Run for your Life

Running update

2008-03-22T11:47:21Z

Quick running update for the past week in case I forget:-

Last Sat- ran 40 mins on the treadmill. Best run I've done. Felt good & managed to do it without constantly feeling I was going to fall off.

Mon evening- 30 mins- very hard. I was tired after work. Plus front shin was painful.

Fri morning (yesterday)- 30 mins- ok, but still not as good as last Sat. That must have been a fluke. Still feel like I'm not progressing as fast as I should be. Still find the first 15 mins really hard.

Anyway I'll keep plodding on (literally).

Weight loss - lost another 1lb this week (though earlier in the week it looked like I'd put 2lb on...thankfully that was just a blip). I'm sticking to the plan rigidly & in total have lost 12lb since 18 Jan. Slow going but at least it's coming off :)

Thursday's Run

2008-03-07T20:32:55Z

Did run on Thurs even though I spent the entire day in work sneezing (apparently they could hear me the other end of the floor- and the floor is huge!)

Ran 30 mins- 10 mins or so at 2.7mph, 1 song at 3.2mph and about 15 mins at 3.0mph. I know the speed is slow but on the treadmill it feels really fast (tried 3.4mph & nearly fell over).

Felt finer didn't sneeze once when I was running, but immediately started sneezing when I had finished. Probably some physiological explanation for that......

terishelly @ 2008-03-05T17:18:00

2008-03-05T17:23:17Z

Still felt unwell on Monday but ran anyway. Managed to do 30 minutes & felt ok. But my cold has got worse now- so probably shouldn't have done it. Finished work early today because everyone kept telling me to go home. Even got a hug from someone (so I must have looked dreadful). Going to just chill out & watch films for the rest of the day. Still feeling gutted about the 5K St Davids Day run. The pictures are up on the website & it looks like I missed a good run.

Changing Things

2008-03-02T12:29:46Z

Have completely changed the theme/title of this journal. I wasn't posting in it as a Tarot joumal- still read Tarot but not as often as I once did. And I need somewhere to record my running progress. So this is it.

Progress today- well have not run in the Cardiff 5K. Absolutely gutted about this. But I'm full of cold, have a temp, I'm coughing etc.... so would have been silly to go. But so disappointed.

Running progress to date- since buying the treadmill a few weeks ago I have been running 3 times a week. Have built myself up from 20 min session to (last Mon) 45 min session. Sometimes I stick to 30 mins though. Speed is not great- around 3 mph at the moment. Feels much quicker on the treadmill though- & I am starting to worry about falling off (so I'm using one hand to hold onto the side- not a great running style!). But I'm enjoying it and my lungs & legs are definitely getting better.

But I've only run twice this week because of this cold. So feeling a bit down today. :(

Weight loss so far - 9lb in about 5 weeks :)

widget

2008-03-02T12:04:21Z

The 7 of Cups in the Druid Craft Tarot

2005-10-05T09:59:55Z

I haven't really seen an image that better captures the negative dreaminess and escapist tendencies of the 7 of Cups than the image in the Druid Craft deck. Here we see a man lying against a rock and staring into the depths of a natural pool of water. In the water we see 6 Cups - but are they real, or are they simply a mirage? Another cup, definitely real, stands by his feet, but the man does not seem interested in this one. The 7 of Cups often appears in readings to warn that we (or the client) are spending too much time in fantasy land. We are chasing unrealistic dreams instead of concentrating on what is real in our lives. It can often appear when someone is indulging in sexual fantasies (and the man in the Druid Craft deck is barely clothed-there is a languid air in the card that offers up the suggestion of sexual indulgence), or when someone is considering having an affair. In regard to the latter it often warns that to take this road would be to chase after something of little worth and substance, and to cast aside the one thing in life that is real. The attraction of the fantasy cannot be denied. There are after all six cups in the pool. It looks, at first glance, as if there is more on offer than the solitary cup at the side. But when you look closer you see that the colour of the cups in the pool is faint, they look almost transparent and perhaps would disappear the moment the man reaches out to touch one of them. And worse - what then would emerge from the pool? There is dangerous temptation here. But the cup at his side (although perhaps a little worn) has a solidity that looks safer and richer.

So to me the 7 of Cups warns against casting aside that which has served you well - particularly if it is to chase a fantasy or a dream that (deep down) you know has very little to offer. To dream and to fantasize is a part of life, but when it stops you actually getting on with your life, and blinds you to the things of worth around you, then you are in dangerous territory indeed and getting very close to throwing away something of true value for the sake of a worthless illusion.

Michelle

Little Red Riding Hood wises up

2005-08-23T10:55:54Z

In the Whimsical Tarot the Queen of Swords is illustrated by Little Red Riding Hood. In the picture she looks as if she is again setting out through the woods to visit her grandmother. But in the background an owl looks on, symbolising wisdom. And on her neck we see a pendant in the shape of a sword - something decorative that can also serve as a weapon. Finally, on her arm is a basket. The pretty little cloth on top suggests it is covering a pile of delicious pastries. But the careful way her arm rests on top of it suggests it really hides something far more lethal. This is Little Red Riding Hood after the episode with the wolf & she now looks as if she is out on a hunt. I am reminded of the Buffy Season 4 Halloween episode where Buffy dresses up as Little Red Riding Hood and in her basket carries a bundle of well sharpened stakes...just in case. All of the details on the card tell us something important about the meaning of the Queen of Swords card in a Tarot reading. Traditional fortune tellers often see this card as indicating a divorced or widowed woman - and to be honest I have seen it turn up to mean just that in a reading. But it would do a huge injustice to the card to restrict it to just that. As the well-armed Red Riding Hood indicates the Queen of Swords can refer to anyone, male or female, who has learnt from bitter experience and who now goes out into the world, rightly or wrongly, with a slightly cynical edge. They know that under the surface lurks shadows and darkness. And in essence the lesson the Queen of Swords has now learnt & lives by is the old Cub Scout one - Be Prepared. Be prepared perhaps to have your heart broken, because it often happens. Be prepared to be disappointed, because sometimes people fail us. And be prepared to learn about your own weaknesses, because sometimes we fail ourselves. And so she is prepared & has gathered all the armour she can, learnt from her experiences and then done the bravest thing anyone can ever do....she has gone back out into the big, bad, dangerous and unpredictable world to try again. Because for all the pain and disappointment it can bring us (and which we must be prepared to receive), there is another part of that world that can surprise and delight us. Indeed there is a large part of the world that can fill us with love and hope. And it is to this we must cling as go forth into what is often darkness, but can sometimes be light.

Michelle
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk

The 7 Swords in the Pagan Tarot

2005-06-28T09:34:32Z

I love the Pagan Tarot. Each card has a contemporary and fresh feel and it manages to convey Tarot concepts in very modern way. In the 7 Swords we see the "traditional" RWS image from a different perspective. Instead of someone running away from camp carrying 5 swords (having left 2 behind) we see a young woman, obviously on a hike, approaching a deserted camp. She holds back a branch with one hand and peers in. She sees a campfire still burning and a tent, but no sign of life. Perhaps the campers are asleep in the tent. But rather foolishly they have left a box of ritual equipment out in the open. We can see three chalices, some wands, swords and pentacles. We know from other cards that this woman is on a pagan spiritual journey, and slowly accruing the tools and knowledge she needs. The 7 of Swords here represents a temptation - a temptation to take a short cut, to acquire something in an unethical way, to take from another without permission. It is that point on our life path where we have a choice - and deep down we know that the choice takes us away from the "right" path. But the choice rewards us with instant gratification, and after a long and arduous journey this is tempting indeed. So the 7 of Swords in a reading can often appear when we are tempted to betray some ethical standard and to take from another. But what of the campers? Why have they left things out in the open in this way? There is trust here, but possibly misplaced trust. So another meaning for the card is sometimes "Watch your back." You are placing trust in another but perhaps this is to be a bit naive. I have seen the card turn up when people are being advised to lock their car when they leave it, to install burglar alarms etc., or when someone in their immediate circle is not being honest with them. It advises protecting your property and your space. And perhaps there is a warning here too about stress and exhaustion. Perhaps the campers were so tired they could no longer protect their area and retired to the tent. Perhaps she is so tired of her journey she will be tempted to do the wrong thing. Ultimately we can only make the best choices for ourselves when we are energised and healthy. When we are stressed and exhausted we leave ourselves vulnerable (to the negative influence of another perhaps or simply to own shadow self). So the message of this Swords card is perhaps to be gentler with ourselves, not to push too hard because if we do we might find ourselves losing that for which we have worked.

Michelle
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk

The Chariot (The Whimsical Tarot)

2005-06-09T09:25:15Z

The Whimsical Tarot deck uses Cinderella's pumpkin coach to illustrate The Chariot. In the drawing a white and black mouse are both pulling the chariot. Each appears to want to go in a different direction. In the background is the castle - the mice are pulling the pumpkin away from it. This card introduces some new perspectives on The Chariot. For one thing,
unlike say the RWS, there does not seem to be a chance of steering a middle course here. To do this would be to come off the road altogether and probably get stranded on a grassy mound. So a choice must be made. In this respect it is somewhat similar to The Lovers card. But who is making the choice? We cannot see Cinderella. She is stuck inside the pumpkin (there are no windows or doors on the pumpkin by the way!). It feels almost as if events have overtaken her and she is now passively allowing herself to be carried by the mice. And more than this - she is being carried away from the castle of her dreams. The Chariot card is often interpreted as a card of control - one needs to get control over a situation & steer a middle course between two opposing forces. In this card though something more is being said - it suggests someone is already on the wrong path and that any way they go from here will lead to a sacrifice of one part of themselves (to go down the white mouse's path will be to sacrifice the black mouse & vice versa). Somehow the person needs to change direction completely. Of course it might be said that the mice are trying to save Cinderella from being "found out" back at the castle. But we all know the story. The prince is already in love with her. All this escape from the castle is doing is introducing delay & confusion into the mix. Sometimes we have to control our impulse to run away & seek escape & return to that of which we are scared. Sometimes we need to confront the situation head on. Cinderella needs to return to that castle & reveal who she really is. That is the way to achieve her dreams. So when the Chariot appears perhaps we need to look at areas where we have tried to run away - areas of life where we have been ashamed to show who we really are. And perhaps we need to realise that any path which leads to a denial of one half of ourselves is not the right path to take. The journey of the Tarot is the journey to The World - a state of being characterised by wholeness & integrity. The Chariot represents a detour from that quest, one which we should try to avoid if at all possible.

Michelle(Teri)
A Magickal Life

6 Pentacles-Moon in Taurus

2005-05-27T14:16:24Z

According to some the 6 Pentacles is related to the Moon in Taurus. Now while I could (& will no doubt!) research what the Moon in Taurus means in regard to a natal chart & then think about how(if) this relates to the 6 Pentacles, it occurs to me that an alternative way of thinking about this is to consider the two Major Arcana cards associated with the Moon & Taurus- ie. the Moon card & the Hierophant. Can these two Majors, taken together, shed any light on what the 6 Pentacles might mean?

So what is the Moon "in" the Hierophant like & is this anything like the conventional divinatory meaning of the 6 Pentacles? If I think of the Moon card I normally think of
-strong intuitive/psychic abilities
-a fear of the unknown.
-scary times
-outcome unknown
-meaningful dreams
-prophetic visions
-unsettled emotions
-female cycle (& in turn the general cycle of life)

The Hierophant likes-

-tradition
-established institutions
-established routines
-catechisms that can be memorised
-a fixed ritual initiation into deeper secrets
-a structured spiritual path

When the Moon is "in" the Hierophant I think we are might be witnessing a transition moment, a move to a new stage of life. This can be an unsettling time with an unknown outcome. But it normally means closer association with traditional institutions or help from a familiar & established support structure. Generally there is a sense that some sort of traditional support system exists and can be used if help is required. The Hierophant (i.e. Taurus) can ground some of the wilder fears & uncertainties associated with the Moon card while still, because of its concern with knowledge, growth & development, allowing movement in the desired direction.

Does this fit with the RWS image?
Here we see a man possibly about to bestow charity to one (or both) beggars. While we don't know exactly what will happen, the fact that he is there at all distributing alms during their time of need is a sign of hope. They are perhaps enduring an unsettling Moon influence. They don't necessarily know what their future holds. Possibly homeless, they are extremely vulnerable. But there are people/institutions than can offer support. The difficulty for them is knowing (a) where to find the support (b) what the conditions of the support are. But still there is a light at the end of the tunnel - & don't forget the 6 Pentacles come after the rather harsh 5 Pentacles. So the Moon in Taurus - 6 Pentacles- perhaps means gaining security and much-needed stability via the practical support of others, but perhaps also points to a time of uncertainity when one is not quite sure where that support is to be found and whether one will be deemed "worthy" of receiving it.

Teri
A Magickal Life

The Mythic Tarot (Review)

2005-05-19T16:05:28Z

I recently bought The Mythic Tarot and have used it several times over the past couple of weeks in readings with my clients. I have to say I am very impressed with the deck. It is a Greek mythology themed deck and each card offers a fascinating glimpse into this intriguing world, as well as providing an interesting new perspective on traditional Tarot themes. On each of the Major Arcana cards we

find images of various Gods and Goddesses. Each suit in the Minor Arcana tells a story, with different stages of the story illustrated by each card. My favourite is the story of Psyche and Eros, found in the Cups suit. The Court cards are each assigned to an individual mythic figure. It was this that I found particularly helpful. Often the Court cards can be a difficult area in Tarot, dealing as they do with frequently abstract concepts and/or "typical" characteristics. There are many readers whose hearts sink, I am sure, with the appearance of a court card in a reading! But reading the story behind each individual court card in the Mythic Tarot book really helped set the card in context and provided me with narrative examples of some of the key meanings of each card.
For example, the Page of Wands is illustrated by Phrixus escaping to Colchis on the very ram that will eventually become the Golden Fleece, so important to Jason's story. By being the one who takes the ram to Colchis he represents an initial stage of a much bigger story and this is a key element of the divinatory meaning of the Page of Wands. But his story is also interesting in its own right. It is about an escape, a gamble, a risk, an initial loss but eventual success - again all important aspects of the meaning of the Page of Wands when it appears in a reading. (Success isn't assured when we see this Page. Rather we feel an initial impulse to change our situation in some way. We must take care to protect and nurture this impulse - as Zeus protected Phrixus - because it might lead to great things. But we must also not mistake early successes for achievement of the goal itself. Ultimately Phrixus is a messenger figure only - the real story belongs to Jason and he is nowhere represented on the Page of Wands card.)
I also love the Aces in the deck. These also tend to show the figure that initiates the major events covered in the story of the suits. So in the Cups suit we see Aphrodite rising from the waves. It is her jealousy of Psyche that sets the Eros-Psyche tale in motion, and it is the tasks that she gives Psyche that lead to its culmination. In the stunning Ace of Pentacles card we see Poseidon.
Again he is the initiator of key events in the story covered by the Pentacles suit (that of Daedalus). However, while both Page and Ace represent initiating figures I feel the deck wonderfully illustrates the difference in the *type* of new beginnings we see when the Page and Ace appear. The figures on the latter are not the messenger figures we see in the Page cards. Rather the beginning represented by the Ace is an initial burst of creative energy and power that spurs the narrative on (and whose presence remains in the background throughout - a potent force without which the narrative might easily lose momentum). The Pages are the messengers - they set in motion some aspect of the larger story, but have their own tale to tell too, and disappear from the main story long before its final culmination.
Before I close I must mention the deck's beautiful artwork. As you can see from the examples it is clear, detailed, colourful and striking. Also, a word must be said about the book that accompanies the deck. I found it to be an excellent resource. It provides a wealth of information on the mythological figure(s) and events depicted on each card and gives a great deal of insight into the relevance of this to the psychological development and inner life of the querent.
The deck was created by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene and the artist is Tricia Newell. It was published in 1986. As you can probably tell from the above I highly recommend it!
TeriS
A Magickal Life

2 Pentacles & Power

2005-05-11T08:40:05Z

I was looking at the Gothic Tarot of Vampires 2 Pentacles yesterday (I don't presently have a scan I'm afraid) and was surprised at the image of raw power it conveys. In the card we see a female vampire with a fierce grimace on her face dragging what looks to be a heavy chain. We don't see what's on the end of the chain. Rain is pouring down. The image is extremely intense (like so many of the images in this deck). But it gave me pause for thought as I tried to fit it to my usual understanding of the 2 Pentacles. In the RWS & other clones

we see a figure juggling two coins while remaining light on his feet. The sea looks rather rough behind him. The usual divinatory meanings are:
-needing to juggle resources,
-only enough coming in to pay for outgoings (nothing left over),
-dealing with multiple demands on one's time,
-needing to remain flexible to deal with the above,
-needing to remain lighthearted & not get weighed down by responsibilities.

How then does the 2 Pentacles in the GTV fit with this? Well you could argue that it doesn't need to-they are RWS etc. meanings & this deck can stand alone. That is fine, but not the way I like to approach these different decks. I prefer to think of there being a fundamental meaning to the state of being symbolised by the 2 Pentacles in the Tarot system that existed as an archetype as it were even before the first Tarot. It exists in our subconscious & Tarot decks are simply ways of portraying and understanding this state of being common to us all at different times in our lives.

That being said then how then does this card shed light on this state of being? I think the key is the need not to be weighed down by multiple responsibilities. The chain she is dragging looks like it is pulling something heavy - something that could have caused her to remain rooted to the spot, soaked by the rain. But she has refused to be daunted by the heaviness and pulls it on with such fierce determination that you know she will succeed. The fact we don't see what is on the other end of the chain is important since it can then represent all the things that tie us down, the things that burden us and make us feel trapped. It is symbolic of responsibilities. But she knows she cannot let them hold her back. She has had to dig deep to move on, but this she has done.

At first glance the rain and dark storm seem to be another enemy and you wonder why she is making her move now. But then you remember that this is after all a vampire. How much worse would it be if it was a bright sunny day! So the card also suggests the need to be flexible & know when to make one's move. Perhaps she has waited for this very day (the dark storm) before venturing out to do what needs to be done. Again timing is everything (this seems to be a recurring theme with all the 2s in the Tarot, including the High Priestess-given her associations with the waxing and waning Moon).

So flexibility, determination, focus (even in the RWS you know the juggler is concentrating hard on those balls/pentacles) and pressing on despite the things that weigh us down seem to be the order of the day with this card. The opportunity presented in the Ace of Pentacles (a opportunity that will eventually be fulfilled in the 10 Pentacles), is not easy to achieve. It makes hard demands on us all and we all need to dig deep in order to deal with them successfully. Nowhere else have I seen this so forcibly expressed as in this deck.

TeriS
A Magickal Life

Judgement - a different angle

2005-04-28T10:07:39Z

I thought I would look again at the Tarot of the New Vision - a version of the RWS turned around 180 degrees. I was intrigued to see the image of Judgement and even more intrigued at the effect it had on me when I did eventually find it.

Normally I interpret the Judgement card in the RWS as speaking strongly of a new beginning, a new start in life. There is a call to wake up perhaps, or at least a verdict is sounded on past efforts. Once heard and acted upon the people in the card are free to move on to new pastures, free of any baggage from the past.

However, I do not get that sense from the image turned around in the New Vision deck. The way the angel now has her back to the group, and the way the birds are flying away from the family, makes me think more of a missed opportunity. A call to act or move on came but the people were a split second too late getting out of their coffins to respond to it. And now the woman's face in particular look desperate - she seems to be beseeching the angel to turn around. But she won't. Their time is over.

I know this is a rather pessimistic interpretation of the card but it is one that came to me strongly when I looked at it. It does introduce a welcome bit of "shadow" to my usual interpretation of Judgement though, and so for that I think the perspective offered by this deck is very useful. And of course all is not lost. The child on the card still seems joyful - perhaps he is young enough to feel there are more chances ahead. Even if you don't act when you should, or even if a less than pleasing verdict on your past efforts comes in, the future is still open for you to change things around. And perhaps just maybe that boy sees another angel on the horizon.

TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk

Temperance in The Whimsical Tarot

2005-04-19T09:03:21Z

The Whimsical Tarot deck by Mary Hanson Roberts is a charming deck, with images based on fairy tales and poems. However, it is often difficult to fit the fairy tale image with the "traditional" meanings of the card. A case in point is the Temperance card which shows Jack and Jill tumbling down the hill. I have read some criticisms of this card. Many feel it does not reflect any of the qualities of Temperance. And I agree that at first glance it is hard to see the correspondence. But that is why I like decks like this - they force me to reconsider the traditional meaning of the card from a different angle. And in the process of trying to find some points of contact I am usually able to discover some unusual perspective on the card which refines my understanding of its meaning.

Temperance is usually associated with balance, moderation, harmony and healing. In the traditional Rider Waite Smith image an angel pours water from one cup to another (finding the perfect balance). He has one foot on land and one foot in the water - suggesting moderation in action (fools rush in where angels fear to tread). The ground and water represent Earth and Water respectively. The triangle (symbol of Fire)is on his chest, while the wings suggest Air. So all four elements are held together in harmony in this card. This balance, moderation and harmony produce the healing with which Temperance is often associated.

The Jack and Jill nursery rhyme speaks of them both going up a hill to fetch a pail of water, falling down, Jack breaking his "crown" and Jill coming tumbling after. This is a poem that is the antithesis of balance and harmony. There are accidents and injuries and both of them appear unable to stay on their feet! While the poem, and hence the card, might not actually portray the balance of Temperance, it certainly alludes to it by striking a note of warning - there will be accidents if people do not moderate their behaviour.

The roots of the poem are also interesting. According to http://www.rhymes.org.uk/jack_and_jill.htm Jack represents King Louis XVI who was beheaded (lost his crown) and Jill represents Queen Marie Antoinette (also beheaded). The events took place in 1793 and the lyrics of the Jack and Jill rhyme appear to have first been published in 1795. Again we see here points of contact with Temperance. Given the lack of moderation that led to the French Revolution (the national debt, unequitable food distribution, the privileges enjoyed by the few etc.) you can again see the Jack and Jill poem, and hence the image on this card, as a warning note against over-indulgence.

But in a departure from the historical events behind the rhyme there is healing in the Jack and Jill poem. And healing is of course another keyword for the Temperance card. The second verse tells us:

Up got Jack, and home did trot
As fast as he could caper
He went to bed and bound his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

While this might have been a cheery note introduced so as not to frighten the children, it does allude to the hope of healing and recovery often suggested whenever Temperance appears in a reading.

So I personally feel the Whimsical Tarot offers an interesting portrayal of Temperance. The need for proper balance, moderation and healing in life are all suggested by the Jack and Jill rhyme. And possibly the card provides an image of Temperance that some might find easier to identify with than many of the more traditional images we are used to.

TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk

A Tarot Tale

2005-04-11T10:40:53Z

I decided to write a story incorporating all the Major Arcana cards and also trying to give a sense of the meaning of each within the narrative. Like everything I write it is slightly dark in tone but hopefully says something about the journey of life that is symbolically represented in the Tarot. Anyway it's called (very predictably!) A Tarot Tale.

A Tarot Tale

"You're a fool," said his mother, shaking him hard by the shoulders. "What were you doing running across the road? Tim, you could have been killed."

He pulled away from her, unable to explain. He wished he was a magician, someone with the skill to turn back time. But he knew this was it, this had happened.

She still looked angry as she turned to the flower bed, but eventually the act of planting the lilies seemed to calm her. Reverently she took each bulb out of its cellophane bag and held it up to the light to examine its curves. She seemed to be looking for something, a High Priestess certain of the wisdom contained in each bulb.

He sat on the ground and watched her. Did she know how much he loved her? Would she ever know? Their home together had been their castle and she had been his Empress. Yes she was strict, yes she was stern, but she was also warm and loving, and it was only when she held him tight that he felt safe. But an Empress needed an Emperor and theirs had long left. He had fled into the night with his trousers and shoes clutched in his arms, his little concubine (as his mother called her) running behind him. That night his mother had stripped her bed and burned the sheets out on the lawn. She had also drunk the best part of a bottle of vodka. The first of many.

The next day she'd gone to see her lawyer. When she came back she was calmer. He was a wise man, she'd said, he'd see her through this. But later, with a voice that slurred, she'd talked to someone on a psychic helpline. He had heard her pouring her heart out to a guy who called himself Harry the Hierophant. She had seemed a little happier when she came to say goodnight. She said Harry was certain that a man with dark, wavy hair was soon to come into her life. Tim had fallen asleep wondering if his father's curly brown hair could be called dark.

His father had come to see him the next day to "explain things" as he put it. He had taken Tim to the fair and bought him an ice cream and told him that he and the concubine were lovers. Except he hadn't said concubine and he hadn't said lovers, but Tim had known what he meant. When Tim hadn't replied his father took him on the waltzes instead, and then the roller coaster. Each car had been shaped like a winged chariot and, as they had moved towards the top, Tim had wondered for one moment if they would really fly. But when they were hurling back down towards the ground he had felt scared. He had wondered if his father would try to save him if he fell, but deep down he had known he wouldn't. His father didn't have the strength.

After the ride Tim had run away from his father. He couldn't say why. He just couldn't stand to look at his father's face any longer. It was a security guard who had found him. "Here's the runaway," he had said cheerily. "I found him hiding in the tool shed like a hermit crab." He'd laughed at his joke, but his father looked sad. Still his father had insisted they went on another ride. So they went on the Ferris Wheel of Fortune. As they reached the top his father grabbed him in a hug and then shouted out, "We're on top of the world." Tim had felt sick but didn't like to say. His father was not too pleased when the first wave of vomit hit his shoes just as the wheel came back down to the ground.

A week after the fair his mother had been toasting the courts and justice and life and everything else she could think of. It looked like the divorce would soon be made official. His father wasn't contesting it and didn't want custody of Tim. That afternoon, as Tim prepared the noose, he had hoped she would be less happy when she found him later. Luckily she had found him right away, a hanged man but not for long, the noise had startled her. And a week later he had watched her weep beside his hospital bed and had felt ashamed. He had seen now that he could scare her. She told him that she'd fought death for him by giving him the kiss of life. Then the hospital had done the rest. But she'd learned her lesson she said. She wouldn't drink so much now. Temperance would be her watchword. She was there for him, forever. And for a few weeks she had been true to her word. But she had seemed to walk on eggshells around him, and soon the eggshells had cracked.

And now, as Tim continued to watch her plant the lilies, he realised the devil on her shoulder couldn't ever have been beaten by a kiss of life, or a hanging son. It had held her firmly in its grasp. And the fragile tower she had built of good behaviour and sobriety had soon fallen victim to the first destructive blow it faced - the news that his father and the concubine were getting married.

Preparing for the day had been hard but Tim had tried to be happy. The cravat they had made him wear had hidden the redness on his neck. That night he had chased his cousins under the star sprinkled sky and had felt happy for the first time in months. But when he had come home he had seen his mother swaying in the garden as she raised a toast to the moon. So he had put her to bed and had waited with her until the sun came up.

But today, before this, Tim had felt good. He had felt happy. He'd made the football team and couldn't wait to tell his mother.

And as he'd entered the street he'd seen her right away. He had raised his hand in a wave but had stopped when he noticed the way she was walking. She had been staggering in the middle of the road. And when he had heard the car engine in the distance he had suddenly known what would happen, as if he'd always known and had always been waiting for this, their day of judgement. Without looking to see if any other car was coming he had run across the road towards her, knowing he had to save her. But before he could reach her everything had slowed down and in bullet time he had watched as the car hit his mother.

But when he finally reached her he had seen that somehow she was standing before him. "You're a fool," she had said, shaking him hard by the shoulders. "What were you doing running across the road? Tim, you could have been killed."

He had forced himself then to look back over his shoulder, just for a second. Yes there it was, her unmistakable shape lying in the middle of the road. The stunned driver had been standing over her, wiping his eyes with one hand and fumbling for his mobile with the other. Tim had noticed he had dark, wavy hair.

He had pulled away from her then, unable to explain. But now as he sat and watched her planting the lilies he realised he'd never seen her so happy, nor so beautiful. And as he heard the faint sound of ambulance sirens in the distance he suddenly realised there were many paths to happiness in this world, so many more than he had ever realised. Perhaps finally she had found hers. The thought made him happy and he almost smiled, just for a moment. And as he waited the distant sirens grew louder, her body grew colder but still she continued to plant the lilies, holding each up to the light in wonder.

TeriS Copyright April 2005
A Magickal Life
My personal Tarot reading journal
My new personal blog!

The 6 of Chalices in the Gothic Tarot of Vampires

2005-04-07T13:15:03Z

The Gothic Tarot of Vampires is a very dark and powerful deck, particularly if you have any interest in vampire mythology. The card that most interested me when I looked at the deck was the 6 Chalices.

The 6 of Cups/Chalices is often seen as a card of innocent pleasure and nostalgia, sometimes referring to those times when we look back (wearing rose-tinted spectacles perhaps?) to our lives when we were younger. Or sometimes it can refer to a moment in life when you almost seem to recapture the innocence and joy of youth. This card is one of the most dramatic portrayals of these themes that I've seen. The golden light softly illuminating the street behind the children reminds me of evenings playing with my younger brother in the street outside my home, knowing my parents would be calling us in soon, feeling safe in our own golden world. But these children have already turned away and ventured down a dark, scary alley. It happens to us all in way since it represents the transition from childhood into adulthood, but it is this image, more than any other, that makes me wish we could freeze time. Will these children survive their encounter with the vampire in the alley? Who knows. The same can be asked of us all when we venture into adulthood - will we survive the various trials we will face? This card in a reading would tell me:

-you don't have to keep walking down the bleakest of alleys, sometimes you can turn back. Obviously we can't stop the march of time but we can refuse to forget the joys of our youth and we can make an effort to remember & relive them.
-we can take comfort in our friends and partners. These children have each other and this might help them face the monster that lies ahead.
-to everything there is a positive side. These children might grow wiser through their encounter with the vampire. Certainly they might find strengths within themselves that they'd never have discovered on the sunny, idyllic street of childhood.

So perhaps the detour is necessary, and perhaps when the 6 of Cups/Chalices appears in a reading it is gently telling us not to spend too much time thinking about the past. However, I still feel that they are leaving it too soon - they should stay in the well-lit street just a little longer ... but then again I was always the one begging for five more minutes when I was playing in the street in my youth. Maybe I've never quite understood when it is time to move on.

TeriShelly
A Magickal Life
My personal Tarot reading journal
My new personal blog!

Understanding the World card using the Tarot of Gemstones and Crystals

2005-03-31T13:30:18Z

I'll admit it - I've always struggled to "get" the World card. In readings I'll mumble vaguely about freedom from restrictions, harmony between inner emotions and external conditions, union of the mind, body and spirit, success and completion, but I've never really "felt" the meaning and so I'm never really happy with what I'm saying. Anyway since I'm also interested in crystals I thought I'd look up the World card in my Tarot of Gemstones and Crystals, to see if that could give me more insight. It's unusual for me to use this deck since I wasn't that drawn to it when I first had it (I hope Peter my husband doesn't read this because it was a present from him to me...a lesson there perhaps to always buy your own decks??). But this time flicking through the deck, looking for the World card, I found it appealed to me a lot more. This might be because I have worked more with crystals in the last year (on my website & by giving crystal workshops), but whatever the reason today the deck seems to sparkle (always nice!!).

Anyway the stone on the World card is Watermelon Tourmaline. Now this isn't a stone with which I'm particularly familiar. It looks a little like some of the fluorite we sell, and also of course - given the name, it looks like a melon! The green, pink & purple of the stone as shown on the card immediately suggests growth and creativity (green), love & one's emotional centre (both the green & pink) and higher spiritual awareness (purple). Certainly it conveys to me the idea of personal balance and harmony. There is also a suggestion of success (I associate green with fertility and money) and also healing. So from the image alone I get a sense of freshness and a lightness (watermelon is a very light & fresh fruit after all), a sense of harmony and balance, an idea of success and fertility, and finally also a strong spiritual aspect.

Looking up the meaning of Watermelon Tourmaline I find that, as I thought, it's connected with the heart chakra and the higher self, but it also helps releases emotional pain (by teaching one to love all aspects of oneself perhaps?) and thus helps a person to become "whole". And on reading that I finally felt a connection with the World card - with the idea that it speaks of a re-integration of all aspects of the self into a complete whole, that there is no duality (hence the possibly androgynous dancing figure on the Rider Waite card), that there is simply love and a "Oneness" with the higher self. Perhaps now I can stop mumbling when I draw the World card! I certainly found this an interesting exercise. I think I'll use the Tarot of Gemstones and Crystals deck often when I want to explore "tricky" cards.

TeriS
A Magickal Life
My personal Tarot reading journal
My new personal blog!

Revising the Celtic Cross

2005-03-23T09:34:05Z

Like most people when I first started learning the Tarot I learnt the Celtic Cross. While there are slight variations in the way the positions are defined (depending on who you read) I gradually came out with:1-Central concern;2-Opposing factor;3-Basis/subconscious factors;4-Recent Past;5-What is uppermost in person's mind;6-Near future;7-Person's outlook;8-Influence of other people;9-Hopes/Fears;10-Likely outcome.

Until very recently whenever I've read for someone face -to-face this is the spread I've used. It's like a comfort blanket! But I have some problems with it.
I always find after reading cards 1 and 2 that I want to hop to 5 and 7 and 9 - in other words to really get to the heart of what the person is thinking/hoping/fearing. Then I want to probe deeper-looking at 3 & 4 (what's going on at a subconscious level, how have they reached the position they are in etc) and then position 8 - how are other people influencing the matter? Only then do I want to look at where the path they are currently on is taking them (6) and what the likely outcome will be (10). So my eyes & hands are always darting round the spread. This is fine if you just use the cards as a jumping off point but I personally find it all a little chaotic. Plus when the reading is over there is no advice from the Tarot, or suggestions of what can be done if the near future/outcome are not particularly positive. Usually I then freely draw cards from the deck & see what I get - but again I'd like this built into the spread. So I've decided to slightly rejig the Celtic Cross so that (a)the cards/story unfolds in a way that makes sense to me & (b)I can offer more empowering suggestions for a "best course of action" so that the client realises nothing is fixed and they can change the situation if they want.

So I'm going to set out the cards in 3 layers, 4 cards in each. Layer 1 will look at
(1)the situation; (2)the person's view on the situation; (3)their hopes, (4)their fears.
Layer 2 will look at
(5)subconscious factors; (6)influence from the past; (7)influence from other people; and (8)where the path they are currently on is heading.
Layer 3 will look generally at
(9)the main challenge they face; (10)the main opportunity they are being presented with;(11)a card of advice from the Tarot; (12)likely outcome if the advice is taken.

This spread works on both the horizontal level (as above) and the vertical. The way it's laid out (in a very unimaginative square!) means cards 1, 5, and 9 form a column-and this works well as a simple three card spread. It looks at the situation, the subconscious factors that are influencing it (often the real heart of the matter) & the main challenge that needs to be dealt with.Column 1 is thus the reading in a nutshell (sort of like the three card readings I do for TABI - Tarot Association of the British Isles). Column 2 looks at the person's outlook, the influence from the past (often this will have directly impacted on the person's outlook) and the main opportunity (hopefully this will be strong enough to help the person break out of a possibly rigid mindset caused by issues from the past). Column 3 looks at hopes, the influence from other people (are they supporting or undermining the person's hopes & dreams?) and gives advice from the Tarot (for the highest good of the client-unlike possibly the counselling of people somehow invested in the situation). Column 4 looks at fears, the path they are currently on and the path they could be on if the fears were overcome & the best course of action advice taken.

I like this spread. After doing the reading looking at the horizontal lines I think I can add more depth by looking at the vertical columns. Anyway we will see. I am seeing a client tonight & I'm going to use this spread. Hopefully it will go well & the client will receive a meaningful & insightful reading!!

TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk

Understanding the 5 swords

2005-03-17T10:17:45Z

I pulled the 5 swords in a personal reading yesterday. It was an advice card. I realised when looking at it (it is the Hanson-Roberts version) that I have a slight problem with this card.
The man looks so self-satisfied with his victory, and the two people cowering in the distance look so vulnerable, that there is no one in the card I personally feel comfortable identifying myself with. So in need of a more gentle version of the 5 swords I decided to look up the Whimsical Tarot (a deck based on children's nursery rhymes & stories.) This deck is also illustrated by Mary Hanson-Roberts. The 5 swords in this deck is the Pied Piper. In this story, as most people know, the mayor of Hamelin agrees to pay a stranger (the Pied Piper)to rid the village of its rats. The stranger does so by playing a mysterious tune on his pipe & leading the rats away to a river where they drown. However, the mayor then goes back on his promise and refuses to pay. So the piper plays the tune again & this time takes away the children. I've always hated this tale. It really scares me. As a child I was terrified of being kidnapped (plus I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock at a young age & it totally freaked me out), and so this tale seemed really ominous & disturbing to me. But I can certainly see its relevance to the 5 swords. It really is a card depicting someone using their power no matter the cost to take what they believe they are owed. But however righteous the actions in the person's mind the devastation it engenders is upsetting(the cowering people in the Hanson-Roberts card, the villagers who lose their children in the Pied Piper tale). So I still feel no easier about the 5 swords! Whether this is because I personally have issues with wielding power I don't know. I do appreciate that sometimes hard decisions have to be taken and that people can be hurt when this happens. But I also feel that sometimes when you act in this way you can turn from victim to tyrant, and one's darker, shadow side can be unleashed. My question yesterday was about my shadow side and the 5 swords card, as advice, seems to be suggesting I need to confront & deal with it. My aversion to the card suggests this is something I'm not quite ready to do.

**Edited to add-saw a little mouse in the garden today. He was stealing some bread. I could really do with the Pied Piper right about now. :(

TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk
http://magickallife.bravejournal.com

6 Swords in the Universal Waite & Tarot of the New Visions

2005-03-11T08:34:34Z

The Tarot of the New Visions turns the images of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck around by 180 degrees. Today I thought I'd look at the 6 Swords in the Universal Waite (a version of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck that I have pictures of to hand) & the Tarot of the New Visions.

In the Universal Waite we see a couple and a child in a boat sailing off to the right (to the future). There is a sense of escape in the card - they look to be trying to make a getaway in the early morning light. You wonder what situation they are escaping. A note of caution is suggested by the 6 swords facing downwards in the boat. If left there for too long they will cause leaks. The family are escaping but may be taking they troubles with them. And while soon they might find a more peaceful situation, at some point they will need to address these concerns and issues. If not the boat will sink and disrupt any new found stability in their lives.

In the Tarot of the New Vision we see their faces much clearer. The woman looks upset and the man looks determined, but both also look a little preoccupied (perhaps remembering the past troubles?). In this card too we see more of the choppy sea and cloudy sky. The storm is not over yet - though it may have subsided for awhile. I sense even more in this card the urgency of the escape. They need to get to the new place and make a fresh start. Even if it's not perfect at the outset it will give them the temporary relief they require. Then perhaps, when they are stronger, they will be able to turn around and face again the issues that have for the moment overwhelmed them.
TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk/
http://magickallife.bravejournal.com/

What card would indicate a new romantic relationship entering someone's life?

2005-03-07T09:53:07Z

Asked the Hanson Robert's Tarot the question above. The card drawn was the Ace of Pentacles. This is certainly a very romantic-looking card - it is full of pinks and purples. There is also a gold-outlined cloud which always makes me think of passion slowly emerging. But the main feature of the card is still, of course, the Pentacle. It represents all that is earthly, grounded, stable & secure. It suggests that any new relationship signified by this card will be well-rooted & holds out hope of future material growth & security. So an interesting card. In a general spread when I see the Ace of Pentacles I'm usually inclined to think about the start of a new business or having a clean bill of health from the doctor & to look at the Ace of Cups as a new romantic relationship. But this exercise has indicated it's not as simple as that. It depends on the deck's own imagery & I need to pay close attention to the colours as well as to the the elemental & numerological aspects. This card is dominated by the colours of the heart chakra. There is a definite sense of Spring in the air, in other words of a wonderful new beginning in the area of love. But the Pentacles element does suggest something more long-lasting than the Ace of Cups. The latter might suggest more of a crush or an infatuation, rather than something with long-term potential. Anyway....interesting.
TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk
http://magickallife.bravejournal.com/

The Wolf & the Dog in the Moon card

2005-03-03T09:40:11Z

Many Moon cards depict a wolf and a dog howling at the Moon. I have referred to this time and again in readings without ever really thinking about what it adds to the meaning of the card. I usually think of the Moon card as the card of dreams and the subconscious. It can sometimes indicate someone beginning to explore the spiritual side of life and possibly having fears and doubts about this. Many cards show a crayfish or a lobster crawling out of a river - perhaps alluding to a slow awareness of the depths of one's subconscious knowledge. But what about the wolf and the dog? It has suddently occurred to me that they might symbolise the subconscious and the conscious mind respectively. The wolf is primal, instinctive and wild. The dog is domesticated and trained (not my dogs I know !!-but the dog archetype at least). But in the Moon card they both howl at the moon. In other words the conscious mind is now in complete harmony with its subconscious (not dominating it or denying it as is often the case). Rather it has opened itself up to that level of awareness, penetratated its depths (perhaps through dreamwork or meditation) and thus shed its defences. It is now open to the power and attraction of the moon, i.e. to the spiritual journey and the knowledge that lies therein. Anyway for me this has introduced another perspective on the card that will help in my readings. For some reason I have often struggled to appreciate the message and power of the Moon card but I'll stop glossing over it now when it turns up in my readings!!
TeriShelly
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk
http://magickallife.bravejournal.com/

2 Swords -Moon in Libra

2005-02-22T08:48:38Z

I thought today I would look at the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot deck and specifically at the astrological correspondence of one card drawn at random. The card drawn was the 2 of Swords - the Moon in Libra.

Just briefly looking at the image first I notice that there are actually four swords on the card(if the items middle bottom & top are swords - they are pointing at, respectively, the symbol for Libra and a crescent Moon). In any case they seem to point the way out of the confusion suggested by the larger swords - to complete knowledge of the subconscious will (shown by the crescent moon at the top of the card perhaps). The ornate handles of the larger swords - on which we see four praying angels, suggests that when mental confusion reaches its apex we often turn simply to prayer. The green background on the card gradually turns to bright yellow at the top, for me this suggests gradual clarity and understanding. It is a curiously anaemic looking card though. There is no energy in it at all & that again fits with the idea of frozen passivity caused by conflicting thoughts and options.

Okay-onto the Moon in Libra correspondence. Does this fit or add anything to my first responses to the card? Libra is normally associated with balance and harmony. This certainly fits with the perfect way the swords are placed in the card & the geometric design that is the backdrop. The Moon usually symbolizes emotions, intuition and feelings. It can also describe the way we were cared for (or not) as children and therefore the way in which we feel safe and secure. When the Moon is in Libra emotions are in conflict,and security might be threatened. The reaction to that - a Libran reaction perhaps - is to hold everything in harmony, not to make a decision either way for fear of rocking the boat. This idea of a prolonged statemate of sorts fits well wth the 2 Swords. And moreover, applying the Moon in Libra correspondence even further we see the way out of the maelstrom. The Moon symbolisises the subconscious. While emotions might be in turmoil & security threatened the subconscious knows what it needs to do to move forward. And that then might explain the Rider Waite Smith image of the blindfolded woman. I always thought she was refusing to see what was going on around her- but now it occurs to me the blindfold might have been her decision. Perhaps she is trying to cut off all external stimuli & contact her own subsconscious - the source of all wisdom and power?

So in this case certainly I feel looking at the astrological correspondence has helped add a certain depth to my understanding of the card in both the Thoth and RWS.

TeriShelly
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk/

Another Experiment

2005-02-17T13:11:29Z

As anyone who reads Tarot knows there are many meanings for different cards and many different cards can indicate the same thing (depending on the deck used, personal experience with the cards, different energies surrounding different readings, the position in a spread etc.) So unless you have strong psychic abilities, or feel a real intuitive pull when you read a particular card, often you end up outlining a number of possible meanings. So thinking outside the box today (where you will usually find me!) I thought-what if I asked a deck of cards to tell me which card it would like to use to indicate a particular event? Hmmm-interesting. So using the Morgan Greer I asked the deck to show me the card it wanted to use to indicate pregnancy...

I shuffled, cut & turned over the top card and saw that the Morgan Greer deck had given me the Death card.

For a second I was surprised but then realised I shouldn't be. Of course I know that Death in the Tarot often signifies the ending of one stage of life and the start of a new one. And of course pregnancy is a perfect example of that. For some people it means the end of a period of time without children and the start of a brand new way of living. Also though maybe the Tarot is giving a hint of a rebirth/reincarnation philosophy too. Perhaps every birth contains within it the seeds of the former death of the soul being reincarnated?? Interesting. The bird, the rose and the scythe are all important too I think. The bird seems to be flying towards the front of the card - something is coming? The rose is in full bloom...suggesting the growth from bud to flower. The scythe is down - this Death doesn't seem to be actively taking things onto a new stage - rather his presence seems to indicate the simple, natural and inevitable flow of nature. Anyway it was an interesting experiment. I will try it again another day with a different deck to see if another deck has its own favourite card to speak of pregnancy (then I will probably freak out everytime the "pregancy card" appears in my card of the day!!) :)

TeriS
http://www.amagickallife.co.uk -website
http://magickallife.bravejournal.com - my other Tarot blog

Using the top & bottom cards for a reading

2005-02-14T13:31:13Z

One quick way to use the Tarot to get insight into a situation is to shuffle & cut the cards according to your usual practice and then look at the top & bottom cards. I usually find the top card gives a general insight into the situation and the bottom card into the challenges to be overcome. An example of such a reading-using the Fairy Tarot
(see http://www.amagickallife.co.uk/tarot%20cards.htm)
is the following:-

A querent wants advice regarding a current relationship. The top card shows the 3 Leaves, and the bottom card the 2 Hearts. Leaves in the Fairy Tarot correspond with Swords, Hearts with Cups.

In the first card, the situation card, we see the pain of a broken relationship, or at least one in which some harsh words have been spoken. It really is a moving image. The way the fairy has buried his face into his hands suggests a sorrow that runs deep. Personally I find this image much more evocative than the RWS one of a heart pierced by three swords. The fallen toadstood suggests hopes & dreams destroyed. The figure leaving the broken-hearted fairy does seem to be looking back over her shoulder though. Is she already regretting her action?

In interpreting this card for the querent much depends on who he/she identifies with. Perhaps they have been left by a partner & so see themselves as the fairy with his head buried in his hands. Or have they left someone and are now regretting it - but wondering how to take back such harsh words?

The challenge card is the 2 Hearts. Here we see a suitor trying to win the heart of a lady. It is difficult to tell if the lady is interested or not. Her body is turned away from the fairy on bended knee, but she hasn't up & left....so possibly she is more interested than she is showing (though admittedly she seems distracted by the figure at the bottom right). In this particular situation this challenge card might hold out hope for the couple in card 1. If someone can make the first move & start to talk again possibly some headway can be made. This might mean eating humble pie; it might mean simply opening up one's heart. This can make us all feel vulnerable but sometimes it is something we have to do. And if the female on card 2 does get up & walk away, at least the fairy on bended knee will know he did everything he could. Then perhaps he too will be able to move on, without looking back. I think it is our regrets of things we didn't try that haunt us, not those times when we tried but still failed. These times help us grow.

So I feel you can get a lot of insight into a situation from just a top/bottom reading and it is something I use with clients often.

Apologies for the subject matter though....perhaps not the best type of reading to look at on Valentine's Day!!!