Legacy of the Divine

Using the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti, and the book 'Writing Poetry from the Inside Out', by Sandford Lyne, I write.

From each card, a word

from each word, a thought

and each thought, poem-sketching.

The World......Open

The Wheel.....Life

Temperance.....Reverence

9 of Pentacles.....Gardens

Walk the Garden's

path

reverently.

Watch tender stalks

burst

born of precious seed.

the pounding rain

the burning sun

cold, wind of change...

life.

Let the Angels

open you

tenderly perfumed, velvet petals

dance in today's light

you are beauty.

 From the Rime of the Ancient Mariner...

The Moving Moon

went up the sky.

And nowhere did

She abide;

Softly she was

going up,

And a star 

or two abide.

by Samuel Talyor Coleridge 1772-1834

 Space.com

Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.

This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.

But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here's how the moon works:

The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth. The moon's orbit around Earth – which causes it to go through all its phases once every 29.5 days – is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. One side of the orbit is 31,070 miles (50,000 km) closer than the other.

So in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.

Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full Moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com.

As a bonus, Mars will be just to the left of the moon tonight. Look for the reddish, star-like object.

Full moon craziness

Many people think full moons cause strange behavior among animals and even humans. In fact several studies over the years have tried to tie lunar phases to births, heart attacks, deaths, suicides, violence, psychiatric hospital admissions and epileptic seizures, and more. Connections have been inclusive or nonexistent.

The moon does have some odd effects on our planet, and there are oodles of other amazing moon facts and misconceptions:

• A full moon at perigee also brings higher ocean tides. This tug of the moon on Earth also creates tides in the planet's crust, not just in the oceans.
• Beaches are more polluted during full moon, owing to the higher tides.
• In reality, there's no such thing as a full moon. The full moon occurs when the sun, Earth and the moon are all lined up, almost. If they're perfectly aligned, Earth casts a shadow on the moon and there's a total lunar eclipse. So during what we call a full moon, the moon's face is actually slightly less than 100 percent illuminated.
• The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 cm) a year.

The moon illusion

Finally, be sure to get out and see the full moon as it rises, right around sunset. Along the horizon, the moon tends to seem even bigger. This is just an illusion.

You can prove to yourself that this is an illusion. Taking a small object such as a pencil eraser, hold it at arm's length, and compare its size to that of the moon just as it rises. Then repeat the experiment later in the night and you'll see that the moon compares the same in both cases. Alternately, snap two photos of the moon, with a digital camera or your cell phone, when the moon is near the horizon and later when it's higher in the sky. Pull both photos up on your computer screen and make a side-by-side comparison.

Astronomers and psychologists agree the moon illusion is just that, but they don't agree on how to explain it.

The Golden Tarot of Klimt, Tarot of the Divine Legacy, Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn, Universal Fantasy Tarot ( And FYI, I think I have them posted in reversed order or my writing about them. So, be creative here, and look at each card from the right side of the page, to the left. ) It is just one of those days...

This Beautiful Moon.

All the books, say all different things about what this card means. As they should, they are written by many brilliant people, that see the Moon through their own perception. I go by the Art. Or how I feel when I see this card. Or what other cards show up with it. 

Today, I really feel this card. The Woman by Gustav Klimt, curling up, eyes closed tightly, in a fetal position. Naked....out there. Really out there. The Beautiful Lady in Ciro Marchetti's Moon card, she, basking it the glow of the full moon. Soaking it up.,A site filled with mystery, seduction, silence. The depiction from the Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn. A place you don't want to be. Spooky, haunted wild animals roaming....the crayfish with sharp claws....waiting to slice your feet. The Moon's face...somber. Go away. We don't want you here. And the Universal Fantasy Tarot Moon. Finally more than one person shows up here. But who are they? You cannot see their faces...hidden by wild heathenish masks. The look hungry to me, and fierce. Warriors on a hunt. Someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.This is all an Illusion. Really. Don't believe what you see, as you can't really see the truth. You are wandering around in the dark. Stop. One way to go 'with' this card, and reap the benefits of drawing it, is to sit with the memories. To let the past float up. To cry. To feel it. And to wait for the Sun to come up, light to flood your path. Morning will come. It will. So, maybe go back to bed, curl up with hot cocoa and read. And pray. And just let whatever has been hidden, lurking in the corners of your soul...come up.

at my gate

the hoarse frogs

keep singing

  

A loyal, tired warrior, 

standing, waiting, listening, with his faithful friend. 

He, by the beautiful white stallion, 

looks past the remains of the broken gate.

The battle is won?

Or is it, 'one' is still standing.  Barely.

Hoarse, from calling...

are any of my wounded brothers, alive?

Glance over here,

and see tearful eyes, seeking yours.

There was just one.

Who quickly cast off

his heavy sad helmet.

And stands away from the fallen.

You both shall sing again...

on another day.

Issa Haiku

The Rumi Tarot

 

After posting this morning, I had reread what I had written. And I was shuffling the new 'Rumi Tarot' by Nigel Jackson. This card fell out. Talk about signs. Can you read what is written on the bottom of this Knight of Staves?   

'The Alif rejoices and fulfils your wishes.'

Ayliffe (Alif) is the lady that just passed, I had written about. I looked up what this could mean, and why it is on this card, from the book, 'Guide to the Rumi Tarot.' 

It says, and I quote, 'A majestic Knight dressed in an orange and green tunic and steel helmet is depicted seated on his horse. He bears the scepter-stave and also a bow and quiver of arrows. He rides through a hilly landscape against a blue sky with white clouds. 

The verse alludes to the Alif, which is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet; in Sufi esoteric symbolism, it stands for the supreme unity.

The Knight of Staves is a symbol of initiative, drive and FEARLESS QUESTING INTO THE UNKNOWN.'

Meaning: Departure from the familiar, Intuition, CHANGE OF RESIDENCE, Emigration, Stable financial sense. 

and fulfils my wishes?   

Thank you....so very much, they are, in just a moment, being posted on my bulletin board right here by my desk.

She definitely is fearlessly questing into the unknown, with her new change of residence. Those mischievous twins.  

Issa


winter withering--
amid the storm
a sacred lantern


-Issa, 1821


This has been quite a winter. The ice on the inside of my window, makes a lovely pattern of lace. It greets me each morning as I sit down with my fresh coffee, at my computer. And read the morning news. And pray.

These cards depict how I feel today.

Heard that a friend died yesterday morning. She would have been 97 on the 24th of January. Yes....what a long life. How blessed she was. Really. One of her daughters by her side, holding her frail hand as she passed from this life, to her next. I bet there was huge party as she parted, her husband had just passed last year, and many friends and loved ones, no doubt gathered around her, embracing her, catching her up on what they have been doing on the other side. And I don't believe sitting around strumming harps is on the agenda. They call it Heaven for a reason...and she is happy. Like dancing happy. I can feel it.
I remember staying at her house during a huge family reunion, in the summer of 1980. Having to go upstairs to find a quiet place to nurse my baby son, who happens to turn 30 today. His birthday. Sweet Joshua. It must have been the hottest summer on record....I really think it was. And young, prudish me, I could not nurse him in front of anyone. So, here we hide....in sweltering heat....stuck together. Poor child, I bet he would have loved some icy cold milk from one of those cows standing around that yard filled with family, in Iowa. But no, mothers milk is best. Whatever.
Ayliffe. She was my mother in law's, identical twin sister. Mother in law. What a term. Constance. She was my real mother. Finally, life had given me a mother...one that adopted me into her family, into her heart. She was my best friend. Sadly, she died when Josh was just one year old. But my 2 little daughters, who were 6 and 9, they remember her sweet ways.
Last year, my genealogist daughter, Johnna, sent me recent a picture of Ayliffe. I have not seen her in years. She looked exactly like my 'mother' would have looked, if she would have still been here. Ugh. I could not even keep the photo out. Had to put it away. Maybe I am still grieving for the one, dear lady that mothered me. So, as of yesterday, the twins are together. Reunited. Two little girls that shared the same place under their mothers heart for 9 months....now together.


winter withering.....the season of winter. harsh, sad, cold. so many out of work, homeless. hopeless. their souls withering. passing to a new way of life, one way or the other. winter. followed by spring. that seems a long reach, today. can't even go there.

amid the storm....fox news. storms, and more storms. storms in the atmosphere, storms in the homes, storms in the news. find someone worse off than you, not hard to do. help them. another friend of mine came home to a burnt house with all her furniture strewn around the yard, charred. broken windows, broken spirit, this is the second time her house has caught fire in 3 years. and they say lightening doesn't strike twice in the same place. wrong. find someone to hold, tight. maybe a good book, or a long nap. and wait it out. and pray.

a sacred lantern.... on this hermit's card, his sacred lantern sits. someone once said to me, the lantern holds the light of the star, from the 'star' card in the tarot. I like that. he found the star. hope. harnessed it. uses it to guide him in his dark night of the soul. lonely, solitary time. and that turtle, ugh, time passing so slowly. yet this card gives me hope. maybe just a glance of it, but hope, nonetheless. he is ok. maybe older, way wiser, and understanding of life's cycles. this too shall pass. find a safe spot, wait it out. and I noticed he is studying a skull, pondering maybe, who this was, what their story was. matches the first card, death. death is the story is over, or the story is just beginning. a new story. that's why the star gives us hope. there is always a new beginning. count the stars, if you can see them tonight. that many new beginnings, still there for me, for you. ponder that.


http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Issa

I love writing. I love poetry. And I love Haiku. I found a site online, you can click on it below, all about Issa. I also love things written long ago. And his life, his wisdom, is very much needed today. For the next few weeks, if you read my blog...you will get an entertaining lesson on Issa. I am taking his story, about his life, and selections of his writings in Haiku, and giving them to you using the beloved Tarot Cards. The deck I have chosen is 'The Tarot of Durer.' The art is by Giacinto Gaudenzi. Every day I am on a emailing list, and get a Haiku from Issa. And I shall post it, with the cards that depict it. Or, my version of it! Each card, shall give you a vision of each line of his poetry. What do you think? As you read his story...in time, you will see he was very wise, and experienced much loss in his life. Yet, he wrote. All the time. Maybe it was his therapy. We all need that. And I so enjoy seeing the world, through his eyes....or his words. They live on.

my home village
in an ugly mood...
the winter rain


-Issa, 1821

http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Issa in Haiku Tradition

Chronologically, Kobayashi Issa appears third in the order of the four most prominent haiku poets of Japanese tradition.

About Issa

One of the four foremost poets of Japanese haiku tradition, Issa is in good company (Bashô, Buson, Issa, Shiki).

He was born in the little village of Kashiwabara in the mountains of Japan's Shinano Province on the fifth day of Fifth Month, 1763: June 15 on the Western calendar. He died in the same village on the 19th of Eleventh Month in the old Japanese calendar year that corresponds to 1827: the equivalent of January 5, 1828 on the Western calendar. In the long time between these dates he learned the art of haiku (then called haikai) and wandered the length and breadth of Japan, writing everywhere he went. Though his real name was Kobayashi Yatarô, he chose Issa (Cup-of-Tea) as his haiku name. He called himself "Shinano Province's Chief Beggar" and "Priest Cup-of-Tea of Haiku Temple." A devout follower of the Jôdoshinshû sect, he imbued his work with Buddhist themes: sin, grace, trusting in Amida Buddha, reincarnation, transience, compassion, and the joyful celebration of the ordinary.

Barnes and Noble Party

Happy Holidays! I wanted to post something very special today, and when I received this poem from my good friend Jerry Mac Johnston, I knew it was exactly what I would love to share with you. Sometimes, the very best gift you can give someone you love, is not wrapped in shiny, expensive paper. But scribbled on a wrinkled napkin, as you sip on your last cup of coffee, for the day. And it comes straight from the heart.

I am placing my interpretation of his beautiful poem, with the Tarot Cards that depict it, using the Victorian Romantic Tarot, wonderfully created by Karen Mahony.

Here we are together, yesterday at Barnes and Noble...wrapping gifts for the Writers Group we both belong to, Sleuth's Ink.

1st place in the members only ' Poets and Friends' category. His poem...Stars for Sale.


STARS FOR SALE

I did not do such a good job
of watching over you
and I know at least one
who would say
I have no right
to ask you for anything
Yet I have a wish
When I die
buy a star in my name
Trees in Israel
or Yellowstone
seem much too transient
for my purpose
I want each night
for you to be able to
look up
point to a star
and no matter how random
it might seem
be able to softly say
Sorry
it didn't work out
Dad


Stars for Sale
I did not do such a good job
of watching over you

and I know at least one
who would say

I have no right
to ask you for anything

Yet I have a wish
When I die

buy a star in my name
Trees in Israel
or Yellowstone
seem much to transient

for my purpose

I want each night
for you to be able to
look up
point to a star
no matter how random
it might seem,

to be able to softly say

Sorry
it didn't work out
Dad


Thank you Jerry Mac...this was lovely.

Happy Halloween!

This is the very Halloweeny, Beautiful Bohemian Gothic Tarot by Magic Realist Press....aka Karen Mahony. And I love it! So artsy, dark, interesting....

I laid out cards for tonight...as I am going to Halloween Party, taking this deck with me to entertain my masked, costumed friends, want to see what lies ahead, in my future.....

The 7 of Cups, The Chariot, and the Moon

I love the mask the Charioteer wears....I have a black feathered mask I am taking to wear. Maybe. The masks, how we love the masks. Maybe we need the masks. And they are a gift, not a curse. Who is it I shall really be?I don't know yet...she is waiting to get there, see who comes out to play.... In the 7 of Cups, I can be anything. Imagine this....she is in her own fantasy world. A scarlet red drink? I choose a frosty Coke. I do not drink or smoke, so the Party Girl I am not. But this may be fun.....And the stairs behind her, she is going down. Down to a part of herself she wants to explore...Or maybe she is climbing up, to sneak out the rooftop opening...climb out of her boring life, into someone else, in the dark of night. This handsome man with the majestic Black feathered wings...he is robed in rich blood red scarlet, just a wrap. Seems to be barely holding onto it. Looks like a Chippendale Dancer on Halloween. That would me nice tonight....! Those massive stone carvings of the dark and light woman. We all have the dark side. Be honest. Get to love it. It is a Universal law, people. Just like the Law of Attraction. The Law is of Polarity. There will always be equal amounts of dark, for light. Day...night. Masculine, Feminine. Ying, yang. Tonight is the night to play in the dark side....dance the night away with your fears...And the Moon. Ah, I just love her, and her white wolf, howling in the darkest hours of the night. She is in deepest blue. Blue....one of my favorite colors. She is quiet, watching. Farther out in this card, is an image of a person crying. Alone, sadly in the night. Yet not alone, as she is watching vigil, compassionate from a distance. Pearls are woven in her hair, and a silver crescent moon adorns her long, luxurious hair. She blends with the night, unnoticed, just there. She is the night. Absorbing it. Feeling it. Being it. 


FYI. I think I was the quiet one watching. It was entertaining....and I did blend with the night...unnoticed. I kept sneaking outside, to get away from the smoke, and gazing at the Moon and stars. Felt more at home there. In the quiet, in the dark.
It was fun....I came alone, and I left alone. I met up with friends....but it was really nice to come home to my home. Looking at those cards now...I see they might be saying...your party will be an illusion...not what you think. Go ahead and drive, enjoy the view. The best view will be the stars and the moon. And it was! 

So, Tuesday morning this week, I do my daily layout of my cards. I use the beautiful Fenestra Tarot. I have my coffee....all is quiet...peaceful...and I draw these 3 cards. I think, gee, I wonder what these are saying to me. So, I think...maybe I am stressed, from talking all the time, and need a man to distract me from my work. Or, maybe I have too many things going on...I have really gotten into making Fabric Postcards, fun and artsy, but sort of over commited myself to doing several of them. But, got them done on the deadline, mailed out. The Emperor looks heavy....strict. Maybe it means I need to be a bit stricter about that 10 pounds...wands....I have been wrestling with...speak an affirmation out loud about it.

The 10 is a card of too much....over the limit...over doing it....
The Page of Wands...zealously showing someone your point of view....talking to them...giving them an important message...
The Emperor...Big Daddy, someone in power, the Boss. Someone controlling their environment....

And I leave, have an appointment across town. So I am just a tad late. Get half way there, and see the bright flashing lights of a police car....right behind me. Me? Surely not me. Yes. I get a ticket for speeding. Well, everyone else was going the same pace as I was...I urgently explain, as he has is ink pen poised over that yellow citation pad. And yes, I try to talk my way out of it, to no avail. 51 in a 35 mile zone. When I get back from the appointment....I see these cards still out on my desk. And now I know....you are going too fast, you cannot talk your way out of it, and you will be a little intimidated by Mr. Policeman. The Tarot Cards have such a sense of humor...don't they. I surely did not see this in the cards....but later I did. Learn something new every day. I do.

Still looking for Pictures in Pictures

Today, the Universal Waite Tarot, is where I find matching cards, for my pictures. This young, curious boy, is my beloved grandson David. He is peering inside the box that held the Nigel Jackson Tarot Cards. Just like the Page of Cups, he is wondering, what is in there? And what would this mean, a fish in a cup? A talking fish? Cards that tell stories? Cards full of colorful images, who are these people on these cards, and what are all the pretty pictures? He is already an artist. My own Page of Cups, with crayons, markers, ideas....he already has every superhero down pat. He will draw the story, then ask me or anyone else around with a pencil to write out the story to go with his picture. He believes in 'talking fish.' I liked how the back of the card he is holding had the same circle that the Ace of Pentacles has. He's holding it so gently, and obviously focused on something, an image, intently. Knows there is a story here...just got to get the details. And at this tender age, they have no problems with imagination. He can give me a run for my money, as a reader. He inspires me!

The soft colors of the Universal Waite deck, are the same soft colors in Davids pictures. I see an arched gate on the Ace, with blooming Surprise Lilies, and a mysterious landscape beyond my vision. He sees the same thing, and when I ask him what is past the gate? He can give me a story about the boy in the other card, he is there. He is standing by the lake we cannot see, and is all dressed up for a play at school. Looks like he is having a fish sandwich for lunch.

Sometimes, when I get caught up in the stacks of books with all the 'professional' meanings of the Tarot....I need to go back to looking through a child's eyes. Just play with them. Stop trying so hard, and just let the images tell the story. The wilder the better. And have David over, find the Hulk, Iron Man, and Cat Woman in the cards. And let the characters tell the story. Or let the child lead me....

Pay attention to the Pages, young ones, curious and questioning ones, around you. They don't know the rules yet. And what we are yet to learn, is who wrote the rules? Listen to their wisdom. Wow, even Spongebob has some pretty good advice...never knew that until David shared it with me. Go backward in time, and tell your own story. And make it a good one...tell it like a 4 year old would...

Morning Glory


Every day the symbols from the Tarot show up around us. Just takes a second to pause and notice, what that symbol might be telling you. I was outside with my little yappy dog, and seen these blooming Morning Glories. So delicate, and white. Pure, innocent. I grab the camera and take their picture. I pick up this deck of cards, The Fantastical Tarot, and here is the same picture. A healthy, green, winding vine, reaching up from the ground. Holding onto something metal, a thick cable cord in one picture and a thick heavy sword in the other. Two open white flowers, almost a third.

If I were just drawing a daily card to think about...I would think this would mean (Gestalt, here) marking a spot. The Sword has been stuck in the ground, not needed. Yet, it's there, ready, should it be needed. And long enough for these wildish flowers to wrap around it, decorate it, bloom---Mary Englebreit's...'Bloom where you are planted?' Yes. They have bloomed where they were planted. Or where the wind of fate blew them. You think they are angry about where they are? Doesn't look like it. Looks like they're very happy. Open to the Sun, showing off. Holding on. Simple. Trusting. Looks pretty easy, wonder how they do that. There have been storms here, and wind. And lightening. And they are on a metal cable...could get fried. They don't care. Reminds me of when Jesus told his groupies, 'Think about how the lilies grow. They don't work, or make clothing.(ha! and I am a Seamstress, and am sitting in a room-right now, filled with fabric, patterns and the Work of making clothing!) Yet, not even Solomon in all his 'glory' (morning glory!) was dressed like one of these flowers. If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is gone. Your faith is so small. Don't spend time thinking about what you will eat or drink. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. People who are ungodly ( have no God to trust, turn to, depend on?) run after all those things. Your Father knows that you need them. Luke 12:27 (really? He really knows what I need today?)

Well, seems to be a theme here. I added the symbolic meaning for Morning Glories. And it says, they bloom in the morning, and die in the afternoon. Well, that sucks. Yet, sometimes life feels so fleeting, fast. And past. And yet, somewhere in here, there is hope. They have seeds that fall, (lots of seeds!) never have to be replanted. Life replants them. They come back every year, no one has to work at planting them, and it says they don't take to 'repotting' well. They are where they are supposed to be. And they hang on and just bloom. Cool.


The Morning Glory in Chinese Art

The star-shaped morning glory is symbolic of a single day each year in which the Chinese lovers, Chien Niu and Chih Neu, are allowed to meet. According to Chinese lore, Chien Niu was a boy star who was entrusted to take care of water buffalo in the heavenly kingdom. A girl star named Chih Neu was put in charge of seamstress duties. They fell in love, and the romance caused them to neglect their duties. In anger, God forced the young lovers to be separated on both sides of the Silver River and allowed then to meet only once during the whole year.

Seamstress Duties!!! How funny. And only allowed to meet once a year. It must be getting time for my yearly date!

Morning Glory Facts

The morning glory is aptly named, as the flower blooms in the morning and dies by the afternoon. The flowers are funnel-shaped and prefer full sun. Morning glories will grow in poor, dry soil. They are a vine flower and are highly useful for trellises where they reduce the heating and cooling costs of buildings.

And they make themselves useful.....saving heating and cooling costs....how funny.

Look around you and see what shows up, and the card that matches it. Write about it. It will give you a message...what you need to know, to know you are ok. Really ok.

Every day, I journal. I draw 3 cards, I ponder what they could mean for today. I read my Bible. Edgar Casey read his Bible every day. He was one of the most popular mystic's....and he humbly realized his gifts were of a higher realm. Gifts from God. And he desired to be guided by God. Not ego, not fame. Just simply use his spiritual gifts to bless whomever may be showing up for him that day. The Bible grounded him, as it does me. I will always be the granddaughter of a Pentecostal Minister...and never forget his wise teachings to me. Somehow those teachings weave into a larger pattern of who I am today. And what I believe today.

So, as I am reading my 'Message' (translation) Bible, I am thinking of the beautiful Surprise Lilies, that I seen, the last time I visited my Mother. Huge clusters of them, everywhere I looked, their delicate stalks barely able to hold up, all those dainty pink blooming flowers. As I am opening the Bible, glancing around to see what I should read today, I see the word 'lily' stand out. And I read this....


1 Kings 7:19 (The Message)

15-22 First he cast two pillars in bronze, each twenty-seven feet tall and eighteen feet in circumference. He then cast two capitals in bronze to set on the pillars; each capital was seven and a half feet high and flared at the top in the shape of a lily. Each capital was dressed with an elaborate filigree of seven braided chains and a double row of two hundred pomegranates, setting the pillars off magnificently. He set the pillars up in the entrance porch to The Temple; the pillar to the south he named Security (Jachin) and the pillar to the north Stability (Boaz). The capitals were in the shape of lilies.

Jachin....the 'J' on one of the pillars in the High Priestess Card, and Boaz....the 'B' on the other pillar. One represents Security, and the other Stability. I never knew that. How cool! And the pomegranates are there, behind her. A double row of 200, that's a lot of pomegranates. Some think the fruit in the Garden of Eden was pomegranates....not the poor apple that's been blamed for mans downfall.

I also found this...'The completion and printing of the first bible included elements of the Torah, known as the Old Testament. The references to pomegranates remain intact, including the passage: “Let us go early to the vineyards to see... if the pomegranates are in bloom—there I will give you my love.” Song of Solomon 7:12'

And...'During the Persian wedding ceremony, a basket of pomegranates is placed on the ceremonial cloth to symbolize a joyous future. In Turkey, after the marriage ceremony, the bride throws a pomegranate on the ground. The number of arils that fall out are believed to indicate how many children she will have. In Crete, when a bride enters her new home, the groom hands her a pomegranate. In China, a picture of a ripe, open pomegranate is a popular wedding present, expressing the wish, "May you have as many children as there are seeds!"

POM Wonderful: www.pomwonderful.com

And about the Lily....'In early paintings, the Angel Gabriel is seen handing a bouquet of white lilies to the Virgin Mary. In other paintings, the saints are bringing vessels full of lilies to Mary and the baby Jesus. In another legend, a visit to the tomb of Mary three days after her burial found nothing in the tomb except large bunches of lovely lilies. Artists have often used the lily to represent the Resurrection of Mary. The white petals of the lily are said to represent the spotless body of the Virgin Mary and its golden anthers are said to be her soul glowing this heavenly light.'

Lilies and Pomegranates, and the beautiful High Priestess Card.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

What happened to Carol Daniels?

Oklahoma pastor found dead inside her church


ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) — Authorities say a pastor in southwest Oklahoma was killed and her body was found inside her church.

Carol Daniels' body was found early Sunday at the Christ Holy Sanctified Church in Anadarko, Okla., which is about 60 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

Investigators say they have no suspects in Daniels' death and few leads to follow. Authorities did not say how, when or where she died. Officials on Sunday spoke with several people who gathered around the building after hearing about the killing.

Authorities say Daniels was in her mid 50s and lived in Oklahoma City.

Her church is in a small A-frame building that sits along a main road in the Caddo County town of about 6,600 people.

Using the new, Beautiful, Legacy of the Divine Tarot, by Ciro Marchetti, I am asking questions of the Tarot, about what happened to Carol Daniels?

In the first row of cards, my question was simply.....'what happened?' I drew the Sun, the 7 of Wands, and the Moon.

She was a 'light bearer', of the Truth. She was protecting something, or someone. Would not give the killer what they wanted. I see the Moon, which stands for Mother issues, and the Sun, sometimes a play on words...did she have a son? Or someone she thought of as a 'son?'

Second question, Who did this to you? second row of Cards....Page of Cups, The Chariot, The Emperor.

Someone she trusted, someone running away. A man and a child? A childish man? A man wanting something she had, taking it, running with it. What did he want?



He wanted to fight for something he thought was his. The Knight of Wands, the 6 of Cups, and the 7 of Swords. Hurry, get this done. He rashly thought he deserved it, in his childishly 'fantasy' mind, he was going to take it one way or the other, even steal it. He was angry, petty, mean. A rebel.

And the last row of Cards....'What was this about, how can I solve this mystery?'

The Page of Pentacles, the 5 of Swords, and the Empress.' Again, a child and a mother. A bitter young man, full of vengeance, hurtful words, like daggers. She, never in fear, only compassion and love, a true Mothers love, understanding the pain, the anger. Offering him what she could offer, he wanted something else. And he took it. Her life. Her.

There could have been an older man, and a younger man. One watched, was a lookout for the other. Strange as it seems, I see the younger man as the angriest man. The man that killed her.

In this layout, I use sets of 3 cards. And I notice the numbers...the Chariot=7, 7 of Wands and 7 of Swords. Mystery numbers. Was this person a Mystery to her? Someone she never understood, never really knew? I believe she did know him, as she seemed to welcome him and show no fear in standing up to him. He is one the road, not there in that town. Running. The main thing he stole from her was her life. I don't see anything else here that indicates he wanted money, or items to cash into money. He wanted his mother, or a mother. And she had been that to him. Somewhere inside him is a wounded child, and she could see that, and still loved him. Her last card is the Empress...utter Compassion.

I believe he will be found, caught. His own conscience will convict him. He will tell someone else about this....a possible drunken confession, and he will be discovered. He wants help. He is desperately crying for help. He will get help, but not the way he wanted it. This group of cards, just screams....'Past life scenario.' This group of 3, have been together before. And will come back and do it again. The Moon, Emperor, Empress, Sun.....father, mother, son....going deep into the past. Not resolved this time around. And she, killed in a Church? Or somewhere else and brought to the Church? A holy place of sanctuary. Years ago, it would be the only safe place from someone that wanted to hurt you. In 2-3 weeks the truth will come out. Maybe 2-3 days. Fast. She is ok.....her soul is at Peace.

Anyone other readers out there, care to add to this post, feel welcome. I appreciate your insight, and your comments. Even negative! I am still a student...always will be. Linda

Victorian Romantic Tarot

I just had to post this....!

I was sent an email from the Yahoo Personals, someone was checking me out...flirting with me. So, I pull up this profile from a man named 'Fred' from Fayetteville, AR. He is 63. This is what his profile says....check it out if you don't believe it...really.

'My ideal match must love muscle cars especially since I own a Z06 Corvette 6speed. She must also not not loose bladder control easily. It would also be helpful if she were able to fit comfortably into the bucket seat. My only other requirements is that she be kind, thoughtful, open minded and have a sense of humor. (Definitely having all of her hair is a plus and be able to "dress up" for special occasions is also right up there.) Bossy, red-necked, overbearing women should not even attempt to respond.

And just for fun, I drew these 3 cards on Fred. As I have many callers, including myself, single, looking around for Mr. Wonderful.

I am using the Victorian Romantic Tarot. This is a serious romantic reading, you know. Ah, 10 of Pentacles, Knight of Pentacles, and 4 of Cups. The cards say....

This man has a lot of stuff. Property, things. Possessions. He wants a lady to bow before him, kiss his hand in homage....he is a real treat. Well, he has that fancy car, you know. What else would a single woman be looking for? And seems another woman has had an accident there....hope he had plastic covers on that thing. I bet he does now. Well, he's still shopping, not to sure if anyone will 'fit' what he wants.(Hence the fit into his bucket seat...whatever.)Has all her hair....how does he know if she has all her hair? Get a picture of her from 5 years ago, and compare hair, here? Will he obsess over the hair in the sink? Or secretly check out her hairbrush? I wonder why he hasn't posted a picture of himself. And does he have hair? Or teeth? Or is it just the 'stuff' he has to offer? Well, not really. It is his stuff. You would be his stuff. And that 4 of Cups....he would find something he didn't like about you....So what is his problem? I think the answer is in the first card. He has had someone he really loved, she was the one that helped him acquire all this stuff. And she is gone. He really wants her back...and no one can fill her dainty little shoes. And some women out here would really try to. And be never what he really wants. I'm thinking I really do like my dog....and I have so many great friends....single's not so bad.....
Ah, the dating games....how fun! He's still free, girls! Go get him!

Lady Justice

I have been carrying Corrine Kenner's newest book around, 'Tarot for Writers,' and finding all kinds of new ways to see my cards! I am using the Nigel Jackson Tarot, well, I have trimmed the sides off...hey, I paid for it, it's mine. And they are so big, hard to shuffle. And I am a Seamstress, with too many pairs of sharp scissors. And I love the way without the borders, they lay together. Like a picture that just melts together. This is just one way of having fun with them, make them yours. Trim them, write on them, play with them all the time. I do.

I was studying the book again and found this suggestion....write about something insignificant. One little thing on a card that no one really notices. I pulled this card at random.....and found something to write about. Do you see it? Something only a woman might notice, or a man with a foot fetish. She has no polish on her toenails. Her feet are bare. I cannot see her finger nails, they seem to hidden from view. But I do see her unpolished toe nails. I wonder why this is what I see. I am a detail person. I want the tiny, vivid, every scrap, details. She looks like a woman that's worked hard and long to be in her position of 'higher' power. She is dressed in blue, love that color. She is simply dressed, she had 9 circles of gold over her heart. 9, the number of perfection. A ornate gold crown, and heavy gold sword, and a big set of golden scales.Empty scales. Sitting in a golden throne, high and alone. Cool, fluffy white clouds blow about her, rest below her, she sees from a high vantage point. She knows much. Has to. Why is her hair blue? Is she ancient? I think yes, and no. She is ageless. She is a Universal and Spiritual Law. She embodies it. The insignificant details.....her bare feet and toes, show me she is humble. Vulnerable. She walks gently. Softly. She is not about beauty, she is about truth. She doesn't really care if you see her or not, she wants you to see the scales, the sword, the crown. That is who she is. When she's not at work, maybe goofing off at home. She is still barefoot. And relaxed. And just herself. I see her with a new novel, curled up with a cafe mocha, easy to be with. She knows what no one says....and she needs no adornment. She is pure. Real. Cool.

Where is Madeleine McCann?

One day this week, on Oprah, Madeleine McCann's parents were on the show. I am always curious what the Tarot will say about missing people. She has been missing for 2 years now. That is horrible. And not a clue what happened to her. I am using the beautiful, newly released, Touchstone Tarot by Cat Black. Utterly gorgeous. I ask......

Is Madeleine alive?
These cards I drew....the Ace of Swords, the 6 of Coins, and the Queen of Cups.This is a yes. She is very much alive. Looking at every symbol that stands out, I see this....

She is alive. She is in the possession of a wealthy woman. A powerful woman. A woman that gets everything she wants, and bought this child. This stolen child. She has many takers to do her business. They are well paid, and she is quite happy. She lives in a cold country. North. Mountains, very high. She is not questioned, as she has information on people she would use against them,if she had to. She keeps Madeleine from the outside world, thinking she is protecting her, yet she is the one the child needs to be protected from. She desired a child young enough to not remember her family, not remember anything. And yes, I believe a man was paid to steal this child from her family. They had twins also, maybe that was a nice gesture, he did leave the twins. Whatever. I believe he was watching the family...waiting for just the right moment. She is unhurt. She is well taken care of. She knows only what she has been taught by this lady. Sad. But she is still alive, and there is still hope.

I ask, will she be found....Yes.
I drew the Judgement Card, the 9 of Cups, and the Ace of Wands.

She will be found. Someone knows this story, and knows the lady with the child. I am so glad they did the age progression of the child, I believe that will be how she is recognized. Her family's wishes do come true, in one day, they will receive a call, and they will have her back. I believe it will be within one year. Their prayers will be answered. They will be happy again. I see this beautiful Angel in the Judgement card, watching over her. And her family. The truth will come out, as it always does. The thief will get caught, and the woman with everything will have nothing. Call it karma, or I would rather quote Jesus....what you reap, you sow. Cause and effect.

Pray for her, and her family. And the person that makes the call that will tell us where she is. She will be found.

www.findmadeleine.com

My scanner is broken. I can't post the cards I usually scan and do readings on, so for now, I decided to just write. I miss the writing....

I was invited to a Writers group meeting on Saturday. I am going. The speaker is a Psychic, and does not like the Ouija Board or the Tarot Cards. A friend of mine confided this to me, so I will restrain myself from plopping them out on the table in front of me, as I usually do. I guess she is a 'real' psychic. I immediately grabbed my soapbox, and as I have time and time again, came to the defense of the Tarot Cards. The Ouija Board, I have never had any interest in....so that didn't bother me. But the statement about the Cards....that does bother me. I think it must go back to a time I was taught they were evil. The devil's tools. Seemed he has many tools, just about anything that's fun seems to be his. The first deck I ever seen was the Mythic Tarot. And I just loved them. Artsy, detailed. And how cool, ask questions and the answer floats up from the layout, with details and all kinds of extra tidbits about the question. I was hooked. So, I battled. Were they evil or not? I am a studier....I got the books, looked up the history, listened to both sides. Packed them under the bed....what was the answer. I prayed, and waited, and kept searching for an answer. Good or bad, Godly or Devilish...This is my answer. They are a tool. A box of beautiful artistic cards. The pictures invoke deep reactions, sometimes playful, sometimes sad and deep. Gestalt. They have only the power we give them. I think of it like this....think of a beautiful handcarved knife. Displayed in a woodblock in your kitchen. I could see that knife, and panic. Say, I don't like knives, I was cut by a knife one time, had to have stitches. Bled all over the place. Keep that away from me, it is evil. Or, I could say, how cool, a knife to cut my bread with. A knife to clean away the stuff from the veggies, so we can eat them, nicely cleaned. And my steak....it will be fantastic it cut my steak with. It's a tool. A knife. It is maybe a deadly weapon in the hands of a robber, or a healing tool in the hands of a surgeon. Or an artist's tool in the hands of a wood carver. But, until you hold it, or use it, it's just metal and wood. Same with the Tarot. The cards are an extension of whoever is reading with them. You see the symbols from your filter of your belief. I read every book that is written about them, study, soak up every word, love it. They are a way to use my imagination, and intuition to create a story, with the answers popping up. If you want to play, are open to other views than your own, play with them. Play is the key word. Whatever your reader tells you, will resonate with you. Yes or no. Above all, listen to your heart and follow what you feel to be true. Cards or not. Usually they verify what you already are thinking might be the answer. But, I don't know that. I just tell you what's in front of me....and let you decide.
Maybe I'm just lazy. I could, pull the answers out of thin air, really pay attention to the symbols all around me, and do a reading with no tools at all. But each artist has his tools.....and to paint the very best most beautiful picture for you, of your options and answers, I love to use my tools. I get way more information with my tools. I consider them gifts. And thank every Tarot artist and designer, so very much for creating such beautiful works of art. I love them. And I am very proud of the tools of my trade. I anxiously await each newly published deck that comes out. Preorder, love that. Keep them coming.