When the Goddesses Gather

When each blade of green grass is icy white and the sun hangs on a bleak thread in the sky, on this day, the second day of newness as the century becomes a teenager, we gather around the dining table near the wood burning stove to share tarot decks.  Wisdom unfolds.

Each person brings a wealth of knowledge, perception, insight and joy to share.  "What deck is that?" we ask and lean forward as the card is passed around.

Today we tackled the sublime issue presented by #8 and #11.  Which do you choose for the position of 8?  Justice or Strength.  We considered the history offered by Mary K. Greer in "Who Are You in the Tarot?"  Each woman considered their cards, and their own journey.  Most of us selected Strength for Number Eight.  I have straddled this dilemma for many years and finally settled on Eight as Strength so no matter what the deck says, I shift Justice if it is Eight to the 11 position.

Many decks as we ponder Strength

The position of Strength on the Fool's journey between the Chariot and the Hermit seems most appropriate. Do you have a preference and why?

Bright blessings as the cards guide us into a new year!!!

King of Swords Speaking

I was looking something up and happened upon the chart below.  I cannot tell you the delight to find the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) associated with the Tarot.  This is straight from Wikipedia but check it out.  If you are not familiar with MBTI, it is an excellent way to observe your own personality presentations and to understand where your difficulties with others arise.

Yes, ENTJ, at your service, The King of Swords, though you may call me Prince.

(I'm having trouble posting but will go for it and come back later and try to re-format.  Very excited to
share this infomration with you!!!)

Court cards and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Tarotists sometimes assign correspondences between the 16 court cards and the 16 types under the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality profile test. See Wikipedia article on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for a discussion of the MBTI and the 16 MBTI types.

It should be noted that there is no one single universal system of correspondences between the 16 court cards and the 16 MBTI types. There have been a number of different systems of court-to-type correspondences identified by tarotists.

[edit]Table of various MBTI correlation

#	Valet of Batons	Knight of Batons	Queen of Batons	King of Batons		Valet of Cups	Knight of Cups	Queen of Cups	King of Cups		Valet of Coins	Knight of Coins	Queen of Coins	King of Coins		Valet of Swords	Knight of Swords	Queen of Swords	King of Swords	source:
1	INFP	ENFP	INFJ	ENFJ		ISFP	ESFP	ISFJ	ESFJ		ISTP	ESTP	ISTJ	ESTJ		INTP	ENTP	INTJ	ENTJ

Oh, the joy of a new deck. There are so many to choose from, that your Christmas stocking should be heavy with variety.  Today Mary K. Greer, tarot icon, posted this on Facebook and I needed to share it with you!

Mary K. Greer

I'm very happy to announce that the new edition of Oswald Wirth's great classic, _Tarot of the Magicians_, is now out with an extensive introduction by me. This edition also contains a copy of the 1889 Wirth deck on card stock at the end of the book, which you can cut out. This is the first edition of the deck to be published since its initial printing of 350 copies. Of course, you'll want two copies of the book - one with the cards left intact and a second copy from which you'll cut out the cards to use.
http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Magicians-Occult-Symbols-Inspired/dp/1578635314/

Tarot of the Magicians: The Occult Symbols of the Major Arcana that Inspired Modern Tarot

www.amazon.com

Tarot of the Magicians by Swiss occultist artist and author Oswald Wirth was first published in Paris in 1927, and a Weiser edition was later released in 1985.

May God bless...

May Buddha bestow...

May Aakash anoint...

May Jehovah rejoice...

and may the Goddess keep all these Guys in line!

- Casey Jones DuHamelM

The Chariot

 

The Chariot

The Secret Tarot (mini deck)

 Lo Scarabeo

Moving right along...have you noticed the energy?  Flowing, going, dashing right along even with Mercury retrograde.  An interesting time to pull The Chariot and see what direction you're going.

I've been called to mini decks lately.  See my column in The Stone Moon's ezine newsletter at http://thestonemoon.com (On the top bar, click on Newsletter and scroll down to "Unveiling the Arcana" by yours truly.

Each artist's image invites us to see deeper or different opportunities for a card.  Here are some overall words to trigger walking along The Chariot's path:  Beginning, starting, causing, stimulating, controlling, breathing through, self development, releasing, trusting, insight, building up/letting go, conflict and resolution.

In most deck our charioteer does not hold the reins.  Does s/he will the forward movement or is the motion already in progress and s/he rides along trusting her Higher Power.

The Chariot, number Seven, or number Sixteen, The Tower, (1 +  6 = 7) dance in a constellation (see Mary K. Greer or Angela Arrien) that expand our perception of this card who moves with the energy of Cancer.  One commentator says that's Mars in Cancer.  There is a bit of brusque energy that rides or hides in this card.

In Rotarota Tarot Study Group, the focus is on personal intuitive connection with the cards.  Here are some highlights from a meditation on The Chariot:  yin/yang, movement, surfing, third chakra, wolf heart, come down off your soap box, ceremony, spirit guides, making peace, Celtic knot work, stepping through the threshold, balancing the woo-woo with everyday life, balancing in the now, wand of sovereignty, stars of hope and inspiration, changing, throwing away old ways of expressing myself, chariot of the mind, what is sexy in my life?, power and guidance of the sphinx, timeless, holding still until it is the right time to move, warrior goddess, forging beyond barriers, symphony of the spheres, alert, awaiting the next step, royalty, brave, two sides in harmony.

Select The Chariot from one of your decks.  Take time to really look at the images.  Let go of preconceived ideas about what it "should" indicate.  What does The Chariot say to you right now?  We have four or five magnifying glasses on the table to examine some of the intricacies of a card.  Sometimes a new image will be seen for the first time.  I peered through a magnifying glass and saw the surfer in James Wanless' Voyager Tarot for the first time.  Be surprised.  Write down what you see, what you feel.  Give The Charioteer a voice.  Let her or him speak to you.

Have fun.  

Arcana in the Outback

Nestled in Colorado's Outback are healers, spirit walkers, conjurers of good will, women who walk dry paths to bring light and joy to the high plains.

Elizabeth is a small town that changes yet stays the same, shimmering as the heart of the endless prairie.  Once it was an artists' colony with dirt roads.  On the outskirts today Walmart reminds us of change.

I walk down Main Street.  The Carlson Building, for decades the only public gathering place, is now a used clothing store.  Jeff's exquisite rug shop is only a memory.  I wonder where Lisa teaches yoga now.   A new Apothecary shop lures me and I wander along jars filled with marinating herbs and spices and smile.

Next to the Wildflower, the best saddle repair shop for decades, is the Karma Cottage.  Magic comes to Main Street.  I am delighted with all the physical tools to encourage spirit into our daily lives.  It reminds me The Stone Moon in Bellingham, Washington.

Not only do I find must-have Celtic earrings but two books by long time friends.  I buy a copy of Eva Black Tail Swan's book.

Connie Lehman and I talked of her artwork on the Major Arcana many years ago.  Like all magic, the idea comes first, then the work and finally~voila, in my hands, a beautifully produced book and deck of 22 cards, written with Irene Clurman.  The Fool rejoices.

Find more about Connie's deck at:

          tarotlifecards.com

The Lovers Knock on your Door

When The Lovers Knock on Your Door

A wind blows clouds asunder.  Blue sky opens to higher power, the realm of unseen helpers.

But what's in your face?  What choices dominate your monkey mind?

This month women of Tea & Tarot slept with The Lovers and invited them in for tea.  My Lovers card flipped behind the bed, out of reach and I had to ask my lover to retrieve it for me.  Asking for help is not what I usually associate with this card.  But I will now.  An aspect of this engaging image, asking and receiving, knowing what the choice is and accepting the outcome.  We gather to find our own understanding of the cards, to enhance our perceptions, to "own" the deck.

First I see the importance of integrating the masculine and feminine within.  Once we blend  these two aspects, we can be more successful in our relationships, in making wiser choices, in stepping out of our comfort zone to experience new horizons.

Today we celebrated one year of tarot study, gathering once a month and examining the Major Arcana in sequence and as it relates to the pip cards and the tarot constellations as developed by Angeles Arrien and Mary K. Greer.

The Thoth deck Lovers

Each deck offers symbols that pull us into greater understanding of ourselves.  Do you have a favorite deck?  What do The Lovers ask of you?