Oracle Speak ~ April 29th - May 13th

A while ago, Ana Cortez suggested that we tried to do our own Oracle Speak readings as an exercise. Oracle Speak is quick biweekly forecast Ana does for a local radio station at Santa Fe, NM. 

So, she told us to do a reading for the coming two weeks, before listening to her own forecast, as to not be influenced. Ana suggested that we focused on getting a message to the world, instead of focusing on our personal lives. This way the reading can be relevant to others too.

I seldom do general forecasts for many people - I am better with personal readings. But I think the challenge is important for my growth as a reader. Also, in this exercise I tried to follow my first impressions, because I need to learn to trust them more. I often question my own interpretations until I am completely lost!

So the first thing that called my attention in this layout was the presence of the deuces on the top of the spread. And both cards deal with rivalry of some sort - one is the  2♠ (The Enemies) and the other is the 2♦ (The Rivals). My first impression is that May will begin with an atmosphere of conflict and opposition.

The Ace of Diamonds is right below the two deuces, so for me it's deeply connected to them. The causes of the conflicts may be an excessively individualistic approach to thing - "my way or no way" sort of thing. However, fire is also a transforming energy - these times of opposition, if well-handled, can be a catalyst for important changes.

We can transform a heavy enmity into a lighter, more positive rivalry that inspired growth instead of destroying. If we let the negative side prevail., it'll be like throwing dirt onto the fire of transformation. We will smother it.

I don't see a very relevant meaning for the 6♣... for me it suggests that all this will be a very temporary situation, one that will open the path to further grow. The conflicts that happen within the coming two weeks will not be long-lasting (unless the people involved handle them very badly). If anyone has more insight on this card, I appreciate.

There's also a lack of Hearts in this particular spread, which suggests that this will be a time of low sympathy; people will not be very open emotionally. A hard time of transformation, like fire burning the earth to renew it. The sentence that popped into my mind was 'don't be a softy'.

In a nutshell: I believe opposition will be very present in the coming weeks, in different forms and intensity. There may be a tendency in people to face this in a rather egoistic way, which may contribute to the conflict. It's important to compromise, so that the differences can generate growth instead of becoming an abyss. This is a wonderful opportunity to transform any situation by analysing what isn't working and finding alternatives in other people's ideas. Using well this time can boost people's progress in whatever area of their lives they are experiencing stagnation or obstruction.

I don't know if I did this right but... ta-da, here it is! My first Oracle Speak!

If anyone sees this spread differently, or has any additional insight on the cards... please, do share!


The Playing Card Oracles © Ana Cortez & C.J. Freeman

Sol: The All-Seeing King

Of all the kings in the Playing Card Oracles, Sol, the King of Clubs, is the one that shows up more often in my readings. I think it's because I have many Aquarian/Air men in my life... including my father, my boss, my stepbrother and others.

I was reading Anaïs Nin's "Under a Glass Bell" one of these days. It's a wonderful book of short stories... I recommend reading it if you like a flowery prose with lots of subjectivity and surrealism. Some people find her writing superfluous and convoluted, but I love her. Anaïs speaks to my spirit - and to my heart - in a way few authors have ever done.

Sol himself would probably dislike her dreamy style.

There's a story called The All-Seeing, which is about a man who could really be the King of Clubs. I can't help but think that Anaïs found inspiration in a typical Air man for this story, because the way she describes him reminds me of the Air men in my life. I am sharing some quotes below, along with some comments of mine, as a part of my own study of this card.

"Seeking this that he had lost without knowing it, he became restless and a rover, a prober, he became the archaeologist of his own soul, he searched and wandered [...] He was possessed with restlessness, timelessness, forgetfulness. He lived in a labyrinth and a haze." (The All-Seeing)

Sol is a man who seeks and researches everything, including his own soul. But, for me, he seems fearful of emotions (and all that reason cannot fully control and comprehend), hence why he focuses so much on the rational side. He is an archaeologist of the soul, but his conclusion are always somehow incomplete. The poetry, the dreams, the unconscious, the marvellous... all these things are missing from his left-brained approach. He analyses them, dissects them, question them until they crumble under the weight of his scrutiny. Mystery cannot survive this aggressive investigation.

"No sooner had the marvellous befallen him than he grasped it with his peasant hands with the violence of a man who was not certain of having seen it, lived it, and who wanted to reassure himself of its palpability. Everything which befell him would be ripped apart, analysed, commented." (The All-Seeing)

In this quote we see Sol's tendency to rationalise when something marvellous (or magical, or irrational) falls in his hands. He finds it hard to simply enjoy the moment... no, he must put it under a microscope, put it in perspective, put it in words. Measure, weight, compare. In doing this he gains knowledge, but sometimes he destroys the flame, the impulse, the spontaneity, the poetry. He can be the air the feeds the flame, but sometimes he ends up being the cold wind that extinguishes it.

"You float too easily, you are too easily cut off. [...] But at some time or other you will have to accept having a body, a reality, being in bondage. You will have to enter the prison of human life and accept the suffering." (The All-Seeing)

On hopelessness

I'd like to apologise for the depressing tone of some of my recent posts. I know it must be boring for others to read about someone else's journey in the dark... sadness and grief are solitary experiences, regardless of the amount of people you share your feelings with.

Because cartomancy is such an important aspect of my personal journey, I always try to see my experiences from the perspective of a reader. I believe that oracles like the Tarot and the Playing Cards are a symbolic synthesis of our lives... in learning from life, we learn about them. Cards gain new colours, new depths as our life is enriched by experiences, even when they are bad ones.

But knowing this doesn't make it any easier for me. I don't feel relieved or hopeful because I know this. Knowing things rationally helps you to maintain a drama-free perspective of the facts but it does not cure you.

The Four Queens wrote a very interesting post about how a person can get caught in asking Tarot the same question over and over again. I think we all agree that this is a damaging behaviour. Usually brings no clarity or insight, keeps the painful subject alive and strong inside one's heart. Keeps one attached to the grief. Leads to stagnation. Looking back is important, but eventually one must look forward too.

Weekly Reading: The Lady and her window

Yesterday before bed I did something I haven't done in a long time: I did a weekly draw. It was more an exercise than an attempt to know what awaits for me, but it still made an interesting reading because my significator card came up: Allegra, the Lady of Hearts (10♥).

I chose Allegra as my card when I began studying the Playing Card Oracles... when I first read about her, I thought that her personality is very similar to my own: moody, sensitive, passionate, vulnerable, a bit irrational and prone to indulge in fantasies. Above all, someone whose heart is her compass... not always a clever guide, but an honest one. I did not choose my card based on the sun sign and element (as I usually do for others), because although my sun sign is Sagittarius, fire, I do not identify so much with Tendra, the Lady of Diamonds (10♦). 

Allegra, on the other hand, could be my portrait at times.

In this weekly draw, the (10♥) came with the 8♣, The Scales, which is for me one of the most problematic cards of the pack. Not because it's bad, but because I have always had a hard time understanding it. And yet, it shows up quite often in my own readings. When looking at the two cards together, my first  impression was that I was seeing a girl staring out of the window...

What is she seeing? What is she thinking as she looks out of the window? I cannot say for sure... this combo could represent someone who reaches some clarity, some peace of mind, some distance from the troubled waters. Because the 8♣ is upside-down, it seems Allegra is looking at the scales, not outside. So maybe she's making a decision, weighting the options.

But how can she weight anything, if the scales are upside down?

Perhaps she has stopped weighting, pondering, wondering. There's nothing left on the plate of her scales. She needs to get all this (now useless) equipment out of the way, stop trying to make decisions in haste and truly enjoy the view. Watch the sun set in the western window. Watch the clouds reflect the final rays of the sun as the day ends. Watch the stars appear in the clear autumn sky as the night sets in.

I wonder if this week  will be more peaceful for me... mentally and emotionally speaking. I could use some good nights of sleep for a change, away from the chaos of unsolvable mental riddles. To think about those who are not here... to follow them from a distance, to summon memories of them... is to invite chaos into your mind. These two cards tell me to refrain from doing this. Exercise a bit of no-mindedness when it comes to certain subjects. Gently push certain thoughts away when they come.

There will be time to deal with them.

I don't know... the elusive 8♣ remains a bit of mystery to me. I still have a lot to learn about it. Maybe the coming week will give me more opportunities to understand it. For now... the quote below seems to sum up the message this weekly reading had for me.

Nobutada: Please forgive... too many mind.
Nathan Algren: Too many mind?
Nobutada: Yes. Mind the sword, mind the people watch, mind the enemy, too many mind… [pause] No mind.
-- The Last Samurai, 2003

 The Playing Card Oracles © Ana Cortez &C.J. Freeman

Tendra: more fire than blood!

Fire contains a dynamic spirit that is ever hungry. It consumes. The more it is given, the more it needs. This is the aspect of Fire that illuminates so well the personality of Tendra. (p.79)

Certain cards are complicated. Complicated, because they are... hum... less-than-positive, and we can't help but wincing whenever they show up in a reading. We say that "every card has a light and shadow", but  it seems that some cards have more light while others have more shadow. They seem to be rather negative even at their best.

In the Playing Card Oracles, Tendra (the 10♦) is one of these cards. Her image is that of a young woman kissing the severed head of a man. She represents the hungry part of the fire, the side that consumes utterly. Tendra is seductive, drawing people to her like moths to flame. But once they get close, she burns. She clings, she clutches, she won't let go.

Some of her keywords include needy, demanding, spoilt, wilful, possessive, obsessive, clutching.  Her most positive characteristics are her tenacity and the fact she usually represents people with financial advantage... which hardly ever compensate the list of negative traits her very image brings to our mind when we see her in a spread.

Tendra has been showing up in almost every reading I have done for myself lately. It's interesting; in the past 5 years reading with the Playing Card Oracle I seldom saw her! For such a fiery young lady, she was certainly quiet. I even forgot about her.

BANG! Everything changes and suddenly a different folk starts to visit your spreads. And now Tendra is demanding all the attention I have denied her. She is stomping her foot, looking me in the eye and saying "decipher me or I shall devour you".

I have no doubt she will.

Deck Review: Enchanted Oracle by Jessica Galbreth & Barbara Moore

I've been wanting to review this deck for a while because I never expected to like it so much. As I said in previous posts, I am not a big fan of fairy decks in general, and honestly the art of the Enchanted Oracle did not attract me so much at first. I bought this deck on impulse, during a moment of shock.

Let me begin by saying why I like this deck better than all other fairy oracles I came across: because it is not mythically self-indulgent. Allow me to explain. When using other fairy decks, I have often felt as if the author was trying to shove her beliefs down my throat. I don't like being converted. And I like even less to see the author constantly rave and rant about creatures I have never seen (because the deck won't work if you don't have a good relationship with the fairies and nature). It exasperates me because it gets in the way when I am trying to use the deck.

But thank goodness... the Enchanted Oracle is different. Barbara Moore talks about the fairies, of course, but never in a way that implies they are real things that you must worship in order to use the deck. In fact, I like the rather archetypal way she describes the characters in the cards. There are no endless pages describing how the author first got in touch with the fairyland, and how the fairies like to be 'treated' so they'll collaborate with your readings. A breath of fresh air.

The book begins with a small introduction to the Enchanted Oracle and a chapter teaching how to use it, in which the author gives two small (and useful) all-purpose spreads. After that we reach the part dedicated to the card themselves - each card gets about 5 or 6 pages of description, which include:

-- a B&W picture
-- a small introduction to the fairy in the cards and what she represents
-- a paragraph containing the oracle message

-- a spell or exercise that is meant to help you to put the card's message into practice.

Some cards have more than one spell, and other cards have a journaling or visualisation exercise instead. I usually don't care about such things, but I found that some of the rituals have helped me to regain my focus in my darkest times.

The cards are very pretty and colourful... although Jessica Galbreth's art wasn't really my style, after a while I fell in love with the jewel tones of her paintings. The art is very girly, and there are very few men in the cards (only 4 out of 36 cards!), which can be unappealing to those who prefer more balanced decks. Although some cards mention pagan elements like Samhain, Yule, Cernunnos and others, this deck doesn't belong to any specific faith.

The cards have a good size for small hands (7 x 11.5 cm ~ 2.75 x 4.52 in), and the card-stock is a bit on flimsy site. Still, I have been using this deck daily for about two months and so far I had no problems with the cards getting bent or damaged. The back of the cards is black, and I found it get marked very easily - my own deck already has many light scratches from handling and shuffling. The lamination is a bit thin, but non-sticky and doesn't have an unpleasant odour.

The Flower Speaks says... purify these inner waters!

I was so proud of myself: I thought I was recovering from my infections without taking antibiotics! That meant my body was becoming strong enough to fight the bacteria again. Mistake. They have now migrated to my ear and I have otitis media.

Sigh!

Okay, maybe my body isn't that strong yet. It seems I'll have no choice but take some antibiotics this weekend, lest the infection decides to travel elsewhere in my body.

I know my immunity system is weak, and the fact I had insomnia most of this week didn't help me to heal much. However, I don't know anymore what I am doing (or what I am not doing) that is making me so debilitated.

I decided to ask for some advice from the cards. I know, I know they are not doctors, but I don't think I have something so serious that needs the help of a physician for now. In fact, I believe that my health problems have strong emotional/mental roots.

The card Pistil & Stamen (Creativity) tells me where the problem is. Emotionally, it relates to creativity, exchange, intimacy and even the more psychological side of sexuality. As physical ailments it can indicate hormonal and sexual imbalance, as well as fatigue. The Water Lily (Receptivity) corresponds to the High Priestess. It is connected to female energy, stillness, receptivity and reflection.

These two cards together tell me that I have probably been holding back things that should be expressed, and they are making me ill. As Anaïs Nin said, "creation which cannot express itself becomes madness". It is probably true.

The 13 Witches Runes ~ Part IV (Final!)

Finally, here's the last part of my 13 Witches Runes posts! We only have one rune to cover - the Eye rune - which is a pretty complex symbol in itself, so it has a longer explanation. And then some extra information on Astrology and the runes!

Again, I cannot stress enough that the best resource on these runes is Susan Sheppard's book A Witch's Runes. If you liked my posts, I recommend that you buy it to enhance your practice, it's really a great book!

~*~

Eye

The eye has always been a powerful symbol for different cultures. Some believe that the soul resides in them, while others think it's possible to curse a person merely by looking at them. Through our eyes we connect and express emotions and thoughts. Thus, this is one of the most powerful runes in the set, emphasising the importance of any rune close to it.

The Eye symbol is also related to "vision" is all senses, including the physical. This rune can represent our eyes and optic nerves. It can also represent activities such as research, analysis, photography and creative visualisation. When it appears, there's an urge to observe, to explore, to understand deeply what is before you.

This rune is usually related to sudden realisations. Not necessarily a 'shock' (unless some violent rune is close it, like the Scythe and the Man), but more related to the lifting of veils. Your eyes are suddenly open, and you see things that were unknown to you before. A change of perception and focus in life is to be expected when this rune appears... whatever the situation is, the way you see it will be transformed.

On a spiritual level, this rune can represent a development of one's psychic skills, or an advancement in one's spiritual path. As you connect yourself to a deeper source, and learn to trust, you gain wisdom and your eyes see far. A higher power seems to be guiding you in times when the Eye appears.

Like the Sun rune, this rune can mean that right now all eyes are on you. But unlike the former symbol, when the Eye appears there's some discomfort related to such attention. It may be excessive and even unwelcome. In fact, this is one of this rune's most negative facets: it may show an invasion of privacy, when someone (or even you) pry into another's life and scrutinise their every move. Beware of flatterers and stalkers. The Eye cautions against obsession and the tendency to spy on other people's affairs.

In a relationship reading, the Eye can symbolise a predestined bond to another person. Note that this does not promise a happy ending, but simply says that this connection is powerful and will be very important in your life. In fact, because the Eye rune is a solitary one, it is possible that the people in the relationship cannot be together due to difficult circumstances. Still, your bond that person will transform you. In a negative way, this rune can cautions against invading your partner's personal space or stalking them.