Divination

Week #8 - the letter "D" again

One of the first purchases I made after I became a Witch was a deck of tarot cards.  Because that is what I was supposed to do, right?  I certainly thought that was the case.

I tried to work with them.  I really, really tried.  But, we never clicked.  I kept at it for many years, sporadically.  Honestly, I felt like a failure.

The opportunity to test drive other decks became available to me but I still didn't feel like tarot was my thing.

Eventually, I found Karma Cards.  I loved them and still use them today.  They were easy to understand and were quite basic.   I was glad that I had some form of divination to use. More tarot decks entered my life but were generally given to others.

I knew there were many types of divination so I began exploring.

Astrology was interesting but the complexities of natal charts overwhelmed me.  Besides, I never really connected to my astrological sign of Taurus.  If I couldn't find the connection for myself, it was difficult to try to do the same for others.

I toyed a bit with Palmistry and using a Pendulum.  Tea leaves and dream interpretation were fun but didn't feel right for me.  And then I found Numerology.

For a girl who transposes numbers and is not a fan of math, I was surprised that it clicked with me.  I have studied it and even taught a class on it but have never fully immersed myself into really learning it.  I can chart your numbers but I'm not confident in defining their meanings in any given position, not without a book or cheat sheet.  I really need to get back to it because it's quite enjoyable for me and it's one form of divination that a lot of people don't do for themselves.

Maybe because of stereotypes or my own ideology, but I wanted to have and use and connect with a tarot deck.

I attended a tarot class in 2007 and fell in love with The Well Worn Path by Raven Grimassi, Stephanie Taylor and Mickie Mueller.  My husband also fell in love with the deck. Perhaps tarot cards were not for me.  My husband was excited to find a deck he was drawn to so we decided he should get them.  While we were researching them, we found a companion deck called The Hidden Path also by Grimassi, Taylor and Mueller.  I liked it more than the Well Worn Path so I decided to get it.  Alas, the cards are beautiful but I still felt nothing.

More time passes and I revisit my love of Numerology and even find a slight connection to pendulum work and teach the basics of both to other group members.  I take a class on making Runes and then teach one about Rune layouts and interpretation.  Digging deeper I conduct a workshop series on Palmistry.  When another group member decides to lead a monthly tarot class, I signed up and again searched for a deck.

It was the beauty of the cards that drew me to Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti.  They were stunning and something about them made me ache to own a deck.  I did a lot of research and a lot of looking at cards, but always came back to the Legacy deck.  

When it arrived, I was thrilled.  It was even more beautiful in person.  I've always felt a connection to the Empress card and have discovered that my reaction to that card tends to influence my thoughts on the deck as a whole.  When I spied it, my breath caught in my throat.  Could this really be my deck?

They were amazing and truly works of art.  They felt slightly cool and tingly in my hands.  Looking through the deck, I found more surprises.  I was feeling connections to the cards.  Imagine my surprise to find that the Devil card was hot!  (Seriously, the card is sexy.)

I began working with the cards and my mind just started opening up.  We were connecting and I was finally getting the experience I had desired for so long.  I read the accompanying book but don't use it when I do readings.  I just go for it.

Toying with different spreads, I found one that worked for me.  It's called the snapshot spread and I've modified it slightly.  There are 5 areas with three cards each.  The cards in each area work together as one overall impression for that area.  The areas represent home, career, finances, relationships, and general future.  My readings don't require the querent ask a question - either aloud or in their mind.  In my experiences, the reading does tend to skew towards whatever matter is most pressing for the querent at that moment, even if they don't realize it themselves.

I felt like I needed more, something to add to my readings.  In the tarot class, our instructor used a set of cards to encourage us to look at a card and interpret it.  They were lovely, simple, and perfect.

Once the querent has shuffled the Legacy deck, I have them shuffle and draw a card from my Healing with the Faeries Oracle deck by Doreen Virtue.  Let it be known that I'm not into the Fae but I love the deck.  Each card depicts a faerie and a simple word or phrase such as "inner child", "peace of mind", "new opportunity."  In my readings, they amplify the overall snapshot.

There was still something missing.  A friend had a set of cards - Virtues Reflection Cards - that were interesting.  I spent some time looking through them and knew I needed a set of my own so I snagged a set for The Virtues Project.  The cards are great for any number of activities and I've used them for journaling, meditation, and as a general guide to any given situation.

Generally, I do not look at the card and just hand it to the querent.  Each card lists a virtue, its description, a quote relating to the virtue, how to practice the virtue, and an affirmation.  Usually the card strikes a chord with the person and it often pertains to underlying issues.

I enjoy divination a great deal now that I have several methods that work for and with me.  I use the snapshot spread with the amplifiers, I use my Karma Cards.  I play with Numerology and am planning to devote more time to it.  Occasionally I like to pull out my Runes or Pendulum to see if something has changed between us.  I like trying new forms of divination and will continue to explore.

Divination isn't a necessary part of my path but it's a nice addition.  I really like being able to perform the service for others.  I just feel fortunate that I have found some methods that I like and feel competent to practice.