Tarot Templates: A Card A Day Creates Magic

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TarotBlogHop: Beltaine 2017

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So the wrangler for this hop was me.  Here's what I asked.

Since Beltaine is a holiday of coming together, I thought it would be fun to answer this question: "Do you combine Tarot with any other divination system? Why or why not?" That's it. Short and sweet. Simple. You can answer it however you like.

Yes, I absolutely do combine Tarot with other divination systems. Tarot already has an association with astrology and numerology. That, for me, is a given. I do a weekly Tarotscopes offering on YouTube so that's a done deal for me. :D I interpret a weekly Tarot reading as well as Oracle reading for all twelve signs. Please subscribe if you enjoy so you can be notified each week.

For many years I didn't do anything other than a straightforward Tarot reading. I used one deck and only one deck. Then I had an opportunity to read for two people. They wanted a relationship reading. I decided to use not one, not two but three decks. I used one deck for person A, one for person B while the third deck was used for the relationship. It took a few hours to do. :D Yeah, I might have bit off more than I could chew at that time.

 

Now I still use one deck for the most part but there are times when I'm doing readings where I am called to pick up other decks. Usually that's another tarot deck, but oracle decks jump in  a lot too. I have some favorite oracle decks that are seeing a lot of rotation in my readings. Ethony Dawn's Awakened Souls and Misha Dumois' Flowers from the Dead are at the top of my current loves. Winged Enchantment and Whispers of Lord Ganesha are perennial choices as well. I could go on about various decks but I'll stop there.

I wanted to show you one way that you might use Tarot and Oracle together. If you follow me, you already know that I love creating spreads. Here's one to celebrate the energy of Beltaine and the gorgeous displays of flowers that I'm seeing in nature (even if we did have a bit of snow on the ground for 4/30/17 when I woke up. Hahahaha Mother Nature. Nice joke.)

For this spread, I'm using the phrase "April shower bring May flowers" because I love the hopefulness of it. We all get showers in our lives. For the purposes of this spread, I'm using showers to mean "unwelcomed events." I actually love rain showers. 

So for this spread, the definition of "shower" is a negative connotation. Definition applied. Definition used. You can choose your Tarot card that  best represents the  "shower"  you want to explore. I choose Death due to having just lost a very dear friend unexpectedly. 

Flower will mean "blessing".

April Showers Bring May Flowers

1. What is the shower right now?

Death (The Tarot of Bones): This was a very painful event for me. She was going in for surgery to  help her heal. Her heart gave out on her. She left a large tribe who  were uniformly shocked and saddened. None of us had an inkling that Alia would be transcending out of our immediate world into the next. I was utterly heart broken when I heard she died Saturday April 29, 2017. I have a Scorpio moon so I sometimes deal with death in ways that aren't the societal norm. Alia was a Scorpio so I know she understands. 

I picked this deck intentionally because I thought it would be a nice contrast to the lovely flowers of the oracle deck. I couldn't remember what Lupa used for Death but how appropriate is the rattlesnake for this? Alia's passing was a swift, biting blow that came out of no where. So apropos.

But what flowers come of such a shower?

Three Flowers that come from this shower

Using the Botanical Inspirations Deck [aff], I shuffled focused on the question "What flowers can come of this shower?" I asked Alia herself rather than the Universe. 

1. Phlox, Unanimity and Harmony. The quote is by Marcus Aurelius "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." I'm lucky enough to have known Alia in person. She was an authentic woman with foibles and flaws. She was also one of those who truly lived her life in an authentic way. I wasn't as close to her once I moved away from Denver, but I think she did live in harmony with herself. So that's a lovely blessing to be reminded of the strength of  living one's life in harmony with one's self.

2. Honeysuckle, Domestic Happiness & Devoted Affection. The quote is by William Shakespeare "I  will wind thee in my arms. So doth the woodbine, the honeysuckle, gently entwist." It's like she talking to me, y'all. Alia was one of my go-to confidants about polyamory. I tried it (and failed miserably). She was married with two husbands and a child. Her lifestyle wasn't a lifestyle. It was simply the way of loving that made sense to her. I'm sure she had squabbles but her family was devoted. And the two men she left behind are devastated as is her daughter. No one was prepared. So to see this card of domestic happiness tells me Alia's blessing to me is the reminder that all relationships are work--whether you have one or more partners. Gotta work.

3. Camellia, Destiny. The quote is from the Bard again "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." This card gave me chills. Destiny. From some talks with Alia, I'd say she was a lot more about doing good for the sake of good rather than any bonus points one might build up on a heavenly scorecard. She organized Hearthstone Community Church which offered monthly rituals for the Denver community. It wasn't her glory. She was the force behind it (there were others but she was the force for me.) She made sure there was a ritual presenter every month. She worked her ass off for the Denver pagan community. Her destiny was what she made it, I think. Alia was also an animal person. I met more than one of her beloved Basset rescues. And she was political. She ran on the Libertarian ticket at one point for a Denver office. 

 

b2ap3_thumbnail_BeltaineAprilShowersSpreads002.jpg

These three cards provide a very good answer to me in my quest for blessings in the shower of her passing. Thanks, my friend. I appreciate your checking in this way.

I hope that you find this spread useful. Please leave a comment if you can (yes, I know, you have to log in to do that...it prevents spam so I'm fond of it even though it is a pain in the ass.)

In memorium: Margaret Alia Denny, November 6, 1959 - April 28, 2017. You left one hell of a dash, Lady. One hell of a dash. Fnorky! May your journey be swift and full of Bassett Hounds healed by your love.

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Professional Tarot conversationalist, Arwen Lynch has worked with Tarot as a vehicle for personal transformation since 1980. Her personal philosophy is that Tarot is best used to correct your life course. She is a published author (in romance, as Marilu Mann) as well as past president of the American Tarot Association (4/1/2007-4/1/2014). She specializes in helping people who are determined find their joy and writers who want to finish their book. She's an initiate of Wicca.

Comments

  • James Bulls
    James Bulls Monday, 01 May 2017

    Oogh... using multiple decks in the same reading? I'm not opposed to that on principle - if it works for you, then you should do it - but I look at each deck like a specific language and it makes my head spin thinking about how to make all those decks talk to each other LoL Fun essay, thanks for sharing!

  • Arwen Lynch
    Arwen Lynch Monday, 01 May 2017

    Grin, well even if you were opposed to it, I'd still do it. LOL But I understand what you are saying. The first time was really overwhelming!

  • Chloe
    Chloe Friday, 05 May 2017

    That's a really beautiful spread, Arwen. Sounds like Alia was quite something! And those are some fabulous flowers, literally and metaphorically :)

  • Arwen Lynch
    Arwen Lynch Friday, 12 May 2017

    Thank you, Chloe, she was an amazing priestess for sure.

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