The Badgers Forest Tarot

Long time no post, I have been so busy with college, family, making bags etc, I have had little time to blog here. I intend to change that over the next few days as life settles down a little!

Meanwhile I wanted to share this new project by Nakisha Vanderhoeven who created the wonderful TaRat, The Rabbit Tarot and the Blue Dog Rose tarot. The new deck looks gorgoeus, particularly for those of you who love nature. I think it will work well with my Wildwood and also my NZ Naturally Tarot. The Druid Animal oracle would also play well with this deck! Plans for it already.

Here is a photo of the stunning Moon card that Nakisha shared on her Facebook page

This new deck is going to be larger than Nakisha's previous decks and although I love their small size it will be nice to see her beautiful artwork in more detail!

Go and check out Nakisha's videos and her Kickstarter project!

Morgan Greer Tarot Pouch

I have been commissioned to create five Tarot Bags to match certain decks for one of my customers, whom I have created custom bags for before. One of the decks is the Morgan Greer.... I was a bit stuck at first, but then I started playing and I am so pleased with what I came up with! I am not usually one to blow my own trumpet about my art, but I really think this is *perfect*!!! My own Morgan Greer deck is now extremely unhappy about the shabby old bag it has been forced to live in....

I will shut up and let the pictures speak for themselves :O)

Pouch for Morgan Greer Tarot by www.thetarotbag.com

See how the lining matches the back of the cards? I am such a clever Tripp at times... And the stunning shot silk velvet matches the yellow and reds in the deck perfectly!

Pouch for Morgan Greer Tarot by www.thetarotbag.com

Brighid's Spread

As for many of you in the North it is Imbolc and the time of year we celebrate the Goddess Brighid, I wanted to design a spread in her honour, she is the Goddess I relate to most. In the South we are about to hit Lammas, but this spread is suitable for both hemispheres. I like to be able to celebrate together with my friends all over the world. Brighid is also known as a Triple Goddess, which use the three phases of Maiden, Mother and Crone, she also represents fire and is the Goddess of Poetry, Smithing and Healing. I designed this 3 card spread with all of the above in mind: ******2***** 1**********3 1.What new fire should you be tending this season 2.What is creating the poetry in your life now 3.What wisdom is most healing for you at this time I hope you enjoy this spread. I have much more to say about Brighid and what she means to me but I want to get this spread up in time for you to use it on her feast day, so I will leave that for another post! I love this image of Brighid by Lori Karels Brighid by Lori Karels This woodcarving shows the Goddess Brighid in her three aspects as poet, healer and blacksmith. Wooden Brighid Carving Brighid inspire the poet within me Heal my pain Invoke my passion and fire Blessed be... )O(

King Pellinore & the Questing Beast

This is rather a ramble which started by my drawing Pellinor & the Lady from the Dragonfae oracle. I tend to look at the cards before I read the book, and in this case the name and the small dragon reminded me of the story of King Pellinore and the Questing Beast from the Arthurian legends.

The card has the words Bittersweet Farewell, and it is according to the book about two lovers who have to part. I cannot help but find the Pellinore story more apt. I am not surprised to see this card though because my daughter and her girlfriend of 2 and a half years, whom we all love very much,  are going their separate ways. They still love each other, Liv will always be part of our family, as we will hers, and I know they need space to grow, but I cannot help be sad. It is very bittersweet. But we need this in our lives I guess, just like Pellinore needed his beast and vice versa.

Dragonfae Oracle by Lucy Cavendish

King Pellinore spent his life searching for the Questing Beast, it drove him crazy. He would fall sleep in the saddle, so tired was he, even if he were not actively hunting he was thinking about his dear beast. Pellinore's quest got him into some bad situations involving such horrors as his own daughter torn apart by wild beasts of the forest, a curse on his life, the death of his horse and the failure of a friends loyalty and eventually his own death.

This beast was Pellinore's life….. if he ever found it, he would probably have died in the saddle, as his whole life purpose, according to him, would have been over. As it was he didn't find the beast as he was killed by the sons of King Lot of Orkney, whom he in turn had killed.

And what of the beast, was he as dependent on the chase as the King? Well there is rarely a good story that has no antagonist... as it happens the beast did suffer when at one time in his life Pellinore stopped his hunt and decided to take some rest and relaxation in a soft and comfortable bed at the home of his friend Sir Grummore. As we know, too much of the good life can be a danger to ones soul and this indeed happened to the King and his poor beast. He ventured out one day to renew his hunt and found the best pining away and half dead in the forest. To quote from T.H. White's  The Once and Future King:

“The spectacle which they came across was one for which they were not prepared. In the middle of a dead gorse bush King Pellinore was sitting, with tears streaming down his face. In his lap there was an enormous snake’s head, which he was patting. ‘There, there’, the King was saying. ‘I did not mean to leave you altogether. It was only because I wanted to sleep in a feather bed, just for a bit.’ ‘Poor creature’, said King Pellinore indignantly. ‘It has, pined away, positively pined away, just because there was nobody left to take an interest in it. How I could have stayed all that while with Sir Grummore and never given my old Beast a thought I really don’t know. Look at its ribs, I ask you. Like the hoops of a barrel. And lying out in the snow all by itself, almost without the will to live.’ ‘I happened on it in this gorse bush here, with snow all over its poor back and tears in its eyes and nobody to care for it in the wide world. It’s what comes of not leading a regular life. Before it was all right. We got up at the same time, and quested for regular hours, and went to bed at half past ten. Now look at it. It has gone to pieces all together, and it will be your fault if it dies. You and your bed. fter giving the Beast wine and bread The King insists that the hunting party tie the Beast to a pole to transport it back to the castle to be warmed by the fire and fed and nurtured back into health. The King himself tended it until they were both ready to begin the quest anew.”

“The questing Beast having revived under the influence of kindliness and bread and milk had bounded off into the snow with every sign of gratitude, to be followed two hours later by the excited King, and the watchers from the battlements had observed it confusing its snowy footprints most ingeniously, as it reached the edge of the chase. It was running backwards, bounding twenty foot sideways, rubbing out its marks with its tail, climbing along horizontal branches, and performing many other tricks with evident enjoyment. They had also seen King Pellinore – who had dutifully kept his eyes shut and counted to ten thousand while this was going on – becoming quite confused when he arrived at a difficult spot, and finally galloping off in the wrong direction with his brachet (hunting hound) behind him.” taken from T.H. White's The Once and Future King published by Harper Voyager.

I love this story, it is one of my very favorite parts in the legends of King Arthur, and it is such a wonderful example of how it is the, journey, the chase that matters, and not the destination or the prize. Both King Pellinore and the beast need each other, the beast needs to be wanted, his life depends on it, as much as Pellinore depends on the beast to give meaning to his life. When  Pellinore stops the chase the beast is saddened, pines away and almost dies. To me the beast is like our spirit, when we neglect it and suffer ourselves too much worldly comfort,  it becomes weak and begins to fade, it can no longer bring us the joy it once did.

There some images of The Questing Beast, that I really love.... the first by Arthur Rackham

Questing Beast by Arthur Rackham

 This next image is just beautiful and it is by a very talented illustrator Carisa Swenson

Questing Beast by Carisa Swenson

Carisa also has another website which shows her delightful sculpted goblins, dolls and beasts of all kinds.

The Questing Beast by Claudon

The final beast for today is by C. David Claudon who retold Mallory's Morte d'Arthur.

I really love the idea of a wonderous and fantastical beast representing my soul or spirit... what does your soul look like?

Melusine

One of the first cards I lhave studied in any detail from the Oracle of the Dragonfae is Melusine.....

Melusine from Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish

 

 

Melusine is a naked creature with fiery red hair, she wears a flowery tiara, and a golden key around her neck, with the top of the key in a heart shape. She has two small, but lovely greeny gold dragon type wings coming from her back. Her arms look as if they are held open palms up in trust, as if to receive or display something good.... she is not ashamed to show herself as she truly is.

The heart shaped keyfob speaks to me of self love being the key at the centre of our beings. Unless we can love ourselves we cannot love others, and cannot expect them to love us for who we are. Let yourself be known, celebrate the self is what this card says to me.

On her crown one of the flowers is bent into a crescent shape, like the Moon goddess head dress worn by Diana, representing the Goddess within all of us.  The dragon like wings show that when you are true to yourself you can fly.


The legend of Melusine is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast... possibly my second favourite fairy tale. The daughter of a fae she was cursed by her father, when she trapped him inside a mountain for offending her mother. The curse made her half woman and her other haf was either a dragon, serpent or mermaid, according to which legend you read. The tale is well known in France where it was said that Melusine was married to Raymond, the count of Lusignan, but only on the condition that he never saw her in her bath. When Raymond broke the vow Melusine had to leave him and was condemned to the life of a specter, wandering to her doom, although some say she was locked in the dungeon of the counts castle.


In France her name is still mentioned, if someone gives a sudden scream it is called un cri de Melusine, alluding to her cry of distress when her husband saw her in her true form. Apparently cakes are still made with her image on for a May festival in that area of France, and there is a shrine named after her in Lusignan


I found some more images of Melusine, which are very like Aphrodite the Greek goddess. The first is
an anonymous engraving found in Histoire de la Magie by P. Christian - Furne

The gorgeous image below is by Anita Landree

Melusine by Anita Landree

And perhaps the best known image of Melusine is this one:

Starbucks Logo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Starbucks she is a Siren, a symbol of addiction, obsession and death, but apparently they have now freed her to be their flagship image. Indeed this is a Goddess whom millions worship daily at the high street altar. So from being a monster Melusine has become accepted, indeed worshipped for who she is, (ok...who Starbucks have decided she is!) And that to me is what this card is about.... be who you are, love who you are, love all of who you are, and you will unlock that beauty for others to love too.

The Dragonfae

I had an Oracle reading to do, and as I don't use Oracle cards too often, I was a bit stumped as to which one to go for, usually I use the Faeries, but I decided to try a new to me deck called Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish.

The cards are large, too big to shuffle easily, but as there are only 43 cards in the deck it isn't too much of a problem to do variation of a hand to hand shuffle, keeping the cards face down rather than on edge. Big means you can see the details beautifully... although I still used my beloved magnifying glass just in case I was missing out with my myopic eyes. Personally I love the artwork, I love the legends behind the names. I haven't entered the accompanying book yet, as I tend to read the cards intuitively, but I have looked up some of the myths and legends associated with the names. There are some Arthurian folk and I noticed Brighid, my Goddess, as I wandered through the deck.

I have posted a photo of the first reading I did, I particularly love the backs of the cards and they blend into my old very worn and ragged silk jacket so beautifully!! When it grows up it wants to be a Tarot Cloth!

Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish

I wont go into details of this particular reading here, as it was a perosnal reading for someone, but I am very impressed with this deck. I found the cards very intuitive to read without looking at the book at all. As well as being stunning to look at, the cards contain a rich and poetic tapestry of myth and magic.. lI shall let them take me where they will.......

The Hanged Man and the Hyperbolic Disk

I have been away with the faeries for the past week or so, in another world where I live the life of my dreams... unbelievably there was not a computer in sight for several days. I actually wrote with pen and paper.... many pens, many words... lots of doodles, lots of fun...

Part of my awayness did include some Tarot of course, and I wanted to share a crazy poem that was created in less than 15 minutes between myself and two other students, each with a body of words from their chosen topic. Mine of course was the Tarot, I wonder if you can work out the others?

A functioning whippersnapper magician
the naughty fault finding moon
and a green snot yagi devil
attended the parallel school for lovers
at the cradle crone complex
run by the passive booster seat goddess
where the chariot bootees the circuitry
and the hanged man wipes the hyperbolic disk

As you can see, we had a ball :)

I just had to google Hyperbolic Disks...

Wow!! Amazing images, and this led me to Daina Tamaina, a Latvian mathematician who is specialising in creating crochet with hyperbolic planes... the photo's I have seen from her crochet book are stunning. I share one below.... isn't it fabulous?

Crocheted Hyperbolic Planes by Daina Tamaina

Never be afraid to open your mind to something new!!

Dreams without legs.....

I keep having these dreams, for about a year now, where I am trying to hurry to catch a plane or bus, or I am hurrying to run a away from someone or something, but then my legs stop working. It is the most helpless feeling, my legs feel like they are being dragged through thick boggy mud, I have no control over them, no strength. No matter how hard I try I just cannot make them work, and so I am dragging myself along. Sometimes the dream is in a dark forest when I am running and others in a very public place, and I am afraid of what others will think to see this crazy woman who keeps falling over, and then has to crawl along pulling her body by her arms over the ground.

I had this dream again last night, this time in a busy airport parking area, and I was rushing to meet someone, but had other stuff to do before that. I had been riding a motorbike, but then when I parked it, it turned into a three wheeled child's tricycle. It was as I was trying to park that my legs gave way.

I decided to consult my Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti which I have in the form of an iPhone app. I asked for a two card reading, from the first card I asked what this dream means, and I drew the Nine of Swords.... haha!! Yes well I probably could have guessed :) The second card I asked what I could do about the situation, why I keep having the dream, and I got the Ten of Wands.

Nine of Swords - Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti

I recently sold this deck, as I find it very hard to read with this art, not sure why.... maybe the borders being so ornate, seems to close one card off from the next in a spread. But if there were one card that could have persuaded me to keep it, it would have been this one. I really love this Nine of Swords, it says it all for me. Amazing it came up too as it is about this woman waking from a bad dream into maybe a worse nightmare of her own creation. Although she seems to be safe in a castle, she sees the claw hand in the branch of a tree, coming to get her. How often have you done that? As a child I always saw things in the silhouettes of trees through the window and the shadows of my room at night. I guess waking from a bad dream only enhances the sense of fear that throws the imagination into overdrive.

This card is about imagining the worst, insomnia, over worrying about the present or future. Feeling maybe that you want to wake up from your own life. Helplessness. Very applicable to the dream, it is our emotions that immobilise us, our worries and anxiety more than what actually is happening in our lives. I have had a lot of sleepless nights recently, because I try to avoid the worry merry go round, I play Sudoku or Freecell on my iPhone.... or I read. Just stopping your mind from thinking about life and concentrating on something single mindedly can help. Like taking time out from thought.

Ten of Wands - Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti

 
The Ten of Wands has a similar feeling to the Nine of Swords in this card.... like this guy has taken on more than he can carry. The weight of his load has brought him to his knees, not to mention his burning up in the extreme heat if the situation. The ten signifies a completion of sorts, but not without burden. The pressure at the end is too great, and although you may have achieved a goal, it is time to look at what it is costing you. I think this guy must have been juggling with these wands of fire, and the effort became too much, and they all came crashing down upon him and bought him down with them.

Very like my situation, where I have worked so hard and put up with huge amounts of stress and worry and despair, to get our residency in New Zealand. Now we have it I am realising that the last 8 years have taken a lot more out of me than I thought. Everything has been towards this goal,  and I would have given up years ago were it not for my older daughters. I brought them here, we made a new life and I owed it to them to make sure they could stay here in that life. Now I feel stuck and trapped, in a house that is too big, with land I can't manage and little or no help. It is easy to see whay this card came up. Easy to see why my legs gave out in the dreams.

Darkana Deck......... Woohoo!

Wow... finally my Darkana Tarot Deck by Dan Donche is here!! I originally backed this on Kickstarter months ago, and although there were a few mailing issues, as in the best laid plans of mice and men... I never got disheartened and was happy to see it when it arrived. had I known just how much I was going to fall in love with it at first sight, I would have been way more impatient!!

Opening my red mailbox on this hot Saturday morning I found this cute as a button little brown parcel:

Brown Paper Delight

I carefully unwrapped it as it felt like the cards may not be boxed but they were, and beautifully so.... there is nothing I dislike about this gorgeous grungy badass deck!!
 

Darkana Deck With Free Everwind Sticker!

It came with a signed box and a signed Badass card... this was an extra for those of us who backed the deck on Kickstarter.  Dan's take on the Tarot it just wonderful..... I love the art, the backs fit perfectly and the thought that has gone into the creation of each card is just genius methinks.

Signed Box by the Badass Himself :)

Love the numerals and the font Dan chose, love the dirty splatters and smudged inky grunginess. I love that this is a special card that reminds me of me a few years ago!

Darkana Cards with Back Design

 Just look at the adorable Fool card, and the backs and the symbols and numbers.... YUM!

And a last peek for now, of my two favorite cards so far, this is on my first look mind and no doubt many more will vie for this place. The Two of Pentacles.... why oh why has none thought about this before... a hamster on a wheel... how perfect is that for this card.... !

And my first fave, the Five of Pentacles, this has always been one of my favorite cards in any deck and one of the first cards I look at, but because I was so enthralled with it all I didn't jump straight to my *go to* cards, so I wasn't expecting it..... How perfect is this? Bloody brilliant.....

I shall be using this as my Deck of the Week as from tomorrow so you will be hearing more.

Happiness is a grungy, gorgeous Tarot Deck.

New Year Books.....

I received a couple of books and calendars in the post recently, which I got with Christmas money from my awesome amazing sister :) I do miss her, especially as last year we were together for Christmas. It is very hard for me not to be constantly checking for cheap flights at this time of year, when the heat of summer gets me down. I am a true Winterchild, not just by name.

Anyway..... I got a wonderful calendar by Major Tom Schick his calendar is called The Tarot Lovers Calendar and is full of wonderful spreads and photo's of cards from the more unusual and arty decks.

In this photo I wanted to share the page for September, which features the Itongo Tarot for Transformation by Robyn - Anne Pollard. I immediately loved this Moon card, and going to the authors website the deck looks very intriguing, I shall have to read more about it.

Tarot Lovers Calendar 2013

Other decks I loved that were featured in the calendar are Beth Seilonen's Tarot of the Red Jester , which I have wanted for ages, and I was quite interested to see that Pamela Steele of The Steele Wizard Tarot is currently working on a Wizards Pets Tarot which looks absolutely enchanting! I don't have a Steel Wizard.... another one on the wishlist, maybe this year! The Wizard's Pets deck is aimed at children but I can see a few older kids (!!),  adding it to their stash.....

Books.... my darling daughter Pollyanna bought me Good Faeries Bad Faeries by Brian Froud, which I have wanted for ages... I love his work, still remember how fascinated I was back in the 80's when I got his first Faeries book. This past year I fell in love with his Faerie Oracle too and it reads like a dream.. this book delves more into the featured faeries, and seeing the artwork on the cards much larger is fantastic! Thanks Polly xoxoxoxox

Christmas Books

I also got Llewellyn's Witches Date Book for 2013 and their Moon Sign Book for 2013. I usually buy a specially written diary and calendar for the Southern Hemisphere, but this year my brain did a flip and I totally forgot that these books would be upside down and back to front! Anyway with time conversions and turning the year inside out I should be able to make sense of it. At least the Moon phases are the same the world over, as long as you convert the times correctly. Its nice to be able to reply on something being constant. If I see the usual diary I buy I will get one, but meantime... I will work with what I have. Anyway.... as I have been thinking so much about moving back North, there may be some reasoning in this lunar madness......

Tarot Life Begins....

I have officially started the Tarot Life course over at Tarosophy... took some working out but I think I am getting there!

I am using my Thoth deck as it is one I haven't used much and it will give me the opportunity to study the cards in a bit of depth as they get drawn each day. Once drawn the cards remian part of the spread and do not get returned to the deck. Of course me being me I wonder over 31 days which 14 cards will end up left undrawn in the pile at the end.

First I had to work out my Destiny Card for this year which is Four of Cups. Then each day you add to a month long spread which creates a destiny path for you to follow, hopefully ending up with you closer to where you want to be.... sounds good to me.

Four of Cups - Thoth Tarot

 I really need to focus on Four of Cups more and learn what my destiny is. Here this card is called Luxury but I really don't see my destiny as luxury.... or boring... or too square for that matter. This card is about cups overflowing, which I guess is a kind of luxury. Overflowing with love and light, the water of life. The crescent moon at the top of the card relates to my birth sign, shown below. It is a double dose of Lunar energy, this card!

I know whatever my *happy* destiny is, it will always be spiritual and emotionally fulfilling rather than material. I do need intellectual and creative fulfillment too though. Ok this path is exciting now... I will think more about this as the month goes on.

 The first two guide cards I drew last night were The Page of Disks and The Knight of Cups. I was definitely meant to have the Knight of Cups, as I tried out three other decks before settling on the Thoth and each time I drew Knight of Cups first.... cant help but wonder who he could be.... I wouldn't mind a romantic Knight in shining armour (armore!!) to guide me through the New Year!

Prince of Disks & Knight of Cups - Thoth Tarot

The cards are at angles because this is the whole idea of the game, the angle relates to how far you were from your goal that day for the card of the left and how much opportunity you may have missed to get closer to your destiny on the right.

Prince of Disks is a great card for new beginnings as it is about planting the seeds, setting a plan and small goals to follow so you have the feeling of accomplishment as you go. This card tells me to be more set in my goals and plans which I am absolutely terrible at! The bull represents determination and bull headedness... and I need some of that!

Knight of Cups..... hmmmm maybe I missed an opportunity to meet my Knight... who knows! I shall be more alert when I hear hoof beats in the distance. I found out from Angel Paths website (which I love!), that the Knight of Cups is also related to the energy flow in the home and Feng Sui principles.  Well according to a quick check the head of my bed is in the right place for learning and training. I have also felt like reaaranging and clearing things out..... Tomorrow!!!!

One

New Year, New Month, New Day....

New Cycle.... I am now in a 1 year, right at the beginning of a new cycle in my life!

From Creative Numerology :

The 1 Year Cycle

A journey of change,
new beginnings, independence
and becoming who you really are!

Not everything that is faced can be changed,
but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
James Baldwin

No matter how familiar things may seem, you are on an entirely different road now. The 1 year is the first year of a brand new nine-year cycle of your life. It urges you to create a more satisfying existence by recognizing the new potential that is developing. It is a time of change and new beginnings. Last year brought an entire nine-year era of your life to an end and was probably emotional and confusing. However, those experiences were necessary so that this year's new beginnings can occur. The past is over, but you will need to release the feelings and beliefs that are still anchoring you to it. Then, instead of being shocked or confused by this year's changes, you will more easily understand their purpose.

This is a year of new interests, experiences, goals, and understandings: about life, about you, where you have been, where you are now, and where you would like to be. And, because so much drastic change is required, you will also be learning the meaning of courage. You will gain self awareness this year. You will learn about individuality, and the vital changes that must take place within you if you are to attain what you need. You will be learning about independence, leadership, and originality, and you will need great faith in yourself in order to take appropriate action. You will encounter situations involving your deepest feelings, your unique mind and talent, and your need for greater freedom.

You will be learning to adapt to the changes taking place inside you and around you, while your ability to lead yourself and others gets tested. Your progress will be helped along by new opportunities and understandings. Just remember that 1 is also the number of individuality, and that no one can define freedom for another without limiting freedom.

Accept the need for real and significant change. Develop a realistic sense of your own self-worth. Listen to and follow your feelings. What you do this year will set the course for the next nine years. This should provide all the incentive you need to make your decisions carefully and realistically. And by accepting the reality of your past, you will become more aware of who you really are. If you think you already know your true identity, be prepared for some astonishing new truths to emerge.

You may start to doubt beliefs and attitudes you held dear, as you realize they are no longer appropriate to current circumstances. You may start to feel out of place around people with whom you have always felt comfortable, and may question their continuing role in your life. Doubts may arise as to how you can be free when responsibilities or circumstances seem to stand in your way. Feel every feeling that arises around such issues. At some point, you will instinctively know that it's time to move in a completely different direction, even if it means doing so alone.

Never forget that this year you are learning to be independent. Attaining independence often brings feelings of isolation and loneliness. Those you thought you could count on may become unavailable to you. Attaining independence always produces guilt which must be seen for the destructive force it is, otherwise you will become stuck in a painful rut of resentment, confusion, and blame.

Welcome new activities. Change monotonous routines. Without change - drastic change - you may find yourself being buffeted around with no Will of your own for a long time to come. The 1 year cycle gives you the opportunity to fix your bearings and choose the direction you want to take. It enables your Will to emerge as the only alternative to guilt and fear. Problems will arise for as long as you resist change. Stay flexible. Your firmest goals may be diverted into unexpected new directions.

The only thing you can reliably expect this year is change. One change will lead to another, and then another, transporting you physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually far from where you thought you would be. Consider what is best for you, and then go ahead in that direction. Start afresh. Decide which direction you want your long term future to take and, even if it means starting small, take decisive steps toward these goals.

Your various relationships are vitally important. So much love and happiness can be experienced there. However,  you cannot depend on anyone else for your happiness or success. Rely only on you. Try to surround yourself with realistic, freethinking people who do not judge and criticize your every move. Have the same consideration for them.

Although the emphasis is on you this year, guilt will tell you that you are wrong to focus so keenly on yourself and that ego is the problem. It is not. The solution is to stop judging yourself. This will enable you to balance your ego between overblown or deflated.

You may have to break free from people who habitually disapprove of you or your plans, or those who want to control you. Know what you want and believe in yourself. If your abilities are lacking in some way, take the time to learn what is necessary to fulfill your intentions.

As you strive toward freedom, you will notice that others become less dependent or critical. The more self-accepting you are, the happier everyone will be. Confidence is not an 'act' that hides your fear or ignorance. It is a natural feeling that comes from your acceptance of reality. Once you accept the reality of your desires and potentials, and what you have to do to fulfill them, you will know that although you don't know all the answers yet, they will come to you because you have a genuine intent to learn, and an openness which can utilize new information. Confidence is the ability to accept change as it occurs, and it will occur this year.

Always be aware of what is going on locally and globally, and plan accordingly. Begin something substantial. Failure to start a new project, activity, job, hobby, or even a new attitude, will result in a directionless frame of mind which will keep you tied to undesirable people, places, and circumstances. At least, start a new phase of an existing situation. If you do not make changes where they are needed, they will be made for you.

Without change, we struggle to hold on to fruitless situations. As 1 is the number of independence, you will be aware of your various dependencies this year. Imagine the freedom you would enjoy without them. These may include a dependence on others, a need to keep others dependent on you; a need for approval; on substances such as food, tobacco, alcohol, drugs; or distractions such as 'entertainment', computers, or extravagance. You may be disguising your addictions so that they are unrecognizable, even to yourself. The key is to trace the emotional cause of why you need certain things so badly.

It could take years for you to achieve certain results, but projects or ideas started three years ago can materialize as accomplishments this year, leaving you pleasantly astonished as loose ends from the previous nine-year cycle are finally tied up. Understand the need for time to pass between one experience and the next, and you will enjoy many pleasant surprises this year. Aim high, believe in your goals, and never give up the pioneering spirit that is essential in the 1 Year Cycle. Remember that learning from mistakes is how experience is gained.

Work through your fears instead of denying them and you will be able to explore humanity's journey with an open mind and promote your own desires and interests along the way. Much of what occurs this year will be reflected back to you through events taking place elsewhere. Once you make that connection, you will be able to see exactly where you and your talents fit in. This year, you will learn that life is not meant to be a struggle but a continuous free-flowing journey of energy that moves, shifts, vibrates, spirals, and evolves through cycles of learning.

I also drew the Number 1 card from Frouds Faerie Oracle, this card is called Unity. It also came up in the first reading I did for someone else this year!

Unity - Frouds' Faerie Oracle

Unity is the first card in the Faerie Oracle, Unity is all, beginning and end. I will share with you a story which is one time in my life when I know I experienced total unity and pure joy and wholeness outside of childbirth.

17 years ago I was confirmed into the High Anglican church, in Norwich Cathedral in England. I still to this day don't believe that it was the actual choice of the faith I was confirmed into that brought the wonder into this experience, but it was *FAITH* full stop. I had total trust in the Universe, I felt complete, like I could fly.... I truly felt that if I stepped off a high rooftop I would be saved by this thing I had found that loved me... I felt so high, so whole, so light..like pure light and energy..truly one with all around me.

That experience reminds me of the very nature of the Unity card in this Oracle. It is a beautiful card, the skull of a deer with full antlers seems to be illuminated and transformed into a dance of life, infinity and pure light. The antlers are like spiritual antennae, pulling in the energy of the universe, directing it through and around you in an infinite wave.


Wonderful card for a new year!