Ponderings on Tarot

I own only one Tarot deck. I know of other pagans that own several, who enthusiastically use them on a regular basis. So in a strange way, I feel rather inept as a Tarot reader compared to them. I might use them once a month, if that.

I find, lately, the idea of tarot cards and their uses intriguing, so felt it prudent to share on the blog. Here are some of my thoughts. 

< p>- You don’t need to be perfect about Tarot readings. What’s important is understanding yourself (or who ever you’re reading the cards for). Symbols won’t form into any significant meaning unless you understand how to put them into context by understanding the person you’re reading for.

- There is no ‘right’ tarot deck. All of them potentially work, but the key here is to use one that ‘feels’ best in your hands, and the images strike a chord in you.

- You can read a regular deck of cards just like a Tarot deck. Naturally, you don’t have the Major Arcana, but this doesn’t take away from sifting out answers with just the regular deck. Here’s a cheat sheet.

- You can make your own Tarot deck. This idea really intrigues me. Get some card stock, cut into the sizes you want, round the corners, and now decorate as you need them. You can use a specific style, photos, drawings, sketches, or symbols.

How to create your own deck using your intuition.

- Print your own deck. I would highly recommend nice cardstock or even use the paper for printing photos. Its sturdy and being glossy offers easy shuffling. I also suggest using a corner rounder to smooth the edges

Squidoo page all on printing your own Tarot deck- includes files.

What’s your favorite deck? Have you had some good or bad experiences with Tarot? Post in comments.

WordPress Tags: tarot, deck of cards, craft, divinationn, wicca, witch

Pinteresting links for pagans

I find so much in the way of links, ideas, crafts, and more visiting Pinterest.com that I often find time slipping by, and realizing I’ve spent hours on the site. But I felt you might enjoy some of the ‘finds’ I pinned on my boards;

Source: tarotreadingpsychic.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: carolinaconjure.com via Sharon on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: carolinaconjure.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: labyrinthsociety.org via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Leslie on Pinterest

 

WordPress Tags: pinterest.com, links, craft, magic, magick, spells, wicca, witch, ritual, estbat, moon

Friday Fun: Making magical boxes

I saw this on Pinterest and just fell in the love with the idea of making my own box. I haven’t decided yet, however, what box to start with. The craft stores have wooden and paper mache boxes you can easily use the same technique.

I also liked the idea of using Textured Paintable Wallpaper for décor. Also, imagine using various colors and even mica powders to the project.

This could be a box used for;

- Storing your magical tools such as athame, candles, or  incense.

- Storing your divination tools such as runes or tarot cards.

- Storing potions, herbs, or stones.

The possibilities are endless.

WordPress Tags: printerest, links, witch, craft, ritual, tools for creativity, pagan

Yule Follow Up

Our Yule ritual went rather well. I wish the wind didn’t so much or the temperatures drop so low, otherwise we’d have a fire in the fire pit. I meant to have everyone make banishing bags from black cloth and they’d be burned, but we opted, instead, to use this idea by CharmingPixieFlora (video) where the bag would not only mark what we wished to banish, but also what we needed to replace it.

Potluck- Because of gathering so late in the day, we opted to feast first. Some argue that you eat after ritual, but I feel that has more to do with magick working, meditations, or spell work. In celebrations, the focus should be on the celebrating itself.

The food was great. My husband made a Chicken and Dumpling casserole, while others brought salad, a veggie tray, and desserts. There’s something so delightfully magical about potlucks, where folks bring in various dishes to share as a group.

Ritual- Our group is not at all formal, and we discuss beforehand what we hope to accomplish with the ritual. Members share a document online where we add what we’re bringing to potluck, but also marking what they wish to do in the ritual itself. Some suggestions included some healing, a thumb’s up for the banishing bag craft, and also a ‘joy and sorrow’ sharing ritual.

Joys and Sorrows- I first encountered this practice in the local Unitarian Universalist Church, where members shared a joy and/or sorrow in their lives. This helped build community, strengthen bonds, and enables members to alert others if help was needed. We use the practice for the same reasons.

All you do is light tea lights. One for each joy or sorrow. You can light as many as you need. All of the candles can sit on a plate at the center of circle or the main part of the altar. They are blown out at the end of ritual.

Since I forgot to get the sparkling juice or mead, we ended up using V8 Splash for the ‘ale’ in the cakes and ale. The cake was Rum cake, which was awesome. We then went outside to ‘pop’ the banishment bags, sprinkling seeds on the ground, and making offering of the cakes and ale to the gods amid the wind and cold.

I wish for everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season.

Source: bing.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Technorati Tags: yule,christmas,activities,craft,sabbat,holiday,pagan,wiccan,ritual,coven,solitary

How to make a Book of Shadows

I’m not sure if I’d go so far as making a BOS from scratch, but this graphic shows how to take on this project with easy-to-follow instructions:

WordPress Tags: BOS, book of shadows, craft, wicca, ritual, coven, witch, goddess

Blue Moon Ritual

 So Friday, we’ll see a blue moon- not literally. It won’t be blue. A ‘blue moon’ is the second full moon within a single month, or more historically, a fourth moon within a season.

Either way, when looking up the moon, you find many moons named things like the Honey Moon or the Hunter or Wolf Moon. A blue moon has no label, because its an extra moon in a way.

Any full moon provides a pagan a time to commune with the Divine/Goddess, to work magick, or to craft tools for ritual or magickal purposes.

• Charge items under the full moon
• Fill a glass jar with rainwater and set out under the full moon for ritual purposes
• Draw down the moon
• Meditate beneath the full moon

---

This month, I’m making a doorknob hanger to be used with a doorknob spell (mentioned by Cutewitch in her YouTube video).

Here is some crafting ideas to make your own doorhanger, including a template to cut out in cardboard (or you can get cheap foam/wooden door hangers from the craft store).

You can add a dry erase area to the doorknob hanger by using packing tape, or using laminate. There is even dry erase paint you can get, or use left over plastic stuff some packages have.

You can also add a post it note spot, or a small notebook you can use instead.

Decorate as you see fit, adding elements and symbols of power. you can hang through a hole, or a hanger type shape, or you can tie ribbons and use that as well.

How to use:

Each night, say a positive affirmation or prayer. Write down on the doorknob hanger what you’ll do the next day, or how you want to feel, but word it as though its already happening. Hang on the door, and go to bed.

The next day, you should note a shift in your day.

Homemade Door Hanger

Lots of doorhangers to be inspired.

Buy blank wooden doorhangers

Technorati Tags: Blue,Moon,Ritual,Either,Honey,Hunter,Wolf,Divine,tools,doorknob,hanger,Cutewitch,YouTube,Here,ideas,ribbons,affirmation,prayer,Write,word,Hang,Homemade,Lots,purposes,hangers,month,doorhangers

Individual Energies and Power of Self

When you start out learning about magical practices and so forth, you will find a number of ‘this-is-how-it’s-done’ tone in the books. Sometimes even priests or priestesses might take that stand as well, but also consider that you are an individual, and the universe is not ‘one-size-fits-all’.

People’s energies are different. Take, for example, mercury in retrograde. This is when magic and workings are said to go a bit haywire. Things might not work out as planned. I, however, found no difference in my life or actions. Perhaps I can blame the fact I embrace being a bit haywire myself. My energies might work very well under these conditions, while someone who is more structures will find frustration.

Your emotions play a part. As emotional beings, we understand that how we deal with the world can impact our lives. Anger and stress can lead to heart issues, bad habits, and overall poor health. It affects sleep and how we deal with situations. Those who have fears and insecurities may manifest all sorts of bad things, including sickness, just by letting those fears get the better of them Face those fears, scrutinize and understand so you may better understand your Self will help master your own Life.

Its essential to understand who we are and why we do the things we do. This is perhaps the single most important lesson a pagan should master- mastering of the Self. We need to recognize our darker Self, the fears, hate, anger, and other emotional much that holds us back (or holds us down). We also need to recognize our strengths, self worth, and  empowerment to work through issues as they come into our lives.

Recognize those difference in others. Just as we’re fine with certain things, other people are not. I don’t judge others who might be uncomfortable with going skyclad, or they’re shy around groups. I can only gently nudge them towards finding their strength and courage, or respect that in their personality.

Just as we learn about ourselves, we can also learn to sense what works and what doesn’t. Its not mercury in retrograde or even moon phases that affects my magic as much as self-doubt and my moods.

What do you think? Have you recognized things about yourself that you later overcame? Are you sensitive of others in groups to recognize the differences? Are those differences accommodated? What are your thoughts on individual energies? Post in comments.

Book of Shadows Assignment: Journal about your own energies, and what affects them the most. Is it weather, moon phases, other people, or other elements in your life? Add how you can overcome or deal with that.

Technorati Tags: book of shadows,bos,energies,ritual,spells,magick,pagan,witch,craft,coven,solitary,mercury in retrograde

 

Color coding candles

I tend to stick with white candles for most of my spellwork and even rituals. Colors, however, can often provide an added ‘kick’ to the mood, and symbolize various meanings to you.

To make directional or ‘quarter’ candles, to represent earth, air, fire, and water, I suggest using a mix of modge podge (or thinned glue) with food coloring. You then paint any glass holder, or even the metal part of a tealight candle. I even add a bit of Mica powder to add sheen.

Before (I bought these at the dollar store);

After painting them with the glue, food color, and Mica powder mix;

You can’t really see the sheen on them, but Mica powders add a bit of metallic hue to the mixture. I got some for card making, and used a coupon at Michael’s. The colors come in copper, gold, and even a lovely pearl color.

Its an easy method to color-code your candle holders or any glass item.

Technorati Tags: crafts,modge podge,wicca,pagan,candles,ritual,rite,esbat

Making beads

Paper and wire wrapped bead tutorial is a marvelous idea to make prayer beads, or charms for spellwork.

These could be added to just about anything, from witch’s bottles, to jewelry, to windchimes, to just about anything.

Instead of using paper from a book, write a prayer or chant, or use symbols on paper. You could also add oils or herbs when you roll them up.

I will be making this myself in the next moon cycle.

Technorati Tags: jewelry,beads,prayer,chant,wiccan,goddess,magick,spellwork,spells

Mabon craft idea: Threshold Blessing Lanterns!

One of the traditions of Mabon is to bless the threshold of your home. What better way as the days lengthen, growing darker, than to make your own lantern, including a blessing?

I found a number of sites that showed this easy way to decorate, color, and hang these lanterns. Basically, they’re mason jars painted with glue and food coloring. You can then add herbs, oils, sand or soil, seashells, or any other items to add a ‘blessing’ to them.

You could also use a cut out of a symbol or shape before painting them, leaving a lovely, clear, imprint of this when you light it.

How cool is that? just click on the either the picture of the lantern, or the graphic below for the tutorial.

JustSewSassy.com provides some wonderful craft ideas.

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: lantern,mabon,craft,light,candle,porch,outdoor craft,wicca,pagan,goddess,blessing