the Ace is offered to him freely. I often find this card to indicate a warning that it is time to move on from whatever it tis that is holding you away from forward movement.

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following keywords for the 4 of Cups: “Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations - as if the wine of this world had caused satiety only. Another cup of wine, as if a fairy gift, is now offered him, but he sees no consolation therein. This is also a card of blended pleasure. (Upright) Novelty, omen, new instructions, new relations (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater’s 4 of Cups imagery is a play on one of the card’s meanings - reflection - with two raven standing in water reflecting their images as the sun appears to set between them. She writes, “Initially, nothing seems wrong with this card. It represents existing relationships that appear to be fine. They are not contentious. Everything is fine. But beneath the surface, things are not fine. This card is a warning that relationships are not being tended to. You’re thinking more about your own needs than the other people in your life, and you’re taking the great relationships of the first three cups cards for granted.”

Tomorrow - 5 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 23, 2018 - Day 30: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 3 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 23, 2018 - Day 30: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 3 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the thirtieth session follows.

If the 2 of Cups was the wedding, then the 3 of Cups of the Rider-Waite deck is the reception. Celebration, joy, merriment - all of these are evident in the three ladies dancing, cups raised in a toast. This card always reminds me of Botticelli’s painting, Primavera, of which a detail has been titled ‘The Three Graces’. They may not be holding cups, but the posing is similar. The Three Muses, or the Three Graces, are symbolic of the the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts in Greek mythology. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that were related orally for centuries in these ancient cultures, and were later adopted by the Romans as a part of their pantheon. Rider-Waite describes this card as “Maidens in a garden celebrate with cups uplifted, as if pledging one another.” Like the previous card, the imagery symbolizes the union of people, though in the two it is a romantic union, a marriage, and here it would appear to be a union or alliance amongst fast friends.

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following keywords for the 3 of Cups: the conclusion of any matter, plenty, perfection, merriment, happiness, victory, fulfillment, solace, healing (upright,) expedition, dispatch, achievement, end (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater transforms our three graces into playful ravens mid flight. She writes, “...the Three of Cups involves other people, but(…)there’s no work involved. It’s the cups, the suit of relationships and friendship, so this is essentially a party card. It’s a card about friendship, but not just two best friends - a group of people that you feel you can hang out with to enjoy yourself. How you define party or celebration or community is a very specific thing, however, so let this card reflect how you enjoy spending time with people.”

Maggie gives the following keywords for the Three of Cups - friendship, celebration, and party.

Tomorrow - 4 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 22, 2018 - Day 29: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 2 of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 22, 2018 - Day 29: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - 2 of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-ninth session follows.

The 2 of CUps in the Rider-Waite deck is one that could easily be mistaken for The Lovers cards, given the imagery of the young couple on the card. Each of them bears a golden goblet, and the young man reaches with one hand out toward the maiden. They appear to be pledging love to one another.Above and between them is a winged red lion emerging from the caduceus of Hermes. Behind them on the horizon is a hill with a red-roofed home nestled amongst trees.

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following keywords for the 2 of Cups: love, pasion, friendship, affinity, union, concord, sexual relations, that which nature has sanctified (upright,) false love, folly, misunderstanding (reversed.)

So what’s the difference between The Lovers and the lovers appearing on the 2 of Cups? The Lovers represent attraction, while the 2 of cups represents the love that developed from that attraction. And while The Lovers in reverse represent repulsion, the 2 of Cups represents not hate, but falso love. Mistaken love, possibly unrequited and unfulfilled love. The love one feels not fully and deeply but that burns hot and brief and then goes out.

Maggie Stiefvater’s 2 of Cups from the Raven’s Prophecy deck is shown as two ravens, an albino one and a normal black one, preening one another. She writes, “This card logically follows the Ace of Cups - the promise of that close relationship has come to practical fruition, and you’re now friends or lovers. I know this card traditionally makes this into a romantic union, but  my relationships with my best friends are so close that I think this card could quite compellingly refer to that sort of intimate emotional knowledge.  ….The Two of Cups is closely related to the Lovers from the major arcana, but  this card is still the first step in a relationship, much like the practical first moments of the intense relationship symbolized by the Lovers.”

Maggie’s keywords for the Two of Cups are: connection, attraction, and beauty.

Tomorrow - 3 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 21, 2018 - Day 28: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Practicum 4

Tarot Of The Day July 21, 2018 - Day 28: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Practicum 4

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-eighth session follows.

Today’s Practicum walks us through the Read Your Own Mind Tarot Spread. In my class today, the one thing I noticed most about this spread is this: We often read and interpret the cards as if they are an outside individual with their own opinion, but and especially in this particular layout, we must read them as extensions of our own mind. This is, after all, the READ YOUR OWN MIND spread! When you read the card that says ‘how do others see you’, the card is describing how YOU THINK others see you, not how they actually see you. Doing this layout may see you realizing some hard truths about how you think about yourself, and what your priorities are.

Here’s the cards I drew today for this layout:

1. 6 of Wands: victory, success, advancement, revitalization.
2. Temperance, reversed: competition, change.
3. Mage: will, communication, memory, organization
4. Ace of Coins, reversed: corruption, excess, surplus.
5. 5 of Cups: disillusionment, disappointment, sorrow, loss, fragility, depression.
6. Queen of Cups, reversed: perversity, dishonesty, immorality.

So from those cards, it looks like I may have a bit of an ego - but let me also counter that by saying I spend a lot of time visualizing success in hopes of achieving it. Don’t dream it; be it! So although this card makes me look a little full of myself, I feel like it is actually showing me a picture of my IDEAL self, who is all of the things described by the 6 of Wands. As for the second card, I do often feel that others might think I am too competitive, and perhaps a bit flaky - I have named myself ‘theADDartist’, after all, and I am driven to do well for myself, which could come across as competitive. The third card is absolutely spot on for ‘what doesn’t represent me’ - anyone who knows me even a little bit will tell you that I am probably the most disorganized and scatterbrained person ever in my personal life. I am hyper-organized, however, when it comes to smaller tasks. I have serious communication issues (telephonophobia, anyone?) and, at least in the past, have shown little personal will. I have spent much of my life bending to others will. 

The fourth Card, the Ace of Coins, for ‘what is important to you right now’  seems quite negative, but as I am almost always concerned about where my next dollar is coming from, I’m not surprised to see the keywords excess and surplus. The fifth card, what is not important, took me a minute to recognize, and then it hit me - I used to define my self by the fact that I suffer from depression - but I have begun to stop doing that and it is no longer a big deal to me. If I see depression coming, I no longer dread it. I have made it less of a monster in my life, and therefore less important to me. Finally, I drew the Queen of Cups in reverse  to represent the things in my life I do not need, and although I don’t mind a little perversity in my life (waggles eyebrows suggestively,) I certainly do not need dishonesty and immorality, so that seems like a gimme.

Tomorrow - 2 of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 20, 2018 - Day 27: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Ace of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 20, 2018 - Day 27: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Ace of Cups

I am posting a daily tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-seventh session follows.

The Rider-Waite deck’s Ace of Cups shows a hand, emerging from clouds, holding a golden goblet in its palm. Water flows from the goblet in five streams like a fountain into a body of water below, likely a pond or lake, given the lily pads and lotus blossoms growing in it. In the far distance there is a shoreline with hills. The goblet itself is engraved with either a ‘W’ or an ‘M’ (the meaning of which is a hotly debated topic in tarot scholarship,) and a dove bearing a wafer with a cross dives into the goblet’s mouth. 

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following keywords for the Ace of Cups: true heart, joy , contentment, abode, nourishment, abundance, fertility, holy table, felicity (upright,) false heart, mutation, instability, and revolution (reversed.)

In my studies of the tarot, I was taught and continue to teach that the Aces are the wellsprings, or sources of the energies that flow through each suit, and that as we move through the suit, those energies are distilled, refined. Each Suit represents another, smaller part of the Fool’s journey - the Cups represent the journey of the heart, of family, of celebration. The Ace represents the raw emotions when we start something new, good or bad.

In Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven’s Prophecy Deck, she shows the Ace of cups as a baby raven in a pool of water. She writes, “ the cups are interested in love and relationships, and the Ace of Cups, like the aces of all the suits, represents an opportunity or a beginning. When you see this, you’re about to be faced with the possibility of a new relationship. Right now, it's just a tiny thing, like the baby bird on the card, but it has the possibility to be the kind of all-involving intimate friendship or love affair that we dream of. The kind of relationship that you hold on to for a lifetime. ...Of course, like all of the aces, this is only a promise. You have to be  open to such a relationship, which usually means being generous with your time and confident in yourself; this easy step sidesteps a lot of the possible hurt or jealousy that could come later in the cups suit.”

Maggie gives the following keywords for the Ace of Cups: love, beginnings, friendship, and excitement.

Tomorrow - Practicum 4

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturdays, I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 19, 2018 - Day 26: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Introduction to the Suit of Cups

Tarot Of The Day July 19, 2018 - Day 26: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Introduction to the Suit of Cups

I have begun the creation of an 89 day tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial sessions of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-sixth session follows.

The Major Arcana complete, we now enter the realm of the four suits or houses of the tarot. The Cups are the symbolic stand-ins for the element of water, and the suit of cups pertains to situations and events of an emotional nature. They signify an emotional issue or love situation, or some event that affects the querent emotionally. The watery astrological signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Additionally, cups were the symbol of the clergy in feudal times, and thus cup cards can also be interpreted as having to do with spiritual or religious matters. Kabbalistically speaking, the Cups are the suit of emotional impulse.
Traditionally speaking, the Cups are about emotion, family, and a bit of romance. The Cups often refer to a person’s state of mind, and events that affect it.

Maggie Stiefvater writes about the Cups in her book, ‘Illuminating the Prophecy’: “The cups suit is interested in the thing that we all can’t avoid: people! This is the suit of relationships, both friendly and romantic, and all of the cards in it are interested in the way  people come and go in your life and how you get along with them...or don’t. It’s a passionate suit interested in feelings and emotions. Interestingly enough, although fights and disagreements involve other people, you’ll often find that the swords appear when you need to deal with that kind of conflict. In many ways, the sword are focused on keeping you from hurting other people. The cups are have an eye on making yourself and other people happy. Complementary goals, but different methods: one positive, and one negative.”

Tomorrow - Ace of Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out,  on Saturday I will break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first round of sessions ends, we will start over with a short break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 18, 2018 - Day 25: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - The World

Tarot Of The Day July 18, 2018 - Day 25: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - The World

I have begun the creation of a tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial round of the course has passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-fifth session follows.

And now we have reached the final card of the Major Arcana, The World.  In the Rider-Waite deck, The World is shown as the feminine Earth, a female figure, with a wand in each hand, surrounded by a laurel wreath. In the four corners of the card, Lion, Bull, Cherub and Eagle stand in  for Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio, the fixed signs of the Zodiac (also sometimes found on The Wheel of Fortune card). These are symbolic of the four elements (four suits of the tarot), four compass points, four seasons, and the four corners of the universe. In the story of the Fool, the World is the end destination. He has reached enlightenment and the conclusion of his physical journey. 

The booklet for Rider-Waite deck gives the following keywords for The World: assured success, route, voyage, emigration, flight, change of place (upright,) inertia, fixity, stagnation, permanence (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater depicts the World as a paved highway-type road, intersected in the distance by a dirt or gravel road, both winding past the edges of the card. She writes: “The World is the last card in the major arcana and represents the logical conclusion of a life productively lived. You’re fulfilled on  all the ways you could hope for: spiritually, romantically, creatively, materially. Life is good. There are bumps, of course - there are always bumps - but you’ve seen enough rough water to  know how to sail through it without capsizing your boat. You feel connected to your family and friends, and you feel like you’re doing the job you were meant to do, and you’re good at it.  ...The World is yours, and when this card appears, it tells you that now is a time to enjoy everything you’ve achieved. This is a wonderful, productive time in your life, and you should feel it on every level. Mind, soul, heart.”

Tomorrow - Intro to the Cups

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out, this course of lessons will be 89 days long, so that every Saturday I can break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first 89 day session ends, we will start over with a one day break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 17, 2018 - Day 24: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Judgement

Tarot Of The Day July 17, 2018 - Day 24: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - Judgement

I have begun the creation of an 89 day tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial 89 days of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-fourth session follows.

Another clear nod to Christianity, Judgement is depicted in the Rider-Waite as the Biblical Judgement Day, or Rapture, when the angelic trumpets sound and the dead rise to the call and all are reunited in the Kingdom of Heaven. This idea is common also in Islamic, Jewish and Zoroastrian theology as well. It is a signal of the end of the current age of man.  Coffins have opened and the dead are alive again rejoicing as the angel above blows the trumpet.

The Rider-Waite booklet offers the following keywords for the Judgement card, though in the booklet it labels the card ‘The Last Judgement’: Change of position, renewal, outcome (upright,) weakness, pusillanimity, simplicity, also deliberation, decision, and sentence (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater has chosen to depict the Judgement card in her Raven’s Prophecy deck as a crown resting on a book. She writes, “This is the second to last card in the cycle of the major arcana, and this card invites you to take a look at where you’ve been. Frequently mistaken for Justice and vice versa, it’s simple to remember the meaning of this card if you think of it as Judgement Day, although it is not really an external reckoning. Instead, this is about you looking back over events in your life, using the objectivity given by time and experience to think about what really happened. Once you consider who you have ben, whether you were right or wrong, how you have improved or not, you can decide who you want to be from now on using that wisdom.”

Maggie’s keywords for Judgement are judgement, meditation, and looking back.

Tomorrow - The World

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out, this course of lessons will be 89 days long, so that every Saturday I can break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first 89 day session ends, we will start over with a one day break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***

Tarot Of The Day July 11, 2018 - Day 23: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - The Sun

Tarot Of The Day July 11, 2018 - Day 23: The Raven’s Prophecy Deck - The Sun

I have begun the creation of an 89 day tarot course in a group I am a member of on Facebook ('A Kaleidoscope of Magical Perceptions' is the name of the group, please feel free to request membership - it is full of fun people and really great posts about all manner of topics) and I thought I would cross post the information here to this blog as well. Once the initial 89 days of the course have passed, it will start over using a different tarot deck. The text of the twenty-third session follows.

The Sun card in the rider-Waite deck is represented by both the sun itself, but also by a small child with a feathered flower crown riding a white pony, and  bearing a red banner. Behind the child is a wall, and over the wall we can see four sunflowers.

The sun is the representative of the new you, coming out of the darkness after the crisis of The Tower, the hope of The Star, and the wild darkness of The Moon. Rebirth and rejuvenation, freedom and an innocence of spirit as the new you comes out fully to blossom. Personally, I have always read this card this way in the upright position, but in the reverse I learned it as a depletion, a loss of energy, and draining. When we view the card in the terms of the Fool’s Journey, the upright is as I mentioned, a new start after a litany of troubles, and when reversed it represents the Fool if he has come out of the trials -without- having learned and transformed, and instead is less than he should be.

The Rider-Waite booklet gives the following keywords for The Sun: material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment (upright,) the same in a lesser sense (reversed.)

Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven’s Prophecy deck shows the Sun card as cupped hands - the hands of The Mage with the symbols carved in them - holding a tiny sun as one would a firefly to watch it glow. She writes: “After the murky uncertainty of the Moon and the searing trauma of the Death, Devil, and Tower cards, finally the Sun has come out. With the Sun comes light and vitality and above all, awareness. You can see the truth with unbiased eyes. In the clear daylight, the world reveals itself to you, and finally, after the arduous journey to get here, you feel equal to the task of living in it.”

Maggie’s keywords for the Sun are solutions, clear-sightedness, hope, and self-awareness.

Tomorrow - Judgement

***TOTD will cover the entire 78 card Raven’s Prophecy Deck alongside the Rider-Waite deck for comparison. In order to not completely burn out, this course of lessons will be 89 days long, so that every Saturday I can break the lessons up by doing a practicum lesson. Practicum lessons will take the form of a layout or spread that I will walk you through the steps of interpretation for. After the first 89 day session ends, we will start over with a one day break for a poll to be done to see what deck everyone wants to see next round. ***