Tarot
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New Era Elements Tarot
I don’t think I’ve ever said, “I’m after a modern deck that combines animals, high tech transportation, nature scenes and people with some deeply confronting imagery.” Yet, here it is and wow. The New Era Elements Tarot has had a profound impact on me. It’s a deck that demands accountability and it turned out to be just what I needed when I revisited it this week. Creator Eleonore F Pieper wrote that she wanted to, “Create a deck that would be respectful of the tarot tradition, but that would allow readers to tap into a modern and global experience.” What she didn’t mention is that she has created a deck…
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Modifying the Gaian Tarot to make it easier to handle
I love Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot. Her artwork is stunning and the accompanying book is wonderful. It is written with such love and compassion for both the user, the Earth, and those we share it with. There is however one problem. The cards measure 10cm x 14.5cm (4″ x 5 3/4″) which is huge. My daughter couldn’t hold more than a quarter of the deck in her hand and even though I have large hands I found it a stretch. Also, as I noted in my write up of this deck, it isn’t well suited for large spreads because it requires so much space. This meant that, as much…
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What is Tarot and how can I use it?
At its most basic, tarot is a set of seventy-eight cards that together represent both our everyday lived experiences and the forces that shape our lives. Carl Jung called these forces “archetypes”. These archetypes represent the different drives, patterns, and powers that impel us to behave in certain ways at certain times. Often, possibly more often than not, this is done unconsciously. Before I go on though, I want to address one of the fears associated with Tarot. Tarot does not have the power to create or control these forces or our experiences. How can it? Tarot decks consist of seventy-eight pieces of art. It is us that ascribes and…
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Tarot of the Divine
In using deities, folklore, fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world, creator, Yoshi Yoshitani, believes “the Tarot of the Divine fosters appreciation of our differences and of the truth in our similarities.” Although, I believe, when combined with artwork and the structure of the tarot, these stories become truly universal and reflect our shared humanity more so than our differences. The nature of this deck ensures ethnic diversity but I think it shows that regardless of our ethnicity, our size, our age or our gender, for the most part, we all experience the events, emotions, and energies the tarot depicts, albeit in our own ways. My experience of…
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The Tree of Life Oracle
The Tree of Life Oracle combines stunning watercolour artwork, myths and legends, symbology, and colour to share meaning. Together it works so well. From the opening pages, creator David Wells non-judgemental approach and conversational tone creates a welcoming vibe. He acknowledges that people come to oracle cards for many different reasons and with many different intentions. You can use it purely as an oracle, as a launch pad into the study of Qabalah, or at a level somewhere in between. The choice is yours. The Tree of Life Oracle Cards The Tree of Life Oracle has 44 cards. These are divided into three sections. Firstly, is the section of the…
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Journal to get the most from a tarot reading
Introduction I’ll put my hand up and admit that I have done personal readings that, apart from making me feel better at the time, didn’t lead to much because I did nothing with the information. Now there is nothing wrong with a tarot reading that just helps you to feel better about a situation. Some readings are specifically designed for that purpose. Though I don’t mean in a fluffy, everything is unicorns and magical genies granting your every wish kind of way. I mean that a tarot reading can present a different viewpoint and then that new perspective changes how you feel about yourself, your situation, or someone else. As…
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Triple Goddess Tarot
Introduction The Triple Goddess Tarot tells the story of the Divine Feminine as she moves from Maiden, through Mother to Crone before ultimately returning to Source. It is an uplifting deck that helped me to truly connect with my journey through these phases and to see them in a new light. I used this deck recently in a spread post about overcoming fear-based blocks and that process coupled with the philosophy behind this deck, has helped me see my life and myself in a new, and vastly different, way. Triple Goddess Tarot Cards The Triple Goddess Tarot seeks to act as a conduit to connect you to the triple aspects…
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Overcome a fear-based block with this tarot spread
Background Before I launch into it, I thought I’d give you a bit of background as to how I found myself doing a tarot spread that I believe can really help to uncover and overcome a fear-based block. Initially there was no conscious decision to do so, but I’m glad I kept following what seemed like random urges. Last night I couldn’t sleep. So around midnight I got back up and headed for my happy place – my office. The very same office that holds my nearly two hundred decks and my tarot and tarot-adjacent books. Once there I reached behind me and grabbed a deck, sight unseen. I chose…
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Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot
Introduction The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot is a popular offering. My version is the 6th printing! It’s a highly symbolic deck, designed with magick in mind. Deck creator, Melanie Marquis, writes, “Through the act of casting a spell, the conscious mind is trained to believe what the subconscious already knows, and your behaviour and attitudes will adjust to help bring to reality your magickal intentions.” I don’t identify as a witch but I still believe this is applicable. However, if this isn’t your thing, that doesn’t matter. The Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot works really well as a general reader. It has produced some very powerful readings and lately I’ve been using it…
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How to make connections between tarot cards
Introduction I remember when I was starting out with tarot, I would pull some cards and then dive straight for the book. Even when I did discern messages I would dismiss my own interpretations if they were different to the meanings the book suggested. I was a book reader rather than a tarot reader. Along the way I picked up a lot of information, so I know it wasn’t all bad. But I believe it did slow my progress. Yet, I do encourage everyone to read through the accompanying guide book whenever you get a new deck. The guide book is a great way to give you a feel for…
