Reading for Thursday and Friday 1/30 - 1/31

Cards in this reading for Thursday and Friday are from the Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot.

There is a gift available to you today that will reveal an open door to a new experience, This new thing will bring you a more gentle type of strength, one where you don't have to push to get things done. You may doubt yourself or your abilities or judge yourself too harshly but remember that this is your calling. The universe/god is calling you out right now. No more fear. No more waiting in the shadows. The time to be enlightened is now. Embrace this new gift and know that the universe and God always have your back

Reading for the Week of January 26

There are two different readings in this and I felt like they should be put together. I used Tarot de la Nuit in the first reading. Some people say these are almost like oracle cards in how the photos on the individual cards can be used for intuitive readings if you so choose.

Cards Used in this reading are from Tarot de la Nuit

3 of Swords (rev) / 3 of Wands

No more heartache and pain. Time to see the big picture. Be bold and stand out. Be yourself and allow yourself to shine.

7 of Pentacles (rev) / 5 of Pentacles

No more waiting. Time to move forward. Look for the secret places where you will feel safe.. Help is available when you need it.

4 of Cups (rev) / 3 of Cups (rev)

You are finally seeing the opportunities available to you. Sucess from your own efforts. You will be well off and stress free.

Angel de la Nuit (rev) / 4 of Wands

Do not be afraid. You are leaving the darkness behind. Happy times are here again

My Take

You have been in pain and now that time is over. You are able to see  your great adventure laying out before your eyes. Take a look at your goals and decide what you want to accomplish. I feel like this is speaking toward this year. It is all up to you to go for your goals this year. There is no more waiting around to let the universe bring in something for you. You are creating it all by yourself and the universe is totally supporting you. There is safety and sanctuary there when you need it. You don't always have to do things by yourself but you may feel better going forward if you rely mainly on you. The opportunities are everywhere and you are finally grounded enough to notice them. The stress you have been encountering in the last few years will be lessened a great deal now. You have gone through your dark shadow of the soul period and come out successful. You can look forward to good times ahead of you. Yay!

Cards used in this reading are from the Guardian Tarot and the Energy oracle.

Death reversed
Dealing with blocked energy, integrating an important life lesson. You are getting rid of an old authority in your life. Releasing an old way of being but you are still struggling to let go.

9 of Pentacles Reversed
You question whether you are enough, worthy, whether your skills are still valuable. You are letting something get to you and it is impacting your self esteem. Let it go.

King of Swords
Symbol of power and authority. Center of reading. Your personal power is still strong despite past defeats. You have the courage and intellect to achieve your dreams and desires. Let go of the past and stand firm in your truth. You will be receiving clarity.

9 of Wands
Even in the face of adversity, you stand tall. Enduring significant challenges

7 of Pentacles / King of Wands reversed
Step back from the mundane day to day operations and see the bigger picture. Putting time and energy into long term projects is over. You have to wait for things to process and complete naturally. Decide whether you are still going in the right direction. You find yourself in a leadership position yet not sure you are ready for the challenge.

Blossoming Abundance
Man Holding a Heart (reversed)
Happy Family
Abundance, love and family are all available for you right now. You may need to open your eyes to a love that has been waiting for you.

Theme: 9 of Cups
This is the wish card. Your dreams are !manifesting and you will be emotionally satisfied.

My Take
There has been some authority in your life that you have been letting control you. Now you are pulling away from that control and taking the reins of your life from this period forward. You may be still struggling but you are moving in the right direction. Know that you are enough. You are worthy to be separated from this authority and begin to do things on your own. Your perspective is really important right now. Show others what you are made of, It will inspire them to move forward too. This is showing you that your personal power is just growing stronger and stronger right now. You will feel more in your element and feel like your projects are moving in the directions you always hoped they would go. Even when some form of chaos crops up, you can handle it now, Your emotions are so balanced that it will be hard to knock you off your horse of power right now. This is not the time for the normal routine. You have a gift, a calling that you need to let break forth into the world. Work on that right now. All the day to day stuff will just work itself out as it normally does. You are being prepared to move into a leadership role. So get ready for a big change sometime soon. The world is your oyster right now and it will be such an exciting period for you. Yay!

Reading for the Week of January 20

Cards used in this reading are from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot.

Heirophant
You may be delving into a time of study or taking on the role of mentor or teacher. Or you need to learn something. Currently you are staying on the road of the tried and true. What you know, you know. You may need to be more open to different spiritual concepts. You need to listen to what God/the Universe if trying to tell you. Have faith that all will work out for your good.

3 of Cups
This is a card of celebration. You have accomplished something and have been rewarded in some way. You are also being encouraged to gather with your friends and have a time of laughter and fellowship. You may be being asked to colloborate on a project or bring some more people into the fold of a project you are doing or thinking about doing.

Page of Cups reversed
This suggests that you are keeping your creative inspirations and ideas a secret right now. You are being called to start a new project but are unsure whether it will work out or is right for you. Ask yourself "what do I have to lose by taking this risk?" There is an aspect of you that is holding you back. You need to push forward and force  yourself to live your best life. Don't settle for second best. You are worth more.

Ace of Cups
Divine love and compassion are pouring through you. You are a vessel for the divine/the universe/God to speak to others. as you receive, this love overflows you and into those around you. This also can represent a new relationship coming in, friend or lover or more. Can even mean conception or birth. Birth of a new project or child even. Spark of the divine is coming through to you now in some way.

The Lovers reversed
You are feeling out of sync with those in your life. You need to decide whether to let go or to re-up your motivation for keeping the relationship going. Both partners need to contribute to making a partnership work. This could also mean you are having inner conflicts with yourself as well.

Bottom of deck: Page of Swords reversed: You are holding back from expressing your truth in some way. Maybe you are not shouting your truth from the rooftops and you need to be doing that. You are in some type of fear right now. This can also mean you are all talk and no action. Acting without thinking.

Oracle cards are from the Enchanted Map oracle.

Magic Steam and Magic Prayer. 

The Universe has your back and you are on the right path.

My Take

You have always connected with spirit in a certain way. But now it looks like you are getting more access to divine information that you will need to share with others. But you are scared for some reason and not following the directions of the divine. They are asking you to be bold and spread the message but something in holding you back. You may fear you will look like a fool or a kook. You need to express your truth since you are the divine channel the universe/God wants to use right now. Don't keep these sudden insights secret. Share them. Show everyone how great the Universe/God is and what awesomeness is in store for us all. You are being asked to be a spiritual mentor for others. Have faith and know that even if you fear the unknown, the Universe/God always has your back. You are supported by all the divine beings and your spiritual team. Trust them to never steer you wrong.

Essential Oils for Beginners: A Guide to What They Are & How to Use Them by Kac Young

Essential Oils for Beginners: 

A Guide to What They Are & How to Use Them

by Kac Young

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: February 8th 2020 by Llewellyn Publications

Goodreads synopsis:

This approachable guide makes it easy to achieve vibrant health and wellness through the use of twenty essential oils specifically chosen for their versatility and practicality. Author Kac Young shows you how these oils can be made into cleaning products, massage oils, aromatics, aphrodisiacs, magical formulas, and more.

Discover the many ways essential oils can be used for personal empowerment and wellbeing, like lavender for stress relief or peppermint for pain relief. Designed to help you enjoy essential oils throughout your life, this impressive book provides profiles for each oil, application and safety guidelines, diffusing and pairing insights, recipes, and more. A must-have resource for both beginners and experienced practitioners, Essential Oils for Beginners enhances your spirituality, happiness, beauty, and fortitude.

***

4 Stars

“Essential Oils for Beginners” is one of a slew of titles in the “For Beginners” series published by Llewellyn Publishing by Kac Young. I love this particular series and am happy to see titles like these showing up in an already successful line for Llewellyn.

I thought this was a very comprehensive book speaking not only to the new age crowd in the latter parts of the book but to all those people who want to get into essential oils and don’t know where to start. This is like your starter kit. They give you the best 20 oils to put into your collection and speak to any number of things these specific oils can do for you, heal for you, etc.

This is one of those books that you will need to keep on your reference shelf to refer back to often. I decided to try the pairing of lemon and peppermint. I don’t think I would have thought those two scents went together but they blend beautifully and promote a sense of awake-ness and rejuvenation. Love it so much! I have wanted to experiment with essential oils for a very long time yet didn’t know where to start. This is helping me to open up to all the possibilities that oils can bring to my life and my health.

If you love books in the “For Beginners” series, definitely check this one out too! You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Reading for Week of January 13

Cards used in this reading are from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot and Oracle of the Fairies.

7 of Wands -you are leveling up and about to ascend to another level of experience. Those around you not as enlightened will try to keep you at your current level.

7 of Coins reversed - the time for waiting is over. Take action now.

Knight of Cups reversed - you have a project you are working on but you need to dig more into the details and flesh it out. You may feel frustrated things are coming together more quickly.

Ace of Wands reversed - you are finding it difficult to define the idea emerging from inside you. You sense your lack of direction

3 of Cups - celebration with friends over your success

7 of Wands (theme) -  there is a broken confidence. Exterior circumstances are putting obstacles in your path. Don't pay attention to gossip.

My Take

You are at a point in your journey where you are advancing. Things will just start to work out for you. You need to harvest the fruits you have already planted and get ready for a new chapter with new and different blossoms of experience. You don't exactly know what to expect but you need to trust yourself. You are wise beyond your years. Stop paying attention to the rest of the world and what they think you need. Do your own thing. Your purpose is in your grasp. Believe in what the Universe and God have in store for you. Reach for it.  There will be a celebration in your future. Believe in yourself.

Review: The Charles Dickens Tarot by Chris Leech

The Charles Dickens Tarot

Chris Leech

Using art and symbolism from the Dickensian Victorian era, this rich and inspiring 78-card deck and guidebook draws on literary themes but remains rooted in traditional Tarot. The Major Arcana focuses on Dickens’s own life and history, including real-life people who were worked into his fiction. These include his father, John, as Wilkins Micawber in the Emperor card and his mother, Elizabeth, as Mrs. Nicklesby in the Empress card. The four suits—Fire, Water, Air, and Earth—are populated by a plethora of his best-loved characters and novels. The horizontal orientation of the cards invokes an open book, a vista, or even a panorama of Dickens’s scenes. The guidebook, written in Dickensian “shorthand,” provides keyword analysis of each card, making the meaning clear in both your own life and in relationship with Dickens’s characters.

Size: 9″ x 6″ x 1 1/2″ | 78 art cards | 160 pp
ISBN13: 9780764357756 | Binding: box set

$34.99

***

I love the concept of this deck. The images on the cards are indeed amazing and if you are knowledgable in the Dickens world of books, this deck will blow you away. 

However, all the cards are read sideways which is kind of awkward and makes the reversals hard to figure out for me. I guess it will just depend on you and what you sense as a reversal. I usually shuffle with the cards in the upright position so the smaller width is in my grasp. I may just read these without reversals to save me the mental strain.

The main issue I had personally was that the minor arcana is difficult to figure out. All I can decide is that the borders of each suit are different and that is all I can see on the surface. I would prefer that they put the names of the cards actually on the cards. Some do have them. I understand this deck is insanely busy with all its images and character names but still. This is supposed to be a divination tool. It's hard to use this tool if you can't figure out what card is what. 

I am sure once you figure this deck out, you will be off to the races. You will love it. However for me, it just wasn't my jam.  I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept since I am not a big Dickens fan and I have not read or am familiar with most of the characters. I would love to be able to go into all the symbols like the meaning of the carpet on the back of each card and why one character versus another is used for a particular number. But that is just not me. I don't read like that. This deck feels like you need to get a doctorate in Dickens before actually using it.

I love the images. They are so rich and vibrant. But for me the borders are way to thick and distract from the card images. The trend is to bleed the image off the side and I think that would look amazing if you did that with the character photos only. Maybe add a little title of the card and name of character somewhere together to appease the dolts like me who are not scholarly enough to read with them like they are meant to be read with.

A card from each of the different suits.

There is a great website as a reference as well as a huge book that comes with each deck. The cards are a bit too big for my grasp and marry with that the difficulty figuring out what cards are what, I have a hard time using this deck to its fullest potential. Just because this deck is not my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't be yours. Try it out for yourself. Give it a go. Show me up. I dare you! It won't be hard, really.

I can definitely use this as an intuitive deck and just go off the images without knowing what the name of the cards are. And I think in retrospect that is how I will definitely use this deck. No cards get thrown out in my collection and I will definitely use them to the fullest I can. But if you are into Dickens, get this deck. It is an amazing piece of artistry. I applaud whomever created it. I can't image how long it took to make this deck and come up with all the particular symbolism that pertain to a specific character. Talk about an effort of love.

If you have friends who love tarot and love Dickens, this would be a great gift idea.

Not my most favorite deck but I do love how the deck looks and the process of its creation. I can appreciate the marrying of books and tarot. Such a cool concept.

The Witches Oracle - 2nd Edition

2nd Edition of the Witch's Oracle.

The Witch’s Oracle, 2nd Edition

Marla Brooks , Illustrations by Aunia Kahn, featuring Nicholas Pearson

2nd Edition

Explore the second edition of The Witch’s Oracle through 45 innovative cards and enhanced guidebook that peers into the world of the Witch! Stunning artwork now includes seven brand-new inspirational cards and insightful messages, spell incantations, and gemstone/crystal alliances! The Pagan easy-to-navigate guide offers straightforward, gentle guidance that takes readers through both good times and bad by viewing the “big picture” to find appropriate outcomes. Each card includes a suggested crystal or gemstone to enhance your reading and a magickal incantation that provides energy, reinforces the card’s meaning, and helps the desired message to be sent out into the universe. In addition to the oracle reading, the deck can be used in conjunction with the Tarot or other oracles for clarification in readings when messages seem inconclusive or cryptic. A perfect divination deck for Witches and non-Pagans alike, it is for both seasoned readers and beginners.

Size: 5 1/4″ x 6″ x 1 1/2″ | 45 art cards | 128 pp

ISBN13: 9780764357831 | Binding: box set

***

1st Edition of the Witch's Oracle.

I have been enjoying the first edition of The Witch's Oracle for years.  So, I was excited to see the second edition show up on my doorstep. This deck is available now.

I took a picture of both editions using the same card from each deck to show the difference. The images are all the same but in edition two they have bled the image off the side of the card. This is a popular trend in card decks these days. The first edition has a big black border with the photo inset inside it.

The box is bigger in the second edition with the witch image that was on the cover of the guide in version one printed on the box lid. I am not sure why the trend is to make the packaging and boxes bigger and bigger. I am a collector of decks both tarot and oracle and the bigger boxes make it harder to store my collection and see what all I do have. I know back in the day all we received in a deck was a little white booklet. And I do appreciate the books provided by authors. They are amazing. This particular one is in full color and even though the directions are sparse, There is just enough to intuitively get the meaning and read the story of the spread.

These cards fit well in my hand and as a woman, some of the bigger decks are just so hard to shuffle. I am sure a male might want a bigger deck to fit into their obviously bigger hands. It's all an opinion when it comes down to it. 

I am loving this deck and really appreciate the theme of the cards. It is an especially good deck for the Halloween season you can pair with your darker halloween decks.

Overall, I love it. You should check it out and decide for yourself.

Reading for Week of Jan 6th

Cards in this reading are from the Illuminati Tarot

6 of Cups - Memories of the past that are happy. Reconnecting with someone you once knew. You are ready to give and receive without expectation after moving on from more challenging times. You are connecting more with the authentic you.

4 of Pentacles - Clutching to what you have. Afraid to give and instead being in fear of lack financially. You are placing too much value on money, getting it or receiving it. I like to think of this as the Law of Attraction card. You need to let go of some things in order to bring in the new that you need to receive.

Justice - represents fairness and truth. If you are in alignment with the true you, you will have no problems but if you are acting unfairly in some way, be prepared to face the music. A ruling will be passed down shortly. This card usually appears when there is a choice you need to make.

6 of Swords - This card shows that you are in a state of transition from harder times to easier times. This asks that you let go of the things that have been holding you back so you can move forward more easily.

10 of Pentacles - This is a positive sign that you have reached a point of completion and accomplishment. You are blessed by wealth and abundance and that may not always mean money. I like to think of this as the happy family, living your legacy card. Share your success with others so they may benefit from your wisdom. Family is important to you and being surrounded by those you love is just where you want to be right now.

9 of Wands - This card shows that even in the face of adversity you are still standing strong and holding your position. Realize that this is a test of your mettle and grit not because you have done anything bad or wrong. You are so close to the finish line. Don't give up now. Stand strong a little longer. People may be jealous of your success so just be ready to protect yourself at a moment's notice.

My Take

There is some happy time, memory from the past or person you once knew and resonated with that is holding you back right now. You are clutching to this memory or special time but  you know deep down this is what has been holding you back. Since the new year is a time for resolution and goal setting, the real you, the you that knows what you want in your life is coming forward right now and cutting ties with those old memories and times. It might be hard. You might suffer. But it will be a short-lived hurting. You are moving away from those troubling times and into a time of abundance. There will still be struggles, but you will come away better than ever. Just have faith! You are being set on a new path that will be right in your wheelhouse.