Thursday 14 July 2016

Create Tarot Naturally by Gillian Avart - A review

"Create Tarot Naturally" is a book of just over 200 pages of thorough and helpful information on how to learn to create your own personal deck. It is well written and very clear on what to do and how to also help you interpret the cards. Each card section has its own quiz to help you retain the information and I found that useful (I usually have the attention span of a flea). 
Each card is explained and has tips on how to interpret it in the form of keywords or phrases that are helpful for beginners. Pictures of each card are included. Gill explains thoroughly the process of getting to know each card and how she came to create each one. 
The end section of the book explains the process of creating your own deck, from photographing to printing, to choosing the right accessories and software. Gill also delves on what went and could go wrong in the "Learn from my mistakes" section. 
Although this is intended to give advice to anyone wanting to create their own deck, you can also feel from reading the book that this has also been a very personal journey for the author. 
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Tarot, from beginner to advanced, as it is not just a pleasant and useful read, but also an insight on a very personal creative process. From this, one can easily take what is useful to them and then progress on their own personal Tarot creating journey. 

And here's a direct link to the book :) CREATE TAROT NATURALLY


Wednesday 6 July 2016

Dream Interpretation with Tarot

Tomorrow I will be talking (while drinking some wine) about this topic in the LIFE AS A SEER radio show (click for link to go to the FB event but also if you miss it you can download it later).
I have always had  fairly vivid and active dreams and I enjoy interpreting them and using Tarot as well to get clarity. A 3 cards spread can be enough to gain focus, you can do:

- THEME
- MESSAGE
- ACTION

Or you can tailor it depending on the intensity and symbols of the dream, or you can even just throw as many cards as you want just for advice and then read the story in the cards. But here I am going to tell you how I do it (when I remember to write them down :p) and you can also use this method. Here is an example of a recent dream:

"I am at some sort of big outdoor event in the countryside with many of my friends. I then get somehow lost and panic a bit. As I finally head back to the entrance of this natural park, I get into the information office and, as I walk in, I realise I cannot see hardly anymore. My right eye has gone blind, my left still can see. A bit. I tell a lady there and she tells me to call my friends to take me home. I am thinking I am having a stroke and panic. I try each mobile number and all of my friends phones are off. I look in a mirror and notice that both my pupils are fully dilated and totally black".

So, first things first. BREAK DOWN THE SYMBOLS. Here we have: countryside, sight, eyes, blindness, phones, black.

Countryside: can be wanting freedom from something that is constraining, open spaces and need for personal space.
Sight: Being able to "see" is important, as for clarity. And also for awareness of what is around us and what is coming, this could be fear of losing control.
Eyes: They are our ability to see, windows to the soul.
Blindness: Losing sight here could be fear of losing control, well some control is already lost because the right eye (generally future as left is connected to the past) is now completely blind. This could be anxiety on not knowing what is ahead.
Phones: This is about communication and how we relate to others and they to us. All phones are off, no response. Therefore this is saying that there is a feeling of being cut off and not being able to express oneself.
Black: Absence of all colours. Again this is about not knowing, what is behind the black? Is there light or is it just a black hole?

Next we draw some cards. In this case I did not use the spread above, although I still drew 3 cards. Because what I want to know is:

- WHY AM I BLINDED?
- WHAT AM I MISSING?
- WHAT IS THE DREAM MESSAGE TO ME?

Using the Morgan Greer deck I have then drawn the cards as above:

- 9 OF PENTACLES: I would say that this is telling me that I am blind to what I have. This 9 is a card of stability and enjoying the results of one's work. I am blind to this, very likely that this is not done consciously, but it is telling me that I probably have more than I think and that I should start appreciating it more. Also working towards more stability (10) and "regaining" sight.

- 10 OF CUPS: Well, lol, while this card is more emotional as it is Water, I would say that I am getting a similar message. I am missing the fact that I can have all these Cups and drink them, that this is in my control if I wish it to be. This 10 is also about finding the right emotional balance.  The 10 of Cups can also be about an ideal "union" be emotional or otherwise.

- THE TOWER: Now this made me laugh, if you listen to the radio show you will see that I used a different dream example there and this was the exact same card that came out as third. Absolute change, upheaval, the demolition of something for it to be reborn. A phoenix rising from the ashes. This is destruction but with a purpose. The Star (hope) follow in the Majors sequence. Nothing is lost, just reshaped and rebuilt.I think this is telling me that I need to "Tower" myself. You know a bit like having a major "fuck it" moment. And this is a card I rarely pull ever but that it has been following me for a couple of weeks (yes I am being very careful while crossing the road etc :P).

And it is as easy as that, helps though to write the dreams down as you as you can, or generally parts gets lost.
So happy Tarotpreting ;)