Someday you’re gonna look back on this moment of your life as such a sweet time of grieving. You’ll see that you were in mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing. -Elizabeth Gilbert

Last month's In-Depth had us exploring the Page of Pentacles, and when I posted about the article on Instagram, I received a request to cover the 3 of Swords next. Since I have just about zero agenda as it comes to these pieces, expect for the hope that I can produce them at a rate of one a month, I was open to the suggestion.

So here we are, my third In-Depth and in it we'll be taking a deep dive with that sometimes dreaded and often difficult 3 of Swords. I say sometimes dreaded and often difficult, because rarely do you pull this card to a rave reaction or sigh of relief. No, 3 swords piecing a heart doesn't exactly conjure up those warm and fuzzys. But, that's not to say there is nothing positive to be gleaned from its presence, but we'll talk more on that later.

Hey Friends,

Just an FYI to let you know that I'll be slinging cards at the next Moonlit Path event - Magical Holiday Market. It's located at Women on the Move at 2111 Dundas Street West in Toronto, so if you're in the area (or not) and want a reading, swing on by! It's free admission and I'll be there 1-5 offering 15 minute reads for just $20. There will be loads of other readers, practitioners and vendors on site - see flyer below for more details! Oh, and if you want to reserve a 15 minute slot with me before hand, get in touch and I'll pencil you in.

"Never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning." -Roy T. Bennett

It's been over a year since I've done an in-depth, but today I felt compelled to pull together another. I'd love to eventually have a full section on this site devoted to card meanings - but this will be a slow process and I'm not setting any tangible deadlines.

For today's selection, I threw it to spirit and asked what card I should focus on. Spirit responded with the Page of Pentacles and so, that is the card we'll be tackling! So, who is the Page of Pentacles and what may his presence indicate in the context of a tarot reading? Pages are typically considered one of three things. 1) An actual physical person in the seeker's life (or the seeker themselves) 2) Attributes that are symbolically relevant to the reading or 3) A messenger (more on that one later).

The last time we broached this topic, it was from the perspective of how to ensure your client (or seeker) will get the most out of a reading delivered to them via email. This time, I’m turning the tables to provide you, the reader, some key points to consider to ensure that you too will get the most out of the readings you perform. Why? Because if you want to do this, with any frequency and with the goal of sustainability - you better freakin’ enjoy what you’re doing!

I learned through trial and error for myself what worked for me and what didn’t. I also learned what I could and should expect from myself and what I could reasonably do given the time and resources available to me. This, of course, is entirely personal and so rather than tell you how to structure things, I’m simply going to raise some points for your own consideration. These are things that I learned the hard or long way and so now as I reflect back, I think, “yeah, I should have thought about that from the start!".

But alas, I live and learn and today, I take those livings and learnings and I present you with Delivering A Memorable Email Reading Part 2: The Reader’s Perspective. (I need a more succinct title!)

Sleep is a funny thing. We all do it and yet, we never really regularly compare notes. Growing up, I assumed my experiences with sleep and dreams were the same as everyone else's. I'm not saying they weren't, for the most part, but it's hard to distinguish what is common with what is perhaps more unusual if the experience is everyday (or, every night as this topic would have it).

Dreams for me have forever been a spiritual experience. I was always curious about this state and thought a lot about my adventures upon waking. Even as a kid, I'd wonder what they meant and dig for hidden context. In this post, I'm going to highlight various dream states that I personally experience, and provide my thoughts both on what they mean, how they can be achieved (if desired) and what to do with them once you're there.

If you've been in the tarot world for awhile, and unless you've been living under a rock, you've undoubtedly stumbled upon a widely known and regarded deck called The Enchanted Tarot, illustrated by Amy Zerner and written by Monte Farber. Now I don't mean you've owned it or even worked with it, but you've probably come across some of its images in your travels at one point or another. 

It's now been 25 years since its initial release and to commemorate, the deck has been repackaged with a few tweaks to breath it new life. I'm in the camp that certainly knew of this deck and had seen it through the years, but never actually worked with it. So when I came into the opportunity to receive it for prospective review, I was thrilled to dive into without any prior knowledge and to provide, truly, my first impressions of this modern classic.

Tarot has many uses, and one day I intend to write a blog post detailing the ones I go to most commonly, but today, I want to tackle just one - communicating with spirit.

Before we get into techniques, I first want to distinguish this method of using tarot from regular spirit-chat when it comes to divination or reflective readings. When I'm doing a reading, especially for others, I often refer to the messages received as having "come from spirit". So, when I send email reports out, I'll have lines that read "spirit says..." or "spirit wants you to know...". This is not me specifically communicating with a deceased loved one, for example, but simply put, I use the word "spirit" to describe a large body of otherworldlyness - i.e. your spirit guide team, your higher self, the divine source etc.

I haven't shared a tarot spread in a long while so I thought I'd put focus today on my 5-card go-to. I call this spread Past, Present Future, Focus and it's incredibly versatile because you can use it in cases where there is a question, but also in cases where there is not; the general "tell me anythings".

As a reader, one of my stumbling blocks can be quickly crafting something to perfectly suit the situation when I'm with a person live. With this spread though, it's as if I always have something in my back pocket that I know will apply to just about any inquiry.

Below is an image of the card placements and following that I will describe in more detail what each spot represents.

I'm lucky enough to be able to write this blog post because that means I've got my hands on the prototype of a brand new tarot deck by designer Arthur Wang; True Black Tarot. It's currently being funded on Kickstarter so if it calls to you, make sure to check out the campaign!

Because I'm working with a prototype, I can't tell you how a full deck reads, but I can give you my initial impressions on what I've been able to sample. Visually, it's nothing short of stunning - but that's just on first glance. They say the Devil is in the details and if that's the case then Satan himself must have a hand in this project. Everything has been done with such care and quality, and the more you look at each card, the more you see, but there is more here than just design. The cards themselves are crafted with very thick stock using enhancements that allow some details to seemingly shimmer and glow. There are no borders (often a preference for us readers) and the edges are hand-painted black - yes, hand-painted. I'm obsessed - and I think you will be to. I mean, just LOOK AT THEM!

Maybe you've been reading the cards awhile or perhaps you just started - whatever the case, you’ve probably thought to yourself at some point, “how exactly do these things work? or “why do they work?”

The truth is, no one can tell you for certain, but, it’s fun to play with theories. Below I’ve shared 5 ideas that may explain how or why tarot works. In terms of my own belief system, I don’t think one idea is more true than any other and I tend to think they all play a role and factor in.

These theories may ring true for you or you may have your own ideas which are just as valid (I’d also love to hear them, so please leave a comment if you’re up to sharing). 

As for my totally inconclusive list of reasons why tarot works, here it is!

Tomorrow is the much anticipated Solar Eclipse in Leo and depending where you are in this world, you may experience total-partial darkness for a brief period of time.

Solar eclipses are relatively rare and when they show up, it's a good time for us to take a peek at what's lurking in our shadows and what is attempting to find its way to light. It's also an opportunity to allow for some serious transformation to take place and depending where this eclipse is landing for you in your chart, it could mean a focus on different things.

To figure out where the eclipse is showing up for you, you need to locate what house Leo lands on in your natal chart. You can run a chart over at Cafe Astrology, which is an excellent resource that I use frequently since I'm definitely no Astrology expert. Once you've run your chart, scroll down to the bottom and find what house Leo falls in for you. There are 12 houses total and I've included a list below so you can reference what each of them means. Please note that I've included the natural sign that occupies each house to provide more context to that house, but your natal chart will show you specifically where the signs are landing for you.

Obviously no one *needs* a tarot reading, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get one anyway. We don't need lots of things, but there are still ways in which we will benefit immensely from certain "non-essentials". Ways that promote personal growth, provide clarity and give guidance at any juncture. I'm definitely not of the mindset that you need to check in with tarot for every curious little thought that crosses your mind, but here are 5 really good reasons for consulting a reader if you want to get the most of this powerful tool.

Post Edit: I came back and revised this to add a bonus 6th really REALLY good reason. Check it out after the cut!

Hey Friends,

Just a quickie to let you know I'll be at the Seeker's Market in Kleinburg, Ontario this Saturday giving 15 minute readings for $20 a pop. You have your choice of a mini spirit guide sesh or a regular ask anything/general tarot reading. It's running 1-4pm so if you're in the area, stop on by! There will be other readers, metaphysical practitioners and creatives doing their thing so it's sure to be a fun-filled and mystical day.

Check out more on the event's Facebook page or Instagram!

I've been working with the Wisdom of the Oracle for awhile now and truthfully, it is the only oracle deck that I really consistently use - especially when I'm reading for others. While the aesthetic doesn't sing to my soul, what this deck does deliver for me is no-nonsense practical guidance and cards that are easy to interpret no matter what the question or situation. I don't think this deck is particularly hard to grasp, though the thing with oracle cards (unlike tarot) is that each deck is like a brand new system needing to be learned and that can feel daunting. 

One of the things that made it even easier to assimilate all those meanings was associating them back to tarot cards that I felt carried a very similar meaning, vibe or energy. So, if you're a tarot card reader and new to the Wisdom of the Oracle, I've compiled a quick tarot association cheat sheet. Hopefully you agree with the cards I've selected but with anything, some of these things can be personal and so I encourage you to explore and come to your own conclusions as well. (see chart after cut)

Hey All,

I am so thrilled to be taking part in this first ever International Tarot Day blog hop along with so many interesting, inspiring and diverse bloggers. I hope you enjoyed reading all about the 6 of Pentacles over on Heather's blog and in mine, we'll be tackling the more pensive 7.

The 7 of Pentacles to me is like the pause before fruition. This is why for many decks, you’re going to see the scene on this card depicting a sort of growth. In the traditional RWS, we see what I assume is a farmer reflecting on the work that’s so far been achieved - 7 coins blooming in a bushel representing the results of our labour.

It never ceases to amaze me the projects that pop up on Kickstarter, and it seems that this really is the go to method to get an indie deck published these days. I can certainly see the appeal of wanting to test a market before putting something to print. In addition, raising extra money in theory will help you up the quality and features of said product, so that's a nice added bonus for the campaigns that get that far. 

The Lost Tarot is another such deck that's hit my radar and that really instantly appealed to my sense of aesthetics. It is both rich in design and story and appears to leave no detail unturned. To give you an idea, after the cut is the image of the world and the card backs which I absolutely love - look at that gold!

Yesterday I posted on Instagram a quote about letting your intuition lead, and wrote about a recent TED Talk I'd listened to before going to sleep. It's become a bit of a ritual to queue up a talk and let it glide me into sleepytime. If I do this, I am guaranteed to catch at least one in full, and then I generally end up falling asleep part way through the second.

Part of the reason I love TED talks is because they are so bite sized and succinct. They also make my mission to consciously consume my entertainment super easy. What I mean by consciously consume is to pursue entertainment in a very intentional way. That doesn't mean I never watch fluff, because yes, I like to let go of consciousness every once and slip into fantasy land. I'm human. But, the purpose of this post isn't to talk about ways to shut off - it's about leaning into entertainment in a way that can intellectually and or spiritually...turn you on.

Hey Tarot enthusiasts, I've made a fun little quiz to put your knowledge of the cards to the test! There are 4 ranks that can be achieved - Fool, Magician, Hermit or Star; where do you fit in? Take the test and find out!

I am so struck by those who have the courage to express their creativity and put their beautiful work out in the world for all eyes to see, no matter what shape or form it takes. And with their hard angels, bright colours and vivid design - The Mystic Mondays tarot deck is a beautiful sight indeed. That’s why when Grace Duong (designer extraordinaire and creatress of the upcoming Mystic Mondays tarot deck) and I connected, I felt like it would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about the process of creating a deck and using Kickstarter as a launch pad to jumpstart the project.

Check out the interview after the cut where Grace talks about her love of all things mystic and her inspirations for this project. It also includes a little mini reading for Grace about her campaign, because what Tarot interview is complete with a consult of the cards? Also, be sure to check out the Kickstarter to support Grace and help bring this vibrant deck to life!