Fortune Telling with the Sailor Moon CCG
When I was in High School, Tarot cards weren't the only things I was slinging. I was super into Anime (conventions yes, cosplay no) so I accumulated a shit ton of toys and collectibles, particularly Sailor Moon because that was my favourite and it was readily available. Luckily, I've managed to hold on to many things over the years, so I can still enjoy them to this day.
Which brings me to the Sailor Moon CCG, which was released in the late 90s; think Pokemon or Magic The Gathering. Obviously, I was all over it when it came out and the other day, while I was searching the basement, my collection resurfaced!
As I rifled through it, I realized how suitable the cards would be for an oracle. I mean, with associations to planets and elements and references to the arcane and magickal - how could you go wrong!?
So, I did what any reasonable tarot practitioner (or total geek) would do and I made myself a 50 card deck with the purpose of divining.
The deck itself is comprised of the following:
Main Characters. These I would see as being representative of ourselves or attributes we need to embody.
People. These would be like, supporting cast members, and represent outside influences or other individuals in our lives.
Items. These would be something we have, we need or we lack.
Events. These would be something that either needs to happen or is planning to unfold.
Villains. These would represent either necessary tactics to defend and protect ourselves or warn of unwanted energy in the midst. I could see how these cards could also represent shadow elements, so that would be something to consider too, if drawn.
Location. These cards would represent an actual place that may be of importance to the inquiry or could simply be a metaphor for what that location symbolizes.
Body, Mind, Soul. These are like power or energy in the game. For the purpose of divining, the presence of one of these cards would indicate an aspect of self that is relevant to the inquiry.
Okay, so with my deck constructed, I asked two questions and utilized a simple 3 card spread for both. Below is the picture of the cards draw and below that is how I interpreted my readings.
For my first inquiry, I utilized a Past, Present, Future spread to explore my spiritual business. The cards drawn are pictured up top and as follows:
Past: Item-Discovery. Leading up to my diving into my practices, I was making a series of discoveries about myself, my life and my path that ultimately led me to where I am right now.
Present: Location - Moon Kingdom: OH, a foil! This feels really special, like I've just pulled the 10 of Cups or something. Presently, I'm in a really inspired and abundant space. There is a lot of opportunity here and I can't help feeling both protected and divinely guided by the presence of this card.
Future: Sailor Moon: Guardian of the Moon, Sailor Moon is both strong and soft, physically tough but also intuitive as hell. She's the leader of the gang, the HBIC, and damned if I'm not feeling totally ecstatic to find her in my future spot (*starts obnoxiously singing theme song*).
Alright, let's look at inquiry #2. Here I wanted some advice to navigate the current month.
Card 1 - What to focus on - Mophead: Here is a villain card, and admittedly, they're a bit harder to interpret. To understand it better, you need to look at the card for clues i.e. their particular attack, or the quote on the bottom - these are insights into what energy each villain is bringing to the landscape of the reading. In this case, Mophead has a resistance defense power which helps to alleviate some damage inflicted. What could this mean for my focus for April? Perhaps I need to look at what's coming in and be really discerning about where I place my energy. If I'm meeting resistance, it could be that I'm trying too hard to accomplish something that isn't in my best interest. This carries with it a sort of "you can't do it all!" vibe and that's a motto I can definitely get behind.
Card 2 - What to shift focus from - Chad Kumada: Chad is a tough and determined guy. He basically showed up one day and decided he was in love with Rei (Sailor Mars) and pursued her endlessly, even working alongside her grandfather just to be closer to her. This is the kind of laser sharp, unhealthy and obsessive focus I need to pull away from. If I look at both card 1 and card 2, we have people who look like they are throwing themselves into something with a sort of psychotic intensity. Perhaps I need to just take a deep breath and chill the F out.
Card 3 - What is possible - Soul: Nice! If I can just chill out a bit, focus on the right stuff and give myself a break, then I can ensure my spirit stays healthy and aligned. A happy soul - I'll take it!
So I have to say, reading these cards was fairly straightforward. It helped, of course, to have some knowledge of the show and its characters, but even if you don't, just going by what you see on the card could probably be quite effective.
This was a lot of fun and I hope you got a kick out of it too - or maybe some ideas...? If you've ever used cards (other than tarot, oracle or playing) to divine, comment below - I'd love to hear your experiences! I think if nothing else, this exercise proves that a) tarot reading doesn't have to be so damn serious and b) it's not the tool, but the practitioner that makes a reading. In other words, when it comes to selecting items to divine with, your imagination and intuition are truly the limit.
Moon Prism Power, Make Up!
Julia