King of Stones ~ Wildwood Tarot

Forest life mirrors real life and then transforms into a beautiful and enchanting story that mirrors an archetype that takes us back to more simpler times. When I first saw the Wildwood Tarot, I immediately thought about the new HBO series “Game of Thrones“, a story brought to cinematic life from a book series called “A Story of Fire and Ice” by George R.R. Martin. From the first airing I was hooked, just as the Wildwood Tarot pulled me into another world of nature and the wild where the roots of our planet are borne, so did this mesmerizing story of life and struggle in a place no one has ever been before.

The Wheel of Life and the turn of the seasons sits at the heart and soul of who we are and of the true nature of our planet, Mother Earth. The Wheel turns very slowly in Winterfell where the heart of the story of Fire and Ice takes place, deep in the woods where the outside world seems ffar removed from life in a way that seems to be threatened by the ambition and greed of the other entities of power within the realm and the surrounding lands…much as it is in our society today in many countries and principalities around the globe. The similarities between Winterfell and Sherwood are not lost to me, with their magnificent trees and the resident’s respect for nature touching my soul in very deep and primal ways even today in this, the modern world. We all long for a more natural time where things were simpler, cleaner with the spirit of the earth more accessible and woven within our daily lives. Nowadays, one has to put forth a bit more effort into getting out and around the natural world outside. It is a scientifically proven fact that this separation from nature has a detrimental effect upon the human body and psyche. I feel this is why many people are drawn to stories of an Arthurian theme, in my thinking a good thing! Keeping the spirit alive and letting us set our minds on the Old Ways where our roots are deep and still viable challenges the mind and keeps us healthy in many diverse ways. This connection between the Old Path and the Old Ways is instilled within from the beginning of time, and will always be a part of who we are as a people.  While the wheel in the story Game of Thrones turns ever so slowly, the way of life in real life society pushes us all to live and go faster and faster on it’s modern Merry-Go-Round wheel. As long as the legends of Arthur and the Old Days of the Wood are kept alive, I feel that we all have hope and the chance to keep the those ways alive and well as we march onward into the 21st century and beyond onto the unknown path of life.

The Journey ~ Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood Tarot is a tangible tool to help remind us of the wheels that turn in our lives and how things change from season to season and just how mutable everything in our world really is. The interesting thing about the World of Winterfell when placed next to the times of our modern times and the Wildwood Tarot  is the paradox that forms and fold back onto itself, mirroring one and the other in ironic and unusual ways. In the Land of Fire and Ice, there is a magic of dragons that has died back  and lay dormant for many long seasons. The innocence of a girl child gives rise to this ancient magic and the vision of a young boy for the future of his world balance each other beautifully. In our modern day world much of the same thing has happened: the creators of ”A Story of Fire and Ice”, George R.R. Martin, and the “Wildwood Tarot”, John Matthews and Mark Ryan, are those same brilliant children who reawaken that spark of the Old Ways that jump starts the turning of the Wheel, rekindling the connection with our archetypal origins. Like the “Fool’s Journey”,  our lives and the very motion of the Universe hinges upon circles, orbits, turning and cycles – everything moves through the paths of the seasons. The turning of the Wheel of Life is a reflection of our lives. And, while the Game of Thrones tells the dire story of man’s dark nature while Wildwood Tarot looks at life in a brighter light, we can take the messages of both worlds and meld them into our world today. Our World and our Wheel…one and the same…ours to command…

Nut & Geb

Transeformers: Shamans of the 21st Century

A few months ago, I picked up a most amazing book titled “Tranceformers: Shamans of the 21st Century” by John Jay Harper. I had not read anything by him before, but he came highly recommended and I was excited to read what he had to say, especially about Modern Shamanism and the 2012 enigma. He did not disappoint.

And you know how things kind of go hand in hand and are linked in a very mysterious and synchronistic way? Like you just happen to stumble upon one thing and soon, through that, you get shoved in the direction of another completely different thing, but in the end you, it and the other are inexplicably tied together in weird and wonderful ways? Well…that is what has happened with John, myself and Paul A. LaViolette. Only they don’t really know it.

In John Jay Harper’s book, “Tranceformers“,he makes a statement on page 169 which reads: “…the symbols in the Zodiac and the Tarot cards encode the spontaneous creation of matter out of zero-point energy in a biochemical reaction-diffusion process that takes the energetic shape of the Ankh. He calls the Ankh the ‘Model-G’ pattern of subatomic kinetics; a new unified physics of The Field.”

This reallycaught my attention. For decades I have been voicing my opinion that the Tarot was much older than the assumed 14th century origins and that the Major Arcana came before the suited playing card part of the deck and meant much more to mankind and the grander scheme of things than others would seem to realize. Needless to say, I have been through the gamut of abuse for standing up and sticking to my beliefs where the Tarot is concerned, and out of all sorts of corners of the Tarot world. And that’s ok. I am like a bulldog on such things. I will not let go once my teeth have sunk in and my jaw is locked. This isn’t a matter of principle. It goes much deeper. This is something that I intuitively know and psychically feel. These images are not only archetypal. They are beyond ancient. They are the core of who we are as human beings and hold secrets to the meaning of things on every level, from the Fool’s Path in our day to day lives to the path of the Sun in our day to day world and beyond. They are old and they are special and they mean something profound. But knowing it and proving it are two completely different things. Hence, my predicament.

Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation

So…when I asked John Jay Harper what he meant by the above statement, he referred me to the works of Paul A. LaViolette, specifically “The Genesis of the Cosmos: The Ancient Science of Continuous Creation”. And, if I thought my eyes were open before I read this book, I would have to say that they are popping out on springs right now, having found the mother lode of information to validate the belief that I have had for as far as I can remember, when I first laid eyes on the Tarot all those years ago: that they are not only as old as humankind, but the concept goes all the way back to the beginning of time as we know it, and was conceptualized as far back as the Old Kingdom Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and likely farther back than that. The Big Bang theory of the origins of the Universe has turned from a Big Blast to a Little Toot, the beginnings of Tarot from a parlor game invented by bored courtesans to an ingenious way to keep ancient knowledge alive and well today, and the beginnings of the Universe as we know it from a closed system to one open and ready for business. Intrigued?  Please check out the works of John Jay Harper and Paul A. LaViolette. Be prepared to be amazed!

Until next time, my friends…

…Namaste and a Very Happy New Year in 2011 to one and all!

XI. Strength ~ Mary-El Tarot

 So many people wonder what it is like to have their tarot read. I know only too well the gamut of emotions that goes into even thinking about having one’s cards read, what with all the stigma and superstition that has been attached to the tarot, readers and the whole idea of going outside the realm of what is common and mundane in the established world that we live in and what that evokes and entails. When I was very young and first wrapped my hands and mind around the cards, many feelings crept in, from religious taboo to “what would my mother say?” (I decided not to tell her! ) to “my friends will make fun of me” (well…they weren’t that great of friends, anyway…) and so on and so forth…fill in the blank, I’m sure many people reading this blog right now can identify with one or even more of these scenarios. I finally decided, one day so long ago that it really didn’t matter, all of those little questions fueled by guilt or fear or the control by others, and to follow my heart and explore those hidden realms that only the mystery schools used to claim to call their own. Looking back, I am so glad for the desicions I have made in my life concerning my spiritual path and where it has lead me even now, as I write here in this, my little electronic link to the outside cyber world.   

I know everyone’s journey, methods and ways of doing things are different. So when I think about the many ways readings are done, I feel a need to share a little of what happens when someone has a reading with me, what they can expect and how it generally goes. Having had many readings myself over the years I have found that everyone’s style is different and I don’t want anyone to come away from a reading with me feeling weird because they expected something different or an experience like someone elses altogether. Simply put: no two readers read alike and no two readers tap into the etheric realms in quite the same way.   

I have developed a style of reading over a span of 30 plus years and, looking back, I smile at what a learning experience it has been. The first step was to take that LWB (Little White Book – the pamphlet that comes with decks of tarot cards) and put it away in a box where others would soon join it after glancing through any interesting information about the author/artist of the work. That is really all the LWB is really good for, in my humble opinion, because the heart of the deck is where that of the creator’s heart and soul resides. That information is quite valuable. After that, however, the cards are all mine. (Watch this blog for a coming post all about what to look for in a deck and what I look for when chosing decks that I love.)   

III. The Empress ~ Mary-El Tarot

When I sit down to do a reading, many things come into play and a lot of convention goes right out the window. First off, I prefer to have whomever I am reading for sit next to me as we deal out the cards together. I like to have the seeker be able to see the cards as they pick them and we lay them out together; they see the cards and the layout as it unfolds, and are encouraged to bring whatever feelings, intuition, thoughts and ideas into the reading at any time. Traditional spreads are not used during the readings, as we set down the cards in a unique and different way so as to watch as the relationships between the cards come up to initiate a relationship with the seeker. Meanwhile, I watch, look and listen to what is going on while the cards are revealed. One or more things come into play now. Guides, angels, those in spirit – both in the human and animal form – begin to come through as the session progresses. Depending on the questions and the things a person wants to touch on, any or all and even more can happen during a reading. I can never tell what will happen and I am constantly amazed by the things that we see and hear! And, one by one, as the cards come down, the doors to the other realms are opened and important information is imparted, loved ones in spirit begin to come through and answers to questions in deep desire for answers are brought into the light of day. All there for the asking, if only one has a need to know and a yearning to find the answers to their most burning questions.   

The duration is no less than an hour and most times run into the hour and a half time frame. All readings are held in the strictest of confidence, never told or revealed to anyone ever. A session is always private unless the seeker requests that someone else be present, which is entirely fine. The seeker has very much control over their reading and I will always do my best to accommodate.   

There are other services which are available in additon to oracle as well as traditional tarot readings: spatial cleansings of homes, areas of business and larger lands; group readings and parties; psychic investigations and walk-throughs of areas suspected of spirit activity, with follow up solutions in regard to spirit activity; gemstone and aromatherapies. And more!   

For further information, please visit my website at: Sleeping Gypsy  to find out all about readings, other interesting people and places, and the world of the Sleeping Gypsy! I will be sending out a newsletter beginning in August that will include all sorts of interesting and sundry things pertaining to tarot and the world of those who seek knowledge and answers from the intuitive realms. Please sign up on the main page!   

Finally, please feel free to email me at any time with questions and inquiries and take advantage of the FREE tarot reading services offered at my website! New and free stuff will be added  throughout the year, so make sure to visit often!   

Until next time…   

…Namaste!   

[Note: Please visit the Official Website for Mary-El's Tarot featured here in this blog post. It is beautiful and I can hardly wait for it to be available!]

16. Stars ~ Mystical Lenormand

As many of you may know, I am always on the look out for the rarest of the rare Lenormand Cards. Never have I seen a more provocative nor awe inspiring set of images as the original Lenormands! The original decks are as illusive as they are beautiful, however, and sometimes one must settle for more recent facsimiles or current editions of updates inspired by the originals. Such is the case with he newer Mystical Lenormand.

At first I was sceptical and wary of this newer deck, produced by Swiss artiste Urban Trosch in 2005 using a technique older than the original cards themselves, an egg tempera on wood with a chalk base. In doing so, Mr. Trosch has created a mystical deck whose images truly resemble the icons of yesteryear, as each image is framed by a “window” that really makes one feel as if they are looking though a portal and glimpsing an altogether different reality, a place of mystical wonders and other worldliness. Even the backs of the cards takes one away from the ordinary. Celestial angels encircle the earth and look down at the planet from the heavens, leaving one to feel as if they are going on a journey, far far away.

The deck is smaller of size, and I thought that would be a turn off, but quite to the contrary, it lends to the charm of the deck. When first opening the sturdy little box one is confronted with the LWB (little white book) which is really quite informative, with a brief history of Mlle. Lenormand’s life, her deck and how Urban Trosch came to make this new take on the French classic. There are spread suggestions and the original meanings for the cards as well.  What really impressed me, however, was the way the instructions treated the art of reading the deck (or any deck, for that matter) for beginners. They really stress the personal experience and encourage the neophyte to branch out and feel the cards and use first impressions and personal deep seated meanings before ever looking at the black and white traditional meanings. Nothing cut in stone here! This is so refreshing to me. It does my heart good to see the art of reading decks go beyond the cookie cutter definitions and diving head long into how a card makes a person feel in their gut, where all good reading begins and ends, with the intuition and uncharted senses.  Add to that the mentioning of how to treat a deck with awe and respect from the beginning, and you have a really good deck for the beginner that an experienced reader will also enjoy. This is how deck reading should be and this is how itis presented from the beginning, with honour and dignity and not a frivolous “game”.  I know Mlle. Lenormand would agree with me on this.

All in all, this deck is a very nice package, especially if one cannot get heir mitts on any sort of Lenormand deck. This demure replica is a good start and far from a mere copy, it can hold its own reading after reading, or simply as a tool for meditation and contemplation. I find the images compelling and possessing their own personalities apart from the original Lenormand – like a long lost cousin to the original, or even a sibling – they are very much alike, but different enough to be able to show unique traits original to each and the other.

I highly recommend this deck to anyone looking for a meaningful departure from the classic Waite-Smith fare. In a day and age when everyone and their brother are making and publishing their own decks, both oracles and tarots, it is a rare thing to find one or two that really stand out and stand up on their own merits, The Mystical Lenormand is one such deck. And especially in the case of the Lenormand decks, as they sort of fall somewhere between a tarot and an oracle style of deck. If one decides to add this deck to their collection of cards you ave my word that you will not be disappointed…

Until next time…

…Namaste!

VI. The Lovers ~ Stella's Tarot

Like most tarot readers, I love to collect tarot decks. I have lots. Every time I purchase a new deck for the collection, I silently say to myself …girl, you gotta slow down! You have so many decks! and then I try so very hard to not splurge whenever I set my eyes and heart onto a newly discovered deck that I just have to have. Yeah…it never works.   

Such is the case with my newest find…Stella’s Simple Tarot!   

When I first saw this amazing set of tarot images, it was digitally. The images are whimsical and transporting, taking the reader to another place – which to me is a quality ranking high upon the list of attributes a deck just has to have in order for it to work as a vehicle for visioning. The key to this is the journey that the images take you upon – it needs to be easy and essentially effortless. If you have to try hard or strain to get the process going, then the deck is probably not the right one. This deck effortlessly fits the bill, taking you on a magic ride, likened to falling down the rabbit hole, growing big one minute and then small.  Once you start, the rest is enchantingly thrilling. I just had to own this deck. Finding, however, was a journey in and of itself.   

The only description I had for my set of digital images was “AnAn Tarot”. I thought …this should be easy. This is such a great deck! It has to be out there still. I hope. Ha! It wasn’t long before I was eating my words and feeling that old familiar sensation of looking for a deck that is out-of-print or impossible to find for under a million dollars (Victorian Romanitc. Lenormand anything. Sola Busca.) So, out into the cyber-sphere I go, searching. I am the Fool.   

AnAn Tarot is an ellusive creature. After days of searching I find three sites that refer to AnAn. The first one is a Korean site, all in Korean. The second, Japanese. Also in  Japanese only. Darn. The third is a UK site, The Artwork of Modern Tarot - hooray! But, alas…no links. Just a name in a collection that is vast and nearly endless. And here I thought I had a huge collection of decks! This list was huge! There was the name: AnAn Tarot, but no link in site. Double darn.   

Always the curious, I decided to check out this collector’s list and started making note of names of decks  I have never seen and was not familiar with. It was an impressive collection to be sure. Then I started getting into the “S” category and spied a quaint little title: “Stella’s Simple Tarot”. I fed it into the web browser, hoping. Click. Gasp! I could here angel’s singing! There was my beloved AnAn disguised as Stella’s! Thank you, God/dess!   

I. The Magician ~ Stella's Tarot

Some lists and references consider Stella’s a Majors only deck, but this is simply not the case. Seems that Stella’s was dubbed “AnAn” after a special little deck – majors only - was enclosed within the popular Japanese fashion magazine of the same name as a promotional gift when purchasing the publication in 2008.  Upon learning this my heart sank, as such limited run decks are very valuable and ellusive and impossible to obtain. In fact, the original 78 card run is very easy to obtain through Amazon.com. Yay! I quickly ordered this prized deck and waited anxiously for it to arrive and when it did I was not disappointed! It is even more charming in person. The LWB is very interesting in that it has unique descriptions of the Rider-Waite style cards that waste no words on their meanings. What I really wanted to know more about was the author/artist of this imaginative set of cards. This has proved to be even more elusive than the deck itself. Everything I find is either in Chinese, Japanese or Korean and impossible to translate through Internet translators. What the LWB says is the most I have been able to dig up. The deck was conceived by and for Stella Kaoruko by Takako Hoei. Stella is a renouned authority on astrology and tarot in Japan. She received a vision of  the archangel Gabriel while viewing Frangelico’s “The Annunciation” at Italy’s San Marco Museum at the tender age of 22. The rest, as they say, is history, as she delved into an immersive quest for knowledge of the world’s religions, as well as astrology and tarot. She is credited for helping hundreds of people by giving right and loving advice worldwide with her uncannily accurate predictions, inspiring right change for the better. Takako created the tarot for Stella at her lake shore home. The two are very close. I find it interesting that the most beautiful and inspired decks in history are collaborations between two people… Aleister and Frieda. Pamela and Arthur. Alex and Karen. This union of artist and intuitive always lifts my heart. Stella’s Tarot is like that…heart lifting. Hope inspiring. Door opening.   

I hope you check out Stella’s Simple Tarot. It has a special place in my heart next to my other favourite deck, Lenormand. Please visit Stella’s Official Web Site to learn more. I encourage dialogue and discussion about this deck and any deck that you might fancy. Collecting is a passion and the cards are my muse, the indulgence my little vice.   

There. I admitted it.   

Until next time…

Animals Divine Tarot

As many of you have already noticed, whales are in the news today, but not on account of anything good that has happened. On the contrary, a tragedy has happened at Sea World Orlando in the unfortunate death of one of their top trainers, Dawn Brancheau. For a more detailed accounting, please visit HERE to familiarize yourself with this sad story.

Sad. Sad in many ways. Sad because the whale is being blamed and talk of his euthanasia is being volleyed about, when it is clear that this whale was clearly not at fault. In fact, as I type these words with the news on I have just heard that Dawn had actually laid down in the water with this whale when it was common knowledge within this park and among the employees/trainers that this whale was not safe to be laying in the water with and that such a practice was clearly forbidden. What was Dawn thinking? I can understand that her love of the animal may have caused her to toss caution out the window, but had she thought ahead, she might have realized that sometimes we cannot let our love for animals put them or ourselves in danger. Common sense has to be at the forefront of animal welfare, especially where wild animals in captivity are concerned.

Just this morning, Patricia Cori started a news feed thread on Face book about working to get wild animals – especially whales – out of captivity and back where they belong…in the wild. I like her ideas and feel we should follow her lead and work at trying to get all wild animals back into their natural habitat. I ask and encourage you to visit her page and get involved in any way that you can. You can sign a petition HERE.

Tillikum

Bill Hemmer on FOX News this morning made a profound observation: that Tillikum = $$$. He is a breeder that has given Sea World 13 offspring since his captivity at their facility. And isn’t that the way most of these things go? Dollar signs always hold sway over everything else.  They are saying that Tilly may not survive in the wild and that a supported release might be the answer, but excuses are already being made. Again, money may be at the root of this mindset, as I feel there really is no excuse to keep wild animals in captivity, except for maybe to try and save an endangered species, and then it is questionable.

If you take a peek back in history, captive animals were a form of entertainment in an era of no other sensations, such as TV or movies. Captive animals were a cash cow back then as people lead boring lives and craved entertainment. Dancing bears, freak show oddities, circus animals were a big draw and meant big bucks for their owners/trainers/handlers. In this day and age, I don’t see why we need to retain this attitude. What with computer graphics, documentaries and such, the circus-like venue is not needed and is in fact outdated. Isn’t it time to move on?

I guess what really bothers me the most is that whenever a captive wild animal lashes out after having reached their limit of patience is that people always blame the animal. A kid gains entry into a tiger’s enclosure and teases and tortures a tiger and is consequently maimed and/or killed and they lash out at the tiger and kill it. An elderly chimpanzee attacks a neighbor, ripping off her face and hands, and they blame the chimp and kill him. Now this. Makes me ill that these animals – the original victims – are used as scapegoats to avoid any sort of culpability, especially when faced with changing established protocols that hit the wallet first and foremost. To heck with the safety of the public. And to heck with the torture and unhappiness of the poor animals. The dollar rules and nothing has changed. Man put these animals into captivity and it is man that is to blame.

My heart goes out to Dawn’s family, friends and loved ones. I pray for their comfort and healing.

Please do what you can…sign petitions, write letters, join online groups, call your representative or speak out. But don’t just blow this issue off and ignore it. Until we put wild animals back into the wild, this sort of thing will happen again and again. And believe me…you don’t have to be a psychic to see that this is true.

To see the Whale on the Ten of Cups in the Animals Divine tarot by Llewellyn really warms my heart and the irony is not lost on me. The Ten of Cups is the epitome of love, caring and the family dynamic. A happily ever after card. As a totem animal, the whale begs one to find their soul’s purpose and to remain true to one’s life path.

To find out more about animal totems and shamanism, click HERE.

Namaste…

It seems that the more decks I learn about, the more favourites that I collect – if not physically, then at least in my dreams…

There are a few decks out there that I just can’t seem to find or get my hands on. The Victorian Romantic Tarot is one, The Sola Busca is another, and Buckland’s Romani Tarot is yet another again. Either they are available from time to time, but they are up for grabs for a very steep price, or they just are not anywhere to be found. Recently I found on their home website the Victorian Romantic tarot for sale at reverse auction for well over $1000 for a few decks that they managed to squirrel away, but decided to sell them off as a “holiday treat”! Recently they took that auction down for whatever reason – lack of interest? – and just asked a flat $850.00. Gads…

Sola Busca peeks out of obscurity from time to time on eBay, but not touchable for less than $250.00, give or take. Much more reasonable but still a little too steep for my blood.

Buckland’s Romani is just no where to be found that I can tell from my periodic checking. It is a beautiful and unusual deck that I hope to someday own. At least for now I can dream…

It doesn’t help matters when another awesome and amazing deck comes to my attention, and that deck is really two flavours of the same theme: The Lenormand Blue Owl Deck and the White Owl Deck!

The Lenormand Oracle ~ Blue Owl

Oh! How I love these cards!

I did manage to get a copy of the Petite deck available from Amazon.com. And I have tracked down a web site that carries both the White, Red and Blue decks – Esoterikshopping.de – but, alas, they don’t ship to the United States. So, while the search goes on, I am finding out more and more about this fascinating group of cards and their enchanting creator.

There are three wonderful WordPress Blogs that features the Lenormand cards: The Lenormand Oracle and Lenormand Oracle Cards and Lenormand Cards with Elizabeth -all blogs are very wonderful, informative and thought-provoking! I suggest to anyone with a keen or even a passing interest in European cards to check these out!

One day I will have in my collection these beautiful decks. Until then I have the miracle of the InterWebz to sate my thirst for the French cards…

Au revoir!