Triptychs and Tarot Blogs

Simone Martini-Annunciation

It’s been a while since I could hold my head up high (Staind)…and write a blog entry that doesn’t sound like a sappy apology for not writing regularly.  I am not going to waste precious space on that.  I am an infrequent blogger.  So be it.  I am large, I contain multitudes (Walt Whitman).

Beginning again:  I just have to share this link with any RandomMagic Tarot enthusiasts today: http://78notes.blogspot.com/2011/03/ten-things-your-tarot-reader-wont-tell.html. First, the blog itself has a great layout and design.  The blog offers great info on Tarot and other topics.  This particular post is fantastic.

I am an armchair tarot reader…I can’t do what professional tarot readers can do– so I love her top ten list.  What I am is a divination collector.  I appreciate divination systems like I appreciate medieval triptych paintings by Simoni Martini (see pic above).  Of course, I play with the systems and have tried my hand at learning about how to read cards and cast runes, but this is akin to taking a brush-painting class or Illustration 101.  I am no master, and I don’t profess to be a professional.

I have ‘read’ for friends/family in the past, but that has proved tangled and dangerous for my friendships.  So, I have put down my armchair ‘readings’, and unless I plan to become a professional reader in the future (which, I have to admit, is a tantalizing thought at times), I have given up reading for friends. It’s just too messy.

Be Careful What you Ask

The other day I thought it would be cool to do a Tarot reading following a spread I saw through the Llewellyn site. It is called the Goddess Archetype spread. I thought it would be fun…there are nine cards in total and each one represents a type of female archetype: Mother, Virgin, Siren, Wise Woman, Hag…you get the idea. Cool, right? Sure. Until you realize that some of the truth is going to be very un-pretty in a Greek tragedy type of way. 

Even with the bad news and the ugly truth that the first card told me I “nurture fear, anxiety, and need for control” as a mother– it was still rather fun and turned out to be a very accurate read of who I am — warts and all.  I liked it…but beware all ye who enter the reading:  it can be hard to look in the mirror.

Um, and the picture above is my way of posting an archetype image– only with three boys in the house, I am rather short on evidence of the female archetypes, so the Darth Vader shirt will have to do.

Finding Paul Newman’s Future

I knew I wanted to do a post tonight on the I Ching which is an ancient Chinese text and divination system used once by emperors in Ancient China. Today you can visit various sites online to get free readings.  Not just for emperors anymore.

The beauty of I Ching is that you just need a book of the possible readings and three coins in order to work the divination.  Pretty much standard divination stuff here.  I do have a special set of coins I use and two different texts, but I have to say tonight I am too lazy to take pictures of my set/s.  I am also way too tired from caring for my ill young ones to do a reading for myself.  I know a reading would be fun for all, but I just can’t do it.  So here are a couple links, and by the way, one of them has links to the readings for the ‘day’ for celebrities…you can find readings for today for folks like Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford, and Paul Newman.  Yes, that is right folks– Paul Newman who passed away some time ago.  His reading for TODAY is on this site.  This site is the definition of Random Magic!   They also sport in Bibliomancy (or randomly selected readings from holy books).  I clicked on Paul Newman’s for today and was pleasantly surprised to see what it said for the “future” until I realized I had clicked on Paul McCartney!  Drat!

The most disappointing part of this site is that there was no reading for Johnny Depp.  Truly unfortunate.

Anyway, enjoy the fun and try a reading for yourself. 

Retiring to hibernate for the evening.

Have A Drink On Me– iPod Divination…

The following is one of those neato things you can do on your social networking site like FB.  Here is some RandomMagic for tonight.  This is a cool party-trick type divination.  Love it.  I am not ready to write whole paragraphs yet, but getting there soon!   Sorry I haven’t posted in a while!

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, or whatever, on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag whomever you want including me.

IF SOMEONE SAYS ‘ARE YOU OKAY’ YOU SAY….?
Staying Alive– Bee Gees (HA!)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Dangerous– Roxette (even funnier)

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Something So Strong– Crowded House

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
I ain’t Goin Out — Jon B. (true!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
She’s So Cold– Rolling Stones (hmmm will have to think on that)

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
Walking on Broken Glass — Annie Lennox

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
White Wedding– Billy Idol

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I Shot The Sheriff– Eric Clapton

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
El Guere Guere– Super Auto

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR FIRST_____?
Inside Silvia– Rick Springfield (no sh*t!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Penelope’s Song– Loreena McKennitt

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Rock & Roll — Led Zeppelin

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Tell Me– Groove Theory

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Wild World– Maxi Priest (yeah baby!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Magnificent– U2 (wow, the g*ds do know me!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Pride– U2 (mmm, I def. a U2 song played at my funeral)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Love Makes Things Happen– Pebbles

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Driver’s Seat– Sniff and the Tears

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Put Your Lights On– Santana featuring Everlast

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Midnight At The Oasis– Maria Muldaur

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Have A Drink on Me– AC/DC

Snake Charm

It has been a while since I have had a moment to post.  The end of my work cycle has come and gone, but the new cycle has already begun (!).  Vacation will come soon, but not soon enough.  To keep me going, I decided I would take a couple of days before I had to get in gear again.  In fact, today was refreshingly good. 

And now, I can blog.  To help rejuvenate my spirit for the work-that-never-ends, I decided to use one of my fave divination systems that is Non-tarot.    It is a collection of ceramic amulets created by an artist with her interpretations and readings for each one.  It is geared towards women (sorry guys).  I tend to turn to it when I need a pick-me-up in the confidence/self-esteem area.  The readings make you feel capable of just about anything.  Better than therapy (or your form of self-medication) .

AMULETS OF THE GODDESSES: ORACLE OF ANCIENT WISDOM by Nancy Blair

Amulet pulled (see pic above): The Snake

Meaning: Shedding fear/Renewing Hope (I could certainly use that!)

Interpretation Snippet:  Snakes represent creative and transformative life force powers (especially to non Judeo-Christian philosophies and religions).  “You are fierce and fearless, you address all challenges with the desire for personal growth, shedding old fears and repressed feelings, revitalizing dynamic life forces. The snake goddess reminds you that the process of transformation never ends.” (p. 134)

Well, that hit the spot! So nice to read something like that when you are down.  One of the cool features of the readings (for the absolute geek in me) is the history of the particular goddesses that she places before each interpretation.  She also does give a partial listing of world goddesses associated with the symbol.   For those interested– Some of the goddesses associated with the snake (according to Blair) are Persephone, Kali, Coatlicue, Lilith, Medusa, and Erishkegal.

Good times all!  Hope to be back more frequently between now and mid-August!

Fortune Cookie Magic

Fortune cookies are random magic.   [note to readers: former history teacher is going to give some background information now-- skip the next paragraph if you are not interested.]

What is interesting about the fortune cookie (as we know it) is that it is 100% American based on a JAPANESE tradition and cookie, yet it is almost always served in Chinese restaurants.   The first fortune cookie was made by a Japanese bakery in San Francisco for the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.  The “fortune” inside the cookie comes from the Shinto (Japanese religion) tradition of Omikuji which are random fortunes or a “divine lottery”.  You can see little papers in Japan tied to tree branches and fluttering in the wind (the noise of the fluttering takes the message to heaven/gods).  And, of course, I love this too.  Another kind of random magic.  Yeah!

Here is an online fortune cookie message generator.

The fortune I received when I clicked on it:  “Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.”

Well, that really doesn’t need a meaning or interpretation — does it?

It is a good message, me thinks.

Enjoy the evening.  And the next time you go to a party with lots of fortune cookies see if you can collect the fortunes and string them together to make a poem.  I did this with friends about 10 years ago (yes, we were all poets/writers) and we created a fortune cookie pantoum.  It was pretty neato.  Yes, I used the word neato.

Dear reader:  What have been your most memorable fortunes?

P.S.  Here is an online Omikuji generator.  Check it out!

Today’s Randomness

Deck: The Card and Rumi Book Pack
Created by: Eryk Hanut and Michele Wetherbee

“Put your trust in him who gives Life and Ecstasy. Don’t mourn what doesn’t exist; Cling to what does.”

Card family (prussian blue)= transformation
Meaning (according to the book)= Don’t look back at the past. Turn your head to wisdom and truth.

There are no accidents

I like divination, but I don’t believe in divining the future. You can’t see what’s coming even with the greatest deck of Tarot cards. Perhaps there are those out there who can see glimpses of the future with open senses, but that is very special and is not usually consistent (of course, this is my opinion). I do believe that “divination” is simply listening to the universe (insert any term you are more comfortable with here). When you deal the tarot and/or throw the coins you are stepping your toe into the river and getting a sense of what it is like. For me, divination is a way to shut out all the “noise” of life in an urban post-industrial lifestyle. If I lived in the countryside or other type of rural area, I probably wouldn’t have to resort to throwing the cards. Actually I don’t have to anyway. I just enjoy the cards and what they have to say. I find it fascinating. But perhaps I see a message in anything.

But as Oogway says in Kung-Fu Panda: There are no accidents.

Piazza Della Minerva 1890--courtesy Library of Congress