David Bowie Tarot: The Starman Deck

The artwork is stunning! Very beautiful. I'm sure anyone who is a David Bowie fan (who isn't) will enjoy this deck, if only for the artwork and Bowie's legacy.

Alien Grey as The Chariot

 Posted this on my Orange Orb: UFOs, Forteana and More blog.

Another area of passion and interest of mine,  (see my blog OrangeOrbTarot) aside from the UFO, paranormal realm, is the tarot. I was searching for various decks, since I collect them as most readers do, I have several, and came across this image from the Bifrost tarot deck.

This is a Major Arcana card -- specifically, The Chariot -- from theBifrost tarotdeck. There is a distinctive alien grey ET figure, floating in outer space, giving the peace sign.

According to the deck's creator, the meaning of the Trump or Major Arcana card The Chariot is:

The Chariot of the information age is the mind.  This is symbolized by both the flying saucer behind the Roswell alien's eyes and the magic carpet at his seat.  The blood in his grail and the strand of DNA show that no matter where he travels, he will always find himself. [Tarotsmith.net/bifrostTarot]

The flying saucer is in the place of the third eye. The location is specific: Roswell.  The alien is peace loving, since he/she/it/gender neutral alien is flashing the peace sign. And, the ET is on a magic flying carpet, floating out there in the starry void.

What to make of this?

Assumptions that ET, as 'the grey' is a good vibe, well meaning, peaceful hippie alien. All is groovy and cosmic, flying around on the magic carpet.

Traditional, The Chariot, Waite-Coleman-Rider deck

Traditionally, The Chariot is depcited as having stars above (hence the alien I suppose) which represents the influences of the stars in this card. There is also the crescent moon. The wings have to do with Hinduism -- the Bifrost tarot interprets this image using the third eye.

There are actually a few tarot decks that use aliens in as symbols. I don't know how I feel about using a deck with this image, for myself, it seems too strange. In one sense, accessing memories of UFO encounters as a sort of tarot card reading, in order to make sense out of what happened, is useful. I try to do this for myself at times. But I don't know about integrating both. However, it's not a judgement
 and others might find newer, non-taditional decks using alien motifs useful.

Tarot Client Synchronicity

Made an appointment with a client  -- I'll call her Angela -- for a reading. In getting ready, tidying up. I came across a little basket, with lid, that I had forgotten about. I had started a gratitude basket two years ago; was going well with it, but hadn't related to it for a good year or so. In the basket, were several slips of paper that I had written things I'm grateful for. I took the basket, with the lid on, and shook it up, then pulled out a slip of paper.

The paper, dated two years back, was:

"I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity and reading I did for Angela, and, the equally unexpected donation! Thank you."

Synchronicity!!!

Witches, Women and Elderberry Tree

One of my favorite tarot decks, The Deviant Moon deck created by Patrick Valenza. Here is the 7 of Pentacles, with a woman as witch, beneath the branches of  an elderberry tree. Women, witches and the elderberry tree have a relationship in lore:

She may provide a potent link with the Mother Goddess and facilitates contact with spirits of other trees. In a sense she acts as a mother figure within the woodland. She carries the wisdom of the Crone, and is mistress of the deepest magic. 

Witches were said to be able to turn themselves into elder trees. Gypsies believe that it is very bad luck to cut down and burn elder wood and that the Elder Mother will take revenge. This superstition arises from an instinctive realization that a lack of respect for Nature is dangerous, ultimately, to the human race. Elder's unruly growth hints at the untamable aspect of Nature, the black heart of the earth to which we owe our being. 

Elder fairy has an aged, feminine wisdom, too long mispriced in our culture, but with a little respect she will act as teacher.

The Fairy Bible, Teresa Moorey/

The Goddess Tree.com 

Tarot cards: a tool of cold tricksters or wise therapists? | Aeon Essays

Worth reading. Academic, and of course, no one knows the "truth" about Tarot or much else, for that matter. Tarot cards: a tool of cold tricksters or wise therapists? | Aeon Essays

Heliotrope Metaphysical Tarot and Oracle Shop

I move to a small touristy town up North. (Northern Oregon? California?) I buy a metaphysical bookstore/shop that has been in business for decades. In this delightful small community, the place has been a real fixture. Tourists love it, the staff has been dedicated and stable, the town considers it a good addition to the local economy and reputation. So everyone is very wary of me -- an outsider, a newcomer -- coming in and taking over. 

I assure everyone that I have no intention of changing anything. I want to keep the staff and let them know how valuable they are. I tell them I will learn from them, and I appreciate them. I only plan to add more, not take away. Become even more involved in local projects and issues, etc. Everyone seems more relaxed and trusting after this. 

During the dream I kept getting a sense of purple, violet, and a word that sounded like "heliotrope." The name of the shop? I think so.
The only real change I make in this shop is setting up a reading spot. At the top of the stairs (the store is in a charming converted two story house, sort of a small Victorian) is a small room with a large window and built-in bookshelves. I set up a table and two chairs, place all my tarot decks and books and pendulums and other divinatory tools on the shelf. A cozy space for doing readings. I start to read for a client, get up to get something to show the client, when I come back, there is a woman giving a reading at a table near mine. I am very upset. I tell her I am the owner, she does not have permission to read, it's distracting to myself and the clients, and a disservice to the clients. So I apologize to the clients, do their readings for free, and kick this woman out. She doesn't even work there, she just showed up.

I looked up the metaphysical aspects of heliotrope. I don't know how much of the following is accurate, but according to Witchipedia: (italics are mine)

Magical Attributes of Heliotrope

Heliotrope is associated with the Sun and the element Fire.
Heliotrope represents devotion, that to lovers as well as to a God or a cause.
To dream of heliotrope means unrequited love. You can place heliotrope flowers under your pillow to encourage prophetic dreams, especially related to finding lost things and people.
The essential oil can be used to anoint candles and other objects used in divination and in spells for wealth.
Heliotrope can can be burned for banishing. (Witchipedia.com)

And finally, while reading Brent Swancer's piece on the Djinn at Mysterious Universe, the reference to David Morehouse's book Psychic Warrior gave me a jolt. Last night, I had a dream I was back in this shop, and someone (unseen, and above) handed me a silver bracelet with the words Psychic Warrior engraved on the silver.

The Fortune Teller's Secret - 'Synchronicity'

Interesting article on a bit of history and reader/"fortune teller" Nell St. John Montague (1875-1944)  on reading playing cards from Mark Russell Bell: The Fortune Teller's Secret - 'Synchronicity' | Interesting Articles, Links and Other Media

Kind Words from Skylaire Alfvegren

I am very grateful for the following words and testimonial from a wonderful Fortean writer. (Google her!) Her name is Sklylaire Alfvegren. Many years ago, when I first entered the world of the weird, I came across Skylaire's writing. I was so damn impressed by her skill, her insights and her skewed perspectives and humor. And now, years later, I consider her a friend. We both tumble down that rabbit hole, encountering the strange as we fall.

As a native of Los Angeles who began orbiting “new age” and occult circles years before I could legally drink, I have come to know more than my fair share of psychics, mediums, astrologers, oracles and readers of runes, palms, tarot, and pretty much everything but the contents of the kitchen sink. The glut of “sensitives” hawking their “gifts” has kept me on my guard and somewhat skeptical although as the saying goes, “I want to believe.”  

In this age of 99-cent-a-minute happy horoscopes, many settle for the broad, candy floss generalizations. I can’t do that. I prefer the truth, even if it hurts, and it often does. I trust one astrologer - but I often leave somewhat crushed because he tells it like he sees it. I don’t want lip service but I also want to walk away from a reading with at least a shred of hope! 

During a time when I was more lost and confused than usual, I began reaching out to my various circles to find “the” tarot card reader… I wanted to have my cards read by someone truly gifted, someone capable of great depth as well as an elegant turn of phrase. After numerous recommendations, I reached out to Arianna at Orange Orb Tarot. She was kind and imaginative and in the first reading, saw all kinds of things I had no idea were coming. It was only in the following months that what she saw, actually materialized. My second reading was just as prescient. She referenced my past, the present and future possibilities and it really made my head spin! She was detailed and thoughtful and offered just the right-sized spoonful of sugar to accompany the unpleasant stuff. She touched on some of the same themes in both readings - all extremely relevant to me specifically. She is thoughtful, detailed and full of good magic. She gave me the best readings I have ever had, and I would recommend her to anyone seeking an in-depth, personal, expansive and truly helpful tarot card reading. 

Skylaire Alfvegren, Los Angeles

From Alley Valkyrie: "my polytheism"

Alley Valkyrie is an artist, activist and an excellent writer. She's written a wonderful piece on polytheism. Her perspective reflects my own views on this. Visit her blog The Scallop and the Dusk for more personal and poetic posts. Below is a passage from her article on polytheism:

 I don’t think anyone has the right to gate-keep or dictate what polytheism is. Polytheism is not a new concept. Those who are attempting to control the meaning of ‘polytheism’ seem to have forgotten that this is a concept that goes back thousands of years and spans across cultures all over the world. To define it in a way that excludes more ideas than it embraces is a form of cultural erasure. It is colonialist, and it is abusive. My polytheism begins and ends with “there are many gods and they are real”. [Alley Valkyrie,my polytheism – the scallop and the dusk]

In the Biz, What to do When You Mess Up

Doing readings for clients is simply an amazing thing! I love it. Sometimes it's frustrating for me, the reader. Those of us that do readings professionally sometimes get stuck. It happens. Sometimes the client is the, er, issue. They're a skeptic/debunker and are out to "prove" you're a fraud, they're under the influence, they want to argue, etc.






But sometimes, it's you, the reader, who just, simply, messes up with a client. I am embarrassed and sorry to say this happened to me recently.

I had a returning client who left me a not so hot rating because I had not responded to her request for a reading, nor refunded her money, which she had paid for back in April! I have NO idea what happened, none, but for whatever reason, I had no idea this order was pending.

Naturally I felt awful. And the client --who could blame her for never coming to me again? All I could do was apologize profusely, refund her money, AND, here's the thing, offer her three readings using any decks, any type of reading, for free. That's the least I could do.

It's important to be honest with clients, and do what it takes to make things right. This is not the same as letting clients take advantage, that's a different scene. But in this case, I was dismayed to find I had let things get spacey and took this as a message to stay focused on my goals. Which, by the way, a recent reading I had done for me pointed out! Hmmm…

Tarot readers, psychics, etc. are human, just like everyone else. We make mistakes, goof up, -- we're not pure and magic and above making errors. But if and when we do, it's important to own it and do what we can to make it right.