New Moon In Gemini June 2011

On Wednesday, June 1st, we experience not only a partial solar eclipse in Gemini, but also the New Moon in Gemini. What do we need to know about this New Moon? Gemini is all about communicating. This New Moon is all about celebrating who we are, letting others know who we are, fine tuning our goals and creating a clear vision of what we want in our future. When we can envision our future, and express that vision clearly to others, we are well on the way to moving forward in our life.

Gemini also focuses on the energy of social groups, on information, ideas and communication. Since Gemini energy tends to bounce from idea to idea, and be very extroverted, this could be quite a ride!

Questions we might want to ask ourselves on the New Moon are:

1. Am I where I want to be in life?
2. If so, what can I do to strengthen this energy?
3. If not, what is blocking me? What is holding me here? What am I not wanting to see?
4. What is at the root of the issue that I do not want to see?
5. How can I best address this issue and move past it?

Here is a link to an excellent video on this Gemini New Moon, from astrologer Dorothy Morgan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esTtuv8ZSjk..

© May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Partial Solar Eclipse in Gemini

On Wednesday, June 1^st. we will be experiencing a partial Solar eclipse in Gemini. Eclipses occur when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, partially (or totally) obscuring the view of the sun from the earth. This is the second of four partial solar eclipses in 2011, the others occurring on January 4^th, July 1^st and November 25^th. A total lunar eclipse will follow on June 15^th.

This is going to be a good time to clarify and refine goals and personal plans. It is also a time when karmic issues will need to be dealt with. How we perceive things, and how we communicate, are going to be of utmost importance. In other words, we will be experiencing yet another shift in awareness, and we want to slow ourselves down a tad so that we are not overwhelmed.

We not only need to pay attention to new information coming to us, but we need to apply a rather “Hanged Man” attitude towards it, to cut out that which is not our truth and accept that which is, incorporating it into our life. The Fool and his energy comes to mind here. Embrace the change coming to you, embrace your truth, doing so with the optimism that the Fool represents. Accept your emotions, and allow them to help bring form and structure to the wisdom coming to you.

Define new projects, and take action to move them forward!

 © May 2011 Bonnie  Cehovet

 

 

“Where The Love Is”

This spread is TABI’s spread of the month for May, 2011. Many thanks to Sara Donaldson, creator of the spread, for allowing it to be shared! I love a good spread, and I love the energy of this spread!

 The “Where Is The Love” Spread

By Sara Donaldson, for TABI

6

5

  3     4

 2

 1

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This is Sara’s quote from the Tracker (TABI’s monthly newsletter):

 “This month’s spread deals with a familiar

subject for many. Sometimes there’s just
no love … either for yourself or for others,
and its not just romantic love…its just
LOVE. So if love is lacking from your life,
whether its romantic love, love of your
work or passion for your leisure time, try
this spread and see where it takes you”

Sara’s position definitions are as follows:

1. What am I hiding from? – Eight of Cups

2. What am I afraid of? – Ten of Wands

3. How do others see me? – The Star

4. How do I see myself? – Judgement

5. How can I start to help myself? – Four of Cups

6. How can I let love in? – Temperance

Eight of Cups

Ten of Wands

The Star

Judgment

Four of Cups

Temperance

 I have no problem turning away from the material world for the spiritual world (this is one interpretation in the companion book.) However, I do know that I need to let go, and allow love in all of its various forms to weave through my life. 

My fear lies in the card that I mentally refer to as the “burden of responsibility”. I do have a tendency to take the weight of everything on my shoulders, and work very hard to make things work, to make them “right”. Being old school, I am of course trying to make them right for the other person! I need to put down the “responsibility” of all forms of relationship and simply allow myself to experience them.

Others see me as someone who brings them faith and hope. I do try to be of help to others, to assist them in making their dreams come true. I do try to bring calm and peace with me.

How do I see myself? Yes, I am hard on myself. I see all of the little (and not so little!) imperfections, and cannot live with them. I need to access the forgiveness part of this card.

How can I start to help myself? I need to become a little less introspective, and deal a little better with the cyckes of depression that this can bring to me.

How can I let love in? I am totally comfortable with this card in this position! Walk the middle road, and be a bit more flexible and understanding – of myself, as well as others.

Kudos, Sara! Great spread!

End note: Definite synchronicity – this deck is stored in a lovely TABI Tarot bag from the 2010 TABI Conference (beautiful bag – kudos to Ania Marczyk!).

Scans are from the “Shadowscape Tarot”, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore, Llewellyn Publications, 2010

World Tarot Day 2011 – A Time To Reflect

Images is from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, by Karyn Easton. http://paranormality.com/.

From my perspective, the World Tarot Day concept has devolved over the past couple of years. Last year I gave readings on Twitter, as did several of my friends. That was the right thing to do then, but something different is called for this year. At least for me, it is. I need to take a step back to truly honor this day. I need to re-evaluate what Tarot means to me, how I can best express it in my life, and how I can best honor it. I choose the Hanged Man deliberately to represent World Tarot Day 2011 for me. He is quite the fellow – suspended in time, by choice, until he gets a good look at the bigger picture of his life. We must remember that this gentleman can get up (or let himself down, as the case may be), and walk away at any point in time.

While there is a sense of losing (or simply not having) power in this card, we gain power by allowing ourselves to “go with the flow”. We need to enter the world of patience, and be willing to wait for things to settle down, gain clarity, and show us what our next move needs to be. This is certainly where I am with the celebration of World Tarot Day. I am redefining my place within the Tarot world, and what Tarot can be – to me, and to others.

My conscious world has been suspended, while I adapt internally to the changes around me. I honor the world of Tarot in this way – searching to see how I can be an empowering citien, and, in turn, how I can empower others. Questions that I ask myself are:

1. What have I been sacrificing to continue in the world of Tarot as I have been?
2. What am I putting on hold? How long has it been on hold?
3. What am I not wanting to see about the connection between the world of Tarot and myself?
4. What do I feel is limiting me in my Tarot work? Is it actually limiting me?
5. Am I being true to myself?

A gift to each of you on this day: a link to a German site featuring the Kipper oracle cards referred to on the “Individuum Universal” site – http://www.wasserfrau.com/Kipperkartenbedeutungen.htm. There are scans of each card (and they are gorgeous cards!), with an accompanying explanation in German. Enjoy!

(c) May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Individuum Universal

Individuum Universal –
Individual Universal Tarot
The path of knowledge

Author/Artist: Maria Magdalena Cortez, Salvatore Adam
Superjumper S.L.
Malaga, Spain
2007

Note: I am making a wild (semi-educated) guess on the author/artist. These are the individuals listed on a German Tarot site that gives a review of the cards. I could not find a publishing date anywhere, but according to UK sources they were published in 2007.

I want to thank my friend Mary Collin for sending me this deck – what an incredible find! The “Individuum Tarot” is a Spanish deck, with card titles in both Spanish and German. The accompanying LWB (Little White Book) is also in both Spanish and German. I know about ten words in each of these languages – none of which appeared in the LWB! The cards are incredible – but how was I supposed to make sense of them! Bright thought – Google the deck and see if there was a dedicated site! There it was – with translations in Spanish, German, French … and English! Hmmm … It appears that the marker for the English site is for the UK. Close enough! As you may have already surmised, this review is going to be a bit of a ramble, and largely based on material from the site. Not a problem … the site is very well done!

The landing page for the English translation starts out – “Individuum Universal – A world first”. Under that we see two inserts – one for your start sign (listed by modality), and one for faculties (Enlightenment, Prophecy, Creation and Healing). By clicking a your star sign, a page comes up showing the suit for each modality, a scan of each of the cards, and a short description.

From the site, for Aries, Leo or Sagittarius:

“The teeth symbolize impulsivity, directness and spirit. This symbol rules over the will. Teeth star signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The colour of the symbols of teeth is a rich, bright red. It reflects the cleansing power of fire and is the colour of sexuality and vitality. Furthermore, the teeth represent enlightenment, and embody the Leaders in the Man and Woman of Teeth. They are associated with the element of fire. Symbolic character of Teeth in the vernacular: “by the skin of your teeth”, “sink your teeth in”, “get your teeth into something”.

It is interesting how the cards are presented: the Ace, the four Court Cards, then the Pips (numbered cards), going from Ten down to Two. Clicking on a given card gives a larger card image, with a description of the card. A truly unique feature is that the page may be sent to a friend via e-mail, along with a short message from the sender. (I had to try this out – it works perfectly!)

From the site, for the Ace of Teeth:

“Potential (Time of Teeth)

Here potential describes sensual and physical performance. I develop my sensuousness to its fullest and find a creative framework for the concentrated strength that lies within my body. I don’t suppress or hide my emotions and talents but use them successfully. I show my lust for life and am courageous and reliable in everything that I do. My potential gives me vitality and self-confidence. I tread new ground and work on realizing innovative ideas. For me this means a phase of most intensive life experience, which takes me to a higher level of consciousness. Blockages and problem situations are eliminated, and my energy can flow freely again. My potential opens the doors to an exciting and successful life. I gladly pass on the overflowing energy I have within me to others. This way I feel joy, and I also benefit.”

Backtracking for a moment, the landing page lists links to the following sections: Card Games. Fortune Telling, Red, Blue, Green Golden, Tarot, Joker, Introduction and Shop. Please note: the Shop in the English translation does not work.

In the section labeled introduction, it is suggested that the cards can be used for meditation, to send via the Internet as messages, and communicate with them. It is noted that often one card says more than a thousand words. I don’t know why, but this paragraph is also translated into German on this page. It is note that the Individuum Universal cards can be used to play games, such as poker, Skat, Rummy and Canasta, Mus, Tute and Blackjack.

While the Individuum Universal cards can be used for fortune telling, such as Tarot, they also have associations for all other oracle cards, such as the Lenormand or Kipper cards. There are links to charts that give the card associations for the Rider-WaiteTarot, Lenormand, Kipper, and standard card games.

The Character cards (equivalent to Court cards). are defined on a spiritual level:

“Character of Teeth – The Chosen One/represents Clubs
Character of the Brain – The Seer/represents Spades
Character of the Nose – The Creator/represents Hearts
Character of Hands – The Healer/represents Diamonds”

It is noted that each individual has all four characteristics, with each individual having a different balance of characteristics, with each individual developing in s unique way through the influences of environment and family.

Each character also represents a specific quality:

“The Chosen One – Enlightenment
The Seer – Prophecy
The Creator – Creation
The Healer – Healing”

On a body level, the Character cards are defined as:

Teeth – psyche and sex drive (the cycle is given as Attraction, Fusion, Fulfillment, Satisfaction)
Hands – digestion and metabolism (the cycle is given as Craving, Taking, Giving, Resting)
Brain – vegetative nervous system and musculoskeletal system (the cycle is given as Perception,Iidentification, Orientation, Movement)
Nose – breathing and blood circulation (the cycle is given as Inspiration, Provision, Division, Development)

The Major Arcana (cards 0-22) are referred to as the Perception cards. They are used to recognize and describe things that the individual encounters within a lifetime. The Mystique cards are the two Jokers – one male, one female – in the deck . The male/female designation is done through a graphic os the X/Y chromosome structure.

The section on Tarot shows the images of all 22 Major Arcana cards. Clicking on the card brings up a larger image, and a description of the card. The titles are as follows:

0 – The Individual (Fool)
1 – Consciousness (The Magician)
2 – The Unconscious (The High Priestess)
3 – Intellect (The Empress)
4 – Authority (The Emperor)
5 – The Idea (The Hierophant)
6 – Love (The Lovers)
7 – Will (The Chariot)
8 – Perseverance (Strength)
9 – The Search (The Hermit)
10 – Time (Wheel of Fortune)
11 – Responsibility (Justice)
12 – Exchange (The Hanged Man)
13 – The End (Death)
14 – Health (Temperance)
15 – Ignorance (The Devil)
16 – Misconception (The Tower)
17 – Sexuality (The Star)
18 – Imagination (The Moon)
19 – Instinct (The Sun)
20– Decision (Judgment)
21 – Wish (The World)

The four suits are: Teeth (Wands), Brain (Swords), Nose (Cups), Hands (Pentacles). The Court cards are: Man (King), Woman (Queen), Crisis (Knight), and Path (Page). The Aces are “Time”.

The Red, Green, Blue and Golden links lead to a description of each of the suits: Red/ Teeth (Wands), Blue/Brain (Swords), Green/Nose (Cups), and Gold /Hands (Pentacles).

The Fortune telling link leads to three interactive online readings: Ask the daily oracle, Time fusion reading, and Partner reading. I had to play, of course! It was great fun – and two out of three readings agreed with my take on life.

The link for card games leads to the game entitled “Memory”, which is intended to act as a facilitator for developing memory. The object of the game is to match cards. If a card does not match the first card drawn, then it is turned back over and another cards is drawn. Memory is developed as the players “remember” where each card is place, so that they can draw matching cards.

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Now that we have the foundation for this deck, we can get to the cards. The presentation for this deck is stunning – they come in a black box, with a clear plastic sleeve. There is a blank black card covering the deck and LWB, so that the Tarot icon, web site link, and fingerprint, which are all done in silver on the top of the plastic sleeve, show up well.

The cards are 2 ½” by 3 ¾” – perfect for smaller hands (like mine!), and of good quality card stock. The card backs have a ¼” white border, with a black background in the main section. The Individuum icon is in white in the upper left hand corner, a white “fingerprint” covering the rest of the card. The backs are not reversible.

The card faces show a ¼” white border. The Major Arcana show the card number in the upper right and left hand corner, with the card name centered in Spanish at the top, and in German on the bottom. The Aces show the letter “t” in the upper left and right hand corners (for “time”), with the suit icon in the lower left and right hand corners. The card title is centered on the top in Spanish, and on the bottom in German. The Pips (numbered cards) show the card number at the top right and left hand corners, and the suit icon in the lower right and left hand corners.

Aces show the suit icon n the middle of the card, Pips show figures, or small scenes, more Marseilles style than fully illustrated. The Man (King) and Woman (Queen) cards show the respective male/female symbols at the upper left and right hand corners, with the suit icon in the lower left and right hand corners. The card title and suit is centered on the top in Spanish, and on the bottom in German. The Crisis (Knight) cards show the suit symbol, reversed, in the upper left and right hand corners, and upright in the lower left and right hand corners. The title and suit are centered on the top in Spanish, and on the bottom in German. The Camino (Page) cards show the suit icon upright in all four corners. The card title and suit are centered across the top in Spanish, and across the bottom in German.

The two Jokers show all four icons on the card face, with the male or female chromosome structure in the middle of the card.
The same two figures (one male, one female) are shown throughout the deck, and in the same cloths. The difference is the color of the suits. For the Man and Woman cards, the figures make their suit evident: the suit of Hands shows them holding up their hands, the suits of Teeth, Nose and brain shows them pointing, respectively, to their teeth, nose and head. It sounds silly, but it comes across better in the images. There is no esoteric, astrological or Qabalistic imagery in this deck.

The Ten of Hands is an interesting card, showing two hands, each holding a golden cup. Without any knowledge of this deck, I would immediately think this was the two of Cups! I love the card for the Individual (Fool), which is a fingerprint. Conscious (the Magician) is also thought provoking, showing a pair of eyes, with a third eye in the Third Eye position. In this card all of the eyes are open. In the Unconscious, we see the same imagery, with two eyes closed, and the eye in the Third Eye position open. The Search (the Hermit) is very much a “footprints in the sand” type imagery.
This deck is based on the traditional Rider-Waite structure, although the imagery is not, and literally everything has been renamed. On the site for the deck, there is an emphasis on using the cards not only for Tarot reading, but for other oracle reading, and as playing cards. The LWB shows the traditional Celtic Cross spread, but it also shows the very interesting Time Fusion reading. A great deal of care has been taken to build a site that will enable individuals to use this deck in a very empowering manner. It appears that to order this deck, you would have to go through the site, in a language other than English (the English “Shop” link does not work). If you are willing to step outside the envelope, I feel that this could be a very interesting deck to work with.

The site can be seen here Individuum Universal

© May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Birth Cards – Temperance/Hierophant

Over the next year I am going to be writing about Tarot Birth Cards, what they mean and how we can work with them. I use the system of Tarot Birth Cards developed by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone of the Tarot School (www.tarotschool.com). Using the Seeker’s birth data (month, day and year), pairs of birth cards are defined. (For more information, and to calculate your own Birth Cards, go to http://tarotschool.com/Calculator.html.)

Please note: I have a book being published by Schiffer Books in fall of 2011 –  “Tarot, Birth Cards and You: Keys To Empowerment”, incorporating images from Karyn Easton’s “Tarot Lovers Tarot”. This was to have been a joint project (book and deck published together), but the decision was made to publish both separately, which I find very exciting! Karyn has a Birth Card calculator up on her site, where you can also view her incredible deck (it really is!) –http://paranormality.com/tarot-birth-card-calculator.shtml.

A special thanks to Leisa ReFalo www.tarotconnection.net, who developed the Birth Card Calculator, and graciously gave us permission to use it.

Our fifth pair of Birth Cards are the Temperance (Key 14) and the Hierophant (Key 5). Some of the associations for these cards are:

Temperance:
Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
Keywords: Balance restored, reconcile opposites, restore harmony, confidence, optimism, healing, right timing, right intentions, failure to observe, out of balance, unethical behavior, conflicts, lack of cooperation, impatience, impracticality, acting without thinking of consequences.

The Hierophant:
Astrological Sign: Taurus
Keywords:  Religious customs/beliefs, personal values from culture/society, teacher, mentor, guide, learning, tradition, compassion, practical, active, impractical, unemotional, lethargic, conformity, meaningless ritual, materialism, intolerance, hostility towards established rules.

The Theme for this lifetime is that of bringing balance to life, balance between freedom and adaptability and the need for roots, security and structure within the realms of society, community and Spirit.

We can choose to do personal work with our own Birth Cards, we can use Birth Cards in conjunction with a reading for a client (place their birth cards, drawn from a deck other than the one you are reading with, above the spread(s) laid out for them). The spread(s) are then read through the lens of perception of the Seeker’s Birth Cards. As added value, a reader could give their client scans of their Birth Cards, along with a short write-up about them. Readers can also use the Birth Card system to better understand other people in their own lives (family, co-workers, friends etc.).

The key to bringing balance to any lifetime is that of understanding how and where your Birth Cards are operating in your life. Temperance, ruled by Sagittarius , places the focus on the need for freedom, a restless, philosophical nature, and the ability to adapt easily. Temperance can also exhibit a volatile temper (trial by fire).

The Hierophant, ruled by Taurus, places focus on roots, loyalty, beliefs, patience and a calm nature. Persistence and determination figure in here, as well as a need for security.

Temperance and the Hierophant set the tone for this lifetime. The path that the individual walks is one that addresses the lessons of choice and personal growth. Temperance and the Hierophant both channel Spirit. Temperance is more likely to act within a wider scope, and in a quicker manner. Temperance takes information from Spirit and implements it in its own fashion. The Hierophant takes the voice of Spirit and works in a slow but steady fashion, with the emphasis on formal structure.

A 14/5 (Temperance/Hierophant) individual empowers themselves by balancing their need for freedom (Temperance), and their need for security (the Hierophant). The adaptability of Temperance works to all the individual to find security within their freedom, and freedom within their security. The loyalty, touchstone belief system and unending patience of the Hierophant allow the individual to experience their freedom in a safe manner.

Temperance and the Hierophant work together to work with the Seeker to find the truth that is within themselves, to evolve their connection with and understanding of Spirit in their life. Temperance can act in a gentle manner, but its astrological association with Sagittarius gives it a tendency to temper, volatility, and action. Temperance has a keen eye, and is ready to become a warrior to defend against any dangers found on the path the Seeker is walking. Temperance is willing to think outside the box to achieve its goals, and tends to be concerned with the individual, as opposed to community.

The Hierophant is all about tradition, and doing things in the traditional manner. His is a rather formal nature – concerned about structure and listening to his inner voice. Ritual has its place with the Hierophant, where it does not with Temperance.

Images from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, Karyn Easton, 2008, paranormality.com.

(c) May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Scorpio Full Moon – May 2011

May 17^th brings us the Full Moon in the sign of Scorpio (opposing the Sun in Taurus). We are looking at the need to find a sense of balance between our inner need for peace and physical security in ur inner world (the Taurus sun), and our need to be very intensely involved in life and the outer world (the Scorpio moon).

Where Taurus deals with form and matter (material goods, sense of personal security), Scorpio deals with the destruction of form, change, transformation, and things that are shared in some way. Scorpio takes us into the mysteries, into the intangible parts of life that we have perhaps been trying to avoid. Scorpio also likes power, and to take charge,

The moon is all about emotions an the mysteries anyway – the full moon brings those emotions to a head, and asks us to transform and change. Something that has been building up within us needs to be let out … it needs to be expressed, it needs to be shared. We might want to be a tad bit careful with how we go about doing this lovely sharing, as the wisdom that is coming to us, the ideas that we are expressing, are not fully thought out, fully formed yet. We don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot, after all!

Relationships will carry great importance at this time. One project, one person or one goal will be the focus of attention at this time. There may be a feeling of needing to have everything happen with a sense of immediacy. Be very careful in this mode that you don’t spread your energy too thinly, and wear yourself down (essentially accomplishing very little). Step back, find your sense of balance, and allow things to flow freely. This is not a time to try and force results. Take the high road!

Questions that you might want to ask yourself at this time are:

* What (or who) is most important to me at this time?

* What are my goals in relation to this person/issue?

* What do I need to express/breathe into life?

* How can I best do this?

* What practical action can I take that will bring about results without forcing them?

* What needs to be transformed in my life?

© May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

 

 

April In Review

I am going to be presenting each months blog links at the beginning of the next month, in case someone has missed something, or liked it so much they wanted to read it again!

My first link for April is to a blog that is really a May blog, and isn’t even mine! However, it is an important blog, IMHO. It is entitled “The Gentle Art of Service”, and is aimed at bloggers: http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/the-gentle-art-of-service/. Enjoy!

My blogs from April are:

New Moon In Aries – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/new-moon-in-aries-april-2011/

The Wheel of Wisdom – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/the-wheel-of-wisdom/

The 72 Names Oracle – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/72-names-oracle/

Death As The Master Gardner – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/death-as-the-master-gardner/

Birth Placing Identity – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/birth-placing-identity/

Who’s Who At The Readers Studio – Part 4 – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/whos-who-at-the-readers-studio-part-4/

Tarot Birth Cards – Death/Emperor – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/tarot-birth-cards-death-emperor/

Full Moon In Libra – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/full-moon-in-libra/

Mary Greer Does It Again – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/mary-greer-does-it-again/

Are You A Master Gardner? – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/are-you-a-master-gardener/

St. George’s Day Spread – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/st-georges-day-spread/

Christine Payne-Towler:

Book Recommendations – Part I http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/book-recommendations-from-christine-payne-towler-part-1/

Book Recommendations – Part 2 – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/christine-payne-towler-book-recommendations-part-2/

Divinatory Tarot and the School of Ettiella – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/divinatory-tarot-and-the-school-of-etteilla/

Christine Payne-Towler – New Moon Tarotology – January 2011 – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/christine-payne-towler-new-moon-tarotlogy-january-2011/

Back In Time, With Christine Payne-Towler – http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/back-in-time-with-christine-payne-towler/

(c) May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

The Mystereum Tarot – Chat With Temperance

I am taking a page from my friend Helen Howell’s book, and chatting with the Tarot. In this case, specifically with Temperance. I was kicked rather hard by the latest Mercury retrograde, and by the latest astrological configurations up there in the sky. The good thing about this time period – Aries is doing very well, so my Aries friends are having clear sailing, which I am grateful for! I am getting back on track – healing, as it were, which is why the chat with Temperance. Also, in a bit of synchronicity, Jordan Hoggard, the creative genius behind “Tarot In The Land of Mystereum” has been quite ill with food poisening, and is now on the mend. Temperance energy for Jordan too!

Temperance has agreed to chat with me. We are sitting in my living room, with glasses of iced tea in hand. I want to thank her for her time, and for her wisdom.

I often think of Temperance as the “healing angel” in the deck. The first thing I want to ask Temperance today is “How do you see yourself?”

“My goodness – the healing angel! Thank you very much, that is quite a nice thought! I have never really thought about how I might see myself. I feel that I have a job to do, and that how I do that job depends on the person or people that I am working with, and the nature of the situation. Sometimes the people, or the situation, are ready to be healed, so things can be done in a very gentle manner. However, there are occasions when the people involved, or the situation itself, is blind to the fact that healing is necessary. In that case, the “tough love” part of me comes out. You could say that I see myself as the “middle-man”, in an “As Above, So Below” kind of way.”

“What one word would best describe your world?”

“Balance – the word balance nicely describes my world. My focus, my goal, is to maintain balance in all things.”

“Balance … I like that thought! Whenever you have entered my life you have brought peace and harmony with you. For this I give unending thanks!”

“You are most welcome! I am at my best when a little harmony saves the day!”

“I know this is a strange question, but how do you get along with the Fool?”

“The Fool and I get along famously!” Temperance smiled. “Each of us Archetypes realise that we are working with the Fool within each of you when we enter your life. The Fool and I allow you to see all that you can be. Through the two of us you feel comfortable enough to not only dream your big dreams, but to act to manifest them. The manifestation of your dreams functions as a second level of healing. I help the Fool within to find balance, to act in moderation, and to feel the flow of life.”

“What final words do you have for us, Temperance?”

“I am the essence of stability. I manifest Divine light on the physical plane. I am a benevolent force, and bring about healing on all levels. I act to bring opposing energies together. I bring you the protection that you need in order to heal. I am here to travel with you at any and all times … the only hting thaty ou need to do is ask.”

Thank you, Temperance, for your wisdom, and for you patience. We are the better for y ou.

(c) May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

The Little Lost Dragon

I am going to let you in on a little secret … it won’t be a secret for long, so listen carefully! Pamela Steele, creator of the “Steele Wizard Tarot”, has a new project out – a series of three e-books for children. If you know the “Steele Wizard Tarot”, you know that Pamela is an absolutely amazing artist … her e-books are a true joy to behold! They absolutely take one into the land of enchantment … which is a very good place for our children and grandchildren, as well as our “inner child” to go!

Before I forget – Pamela’s e-books can be seen here – www.wizardspets.com.
Today I am going to talk about her first e-book – “The Little Lost Dragon”. Written and illustrated by Pamela, she is presenting it as a free download on her site. A gift from her heart to your heart! The characters in this book go way back to 1984, where they were single cartoon drawings, which quickly gained popularity in various art shows.
It is absolutely gorgeous … color intense and beautifully presented, with the visual story on the right hand page, and the text on the left hand page. Very high quality presentation! It would be a joy to sit down with any child and read this book!

The action takes place in a land between here and there, and a time between then and now. The main character is a wise old wizard by the name of Edlyn Whiteoak. He spends his days creating wonderful magical spells and fantastic useful inventions. The wizard has two companions – an orange and yellow striped cat by the name of Jasper, and an invisible gremlin by the name of Emo.

One day during a walk in the forest the wizard, Jasper and Emo came upon a young dragon sitting in a puddle of tears, holding his tail. This was a very, very sad little dragon. Edlyn gathered his wits (and his robe) about him, and stepped out of the bushes to offer to help the young dragon. The dragon’s name was Sydney, and Sydney was lost.

First things first – Sydney gets fed! Sydney will eat anything and everything, but he is polite about it. Sydney was raised well. He even asks to take a bath. How about that! Then he gets a magical bed, and Edlyn reads him a bedtime story. What a life Sydney has – fishing, playing golf (Edlyn got hit on the head with golf ball!), and then there was the incident with the cannon. The last incident lead to a lecture on each living thing having a place and a purpose.

There are more life experiences for the little dragon, which make him happy, but he still misses his family. Edlyn, in his wisdom, proceeds to create a magic coach to go search for Sydney’s family. Of course – they all go on this little trip! Edlyn left magic spells all around the castle to keep it safe and cleaned while they were gone.

The start of this journey is the end of this e-book. There is more, however, that Pamela is sharing. There is a downloadable map to the kingdom, and a smaller, printable map. There is also a page devoted to each of the four characters (Edlyn Whiteoak, Jasper Stripetail, Emo Rattlebush, and Sydney Brightscales) that acts as a bio for each character. What a great way to get children interested in something very positive, with lots of excitement, things going on, and lessons woven into the storyline that … well, to a child they won’t seem like lessons.

The artwork is very simple, very color intense. It draws one in, asking one to step inside each page and become part of whatever is going on … and there is always something going on! This is the type of “memory” book that is handed down from parents to their children, and from those children to their children. Can we tell that I loved this book! Thank you, Pamela!

© May 2011 Bonnie Cehovet