#MicroblogMondays: I’m becoming a hermit!

Slowly but surely, I seem to be becoming a hermit.

This is a cycle that repeats itself every couple of years. I start turning into this person who goes to work and runs back home and doesn’t want to step out again. I think of meeting friends, running errands, going shopping or walking, but it seems like too much to do. I’m happy pottering around the house – writing, painting, journaling, doing some inner work.

Sometimes I realize that it’s just the stress getting to me. In those cases, it’s rather easy for me to snap out of hermit mode. At other times, it takes me a while to realize what is happening.

Why, you ask? Because I am an introvert – and as an introvert, I love my solitude. Being around too many people for too long saps my energy, so I’m perfectly content with my hermit life.Continue reading→

Unboxing The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Cards

the-wild-unknown There are as many special interest Tarot decks as there are people – you have the Cat Tarot and the Druid Tarot, the Angel Tarot and Greek Mythology Tarot, and everything in between. I’ve never been interested in branching out into any of these, because honestly, once you start there is no stopping!

But the one deck that I have heard nothing but good things about is The Wild Unknown Tarot. And when I saw the cards online, I knew why. The black and white images with pops of colors are not only beautiful, but the essence of each card shines through in the illustrations.

The first two editions of this deck are sold out, so when I heard there was to be a third edition, I simply had to have it! While pre-ordering them, I saw that the artist had another deck out – the Animal Spirit oracle. Continue reading→

What is the difference between Tarot and Oracle cards

This is a common question that many people ask when they’re starting out on an inner quest – Tarot Cards or Oracle Cards – which are better? How are they different? Let me try to break it down for you.

The difference between Tarot and Oracle cards

Both the Tarot and Oracle cards can be powerful tools for personal growth, inspiration and divination. So there is no major difference there. Where they really differ is in their structure.

No matter which Tarot deck you buy or which system it follows, a Tarot deck always has 78 cards. These cards are always divided into 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The 22 Major Arcana cards always depict major events and turning points in our lives. The naming conventions may differ slightly from deck to deck, but the broad meanings are largely similar.

The rest of the 56 Minor Arcana cards are suit cards – wands, swords, cups and pentacles. These represent the daily ebb and flow of life. Each of these is related to one of the four elements and a particular trait.Continue reading→

A look at how the Tarot works

In my previous post, I shared a bit about the history of the Tarot and briefly introduced you to the cards. Today, let me tell you how the Tarot works – and doesn’t work.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the Tarot, which isn’t surprising given its portrayal in the movies. Picture this:

A young girl goes to a fortune teller, who pulls out the Death cards and says something like: “Oh, Death! Someone you love is going to die today!” *Cue dramatic music in the background.*

I say: Bullshit!

From the Mary-El Tarot Tarot deck – I love this version of the card. It depicts what Death truly represents – the end of a cycle or transformation.

For one, Death very rarely means the literal death of someone – so breathe! For another, the Tarot does not tell you exactly what will happen, or exactly when it will happen, and a reading isn’t set in stone. Hello, free will!

The Tarot provides you with a road map

Continue reading→

What is the Tarot: A brief history and introduction to the cards

The Tarot of Jacques Viéville (Paris 1650)
Public Domain

When I wrote about the Tarot last month, I didn’t expect so many of you to be interested in both a reading and in knowing more about the cards! Since so many of you asked, here’s some information on the Tarot.

A brief history of Tarot

The origin of the Tarot is a bit of a mystery. Some sources say the cards originated in Italy in the 15th century, others that they’ve been around since the mid-18th century. But what is largely undisputed is that the cards were discovered by scholars of the occult in the later part of the 18th and 19th centuries. They connected the cards to Egyptian philosophy, the Kabbalah, alchemy and other systems.

However, Arthur Edward Waite is largely viewed as the father of modern Tarot. In the 20th century, he commissioned artist Pamela Coleman Smith to create what he called the “rectified” Tarot. His version of the cards has been widely accepted as the standard, and is by far the most popular deck – and the easiest for those looking to learn the Tarot given its rich symbolism and the simple artwork.Continue reading→

My friend and I

I’m curled up on the sofa, looking out at the rain falling steadily down. The weather outside – rainy, overcast, ominous – reflect the thoughts swirling around my head.

There’s an inner turmoil that’s been brewing within me since a long, long time. A problem that seems to have no solutions. No matter how much I try, or how often I upbraid myself for failing, it just doesn’t seem to work out.

And now I’m convinced there’s more to the problem than meets the eye. It’s not a simple case of do X to achieve Y. There’s something buried deep within; this problem has spiritual roots.

Continue reading→