Daily Draw: Ace of Swords

Today’s card is the Ace of Swords from the Ostara Tarot.

It’s a pretty dang apt card for me easing back into trying to get my daily draw practice back into gear.  The mouse king stands victoriously on the handle of the sword.  The ace of swords represents issue of the mind.  Reason and logic and mental clarity.  It’s time to stop being the mouse and use that sword to cut through all the crap clouding my brain.

Either that or there is a brainy issue heading my way and I’ll need the sword to wrangle all of it.

A Wooly Witchy Tarot Spread

I wanted to pull some cards for myself this morning, I was hoping for a little guidance over the next month or so and I thought I’d share the reading because it felt like the advice was meant for more than just me.

Underlying Energy: The Moon

How appropriate that my only major appeared here.  My wife and I have been sorting through some Big Stuff, facing some of our worst fears about the path we’re on right now.  And it’s felt scary and tense.  But we’re coming out the end of the most intimidating month thus far.  And we’re doing okay.

If you’ve been feeling a lot of uncertainty lately it’s because you’ve been sort of fumbling around in the dark a lot and things look more frightening in the dark.  Problems loom larger and things are more scary than they would be in the light of the sun.  Time to channel that little black cat who looks down into the water and sees the mighty panther that lies within her.  Own your inner witch and take control and you’ll be able to see by the light of a full moon instead of inching your way around by touch.

Current Situation: Eight of Swords

Being tied up and feeling like you can’t get out of the situation when really those binds aren’t even tied and you could slip them.

There are tools at our disposal, but we need to open our eyes and look clearly and objectively at the true situation.  You might be surrounded by sharp swords, but if you take off the blindfold you can see that it’s not so hard to escape.  In this deck the witches tools, her hat and broom, are right outside that circle of swords (a circle of air).

I see a message in here to embrace our identities as well.  The witch has been stripped of hers and it’s rendered her powerless in this card.  Be who you are and play to your strengths.  You are AWESOME, and no one should deny your right to be your best self, no matter what that looks like.  ❤

Something to Release: Seven of Cups

Don’t be so dazzled by all the choices before you that you can’t make a decision.

My wife and I have been weighing choices on our life path lately.  Is what we’re doing working?  Do we continue?  Do we seek something else?  I think this card is an encouragement to stay the course.  It’s working, but it’s still always going to be work.  And that’s okay.  If we’re tight now, we’ll have greater appreciation for the abundance that will come later.

Make the choice, and trust that you’ve made the right one.

Something to Reach for: Four of Pentacles

Now isn’t the time to spend recklessly.  Whether you’re spending your money, your time, your love, don’t go wild.  I see a person protecting their savings.  And for us right now, money is tight, we need to be really careful how we choose to spend it and where.  In this card the door is locked and barred with golden leaves and iron bars.  There is wealth here, but it must be carefully guarded.

However, try not to stress over it.  Stressing out about guarding this is going to cost you in health.  So be careful, but also use your resources wisely, this is conservation and not preservation.  Conservation is using a resource sustainably as much as possible while preservation is maintaining something exactly as it is.

Looks like another while of our strict budgeting is in our future.

Interestingly enough, the cat is looking for a way out.  Or maybe she’s watching the circling storm clouds outside.  You never quite know with cats 🙂  It’s part of their mystery.

Other Thoughts

No wands in this spread, maybe I should be looking for a way to inject a little more passion into our lives.  When budgets are tight we feel stressed and worn out.  I’ll have to think of some ways to add that fire back into things and give us some fun.

Speaking of which, because we wanna be cool Instagram kids (XD), we learned how to make slime Tuesday night and I made some imperfect sparkly slime.  Always room for improvement, but it was fun.  Want to try it yourself?  Some Slime Recipes.

Help Fight Trump and Get a Wooly Reading

I felt a call to refresh this offer again today.  So, if you can make a donation to an organization helping to support marginalized communities under the current state of politics.  I’ll give you a free reading!

If you donate $10 or more to an organization that is trying to prevent Trump from harming people, I will do a small reading for you.  Suggestions for organizations that are close to my heart:  Planned Parenthood, ACLU, The Trevor Project, or Black Lives Matter.

I’ll keep this up as long as I can.  Forward your donation receipt (or a screen cap with payment methods blacked out) to me (woolywitchy (at) gmail (dot) com) and your question (or if you’d a more general “message from the universe/deity” reading that’s okay too).  And I will lay out some cards for you and e-mail you a reading.  I’m not sure what time turn around I’ll have, it’ll depend on how many requests I get.  And I’ll do as many as I can.

So get donating and check out my Code of Ethics to make sure my reading guidelines will work for you.

Summer Solstice Community Reading

I cast a summer solstice spread to help folks to help heal and provide support and love to those who are in need.

1. Sunrise. What is your source of abundant growth?
King of Pentacles

This card to me is both about grounding yourself and freeing yourself from constraints. The pentacles are the suit of earth and of material physical things. But notice how this King has literally taken the bull by the horns and seems almost to float above it. It’s a card that you have to look at twice to make sure you’ve seen it the right way up. He has the support of the entire suit below him and he has mastery over it. When you take good care of yourself you can achieve great things. As a community this encourages you both to be this stable king and to seek out those who embody this king’s energy. We all should support each other as we move through a world that is sometimes hostile to us.

2. Bonfire. Where do you shine brightest? How do you illuminate the world? Adversely, what do you fear to show the world? What holds you back from exposing your greatness?
Nine of Chalices – reversed

This card talks about our fears as we look ahead to the future together. The figure on the bench looks into a future that is bright and glowing, but behind them chaotic energy still swirls, threatening to creep into the idyllic scene. This card also showed reversed, as a community we’re finding out bright future blocked and unreachable at times.

Our current political climate is hostile to us. People of color are being killed by the very forces that are supposed to protect and serve, trans folks are being stripped of their rights and denied equal protections, women are being systematically denied their reproductive rights.

As a community we’re searching for that bright future that the card depicts but we aren’t sure how we can get there from where we’re sitting. We shine brightest when we come together to support ALL of our community. We don’t want to be afraid to show our true selves to the world but it feels unsafe to do that.

3. Sunset. What is it that you have to give?
Five of Swords – reversed

The five of swords is a card of conflict, a battle is happening in our midst. There’s also a distraction at one side as one of the combatants finds a butterfly and drops their swords.

This card speaks to the divisions we’ve allowed to grow in our communities. Rifts between communities of color and queer communities, rifts between gay and lesbian and trans communities. Those who oppose us encourage those rifts to widen, driving wedges between us. They know that by isolating and dividing our communities they can weaken us. This card is a reminder that we need to come together. When we all support one another we are stronger.

Don’t turn your swords against your community. Save that fight for where it’s most needed. Resist the temptation to draw distinctions between different groups. Don’t allow your own community to “Other” people who are different. Bring everyone in and we have to use our privilege to help uplift the people who aren’t being heard.

4. Summer sun. Overview of the strengths of your relationships between friends, family, and lovers.
Eight of Pentacles – reversed

This card is a beautiful card for this position of summer sun. It depicts a person watering sunflowers. This is a reminder to nurture your relationships. Another message of coming together for mutual growth and abundance. Take the time to water new growth and carefully tend to old growth as well. We can all benefit from the harvest to come when we work together to help it grow.

In the reversed position it’s also a reminder to conserve, there may be lean times ahead so we really need to focus on ensuring this harvest can bear fruit.

5. Summer shadow. Overview of the weaknesses of your relationships between friends, family, and lovers.
Two of Chalices

Summer is a fantastic time to fall in love.  There are scores of songs in our pop culture consciousness about summer love.  The message in this card about relationships is to be careful not to disappear into a single relationship and forget about the rest of your community. New relationships are powerfully compelling and can be wonderful things. But don’t forget the rest of your friends and the community around you as you get swept away by a new lover or lovers.

6. Sacred herbs. Overview of your relationship to the green world including the food you eat.
The Heirophant

This is a call to listen to a trusted teacher or mentor. The summer is a fantastic time to get out into the green world. Visit a state park, head to the beach, partake of the abundance of nature around you. Visit your local farmers’ market and fill your meals with fresh local vegetables. The heirophant can represent authority figures which often come off as negative, but finding them here in this particular position shows the Heirophant as a force of nature. Find him in the Green Man of the woods, in Mother Nature, and in the wild places of the world, find a place of stillness in your mind and listen to what they have to say.

This is also a reminder to take breaks when you need them. Unplug your phone and get away from the 24/7 news cycle of violence and despair. Take the time to move through the growing things so you can come back refreshed.

7. Land spirits. Overview of your relationship to the land spirits.
Lovers

The Lovers represents a powerful connection. It could be to a new lover, it could be for a new project or business or a cause. This card showing up here reinforces that message from the Hierophant that this summer is a time to get out into the world and soak it in.

8. Stirrings. What part of you is awakening as the wheel turns towards the first harvest?
Three of Chalices

I can’t think of a better card to cap off a community reading. This is a card of celebrating with your community. Come together in joy, dance, share food and drink, gather around a campfire and tell stories. Celebrate the achievements that we’ve worked for. Be with your friends, family, and chosen family.

Happy Pride, everyone. ❤

Where I Read

One of the prompts in the Instagram this month was “Where you Read Tarot” and I loved this idea and I felt like sharing my space with a little more detail.  I’m kind of hoping that it’ll catch on because I would LOVE to see your spaces too.  I find it fascinating to get that kind of peek behind the scenes.

One more note, this is what works for me, for my practice, your space and your practice might look very different and that’s okay.  Even two people in exactly the same structured faith won’t have identical practices and it’s in those differences that we find the richness.  My practice works for me just as yours works for you (and if your doesn’t, that’s a big clue to change it up, you should feel empowered to adapt your faith so that it enriches your life).

This is the birds eye view of my space.  I keep my laptop handy to one side because I like to type up my readings rather than hand write them because my handwriting gets worse the longer I write, and I tend to ramble on when writing about tarot cards 😉

The box in the window is a little Moon shrine I created from a Moon card and some mosaic stones.  One of my favorite things is the sunrise and rainbow stained glass piece hanging in my window.  My dad made that for me when I was a little girl.  It’s been cracked a few times, but I love it so much.  The statue is Athena, my matron goddess, and I keep some of my favorite crystals around her feet.

I like to keep an assortment of colored candles on hand so I can match them to my readings.  Lighting a candle, for me, helps me to make a division between mundane and sacred space.  Little rituals to help get me in the right mindset to be open to intuition.  I keep essential oil sprays around so I can mist my work surface before I get started and wipe things down once in a while.  A little physical cleaning helps to keep the metaphysical space tidied up too.  My purple candle is from Witch City Wicks and it’s lavender scented.  Being the wooly witch that I am, lavender is my best friend, it keeps the moths away and it’s a major plant ally.  I always keep some on hand.

The print of Strength is from the Dark Days Tarot.  Strength was a card that was a guide for me when I was just starting to learn Tarot.  The pillar candle is something that I made to help me grow in my Tarot practice.  I used a Star card from a deck that was deeply problematic and created a lovely reminder of what is possible.

I like crystals.  I find them beautiful to look at and useful for charging up with intentions.  I also have a tiny deck of playing card styled major arcana cards that my mom bought for me in Italy.  She also brought back an “Evil Eye” protection charm from Greece for us that I keep over the main threshold in my kitchen.  Having things that remind me of my family around me when I’m working witchcraft makes me feel really happy.  You can also see one of my favorite tea mugs up there.  I love to have a cup of tea with me while I’m reading.  It’s another one of those lovely mindset changing rituals that helps get me in the right frame.

So that’s my reading space.  I’d love to hear about yours!

Help me pay the plumber: book a reading!

Over the last weekend my wife and I have been dealing with some not so fun plumbing issues and now we’ve got a plumber scheduled to replace a whole lot of pipes… which lands us with a not insubstantial bill we really weren’t expecting.  So if you’d been considering booking a reading I’d love to entice you to go for it!

I offer readings in a range of price points; you can get a simple one card check in for just $5, and it’s a great way to get a sample of my reading style if you’re uncertain.

I’m also thinking about offering some custom-made quilted tarot bags and reading mats. So if you’ve seen the flurry of quilting I’ve been doing on my Instagram and you like what you see, I’m interested in working with you to make an awesome fabric tarot accessory.  I have a range of drawstring pouches ready to ship right now.  A fully lined zippered tarot pouch will probably be around $20 and a quilted mat will range from $20-30 depending on the complexity.  The sunburst (11″x11″) mat would be simpler than the one with the black zig zag (13″x9″ ish).  Each Drop me a line woolywitchy (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll chat!

 

Help Fight Trump and Get a Wooly Reading

 I saw other people doing this over on IG and I wanted to do something too.  I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I think it’s past time for me to just do it.  So, I’m doing it.

If you donate $10 or more to an organization that is trying to prevent Trump from harming people, I will do a small reading for you.  Suggestions for organizations that are close to my heart:  Planned Parenthood, ACLU, The Trevor Project, or Black Lives Matter.

I’ll keep this up as long as I can.  Forward your donation receipt (or a screen cap with payment methods blacked out) to me (woolywitchy (at) gmail (dot) com) and your question (or if you’d a more general “message from the universe/deity” reading that’s okay too).  And I will lay out some cards for you and e-mail you a reading.  I’m not sure what time turn around I’ll have, it’ll depend on how many requests I get.  And I’ll do as many as I can.

So get donating and check out my Code of Ethics to make sure my reading guidelines will work for you.

Tarot Talk: How to find the Right Tarot Reader for You

So you’ve decided that you want to get a Tarot reading.  Awesome!  I admit that I’m a little bit biased, but I think Tarot can be a fantastic tool for helping to understand those difficult situations life can sometimes throw at us.  A good Tarot reading can be an empowering tool that helps you figure out what’s going on in your life and how to handle it when you’re feeling like you’re barely treading water.

But how do you find a good Tarot reader?  And how do you find the right reader for you?  Every reader has a different style and reads in a slightly different way.  Choosing the right reader is just as important as asking the right questions.  So where do you even start?

Start by visiting their website and doing a little bit of background reading.  One thing that I like to look for is a code of ethics (it could be called a statement of values or something along those lines).  Reading through that page can tell you a lot about a reader.  I always look for explicit LGBT inclusive language.  A note here to any other straight readers, if you’re welcoming to queer clients state that outright.  Inclusivity is not the default, so if you don’t say that you’re welcoming or say that you try to operate as a safe space we won’t know. If you want to be inclusive and supportive of queer folks (and other marginalized groups) then you need to say it.  And your actions need to reflect it, but that’s a whole other post.

Another thing that I look for in a reader is how they describe their style.  If you’re looking for a predictive Christian centered reading, I’m not the reader for you.  If you’re looking for a witchy intuitive reading, that’s more my bag and I might be a good match for you.  You want to feel comfortable with your reader.  If you feel weirded out or nervous you won’t get a good reading from them because the energy flow won’t be there.  The more engaged you can be in your reading the better it will be for you.

Another way to find a good reader is recommendations from people that you trust.  Bear in mind that what works for one person might not work for you, but positive reviews and recommendations are huge.

My last piece of advice on finding the right reader for you is to trust your gut.  If you’re corresponding with them and you get a feeling that something is ‘off’ trust that feeling.  If the reader is trying to up-sell you a bunch of other things (like spells and charms That You Must Have!!!) step away.  A good and ethical tarot reader won’t try to convince you that you need them or else, they’ll let the right clients find them.  Now, I’m not saying that if the reader you’re looking for advertises their services that they’re bad, that’s not at all the case.  What I’m saying is that if you have someone badgering you that you need to get a reading from them or bad things will happen or if you ask for a reading and they try to push other products onto you at the same time, that’s not a good sign.

If they promise you instant riches or fame if you work with them, use your common sense.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

In Summary, do your homework and background reading, find someone that aligns with your values and practices, trust your intuition, and don’t fall for scams.

And if you want to learn more about me and see if I’m the right reader for you you can view my About Me page, peruse my Code of Ethics, and if it feels right to you, consider Ordering a Reading.  I’d love to work with you to help you through whatever life has put in your path.

10 Questions

From Ethony, 10 questions every Tarot Reader should answer.

I love this exercise, and I’ve tackled some of them before in my learning of Tarot, but it never hurts to re-examine them as you grow as a reader.

I’d love to hear your answers, and I’d love to take your questions too!  What questions would you add to this and what else would you ask me?  Share your questions and thoughts in the comments!

1. Were you mentored, or were you self-taught?

It’s been a mix of both.  I’ve taken some courses and read some books.  But one of the clearest messages that I’ve gotten all through my studies is that I have to trust my intuition.

2. Are you a psychic or a Tarot reader?

I am a Tarot reader.  I think of myself as an intuitive reader, but I wouldn’t claim to be psychic.  I let the cards speak to me and share the messages that I get.  I like to invoke a deity or higher energy when I give a reading to ask that they help guide my ability so that I can offer the best advice possible to the person I’m reading for.

3. Are your predictions accurate, and is accuracy important to you?

In the majority of my tarot work I’ve dealt more with advice for situations and questions relating to what a querent needs to understand about a problem.  The feedback that I’ve gotten has been overwhelmingly positive.  The highest compliment that I hope for is that people found my reading useful and empowering.

4. Is there anything you can’t predict in a reading?

I don’t really read predictively.  I sort of thing that trying to read that way takes the agency away from my querent.  I can tell you what might happen based on the path you’re currently on, but the power always lies with you on your path.  I want a Tarot reading to empower you to take hold of the reigns of your life so that you’re directing it.  I aim to help you better understand yourself and your own power rather than trying to predict your future.

5. Do you use only Tarot, or are you multi-disciplinary?

I use mostly Tarot decks, but I am very fond of oracle decks as well.  I’ve experimented a tiny bit with some runes and charm casting.  I also believe that there are signs out there around us if we can only remember to stop and look for them.

6. Is the message in the cards, or in your head?

I think that the cards help me to receive the messages that I pass on to the querent.  I think that Tarot reading can be a way to channel more divine or spiritual information if you take the time and space to open yourself to those things.  I’ve also just sat down with my cards to sort of talk myself through something, relying on the cards to help me change my perspective or to recognize something about a situation that I’ve been missing.

7. Are you a priest/ess or a fortune-teller?

I guess I haven’t really thought of myself as either one of these.  I feel like priest (or priestess) would be taking on too much authority (for myself, I’m not saying this for anyone else except me) that I don’t feel I hold yet.  At this point on my path, anyway.  And I feel like fortune-teller seems a little too gimmicky.  Again, I am speaking for myself.  If any of you embrace that label and want to share your thoughts with me, I would be honored to hear them.  I love to learn from my fellow readers.

8. Are you a fixer or a looker?

I think I’m probably more of a fixer.  I want to be helpful.  I want you to get something useful and empowering out of my reading.  I want it to bring you new information, to make you feel like you are better prepared to face the world.  That’s my goal.  To help.  So I think I would rather think of myself as a Helper.

9. Do you read for free, or for fee?

Yes.  😉  Okay, less cheekily, I have read for friends and family for free.  It depends on the situation.  If I am offering a reading, unasked for and unprompted, then I am offering a reading free of charge.  If someone seeks me out for a reading I would probably charge.  Right now I am lucky enough that I don’t have to depend on this for my livelihood.

10. Is there anything you won’t predict in a reading?

I won’t try to predict the actions or mindsets of other people.  Things like “Will they leave me?”, “Do they love me?”, “Where is X thing?”.  I’ve actually never tried a Lost Object reading, so I wouldn’t know if that would work well.  I won’t try to predict or read for something that I don’t think I could be helpful in.  It would be dishonest and that’s not what I’m about.

Wordless Wednesday