How Tarot saved my Thanksgiving

HOW I GOT THROUGH THANKSGIVING WITH TAROT

I really love Thanksgiving and it has always been my favorite holiday of all times.  Even Christmas doesn't hold a glittery candle to my Thanksgiving day.  Thanksgiving is the holiday where all families get together, somewhere, for food, fun and fellowship.  I will shamefully admit that some of my rele's cause me a great deal of angst for a multitude of unmentionable reasons.  Sooooo, not only do I get to prepare a meal for 15-20 people, clean and decorate my home, I also have a more spiritual/emotional level to work through at the same time.

The cards I've chosen for this spread is The Tarot of the Sidhe (she) by Emily Carding.  These are very vibrant and colorful cards.  This exquisitely detailed deck is extremely chatty and easy to read.  The suites are renamed but that wont slow you down a bit.

This spread is called The Arrow and it was created by Aijung Kim that was included in her wonderful Golden Moth Illumination Deck.  I have found this spread to be extremely versatile.  I decided to try it out with this question in mind.

HOW AM I GOING TO GET THROUGH THANKSGIVING WITHOUT LOSING MY MIND?

The positions are
1-2 Past/Present
3-(middle card, 3rd row) Goal/Challenge
4- (card under middle card, 3rd row) Internal Influences
5- (card above middle card, 3rd row) External Influences
6- (4th row, bottom card) Release
7- (4th row, top card) Accept
8-9 Future and Further Future
extra card was a jumper

1. Past position

Dancer Prince: Gift of Passion

In the past I've always had a passion for Thanksgiving. And look at Dancer Prince, he's holding food in one hand and the other hand is empty, reaching out, inviting . Come to my home for love and food! And maybe a drink or two. This year I am struggling with the memories of resent past holidays that have not gone well for me. At holidays past I've been emotional, angry, allowing others bad behavior to cloud my goals for the holidays. This lovely prince is bringing my goals before me.  Why do you love Thanksgiving? What ARE your goals? And the answer is!!!!! It's about gathering those you love, enjoying a special meal, and creating strong family bonds. 

2. Present postion

Dreamer Six: Insight's Voyage

This first tells me I need to blow away those memories and the angst caused by them. I'm going need to get new insight on how I will manage my days and difficult rele's. Insight tells me that she will guide me, back me up and give me the courage I need.  She'll softly encourage me in the right direction.  In the little boat we have the sweet owl of wisdom.  It is wise to seek spiritual direction in difficult circumstances.  'Keep your wits about you, speak kind words, and most importantly, stay on course.' 

3. Gift/Challenge
The Dreamer Air

The challenge without a doubt is my mind. My own maceration’s of the events to come. I need to put those past challenges behind me so that I can move forward in a more positive way. A great meditation card, this card of air is doing the hard battle in her mind. Serenely of course, look at her! Not troubled at all! The clouds of doubt and confusion are under her as are the difficult mountains. No need to worry, she is above it all. Making time everyday to relax, ground and center and meditate is going to be so so key here.

4. Internal Influence
Dancer Eight: Escaping Stagnation

Internal influences are a tricky thing. In this card I see zombie like creatures coming up from the muck. Perhaps reaching for her, perhaps just trying to get out of it all. Most are not too motivated. But I am! I'm totally out of there! And what is my muck? The Gnomes. They get me down in the most disagreeable ways. They test me with new and unusual antics that I must deal with very often. I think they stay awake at night trying to figure out a new way to annoy me. To shock me. As prepared as I try to be they find a way to throw me off my game. It is terribly frustrating. This tells me they have not changed their ways, it's still the same. Preparation is essential but I need a game plan to keep me sunny and bright. As I go about my preparation for the holidays I'm going to factor in some special rewards for just for me. Some little thing I can look forward to that will boost my mood. (When everyone's gone, I'm going to curl up in bed with a cuppa hot tea and a good book!)

5. External Influence
Dancer Eight: Hope Discarded

I think this echo's the previous card. I have given up hope for a close relationship with this family. In the past I had every intention of bridging a workable gap with them. Now I just want to get past the required visits intact. This is my reality.  It doesn't have to be though.  While I do not have hope that our relationship will be warm and fuzzy, I can still work towards a peaceable relationship.  That's my goal.  Keep it PEACEFUL! And that will begin with me.

6. What I need to Release
Maker Prince:  Gift of Connection
That's right! Connection! This is so true! The connection with the Gnomes is very strong. But my connection with this family is strong as well.  Perhaps there is the tiniest bit of a power struggle going on. Perhaps not so tiny!  My goal is to blend the families. Their goal may be to secure their place. I understand this.  I don't how to fix that. Yet!   But look at this Maker Prince, this Prince of Earth (I'm an earth sign) travels the forest brightly lit by a full moon.  His trusty best friend (my Dear Heart) by his side. On his shoulders an owl and a butterfly.  Wisdom will lead to transformation. The owl whispers wisdom in his ear and butterfly will transform his heart.  Tiny little critters could cause him some concern but he doesn't even look down at them.  Neither do the dog or owl.  I do not need to be annoyed.  Wisdom can transform this whole situation.  No it may not change but that doesn't mean I have to stay the same. I can experience transformation. 

7. What I need to Accept
Dancer Five: Where Loss Resides

There will be some losses here but look at how hopeful this card is!! The sun is peaking though the dark clouds.  Great big sunbeams illuminating the landscape. Nourishing a tiny red flower on a stark hill.  She stands in the breeze but is not fazed.  A ship comes in, the one she is waiting for? Someone (something) new? The waters are calm.  The winds haven't whipped them up into a frenzy.  The ship is traveling easily through the channel.  I can accept the challenges, the winds, the dark clouds.  My life has sunbeams and flowers.  That is where I can focus my energies.

Future I
The Fool

Future II
Dreamer Prince: Gift of Liberty

I'm going to read these together.  Take a lighthearted approach to the holidays and let all the troublesome birds just float away.  Take charge of my mind.  Let the past go and like a fool, bounce into a new reality.  Trouble free, lighthearted, excited.  That is a gift I can give myself and my family.  The outcome of this holiday (should I keep my wits about me) will be happy and wonderful.

Jumper
The High Priestess
Occasionally a card jumps from the deck while I'm shuffling.  The High Priestess wanted to make herself known here, but not as an afterthought.  She reminds me of my commitment to Spirit. To pull in the help of my guides and angels.  They can help me bridge this gap with rainbows!  Another glorious reminder that happiness and contentment are mine.  This is going to be an exceptional holiday! 
CONCLUSION
I pulled this spread before the holidays while I was still quite concerned about the day.  It gave me such peace that I continued to work all the harder to make this a special day for everyone.  The Gnomes were phenomenal! Very little drama the whole time they were here.  In fact.  The only drama that occurred was quickly taken care of by other family members and I didn't even know about it till much later.  I am pleased to report that all went well.  No meltdowns by me.  Everything was yum yum yummy and there was plenty of leftovers for everyone to take home and enjoy.  How wonderful it was to have our whole family, all together, in one place.  DH and I are truly blessed.

An interview with the The Golden Moth Illumination Deck

After receiving this deck last month I've worked with them every day.  I have a fondness for oracle decks and this one is the most chatty of them all.  They speak simply and clearly and I've found them to be an exceptional deck for all types of reading. 

The first thing I do after receiving a new oracle or Tarot deck is clean them.  No, not clean as in soap and water, it's more of a cleansing of energies.  Sometimes items will pick up stray energies along the way.  When you (or anyone) touches something you leave behind a bit of yourself.  Much like a fingerprint, energies are left behind by an individual that can be picked up by someone else.  I very often will buy used out of print decks but even new decks will be touched by a number of hands before they reach your mailbox.  This time I decided not to cleanse them but to work directly with the energies of the deck creator.  It's been over a month and I've still not cleansed them. I'm enjoying the energy that they came with. 
 
Another thing I do shortly after receiving any new oracle is do an interview of the deck.  This is popular with many readers as it gives you an opportunity to find out a decks strengths and weaknesses.  If you read from multiple decks you know that all decks read just a little bit differently and this is a great way to get to know your individual decks.    This deck came with a spread sheet layout called The Arrow. I decided to use this spread to ask a few questions of this beloved oracle.

If you watch the video above you'll get to see the cards I'll be reading.  Also in the beginning I show you how this deck came to me and all the wonderful goodies it came with.

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Interview of The Golden Moth Illumination Deck

Past – Snake up a Hill

What can you tell me your past?

Well you know, it was a difficult climb, me not having legs and all. But I was persistent, I just kept moving forward. I always had my goal in mind and that was to get to the top of the hill.  Now that I've reached the summit I'm ready to roll!  I'm heading down to meet all my new owners!

Present – House Frame

Tell me a little about yourself today?

I'm really a work in progress, yes the artist had certain things in mind when she created us but really, she just created a foundation for the reader. Each reader of these cards is going to build on the ideas of the artist Aijung Kim and develop their own language and interpretations for each card.

Goal – Marching Ants

What would you say your goal is for yourself and the reader?

Oh my oh my oh my! So many goals, so little time. We are a hard working bunch as you can see. We are busy busy busy. Busy gathering and delivering tasty nuggets for interpretation to each holder of these ethereal cards. And it's endless really. It is our goal to take our readers on to the next level or a different level. Little by little each reader can achieve any goal they set for themselves. Be patient, be persistent, continue to take tiny steps onward.

External Influence – Locked Gate

What would you say your greatest external influence is?

Sometimes external influences will keep you from realizing your potential, your goal. Sometimes we see problems as a locked gate, we can't get in there, something is keeping us from understanding, from seeing. (Where's that damn key!!)  But what if we could show you a way in? What if we could show you that the gates can't keep us from seeing inside?  Look closely, you can see through the bars of this beautiful ornate gate. Did you know that you could still peek inside and see the future? The gate only lets us know that we can't walk in tomorrow until sunrise but we can still see what is ahead in order to make changes today.  Today is the gate that leads to tomorrow.  

Internal influences - Spring Tree

I love this card! What can you tell me about internal influences?

Newness! Just like an old tree, sturdy, grounded, it's been around forever and yet it changes throughout the year. Going through the natural cycle of life. Internally I speak of spirituality. I will show you a new way of divining. Take your time with us, you'll soon see small shoots of new growth that will gradually leaf and bud and produce fruit. Growth such as this is slow and steady. Take your time to get to know us. Use us often. See what will come of our wisdom.

Release – 4 Shells

What will I need to release when working with you?

I don't know. 4 shells? This is one of those cards that stumped me, like a lot. When ever I get a card that I don't understand sometimes I will pull another card to help me out a little. Sometimes I will just say, I don't know, and move on. But for the rest of the day that card will imprint its little ole self in my brain and nag at me.

After a few days (yes, days!) I came up with something I could work with. Shells come from the sea, which represents the vast expanses of the unconscious mind. The number four represents foundations, stability, security. We have all built a foundation from which we work with our oracles. A safe place that we have created. A starting place. As a group we will teach you how to release the structure that you are comfortable working with. We'll teach you a new way to draw from your intuition. See what the tide releases, gather the shells that are washed ashore.

Accept – Worm Weed

What will I need to accept when working with you?

Worms are the powerhouses of the garden, if you are a gardener you are well aware of all the benefits of this lowly creature. Inching it's way through your subconscious it will aerate and loosen all the impacted soil, releasing the bits trapped in there, all the while leaving behind fertile matter for increased growth. This is not instantaneous like a microwave. You may not even notice what is going on from the surface. We work quietly, silently, steadily, continuously. You'll see the results eventually on the surface. Take your time. Notice the subtle changes. Accept them graciously.

Near Future – Bird Cage

What can you tell me about the near future in working with you?

I'm a bird in a cage, not trapped as you can see. Contained in this deck is great wisdom. Listen carefully to the song we sing. We'll always be here, waiting for you to open us up and let us sing our song to you.

Distant Future – Man from the Moon

How will you affect the distant future in working with you?

We will work with your guides in delivering messages from them to you. Unlocking secrets, we will show you the things hidden in the dark. We will illuminate those areas you may not have seen before. We will help you to follow the shinny lights so that you can make the right decisions for your life. Continue to hold us near and dear. The future? You can have it all! The moon and the stars are yours!

Much love, The Golden Moth Illumination Deck

Thank you darlins,

Peace

Priscilla

Marge meets Bart's new girlfriend

The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Marge meets Bart's new girlfriend...

My dear friend Marge is going to meet her son's new girlfriend for the first time this weekend.  She is anxious about this for a lot of reasons and asked for a little insight about the meeting.  Since Halloween is right around the corner I thought a theme spread would be a fun thing to do.

Trick or Treat spread

1. Costume: what you're wearing for the party – the situation
2. Trick: the shadow/the unexpected
3. Treat: the positive side/opportunities
4. The candy bag: what you can take home – the outcome

This spread originally came from Aecletic Tarot   but I saw it at Angelos  first.

Marge is asking a general question about the meeting. Her son Bart was/is a bit of a playboy and is always falling in love. Married and divorced this young man has also lead a troubled life for some time. Recently he's turned over a new leaf and has been doing very well for a little over a year. This is the first girlfriend he's had since his recovery and Marge is a bit nervous about meeting his new girl. 'He sounds like he's ready for marriage and I haven't even met her yet!!'

Take a deep breath Margie, let's see what the cards have to say.

1. The Costume: What are you wearing to the party? (the situation)
2. The Trick: The shadow, the unexpected
3. The Treat: The positive side/ opportunities
4. The Candy Bag: What you get to take home – the outcome

The costume: The situation - 9 of Coins

A lovely card. Enjoying the results of your hard work. Marge is a hardworking and nurturing mother.  She has other children who have all grown to be wonderful independent adults.  Marge has always felt that she could have done something more or something different in raising Bart.  She has continued to support and encourage Bart even through his most challenging times.  Bart, even with his difficulties, is still a compassionate and wonderful man.  She needs to remember that she did a great job getting her children to this point.  Bart will be 30 soon and her real work as a mommy is done. It's now time to be mother and friend. She can relax and be happy for her son. She need not make a judgment, just enjoy the moment with her family.

The Trick: The shadow/unexpected – The Chariot

Marge should be a little careful about the movement of the meeting. Marge is divorced for some time and Bart still has some unresolved issues regarding the divorce and her new husband. She should be cautious and look for signs that the conversation is going to open old wounds. Once it takes off in a bad direction she may not get it back on track again. I think the Chariot is heading in a hugely positive direction.  She is very familiar with the things that will set Bart off.  I think Bart is so excited about introducing his sweetie that the meeting will go very smoothly.

The Treat: The positive/opportunity – The Page of Wands

Ciro explains this page: Mischievous. Enjoys drama, is easily bored, and likes to stir up the pot wherever she can. She looks as if she has just hatched some improbable plot which will no doubt provide her with much amusement.

Marge says this describes her son exactly. Mischievous, Drama loving and certainly likes to stir the pot. What's so positive about that? In her son's excitement to show off his new girl he will most likely be distracted and much of the old drama is going to be put aside for the moment. She should create a happy welcoming environment for the meeting. Her thoughts are to have a nice family dinner where they can sit, eat, and chat. Get to know her a little better and watch how the two interact.

Candy Bag: the outcome – 9 of Coins

Huzzah! A great card! Focus, hard work, skilled labor. Marge is going to do just fine. Don't get too emo about the whole thing. Focus on the goal. She loves to cook, maybe she can focus on a special meal, one her son especially loves. Focus on welcoming this young lady, perhaps as a future daughter in law. Focus on the details. Perhaps a nice little gift for the young lady. I expect this little meeting is going to go very well. It looks good for building a nice foundation for the future.

Peace dear friend

Priscilla