Today I bought a very fancy doll for Erzulie’s shrine from an artist I admire (see her work at Studio Nocturna). Upon asking for Erzulie’s thoughts, I drew one Cartouche card from the deck. Interestingly, the card was No. 5, Thoth. I guess I should not have expected a simple yes or no (chuckles), but this card seems significant because it shows the Caduceus, the symbol of healing and the medical field. I have a friend who was just diagnosed with acute leukemia, and this card seems to suggest that Erzulie is willing to assist her. I plan to commission the artist to create an Ogoun doll for me, as I am having trouble finding a doll or statue that I like for his shrine.

Last week I was seeking input on another Vodou-related purchase and drew card. No. 21, the Sphinx, which made me reflect back upon the dream I had about the winged woman in the tree. (I’m still unsure about the meaning of the dream.)

It’s funny how certain symbols repeatedly surface in our lives at certain times.

Kalani awoke before dawn and went out to the edge of the treeline and looked out to sea. He thought hard about his dream and then sat down heavily in the sand to think.

When he heard the others stirring in the village he made his decision and rose to return. He watched the women prepare the morning meal and then went to the chief’s quarters to tell him what must be done.

The chief looked at him for a long time before speaking. “And you say this…thing will come to pass soon, but you don’t know when.”

“Yes” he said. “We must start preparing today. I feel there is little time.” He bore the weight of his gift without regret, but this was an especially hard thing.

The chief continued to look and then with a sigh his shoulders slumped. “How am I to tell our people of this without knowing why”?

Kalani rubbed his temples. “I know in my heart of hearts that we must go. That is all I know”.

The chief raised his chin and made to speak and then stopped. He sat down and gazed at the floor. “The oracle”, he said. “It is not that I don’t believe you, but if the oracle says so, then…” he trailed off and then got up to retrieve the box with the bones in it. He lifted the finely carved lid and scooped up the ancient sacred oracle.

The people listened gravely as the chief spoke, turning to Kalani from time to time, only to see him nodding his head. “And so it is that we must do this thing. Kalani has dreamed it. The oracle has told it true.” He finished and then sat down and waited. Several of the elders conferred amongst themselves.

One stood up and said “Then we shall begin”. As one the rest of the tribe rose and began the arduous process of uprooting their lives and moving everything into the canoes. Beautifully woven flax ceremonial dress was packed side by side with the children’s coconut shell figures with their little carved shields. The women enlisting their help to keep their minds occupied.

The process took the better part of two days, and Kalani tried hard to dampen his growing sense of unease, hoping it didn’t show. He made sure everything went smoothly, glad that there had been no real dissent. Some felt that the journey should begin the next day, but Kalani won them over to the urgency of leaving right away.

The leaving ceremony was perfunctory but necessary. At last they moved into the canoes and the lead helmsman blew a mighty blast on the conch shell and they moved as one out onto the calm sea.

They rowed through the night. The gods favored them with light winds and a following sea and so they made good progress. Their former home was only dimly within sight as the sun rose the following morning and Kalani stood and turned suddenly as an overwhelming vision came to him. He pointed back toward the smaller island right next to where they had lived, the one where the great mountain Lahainamaia, the home of the fire god sat, just as a mighty roar reached their ears and lava was thrown high into the sky, raining down devestation on their former home, the treeline bursting into angry red flames in a matter of seconds.

They all sat in shocked silence and then turned to gaze upon Kalani as he stared at the bright orange sky that had begun to fill with smoke, a great sadness in his eyes.

   One of the members of my cabinet is the Paper Czar, who rules paper and has been slacking on the job by leaving things unattended, defiled and unsorted. There is a method to this madness. It provides a precious opportunity to go on the paper trail in order to discern the sources, uses and disposition of these items.

   A brief survey of the territory: it looks like some of the papers have declared anarchy. Others sit in silent protest. Some may be ignored, only to be followed up with persistent and insistent reminders that change colors like the terrorist alert. Some have their holding patterns, their right places, their spots. I wouldn’t change them.

    Observe how well the Paper Czar has instituted the pile system!  Advice to  handle things only once has been disregarded. Very good. What does this say? Why be efficient? The mystery deepens. To what system does Paper Czar adhere? 

    A cursory inspection indicates the Paper Czar employs a variation of the determinants: useful, beautiful, interesting  and  in keeping anything that falls into this range  has too few clues as to what to do with it all. Too much of a good thing. Yet, Oscar Wilde has declared: nothing succeeds like excess! You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much paper. Paper is thin. Paper is rich. Newspaper owners are rich.  If  the Paper Czar could get a penny per piece of paper, there would be hundred of thousands of dollars flowing in. (If it’s valuable why don’t you keep it?) If the artist in residence can create a demand, Paper Czar has it made.

   This is a problem in search of a solution and the solution is always in the problem. Now for the work, dear cabinet-maker. Better disposition.

   The little heron that flies up, complaining of being flushed in the dark at 6:45 a.m. is the only heron spotted this morning. The temperature is about 17 degrees and the sun I see at 7:43 popping in over the hill and shining its gold on the creek, priceless.

  Harness the power. Palindromic 12/21 today! Use Feng shui. Make it divine. Group by threes. Love every minute.

   Have dreaded tasks? Break it up. Three simple steps.

   Errands to run? List top three. Get it done.

   Undecided on something? List three pros; list three cons. Add more notes. Weigh the sides. Get the picture.

   Choices to make? Narrow to three.  Mix them up. Pick the middle. Or the first. Or the third.

   Green light, yellow light, red light. Go to where? Why go there? Travel how fast? Why slow down? Where is danger? Why use caution? Why not stop? Stop on dime. Time doesn’t stop.

   If you add an H to trees, you get threes. Both are green. Both are wood. Muerto is dead. Eliminate dead wood. Travel Rio Grande. Flower is compass. Wellsville in center for health. Finger Lakes, finger tips and tips of leaves making z’s. Never bored. Always happy.

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology.  For newcomers, the idea is to start with the slowest moving forces, as they are the most foundational, and work up to the swiftest, as they are the most fleeting.  If any of the material is unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment so that any questions might be answered. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis:

What a week we have in store!

The big events of the week are the Winter Solstice and the Kahuna Konjunction of Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron in Aquarius on Monday, December 21^st.  The fact that they BOTH occur on the same day is huge.  How huge?  Bigger than huge…it’s galactic!

And then there’s Christmas on Friday…but more on that later.

As seen from the Earth, every year just before the Winter Solstice, the Sun lines up with the center of our Milky Way galaxy.  Nobody is absolutely sure, but scientists theorize that at the very center of our galaxy is a black hole.  A black hole so big they call it a SUPER black hole, and named it SGR A*, or as it’s pronounced, “Sagittarius A star” since it’s located in the constellation and sign of Sagittarius.  Yes, my friends, I’m sad to report that our galaxy does, in fact, have a black heart.

But surrounding that black core and forming a shield of light around it are millions upon millions of stars, one of them our very own Sun.  Located just inside the Orion arm of the galaxy, the Sun takes us on a journey racing around the galaxy every at speeds measured recently at 217km/sec or 486,000 miles per hour.  Jeff Gordon, eat your heart out!  However, since it is 3,303,196,050,179,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles around, even at speeds like this, it takes 225 million years for the Sun to make one complete lap.

What is meaningful to us, though, is that around the time of the Winter Solstice, we and the Sun are aligned quite strongly with the energies emanating from the very center of an immensely potent stream of energy.  While some may call this the “most wonderful” time of the year, it is definitely the most powerful!

Added to this, this year is the conjunction of Neptune and Jupiter.  Neptune is undoubtedly a powerhouse of spirituality.  It bends and blends reality to form alternate worlds and dimensions of being.  In the depths of its oceans lie the very heart and soul of meaning.  And as Neptune brandishes his trident, the waves break upon the shores of our life.  Sometimes serene and calm, sometimes rough and stormy.   Yet in mythology, even Neptune was subservient to Jupiter.  Jupiter, Optimus Maximus as he was known to the Romans was the father god, greatest and best.  While Neptune had his trident, Jupiter wielded thunderbolts to keep the gods in line.  Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, and is just shy of being a star in its own right.  In fact, Jupiter is the only planet in our solar system that gives out slightly more light than it receives from the Sun.

Approximately every 13 years, these two planets join forces in the heavens and bring about changes in our perceptions of the universe, imperceptibly expanding our outlook, prodding us forward, and empowering the engine of evolution.  It is a cosmic Om.

But this time is different.  Not only is it occurring in the middle of the second half of Aquarius, but both planets are being joined by a third, Chiron.  Chiron is the wounded healer and holder of the keys that unlock doors to usher in a new era.

We are in the midst of the birth of that new era.

Jupiter has already met with Chiron and is on its way to Pisces.  Chiron and Neptune will linger a bit longer together conjoining on February 16, 2010, which will be the next step in the birth process.

What will it look like?  And what is its message to us now?

The second half of Aquarius is all about management.  It is all about getting things in order, making plans, and executing them to the best of one’s ability.  It’s about taking executive control of one’s life, and of managing the various parts of one’s life well.

At this particular time, the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune occurs in the part of the sign relating to Mastery.  Mastery of the self, mastery of one’s emotions, and mastery of one’s own destiny are the primary areas of concern.  And while this may seem a task, well, reserved solely for those who have already achieved degrees in mastery, nothing could be further from the truth.  For this aspect is not about shepherds, it’s about sheep. 

As I’ve said before, people seem to be walking around with a host of indiscernible and vague feelings of discomfort and unease and of harboring deep grievances.  Everyone is angry without knowing why or how we got here.  We have become lost little lambs.

The significance of this aspect is that we have the chance to take charge, and if we are willing to accept the responsibilities that come with mastery of one’s own life, to become our own shepherds. 

While each of us has our own path to follow, the energies of this aspect offer some clues.  We’ll discuss this in more detail in the weeks up to the mid-February conjunction, but one clue rises above all the others, and it’s the clue of integrity or honesty.  To not compromise the Self – to do what you say and say what you mean, and follow through with it is one of the most powerful (if also difficult) tools available to help us through our collective Crisis of Consciousness.

For some graphics on the Galactic Center and our relationship to it, there are several after the daily details!

More in the weeks to come.  For now, let’s get to the other events of this week!

To the details, faithful friends!

Sunday

MARS IS NOW RETROGRADE. 

Until March 9, 2010, Mars, our energizer bunny, is moving backwards in the sky in the sign of Leo.  Getting things done in the meantime is going to be a bit more challenging than normal.  Easy things feel like a chore.  Motivation goes out the window.  And no one really feels like working.  Expect delays, obstacles, and the need for just a bit more extra effort to get things accomplished than is usual.  Leos, Tauruses, Scorpios, and Aquarians will feel these effects a smidgen more strongly than others.  The best advice for this period is to allot yourself a little more time to get things done, so that you can avoid some of the frustrations this celestial event can bring.  The cheery note in all this is that often, with Mars finally goes direct in the Spring, you’re likely to be better off for it all.

Monday

At 12:50am is the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune, much of which is discussed above.  ‘Nuff said!

At 9:46am is the Winter Solstice.  Merry Yule to all!!

Tuesday and Wednesday

The middle of the week is calm.  Enjoy!!

Thursday

Thursday the Sun conjoins Pluto at 9:31am, adding to the intensity of the period.  Everyone is feeling their oats today, and no one wants to give in an inch.  If you’re out shopping today, you’ll find everyone shut in their own little world, trying to get as much done as possible.  Emotions will run very high.  If you still have Christmas preparations to make, you may find that you are able to accomplish things more easily than expected.  The added boost of Pluto added to the Sun gives each of us a bit more power to realize our intentions.  Just be ware that everyone else is walking around like they are wearing red capes and have an ‘S’ emblazoned on their chests.  Battle with Superbeings at your own risk.

Friday

Merry Christmas!!

Oy vey!  The aspects this Christmas are not good.  Not only is Mercury going retrograde tomorrow, but Venus enters Capricorn (think Lindsay Lohan goes to rehab), and the Sun squares Saturn (we’re all forced to visit).  Expect a slightly more somber than usual Christmas this year, one that is more serious and less festive than most.  This is also not a day to speak your peace, or start an argument.  Just go with the flow, anything else will just make matters worse.  Don’t make it a day to remember for all the wrong reasons!

Mercury goes retrograde.

Yes, my friends, this is the event we all know so well.  Depend on no devices.  Be careful what spews out of your mouth.  Make no plans than can’t be remade, sign no contracts, and make no major purchases unless absolutely necessary.  What fun!!

Have a wonderful week, and watch this space for Bill’s Amazing Astrology Cures in the New Year!

Blue Skies Ahead!

Everyone that knows me, knows I don’t believe in “fortune-telling” about the FUTURE.  Well, maybe a few TRENDS that may be pointing a Potential way Into or Towards the FUTURE, and maybe a bit of Clarity about the Past, but that’s as far as I’ll go!  (the rest is up to You!)

Fortune-Telling Parakeet in Shiraz (www.flickr.com/photos/birdfarm

 HOWEVER, here’s a FUN way (And, I do believe in FUN!) several Asian countries are changing the way consumers recycle their chopsticks.  Yes, they recycle chopsticks the way we recycle soda cans…

(Gathered from The Fun Theory website)  

 Fortune-telling Machine for Recycling Chopsticks!

Fortunetelling machine for chopsticks recycling. In many Asian countries usual habit is to use single use chopsticks which are thrown away after single use. Numbers indicate: Just in Japan about 90 000 tons of used chopsticks finish in rubbish. It is amount of 25 billons chopsticks which connected make three times distance from earth to moon. In China 25.000.000 trees are being cut just for production of chopsticks. China produces about 45 billions chopsticks per year. Chopsticks export to Japan is large as 4 billions cubic meters of wood. Main problem with recycling is that restaurants owners don’t want extra duties. Other problem is that collecting bents for chopstick doesn’t exist.

According to fun theory people will recycle theirs chopsticks after a meal by themselves if it is fun. Thing that can help and we have it after a meal in “Chinese” restaurant in Europe and USA is fortune cookies. Combining these three things we can make “Chopsticks recycling fortunetelling machine”. Solution is container about 170 cm height with hole for inserting used chopsticks, LCD, print button and small printout hole.
After inserting chopsticks one by one machine calculate time between dropping 1st and 2nd stick and choose fortune cookie message for LCD. After chopsticks are inserted message appear on LCD: “Thank you for taking care for our mother Earth” Your fortune for today: Grand adventures await those who are willing to turn the corner For printout of this cookie as souvenir press PRINT.

In case of printout: Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this souvenir. On the top of printout is a logo of the restaurant with basic info (as a motivation to owners for putting chopstick recycler in to the restaurant. fortune cookie saying time and GPS position.

Submitted by Mislav Sabolic

http://www.thefuntheory.com/2009/12/15/fortunetelling-machine-recycling-chopsticks  (there are lots and lots of ideas. Actually there are 1000s of ideas on the site. Sometimes it’s hard to find them with the original link. If the one above gives you a hard time, then just go to www.thefuntheory.com and you’ll have to search for it. But you’ll have FUN while you search!  Most of the entries look like lots of FUN and will make you LAUGH!

FUN IS GOOD!

 

   The Fun Theory

 

The January Newsletter is out at The Witch’s Corner
 
…and it’s a beautiful newsletter, if I do say so myself.

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/monthlynewsletters.htm

Ancient I-Ching Compared to

Quantum Physics

The meanings of the I-Ching Book of Change, is not easy you grasp.

The Chinese mind seems to be exclusively preoccupied with the chance aspects of events.

Their chief concern is what we call coincidence. Our scientific theoretical considerations of cause and effect looks pale compared to the practical results of chance.

We say that the crystal quartz is a hexagonal prism and this is true for the ideal crystal visualized. But in nature there are no two crystals alike. Although they are all hexagonal.

Chinese thought is more interested in the actual form that the ideal form.

The Chines I-Ching is more interested in the moment under actual observation than a chain of cause and event occurrences.

The new paradigm of the Laws of Quantum Physics tell us that our reality and all reality is defined by the moment of it’s observation, NOW! Reality changes instantly and continuously, we had it in place by observing it, NOW!

This helps explain the I-Ching point of view of observation of an event.

They are not so much interested in why the event happened successfully, but more in the event itself.

The I-Ching picture the moment encompasses the ALL of the Quantum Ocean.

The inventor of the I-Ching was convinced that the hexagon world was an exact indicator of the essential situations prevailing in a person’s life at the moment of the casting the course of the yarrow sticks.

The I-Ching takes in SYNCHRONICITY, which takes in coincidence of events in time and space which means more than mere chance.

The I-Ching reading is a peculiar interdependence of objective events combined wight eh subjective state of the observer.

The Laws of Quantum Physics tell us the same thing. What we observe or expect to observe, becomes the event.

The ancient Chinese contemplated the Universe the same as the modern day Quantum Physics scientists.

The physical event includes the observer. Monotonicity deals with the coincidence of events. How does several vent appear in the same moment? Because the physical event is the same quality as the psychic event of the observer.

They both exist at the same time in the NOW.

The telling of the hexagon amounts to a true reading of the psychic condition of the observer of the coins or yarrow sticks. For at the time they are the same.

The I-Ching takes into account the hidden individual quality in things, all men and one’s own consciousness, because they all exist in the Now of the All.

The I-Ching insists upon self-knowledge throughout. The I-Ching is one of the most important tools in the world. It’s origin goes back to mythical antiquity.

The Laws of Quantum Physics, which is a gift of the Age of Aquarius, is just now being understood by scholars and physicists.

The Age of Aquarius, which has birthed the new paradigm of the laws of Quantum Physics, will be with us for the next 1950 years. Until the new paradigm will be presented to man to help him understand reality and his comings and goings.

Some of the Laws of Quantum Physics will reach critical mass and become part of the consciousness of western man and as the I-Ching is part of the consciousness of the Chinese mind.

To leave you with an over simplified definition of the Laws of Quantum Physics, I have only my abstraction or understanding of them.

“There exists an infinite Ocean of Thinking, Intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean.

“There is no time nor space there, only the ‘here-now.”

“Everything that ever was, is or will be exists there.”

“Reality is an infinite, timeless, space less point, where everything exists in the here-now. We live move and have our being in this infinite point.”

This is my definition of the Mind of God. Therefore we live move and have our being in the Mind of God.

Ragnar Storyteller (AKA Ellis Peterson is a Korean War Vet living with his wife Lory and dog Dixie in the boonies of the Pocono Mountains. He is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He is the inventor of the simple radionics device called “The Nordic Ond Orgone Generator”. He has written over 200 articles and booklets on runes, radionics, quantum physics, viking history, orgone generators and alternate healing methods. You can see more of his works on his websites:

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

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httP;www/Quantum-Physocs-Spirituality.com

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    Snow creates a figure of the path, a ribbon into the distance, up to the next curve. It’s cold.  The mallards and geese pedal and bob in the creek, providing the most movement. They seem to be making a good time of it. Dedicated runner #1 and I greet one other.

    When the phrase creative expression crosses my mind, near the metal pipe above the 10 marker, a heron flies away, low over the murky water, its body is that deep and dark slate and Prussian blue combination they show when it is cloudy.

    Today the path leads all the way to the metal bridge, where a red township truck is poised to dump salt at Palisades road. Two maroon vehicles sit in the parking lot. One is a heavy-duty pickup truck and the other looks like it has four-wheel drive. To whom do they belong?

   Wow, there’s a fisherman chest-high in the water, fishing through the snowfall. It’s 25 degrees.

   Return way: a kingfisher twitters in a tree. A real twitter. The heron that flew away flies away again. By the time I reach the red bridge, am feeling cold. The rest rooms are locked, no relief. One mile more to the car. Have to send myself on a…

    …fool’s errand: need to return furnace filter purchased at Target last night and purchase correct size. In a flash of home maintenance brilliance,  had written the dimensions on an exterior label on the furnace. Had copied this figure onto a piece of memo paper. Had remembered to take paper to store. Had located filters in stock. Made the unfortunate discovery the figure (21″)  was incorrect. They come in 20″ or 25″  lengths. I guessed  20 inch. Guess again. Twenty-five is the final answer. Same price. Even exchange. Edit note.

I love Will Worthington’s art that he’s created for the druid divination decks. I own the Druid Animal Oracle, and I’ve recently purchased the Druidcraft Tarot off amazon, but I haven’t received it yet.

All the images I’ve seen of these card have been absolutely stunning. Rich in detail and color as well as symbolism and imagery, these decks are well worth the money spent. I was therefore thrilled when I saw this over at Phillip Carr-Gomm’s blog. You can now get the images from the decks as ceramic tiles.

Just look at this picture from Phillip’s blog. How great would it be to have an image like this in your kitchen, dining room or even in your sacred space. You could to one to place your altar upon or have the image on your wall for inspiration and beauty.

Gorgeous.

Tarot de Marseilles

Jean Dodal Tarot

Re-edited by: Jean-Claude Flornoy, Cartier enlumineur

Editions Letarot.com

2009

ISBN #978-2-914820-10-3

The “Tarot of Jean Dodal” (Lyon, 1701/1715) is the latest deck in the French Marseille Tarot tradition to be re-edited by Cartier enlumineur Jean-Claude Flornoy. Previously re-edited was  the “Tarot  Both decks are preserved in the French National Library. There are two existing copies of the “Jean Dodal Tarot” – one preserved in the French National Library, this deck, with the second one  preserved in the British Museum. Flornoy was able to study both decks, making this re-editing especially close to the original.

This is a traditional 78 card deck, with French titles. The suits are Baston, Denier, Epees, and Coupes. The Court cards are Roy, Reine, Chevalier, and Valet.

There is a 48 page companion book that comes with the deck, with both a French and an English translation. The preface is by Enrique Enriquez, a well known figure in the Tarot world with a love for historical decks, and the abiding thought that the Tarot is something that should be lived.

Enriquez notes that the Tarot teaches by example. He feels that the characters glances indicate where we need to look for information or inspiration. From the book:

“ To the left, remembrance,

to the right, l’Avenir,

Those who look straight at

you are seeing the present.

Fill your head with attention.”

“Do what the images do, not

what they say.

Sit passively, stand

receptively and walk

actively.

Embody your destination.”

“Duel with the sword, build

with the wand,

offer a cup, plant a coin.

Let the hands show your intention.”

“Forget what is red, and

notice what is red,

stand on a number as you

would on a hill,

strip down to your armor;

for what turns gold into lead

also turns salt into sugar,

what one step fulfills another

could encumber

and what you wears

you down.”

Flornoy notes that the two remaining original Dodal decks (those in the French National Library and the British Museum) were both printed from the same woodblock, an are in approximately the same condition. There is a difference in the chromatic intensity of the colors, and a variation in the pigmentation and ink concentration.

Flornoy also notes that the Ace of Depees, Ace of Batons and the Valet de Batons are by the same hand, but come from a different block. Between the two decks, Flornoy feels that he was able to render a print as close to the original as possible.

We are reminded that the details in these images serve as messages from a master. The images in the “Dodal Tarot” are an expression of the philosophy and the spirituality of the “Compagnons” – the medieval fraternities.,

Included in this imagery is that of the Two of Coins, which declares the deck published by I.Dodali in Lyon, but bears no date. The engravers initials, which are traditionally printed on the Chariot’s shield, are also absent in this deck.

In his notes, Flornoy goes on to talk about the difference between engravers and “cartiers”. or card makers. In the beginning of the 18th century, card makers became somewhat like editors: image merchants and paper salesmen. Starting in 1701, card makers were forbidden from engraving their own woodblocks. All old blocks were destroyed, and new blocks had to be made conforming to new criteria. (All this for taxation purposes!)

The “Dodal Tarot’’ was placed in the hands of Jacques Merme, a specialized engraver and skilled “Compagnon”. It is his mark as a master that he inscribed on IIII – L’Empereur.

Flornoy discuses a few of the cards, and then goes into Tarot history, with the earliest Marseille patterns dating from 1650. He describes the Anglo-Saxon approach to the Tarot as emotion based, and feels that the “Dodal Tarot” renews access to a Western esoteric spirituality over seven centuries old.

The Western source Tarots are presented as carrying the old science of the soul’s evolution through the five stages of its development: childhood, apprenticeship, compagnonnage, mastery, and wisdom. They answer the spiritual question: “How can one achieve illumination during one’s lifetime and melt into “the soul of the world”, while retaining one’s individuality?”

The box that the deck comes in opens at the top. The front side shows and image of LeMonde (The World), while the back shows an image of Le.Fol (The Fool). The top flap carries the credentials and address of Jean-Claude Flornoy. The right hand side of the box carries publishing information in English, the left hand side of the box caries the same information in French.

The cards are 2 3/4” by 5 1/4”. The backs show a black on cream pattern, and are reversible. The card fronts show a 1/4” white border, followed by a thin black border. The Major Arcana show the card number in Roman numerals across the top of the deck, with the card name across the bottom in French. The Court cards show the title and suit across the bottom of the card. The Minor Arcana show icons only, no imagery. No suit name is shown, but the card number shows on the right and left hand side of the card.

There are some interesting things to note, such as the odd numbered sword being straight, while all other swords are curved. All of the Roy’s are looking to the right, while all of the Reine’s are looking to the left (with the exception of the Reine de Baston, who appears to be looking down). All of the Chevalier are mounted, with the Chevalier de Coupe and Epees looking to the left, and the Chevalier de Baston and Denier looking to the right. The Valet de Epees and Coupe are looking to the left, with the Valet de Dinies looking straight ahead, and the Valet de Baston looking to the right.

The art style of this deck is woodblock, and the colors Intense.

This is a very well done deck, and will appeal to those who are interested in  Marseille style Tarot decks, those who are interested in re-edited decks, and those interested in the history of the Tarot.

© December 2009 Bonnie Cehovet

   A recent midmorning errand took me past an Italian restaurant in Wyomissing, where someone from the restaurant, who was not wearing a jacket in the cold I might add and was not Vanna White, brought the letter R to the sign along State Hill road and placed it at the end of C A E S A where it belongs. Caesar salad, Caesar the day. Seize the day. Carpe diem before it turns to crappy. 

    Across the road, at the same time, I noticed a large rectangular mirror set out with the trash. From my drive-by perspective, it looked to be in good condition. Was it a curb alert for Craigslist? At any rate, the direction I was heading was opposite; I had no immediate use for a large rectangular mirror that may have been intended for someone else.

   During my walk I saw two leaves placed on the path so there was an equidistant channel between them. I found this bit of parallelism beautiful. Also found near the public area, a small green thin foam toy truck piece. As I combined all of these into one puzzle, the effect seemed too cluttered and I ceased and desisted and left it unfininshed. Days go better when a clear picture emerges and I was chagrined not to make it work. Sometimes its best just to accept and face these things. Et tu, brute.

Russian Divinations for the Solstice
from 1001 Christmas Facts and Fancies, by Alfred Carl Hottes

Five piles of grain are placed on the kitchen floor. Each pile is given a name, such as Hope, Ring, Money, Charcoal, and Thread. We girls went to the henhouse and roused a drowsy hen. She is allowed to walk around the kitchen and choose a pile of grain. If she chooses Hope it means a long journey or the fulfillment of a great wish. The Ring, of course, means marriage; Money is wealth; Charcoal portends death in the family; and Thread means a life of toil. How the conversation flows when these divinations are made. Old songs were sung, and the old women and country girls could devise entire stories from the action of the hen.

Sooner or later one of the girls would slip outdoors, and standing just inside the gate, but with her back to it, she would kick her slipper high over her head into the road behind her. Then she would run to see in which direction it pointed, for that is the way from which a lover will come or the way she will go to be married. And, alas, if the slipper points towards the gate she will not be married this year.

Some girls sit in a room alone with the doors closed. Two candles are lighted and two mirrors are used so that one reflects the candlelight into the other. The point is to find the seventh reflection and look until one’s future is seen.

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by Sibyl West

Many people believe that life is a random series of events and relationships without rhyme or reason. As Christians most people believe that the soul of man is created anew with each body and, depending upon whether or not he accepts Lord Jesus Christ as his savior and he does good (or at least nothing terribly bad) in this short and temporary life, a man goes to an eternal heaven or hell at the end of it.

But if for a moment you believed in past lives, that the spirit is eternal while the body is temporary, then you would believe that before this body it must have been some place else in another body. In that case one’s actions in past lives (karma) determine one’s present situation, character and influence one’s disposition and future actions. That puts more emphasis on individual responsibility as far as fate is concerned – man proposes, God disposes. Your understanding of life, of human fortune and what is happening on the world stage would be different.

I have long held the opinion that believing and knowing are two different things. Mathematical evidence is particularly difficult to refute. May I present to you the curious case of exhibit A.

This is a flat chart of the Wicked Witch of the West Nancy Pelosi. Since I do not know the time she was born the rising sign, the houses and the Moon’s position are not exact. But a flat chart will yield 80% of what one needs to know. I would like to draw your attention to a particular placement on the day of her birth between two of the slowest moving planets, Saturn in Taurus at 0 degrees 42 minutes and Pluto in Leo at 0 degrees 41 minutes. That is within one minute  of square, which happens only once every 14 years or so.

As I flip open my astrology text book this is what I find:

This aspect is never found in the horoscope of a weak ego. Great emotional intensity many times negatively manifested makes the individual vindictive. Periods of great jealousy, lust, and an overdeveloped sensuality can raise havoc with the personal life. A great desire for power and authority are inherent in the person. In the unevolved the means of attaining the heights he thinks he deserves can be less than honest.

Well, no kidding! And because of her current position as speaker of the animal house I would say the havoc she is wreaking extends to the life of our nation. The antidote for curing such perfidy is also suggested:

…personal ambition can well serve as a stumbling block…One of the most elusive of character qualities, humility, is the antidote for this intense aspect.*

Fat chance. But feigned humility is a ready olive branch in the arsenal of the psychopath, to be proffered at the time of defeat, useful for invoking mercy and averting just punishment by the opponent.

Did I mention that Bawney Fwank also has the same aspect? He was born five days after Speaker Pelosi. One might even call them celestial twins. Then again one may not want to go there.

One more interesting aspect in the above chart is a conjunction of a debilitated Mars at 28 Taurus 58 conjunct Uranus at 19 Taurus 40. Here’s what that means:

Courage and persistence strong. Lacking in patience. Headstrong and self-willed. Tremendous vitality and healing power if individual wants to use it for others. Needs to pay attention to intuitive sense. Apt to be direct and blunt in approach. Cannot stand hypocrisy or double dealing. Hot tempered…Tendency toward violent temper needs controlling.**

All food for thought.

If you believe that Nature is controlled by the laws of God, then astrology is the language of Nature. By reading the patterns depicted in the birth chart it is possible to read in detail the hand that a human being has been dealt in this life. What he or she does with it, however, is not possible to predict with certainty for God in His graciousness has given man free will – a wildcard indeed.  

——

*Astrology: A Cosmic Science by Isabel M. Hickey (CRCS 1992) page 318.

 ** Ibid p. 227-28.

What do you do when you come to a fork in the road? Wait and ponder for a bit? Miss out on opportunity because of indecision? Ask others for their personal opinion? These are all options that are available to us, but following your own intuition will truly be the best friend you’ve ever had in a time of need.  

As you may have figured out from browsing the site I am ‘a psychic’. I prefer to use the term Intuitive Wellbeing Counselor because I offer more than just a peek into your future but for the sake of time we’ll run with psychic because everyone is familiar with that term. In addition to having psychic or intuitive abilities (and you do as well!) I engage in divination. Divination is a form of foretelling that has been used around the globe for many, many, many, many years.. SERIOUSLY!  

Using divination not only aids in knowing which roads in life are best suitable but it’s a wonderful method for heightening intuitive abilities. Taromancy, dowsing, oneiromancy, numerology and bibliomancy are several methods I use regularly and have experienced, first hand, spiritual, material and practical successes. Divination can serve as a roadmap when we feel unsure, unsafe and unaware as well as a daily reminder of our goals and desires. Truly divination is multi-faceted and shouldn’t be summed into one blog post.

With that said, in addition to servicing my clients, I have spent the last several months dedicating/volunteering one day a week, offering FREE Tarot readings. You can check out my reviews at TheBigBangAuthor.com, NewMoonManifesting.com and SylverTarot.com. Each and every Friday people would send in their request via email to jessica11eleven [at] yahoo [dot] com. Questions would range from career longevity to love compatibility to financial stability and truly everything in between! I’ve even been getting the infamous “What is my life’s purpose?” question more often than expected.

Offering these readings for free allowed me to connect with people who would have normally been discouraged to receive a reading based on here say about Tarot. FREE Tarot Friday proved to be extremely successful and has grown very quickly. With growth and success comes change. In the event, FTF has replaced its name and value with the Monthly Tarot Guide.  

Monthly Tarot Guide is a comprehensive week-by-week tool to aid the individual through their journey, whether it be spiritual or the practical, mundane journey.  During the month you’ll ask one question per week in regards to your personal path plus each week I’ll send you a FREE reading, pertaining to your overall situation at hand. That’s a total of 8 full readings for 30 days!! All 8 readings provide an overview of your situation from how you came to that particular point to tools to overcoming difficulties and insight for positive outcomes.

Is there a desire you wish to obtain in the near future?  How about where you should relocate to… Or maybe you’re stumped about building a business of your own… Or the best time to start a family. Any and ALL questions can be answered! There is truly something for everyone with Monthly Tarot Guide.

So, join me (by email *wink*) this Friday for the final FREE Tarot Friday and be sure to check out the Intuitive Arts page for Monthly Tarot Guide’s full description and introductory rate.

Consciously Birthing 2009

I am an Intuitive Wellbeing Counselor. If you wish to discuss and gain insight towards your brighter future I’d love to assist you - from a completely unbiased, non-judgemental perspective!

Light the path on your journey – Healing begins with you!

I was so pleased to see a Christmas themed Tarot deck coming out. Tarot author/teacher Corrine Kenner has gifted the Tarot community with a Majors only Victorian themed digital deck, based on Victorian Christmas cards.

Scans from the deck, along with an introduction, can be see here – http://www.christmastarot.com/.

Corrine has written a 45 page Guidebook that is available as a printable download with the deck, including commentary on the cards and a short section on reading with them.

There is also a really well done video on http://www.christmastarot.com/ that shows each of the cards, with Christmas themed music in the background.

I am impressed with not only the high quality of this deck, but the thoughtfulness of presenting a Guidebook of equally high quality. I also need to mention that there is imagery for the card backs, so that both the back and the front of each card can be printed out, laminated, and made into a physical deck (which I already see several people talking about doing!).

The price is more than doable, at $2.09 (this is a special holiday price – the normal price is $9.99). And there is more – on the download page (once the deck has been purchased), there are options to purchase Tarot related e-books from Corrine.

The deck, the Guidebook, the marketing – it is all top quality! Pay attention, Tarot peeps! This is wonderful material, and a wonderful lesson in how to bring a product to market!

Last, but not least – there are two bonus cards that are free to download (coming from the “Krampus” Christmas cards placed on Face Book by Tarotist/author/illustrator Kat Black). What more can we ask for! Bravo!

© December 2009 Bonnie Cehovet

   On a normal day, six miles is the distance I like. Today is a day for helpful people and travel, for metal, for keeping things moving. It is also a six day by virtue of  the sum one plus five. This is arbitrary: this is part of how I organize.

   The creek is high and full at 6:30 a.m. The barest hint of dawn’s early light strikes the flowing water, looking gray. Orange and yellow reflected light from the houses and street lights bounces off the surface edges.  The creek is so high and full it looks like a river. A cloudy day looms ahead.

   Some mist, just five fellow travellers: three runners and two walkers and I. One heron flies up from the bank at the eight marker. Thoughts about work intrude as I think about the season, observe the tree trunks and the condensed vapor. On my way to the park, a box truck rode in front of my car. The eidetic memory of its rear doors provides the basis of today’s puzzle. Plus a bucket. Value in relationships. A fireplace makes a nice focal point.

    Ashes, ashes we all fall down.

Seven: The Number for Happiness, Love, and Success . What is it about the number seven that has such a hold on us? Why are there seven deadly sins? Seven days of the week? Seven wonders of the world, seven colors of the spectrum, seven ages of man, and seven sister colleges? Why can we hold seven numbers or words in our working memory–but no more? Author Jackie Leo explores everything about this mystical, magical, useful, and fun number in her new book.

SEVEN REASONS YOU NEED THIS BOOK

1. SEVEN is a tool to improve the quality of your life. It is a way to define time, synthesize ideas, and keep your mind performing at top speed in an era of distractions.

2. SEVEN is culturally significant. It pops up everywhere, structuring our world in ways so fundamental, we notice them only when we pause to look. Across the ages and across cultures, the number has acquired a huge scientific, psychological, and religious significance.

3. SEVEN is intriguing. Why, out of hundreds of recipes in a cookbook, do people return to the same seven, over and over? Why, when asked to choose a number between one and ten, does such a large majority of people choose seven? Why does it take seven rounds of shuffling to obtain a fully mixed deck of cards?

4. SEVEN is influential. You’ll learn how the number seven shapes our thinking, our choices, and even our relationships.

5. SEVEN is practical. Throughout this book are Top Seven lists covering the best ways to get someone’s attention, to build your personal brand, and to put yourself in the path of prosperity and good luck.

6. SEVEN is fun. You’ll encounter surprising facts, intriguing puzzles, and hilarious anecdotes.

7. SEVEN is wise. You’ll hear stories about the meaning of seven from Mehmet Oz, Sally Quinn, Liz Smith, Christina Ricci, and many others.
Artfully designed and full of enough insights to keep you engaged in conversation at the water cooler for years, SEVEN will provoke, enlighten, and amuse.

http://www.tarotbags.com/ has been in business for over ten years. Owner RoseFairy offers a complete line of materials, including velvet, silk, satin, cotton prints, and rare King Arthur and Flower Fairy prints.

A huge bonus on this site – RoseFairy is willing to discuss creating Tarot bags and spread cloths on commission so that whatever special needs an individual has can be met.

Bags and spread cloths can be viewed on RoseFairy’s e-Bay store – http://stores.ebay.com/RoseFairys-MoonGarden-Tarot-Bags?_rdc=1. Here you will find elegant wall quilts (to die for!), hand made Tarot bags in a variety of themes, with both cotton and silk lining. (I love silk lining!), spread cloths and wand, crystal and pendulum bags.

I am bookmarking this site as a preferred gift site – it offers a wide range of quality products, for gifting to others as well as “from me, to me” gifts to self.

© December 2009 Bonnie Cehovet

The purpose of this blog is to share my daily divinations, to show how it can used as a tool for daily connection and teaching with your Higher Power, Godself, Big Jesus, whatever gets you there is fine with me. The point is to explore the various ways to get there, and receive the information available to us from the Universe. Divination helps us do this by showing the way with the signposts provided by our own mythos, and helping us to understand our internal weather report. In this journal, I will primarily be using dreams, I Ching and tarot, but you never know what will turn up.

I did an I Ching divination, before I went to bed last night, using James Nammack’s Primordial I Ching; this work is unpublished, but you can learn more about it on paganspace.net, where he has a discussion group.

I received hex. 31 “There is union, contact. You are very strict about something. You achieve one thing then another and another. The changing lines were the 3rd “there is a big change in something” 4th “something nice seemingly falls into your lap” and top “you discover the key to something” It changed to hex. 54 “you weigh, consider and ponder your next move. Something is not worthy of your involvement. There is a struggle.” The internal hexagrams, the hexagrams that emerge from the blending of the two originals, were 57 “there is great intensity. You must inspire others  in the direction of their greatest ecstasy. Something has sound qualities.” and 53 “you must not withhold from yourself the experiences you need for your personal growth. Things do not go exactly as planned, but you do make substantial progress. You effectively apply one principle to something else”

My initial intuitive response is that I will probably get a lot of good work done today with my Daughters of Kali initiate group I am co-teaching, but there is something that is not working well within the group, or in some relationship related to the group, and that needs to be addressed.

As the day progressed, I saw that the big change and the progress made was more about some situations in my family, not my teaching circle. And the things “not worthy of my involvement” were related to old, non-functional relationship issues that I have been dragging around with me for quite a while now. What I find in doing daily divinations is that the small moments when insight occurs throughout the day are illuminated and more clearly defined.