Testing, Testing, 1…2…3…

Are we back?

For those who may have missed the brouhaha with WP, here’s the short version.

I had paid for this site ($25/yr) to have the URL omit the ‘wordpress’ (so instead of danglingpentacles.wordpress.com, it was simply danglingpentacles.com). When time came to renew this year, I didn’t, thinking it would simply change the name to the longer version (which is actually what I see from this page as I type this post). Well, turns out it doesn’t work that way. If you don’t pay up, they pull the plug. Since I waited so long (I was out of work at the time and this was the bottom of my list of things to pay for) it went into what they call ‘receivership’, meaning the domain was in limbo unless I coughed up over $100 to save it from being made available to anyone who wanted to buy the domain name.

FTFO.

I tried at the last minute to re-up for $25/yr, but was told it was too late by then. Hrm. Now it seems they took the money and plugged me back in. So now I have two Tarot blogs. This one will likely languish, and I’m going to make the other (read: FREE) one the active one. It’s over at http://danglingpentaclestarot.wordpress.com ( you can read the story here in more detail)  I’m not sure when this one went live again, as they never notified me they had accepted the payment to reinstate it, but it appears to have been about a week or so after I launched the new blog.

So please join me over there, as this is probably the last post I’ll put up here. Sorry for the inconvenience to anyone who was wondering what was going on.

Pre-Interview SOS

UPDATE 5-24-12 I GOT THE JOB! WOOHOO!

 

Last night, feeling the need for guidance and wanting to know the outcome of the interview I had scheduled for today, I felt the call of the vampyr and so brought out my beloved Tarot of Vampyres for their excellent advice.

And how much more a propos can they be? There I am, the Fool, just arising from the crypt for the first time, reborn into new life. I’m heading out, unaware of what’s in store for me, but confident in the presence of higher beings guiding my steps. He’s the Trump of Air, connects Kether and Chokmah. His kindred spirit is none other than the Spirit of the Everlasting, the godhead, the divine. I am free, I have no limitations, this is a new beginning with great potential.

When the Fool appears we must realize our unlimited potential in the situation and engage with the spontaneity of the moment. He represents complete faith that life is good and worthy of our confidence. While he may be thought of as too innocent, his innocence sustains him and brings him boundless, vibrant joy.

I’ll take that.

Nine of Scepters is Moon in Sagittarius; Foundation (Yesod) of Fire. Kindred Spirits: Yerathel: Saahiah

This is all about inner strength, the strength of being flexible and able to adapt in any situation.

The Nine of Scepters characterizes a self-realization which dissolves inner feelings of dread or weakness and floods us with an inner strength, like the flow of blood spreading into every empty channel, invigorating us with vital energy.

Her scepter is glowing with lunar energy, infusing the vampire with creative inspiration. The card also warns that this is a time to be flexible, and draw on previous experience to get through. Stay the course, and success is mine. There’s so much energy being channeled, blending masculine and feminine energy, the Will joined with the unconscious, the mysteries of the Moon.

The Star. Yes! Zodiacal Trump of Aquarius (more Air). Kindred Spirits: The Dweller Between the Waters; Nuith; Isis. Isn’t she lovely? I’m just going to quote the book here, this is too awesome. The Star is always a card of hope and inspiration.

We are granted a wish whenever this card appears in a reading, which we should state clearly and gracefully, with feelings of expectation and joy. New promise and happiness will emerge, new and fulfilling relationships…In our practical lives, we discover hidden paths towards our dreams, renewal of hopes, and the realization of wishes.

Sounds pretty damn promising to me. The interview went well, I think, who can ever tell, really? I suppose if I was just going to be shown the door at the end the woman I talked with today would not have called over the office manager to say hello to me again before I left, and then we all stood around chatting and talking about bs like the weather and parking. I have a good feeling about this, I have since the first call. It’ll be interesting to see if my feelings are right on this one, like they were on my last job. (I knew I was getting that job from the very first phone conversation with the recruiter. I knew it with every fiber of my being. I’m not that confident this time, but I do feel pretty good about it).

I love you, my vampyres *MWAH*

Info, Please

Reposting this from my Filling Spaces blog.

 

UPDATE: Found it! It’s called “Vitreous Ovum” and the artist is Martina Hoffman. Her Web site is here.

UPDATE: Found it! It’s called “Vitreous Ovum” and the artist is Martina Hoffman.Her Web site is here. Actually her gallery calls it “Homage A Leonardo.”

Can anyone tell me anything about this painting? The style is very familiar, but I can’t place it. I found it here. There’s no credit given, and I can’t quite make out the signature (actually I’m not sure if that’s a signature in the bottom left, or the word “Hope” as a title of the painting). I love it, though, and would like to find out if prints are available.

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Amdusias

My latest pull. Amdusias (also spelled Amduscias or Amducias) appears as a unicorn. On that all my sources agree. Suckling says he will assume the shape of a glorious angel, accompanied by music and that he favors trees and forests like his totem animal, and can make the trees bend down.

The Message is “celebration is indicated, and the coming together of friends for a common purpose.” He is associated with the element Air, and the planet Venus.

Waite and Belanger agree on the unicorn and that he causes unseen instruments to play. Waite further says he gives good familiars. Maybe this is what Suckling is interpreting as friends coming together.

Anyway, when I pulled this, I got the sense of a culmination of things moving in a very positive direction for me. I don’t know, but I hope, this is related to the interview on Monday. If so, it sure looks good. I actually pulled this card a couple of days ago but am just now getting around to posting it. These fallen angels sure are an interesting bunch.

Valac – Resolution

Finally a change. Valac: Resolution. Not quite sure why this one indicates resolution. Nigel Suckling says in the accompanying booklet that Valac appears as a little girl, whereas Waite says:

Valac, a great president, comes as a little boy with the wings of an angel, riding on a two-headed dragon. He gives true answers concerning hidden treasures, tells where serpents may be seen, and will deliver them helpless to the exorcist.

Belanger’s Dictionary of Demons says he has a strange power over serpents. Sounds like Voldemort. Suckling states that these ‘serpents’ are some kind of hidden truth or wisdom that will harm you if ignored, but if brought to light can be of benefit. He also says the hidden treasure may not be literal, but suggests that these are internal truths. Valac’s element is Fire, and he/she is associated with Mercury. Mercury of course was the messenger of the gods. This seems more promising than the message of misfortune from Astaroth. I’m not convinced Astaroth was trying to tell me about misfortune, though.

And, since I started this little post, I have unexpectedly gotten called for a job interview. I didn’t expect to hear from this employer at all, so I’m pleased as punch to have gotten an interview. Especially since I haven’t gotten any callbacks on my resume in two months. Let’s hope this is a good omen.

Ishtar – Astarte – Ashteroth

Oy, how did I not see this?  The last card I pulled before pulling Astaroth again was Ishtar from the Moon Oracle (see previous post). Ishtar-Astarte-Ashteroth… Maybe this Astaroth card IS associated with the goddess Astarte for me right now. I feel like it’s been waving a big banner at me and I’m blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other. Now to try to figure out what all this is pointing to. Combining the two, with the message of Ishtar from the other day, and ‘misfortune’ associated with this card, it’s all sounding very bleak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then on the Goddess card Ishtar, she’s holding her totem animal, a lion. The lion thing… hearken back to the reading on February 1, featuring Sabnock who according to Waite has a lion’s head, and Suckling says his totem animal is the lion. I feel like I’m weaving a tapestry together here, being handed one thread at a time. I find these tie-ins all the more noticeable since I really don’t read for myself all that often, so to have cards repeat like this is like someone firing off signal flares in the night to get my attention. I am feeling very dense though because I still don’t know what they’re trying to tell me. Lions, Ishtar, Astaroth, Astarte, Sabnack, soldiers, Celts, legionaries, Rome, The Eagle, Mithras, protection, hard times, misfortune.

The only thing I’m coming up with is Ishtar (Ashteroth, Astaroth) wants my allegiance. Since learning about Mithras I’ve been focusing my worship and rituals on him, but maybe I can combine the two. I’m not ready to let go of Mithras, I still think he’s part of this somehow. The draw is too strong still. BUT, when I shifted my focus to Mithras, I began neglecting the Goddess, and perhaps that was my error. In the ancient world people appealed to and worshipped many gods, so I don’t think it’s an all-or-nothing proposition for me.

Stuck on Repeat – redux

Last night I was feeling drawn to my Fallen Angel Oracle again, so I pulled it out and started shuffling, intending to pull a single card. As I was mixing them hand-over-hand, one popped out very decidedly. Normally I would just put it back in and keep shuffling until I felt ‘done’ but lately I’ve started paying attention to the ones that pop out like that. I never used to, but so many people have mentioned that they do that I’ve started doing it myself, just to see. So, who popped out, unwilling to wait his/her turn?

Back on January 12, I got the same card two days in a row. I’ve only used this deck a handful of times, yet the same ones keep coming up when I do use it. In reading about Astaroth again last night, I did notice something I missed earlier. There are two angels listed in Davdison’s A Dictionary of Angels with very similar names, Astaroth, also spelled Asteroth:

once a seraph, Astaroth is now, according to Waite, The Lemegeton, a great duke in the infernal regions.

Further, Waite gives this description:

Astaroth, a great and powerful duke, appears like a beautiful angel riding on an infernal dragon, and carrying a viper in his right hand.

By contrast, Belanger says “when he appears he takes the shape of an obscene and loathsome angel.”

Then there’s Ashteroth (Ashtoreth) who is associated with Astarte. Based on this, maybe I was the one confused, I think Suckling got it right that this Astaroth is not the same as Ashteroth (Astarte). Belanger conflates all of them as one and the same in The Dictionary of Demons. I still don’t know how Nigel Suckling gets the interpretation of ‘misfortune.’ Although, the last time I pulled this card was just about a month before I lost my job. Hmm. What new calamity is set to befall me?

The book actually says that this is a time for ‘retrenchment’, nothing you try seems to work. Well, yeah, my job search is fruitless so far. I can’t wait to try though, I have to keep sending out resumes because now we have to report our job searches every week to the Employment Dept. Great, I can apply to jobs I’m not qualified for, because there’s nothing left, I’ve applied to everything I AM qualified for. It’s a frustrating situation.

Maybe I should just summon him and see for myself.

Ishtar, Warrior and Lover

From the Moon Oracle by Caroline Smith & John Astrop

Ishtar, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, is pictured here holding a serpent in her right hand and a lion, her sacred animal, in her left. The potted plant represents the plant Gilgamesh sought at the bottom of the ocean that would have given immortality to man (and woman). But the serpent got there first and ate it, gaining immortality for itself. Obviously that didn’t translate down to all snake-kind.

At the bottom of the card we see the glyph for Pisces on the left and the Moon on the right. An eight-pointed star is also said to be her symbol, although that’s not depicted here.

Ishtar was known as both a warrior goddess and a goddess of love. When depicted as a warrior, she was shown in a chariot that was drawn by seven lions. The outfit she is shown in here is half that of a priestess and  half warrior. Her love of Tammuz, the god of the harvest, somehow caused his death. She went to the Underworld to get him back, but the Queen of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, told the gatekeeper to open one gate at a time for her. At each of the seven gates, she had to shed one piece of clothing so that by the time she reached the Underworld she was naked. While she is imprisoned there, all sexual activity on earth ceased. The King of the Gods, Ea, hears about this, and sends an envoy, Asu-shu-namir, down to Ereshkigal the bag that held the waters of life. Ereshkigal is furious but can’t say no, so Asu-shu-namir takes the water and uses it to revive Ishtar. On her way out of the Underworld she stops at each gate and retrieves her clothing, and so arrives back on earth as she started.

The book says that if this card is selected you will need to fight for what you wish to regain, stripping away anything you don’t need, and getting down to basics. Even then it may not be enough and it may be necessary to ask for help. Also, March will be an important month in this quest. Pisces, a water sign, reminds us that water can wear down the most solid rock, given enough time, and can flow around obstacles. The key phrase given in the book for this card is “Be malleable.”

Here’s a Pretty Thing

No, I’m not talking about mithril.

It’s the Victorian Flower Oracle, a 40-card oracle deck from Baba Studio. It almost feels like the sort of oracle Elves would use, though.

Trolling Ebay for decks as I do, I started getting a little panicked at the prices I was seeing for this little deck. So a quick trip to Magic Realist Press (aka Baba Studio) Web site confirmed that it could still be had directly from them (both deck alone, and the deck and book kit were still available as of this writing). The price can vary, depending on the exchange rate.  If you’ve recently checked prices for this deck on the secondary market, it could turn your hair as white as Bilbo’s up there. You can see all the cards at the Magic Realist site, but they are of necessity low-resolution scans. I know some people have passed on buying their decks because they didn’t realize just how truly beautiful they are so here are some slightly higher resolution scans of a just a few cards. It also comes with a pretty decent LWB that briefly discusses J.J. Grandville and his art (the creator of the original illustrations that have been adapted here, and those in the Fantastic Menagerie deck), along with a brief history of the language of flowers and flower symbolism. Since I ordered directly from Karen and Alex, they kindly signed an extra card for me, fittingly the “Forget-Me-Not” card. I love their humor. The images are so cheery and charming, you could just pull them out and look at them for a little pick-me-up.

I thought I’d take the deck for a test drive here and did their 5-card ‘Posy Spread.’ Basically it’s a 5-card line spread, but you can imagine gathering up all the flowers pictured into a little bouquet.

Card 1 – Present Situation: Sympathy

This card shows two flowers, Scabious and Marigold. Marigold seems sad, and her friend Scabious has come to console her, with her little sprouts in tow. The LWB gives the interpretations of “Compassion, sympathy, seeing the other point of view, fellow feeling.” I’m not sure what this is telling me. I haven’t encountered anyone I need to feel sympathy for that I’m aware of, nor do I need sympathy for anything. I don’t think I’ve been feeling sorry for myself, if anything I’m rather enjoying myself too much having time off from the rat race. I guess my sympathies go out to whoever feels like they need some moral support.

 

 

Card 2 – Opportunities and Challenges that may arise: A Hidden Romance

Insert George Takei’s ‘Oh Myyyyyyyyyy!” I can see a hidden romance as both an opportunity and a challenge. Hmm. Well, that puts a little intrigue in the day. I’ll have to be on the lookout for this. Book meanings given are “Romance and intrigue. A secret attachment. A lover who must remain hidden for now. An affair of the heart. A rather dangerous liaison.” These things usually end badly, I’m in no hurry to deal with this.

 

 

 

 

 

Card 3 – The Day’s Insight (what you need to know about this situation): Shyness

Interesting image, poor little wallflower being forcibly abducted and uprooted by a rather creepy old man. Book meanings are “Shyness, bashfulness, unassertiveness, caution, timidity, reserve.” Way to not put too fine a point on it, thanks. Yes, that’s me, the eternal wallflower, but I think when faced with this creepy old man I could assert myself very well, thank you. These grody old guys who think they deserve to be with someone young enough to be their granddaughter, in the words of a friend of mine, “had better be VERY RICH, and VERY ILL.” I’m thinking this does not bode well, when interpreted alongside the previous card. MAJOR HASSLE AHEAD.

 

 

Card 4 – Advice, how best to deal with all this: Roots, Ties (Water Arum)

This seems pretty simple. My upbringing has already taught me what I need to do. I need to draw on the strength, wisdom and guidance of my family and ancestors. Book meanings are “Foundations, Family, Community, Roots, Identity, Home, Belonging.” We know how important my roots and family, the basis of my identity, are to me. I think standing strong on my foundations will be the best course of action. (The water arum is a plant of bogs and wetlands, and looks like a little calla lily with greenish flowers)

 

 

 

 

Card 5 – Near Future (how the situation may develop): Wishful Thinking (Pansy)

I think this means I can’t wish it away, this is not the time for wool-gathering. The book lists “Hopes and desires. Daydreaming about what might be. “Fingers crossed”. Aspirations and ambitions. Longing for something. Positive plans. Wishful thoughts.” Then again, this may be the perfect time to brainstorm a new course of action, as long as I take it beyond the ‘wishful thinking’ phase.

 

 

 

 

 

The card backs are done with metallic gold ink, although that stuff is notoriously hard to scan or photograph accurately. Take my word for it, it’s quite lovely. The design is ornate, and almost reminds me of some of the alchemical drawings I’ve seen, with a bit of a medieval flair to it, I think.

So there’s a little taste of a very charming deck. And don’t pay scalpers on Ebay fantastic sums of money for it, just order it from Magic Realist Press. But you’re on your own for finding mithril.

Druid Animal Oracle

I’ve had this for some time now, but haven’t gotten around to doing a post on it. I was lucky enough to find a pristine used copy (Ebay, where else?). It was originally published in 1994, so it’s not new, but it was new to me. This deck is by the same authors who brought us the Druid Plant Oracle: Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, and illustrated by Will Worthington (Wildwood Tarot, et al). In a way the Druid Plant Oracle (which came out in 2007) was designed to be a companion to this one, in that the cards are exactly the same size (roughly 3”x5”) and style allowing the decks to be combined for a reading, but in this deck the backs are done in a dark blue where the Druid Plant Oracle is done in green. This set includes a hardback book (in contrast to the DPO’s softcover), as well as a spread cloth decorated with Celtic design and what I think are the four dragons (water, earth, fire, air) depicted on four of the cards in the corners, done in a somewhat sparkly silver metallic paint.

There are 33 cards, and 3 blank cards that you can either illustrate yourself or leave out. I’m no artist, guess which I’ll be doing. The book devotes four pages to each card, and in the tradition of the Druids is heavily focused on restoring the natural balance. The Introduction of the book begins with a quote from Chief Seattle from 1855: “when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men” it will signal “the end of living and the beginning of survival.” We forget our ancient native traditions and lose our connection to nature at our own peril, essentially. The authors make no bones about calling out the Book of Genesis mandate to ‘subdue every living thing’ (Gen. 1:26) as the signal of the beginning of the end. As with all of the decks Worthington is involved in, it is primarily concerned with reconnecting to and re-embracing our pagan past. Accordingly, this deck will not be for everyone. For me, it fits like a glove, especially these days when I am (ok, I’ll say it) obsessed with my heritage and the ancient, pre-Christian Celts.

The artwork is gorgeous, and once again I had a hard time deciding which cards to show.

The authors make a note in Chapter Two, “The Sacred Animals of the Druid Tradition” that “The interpretations should not be read as predictions, but should be used to provide words of advice, insights into the inner dynamics behind events.” I think that’s a good thing to keep in mind with any deck, and any reading. Ultimately the choice of how to act is up to us.