Samhain/Halloween 2012

I did this reading on October 30th. I thought I'd signed up for the Tarot Bloghop, but when I went to see what number I was on the list, I wasn't on it and it seemed a but late to point that out and screw up the flow of things. The topic Amethyst chose was to delve into who our shadow side is. This is the spread I created using my beloved Tarot of the Vampyres. I have left Rx cards as upright in the pictures.

1. Mask - (how others see me) - Rx 5 of Skulls - Wow, what a compliment! Others see me as a survivor. I notice how her body is positioned and I know this is in reference to my back injury. It is both at the neck and in the lower back. It has recently been an extreme challenge once again and like that huge wolf, it is a most ominous opponent. This glyphs for Taurus and Mercury let me know I have to not be so ridged in my thinking about chronic pain. I've got to get up, look this beast dead square in the eye and kick its ass! Back pain cause me to loose a LOT of things, money included. It definitely helps to know that others see as such a strong woman.

2. Vampire (what drains me/sux the life outta me, yet seduces me) - Lord of Scpeters - This speaks on two issues. 1.the chronic pain dragging me back into that cycle of hell. The glowing red and lightening is a perfect depiction of the pain, and pain will make you tired as hell mentally and physically. 2. Being so inspired to have my tarot business and the constant challenge of getting my shit together. (This deck has always been so very honest with me)

3. Ghost - (what past issue do I need to put to rest) - Rx 4 of Knives - The first thing I get from this card is insomnia. I notice she is looking to the past, and with the three previous cards that gives the more specific information. I also get that I need to work with Rapahel the Arch Angel for healing.

4. Shadow - (what am I not seeing that I need to bring to light) -  The Hierophant V - hmm... It would appear that I am being subservient in some way and need to take back my power, be my own authority figure. I'll have to consider this further.

5.  Werewolf - ( what transformation needs to happen) - 8 of Knives - God grief Charlie Brown. How I get all stagnant and don't do shit because I am not sure what to do first, all indecisive. This a warning that depression is lurking and I'd do wise to get my shit in gear.

6. Candle - (source of hope or inspiration) - The Hermit IV - Ruled by Virgo, organization and determination will keep me inspired. Just start walking, the path will be shown to me. Just make sure it doesn't lead me back into the vicious cycle if indecision.

7. Jack-o-lantern (what treat can I expect) - Prince of Grails - I swear to you, as I was shuffling, I had this whole conversation about not being surprised about getting a card predicting romance on the horizon. I also think it is saying that the alone time that the Hermit told me to make will strengthen my intuitive gifts as well as give me peace.

I hope you all had a very Blessed Samhain and would love to know if you try to I spread!

VK

*update- I can not believe it, but since I did this reading I have seemingly acquired 4 suitors?!? Kind of like this version of the Knight if Cups, I am so over falling in love with being in love. so much like him, I'll just quitely but consciously honor my own worth and not make any suddend moves and enjoy being courted. I'll keep you all posted lol

Ezili Dantor and the Queen of Swords

There are many powerful Haitian spirits, or Lwa. One of the most misunderstood and most vilified is Ezili Danto . Tuesday is her sacred day. In the tarot, she is the Queen of Swords. In fact, blades are one of  her most sacred items. First and foremost she is a devoted mother and fierce protectress. Like the QofSw she is direct and to the point, no nonsense, very intelligent and a woman of action who gets results. She takes matters into her own hands and doesn't mind it one bit if they have to get a bit dirty. She is raw and gritty and makes no apologies for it. She is painfully honest and can see and cut straight through bullshit, deception or hidden agendas so you'd do wise to not come to her with any of the above. Think... Gemini female. They can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. The argument could be made that they are crazy and irrational as well as just plain mean. It could also be made that if you approach them with foolishness, dishonesty or a trickery, you get what you deserve. That could be a razor sharp tongue. It could be getting shanked. I'm jus sayin'... But if you are lucky enough to have one your side, you have a valiant ally.

You can seek Ezili Danto's assistance for a number of issues, but she is prone to show favor on certain groups in particular: single mothers, abused women and children, victims of violent crime, women with their own businesses, victims of rape or incest, gay and in particular lesbian individuals, and any one being oppressed or mistreated. Clearly, if you have caused any harm to anyone who fits into any of these categories, it would be ill advised to seek help from her. Items sacred to Danto are cigars, rum, red wine, yams, hot peppers, hot sauce, pineapples, knives/blades, sweet potatoes, red roses with thorns, Florida water, silver jewelry, and unfiltered cigarettes, Lucky Strikes in particular. Another great way to connect with her is by using her veve. Each Lwa has their own veve, or symbol. It acts as a calling card for that particular spirit. Danto's colors are blood red and royal blue. These things can be used on an alter to her, or to call upon her to ask for help or to show your gratitude after she has helped you. (And always put water on an alter to any of the Lwa)She does not require a lot, nor expensive or extravagant gifts in or for her to do work for you. But you must give her something to show your respect and appreciate her. It doesn't have to be complicated, just sincere. And if you make a promise, by all means keep it! If you say you will light red and blue candles and leave a bottle of Night Train or a 40oz and a pack of Kool's and a yam do so! She is a very loving but stern Mamma, not a woman to be toyed with or taken for granted. She will also help with prosperity. Now she most likely wont just give you money like other spirits will, but she will provide you with the opportunities to earn it, particularly if you need to provide for a child or to get out of an abusive or dangerous situation.

*my alter for Ezili Danto* One more thing that is very important to mention. This is Ezili Danto. Do NOT confuse her with her sister, who's name I won't even put in the same sentence. I will explain further in future post, but suffice it to say they do NOT like each other! Don't ask them to work on the same situation. And by all means do NOT have their alters next to nor facing each other.

Call on Danto if you need protection and the courage to fight and find strength when you need it. She honors vulnerability, raw honesty, hard work and will help you conquer fear by facing it head on teach you to survive as well as thrive in spite of adversity or oppression.
*Danto's veve*

The Empress Yemaya

The Orisha Yemaya is from the Yourban (now present day Nigeria) tradition. She is associated with motherhood, fertility,  child birth, mother/child relationships, emotions, the home, healing, creativity, nurturing and the ocean. Associatted with Our Lady of Regla she is said to wear 7 skirts for each of the 7 seas. Saturday is her sacred day and her colours are blue and white. She is the spirit that my friend Zaar introduced me to and gave me a special oil for her when I was looking for my apartment I have here in NOLA. I kept saying I needed a place to live. He said no, what you need is a home, a sanctuary. You need Yemaya. So I made a very specific list of what I wanted. 33 things in total to be exact lol! Well I'll have you know, all but 3 of them were granted! To name just a few, I have the most precious apartment ever, with such a warm and homey feel, all utilities included, and the coolest landlord and property manager. Not to mention the history associated with this gorgeous building. It was originally built in 1740 and later owned by a prominent Creole family. I swear it looks like a pirate ship in some places. And the numbers in my address total to the number 7.

In the tarot, I'd associate Yemaya with The Empress card and with the Queen of Cups. I think the QofC from the. World Spirit Tarot is the most perfect depiction of Yemeya.

 One of th promises I made to Yemaya when I was looking for my home was tht I would create an alter in the bathroom in her honor.


Last Saturday my friend Ren and I went to The Gulf in Mississippi to do a ritual in honor of Yemaya. I needed to say thank you as well as ask a very special request on behalf of both myself and our friend Catelyn. I wore a blue and white sundress and did my eyeshadow in beautiful shades of blue and turquoise and brought a bouquet of flowers that I put in the water for the tide to carry out.

Yemaya has answered many of my prayers, from finding my apartment/sanctuary to assisting with my communication with my mother to bringing peace and restful sleep to a very dear friend who has been plagued with night terrors for many years. Call upon her when your soul needs the loving, nurturing touch of a mother's love.

Trimming the Boarders

In this video I talk about removing the boarders from your tarot decks.

Tarot and Medical Issues

I am very cautious when making any kind of statements with regard to medical conditions. I have no letters behind my name, so I ain't a nurse, doctor, dentist or anything of the like.  Having said that, there are certain things that I either seen come up in the cards or certain associations that I could see being made with certain card combination. Here are a few:

simple chronic halitosis -  Page of Swords and Rx Ace of Cups -    That sharp tongued communicator, the Pg of Sw in combination with dehydration due to various reasons. Be it simply not drinking enough water, mouth-breathing, drinking dehydrating beverages like our BFF coffee, smoking, or eating sulfer rich food like onions. It can also mean that one may need to turn that Rx AofC right side up and put some Lysterine in it. Other remedies include chewing on parsley or mint leaves. Another cause could be bacterial or fungal sinusitis. Flossing does wonders as well.

hot freakin' flashes - Rx High Priestess and Queen of Wands -  If you have not yet experienced this bullshit, let me tell you, it SUX! I think I personally am being gifted with it due to being a smartass little shit and making fun of my coworkers who suffered from this when I was a flight attendant and they'd make the cabin so cold the rest of us had icicles form from our runny noses!
The H.P. is associated with the moon and cycles, flux. So Rx I see this as that being being blocked or stopped. And that fiery QofW shining like a  bond fire lol!



pregnancy - Aces, Pages, High Preistess, Empress, 4 of Swords, 3 of Swords, 4 of Wands, The Sun, 4 of Cups, 5 of Cups, 7 of Swords, 3 of Wands, 3 of Cups, The Star, 2 of Swords, King or Queen of Swords, The Tower, 9 of Cups   - 
Aces are new starts, seeds ripe with possibilities. I tend to see the Ace of Swords and Wands as a male child and Aces of Cups and Pentacles as female. Ive seen the H.P. with the 7ofSw show an ectopic pregnancy. The Empress of course is the archetypal Mamma. She is number III in the major arcana and 3's are about synthesis, creation. Where 2 has now become a 3rd. Hence the 3ofC, 3ofW or 3ofP. I can see where the 3ofSw could mean a miscarriage or  abortion, especially if the 2ofSw is near by, as it shows a difficult decision must be faced and made. Or if the 3ofSw is next to The Tower it could mean an abrupt or unplanned end to the pregnancy. On the flip side, if the Tower were next to The Star or 9ofC, it would show a very pleasant surprise about the pregnancy. The 4ofSw I've seen  mean bed rest. The King and Queen of Sw could represent the OBGYN or nurses. If the 4 or 5ofC would be a signal of possible postpartum depression. That AofSw could show a C-section.

back pain - 10 of Swords, 10 of Wands, various Pentacle cards - As a person who has to deal with the issue of chronic back pain, I've seen these cards come up time and time again. 10ofSw can show the possibility of surgery or the amazing benefits of acupuncture. It can also show how excruciating and shocking that sharp nerve pain can be. 10ofW can show an injury due to over exertion or extreme stress. If I saw The Tower near by, I'd know it was referring to the fact that I had accidents that caught me totally off guard and caused my situation. With my personal injuries, I know that the 9of P aka "disks" is referring to my back injury, as I damaged 9 disks when I had the first accident.

dental issues - King or Queen of Swords, Ace of Swords, Page of Swords - For me it is the QofSw since my beloved dentist Dr. Barbosa is a female. She is so awesome! If you are in Philly and need a patient, compassionate, and highly skilled dentist, she is the one for even those of you who fear the dentist. I see the Page because of communication and that Ace as the drill or implements that may be used.

Again,  for love of God, use common sense in what you choose to say to clients and compassion with how you say it. And find out what the laws in your state may say with regard to discussing anything that has to do with medical situations.

F&F Bontanica

Last week I had to opportunity to go F & F Botanica and I am so glad I finally made it. A botanica is a spiritual store where one can get supplies for voodoo, santeria and witch rituals. I hadn't been since before Katrina, or as we say here, "before The Storm" and I am so glad to know that it is still here. The owner Felix is such a lovely gentleman, so knowledgable and so hospitable. I went to get some supplies for a ritual to the Orisha Yemaya because she is the spirit who I called upon to found my beloved new apartment I have in The Quarter. Going to the botanica is kinda like going to the MAC store. You can spend a lot of hours and a lot of dollars quite easily because you will want everything you see. There are so many beautiful statues to the various saints and lwa (spirits in the Hatian voodoo tradition), and Orishas (spirits in the Youban tradition). There are soaps, incense, and more candles than I've ever seen anywhere.





/>So tonight I decided to ask the tarot what was the hidden treasure I found by going to F&F and I used my newly trimmed Robin Wood tarot with my rockstar reading.

Lead Singer - 7 of Cups - I am expanding my spirituality by learning about voodoo. It has been so widely misunderstood due to being vilified by the media and explained from the perspective of outsiders. It is also clearly representing the 7 Orishas
Back up #1 - The Hermit IV - I love being a witch. The aspect of it that I do not like is the lack of a sense of community. I think the option to be a solitary is great! But I have missed having others around me to interact with. The path of my spiritual journey has been what has sustained me through MANY an uphill battle and shone me the light that shines from within my spirit that it took me about 40 years to be able too see.

Back up #2 - Death  XIII - most interesting that both are hooded figures. To me a hood represents wisdom that must be protected and shared in a very responsible manner. Clearly one can see how this applies to the practice of voodoo.
Death is about massive change that segways into a new way of life, and damn if I ain't had a whole hell of a lot of that. I am so excited about the transformations that are taking place and the rebirth I have gone through as of late. Going to the botanica reminded me that my spiritual path is the most sacred aspect of my life. I have to make my own way and make no apologies to anyone for what is the natural course of things just because they may not understand or be comfortable with it.