Under the Surface

I haven't been interacting with much of anyone or anything online lately (except my birb, and you know that's not a typo if you use the Finch app), so you might have missed a quick update even if you do follow me somewhere other than checking in on my blog.  We found out in mid July that we have to move. It's been a month and a half of looking for a new place, getting things related to jobs in order, getting things related to money in order, packing... It's a lot! It's also have unpleasant effects on the health of some family members, with me being one of those family members. The weekly readings will come back! I said back in July that I would keep doing them as long as I could. It's been a few weeks since I had to decide it was time to let go of it for a while. I'm not happy about not being able to keep working on my next book, or throw spontaneous poetry into the pile to be sorted and edited later. I don't require a dedicated writing space, but it is ...

This week's reading really resonates with me. I don't know about you, but I'm in need of some good news!  (Three cards from the Rhythm and Soul Tarot . From left to right: 3 of Axes (Swords), Page of Roots (Pentacles), and The Fool.) Something has not been going well, and you probably didn't see it coming. Something someone else said or did has just crushed you. Let it out! Bottling things up can keep us plowing ahead on a road we shouldn't stay on, or can at least make the journey harder than it needs to be. Take some time to process how this has influenced things for you. The Page brings some good news! Maybe getting pushed off the road you are on isn't a long-term bad thing. You've got some obstacles to climb over or get around, and there's going to be some skill learning involved, but there are new opportunities that can be so much better than what you were focused on before. Not questionable "opportunities", but some good optio...

I'm mixing things up a little this time with our weekly three card reading. It's still three cards, but only one of them is a tarot card.  One of my favorite tarot decks is Rhythm and Soul Tarot , and it goes perfectly with two of my favorite oracle decks created by the same artist - Southern Gothic Oracle ,  and Haunts Oracle . All three decks, as well as  Southern Botanic Oracle , are available from La Panthére Studio . (The Hermit card from Rhythm and Soul Tarot. Beneath that card are two more cards. On the left, the Clairvoyant card from Haunts Oracle. On the right, the Abandoned Plantation card from Southern Gothic Oracle.) First, we have our focus for this week - The Hermit. Whatever it is that you have to handle or are hoping to accomplish, you can do this! Don't wait for somebody else to come along and save you. You already have what you need. Not necessarily in tangible material ways, but you have the knowledge and skill, or ability to build skills, t...

I'll keep our three card readings going as long as I can! If we hit a point where I need to stop for a while during all the packing and moving, I will pick it back up again when things are more settled.  I'm using the Dune Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck again, so I'll remind you that Swords are Crysknives, Spice is Wands, and Water is Cups.  (Three cards laid out in a row. The 10 of Crysknives, Knight of Spice, and Ace of Water.) Some things aren't really worth fighting for. Not hard and long enough that it destroys you, anyway. If you're stuck in a loop of constant battle simply because you don't want someone else to win, you're losing even if you do win. But some things are definitely worth fighting for! Look at your motivation, goals, and strategy. If you've got a fire for this that will keep going, then take your time and do it right. Make sure whatever you're pouring yourself into is about nurturing and building. Destruction may be necess...

I promised everyone I would show you how I do a Litany Against Fear tarot reading once I got my Dune Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck , and I'm here to keep that promise! This is a reading I created a couple of years ago to use the Litany Against Fear as a map for analyzing one's own fears. Each line has something assigned to it to look at.  My usual approach to showing how I do this would be to create a temporary imaginary friend who wants a reading. I did this before to give an example of what to expect from a personal three card reading. I never share readings I've done for other people.  There's nothing to stop me from sharing a reading I've done for myself, though, and life has given me a perfect situation for this! My family just found out a few days ago that we're going to have to move. It's unexpected and overwhelming, and nothing is certain yet other than we have to move. There's a lot of fear right now. I'll show you the cards, then break things ...

I got a new deck of cards! It's the Dune Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck , and time spent getting familiar with them has shown me these will be cards I want to use often. I created a reading a couple of years ago that is based on the Litany Against Fear, and I now have the perfect cards for doing that reading! I promise I will share it here, but we're just doing three cards today.  These weekly readings are quick general readings to give something to focus on or think about for the week. If you want a personal reading, I have spots open . There are tarot, tarot and oracle cards, and dice divination readings for you to choose from. Readings are emailed to you as a detailed pdf report that walks you through my whole process. I can tell you now that I'll probably use the Dune deck often for the Life Journey reading.  (Three tarot cards laid out in a row. From left to right: Five of Crysknives (Swords), The Fool, and Justice. The rest of the cards are face down in a nearb...