This closing month has felt like an overwhelming roller coaster, both in wider culture/society and within my small circle. I continue learning, despite bumps along the way, how to find joy in the little things, reading a good piece or writing, listening to music with a glass of spiced rum, dancing in my living room, shared laughs with my son, taking morning dips in the beach when I’m able.
Social media has been the expected mine field, and I had to conscientiously tell myself to cool it with frequently opening my social media apps. There have nonetheless been good conversations shared here and there.
True to the feel of the month, my reading book-log has been all over the place, I have more unfinished books by my bedside table than I’d care to admit. Between books for personal study and books I’m enjoying I can’t tell what’s what anymore.
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My reading shop has picked up as well, and I’ve been navigating judicious time management strategies, and what each option I come up with looks like in action. When I first re-opened my virtual shop about 4 months ago I did it with the full intention of being available, especially financially accessible, during the lockdown period of those spring months. Now that things have shifted and accommodated, I am adjusting my prices to reflect my standard rate.
Speaking of spreads and reading offerings, I’ve been playing with the full 12-card astrological spread with view of making it available as an option in my shop. I’ve been reading the spread focusing on the houses that highlight the specific question asked, and then I look at how these areas interact, through angles, with the rest of the cards. I find this approach organic and fitting, although it’s still in testing mode so I might change some aspects of my approach. I’ve also been using different decks and find that a solid esoteric deck works real well here. Hence, I’ve mostly been using Tarot of The Holy Light.
Moving on to decks, after waiting three years, some of you might remember this post: Tarot decks under my radar, well I finally got my hands on Ryan Edwards’s Playing Marseille. Just published by US Games in May. It is gorgeous, I love that the tones for the people in the deck are darker and varied, the line work is exquisite, and the size is perfect (around poker deck size) for big spreads. While on the same topic, I also have a couple Lenormand reviews coming up. I’ve really found my taste for them. Years ago, I played with the Blue Owl Lenormand, but it never clicked so I gave it away. It seems I just needed to wait and spend more time with tarot and other things before diving back into the “Lennie” world.
I’ve been working on the next piece for my Animating the Tarot Pips series. Truthfully, the progress these past couple weeks has been stop and go more than anything else. Fluctuating between inspiration and “the funk.” The “funk” here meaning a sort of lethargic blues where the muse is nowhere to be found when I call for her. I feel I just needed to relax. I imagine this feeling will cease or ease and I will find the muse exactly where she always is, waiting for me. So, working on that next piece, which is frankly the most experimental, if I can use that term, of the series. A poetical incantation of the pips.
In the meantime, my last post on the eve of St. John The Baptist was on tarot dreams and I’ve received really good feedback on it, if you would like to try the tarot for dreaming, here is what I wrote on it: Tarot dreams, or dreaming with tarot.
Watching: Listening: Reading
I’ve been thoroughly enjoy the podcast/interview series My Magical Thing With… of the Deep Magic youtube channel run by Julian Vayne and Nikki Wyrd from The Blog of Baphomet. It’s a brief interview series about 5-10 minutes each with guests from different magical/academic/artistic living experiences. Each interview features a guest with their one special magical thing. Watching this series has been a source of joy and inspiration for me, listening to the stories around each person’s magical thing puts me in mind of how our lives are deeply intertwined with the physical world, the things we use and care for. And the objects are varied and rich with history, both of the object itself and what each individual develops with the object. I’ve seen all the interviews so far, but here are a couple to motivate you to check it out.
As I mentioned above, my reading pile is quite high, but there are a couple books I’ve been reading since before the lockdown which have been steadfast companions during the frenzy of June, Bibliotheca Valenciana and Opuscula Cypriani. Loosely put, both are translated compilations, edited, and with extensive commentary by José Leitão. Both are excellent. Bibliotheca Valencia has this endearing flavor that I find very soothing, especially for reading at night. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like I’m curling up in bed with a dear friend that will tell me all sorts of magico-religious stories about creation, the world, the elements, the planets, while also showcasing the diverse fauna of creation. It also has remedies. I love the book, and confess that when I feel anxious before bed, I will read an entry on one of the animals in the bestiary part. Never fails to soothe.
This about covers the full month, I hope you find yourself safe, well, loved, and blessed. Keep going.
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