Happy Solstice

Happy Solstice! )O(

Before we get into Lady Justice which is our next card, I wanted stop in, to talk about how today is the Winter Solstice or Yule. How exciting! This evening will bring the longest night of the year and officially mark the first day of Winter for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. I am finding it hard to swallow that yet another year is about to pass us. Its unbelievable that 2015 is almost over. This year has been a really special one for me and has truly been one full of adventure! I got married to my "one true love" as Disney would call it, went to Salem which has been a dream my whole life and I got to work at a carnival, a haunted one no less! I was able to use Tarot to raise money to help an amazing cause and had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of different people in my community. I think I was able to bring Tarot to people who would normally not experience it and my Facebook group has grown into a budding Tarot family. This blog has grown and gotten more views and visitors over the past twelve months and I think I learned how to use a hashtag! (#stilllearning) I have been able to use Tarot to touch lives, make people happy, comforted and connected with the universe a little better than before. It has been a crazy but wonderful adventure. I am excited for what is waiting after the clock strikes midnight on the 31st. 

Yule has always been one of my favourite Sabbats. The idea of the longest night of the year when I was a kid, was always a mix of the scary unknown and anticipation. I would lay in bed for what felt like hours, thinking the sun was never going to come back. Even as an adult, I still have a hard time sleeping on the Solstice. It feels like night is never going to end, time feels slower and the darkness of this night is just a touch more inky than the others. The magick is that no matter how dark, the Sun always does come back. No matter how dreary it might seem and even if it feels like the darkness stretches out into forever, the light never actually leaves us. Thats the meaning of this old holiday to me. Can you imagine our ancestors and how they have felt by this point? The days growing shorter and the nights longer and colder. Then finally right before the breaking point the longest night passes and slowly the sun creeps back. What an amazing feeling that must have been. Yule is a holiday of hope, blessings and merry making (though I think the Pagans always had a way of sneaking some sex into every holiday, such a smart group!).  We must be thankful to the light, the sun and all of the blessings in our lives. This is a time of feasting and toasting. Below is a little Yule ritual for anyone who wanted to welcome back the Sun. Happy Yule, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for sharing this past year of adventure with me, here's to many more!

Welcoming Back the Sun- Yule Ritual

Opening the Circle:

Set a candle one in each Quarter (North, East, South, West). Bring a lighter starting in the East, light the candle and say the following, repeat for each direction. 

East: Guardians of the frigid Winter winds of the East, I welcome you to this Yuletide circle. I ask that you join me this night in celebrating the return of the Sun. 

South: Guardians of the fiery flames who light the Yule Log of the South, I welcome you to this Yuletide circle. I ask that you join me this night in celebrating the return of the Sun. 

West: Guardians of the frozen lakes and turbulent seas of the West, I welcome you to this Yuletide circle. I ask that you join me this night in celebrating the return of the Sun. 

North: Guardians of the cold Earth of the North, I welcome you to this Yuletide circle. I ask that you join me this night in celebrating the return of the Sun.

Invoking the Powers of Nature

Have two pretty candles one of the left and one of the right. The one of the left represents the Goddess or the feminine side of Divinity. The right represents the God or male side of Divinity. 

Light the left candle and say: Great Goddess, Mother of the Earth, I ask that you join me in this circle as I celebrate the returning of the Sun and the turn of the seasons. I ask that you bless me and those that I love. Please join me this Yuletide. Blessed Be.

Light the right candle and say: Great God, Father Sun, tonight we celebrate your return from the Underworld. As the sun grows stronger so do we. I ask that you join me in this circle as I celebrate this solstice night in your honour. Please join me this Yuletide. Blessed Be.

Now the circle is cast. Say: The circle is open. Blessed Be. 

You can do whatever you wish at this point. You will be surrounded by the energy of the Quarters and the Lord and Lady. Here are some suggestions:

Little Pieces of the Sun Exercise:

Even though the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of longer days, it also represents the beginning of Winter. If you are someone who gets the Winter Blues this little exercise is exactly what you need. You will be taking four small items and filling them with hot Summer energy. They will keep you motivated and feeling sunny, even in the coldest days of Winter. 

You will need a yellow candle, a small red or orange flower (that would dry well, like a rose), small bowl with water mixed with salt or sea water and one stick of incense. 

Begin with the stick of incense. Take the incense and carefully pass it through the East candle- do not light it. Think of all the smells of Summer, such as: bonfires and campgrounds, burnt marshmallows and suntan lotion etc. As you hold the incense picture the warm summer breeze passing through it. Think of the way the air smells like flowers when the wind is just right. The scent of lilacs and wild roses. Infuse the incense with the energy and hope of Summer. Thank the element for its gift. Return the incense to the centre of the circle. 

Take the yellow candle and carefully pass it through the South candle- do not light it. Think of all the fiery hot energy of the Sun and the South infusing the candle. Direct all of your energy into the candle, fill it with memories of Summer. Feel the candle grow hot like the Summer Sun. Think of how it felt when the Sun was beaming down on your skin. What Summer mornings feel like and hot Summer nights. Infuse it with the energy and hope of Summer. Thank the element for its gift. Return the candle to the centre of the circle. 

Next take the small bowl of salt or sea water to the West candle. Carefully drop a little bit of wax from the candle into the water. Think of the feeling of jumping into a cool lake on a hot Summer day. Think of water balloon fights and refreshing dips in the ocean. Think of the way the beach smells. The scent of salt in the air. The way it makes your skin taste and feel tight. Think of the sound of waves crashing on a beach. The way the sand feels between your toes. Allow yourself to long for the sea. Picture blue streams of light coming from your third eye into the water. Infuse it with the energy and hope of Summer. Thank the element for its gift. Return the water to the centre of the circle.

Finally take the rose bud or flower to the North candle. Carefully pass the flower over the flame- be careful not to put it too close. Think of the flowers that bloom in the Summertime. Think of gardens growing. Vegetables sprouting and the scent of the earth after a sun-shower. Think about the way the grass feels under your toes and how the Earth feels warm. Your hands working the soil and tenderly caring for plants. Think of sleeping under the stars and staring up at the Moon. The way this time of year nature beckons you to come outside and play. Infuse the bud with the energy and hope of Summer. Thank the element for its gift. Return the flower to the centre of the circle. 

Now you have successfully blessed and infused the four items with the power of the returning Sun with memories of it at its height. Anytime you are feeling the Winter Blues bring out one of the items. Light the candle or burn the incense. Use the water for blessing yourself or your home. Dry the flower and keep it out somewhere as a reminder of the growing Sun.

Mirroring the Past, Looking to the Future Exercise:

This exercise is all about reflection on the past year and excitement about the future ahead. You will need a deck of Tarot cards or other divination tools (runes, playing cards, crystal ball, tea leaves, your own palm (this works perfect when you don't have divination tools of your own), whatever floats your canoe really) and a piece of paper, pen and lighter. 

On the paper write everything you have accomplished this past year. Try to remember the special little things that stood out in 2015 that you were thankful for. When you are ready fold up the paper and set aside for later. Next we are going to look at our future. Do a Tarot reading for yourself or some other form of divination. Try to take a peek at what 2016 holds. Write your forecast in a journal or online. Check back in June of 2016 and see what has transpired so far!

Once your celebration is over, take the paper outside and burn it somewhere safe. Say a prayer to the universe to thank it for its blessings. Watch the smoke carry your gratitude to the heavens.

Janus

Closing the Yule Circle:

I always think it is important when you close your circle to thank the Quarters as well as the Goddess and God in your own words. Start with West and work Widdershins (counter clock-wise) around your circle. Reflect on how the four elements matter in your life and why you are grateful to each one. 

Thank the God or male energy for his presence during your celebration and then do the same for the Goddess or female energy. 

Make sure to snuff your candles. Say: The circle is open, but never broken. Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again!

Clean up and make sure to have a glass of wine or other festive drink and something to eat. Save a little bit of the drink as well as some of the food to offer to the Nature Spirits outside. 

May you never thirst or hunger! )O(

I hope you have a Blessed Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year!

See you all in 2016 (or possibly before) for more Tarot Adventures! 

Taking a Ride on the Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune X

Dear readers, we have finally reached the tenth card in the Major Arcana. Thank you for sticking with me through to number ten. There has always been something special with the number ten. How many of us as kids thought we were “grown up” because we reached the double digits? Ten is special. It is a number of change and wonder about what’s next. There is a little mystery with ten and what options it presents for the next decade of life. When I think back ten years ago, I would have been graduating high school about to embark on my first trip without my parents (If you’re curious, I went to Montreal to see Rob Zombie). I thought I was finally an adult and could make decisions for myself. Ten years later looking back, my Gods, I had no idea what adulthood was at eighteen. Ten years from now, I will probably look back on my twenties with the same disdain. So many wonderful and scary things can happen in ten years; happy times and heartaches. The future can be frightening, as a Tarot Reader I probably shouldn’t say “the future is scary” but we have to keep it real here at, Adventures in Tarot Reading. 

When we proceed to ten in the Tarot we land on the Wheel of Fortune. Note: every time I go to write “fortune” my fingers type “torture”, no it is not a wheel of torture- fingers! Clearly, I am watching too many horror movies. What the Wheel of Fortune is telling us about is the unknown, taking risks and letting our inhibitions go. When this card comes up in a reading I usually see it as a nudge for the querent to take a risk. Do something different and out of character. The payoff will be worth it. I see this card as a indicator that your luck will change. Of course, this is twofold. If there were a lot of “dark” cards around the Wheel of Fortune than I would say that luck could be changing for the worse and to be careful. If the person getting the reading has a gambling problem then I would tell them to be very careful. Normally however, because I do see the Tarot as a mostly positive messenger it can mean your luck is changing for the better. This card can be an omen that things are going to be looking up really soon.

It can also mean that the querent is going to win something. Now this does not mean the lottery. I feel like I always have to stress this because so many people associate fortune tellers with lottery winnings or other such mumbo-jumbo. It could be winning money but it could also be about winning a raffle or something small. A win is still an awesome thing to have happen no matter how big or small it is. I would even go as far as suggesting the querenet have a little fun and do a little HEALTHY gambling. I am not saying gamble the house and dog away but do go out and test your luck; you just might be surprised by the results.

You will notice some characters surrounding the Wheel of Fortune; here is a little bit of info on each one:

The Wheel: This represents the wheel of Ezekiel. I will be honest, this aspect of the Tarot when we get into the really, really deep symbolism both fascinates me as much as it intimidates me. I am going to link you to our good friend Wikipedia who will explain this much better than I ever could. In layman's terms, just think mystical, magickal wheel.

Anubis or Demon: I always see this as Anubis but I have heard people refer to it as a demon as well. Anubis is the Egyptian God of Death (my personal favourite). Death always symbolizes a new beginning and uncontrollable change. It is a symbol of positive transformation in this card.

The Snake: I always thought this part of the card was pretty interesting, the snake is the Greek creature Typhon, the most deadly creature in their mythology. It is descending because it is telling you that the evil in your life is going away allowing good things to ascend into your life. The best is yet to come.

Man, Lion, Eagle and Bull (pictured in the corners): Represent the four fixed signs of the Zodiac (Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Leo). They also represent the four angels of the Tarot (Michael- the lion, Raphael- the man, Gabriel- the eagle and Uriel- the bull). Another representation that these four critters represent are the four elements (earth, air, fire and water). Their wings represent freedom to change. The books they are reading is called Torah which full of ancient knowledge and visions.

The Sphinx: The sphinx represents strength and endurance. 

The letters on the wheel stand for God.

Keys to remember: A new direction, change of luck, winning- hopefully not Charlie Sheen style, risk taking, lower inhibitions, doing something out of character.

Wheel of Fortune Exercise:

This card is urging you to do something outside of your character. I am not saying go out and become a stripper- though there is nothing wrong with being a stripper- those folks make A LOT more money than I do, but I would like you to do something different. Try something a little wild. Focus on this card and try your luck. Enter in a draw, 50/50 or buy a lottery ticket. Enjoy the rush of the gamble. If you have an issue with gambling, please do not listen to me! Do not go back on all the hard work you have done to get away from your habit- also kudos to you! What I would like you to do is to do something fun. Whether it’s getting on a thrill ride, seeing a horror movie or getting a hot new lover. Do something that makes your heart pump and makes your adrenaline spike. Again, please be safe but do get out there and take a ride on the wheel. I think you will be excited by the results of doing something a little outside of the norm.

Side note this card always makes me think of my grandma. Simply because she loves the game show Wheel of Fortune and I feel like I would be doing her a disservice by not bringing up nanny Betty in this post. I keep thinking about her as I write this because she is someone who truly lives by the Wheel (not just with making sure she is home in time to watch the game show but also in a Tarot sense LOL). She was never was afraid to take a little risk or do something out of character. I have proof of this because there are pictures floating around of my sweet, Rice Krispy square-making grandma with male strippers at a Chippendales show. I can only hope that her wildness and appreciation for doing things out of character stays with me when I am a few decades older. Nanny Betty, please don’t kill me for telling the Internet about your male stripper adventure! Love you!

Happy Beltane!

I am currently preparing a post on the Lovers but I wanted to stop in really quickly to wish all of you beautiful, handsome, lovely and wonderful readers a very HAPPY BELTANE!!! (I spell it without the "i") May the fertility of the Earth leak into your lives and bring you an abundance of blessings this wonderful May Day! Also get some hot loving, this is a sex/fire festival after all! ;)

Lovers post on its way!!! 

Meeting the Magician

The Magician I

Apparently gentle readers in my last entry, I was was playing the Fool where I said we would be talking about the High Priestess totally skipping over numero uno, the always creative Magician. The Magician is a special card because it is the only Major Arcana that showcases the Minor Arcana before you. This card embodies the idea of "as above so below" which is something Wikipedia can much better explain to you than I can so here is a little quote from the ever faithful Wiki: 

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, states: "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracle of the One Thing."^[31] 

Anyone who has ever attended a Wiccan circle or other Pagan event would be very familiar of this saying. In my non-Wikipedia worthy opinion this means that life is a circle. What happens above and below us also happens in the middle where we are. We are both human and divine. Basically making us part of a circle that will never end. Clear as mud? Good!

If this card comes up in a reading I usually associate it with someone who has all the tools they need to do what they want but they are not actioning them or they do not have faith in themselves. It usually symbolizes to me someone who has put some work into bettering who they are and taking time to learn about the different sides of themselves (the mind, the emotions, passions and mundane). I would always advise a client that if there is something creative they want to do (like start a blog!) they should probably do it! The figure 8 above his head is a symbol of eternal life and goes back to the whole, as above so below theory. Another cool thing (yes I still say "cool" I am stuck in the 90's, what are the cool kids saying these days?) about this card that I just noticed while looking it over for more fun facts to share with you is that the Magician is wearing one snazzy belt. If you look closely you will see that his belt is a snake eating its tail. The symbol of the snake eating its tail or the Ouroboros which is as fun to say as it is to spell, is all about eternity and the never ending spiral dance that is life. This is a major theme with this card. Think changes, creativity and how these things are endless. Mastering who you are when you see this card. That is the key here, unlock your inner creative Goddess or God. You have all the tools you need, you just need to trust yourself. Much easier said than done my friends but this can be accomplished considering such mastering has been happening since the dawn of time itself.

Meditating on the Magician 

Do your usual getting comfy thing that you always do before a meditation and when you are ready follow along in your mind I am going to take you on a little journey.

There you stand in the middle of the forest. Your altar is set before you. The pentacle catches the sunlight in its bright gold shine. The chalice is full of liquid, what kind of liquid do you have in this cup? Your wand is sitting as a reminder of your passions and joys, what is your wand made of? Laying beside the wand is your sword, a constant reminder that our thoughts can be dangerous as well as kind. All that lays before you is your hard work. You spend some time reflecting of the challenges you have met throughout your life to obtain your tools. You think about all the endless possibilities that lay before you. You are distracted by your thoughts and planning as you can sense someone watching you. Before you stands a figure with a dog. They look bewildered and excited to have come across your path. You recognize this person as the Fool. The Fool asks you what you are doing here in the forest. What do you tell them? Before the Fool leaves continuing down their chosen path you ask to teach them something valuable. You want to show the Fool how to connect with the Sun above and the Earth below. The Fool is in need of grounding and accepts your offer. 

You rise a wand above your head and point your other hand as the Fool follows your lead. Picture yourself drawing warm sunlight down from the sky above. Feel the warmth of the sky filling your raised hand, flowing down into your arm and exploding into your heart, warming your whole being. Feel the energy flowing through you as it ignites an inner spark. You suddenly feel energized and confident. You know you can use the tools before you for a better future. Once you are full to the brim with this buzzing sun energy, direct some of it deep into the Earth. With your hand pointed at the Earth, feel the coolness of the soil. The dampness is a stark contrast to the heat above. Feel it grounding and relaxing you. You are a connector between worlds. Feel the warmth mingling with the cold inside. You feel balanced and even more confident than before. The Fool still following your lead bursts into laughter enjoying the feeling. You can't help but smile yourself. You advise the Fool that this is the first of many lessons and they thank you and continue down the path. 

What feelings did you have from being the Magician for this short time? Did any thoughts come through that were a surprise? Did you feel the warmth of the sun mixed with the damp earth? This is a fancy way of drawing down the Sun which is similar to drawing down the Moon. Spend some time thinking about this experience and do the Magician meditation anytime you are feeling you need a little extra boost. Write down your experiences. 

I am for real not lying this time, next up we will talk High Priestess. I am thinking we may take a short break on learning the individual cards before we move into the next set of three and perhaps talk about something else Tarot related. 

Until next time happy card reading!