We’re back.. and studying tarot

Nirium and I have decided to take a comparative look at several tarot decks. Nirium is using the Mucha tarot. I am presenting the Wildwood tarot and the Wild Unknown tarot, and my partner who won’t pick a name is using the Hanson-Roberts deck, which should be more similar to the classic Rider-Waite than either Nirium’s or mine.

 

We are starting with the first card in the major arcana, the Fool. Without further ado, here are the cards from each deck.

Mucha\ 0 The Fool

 

Wildwood\ 0 The Wanderer (The Fool)

 

Wild Unknown \ 0 The Fool

 

Hanson-Roberts\0 The Fool

 

Our dialogue:

EJ

I’ve got my cards right in front of me now. 🙂

Nirium

Sweet

I am sadly at work, but I will be deck fondly when I get home.

I will be using The Mucha Tarot.

Viranh

I am going to use the Wild Unkown and the Wildwood

EJ

Mine is Hanson-Roberts. I also have a Rider-Waite deck handy but they aren’t mine.

Viranh

I feel like it’s weird that I have the two decks Sarah has been using primarily

I had no idea she had the wildwood when I bought it.

Anyway, it’s a cool mix of decks though

I am looking at pictures of the mucha tarot and it’s pretty.

EJ

We are starting with The Fool?

Nirium

It really is.

Yup

EJ

I love my cards… So tiny for my dainty little hands. tongue emoticon

Viranh

There’s a rainbow on the Fool in the Wildwood tarot

(Not the one you’ve seen that has like 5000 rainbows everywhere)

EJ

Hahaha

Viranh

I may have seen that card a lot for a while

hahahaha

EJ

😛

That one part in the book is underlined because I was on a road trip with a friend who had just jokingly said that I was basically going to be alone for the rest of my life so I was pissed off and went into “Need something to do NOW before I bite __’s head off” mode.

Viranh

Oh __. 

That’s a good card to focus on with her saying that to you I guess

It’s not a murderous card at least, lol

EJ

It wasn’t even the main focus. Just in the beginning of the book.

I was going to actually study something. Hahaha

Nirium

Well, it isn’t murderous, but can be potentially kill yourself accidentally, usually because you’re an idiot and didn’t see it coming card.

EJ

Bahahaha… Truth. I was just happy for the distraction.

Viranh

True, but her deck is only mentioning the positive unless it is reversed

I always assume both things depending on the context

Nirium

Ah, true.

Amd the cards surrounding it.

EJ

Yeah, I always try to look at both sides, not just if the card is up-side-down or not.

Viranh

I think context better determines if the reversed meaning applies

Or maybe I’m lazy and clumsy and don’t want to keep track of reversals

Nirium

Eh . . . .reversals are tricky things.

It had been said that some deck you just don’t read reversals on, or that they do not matter. I really think  that is up to you. I think every deck you can read the reversals on, and they are just the opposite of the meaning of the card.

Example – The Fool – Happy card, full of new beginnings and hope and promise and happy go lucky. Occasionally puppy ish.

Reversal – stagnant situation, hopelessness, endings, anger at the situation

Or something like that.

Viranh

I think that’s accurate

EJ

Indeed.

Viranh

But I still hate reversals

I have no real logical excuse for this

(Pictures of decks other than Hanson-Roberts are posted)

EJ

Eeehehehehe… I love your cards…

Viranh

My cards tried very hard to tell me I’m gay, partially using the Wanderer

So I’ve seen that one a LOT

Hahahaha

EJ

Hahaha.

When I saw the card my first thought was; “Well, here goes nothing!”

I like it. I don’t think I’ve seen that deck.

Viranh

No, I have been using the new one more

The wild wood doesn’t like to read for others

EJ

I’m wondering if maybe that isn’t how my deck is… Oh darn, it’s time to go card shopping.

Viranh

Oh darn

Nirium

My fool is the typical new and perky adventurer. Her dog is the only thing keeping her from harm. This card is spontaneous, happy, optimistic and full of new beginnings.

EJ

I like this game. All of these cards are so cool!

Nirium

Yes! All the pretties! Ntm I like how each card is essentially the same, but a bit tweaked.

New stitcheries and more books

At noon on the solstice, these appeared on the porch. We have added Diabolical, XVI, Howling, and Devoted to our shelves. The books are gorgeous. Each is hand numbered, with high quality binding and lovely paper. They are all from Scarlet Imprint. I have read through most of Devoted already, and am thoroughly enjoying it. My favorite essay so far is “The Mysteries” by Stephen Grasso. It discusses a new theory about deity, particularly the consistency of personality and experiences of different people with a specific entity. He’s very good at approaching working with these entities in a scientific way without allowing science to ruin the experience, and it has given me a new perspective on some of my own beliefs and interactions. In other words, this is a really great book.

Now for new stitchery. I have begun a new project on a piece of brown wool that combines the coven symbol with some symbols that are important to me. It’s intended to be a shawl, and will be good for meditation in chilly rooms. I started with a sketch, then cut it out and drew on the outline on the fabric.

Here it is with no stitching, at the very beginning of the project, about six weeks ago.

Here it is with nearly everything outlined. I am almost done with it! I have the coven symbol in the background, a stag for the Horned One, and a datura and a horse for myself. I’m thinking that my reasons for the horse should be fairly obvious to people who know me at all. I think I started talking about them about as soon as I could talk. The datura is a newer interest, but the plant has been very clear about working with me, and as a result, I think it is entirely appropriate on here.

Herding cats

This exactly what trying to organize a pagan event of any sort is like. Herding mother fucking cats. Only the cats have an empty food dish, and pause to yowl about it periodically while being herded. Because they’re cats. Young, inexperienced, drama-loving cats. Why do I do this to myself? Do I want community that bad? Truthfully, I keep hoping that eventually these kind of things will attract the right people, or I’ll stick around long enough to see some of the ones I’ve got grow into decent pagans/witches/whatever. They’re not bad people. They’re young, they love drama, and they just don’t have a whole lot of experience. That isn’t a crime. I’m not even completely exempt from this. But, empty night, people! Herding cats! It’s so tiring. I am about one more whiny drama episode away from “fuck it.”

Books and trouble

Seeds!

Datura Stramonium, Hyoscamus Niger, Atropa Belladonna, Digitalis Purpurea, Aconitum Napellus

Witches’ Sabbat at Raven’s Knoll

Witches’ Sabbat at Raven’s Knoll

I am so very excited for this. I am getting my passport and reading the regulations for travelling with a dog to Canada. I plotted the highways to take. And it is not until July. It is going to be amazing!

Nature rambles

I went rambling down at the river with dog and horse this morning. It is my favorite time of year. I love brisk mornings and the smell of leaves. It is the opening weekend of hunting season, so we are wearing hot pink and being very careful of the areas we pass through. We did nearly run down a bow hunter in an unexpected place this morning. He would not have found deer there anyway, and we thankfully do not look very much like deer. It may be our last trip across the river until spring, so we tried to make the most of it. I wanted to use this ramble to charge my pendant, but couldn’t seem to get focused on it. I have learned that I can pull energy out of it, and use it to invoke Him. It is quite interesting. I’m still discovering what it can do since I did not design the spell on it. 

Wonder

Ode to that great Goddess caffeine

Ah, coffee, patron Goddess of research and work. We are ever thankful for wakefulness and focus that are your gifts.

Veneficium

I received a copy of Veneficium by Daniel Schulke today as a gift from Stone. It’s published by Three Hands Press, a small Indy publisher of occult works. It is, of course, about poison. A very fitting gift for Samhain.

Do check out Three Hands Press for other interesting titles. http://www.threehandspress.com/

In other notes, my lovely Datura is nearly open. It has been taunting me for weeks with this bloom, but it has finally opened the tiniest bit, so I’m expecting to be able to post pictures of it in full flower in the next few days. I am thankful it did not open while I was travelling on business, nor did it wilt and die over a week without care. Daturas are thankfully sturdy, and like dry soil. I have fed it fish emulsion as an apology, and it has thoroughly overgrown its pot.