Runnin` Down a Dream

It makes perfect shamanic sense that Tom Petty should be one of my guides. I named my non-functioning (it refuses to let me post on it) blog "Learning to fly" after one of his songs. Like most songwriters and musicians Tom is an accomplished dreamwalker and he brings me straight forward and understandable instructions. I woke up with "Runnin` Down a Dream" in my head this morning and in the process of tearing it apart to find the core message within I came across the great ,"tourist vs explorer" debate.
I`ve been making wands like a madman lately. I mean I could supply a small army of vampire slayers with some rather nicely detailed, highly figured and highly polished ammunition for their utility belts or whatever it is they carry their wooden stakes in. I have been transforming scrap wood into different ritual tools with the help of moving meditation and guidance from the Trees for a while now but these wands are beginning to stack up. I have come to the point now where I can probably make these things in my sleep,like the part in Tom`s song where the he sings "I hit cruise control and rubbed my eyes". Like Tom I`m running on auto-pilot and waiting for the trip to wind down and arrive at the destination. You drop the reins and let the horse go wherever it likes as long as it keeps moving and you`re just hoping it`ll head to water.
I had finally moved past the part of the song where "Me and Del were singin` little Runaway, I was flyin`" and like the folks in the chorus I was "Runnin` down a dream that never would come to me, workin` on a mystery, goin` whever it leads". I put a freshly cut piece of nearly frozen Red Oak in the lathe with the idea in mind I was going to turn it roughly round and then seal it so it would dry out slowly and not warp or crack too badly when I got back to it after it sat for several months on a shelf drying and stabilizing. Instead I just kept going and soon had a green wood wand that had spun soaking wet shavings off as I was turning it because it was so green. I friction dried it`s surface and sanded it till it was as polished as it would get, then brought it upstairs into the heated house to see if it would survive and dry without self destructing. Me and Tom were blazing new trails here and it would either end up as labor intensive firewood or a useful piece that took things in a new direction.
A few days later I remembered that I had placed it next to the wood stove and was surprised to see that it had taken on a life of it`s own.The twisted grain had made it bend and spiral into something that looked far more organic, something that looked like it had grown in that shape rather than been cut and formed by human hands entirely. It was the partnership between maker and tree I had been looking for and It had only appeared after I removed as much of myself as I could from the equation. I had to become more like the old Bodgers who lived out in the woods and turned chair spindles out of fresh cut branches using spring pole lathes that they made themselves right there in the groves and ran on leg power alone. I suspect there was move than one of those ancestors guiding my hands and pointing the way with this experiment.

What Tom Petty was telling me this go-round was that there are two kinds of people who travel this type of road. There are those who approach life like tourists,moving quickly from place to place and collecting momentos as they cross another destination off their list. They arrive somewhere, buy a T-shirt, refridgerator magnet or sticker saying they were there and then hop back in the car or re-board the boat and are off to the next stop on their vacation cruise. They were there alright,but they never gave the place a chance to show them all it had to offer. They hit all the landmarks and followed the crowd and have the pictures to prove it when their friends and family get together for the slide show after they get back to their mundane lives.
On the other hand there are those who start out on a trip riding that tour bus yet when the bus finally pulls over they aren`t afraid to split off from the crowd and take a side street or two. They follow their intuition and let things unfold as they will rather than listening to a prepared script. When you follow the road less traveled you are handed the opportunity to experience life more deeply. You realize that there are magickal things outside the itinerary that can only be seen if you get off away from the crowd and stop listening to the guides with the microphones in their hands who keep reciting the same historic facts.
Tom was absolutely correct when he sang, "There`s something good waiting down this road. I`m pickin` up whatever is mine". Glad I took the time to listen to Tom instead of following the script.

Effy Wild

There`s a rather large incoming class for the online W1 course. So large that there are not enough W3 students to mentor them all so some of us in Level 4 have been asked to double up and be mentors students to both W1 and W2 students this year. I mention this because as this new charge of students runs amok in the streets upsetting apple carts and playing digital hide-and-go-seek they have added a new twist, their own Facebook page. The student I`m mentoring mentioned me on their new page,FB listed my FB address to the page so I did a short intro and I became swamped with requests to take on new friends (sigh). Once you get caught in a Facebook dragnet like that there`s no getting out and no telling where that net will drag you off to. I`d like to speak a bit about where the Universe dragged me in that net.

I got this FB invite from someone named Effy Wild and accepted it after finding out she was one of the new W1 students. I didn`t want to appear uppity or give the impression that the students in the upper levels of the Mystery School felt they were too good to socialize with the newbies so, even though I didn`t want to, I accepted it. I watched this person`s posts on my home page for a few days and when I saw she had posted a link to her website and blog I went exploring a bit.
What I found were incredibly brave posts about depression, art, taking too many classes and wonderful poems such as "Salt" and short stories such as "Breath". It occurred to me that among the rough tumbled stones I had discovered a gem. In an effort to be a better mentor I had found a mentor of my own.
I consider Effy to be a powerful catalyst for the creativity process. In one of her recent posts she mused on a quote by Leonard Cohen that said in part " As I grew older, I understood that instructions came with this voice",powerful stuff. Effy(who claims navel gazing is one of her super powers) went on to record some of her thoughts on what her instructions might include. She wasn`t quite sure yet what those instructions might tell her to do but she has some pretty good ideas about the warnings prior to operating her voice. Under the "DO NOTs" she lists things like;
"Shrink to accommodate other people"
"Be acceptable to others at the expense of your own authenticity"
The short and simple ones like, "Don`t talk, don`t tell, don`t feel"
and probably the most important warning of all; "NEVER give up".

I was moved to write a comment to her that I will reproduce here;

Dear Effy,

Interesting concept this "Instructions come with this voice" thing.
Right now I am deeply involved with issues on where I stand so I`ll have to put finding my own instructions on my to-do list. I plan to put exploring this concept in the top ten tough rather than just adding it to the bottom.
It`s been brought to my attention that where I stand on some things has a tendency to make some people uncomfortable. These same people have trouble articulating the exact nature of their discomfort (no surprises there). I asked these people what they thought I might be able to do to ease their discomfort. They were at a loss for words. When I suggested they might designate a spot where they would prefer that I stand they shuffled around and conferred amongst themselves in whispers. After a bit of additional coaching from me they were finally able to tentatively point to where they would prefer I stand.
In the spirit of peace I went over to have a look. I scratched around with the toe of my boot, then I got down on all fours to get a closer look and survey the "lay of the land". While I was down there I pressed my ear to the spot to see what it had to say. Before rising I picked up a pinch of soil and had a taste to see if it was to my liking. Then I came back to the group to report my findings.
I told them that the spot that they have chosen for me was, in my estimation, not at all safe for me to stand on for several reasons and on several levels. I also informed them that the very idea that they had the audacity to tell me or anyone else where they should stand on any issue made me VERY uncomfortable.

It appears we may have reached an impasse.
I plan to take a nap while they plan what they plan to do next.

I am hopeful we can come to an equitable agreement soon as I am rather keen to put these standing issues behind me and get on with this business of finding and reading the instructions that come with my voice and putting those instructions to use.
I will keep you posted on my progress.

Regards,
Daedalus

Effy allowed as how it`ll probably be OK if I can`t find the time to read those instructions.

Weathering the storm

One of my First Sgts. once told me " Anyone can maintain their game face when things are going along smoothly. It`s when a storm hits that you get to see what lies behind the mask". I`m beginning to see this bit of wisdom for the useful tool that it really is.
When I was in doubt about someone I used to deliver a bit of front loaded stress their way in order to see what they`d do and get a better idea what was under that mask they wore. Some thought this approach was manipulative at best and more than a bit mean at worst. I just looked at it as another way to collect information. Now I understand that if I`m patient I don`t need to manufacture or deliver anything,I can just observe and get the information I need to make a more accurate assessment.
We all have days when we begin to question the things we believe to be true and those questions bring some stress of their own. We begin to listen to that stress as it tells us we don`t know near as much as we think we do or aren`t near as capable as we think we are. Give those thoughts enough time and exploration and they begin to multiply like a virus and before you know it you`re ripe for an event to come along that will act as a trigger that rocks us to our foundation like a violent earthquake. If you are on low ground and anywhere near the shoreline you better be well prepared and have all the debris cleared quickly before the Tsumani that is sure to follow arrives. If you`ve planned ahead and built a strong yet forgiving foundation that isn`t too rigid and allows for some movement and flexibility then that earthquake (and the event that triggered it) didn`t do you too much damage if any at all.
Now you get to see if what you chose to build on that foundation is up to snuff. Will the coming tidal wave slam into you toppling everything you`ve built and reduce it all to floating rubble that gets swept away or will it flow around you and and leave your house standing in it`s wake? There`s always the chance that even if you`ve done everything right and the initial wave didn`t do severe damage that those around you who haven`t built so well will not survive and the debris from all that wreckage will still cause you extensive damage.
Even a strong,healthy tree with deep roots can be toppled if those around it keep slamming into and leaning against it for support after they have been uprooted and blown over.

Now I try to remember to keep to the high ground and just wait and watch. Sooner of later forces other than myself will have an impact on the people I have questions about. Those people who, when I look closely at them, I wonder if I`m seeing their true face or just a cleverly constructed mask they are hiding behind.
Here on the shoreline and the other "between places" where many and varied forces can come to bear,sometimes all at once, is an excellent place to wait and watch. When those foundations shake and the waves come you can get all the information you need. Any lingering questions can be answered by waiting till the flood waters recede and then going to look thru all the debris. Among the bits and pieces of what`s left behind you can always find the true faces of both the casualties and the survivors. When you can look into those faces you`ll find the answers to all your questions. Once you get the answers you need you can then help to rebuild your community for the next quake,tsunami or storm with an eye toward sustaining less damage in the next go-round.
Sometimes it involves climbing a mountain then clearing and moving everything onto higher ground.Sometimes it means changes in building practices and more reinforcement. Implementing suggestions that allow you to rebuild in new ways that better protect you from the potentially damaging forces around you that you have little or no control over. Sometimes you just scrap it all,walk away and consider you and your immediate family to be the only survivors.
No matter what the final outcome, there`s no denying that everyone and everything that has been touched by such an event has sacrificed something and been changed to some extent. Another fact is that things can never go back to the way they were.The Universe doesn`t work that way

Facing the Shadow

I am a Banshee
An agent of discord
reever of souls
herald of Darkness

I am a Hoodie Crow
pecking after the battle is over
Then rising on wings of night
given flight by energy stolen from others

I wait at the ford
wearing a twisted smile as I wash
the water red around me
Who`s garments are these
someone you know perhaps

Feel my doubt take hold
as I ride the mist into your camp
I`ll sit at your fire
and drink with you
then give opinions you wish you hadn`t heard

I am the broken buckle,the failed clasp
The broken lance,the shattered shield
The armor left behind because it was too heavy
I am the blood on the hilt of your sword
The difference between a blow that kills quickly
or cripples for life.

I sap your strength
steal your courage
fog your thoughts
In their place I leave you Rage
That cuts friend and foe alike

That voice screaming for blood is mine
your weapons belong to me now
as do you

Shea's Animal/Tree/Plant Circle Casting

Hi all, here's a circle casting I wrote just this June. I have only used it about three times so far, but I really love the energy!

We cast this circle once
With the loyal protection of the Wolf
We feel the Wolf's embrace
The touch of the Kingdom of Fauna
We call to the Wolf to ward this circle round.

We cast this circle twice
With the stalwart strength of the Oak
We feel the Oak's might firm around us
The touch of the Kingdom of Flora
We call to the Oak to ward this circle round.

We cast this circle thrice.
With the magic of the Mushrooms' Circle
Creating a gateway between the worlds
The touch of All Kingdoms now upon us
We call to the Mushroom to ward this circle round.

Circle Casting and Quarter Calls from Shea

Here is the circle casting and the quarter calls I wrote, as promised. :) You can see how the tree of life is woven in. I need to re-write the quarter calls because they don't really go with the Star LBRP I wrote...I put them where they were (Aquarius, Taurus) because our coven felt more comfortable with it, the seasonal orientation, etc. It was a lot of research at the time. :) But due to the procession of the equinoxes, etc., and all that jazz, they are technically in different locations. And the coven prefers the seasonal orientation for the quarter calls instead of the alchemical orientation.

I wrote the first three totem calls below, and Cat wrote the Salmon/Dragonfly totem call So this ritual still kept the animals as part of the ritual, and it worked well together - a blend of more tree of life/ceremonial bit with still the shamanic flair.

I love this circle casting - awesome energy!

Circle Casting:

We cast this circle thrice around

We cast this circle once

with the Golden light of the Sun,

Center of the Tree of Life

And the Masculine Seed of Chokmah

We are at the center of the Universe

One with the creative cosmic Force of All

We cast this circle twice

With the Silver light of the Moon

And the Feminine Womb of Binah

We are in balance with the Universe

One with the creative cosmic Force of All

We cast this circle thrice

With the Violet light of the One

The Masculine and Feminine without and before form

We are in the three worlds as one – as above, so below

One with the creative cosmic Force of All

We are between the worlds and in all worlds.

Protected by the Divine Power of the Universe in all things.

So mote it be.

Hail Guardian of the Watchtower of the North!

We call upon the Element of Earth, Element of the Wise

Hail, Uriel, Archangel of the North! – Giver of Strength, Perseverance and

Divine Presence

And the power of Taurus, bringing comfort and stability to our circle

Hear our call and join our circle this night

Align this circle on the cosmic circle

Center of the Universe – Kether of Tipareth

Hail, Honor, and Welcome!

Hail Guardian of the Watchtower of the East!

We call upon the Element of Air, Element of the Wise

Hail Raphael, Archangel of the East! – Teacher, Inspirer and Healer

And power of Aquarius – bearing intellect, inspiration and

divine communication to our circle

Hear our call and join our circle this night

Align this circle on the cosmic circle

Center of the Universe – Kether of Tipareth

Hail, Honor, and Welcome!

Hail Guardian of the Watchtower of the South!

We call upon the Element of Fire, Element of the Wise

Hail Michael, Archangel of the South! – Protector, Guide and Defender

And power of Leo, bringing the lion's charisma, confidence and generosity to our

circle

Hear our call and join our circle this night

Align this circle on the cosmic circle

Center of the Universe – Kether of Tipareth

Hail, Honor, and Welcome!

Hail Guardian of the Watchtower of the West!

We call upon the Element of Water, Element of the Wise

Hail Gabriel, Archangel of the West! – Messenger of Truth, Harmony and Balance

And power of Scorpio, giving our circle the creative force of the circle of life

Hear our call and join our circle this night

Align this circle on the cosmic circle

Center of the Universe – Kether of Tipareth

Hail, Honor, and Welcome!

Turtle & Elephant: /slb

From the North, we call upon the power of Turtle, traveler of land and sea, bringing the astral ocean into the physical world of manifestation. And the power of Elephant, bringer of good luck and tides of good fortune. Hail, Honor and Welcome!

Eagle & Raven: /slb

From the East, we call on the power of Eagle, to soar to the heights of our divine selves, to gain the perspective needed to truly live in the present moment. And on the power of Raven, to part the veil to see that which is unseen, to know ourselves and recognize our true path. Hail, Honor and Welcome!

Phoenix & Sphinx: /slb

From the South, we call on the power of Phoenix, to transform ourselves anew, transmuting that which no longer serves us into fuel for the fire of our soul. And on the power of the Sphinx, balancing us on the Witch's Pyramid, as we find balance within ourselves, in line with our divine selves. Hail, Honor and Welcome!

Dragonfly & Salmon: /ck

From the West, we call upon the power of Dragonfly who dances gracefully between

the worlds, to teach us how to plumb the depths of our emotions and emerge as dancers upon the light, sacred reflections of the divine that resides with us all. And on the power of Salmon, who overcomes incredible obstacles to return to the place of its birth and continue the cycle of life. Grant us your determination and focused energy, that we may likewise overcome every obstacle in our quest to return to the home that is our true self. Hail, Honor and Welcome!

Call to Planetary Energies:

We call to the great planet of Saturn to join us in our circle. On this day of your honor, Saturn is Trine with the Moon – the Moon that now begins to wane from its heavy fullness. We call on you to give form to our magick.

Saturn, teacher of discipline, in this hour, help us gently release that which no longer serves. We offer those energies to the Universe, so that creation may begin anew.

Planet of Binah, support us as we pull back the veil which hides us from our true selves, as we embrace the karmic lessons on our path.

Master of Boundaries, help us to understand that only we are the true masters of ourselves.

We reclaim our full power with your protection – understanding the responsibility it entails. Knowing we are ready to understand the lessons you have to gently teach us.

Tina's Reiki Bowl

So this is my gold and silver leaf ritual bowl! It's clear crystal with the metallic overlay, about a foot in diameter.


I use it as my Reiki bowl. Inside I keep a candle in a heavy glass container, a cloth envelope with photographs of my friends and family, crystals representing my family and me, a labradorite necklace I use as a mala during healing sessions, plus the Reiki symbols for power, emotional healing and distance healing.

This is what it looks like when the candle is lit inside.  It's a tiny votive in a very heavy clear candle cup, because I am a Virgo, and we triple-secure everything.

I especially like how the candlelight flickers and sparkles when it catches the metallic gold and silver.

Whenever someone asks for energy or light or blessings -- or whenever I need some myself, or want to send some to a situation or group -- I write the recipient on a piece of paper and lay that under the candle. Then I light the candle, chant the Reiki symbols, draw them on my hands and over the bowl, the tap the edge three times. It makes this lovely crystalline chime that warms my heart.

So whenever anyone in our group asks for energy for themselves or a loved one or a situation, this is what happens. Into the Reiki bowl you go.

My Shamanic Meditation Tree

It's really hard to tell how gorgeous this is from a photo, but I wanted to share it just to try out my camera. The indoor photographs were even less clear, so here's on my front porch, in the sun.

A friend of mine crafted it for me especially for WIII, my year of Shamanic Witchcraft, the year of Water. It's silver wire wrapped to form roots, trunk and branches. The base is cast ceramic in a deep midnight blue (with a space for a candle or crystals or herbs or what have you).

At the end of each branch is a labradorite crystal, over a hundred in all. When sunlight or candlelight hits it, the crystals catch fire and shimmer in that glorious way that only labradorite can. I use it during the Three Souls alignments, and during any ritual or journey where I enter the World Tree.

He made a creative energy tree for another friend using gold-plated wire and carnelian on a red base, and a different tree using copper wire and malachite on a black base. All of them were stunning.

Yes indeed, I am a proud crystal chick. And blessed to have talented friends and classmates.

Ambushed by the Pines

"Caroline says you should talk to that tree out in the back parking lot" was what started it all.A simple offhand remark that seems so innocent in passing.
I knew the tree she was talking about without even turning to look where she was pointing. I had heard the tree on more than one occasion and had been successfully avoiding up till this point.
Caroline is a powerful medium and talks to the spirits. Every time I get even remotely connected to something involving her it curls the hair in my nose,melts the wax in my ears and leaves my hair smoking. All my alarms go off when someone mentions her name in relationship to me and I want to immediately check all the fire extinguishers to be sure they are fully charged.
"What does she have to say about it?", I was trying to play it low key now and still looking at the new stones in the case. "She says it wants to talk to you". I look and sure enough she`s pointing out the side door of the shop to that lone White Pine between the parking lots that`s been whispering to me every month this winter. I guess there was no avoiding it,I grabbed my jacket and went to see what the tree had to say.
I became uneasy as soon as I rounded the corner of the shop and could see it. It wasn`t happy and it wanted to let someone know it wasn`t. I have talked with trees that have been abused and don`t really trust humans anymore so I approached with caution till I was within it`s energy field then did my slowing down and opening up procedure to make contact. The Pine said it would be safe to approach and it indeed had something to say to me so I walked up and touched the bark.
I should have shielded better,the tree was choking and screaming at the same time! "You hate me,you`re killing me" it shouted and I could feel how it felt, sharp pain down my arm and the feeling of not getting enough air into my lungs. I had to break contact and pulled my hand away quickly. I took 2 steps back,shielded and then reached out energetically to the Pine. I sent calming energy and explained I was here to help but I couldn`t take that level of contact. Once the Pine understood it told me to try again. This time when I touched it it explained that the land owners on both sides had paved over almost all the roots and it was barely able to survive with what was left. During the heavy snows this past winter they had piled the snow so high up against it that all the lower branches had been snapped off by the snow pushed against it. Now that the snow had melted they had placed 2 dumpsters right up against the trunk and the setting of the dumpsters had broken even more branches and pushed salt laden sand up against the trunk to a height of over 2 feet. I could understand why the Pine felt it was hated. I got a picture of two people discussing how the tree needed to go but the town wouldn`t let them clear it away till is was dead and created a hazard. This tree knew these actions were calculated to kill it and it`s spirit was frantic for help.
I sent it more calming energy and told it I would be back with a saw to trim up the broken stubs of it`s branches and a shovel to clear the sand and salt away but it wouldn`t be today,it would have to be patient.I dragged the broken branches away from it and cleaned up all the debris around it and the dumpsters. While I was cleaning up a man came out of the back of the store that the parking lot attaches to,put his fists on his hips and stared at me. I looked him in the eye,smiled and mentally suggested to the Pine "Show him how it feels". He quickly went back inside.
I said a prayer and left an offering and gave my promise to return later and help before I left.
I rounded the corner, went back into the shop,pointed to the neighboring shop and told Raven "They want that tree dead and it knows it" then I walked into the bathroom and started sobbing,the tree`s sorrow just washed over me in waves. When I pulled myself together and went to talk to Raven she came over and hugged me and told me "I heard what you said and and then I heard the tree wailing,what can we do?"
The sad fact is there`s little we can do except help it as much as we can. They land owner has no use for a tree that drips sap onto his customer`s cars.
Raven promised to tell the other practitioners about the tree so they can help it during their breaks and at lunch. Maybe together our efforts will be enough for the Pine.

More messages

To save my Soul
I dug a hole
it became and early grave
didn`t want to hear it
wouldn`t listen to the Spirits
who had gathered round to save

Crow Knot

UP

I made this image based on on of my journeys for the last lesson:

Tarot and the Big Muddy by Tina

(This post first appeared in Liz Fichera's Blog, which you can find here).

In her mystery-writing manual How to Write Killer Fiction, Carolyn Wheat describes the middle part of a novel as “waist deep in the big muddy.” She’s not exaggerating. When my novel The Dangerous Edge of Things reached its midpoint, the Big Muddy almost sucked me under. I had no idea what these people I’d created were up to — their motives and goals and secrets were a treacherous mucky mire. My plot was crumbling, and my book along with it.

Seeing my dilemma, a friend offered to do a tarot reading for me. I was curious, but skeptical. After all, what could a deck of fortunetelling cards accomplish that storyboards and plot outlines hadn’t?

But I was desperate. So tucking my skepticism into my back pocket, I sat across from my friend as she divined the intricacies of my novel. First, she had me shuffle the deck; then she laid out the cards in a pattern called the Celtic Cross.

“That which covers you, that which crosses,” she explained. “Above and below, before and behind.”

She tapped the first card, a calm masculine figure seated on a throne, a gleaming rapier upright in his hand. “The central conflict involves the King of Swords,” she said. “A man of strength and power and intellect, someone who holds the power of life and death in his hand. Often solitary, sometimes ruthless, but ultimately fair and objective.”

The Justice card from Arcane Tarot by val-eithel

I was stunned. She was describing Trey, my male protagonist, like she‘d sneaked a peek at the character synopsis. Then other cards turned up. The Queen of Cups— submerged unexpressed emotion, perhaps jealousy. The Knight of Wands — an energetic ally with charisma and passion. Justice reversed — a situation riddled with bias and prejudice. And then, in the final position, The Magician.

“It all ends with a single choice,” my friend said, “a big one, the kind of choice you have to believe in with everything you have.”

And as I stared at those cards — at the swords and wands and clear-eyed figures — I suddenly understood what my intuition had been trying to tell me all along. I’d been going at it backwards. Instead of letting the sequence of events flow from my characters’ desires and goals, I’d imposed a series of events on them. No wonder my book was drowning — I’d put a straightjacket on my characters and tossed them in the whitewater.

This is a common pitfall in the tug-of-war between the free-wheeling creativity of the subconscious and the controlled order-making of the conscious. As a writer, I understand the challenge of moving between these two modes of operation and the frustrations that occur when you can’t do it easily (writer’s block being the most common).

But this is why tarot, or any divination deck, is such an effective tool in the creative person’s toolkit — it provides a channel of communication between your conscious and subconscious minds. As your own responses to the images in the deck bubble up, you try out different scenarios, look at situations from a new perspective. Facts rub together in new ways, creating sparks.

Think of it this way — your subconscious is a vast library, with lots of information on the shelves and more coming in every day, but unless you have some way to find what you need when you need it, it can be pretty overwhelming. Tarot is like a very smart, very friendly librarian who knows you well enough to bring you exactly what you need — all you have to do is ask.

My first tarot reading was so success that I went on to become a professional tarot reader myself. I now counsel others seeking creative solutions to life’s challenges. Thanks to the cards, my soon-to-be-published novel was completed successfully. And even though my hero remains an intellectual King of Swords, I tucked a tarot deck in his desk, just to remind him that sometimes he should put away his graphs and flow charts and open himself to the mysterious powers of intuition.

(To see more of val-either's amazing art, go here).

Tina's Review of The Science Tarot by Logan Austeja Daniel, Martin Azevedo, and Raven Hanna

This Christmas, I was excited to find a tarot deck from my engineer hubby under the tree. Even better, it was a deck that managed to combine the awe and wonder of the material universe with the mystery and magic of the Tarot. I am having a great time reading about the creation of The Science Tarot, but an even better time working with the cards.

The key to making this combination of seemingly contradictory systems work is structure. Both science and tarot are highly organized, orderly collections of information. Both involve a progression that feels linear, but which is actually a series of cycles. The difference between the two is the main perspective lens -- science uses logic and rationality (left brain stuff) and tarot uses intuition and subconscious processing (right brain stuff). That's a bit reductive as an explanation, but as the Ace of Scalpels (Swords) points out, reductionism is a valid method for comprehension. It's part of the seeker's toolkit. It's just not the ONLY part.

Like traditional tarot, the Science Tarot is broken into the major arcana and the minor arcana. Likewise, the minor arcana are broken up into four thematic suits, which each contain numbered cards ace through ten, plus four court cards. The difference is in the nomenclature. For example, in traditional tarot, these suits are called Wands (Energy), Cups (Emotion), Swords (Intellect) and Pentacles (Physicality). The Science Tarot uses Bunsen Burners (Creation -- astronomy and cosmology), Beakers (Integration -- biology and ecology), Scalpels (Observation -- physics and math) and Magnifying Glass (Exchange -- geology and chemistry).
For example, the Nine of Pentacles (represent in this deck by the Magnifying Glass) is Aurora, the stream of energized particles accelerating along Earth's magnetic lines that cast off excited electrons in the upper atmosphere, creating  the mythic glow of the Northern Lights.This card in both decks represents the release of outdated things and ideas, leaving only the refined and cultivated newness behind. This process often entails sacrifice, but it is worth it for the end result.

Instead of Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings, the Science Tarot present Explorers, Innovators, Storytellers, and Visionaries. For example, Carl Sagan is the Queen of Wands, the Storyteller whose intelligence and empathy welcomed others into scientific discovery.

The Major Arcana tells famous stories from science, or as the deck describes it, "shared experiences and moments of transformation." In traditional decks, these are the cards of grand archetypal experiences, the "big stuff" we all discover as we grow and evolve as human beings. For example, the Empress in traditional decks is represented here as Mendel's Peas. But both cards represent nurturing attendance and natural processes, a time for growth, patience and gestation.

By honoring the connection that science and myth share -- the wonder and awe that occur as we try to explain this universe and who we are within it -- the Science Tarot creates a bridge for skeptics who might dismiss the power of this ancient divination tool. Plus, it's just gorgeous, with each five sections rendered by a different artist, providing continuity within each suit and creating a tapestry of lush imagery overall.

I highly recommend this deck for both tarot beginners and more experienced readers. And it's especially useful for introducing someone whose maybe a little weirded out by tarot's "woo-woo" reputation to the power of their own subconscious. I'd pair it with a shot of high-end vodka, straight up -- a very utilitarian way to get a warm fuzzy feeling,

To read more about the Science Tarot -- or to order it -- visit the website: http://www.sciencetarot.com/cards.html