On being Mystical

"The first time I called myself a Witch was the most magical moment of my life..."- Margot Adler

Today I want to take a small break from our usual going over the cards to talk about something that I think is also important when it comes to reading Tarot or doing any form of divination. That thing is magick. It is about being mystical and different. What sets your Tarot reader aside from everyone else? What gives them that special energy that makes them truly different? I have been studying Witchcraft and the Occult since I was old enough to read and it has always been a BIG part of who I am. Now that I read cards professionally it allows me to put my studies into practice. When you do any form of divination for someone you are bringing the magick that is apart of your world into the world of someone else and that my dear readers is really special. 

“I want to make the world a more magickal place. To give magick a form that people appreciate, and that changes their lives. To create art that will make people want to forever reject the mundane and mediocre world they've been surrounded by”- Damien Echols

When I get ready to do a Tarot reading I always make sure to put on makeup that makes me feel beautiful and clothes that put me into a magickal mindset. Anyone who knows me knows I wear black 99% of the time, however oddly enough, I am wearing bright orange as I write this; but do you know why I wear black clothes? Did you know that the colour black brings about psychic energy or that it will absorb the negative energy around it cleansing the air. It is the colour of rebirth, creation, karma and patience. It is also the colour of stability and you best believe, I need more of that in my life. You may be asking yourself at this time, why I am I harping about my clothing choices in a post about witches... well friends, this is what makes me feel witchy. I don't need a broomstick and a pentacle around my neck the size of a dinner plate to prove that I am a little bit mystical. No offence of course to those who like their dinner plate sized pentacles, I used to rock those once too! My point here is that it can be as simple as your clothing choices to bring magick into your life. When you invite magick in you are opening yourself up to wondrous possibilities. Try it for yourself. Look up different colour correspondences next time you get dressed. Pick a colour that represents something you want to bring into your life and be surprised by what manifests. Sadly magick isn't so much Harry Potter spells- however I SO wish it was, it is so much more simpler than this. It is natural and is apart of all of us. 

Lets talk about pre-game rituals, now that I have a little sports know how, I have learned a lot about the "pre-game ritual" and Tarot readers usually have one too. Some Tarot readers, bloggers, authors and others have little rituals they do before they read the cards. Many will light candles, burn incense or sage. Some will cleanse their decks or put them out in the light of the Full Moon. All of this sounds great to me on paper. When I am reading these books I love the idea of putting my cards out to bask in the moonlight, like the little werewolves they are, but in my reality raccoons would just scoop them up for their next rousing game of "What can we steal from Tasha's deck tonight?". The idea of lighting incense and burning candles sound great until your candle makes a nice wax pool on your clients leather ottoman or you set off someone's asthma with your incense. These are reasons why I keep my magick to myself. Its through my beauty regime and enchantments I invoke my own mystical powers. I don't feel the need for the other tools. I want you to think I am magick not the room we are reading in. I am not knocking the ways of others of course. Its all about what works for you. I am both vain and lazy so turning my ritual into my typical pre-reading shower works for me. It may not work for everyone of course. 

Totally vulgar but totally perfect. I am really trying to keep my potty mouth off of here but I could not resist this picture. 

Now after you have had some time to digest that horrific picture above, lets talk about cleansing the cards. There has to be something I do with them right? I mean, I harp and harp on how much I love them, there is no way I just use and abuse them. Here are some facts about Tarot cards. First off they are weirdly shaped compared to traditional cards that most people are used to shuffling. Secondly if you put all of the cards in order and then let someone who is not used to shuffling, you will see when you lay out the spread a lot of the same suit or cards that follow one another. This is because they are not easy to shuffle if you are not used to how they feel. This is why I do not put my cards in order before someone comes for a reading. Before you come over, I will take out the deck and shuffle them for some time so I can make sure they are good and mixed up for you. No one wants an entire reading of just Swords for example. When its your turn to do some shuffling, your job is not to mix them up but to add your energy to the deck. This is where the real magick happens. People always say, "how did these cards about love come up out of all of the 78 cards when that is what I was wondering about?" or "these cards describe my current state exactly, how can that be?". I am no scientist  (I would however be super cute in a lab coat, just putting that out there!) and I am not the most rational thinker so my explanation is that when you shuffle them your energy goes into the cards and that is how you pick the ones you do. Remember, I am not picking the cards for you, nor am I setting up the deck. Plus how could I, when I read for people I do not know, for the most part at least. Its more important to me that you are putting your energy into the cards than it is for me to put them in order and put my energy in there. No one needs to know about my scandals, trust me. After a reading, I will usually just give them another shuffle and put them back in their bag for another day. The only time I used to put them in order and work on them like that was when I was first learning. Putting them in order and then reshuffling to repeat over and over again is a great way to learn your cards and pick up on their different vibrations. I am at a point with my cards where I feel like they are an extension of me, I am chaos so it makes sense for my cards to be a little mixed up too. There are people who think that you should put them in order afterwards to cleanse them of the energy from the last person that you read for. This makes sense, but I like to think of things a little differently. I like that my cards are full of energy. When you touch them you get a little tingle this is the magick of my clients and everyone who has ever picked up the deck. I want all of them, even the not so nice people- there has only been a very small few by the way, to be apart of my deck. Its all of our magick together that makes it a truly mystical experience for everyone. I find now the only time I put them in order is after a big party, simply so I can do a little role call and make sure all my little friends are present before I take off on my next adventure, which is usually just me going to bed- I live a very exciting life. 

It is my hope that anyone looking to learn Tarot remembers that they need to blaze their own path, I feel like a guidance counsellor lol, but its true. You do not have to do what I do and you do not have to do what a book tells you to do either. Do your own thing, whatever that is. If you have to light candles, dance under the full moon and take a bath in a the sea before a reading, than you do you. You take that moon bath and you dance your Tarot dance because if it works for you thats what matters. Until next time, spend some time with your cards, get to know them and their different personalities. 

Hopefully you are getting some nice Spring weather wherever you are. The snow is finally (I am feeling the italics today, did you notice?) melting and the little birdies are singing and I feel confident saying, Spring has finally come to Atlantic Canada! 

This pic below is a sample of giant dinner plate pentacle wearing me. Though the pentacle is not pictured, this is from that era, I was probably 16 and very angsty. LOL

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!