Oracle Coins ~ Joyous New Beginning

Late tonight, I used one of my favorite new oracles.  It isn’t a deck of cards – it’s a bag of little wooden coins with symbols printed on them. 

This oracle is called Cassy’s Oracle Coins by Cassy Le Bedz, I purchased it from eBay several weeks ago and even though I’ve only used it a few times I’ve been impressed with what it has to say.   It consists of 30 wooden coins in a gold fabric bag, a book of meanings comes with the set – it encourages you to find your own meanings as you get used to the coins.  The meanings are quite broad – which I like.  Usually, I rummage around in the bag and draw two coins.

Here is a picture of the set and the two coins I drew tonight:

• The Chalice:  An opportunity presents itself. All is open to you. Life opens up to you in ways you never thought possible. Be happy and embrace these good opportunities coming into your life. Good times are upon you. Rejoice. The energy of The Chalice Coin is joy.
• The Blank Coin:  This is the Coin of new beginnings. A new beginning can take you anywhere. A  new journey. A new life. A new job. Starting a new venture. This is also the Coin of freedom. It could mean that you have now attained freedom from a situation that was doing you harm in some way. The energy of the Blank Coin is carefree spirit and faith that all is well.

Wow – totally appropriate to how I’m feeling!  It has been such a joyful feeling to be able to get back to blogging and feel like I’m free to do the things I like again!  Even though I was very glad to help my friend with her kids and grandkids, it is nice to be able to get back to my normal life.  Helping her was a help to me, too – I feel very confident that I could accomplish just about anything now.  Sometimes, I doubt myself and think I can’t get something done – these past few weeks I’ve had to do so much stuff that I thought I’d never be able to do.

These Oracle Coins seem to be very perceptive, I enjoy using them a lot.  I’ve always thought the ideal oracle would be on some sort of token, coin or tile – this solves the whole problem of shuffling.  Each time I shuffle a deck, I wonder if I’m shuffling enough or too much or selecting the cards that should be selected.  With a a bag of coins it is so easy – stick your hand in the bag and rummage around till a coin feels right.  Someday, I’d like to make my own oracle using this method.  I think a wood-burning tool would be good to etch symbols into wooden coins like this.  I’m going to start a notebook of symbols I’d like to include in a personal oracle – it is something I’d like to accomplish in 2009.

Thanks everyone for being such kind friends during my absence.

I’m Back!

Hello Everyone,

I’m back!   It has been a very busy time – my last post about Family Volatility was very accurate.  There have been so many things going on.

I’ve been doing a lot of babysitting.  My friend’s grown daughter had a very serious illness and she had to leave to take care of her, I ended up doing a lot of child care for her 3 youngest children and for two of her grandchildren, as well, since her eldest daughter (who has 2 small children) went with my friend to help with the ill daughter.  She is doing much better now but still not completely well.  However, my friend and her eldest daughter are home and can resume care of their children.

I’ve also been babysitting my two grandsons a lot more than usual.

There have been a lot of family events as well.

All in all, it has been a super busy time with all this and trying to get ready for Christmas as well.  Thanks so much for the comments all of you have left.  I’ve felt so out of the loop the past few weeks when I haven’t had any time for my cards or blog.  I’ve gotten several new decks that haven’t even been opened yet!  Hopefully, this evening I’ll get an actual card post ready!

I need to do a lot of catching up on reading blogs as well.  With all the child care I’ve been doing – it hasn’t left much time for me to spend time on the computer.  I had forgotten how much time and effort it takes to take care of small children that are still in diapers.

The dashboard on WordPress has changed so much – I have to figure out how to use things all over again.

Sincerely,

Sammie

Celtic Messages ~ Family Volatility

I did this drawing with the Celtic Messages deck on Sunday – just getting some time to post it today.  I tried three cards this time:

Please click on the above picture to view a larger version.

• Card 34: The Hearth-Fire ~ Family Support, Nourishment: This card refers to relations with the family that nourish the body and soul.  It is about being together with your family, sharing troubles and helping each other.  It is about working towards reconciliations if relations are strained.
• Card 33: The Dagger ~ Defense, Security: This card warns of potential danger from a nearby source – the other cards can help determine the source.  Ensure your actions are open and above reproach, treat others courteously and try to diffuse unpleasant situations before they reach a critical level.
• Card 43: The Horse ~ Nobility, Fidelity: This card urges you to stay faithful to friends, work and ideals.  Don’t be led astray, keep to the path.  Lend your abilities to others if they ask, but don’t let them take advantage of you.

As soon as I studied these cards I knew what they meant!  For the next several weeks there are many little family things happening with our “honorary” family – three birthdays, a housewarming and Thanksgiving.  Two sisters-in-law in the family have a very competitive and volatile relationship with each other – each tries to outdo the other and have more people come to their parties.  The cards are a clear warning not to get sucked into their competition and take sides with either of them – to take the high road and help both of them as much as I can but not to ever take the side of one over the other.

This evening we went to the dinner/ birthday party for the daughter of one of the sisters-in-law.  When the other sister-in-law walked into the house she immediately started handing out invitations to her housewarming coming next week.  This is exactly the type of thing they do to steal each others’ thunder.  The housewarming sister-in-law wanted to talk to me about what I could bring for her party but I diplomatically said I could call her tomorrow to talk to her about it when it wasn’t so noisy.  I had taken care of her children today so didn’t want the other sister-in-law to feel that I did more for one that the other. 

Even with dipolmacy it can sometimes be hard to avoid problems.  After the housewarming sister-in-law and her family had left; the birthday party sister-in-law asked us to come to their house for Thanksgiving – I had to tell her that the housewarming sister-in-law had already asked us to come to their house for Thanksgiving.  It upset her, I could tell.  I’m hoping that the housewarming sister-in-law is going to ask the birthday party sister-in-law and her family for Thanksgiving as well – she had said she was going to have everyone to their new house for Thanksgiving.  To make sure the birthday party sister-in-law feels she is special; I looked up some information on the internet for her as soon as we got home and printed it out and my husband brought it over to their house.

Family dynamics and diplomacy can be very tricky.  The cards are letting me know that for the next few weeks I’m going to have to be especially careful with family matters and try to be a soothing influence at family gatherings.

Leidingkarten ~ Call Home!

Today, I drew three cards from my Leidingkarten deck – a type of kipperkarten from Germany.  I really like them, they always have some good advice to impart.

Here are the cards:

• Card 20:  Home, House, Stability (Positive)
• Card 17:  Joy, Recognition, Praise (This is also a luck card and helps mitigate negative cards.)
• Card 07:  Contacts, Letters, News (Usually positive.)

The house card can represent your current home but it can also represent your childhood home and can even refer to your close family.  In this drawing, I think the house is referring to my childhood home – I’ve been feeling all morning that my Mom would really like me to call today.  She is a widow and gets lonely and needs to have someone to talk to so she feels that sense of recognition and joy.  When I call her, I get that same sense of recognition and connection as well – it is good for both of us!  As soon as I get my work done around the house, I’m going to call her for a nice long chat.

I’m reminded by these cards how important it is to stay connected with family and friends – all of us need to take the time to call or e-mail those we love whom we don’t see in person very often.  Being in touch with people you love brings that sense of togetherness, belonging and recognition that is so important to happiness.  It gives everyone that feeling of stability and groundedness to be a part of a supportive family or thought of by a friend.  Family doesn’t really have to mean “blood relations” either – I think it can mean any group of like minded individuals who care for each other. 

Today, I will also take time to e-mail my son and daughter-in-law in Philadelphia.  I will also answer an e-mail letter from a lovely friend!

Tarot d’Eltynne ~ Delay In Progress

Even though I’ve been taking the time every day to do something with my cards, I have not had enough time to write about my draws.  I’m hoping life will not be so busy sometime soon.  Today, I did a three card draw with the Tarot d’Eltynne:

Please click on the above picture to view a larger version.

• Card 07 – Honors: Unlike the success card, this card does not show the final accomplishment. However it indicates a successful action towards a given stage. The result may concern symbolic, moral or administrative accomplishments. In some cases it shows an improvement in our own esteem. It may also be warning against auto satisfaction: narcissistic danger.
• Card 51 – Delay: Symbol of a complication that delays things. However, this card shows us that only the tracks are blocked, the obstacle may be bypassed if one accepts to go out of his way. This card shows us that we must be alert and that an unexpected drawback may become an opportunity if one keeps his mind open to new solutions.
• Card 22 – Enterprise/Project: It indicates the launching of a project in preparation or ready to start. The project may be yours or against you if it is associated with the Loss or the Nastiness card.

So, it looks like there is going to be some sort of delay in starting to get some recognition or attaining the first stages of accomplishment in a project or enterprise of mine.  I’ve already seen this to some degree on several projects I’ve been working on.  It has always been a dream of mine to get some of the knitting patterns I’ve designed either published or in some way available to other knitters.  I’ve been trying to get this going but it is progressing very, very slowly.  My huge problem is adjusting the knitting patterns to various sizes – I design them for a certain size and I’m having a hard time figuring out how to adjust them up and down so several sizes are available for each pattern.  It is really a stumbling block for the whole project and I’ve got to figure out how to get around it.

Every time I use the Tarot d’Eltynne I’m impressed with what a plainspoken, easy to read deck it is.  If you would like to find out more information on this deck, here is a link:

Tarot d’Eltynne

Made A Page For Lenormand Spreads

Just added a new page (see link at top of the blog) for my Lenormand Spreads.

Magic Cauldron Spread ~ Halloween Tarot

Today, I did the Magic Cauldron Spread using the Halloween Tarot in a Tin.  It turned out to be very insightful (I think!).

This is the spread:

I didn’t ask a question – I just wanted a general overview of what was going on in my life.

Card 1:  What’s in the pot? The current situation or the problem at hand.  The card for position one turned out to be the Knight of Bats (Swords).  This seems to sum up my life at present pretty well.  It reminds me of the saying – he flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions at once.  That is how I feel lately, so scattered, so unfocused, so running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  I’m always busy - but with things I really don’t want to do; however, I think I’d better do them because people will be upset if I say no.  Lately, I’ve not been able to really relax or calm down – ever, I have been having a dreadful time sleeping.  Then after a sleepless night I’m hurrying to get ready to go do something I’d prefer not to do with only two hours’ worth of sleep.

Card 2:  What stirs the pot? What influences this situation or problem – something that agitates it in some way.  The card for Position Two is the Five of Bats (Swords).  This card so accurately describes what is stirring the pot for me – it started with the deaths of my cat and five kittens, that sense of loss was so acute that I just didn’t want to face it.  It was easier just to run around and be  busy all the time instead of facing the loss.  That loss came on the top of many other losses that have happened in recent years.  It seems like every time I stand still some unseen force pulls the rug out from under me so it’s just safer to not settle down at all.  It sometimes seems that the universe is somehow pulling cruel tricks on me – every summer for the past four years there has been a very hurtful loss in my life.  I thought this summer would pass without something dreadful but it didn’t.  I’m ready to move to Antarctica so I’ll never have to worry about something dreadful happening in the summer.

Card 3:  What needs to be added? What can you do to enhance the situation or problem (to solve the problem) – to make that brew taste better!   The card for this position is the Three of Imps (Wands).  This seems to be very good advice about how to make what is bubbling in my pot easier to stomach – I need to calm down and basically be patient.  I’ve gone through hell and high water through the years raising my son and coping with a cranky husband and I’ll eventually get through all this other stuff, too.  I just need to be patient and calm and realize running around like a headless chicken isn’t going to accomplish anything.  There also seems to be a message that life doesn’t have to be perfect – one of the Imps has a wand that is different than the others.  They are all waiting together but they don’t have to be all alike.  It makes me feel that I need to realize that no one has a perfect life.

Card 4:  What comes out of the pot? The end result, how the situation will develop or how the problem will work out in the end.  The card for the last position turned out to be the Six of Imps (Wands).  Hurray!  It looks like if I’m patient and keep working towards coping with life’s problems that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.  Life will never be perfect but hopefully, sometime soon I’ll get past this feeling that if I stay still for very long the rug is going to be pulled out from under me again.  I’m really glad this card that represents success or victory came up at the end.  It made me leery to do this spread because of what card might come up in the outcome position - I almost left it out.

It is interesting (perhaps significant) that Bats (Swords) and Imps (Wands) were the only two suits that showed up in the four cards drawn.

Two Spreads For Halloween

Since it will be Halloween in just a few days – I’m reviving two spooky spreads that I originally posted on June 13, 2008 (Friday the 13th).  It seems fitting to “revive” something for Halloween!

This one is called the “Afraid of the Dark Spread“. It uses two cards and you can use it with or without a question and with any kind of deck – Tarot or Oracle.

1. What are you afraid of? Deep down, inside yourself – where you don’t look very often, what is it that you are really afraid of that you won’t admit even to yourself.
2. What will turn on the light? What can make this secret fear go away, to make you feel more at peace within yourself or what will reveal this fear to you.

Here is the second spooky spread:

This one is called “The Magic Cauldron Spread“. It uses four cards and can be used with or without a question and with any sort of deck – Oracle or Tarot.

1. What’s in the pot? The current situation or the problem at hand.
2. What stirs the pot? What influences this situation or problem – something that agitates it in some way.
3. What needs to be added?What can you do to enhance the situation or problem (to solve the problem) – to make that brew taste better!
4. What comes out of the pot? The end result, how the situation will develop or how the problem will work out in the end.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Victorian Flower Oracle ~ Pomegranate Flower

Today, I drew one card from the Victorian Flower Oracle – Pomegranate Flower which has the caption of Joy. 

There is quite a bit in the book about the history of Pomegranates and how they became associated with Joy.  The book goes on to talk about how joy, happiness and contentment are similar but don’t really mean the same thing.  Happiness and contentment are more long term things while joy is something you experience in the present moment.  The more I thought about this – the more I realized this made sense.  Even people who are very unhappy or seriously ill can experience moments of joy.  Throughout the day, I noticed the things that made me feel joy.  When you really think about it and try to notice the things that bring joy – it is surprising how many little things do make you feel joyful.

When my husband and I sat down to lunch today, the grapes looked so pretty in the bowl with the water droplets from washing them looking very frosty that I took a picture of them!  It made me laugh then to think that something as simple as grapes in a bowl could bring a feeling of joy.  Later in the afternoon, I was trimming the juniper bushes in front of our house (very hard work – not something joyful) and the piney smell they gave off as I cut the branches was so pleasant and clean that it made me feel another moment of joy.  There are so many little things like this every day.

 It seems like people tend to notice the little things that cause annoyance more than the little things that bring joy.  You often hear people talking about stuff like how dreadful it was to wait in a long line at the store or how much traffic there was; however, you very rarely hear someone say – the grapes at lunch looked so pretty that I took a picture of them.  It seems much easier to focus on the negative things that happen in life.   I know, from now on – I’m going to notice all these small things that bring me that feeling of joy.  If you think about these joyful things rather than the negative ones -  perhaps that will lead to long term happiness and contentment.

Halloween Tarot in a Tin ~ Leaving Hurt Behind

Today, I decided to draw a couple of cards from the Halloween Tarot in a Tin – it is a cute deck to use for October.  I really like the size of the cards in a tin – almost the same as playing cards.

Here are the cards:

• Ace of Pumpkins (Pentacles)
• Six of Bats (Swords)

The Ace of Pumpkins (Pentacles) can be about a fresh sense of well-being and comfort in your life.  I really like the way the hand is offering a pumpkin filled with lots of sweet treats – indicating that life will be filled with sweet things now.

The Six of Bats (Swords) is about moving away from the hurts and stresses that have happened.  It can mean you are ready to leave things behind now – you can finally walk away from those things that were weighing you down.

What a nice little reading - the cards seem to be saying that there can be a new phase in life now.  It is a time when life can once again be wonderful and sweet, it is time to move away from the bad things and enjoy the sweetness that life can offer.  I have felt lately that life is beginning to feel a bit sweeter.  Now, I need to set down the grief and the hurt and move away from it and enjoy the candy in that pumpkin!

It would be fun to do readings for people with this deck on Halloween night – I wish I was going to a Halloween Party where I could do that!  However, we will be at home on Halloween giving out treats – it is fun to see all the kids in their costumes.  If it’s a warm night we usually get a lot of trick or treaters.

Oracle of the Dragonfae ~ Morgan le Fey

This morning, I drew a card from the Oracle of the Dragonfae.  Usually, I’m not into fairies or dragons but I’ve read some good reviews on this deck and also – lately, my taste in decks has been changing.  I’ve felt in the mood to try decks I’d usually pass up.

It is a very interesting deck – the cards are large and made with heavy card stock.  The book explains all the cards very well and gives some interesting information about Dragonfae that I took with a few grains of salt.  However, when I shuffled the deck and was cutting the cards – I did feel a little something, some little flutter of something.  Weird but true.

Anyway, the card I drew is Morgan le Fey with the subtitle ~ Healing.  It turned out to be an amazingly apt card for me and addressed several matters that had been on my mind this morning.  It actually made me cry a bit because the message was so helpful and kind. 

The illustrations on the cards are done by various artists – the artwork on the Morgan le Fey card is by Sharon Mcleod.  The book is written by Lucy Cavendish.  I’m glad I got his deck – just this one reading has made me feel more at peace within myself.

Leidingkarten ~ Health of a Friend

These three cards are from the Leidingkarten:

Please click on the above picture for a larger view.

• Card 12:  Younger Woman
• Card 31:  Serious Illness (weakness, can be about other things than physical illness)
• Card 15:  Love and Friendship (positive)

The cards mirror something that has been going back and forth in my mind for several weeks now.  I’ve been concerned about the health of a young woman who is very dear to me, like a daughter in law.  Not her physical health, but her mental health.

For one thing, she has become paranoid about her weight and will hardly eat anything.  She is not over-weight and does not need to lose any weight but she thinks she needs to lose weight.  She has become so overly controlling of her children that their life is not very enjoyable.  She has also become obsessed about a girlfriend her husband had 12 years ago before he even knew her – she is so jealous of this woman that it is really affecting her relationship with her husband. 

Even more worrying, she has become paranoid that people are doing things just to hurt and upset her.  When she attends family gatherings she really thinks that certain people have been invited by the hostess just to hurt and upset her.  It really concerns me and I don’t know what to do about it.  I’ve tried to very gently say that she is making mountains out of molehills but she gets angry and miffed.

Hopefully, this phase will pass.

Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot ~ Childhood Memories

A few days ago, I drew these two cards from the Royal Fez Moroccan Tarot:

• Six of Cups
• Seven of Cups

The Six of Cups can be about nostalgia, looking back on your childhood with fond memories.  Sometimes, it can mean the return of a childhood friend.  The Seven of Cups can be about dreaming, wondering or imagining.

At the time, I thought how appropriate these two cards were.  My Mom had sent me a link to an online obituary for a man who was the father of a childhood friend – after reading it, I wondered what had become of this girl.  The obituary listed her so I found out her married name but when I googled her name there were so many results that it didn’t help at all.  She used to come for an extended visit to her Grandma every summer, the grandma lived just a few houses down from us and I had such fun playing with her when she was there.  We moved away from that town when I was 11 and I never saw her again. 

I had thought of leaving a message on the online obituary for her father but didn’t know if I should as I thought she probably wouldn’t remember me - it has been over 40 years since we had any contact.  My Mom had sent some other obituary links as well – I did leave a message on another obituary as it was someone who had been a family friend.

Yesterday, I had an e-mail letter from my childhood friend!  She had seen my name on the other obituary and even though the last name was different she recognized my first name and wrote to me!  It was so wonderful to catch up with her after 43 years.  It was so weird because I had just decided I’d go back to her father’s obituary and leave a message when I got her letter.  In one of those odd synchronistic episodes, it turns out that the other man who had passed away was also a friend of her family from years ago.

Hearing from her and restarting our friendship has really brought back a lot of wonderful childhood memories!  My Mom still has all my childhood pictures – however, she did send me a scan of one a while back:

This is me and my two sisters on my very first day of school in 1961 – I was six years old.  I’m the one wearing the skirt with the Shirley Temple hairdo.

So, it turns out these two cards from the Royal Fez Tarot were even more appropriate than I thought when I first drew them!

Celtic Messages ~ Take Care of Yourself

It’s been a while since I’ve found time to work on my blog again. I drew these two cards from the Celtic Messages a couple of days ago:

Please click on the above picture to view a larger version.

• Card 19: The Ford (Crossing Boundaries, Overcoming Obstacles, Reconciling Opposites) This card indicates that you a facing an obstacle but have the ability to overcome it. The only way to do this is to confront it, understand it and work through it. You can’t go around it – it can’t be avoided.
• Card 31: Mistletoe (Fertility, Protection, Healing) This card suggests you pay attention to your health – physical, mental and spiritual. Consider your lifestyle and make the changes necessary to maintain your well-being.

This is really something I needed to hear.  Lately, I’ve not been taking the time to care for myself the way I should.  I got out of the habit of riding my exercise bike when I was so upset about my cats and I never got back to it – I keep meaning to but I never do.  I’ve been eating too much and at the wrong times.

Not just that, I’ve not been taking the time to piddle around with my cards that I used to – that is important for my mental and spiritual well-being.  Seeing what the cards have to say seems to be very “centering” and makes me feel in touch with myself.   I’ve been doing a lot more with and for family and friends – that is important but you can’t forget to take care of yourself either.

So, I need to cross that river in the Ford – just take the plunge and walk across to taking better care of my physical and mental health!  Hopefully, tomorrow – we’ll see because we have to go to another birthday party and dinner.  It always seems so rude to not eat birthday cake.

I saw the new Poll button on the WordPress Editor so I decided to try a poll!

Gummy Bear Tarot ~ Happy Memories with Family and Friends

Today, I drew two cards from the Gummy Bear Tarot.  It is such a cute deck and comes in a very handy tin which makes it easy to carry around. It is also a very handy size – about the size of a standard bridge deck of playing cards. Here are the cards:

• Ten of Pentacles
• Six of Cups

What appropriate cards for today!  When I drew the cards, we had just returned from a First Birthday Party for the daughter of one of my friend’s daughters.  We had watched her grow up and now we are celebrating birthdays for her children. It made me feel very nostalgic and also very glad we are a part of their family.

Our dear friends are more like our family than friends. It is wonderful to be a part of their lives.  That feeling of being a part of a family and being included in their lives is one of the most special things.

The Ten of Pentacles is one of my favorite cards in the Tarot (the other is the 10 of Cups) – to me it speaks of that wonderful feeling of being safe and secure with family and friends; of family gatherings and that feeling of belonging.  This weekend is turning out to be very family oriented. On Friday we spent the evening with our dear friends, eating dinner and playing games.  Today we went to the birthday party and this evening we are all going to go bowling together – a very happy weekend.