Sun and Moon Tarot

Judgment

Queen of Wands

card back

Sun and Moon Tarot

Author: Vanessa Decort
Artist: Vanessa Decort
U. S. Games Systems Inc.
2010
ISBN #978-1-57281-659-6

My first thought when I heard the name “Sun and Moon Tarot” was that this was a deck that covers a lot of territory! The space between Sun and Moon to me is akin to the distance between “A” to “Z”! I was not disappointed.

The artist, Vanessa Decort, has worked as an illustrator for children’s books and a designer of book covers. She now teaches art classes at the Academy of Art while pursuing her own projects. Her first Tarot deck was the Thoth Crowley, and that influence does show in this deck. The impetus to create this deck was to deepen her own understanding of the Tarot, and to share it with others. Her illustrations explore the worlds of fairy tales, myths, and fantasy, as well as personal experience. Her interests include astrology, Jungian psychology, alchemy, Kabbalism and symbols.

This is a traditional 78 card deck, with the Major Arcana carrying the traditional titles, Justice as VIII and Strength as XI. (Some cards have two titles – Death/Rebirth, Art/Temperance, and Aeon/Judgment.) The suits are Wands (Fire/Spiritual), Cups (Water/Emotional), Swords (Air/Rational) and Pentacles (Earth/Material). The Court Cards are Princess, Prince, Queen and King.

There is no book with this deck, other than the LWB (Little White Book). The cards are presented as text only, no scans. An example of the Major Arcana is as follows:

0 The Fool

Linked with Uranus, Associated with principles of courage, ecstasy without fear. Acting impulsively. Encourages us to take risks and to develop our female and male sides to reach wholeness. The tiger is the oriental symbol for fear. This card depicts Caduceus, the staff of Mercury or Hermes, and the Egyptian wand of vision. It represents intuition, health, well-being and healing. The butterfly and the spiral symbolize the transformational process. From caterpillar to butterfly, the self grows and evolves. The crocodile denotes creative vision and strength. The sun and sea unite fire (energy/vision) and water (feelings). The Hebrew character Aleph is the symbol of the ox, and represents wholeness.

From the Minor Arcana we have:

Two of Swords – Peace

Moon in Libra. Repose, meditative spirit. Decisiveness in making choices. Closed yoga pose shows avoidance of communication, and the need for inner balance. Make a balance choice between the two contradictory possibilities, by finding the answer within.

Queen of Cups

Water of Water. Emotional integrity. Love and sensuality. Queen of love. Feminine cycles and intuition. The water and the reflections indicate Spirituality – “As above, so below.”

The spread that is included in the LWB is the Sun/Moon (Yin/Yang) spread.

The cards themselves are 2 ¾” by 4 ¾”, and of good quality card stock. The backs show a ¼” white border, surrounding a black background with a gray and white mandala in the center. The backs are reversible. The card faces show a ¼” white border. The major Arcana show the car number in Roman Numerals on the top of the card, the title on the bottom. The Pips (numbered cards) show the Thoth keyword at the top of the card, and the card number and suit at the bottom. The Court Cards show the title and suit at the bottom of the card.

The artwork is somewhat primitive in style, with the unique distinction of there being no faces on any of the figures in the deck. The symbology comes from astrology, alchemy, freemasonry, the I Ching, Runes, yoga and Hindu wisdom, Egyptian and Greek mythology, and numerology. Each Major Arcana card shows the associated Hebrew letter. The Pip cards depart from strict Thoth imagery in that they carry both suit icons and small scenes, along with their elemental symbols. This is a nice, whimsical deck, but the coloring to me came off as a bit “flat”.

The suits are color coded: Wands show a dark background, with bright orange flames at the bottom of the card; Cups show a bluish sky and greenish water; Swords show a beautiful light blue background, and Pentacles show reddish-gold in the upper part of the card, with green at the bottom.

I love the esoteric nature of the Tarot, so I was pleased with the various symbols that showed up on these cards: the bees (vision) in the card of the Emperor, the Yin/Yang symbol on the scales of Justice, the snake wound around the alchemical egg (the Lovers), and the snake (transformation) in Strength. I found it very interesting that the Magician in this deck very strongly resembles the Magician from Joanna Powell-Colbert’s “Gaian Tarot”, with the inclusion of the drum and the force of elemental Fire.

Some of the cards that I found interesting were the Queen of Wands (holding a lit stick of fire above her head), Aeon/Judgment (with the figures standing in water, with their arms raised to the angel with the trumpet above them), Universe (with the dancing Shiva figure), the Chariot (drawn by a white bull, which also appears in the Hierophant), the Four of Wands (with the four spikes of the wheel showing balance, structure and harmony), and the Two of Cups, which shows a male and a female figure seated in the middle of a lotus flower.
I found this to be a deck that was interesting, and easy to read with. It would appeal to collectors, and to people looking to go outside the box with Tarot imagery. (The symbols and images in this deck are multi-cultural.) While it does stay true to traditional structure and meaning, I would not recommend this deck for beginning readers.

© July 2010 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Secrets

Tarot Secrets –
A Fast and Easy Way
To Learn a Powerful Ancient Art

Author: Monte Farber
Artist: Amy Zerner
Sterling Publishing
2010
ISBN #978-1-4027-7086-9

“Tarot Secrets” – the Tarot does indeed have its secrets! However, they were not exactly handed down by the Secret Chiefs! From the back cover:

Everything You Need To Know To Read Tarot Like A Pro!

Tap into your inner powers and explore your psychic potential. “Tarot Secrets” helps you understand the present, predict the future, and manifest your goals. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it works!

· Read the cards of virtually any Tarot deck in minutes.
· There’s nothing to memorize! All seventy-eight cards are interpreted for you, in both the upright and reversed positions.
· Twelve Master Spread layouts show you how to answer any question.
· Helpful shortcuts include Keywords, Quick Reads, and Secrets.
· Learn how to ask the right questions so you receive clear answers.
· Become aware of unseen influences, patterns of behavior, obstacles and strengths.
· Take Monte and Amy’s guided tour of the Major Arcana and learn the spiritual meaning of this ancient fable.

In the introduction Monte makes a very important point – that he and Amy take divination seriously – because it works for them. Tarot can be as simple, or as complicated, as we wish to make it. To take it seriously is to honor it as a tool of personal empowerment, which in turn honors the individual working with the Tarot. Tarot can be joyful, wise and serious – all at the same time! Monte also indicates that the main secret that he and Amy would like to share int his book is that the reader has their own gift for reading the Tarot – it is inherent in all of us. I love insets – there is an inset in this section that reads: “Reading Tarot cards is not a fanciful waste of time. Rather, it is a practical skill that can help one be more successful not just financially but on every level of daily life.”

In the beginning of the book there is a section entitled “A Gentle Warning”. Now – that intrigued me no end! What was Monte warning his readers about? And how dare he do that to the Tarot! His gentle warning is this – that even the best of Tarot readings is not a substitute for your own logical thinking and conventional planning, nor is it a substitute for the advice of licensed professionals. These thoughts are inherent in every reader’s Code of Ethics – I was happy to see it iterated here. Monte goes on to note that no reading is so dire in nature that it cannot be made better by the guidance from a follow-up reading. Ask and ye shall receive – what you do with the answers is totally up to you. Sage advice here!

In “Secrets For Choosing Your Own Tarot Deck”, the caveat is that the deck that you choose should resonate with you, and that it should stimulate your imagination. Different decks are discussed, as well as the possibility of purchasing a blank deck and illustrating it yourself. Revealed here is another secret: “… Learning to read Tarot cards is more than a little like learning philosophy because so many of life’s central lessons are contained in the meaning of your Tarot cards.”

The Major Arcana are presented as the Twenty-two Spiritual Principles of Life, while the Minor Arcana are presented as Guidance For Daily Life. Each of the four suits (Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles) are defined by element, energy and keywords. For instance, Wands (Clubs, Scepters, Rods) are associated with Fire, the actions that the Querent/Consultant should take to create their own destiny, the power of the Querent to energize a situation, and the keywords Business, Action, Judgment, Acumen, Alertness, Brevity, Speed, Order, Plans and Development.

Before the cards are presented, there are sections on the significance of the numbers (Aces through Tens), and the Court Cards, shuffling the deck and formulating questions. The inset here gives very good advice: “Have faith in your ability to know the truth when you hear it and to act appropriately when you do. You can handle whatever life throws you, especially when you’ve been forewarned of coming challenges.”

The Major Arcana are presented in both upright and reversed positions, with a “Quick Read” for each position For the Fool, the Quick Read in the upright position is “Have fun – you are truly blessed!”, while the Quick Read for the reversed position is: “Don’t be foolish.” The “Secret” for the upright position for the Fool is: “Fear is a four letter word, especially now. Be adventurous. Taking chances and making leaps of faith that you might have been too timid to attempt in the past can lead to amazing rewards at this point in your life. The influence of an innocent and playful individual is favored.” The “Secret” for the reversed position is: “Stay away from gossip and silly, unprofitable behavior. It may seem harmless, but it could lead to trouble and misunderstandings. You could be deluded about yourself or someone else, thinking that you or the individual in question has wonderful qualities when that is not really the case. Alternatively, you may be led to make some foolish choices. It’s time to be more serious.” In the upper right hand corner of the page for the Major Arcana cards is a listing of keywords. For the Fool, we see: “Trust, Innocence, Playfulness, Leisure, Adventure and Beginning.”

The Minor Arcana (Pips and Court Cards) are presented in the same manner as the Major Arcana: upright and reversed meanings, a “Secret” for both the upright and reversed card, Quick Reads for both positions, and keywords at the top right hand side of the page.

The twelve spreads that are included in this book (with examples) are: Mind/Body/Spirit, Law of Attraction, Past/Present/Future, Chakra, The Lucky Horseshoe, Wish Upon A Star, Relationship, Spiritual Growth, Tree of Life, Magic Mandala, Celtic Cross and Zodiac Wheel.

In the section “The Secret Origin of the Tarot”, Monte discusses some of the theories concerning where the Tarot evolved from, including using pasteboard pictures of gods and goddesses to teach their divine properties to illiterate people, and brought to Europe from India, to purported origins in Egypt. I did like the humor in this section, where Monte talks about the old joke about every kind of scholar: Put two of them in a room, and you will get three opinions. (These boys have been hanging out in the Tarot forums, I just know they have!)

At the end of the book Monte presents the spiritual journey taken through the Major Arcana. A very nice end note to a well put together book.

IMHO, this book is not only good to use to learn to read any and all decks, but it has something for every reader, no matter what their skill level. The very beginning student to the most sage reader will find something here to think about, something that will help them to grow.

© July 2010 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Dynamics Companion Site

I recently did a review of the book “Tarot Dynamics”, by Anna Burroughs Cook (http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/tarot-dynamics-2/) . I am pleased to say that Anna now has a companion site up at http://tarotdynamics.com/. Non-techie that I am, I am absolutely amazed at the opening page graphics (Catherine, where are you? You will love this!). The graphic is of five rows of Tarot cards, in the shape of a globe, moving in a circle. Being inquisitive, I clicked on one of the cards as it raced by – and it popped up in a readable size! How cool is that! In the right hand corner is the text “know more”, which I would imagine leads to a pop-up on the card, but the link was broken. Small detail to work out in this very cool site!

There is a section on “About Tarot Dynamics”, where Anna goes into exactly what the system is all about, including:

* Five basic keywords that cover the five categories, (Major Arcana, Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles) which comprise all seventy-eight card Tarot Decks.
* Five universal character traits, to define all twenty Court Cards.
* Eight short key phrases that unify and explain and purpose of Cards Two through Ten from any suit.
* Eighteen key points of memorization*, accompanied by definitions for all seventy-eight Tarot Cards that encourage rather than inhibit your intuition because YOU can relate to what they suggest.

There is a short section describing different types of Tarot decks (Anna advises readers to carry at least two decks with them), and a great section on the “Do’s and Don’ts” of Tarot reading. The best advice here? “Getting over yourself is the first step to reading the Tarot successfully.” Sounds like my sister – her motto is “Get over yourself!” What a thing to tell a workaholic Cappie!

Each group within the Tarot is presented: the Major Arcana (Function: Headlines, Keyword: Karma), the Minor Arcana (Function: To tell the stories behind the Major Arcana’s Headlines, Keywords: Change, Emotion, Challenge, Ambition), Court Cards, and Subject Cards (the Pips – cards 2-10 of each suit).

There is a tremendous amount of information already on this site, with an FAQ section, articles and more to come.
If you want to expand your understanding and use of the Tarot, this site is an excellent tool of empowerment.

© July 2010 Bonnie Cehovet

Around The Net

Credit - Mike Warwick http://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/

I want to thank Craig Conley for sharing his delightful vacation pic with us, and for the use of the link to his sight. Craig is an absolutely amazing person – check out his blog and see what he has been up to! Today’s blog is a quick tour of the Internet, and items that I thought might be interesting to Tarot minded people. Enjoy!

I just heard some very exciting news from artist/Tarotist Arnell Ando! Along with Michael McAteer and the lovely staff from Museo dei Tarocchi, Arnell will be leading a Tarot Art and History tour through the birthplace of Tarot in northern Italy. This is a twelve day tour, from September 26th – October 7th, 2011. More information can be found here: http://www.arnellart.com/tarot-italy-tour.htm.

From Rachel Pollack, we have three excellent videos of Rachel reading from her new book “Tarot of Perfection” (Magic Realist Press): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkI48EXHVvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-zZJnO23Cg&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrYeyNp-Mjg&feature=channel
www.Rachelpollack.com

Uber Podcaster Leisa ReFalo is up and running again – her latest Podcast takes a look at Significators, from the perspective of a diverse group of Tarot professionals, including Fred West, Donnaleigh de LaRose, Valerie Sherill, Sean Tierseron, Roger Tobin, Ginny Hunt, and Thalassa. http://tarotconnection.net

Great things are going on at Blog Talk Radio, including Beyond Worlds (Donnaleigh, Georgiana Boehnke, Storm Cestavani, Theresa Reed), Astrology At The Metaphysical Corner (Ellen Zucker), and Psychic Friends Live (Storm Cestavani). http://www.blogtalkradio.com/

Liz Christy, lovely lady, and someone that I admire greatly, just added Tarot readings to her site – http://lizzieslogic.blogspot.com/p/tarot-reading.html. Please visit Liz, and give her some love! (You might want to order a reading while you are there too!)

Here’s to a great summer!

© July 2010 Bonnie Cehovet

Solar Eclipse Reading

Four of Pentacles

Nine of Wands

Queen of Cups

Two of Pentacles

The Sun

Six of Wands

Eight of Swords

Good things happened for me following the recent lunar eclipse in Capricorn. Tomorrow we will see a solar eclipse in the sign of Cancer – I am hoping to see good things here too! I chose my most recent favorite deck, the “Shadowscapes Tarot” (Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Barbara Moore), to do a reading with for this eclipse. The spread is one of my own making.

Honoring The Solar Eclipse

1. Where am I now? Four of Pentacles
2. What is being hidden from me? Nine of Wands
3. What do I need to know? Queen of Cups
4. What do I need to leave behind? Two of Pentacles
5. What do I need to manifest? The Sun
6. What energies can I call on to help me manifest my goals? Six of Wands
7. In what ways can I honor this eclipse as part of my life? Eight of Swords

I love the Dragonfly on this card guarding his hoard. I love the chameleons around him too – is not life filled with people and things of a chameleon-like nature? Okay, maybe I have lived too long and am a bit jaded! Where I am right now is at the end of a long road, and I do not want to give up what I battled hard to incorporate into my life. Ummm – I do need to note that some of this is currently excess baggage, which is no longer serving me well! I do need this solar eclipse badly!

What is being hidden from me – well, not really, but for all intents and purposes – is that I do have Guardians watching over me. They are being vigilant for me, so that I can actually let up a bit. Cappies have to look up t he word “fun” in the dictionary on a regular basis – they can never seem to remember it.

This is such a lovely Queen! As Stephanie indicates, this Queen is poetry in motion. What a nice image to have for what I need to know! Deeply connected to Spirit, this Queen has a highly creative nature. I need to remember that I can easily nurture myself by accessing my creative nature.

I literally need to leave behind the balancing act! For so many years I have had to balance responsibilities, both at work and at home. This does take its toll, even though it is my nature to work, and then work some more! And the balancing act was voluntary. J I feel that I am being told to leave behind the need to be flexible and adaptable, and live my life to the fullest, according to my wants and needs.

What I need to manifest is the light and warmth of the Sun in my life. Whew! We are talking allowing myself to be self-confident, and to continue on the path of enlightenment. I need to grow into my person power and life the life that I am capable of.

What energies can I call on to help me manifest my Sun? My own inner knowing, and the inner work that I have done to date are the energies that I can call on to manifest my Sun. I need to believe that I can triumph, and triumph will follow.
In what ways can I honor this solar eclipse? By picking my battles! Do not waste energy on that which is not important. If a battle is imminent, or necessary, take a step back to evaluate my goals and the means to achieving them, always understanding that I am continually moving forward, even when it may not seem so.

© July 2010 Bonnie Cehovet