Three card daily draw with the Raven’s Prophecy tarot

For today I’ve done a three card spread for my daily draw with The Raven’s Prophecy tarot. Although I have this deck for almost a year now, this is the first time I am working with more intensely and I enjoy this deck so much. The simple yet very skillful drawings are highly evocative. They are conveying their message very clearly and with little room for doubt.

For my spread the positions are as follows:

Well this seems like it is going to be a wandsy kind of day. What stands out for me in this reading is the fiery sword of the Knight of Wands between the Ace of Wands and the Two of Wands as if the Knight is somehow trying to prevent the sequence of the suit to continue….

1 The general energy of the day – Ace of Wands

This ace is all about creativity and enthusiasm. Yes after a good night’s sleep I feel like the Page of Wands from Yesterday is ready to roll. This card is about beginning and not worrying if you will complete your project in a perfect manner. Just start and enjoy the process

2 The challenge of the day – Knight of Wands

It feels like he is not letting me do my thing: play, make  mess and go for it. The knight of Wands in a challenging position can be about doing all your chores before you are permitted to do anything fun. He is also about doubting your ability to create and he is scared to fail. He will act busy so no one will notice he is actually procrastinating out of fear

3 The gift of today – Two of Wands

Being aware of the power of the Knight I will be able to bring my idea into the next phase. Building up my painting layer by layer after creating the initial playful background. This card is urging me to apply structure and direction to my work. Head and heart are coming together in The Two of Wands and are joining their forces

Knight of Wands - I can’t stop the Rain

The last few days have been quite busy and I suspect there are still a lot of those days ahead. Due to the changes in my household I felt too distracted and too tired to pull my daily cards. Somehow my daily routine has been tossed upside down and this has made me realize how much I depended on that routine to get things done and make room for me as well.

After a few days without tarot, I pulled the Knight of Wands from the Raven’s Prophecy. This is the same card from about a week ago. It seems I needed to hear and feel his creative energetic message again today. He reminds me to take charge and be strong for myself. I am a worthy cause to fight for as long as I take care not to hurt the ones I love.

When I asked how or when he would help me I pulled the Seven of wands. Usually we see a guy on a strategic spot defending himself against his enemies. But in this deck we see a hand shielding the little flames from the pelting rain. This is what needs to be protected at all times: “the fire inside that makes you uniquely you.”

You can’t fight the rain, you can’t make it go away but you can be there for yourself, take good care of yourself so the rain won’t dowse your inner fires.

For me personally this means to carve out time for myself during the day, since the early morning hours are not always for me alone anymore. I want to spend more time in my room to read and write, to play with my cards or just to find some peace and quiet. I am sure if I am willing to give me all of this, the sun will come out soon enough again.

The Knight of Wands – My new best friend

Yesterday I’ve received the Raven's Prophecy Tarot by Maggie Stiefvater in the mail and because we have been quite busy decorating for Christmas, these two cards are the first ones I pulled from the deck.

The Knight of Wands, my least favorite card for ages but recently it has become one of my “sigh cards”. Whenever he shows up I get the feeling I am Brave enough  to do whatever I set my mind too. Up until now this card has always been mainly about overcoming my creative fears. So when I asked in what area of my life he would be willing to help me I was very surprised I got the Ten of Wands. This is the card of burdens and burn-outs. So soon in December and already I’ve pulled Ten of Wands. Together these two cards are telling me not to be afraid of whatever comes my way this month. They assure me I will be able to find the energy and courage to engage any challenge ahead and they also remind me I don’t have to do everything on my own. I have the tendency to believe “Ellen knows best” but I also know I have two very capable loving daughters and a darling SIL who are always willing to do one’s bit whenever this is needed and/or asked.  Also I will remember the almost magical soothing effect of making art. So whenever my head hangs low from anxiety and fear caused by the burden of feeling overly responsible, my paints and pencils will always be ready for action.

Learning to appreciate the Knight of Wands

After nearly a month of shadow work, how do I feel about my least favorite tarot card of the deck: the Knight of Wands? Honestly my feelings couldn’t have been more opposite and if you would have asked me this in the beginning of the month I would never ever have believed my opinion about this knight could changed so much.

In my previous post about him I wrote how much I disliked his high spirited and adventurous nature and I even confessed I might be a bit jealous of him.

Well this month he has slowly come out of the shadows and I really came to appreciate his qualities. It is so easy to forget the positive aspect of a card you dislike. As always an aversion to a card says more about us than about the card itself. It is only natural when a card represents a shadow aspect of ourselves we are not prone to like it. But this month’s work showed me I was more afraid of this knight than that I actually disliked him. If I would dare to embrace him I might have to face my creative drive, embrace my passion and be vulnerable because I could fail or maybe even worse; be successful….

So carefully I’ve started to draw and paint again and I love it. It is still scary but I don’t feel anxious about it. For the first time in years I have started a painting on canvas. Rarely did I consider my art worthy enough to do so. Yes participating in this challenge has definitely opened some doors and windows for me and now a fresh breeze is caressing my soul

Shadow Work Spread

Today I’ve done the Shadow Work Spread from the Shadow Work October Challenge by @Mnomquah on IG. For this spread I’ve used the Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza.

1 The Light – What you know and accept about yourself?

Queen of Cups. I know I am a loving an protective mother. Always listening to others and  trying to understand them and to feel what they need from me; to know how to help them. I also acknowledge my depression and I try to live with it as good as I possible can.

2 The Shadow – What is hidden from you about yourself?

The Knight of Wands. This is the same card as I’ve chosen for my “least favorite card of the deck”. Well now it is obvious why I picked this card. My Shadow wants to be heard loud and clearly. She wants to be adventurous and to try out new things. She knows no fear or at least she will not be held back by it.

3 Why do you fear you Shadow? What is preventing you from seeing and accepting you Shadow?

Six of Wands. I am afraid of the resistance of my loved ones. They don’t know that part of me. Accepting my shadow might cause conflicts and I don’t know if I am brave enough to face that.

4 Why should you embrace your Shadow? What are the positive sides of your Shadow that would benefit you?

Temperance. My personality would be so much more balanced if I could embrace my Shadow. It would be a very healing experience for me.

5 How to integrate the Shadow into the Light. What steps you should take in order to accept your Shadow?

Four of Swords. It is tempting to try to do Shadow Work only in your head. You have to feel and digest what you’ve learned too; really sit with is and let it sink in and take your time for it. This is the part when the real healing begins

6 The Outcome -The possibilities if you succeed in bringing the Shadow into the Light

The  Magician. I like this card in this position. The possibilities are endless, I can do anything I set m mind to, if I marry my Queen of Cups with my Knight of Wands. Yes so much energy will be set free if they live happily ever after

I am always a bit anxious when I am doing a large and very personal spread like this. Would the cards make sense? What if it is all abracadabra? A bit like stage fright perhaps. Anyway I loved how this spread worked out for me and the insights I got from it. Now I am going for a walk; some much needed Four of Swords time....

Struggling with the Knight of Wands

Day 5 My least favorite card. Why? What does it say about me?

For now I would say this is mostly the Knight of Wands. I find his enthusiasm and high spirited nature annoying. It is often too much and for me too impulsive and exaggerated. People like him tend too draw a lot of attention and not always in a positive; they are loud, bragging and taking unnecessary risks. I know he has a lot of good qualities too but these are the ones that get to me.
Why? probable jealousy, wanting to have the courage to do my own thing no matter what others might think of it. I am often lacking the energy to "go for it" I have a lot of ideas in my mind but too often they stay there gathering dust..
To scared to get on that horse and just ride with my hairs dancing in the wind....

Knight of Wands – Setting my priorities straight

Today’s cards are the Knight of Wands from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot and the man card from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand. Both decks are by Ciro Marchetti. This Knight of Wands is as fiery as it is possible. Red and Yellow and every hue in between is used to create this image. Two dragons are battling one another with fire, while unaware of the damage they are causing to their surroundings. They are passionate and reckless, strong and vital. But maybe lately a bit over the top with all their plans, projects and challenges. This knight can sometimes give us  the idea of  “I can do everything if I really want it”. So we plunge in enthusiastically with passion and good intentions and only to feel afterwards the blisters on our soul. Then we have to admit we've acted like the dragons in this card: a bit over the top and somewhat impetuous.

But then I pulled the Man card. Today I read this card as being  the Knight of Wands, without his armor. He is tired of fighting his inner and outer battles. There too many options, too many battlefields. In his hand he is holding one rose and he is silently waiting until he knows for sure which challenge is worth his sole focus and all his energy.

I do relate to these cards very well. For five days now I am trying to change my behavior and routines on several fronts and I am coming to the conclusion that it might be a bit too much ad once. Because I do want this challenge to be a success, I have to set my priorities  straight. What do I want to  focus on? What is it that I want to change the most? One rose…. one priority ….

Knight of Wands - Hunting or shopping?

For today I've got the Knight of Wands from the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. We see a Fey man hiding in the foliage of an Oak tree. His eyes are fixed on something in the distance. He wants it and he is going to get it. When? Not sure, but soon. His passion is seeping out of his pores and the need to change from observer to hunter is great. He is not concerned about the consequences or what might go wrong; He is totally living in the present moment. The only thing on his mind is to kill the prey. He is overly confident he will succeed, so let’s do it quickly…

I can relate to this knight. I want to be free to pursue my own desires without having to be considerate with my girls and my dog. I know it sound selfish but sometimes that’s me too. Luckily I am not entirely filled with Knight of Wands energy and my inner Queen of Swords will talk some sense into him, but he is there and he want to open the door so badly to go exploring. Maybe some sublimated hunting in the form of shopping might help???

“I get highs, to be totally honest, in second-hand stores. My hunting instinct, I expect, really kicks in.”(Bjőrk)

The Knight of Bows - Fox - My guide for a beautiful Sunday

The Knight of Bows – Fox of the Wildwood tarot has jumped out of my deck to be my guide for this day.

I've drawn this card a few days ago for my deck interview. So I’m slightly familiar with it. This is a card of cunning and wit. This card has such a different vibe than most Knights of Wands from other decks. He is less boastful , less macho, like he doesn't need to be a showcase of male hormones.

This fox is sure of this own natural skills  which will help him  survive dangerous situations and even leave him with enough energy for his daily live. I can but only admire this beautiful animal. Today a short post. My husband is coming to visit us this afternoon. For those who don’t know yet, he is living in a assistant living home. Nine years ago he has had a major brain hemorrhage which has caused him to be paralyzed on his whole left side and also gave him cognitive brain damage. It is good to have him home, but it is also difficult to manage and smooth the social event. For this the fox qualities will come in handy. With clever maneuvers I will make this a joyful day and still  have enough energy to enjoy my evening when my husband has gone home again. 

Interview with the Wildwood Tarot

Never before have I done a deck interview spread with a new tarot deck. But yesterday, with this deck it felt like it was the appropriate thing to do. In that way we would get formally introduced to each other. Although I know it’s just a pack of 78 cards, it feels like there´s an old energy  surrounding this deck. It’s making me a little bit hesitant to approach it; to work with it. I’m not that overly sensitive, so this is rather new for me and I am wondering: who am I kidding? That’s why I decided to do the deck interview. I've mixed up some the other interview spreads that I've found online. These are the questions for my deck and the cards that I've drawn:

Wildwood Tarot deck  interview

1.       Who are you?

The Wheel -  I am the loom of the Wildwood and I will teach you how to weave

2.       What is your most important characteristic?

Eight of arrows -  I have enough courage and dedication to keep going even when our thoughts  collide and dilemma’s arise. I will keep my torch burning hoping for better times.

3.       What are you going to teach me?

The Gardian - I will show you how to face your fears and how to enter the dark caverns of your mind.

4.       what can I give you in return?

Ten of arrows -  Respect and reverence and an open communication

5.       What are your strengths as a deck?

Knight of bows – fox – I am determined, dynamic and clever, and where necessary innovating.

6.       What will our relationship be like?

Four of vessels – beware of boredom and disenchantment after the first rush of infatuation . We’ll strive to keep things fresh and alive and search for new challenges.

7.       Is there anything else you would like to tell me about yourself?

Queen of vessels – My child I will guide you with love through the Wildwood and I’ll ask you to dedicate yourself with an honest and open mind to our journey together

This was a very deep experience. I just sat at my table watching my cards and felt really connected to whatever it was I felt. For some cards I had to look up additional information in the guide book but the overall message was very clear… I had to laugh about the gift of respect this deck wants from me. I was right about that J

Also the Fox of bows has given an unexpected touch to this reading. “Innovating and clever” wasn't what I had in mind for this deck. It has added an unknown spark of wit to it.

This reading has been very helpful to get the edge of our first real encounter and we’ll see where we’ll go from here.