Ethony’s 31 Day’s of Tarot, YouTube challenge is back for 2020. This is the fifth year that the #31DaysofTarot2020 is happening across social media platforms.
Because I am not yet back on YouTube (planning to though) and haven’t been able to make time to post everyday, I decided to do the prompts daily for myself and post all the answers in bulk (in 3 parts). I do this exercise mainly for myself and for you to get to know me a bit better and spark your enthusiasm for the tarot.
Now doing this exercise is also good to consider my practice and especially help me this year in buying less decks and using the once I have more. I am looking forward to rekindling my relationship with decks I have (sometimes literally) lost sight of.
Now I really dislike choosing favorites and the answers below probably change again next week, but hey here goes.
- What Tarot goodies did the holidays bring?
None, however a friend did send me an Oracle Deck and I received Kickstarter decks I backed around Christmas; The Vindur Tarot and The Vibra Tarot. - Top 5 Tarot decks 2019
Released in 2019 or used in 2019 is not clear to me. My favorite five decks that I bought in 2019 (but may be older/released before 2019) are (in no particular order) Muse Tarot, Light Seer’s Tarot, Alchemical Tarot, Spirit Keepers Tarot and Blood, Bread and Roses Tarot. - Top 5 Oracle decks 2019
I don’t buy and use oracle deck as much as the tarot, but my five favorites used (not all bought and/or released) in 2019 are Mildred Payne’s Oracle of Black Enchantment, L’Oracle des Murmurs, Soul Cards (cheating as these are two decks), Oracle of Echoes and Magick of You Oracle. - Most used decks between 2010 – 2019
My memory is super poor as all years sort of blend together, but I have used these a lot in the past decade: Dreamkeepers Tarot, Darkness of Light Tarot, Druidcraft Tarot, Fountain Tarot, Thoth, Rider Waite Smith, The Textured Tarot, The Wild Wood Tarot, Tarot of the Hidden Realms, The Beautiful Rebellion and The Lumina Tarot. I am sure I am leaving some golden oldies out. Need to read back in my journals from way back to see which I used back then. There were probably some Hayhouse decks that should be mentioned, that I really don’t resonate with anymore (and sold – I sold many decks, so they don’t all spring to mind now – out of sight…). - What has using the tarot taught you 2010 – 2019?
Understanding and direction are the first things that come to mind. And it helped me develop and most importantly trust my intuition. And it gives me a practice, a steady practice, which for me is very hard to keep up normally, I am distracted easily, but tarot makes it easy and without effort to practice daily and focus. And it never gets boring. The tarot sparks a curiosity in me and a deeper understanding. It helps me see the bigger picture and understand the context of situations much better. Also in daily life I recognize the tarot and it helps me make sense of this crazy world. - What decks are you anticipating 2020 (and why)?
I am hoping to get my paws on The Bonestone and Earthflesh Tarot when the left-over decks are sold and also Ana Tourian’s new black and white deck (in process) is looking stunning. My plans for 2020 is not to buy so much and especially not so many books and tarot decks. But I am sure some lovelies will catch my eye and I hope my will power is strong. Unless something really draws me in and I really am in love with it, am I allowed to get it. No more average decks! No more crushes, I am looking for more this year. I have been looking at the Oriens Tarot, but have been able to restrain myself 😉 - The Tarot card that stalked you in 2019 and why?
Temperance – Now normally this card resonates with me as I like to think of myself as a balanced person, but the past year it has been pissing me off. And yes this has been a year of constantly being off balance, mostly on purpose. As a Libra seeking balance is something I do naturally, but last year it was quite challenging. I felt like rebelling, I guess I was bored, fed up with routine and self-imposed restriction, I craved a bit of chaos and intentionally walked out of line. I was so tired of always trying to do the ‘right’ thing. I was sick of always trying to even everything out. So yes I may have behaved a bit like a teenager. Stretching my limits and rediscovering edgy parts of myself that I have long ago smoothed over. I also indulged more and spent perhaps a bit too much money on pretty stuff (another Libra trait). I need to invest in experiences not stuff and also pick up my daily yoga and meditation practice. I still meditate and do yoga often, just not every morning anymore (especially in Wintertime I find this a challenge and usually this challenge is what makes it interesting for me, I like pushing myself and stretching my limits, but lately I have really been listening to mind talking me out of it). Also I need to pick up Joy in Creation, I need to get back on track and start doing more promotion and marketing, things I don’t like but are part of owning a business. Time to up my game! And when I hear myself utter all these musts and shoulds, I feel that again, balance is so important, not one thing or the other. This card, Temperance, is reminding me about patience and purpose, so yes there is no rush. I am a bit of an all or nothing person, though always seeking balance, how screwed up and confusing is that (and very tiring may I add), and I am quite impatient, so I often give up when I don’t see results after while. I need to heal, be patient and purpose will find me. Don’t try and put an expiry date to it. Focus, stop being distracted and come back to the core. That is where the ❤️ is. I need to find balance and bring opposite forces into equilibrium. As a Libra I have a great need for balance, but my life tends to be a bit all or nothing energy with issues of self-control (too much or too little) and setting clear boundaries. I need to be more forgiving to myself. I ‘have to’ too much, too many ‘shoulds’, and too much stuff I try to do by myself. It is time to give myself an break and take good care of myself, also health wise I need to find balance and a more alkaline state in the body, a state where the elements are in harmony.
So yes thank you Temperance for showing me the way and reminding me of balance, moderation, patience and purpose. But I will never and don’t want to lose my rebellious side, she too has a purpose and need. - What Tarot books did you read in 2019?
De Tarot in de Herstelde Orde. Thanks to a friend I received this out of print book and deck. This book looks like a standard Tarot work. It is beautifully heavy with high-quality binding. The deck, which consists of 80 cards, two more than the traditional 78. From the point of view of the Docters van Leeuwen brothers, the book will undoubtedly be intended as standard work, but from a broad metaphysical approach to the tarot it is not. The approach of the writers is based on two essences: 1. starting from the Rider deck, the writers ‘split’ the great Arcana 2 (High Priestesses) and 4 (Emperor), by the traditional 18th century imagery as found among others in Oswald Wirth and the Swiss 1JJ, as it were to be taken from behind the emblem of Waite, and to be contained in separate maps, Intuition resp. Truth. In the writers’ eyes, this is purer because the various aspects of Waite would be incompatible. For the rest, the writers follow the Pictorial Key of Waite quite closely, albeit that Swords 10 also has a deviating – less dramatic – image, and with that slightly different meaning. 2. According to the writers, the back of the cards should also be seen as an emblem of the metaphysical. With a line of reasoning that seems to have been derived from Zen, the back of the cards is decorated with a kind of fine-meshed labyrinth on which meditation must be done before opening the cards.The book, however, is well-written, very complete, understandable and informative, albeit that – fundamentally different but equally perfectly balanced – Crowley tarot in the (too) short reference to it is completely erroneously dismissed as inferior. The book is highly recommended for those who want to learn to understand the Rider tarot from a friendly esoteric perspective. The writers are good newsers, and the sharp sides of the doom scenarios that Waite sometimes painted are carefully flattened. But if you’re looking for a standard work for the Waite deck, I think you are better off with Rachel Pollack’s 78 Degrees of Wisdom.
I also finally read Madeline Montalban’s “Book of the Tarot” and in my view no other writer on the subject has been able to communicate her/his personal insights as well as Madeline Montalban. I highly recommend this book. The use of significators was fascinating.
And I read Noud van den Eerenbeemt “Sleutel tot de Tarot”, Camphauser’s “Tarot and Kabbalah” and last but not least Robert M. Place’s “The Tarot, Magic, Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Neoplatonism”, superb resource and content. Otherwise I have only been reading ‘little’ white books and a lot of books on magic, witchcraft and the occult. - What was a memorable reading in 2019 (omit names)?
As I do so many readings in a year and all of them are special to me, this is hard to decide upon. At so many readings I still utter how amazing it is that the perfect cards come up in certain situations and all the synchronicities that happen around readings. After all this time I am still in awe. I do remember fondly a reading for someone having to decide on different job opportunities (I did a lot of these this year and you know what they say, you always attract the clients with the same sort of questions as yourself – I am also looking to perhaps change jobs or feel so guided to at least). This reading was memorable as the messages were just so strong and super clear and it empowered the client to make her decision. The reading clearly showed the pros and cons of all options and what she could expect from these choices. And she is now very happy with the choice she made. Another reading I did in the first months of the year for a client also was spot on (looking back now) and very empowering as I see her thrive now. - Share some of your Tarot Decks that have been long lost in your collection that you want to reconnect with?
The Mary-El – I love this deck as it is so powerful and it is great for shadow work. I really don’t know why I haven’t used it in the past year and I am so looking forward to delving deep with the Mary-El this year. I am ready.
Lumina Tarot is a deck I have always had very clear readings with. Each card offers you the yin and yang of it’s aspects presented in perfect Light and Shadow fashion. I read that there will be a new version coming out this year.
Pagan Otherworlds is an old favorite. The images really speak to me and it is just beautiful. It is a high quality deck in every aspect, from artwork to the printing quality.
Tarot of the Spirits is a deck from 1992 which sort of got lost on the shelve. But it is such a beautiful deck and serves as an aid in studying the more esoteric side of Tarot, with an eye to strengthening and deepening the understanding of yourself and your spiritual path.I t is just abstract enough to encourage my own intuition, but traditional enough to help link into more archetypal imagery.
The Game of Thrones Tarot as I have finally binged all seasons in like three months last year (and I loved it, just never could get into it before, don’t know why). And this deck finally makes sense now and I am surprised at how well it is made and works as a tarot deck. I am planning to write a blogpost on this deck as there are some cards I don’t fully agree with, but mostly it is very well done and not a gimmick. - Show us your favorite depiction of The High Priestess? And why?
The first thing I look for in a tarot deck is the High Priestess card as it is my birth card and I resonate with her energy. She inspires me. For years I have been looking for THE High Priestess card, but I haven’t found her yet. Even my own card isn’t totally what I seek (she is still in black and white and not yet finished). At the moment I am drawn to The High Priestess from the Muse Tarot. But my very favorite is the 1st edition Mary-El Tarot High Priestess. She redid this card for her 2nd edition deck. I like this card a lot as well, but for me the first version is better.
When the High Priestess makes an appearance in my personal readings I often smile, as I know she most likely indicates hidden answers that I need to discover and understand in my own time. Rather than give the game away she prompts me to look within myself and take responsibility for the path I am on and the choices I am contemplating. The High Priestess reminds us that we have the information and guidance within. The image of the High Priestess for me has to show intuition, mystery, quiet, instinctual knowledge, supernatural knowledge, secret knowledge, self-knowledge. For now I will pick the pictures as shown below this post. - continued in a next post…
