Speaking of Witch
  • Home
  • Blogs
    • Speaking of Witch Blog
    • (Almost) Daily Divine
    • Thought Of The Deity
    • Subscribe
  • Tarot
    • Request A Reading
  • Contact Us
  • References
    • Books
  • Speaking of Witch - The Podcast
  • Links
    • Moon
  • The Witches
    • Crafty Witches
    • Divination & Healing
    • Witches Remembered

Friday April 6, 2018

4/6/2018

0 Comments

 

8 of Swords
The Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot

Picture

We Are Bound To Get Ourselves Stuck

Personally, I find much of the swords suit pretty challenging. Do you? They always seem so grim and terrible!

​The Eight of Swords can make you feel like not much could be worse. The woman on the card is bound and blindfolded. She is surrounded by swords, almost imprisoned, but the cage is not complete. There is a fortress or a city behind her, unreachable, high on a cliff. So perhaps she is on a beach and the tide is receding. Maybe she is not in as much peril as she seems to be. Notice one foot is in the water (or hovering above it) and one on land?

These hints tell you that you may be your own worst enemy. Your feelings of isolation and suffering, being cut off or imprisoned by obstacles are largely self imposed. They may not be entirely in your head, but there is a path available for escape and a way to get moving again, should you decide to be open to it.

​What is limiting you? What will it take to get moving again? Consider that there are options you aren’t looking at and that help is at hand if you just ask. This is a time to get out of your head. Plunge that foot into the water and examine your feelings, your intuition about the true state of things and make a decision. You could just stay in this position, but the tide will come in eventually and then you really will be in dire straits!
Picture
I especially love Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s illustration (above) of the Eight of Swords from her Shadowscapes Tarot! The bright hummingbird really underscores the sense that the swan’s imprisonment is temporary and that there is hope if one just looks for it!
The original definitions that came with the deck are myriad and pretty colorful! Hoodwinked in this case, means a literal blindfold as opposed to being tricked. Violent chagrin seems like a bad name for an after shave for goths. And how often do you see trammels (Basically, an obstacle, but power in trammels?) or calumny (slander)?
“ A woman, bound and hoodwinked, with the swords of the card about her.
Divinatory meanings: Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny----also sickness.
Reversed: disquiet, difficulty, opposition, treachery, the unforeseen, fatality.”


This post is a bit belated because I drew this card early Friday morning, started to write and then suddenly feeling exhausted and lulled by the rain, I lay down “just for a minute.” The next thing I knew it was after 5PM and I needed to rush off to work. When that finally wrapped up, I was cold, waterlogged and spent so I listened to an audiobook while I sipped a cup of tea and just gave up.

​It was a day I felt like I just couldn’t do anything! I’ve been wrestling with depression lately. Thursday night I had to deal with a dead battery in the rain and was up late driving to recharge the battery. All week I’ve been running at a deficit. The month ahead looms, threatening me with money concerns. I certainly took a self imposed, “I feel overwhelmed and stuck,” break for the day.

​That's ok, once in a while. But hey, I don’t want to stay that way until I drown!


Picture
I'm including images of today's card next to the same card from the Universal Waite deck again. The Centennial deck has a brownish grey sky, while the Universal has a light blue wash which gives the image  a much brighter, less gloomy atmosphere.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Wednesday, April 4th 2018

4/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

3 of swords (R) 
 The Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot

OUCH: Welcome To Being A Human!

Picture
The Three of Swords​ is that classic card nobody likes to see. It is a card of heartbreak and sorrow. When you come across this card and when you are experiencing this level of sadness or frustration it's really easy to feel like everything has gone to crap, your life is over and things will never be right again. It certainly is a dramatic image with the three blades stabbing the heart and storm clouds with a torrent of rain pouring down. But it's important to keep in mind that just like tumultuous weather, the clouds eventually part and the sun comes out! With time, patience and care even the most painful wounds do heal!
This card can symbolize the end of a relationship, the sudden painful loss of someone or something, a frustrating wrench thrown into an important project or dream, plans gone awry, or any kind of situation that seems irreconcilable. So step back, acknowledge your pain, recognize that no matter how big it seems it's a distracting blip in the long span of time. So give yourself some of that time recognizing that it will pass and be open to the idea that either a better situation will come along or the possibility that the clouds will roll away and reveal a new path to what you need. If you feel stuck in painful emotions, keep in mind that some of the most amazing works of art have blossomed from unhappy experiences. Even if it’s just for you, try making something or writing something that will help you get your feelings out. Creativity is good medicine!

Here's what the old original book from Arthur Edward Waite in 1911 said:

“Three swords piercing a heart, cloud and rain behind.
Divinatory Meanings: Removal, absence, delay, division, rupture, dispersion, and all that the design signifies naturally.
Reversed: Mental alienation, error, loss, distraction, disorder, confusion.”


Again I'm including a picture of the two cards next to each other the Centennial Deck and the Universal Waite. I think the antiqued wash makes the card look a little bit softer.

Picture
I sat and meditated with this card this morning, like ya do, and in combination with April 4th, I  found myself reflecting on loss and on things that might have been. I lost touch with a close friend when I moved to the bay area, someone who meant a great deal to me. Our friendship came close to nudging past platonic friendship a few times but never quite made it. But mostly, I just regret the loss of connection and hope he is well, happy and loved, but not knowing makes me sad and wistful. His birthday is April 4th. Happy Birthday, Eric Mewhirter, wherever you are!

Quotes to think on:

This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Sadness flies away on the wings of time.
― Jean de La Fontaine

Heartache is very fertile ground for song-making but so is happiness, so is absolute bliss.
---K. D. Lang

I know that in life there will be sickness, devastation, disappointments, heartache
​- it's a given.

What's not a given is the way you choose to get through it all.
If you look hard enough, you can always find the bright side.

---Rashida Jones

Heartache often drives us to consume things we wouldn't otherwise, such as an entire pint of Caramel Pecan Perfection high-fat ice cream, covered in ganache, the crack cocaine of frozen dairy. Twelve hundred calories per pint, six hundred and eighty of which are fat calories, but is only dulls the pain for the moment, there's that carb fog while you're standing at the sink shoving it in your face, and then it's over and you feel...used. Like a cheap pickup the Dove people seduced and abandoned in your kitchen, leaving you with sticky hands and an empty cup and a still-broken heart, except now you're mad at Dove, too.
― Jennifer Crusie

Picture
0 Comments

Thursday, February 15, 2018

2/15/2018

0 Comments

 

Three of Quills - Incidental Tarot

Getting To The Point!

Picture
The Three of Swords from any traditional deck is not what you want to see the day after Valentine’s Day. For all the romance marketed at us, the pressure to conform to making acceptable overtures or simply to not be alone can certainly cause heartaches. For all the love that blooms, there are breakups, disappointments and struggles with deep depression around this holiday. The Three of Quills from Holly DeFount’s Incidental Tarot is not nearly as threatening as what we usually see. The three quills dipped in the inkwell of this beautiful heart are much less jarring and brutal than the usual heart stabbed with three blades! Thanks Holly!

The card is really beautiful. The quills are a crisp white. The heart does not appear damaged and beneath and above is a beautiful leafy vine. The Heart sits on it like a flower. The quills are each at a different angle though all pointing inward. What dynamics and influences are speaking to your heart or perhaps affecting an existing relationship right now? Are they at odds? Are they helpful and harmonious, working together? What motives are in play?

As DeFount puts it, “The Three of Quills indicates a rare and somewhat precarious dynamic; three separate but related intentions conjoined to a single purpose.”


Threes are about things coming together and growth. Quills or swords represent intellect. Here lies a challenge to the status quo, the way you think and look at things in family or important relationships. So yes, indeed this card can still represent heartache. You may find yourself questioning the commitment, loyalty or harmonious intent of a partner or even yourself. How the two (or more) of you choose to deal with this will result in a stronger connection or it could lead to irreconcilable differences.

Try to put your ego aside. Be clear and say what you mean. Listen and observe.
0 Comments

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

1/31/2018

0 Comments

 

Queen of Swords - Secret Tarot

Sorrow Can Be Sticky

Picture
First, I want to say, I’m so excited. I finally got my full sized Secret Tarot deck and it is gorgeous! This is my first draw from it! Interesting thing to note is that this card from this same deck came up earlier this month on Thursday, January 11th.

What immediately strikes me today is how her shadow is almost part of her. Also, how the tip of her sword is pressed into the floor as she leans on it ever so slightly. She stands tall and yet relaxed. Her eyes closed as she refuses to be influenced by anything going on around her. This is a vote of confidence in your decision making. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted and clarity will come. Go with your gut. Be clear about communicating what you want.

And remember, with the light of clarity comes the depth of shadow also. The truth contains both dark and light.

One of the things I was happy about is with this deck, I was also able to get the booklet which comes with it. It is still spare as far as interpretations, but what is interesting is that Nizoli has basically told his own story with this deck. The swords suit represents the Kingdom of Sorrow so this card may also serve as a reminder that it is all too easy to become trapped in a state of sorrow and depression and a caution against forgetting that this is a temporary suspension and that one must find a way cut through it to resume life,  find happiness and movement.




0 Comments

Tuesday, January 30th, 2018

1/30/2018

0 Comments

 

Tarot of Reincarnation - 9 of Spades Hoopoe

Sometimes the Best Offense
​Is A Good Defensive Smell

Picture

​
This really is the darndest deck. The booklet that comes with these cards simply says, “Negative behavior caused in particular by the fear of failure, as well as obtaining what we wanted and the relative responsibilities. Confusion and sense of guilt.” This is really not particularly helpful. It doesn’t really relate to the typical 9 of swords meaning, nor does it match the typical interpretations of reading the 9 of spades from a regular playing card deck. In some of these cards, the chosen animal matches their prescribed definition very well, but most seem kind of arbitrary.

So, ya know what? I could memorize the meanings of these cards. I could refer to the booklet for every reading. Or, I could actually read what the Hoopoe tells me.

Picture
I highly recommend learning about the Hoopoe.

They are an interesting bird. They have a very striking crown, a crest of feathers that is pretty flashy and a long stabby beak. By stabby, I don’t just mean stabby looking, I mean these birds will actually stab their prey or their enemy with their face dagger! Even when they are just enjoying the sun Hoopoes excell at looking threatening. They make their tail parallel with the ground, extend their wings and point their bill up in the air. They will not only stab their dinner, they will pulverize it with a wing. Luckily for us, Hoopoes eat a lot of insects we find pesky so they are good to have around. The Hoopoe can be found in the lore and superstition of many cultures. It is often associated with death.


One of the most intriguing things about the Hoopoe is the way it will protect its home and family. The bird nests in small niches with narrow openings, usually in tree trunks or cliffs. The female emits a foul smelling secretion, like rotting meat that is not only offensive to would be prey but is antibacterial. She smears this in the nest and on the eggs so that even when she poops all over them her kids are safe. Hoopoe kids even know how to take care of themself a few days after they are born. They can send a stream of shit all over a would be predator, hiss like a nest of snakes, use their wing for a smackdown or use that face dagger.
​

So here is my thought for the day! If you know someone with these traits, always stay on their good side. Even on a good day they might take you out! And know that if they consider you family, they will be there for you in a fight and defend you vehemently. If you are a Hoopoe, your home is your fortress (you probably have your eye on a top of the line security system) and nobody better mess with your kids. You are fierce, formidable and helpful in many ways.
​
A caution though, when defensiveness is taken to the extreme it can become paranoia. Always being on the attack can drive people away and keep you from accomplishing your goals. As always, think about how you can find a balance. Empower your kids rather than falling into being an overprotective parent. Listen before you lash out. If you have a boss who is aggressive and antagonistic, try to make them feel less threatened. If you take out your own face dagger, someone is going to lose an eye! 
​

0 Comments

Saturday, January 20, 2018

1/20/2018

0 Comments

 

The Page of Swords - New Palladini Tarot

Use Your Words!

Picture
I had such an awful, intense day yesterday. By the end of it I literally felt  like that  Knight of Fire had trampled me and burned me to a crisp. The day seemed like it would never end. I finally fell asleep around 730 this morning. Three cups of coffee and I was still dragging and groggy headed. I drew the Page of Swords for you today. In my head I  knew what I wanted to say about it but my head fought verbal articulation and my cat wanted to be in the middle of my cards, my keyboard and my lap. My cat always wins! She is after all, a tortoiseshell.

The irony of this is not lost on me since the Page of Swords is all about communication. *head desk* So, I'm just going to say, don't be like yesterday's Knight of Swords! (though you may be able to use his energy to get things done) Today is a day to use your words, people! Communicate! Negotiate! And do the thing!

I like the earnestness in this Page of Swords face. I also appreciate the androgyny of this page. I like that openness to interpretation. Many of the cards in the New Palladini Tarot are drawn this way. I also think it’s interesting that instead of a blue sky and windswept clouds this card shows a night sky and the page’s sword appears to pierce the crescent moon as if to transition from dreams to action. The expression is thoughtful and determined.  

The Page of Swords, in the ideal, is very good at communication. They (or you) have an active mind and a lot of energy to get things started. The downside can be a tendency to talk too much without following through. There's a lot of idealism and enthusiasm at the start of every project. So go ahead and put those wheels in motion but make sure you also put things in place to push yourself to keep up with your goal.


Picture
0 Comments

Thursday January 11 2018

1/11/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Queen of Swords - Secret Tarot

Sorry I missed you yesterday. I needed to take a day off. It was a crazy day and I was kind of sick on top of it.

The Queen of Swords, or any court card can signify a person with these traits, you should keep that in mind, however, it also reminds you of these traits in yourself. The Queen of Swords reminds you to keep your mind sharp. She reminds you that your first instinct is almost always the right one. She reminds you to be discerning without being too harsh and judgmental. She reminds you to be independent without being cold.

If there's something you need to make a decision about, go with your gut. Don't let emotions sway you. If there is someone you feel you can't trust, or you suspect isn't your friend, listen to that. Stick to what you know. Consider logic and fact first. The same advice follows if you are dealing with a person like this. Don't try to appeal to a logical person with an emotional argument. Take a step back and approach the conversation as clearly and concisely as possible.

There are a few things in this particular card I think are really interesting. The queen is completely relaxed and unaffected by her surroundings. Her eyes are closed so that she is not distracted, and can focus on her thoughts. In this version of the Queen of Swords she is also not wearing her crown. The symbol is above her throne. and she is standing. to me this says she does not need the throne or the crown to know that her decisions are sovereign. She doesn't need her ego reinforced. Flattery and glitter are not going to work on her. She knows who she is. The figures carved into the throne or interesting to me too. They are naked and sensual, but not overtly sexual. Their eyes are also closed and they have postures of submission. Again, I lament that Nizzoli did not do a companion book to give us all the little tidbits about the symbolism.
0 Comments

    The (Almost) Daily Divine

    An almost daily, hopefully helpful, exploration of the tarot

    Lorelei Moon

    Lorelei Moon has been reading tarot cards both professionally and for herself for nearly 40 years. She has an extensive collection, but the deck she uses most often is The Buckland Romani Tarot



    RSS Feed


    Archives

    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018


    Categories

    All
    2018
    2019
    3 Of Pentacles
    78 Nautical Tarot
    9 Of Spades
    9 Of Wands
    About The Almost Daily Divine
    Abundance
    Abuse Of Power
    Accomplishment
    Aces
    Action
    Addiction
    Aeclectic Tarot
    Air
    Albert Einstein
    Albrecht Durer Tarot
    Alchemical Tarot
    Alchemist
    Aleister Crowley
    Amit Ray
    Amy Martin
    Amy Poehler
    Animal Lords Tarot
    Animals Divine
    Animal Theme
    Animal Themed Decks
    Animal Totem
    Anna Franklin
    Ansata Tarot
    Arcane Bullshit
    Art
    Art Deck
    Asian
    Asian American Mental Health Tarot
    Athena
    Ba;ance
    Bad Witch
    Balance
    Baseball Tarot
    Be Candid
    Beginnings
    Biddy Tarot
    Black Rose Witchcraft
    Blodeuwedd
    Blue Apatite
    Bolers
    Bonus
    Brandon Sanderson
    Buckland Romani Tarot
    Byzantine Tarot
    Cailleach
    Captain Merphlepoof
    Carl Sagan
    Cartomancy
    Catrin Welz-Stein
    Cats
    CAYA Coven
    Celebrate
    Celebration
    Celtic
    Chakras
    Challenge
    Challenges
    Challenges. True Grit
    Cherry Jones
    Chimera
    Chrysalis Tarot
    Cindy De Andrade Avelino
    Clarity
    Clubs
    Coins
    Collaboration
    Comes In Threes
    Communication
    Comparative Tarot
    Compassion
    Conflict
    Connection
    Control
    Coru Cathubodua Priesthood
    Cosmic Tarot
    Court Cards
    Creating Your Own Tarot Spreads
    Creativity
    Crisis
    Crystals
    Cults
    Cultural Theme. Major Arcana
    Cups
    Cynthia Sheppard
    Daggers
    Dame’s Fortune’s Wheel Tarot
    Daughters Of The Moon
    David Carson
    Decisive
    Defense
    Deities
    Desire
    Destructive
    Devil
    Devin Hunter
    Discs
    Disks
    Divination
    Djamila Knopf
    Dogma
    Double Egg Yolks
    Doug Larson
    Dream Inspirational
    Dreamwalker Tarot
    Earth
    Egrov Tarot
    Eight Of Swords
    Emotion
    End Of Struggle
    Energy
    Evan Doherty
    Everyday Witch Tarot
    Evvie Marin
    Family
    Fantastical Menagerie Tarot
    Fantastical Tarot
    Favorite Decks
    Feathers
    Fertility
    Fierce
    Fire
    Five Of Bolers (Wheels)
    Five Of Pentacles
    Fives: For Fighting
    Flower Agate
    Flower Faeries Tarot
    Folklore
    Follow Your Heart
    Four
    Four Of Wands
    Fradella Adventure Tarot
    Frustration
    Full Moon
    George Carlin
    Gillian Kemp
    Goals
    Goddess
    Goddesses Knowledge Cards
    Golden Tarot
    Golden Tarot Of Klimt
    Good Witch Bad Witch
    Go With The Flow
    Go With Your Gut
    Green Witch Tarot
    Growth
    Halloween Tarot
    Hanging On
    Harriet Braike
    Having It All
    Heartache
    Henry David Thoreau
    Hezicos Tarot
    Hierophant
    Holly DeFount
    Hollywood
    Home
    Hoopoe
    Hope
    Housewives Tarot
    I Just Can't Even
    Illusion
    Imagery
    Incidental Tarot
    Influence
    Inheritance
    Inner Child Tarot
    Institutions
    Intellect
    Interpretation
    Interrobang Tarot
    Introduction
    Investment
    Isha Lerner
    Isolation
    Jamie Sams
    Jane Park
    Japan
    Jessica Matthews
    Jessi Huntenburg
    Joie De Vivres
    Journey Ahead
    Judgement
    Kickstarter
    King
    King Of Cups
    Kings
    Knight Of Swords
    Knight Of Wands
    Knights
    Knives
    Knowledge
    Lawrence Teng
    Leadership
    Learning
    Lenormand
    Leo
    Lessons For Children
    Letting Go
    Lily Tomlin
    Little Charles
    Long Term Plans
    Looking Forward
    Loss
    Love
    Lovers
    Major Arcana
    Manifestation
    Marco Nizzoli
    Margaret Atwood
    Marriage Card
    Mary Greer
    Mastery
    Maya Rudolph
    Medicine Cards
    Medieval Cat Tarot
    Meditation
    Mercury Retrograde
    Messenger
    Messengers
    Michelle Tea
    Midnight Scario
    Minor Arcana
    Missing The Forest
    Modern Spellcaster’s Tarot
    Modern Tarot
    Moonology
    Morgan Greer Tarot
    Mrs. Anna Laetitia Barbauld
    Mt Miyagi
    Multi-tasking
    MVP Of Bats
    Mythology
    Narcissist
    Native American
    Nature
    Navigators Of The Mystic Sea Tarot
    New Moon
    New Palladini Tarot
    New Year
    Nicoletta Ciccoli Tarot
    Nope
    No Tarot Day
    Nurture
    Nyx Rowan
    Oaks
    Observation
    Obssesion
    Obstacles
    Obstacles. Adversity
    Omens
    Opportunity
    Oracle
    Oracle Decks
    Ostara
    Ostara Tarot
    Out Of Print
    Out-of-print
    Ovomancy
    Owl
    Owls
    Own Worst Enemy
    Pagan Otherworlds Tarot
    Page
    Page Of Swords
    Pain
    Pamela Colman Smith
    PantheaCon
    Passion
    Paul Struck
    Pentacles
    Phoenix
    Pisces
    Podcast Recommendations
    Poppy Palin
    Poseidon
    Poverty
    Preparedness
    Prison Of Mind
    Protection
    Queen Of Cups
    Queen Of Pentacles
    Queen Of Swords
    Queens
    Quills
    Quotes
    Rainer Maria Rilke
    Raven Grimassi
    Raymond Buckland
    Reading Elements
    Rebirth
    Reckoning
    Recognition
    Resolution
    Revelation
    Reversals
    Rhiannon
    Rider Waite Smith
    Rider-Waite Tarot
    Rods
    Round Decks
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg
    Secret Tarot
    Self Care
    Seven Of Wands
    Shadowscapes Tarot
    Shadow Work
    Shake-up
    Sharp Cookie
    Shit Sandwich
    Sigmond Freud
    Signs
    Sitting Bull
    Skills
    Sloth
    Smith Waite Centennial Tarot
    Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot
    Socialize
    Solar Cross Temple
    Sorrow
    Spirituality
    Spring
    Stability
    Stand Your Ground
    Star Tarot
    Staves
    Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
    Stephanie Taylor-Grimassi
    Strength
    Stress
    Strife
    Strong Foundation
    Strong Roots And Wide Branches
    Struggle
    Stuck
    Study
    Success
    Suffering
    Surreal
    Surrender
    Susan Seddon Boulet
    Swords
    Sylvia Ritter
    Take A Moment
    Tarot Cards
    Tarot De Saint Croix
    Tarot Of Cats
    Tarot Of Metamorphosis
    Tarot Of The Cat People
    Tarot Of The Mystic Spiral
    Tarot Of The New Vision
    Tarot Of The Secret Forest
    Tarot Of The Zirkus Magi
    Tarot Reveries
    Tarot Spreads
    Temper Temper
    Ten Of Swords
    Tens In The Tarot
    TERF
    The Animals Divine
    The Fool
    The Magician
    The Oracle Of Mystical Moments
    The Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot
    The Star
    The Tower
    The Triple Goddess Tarot
    The Wild Unknown
    Things Are Not Always What They Seem
    Thoth
    Three Card Spreads
    Three Of Cups
    Three Of Fire
    Three Of Swords
    Three Of Wands
    Threes: Come Together
    Timing
    Tina Fey
    Tools
    Tower
    Transition
    Transphobic
    Travel
    Truth
    Tsuyoshi Nagano
    Turmoil
    Ukiyoe Tarot
    Universal Waite
    Unusual Decks
    Use Your Words
    Vintage Wisdom Oracle
    Vision
    Vitality
    Wands
    Warning
    Water
    Well Worn Path
    Wheels
    Whips
    Whispers Of Ganesha Oracle
    Whispers Of Lord Ganesha Oracle
    Wicca
    Wicca Cards
    Wild Unknown
    Wildwood Tarot
    Wine Country
    Wisdom
    Witches Tarot
    Work
    Working With Novelty Decks
    Worry
    WTF?
    Yasmin Boland
    Yeshe Rabbit Matthews
    Zigeuner Tarot

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.