Magic

My favorite oracle deck so far is the Guardians of Wisdom by Emy Ledbetter and Todd Hershey. I got it last year at the Readers Studio, and I just love it. You can check it out at guardiansofwisdom.com if you wish. Its beautiful artwork but has the most insightful guidance for me. Kevin started me on the oracle thing. Kevin used to read, and still does just not with me, at our tarot meetup in Las Vegas. He would do a reading and then sometimes if he brought his oracle deck would pull a card for someone. So when I was at the Readers Studio and Janette showed me this deck i thought it would be a kewl thing to try out for me.. and it has been!

-side note to me - Call kevin.

Anyway - a lot of times when i do a reading for myself or others, especially when the reading is a tougher one, where the picture feels kinda grim or the Tarot has discussed tough things coming up, i will pull an oracle card. I have found it to be very insightful and also very supportive. Sometimes it is just good reassurance. Sometimes it gives me something to keep in mind when tougher things start to come up. Sometimes it gives me something to meditate or contemplate while I am going through things during the week. Sometimes it will come up with a point of view that I do not wish to hear, but will be the key to resolving my dilemma.

So Magic came up for me today, and by that it means: You have the ability to spontaneously manifest gifts from the universe. Hmmm.. sounds like the Magician to me.

My reading for the week was:

What you have: 6 of swords reversed. Upright this card talks about leaving a situation or train of thought, sad to leave it, but curious to go on.. It comes right after the pressure of the 5, and it holds the promise of the 6, meaning it is hot and in the center of the tree after the pressure of the 5, its more controllable. The situation is as I choose to see it, the darkness is behind me (the card is light). I am in the water of creation, and my mind is clear. The title of this card is Lord of Earned Success.

So reversed - I can see where it is talking about not moving on, not seeing the promise and chosing instead of light to see negatively; negative thoughts, not moving on but stagnating.. not seeing the beauty of a situation or people.

This would describe my current thoughts. Just Friday I was working and there were files I had assigned myself. The other person working in the Q also was doing the same thing, so we ended up with the same files assigned, and I got 1 of the 10, and the balance downloaded into her Q instead of mine. Thinking she was being sabotaging, i impetuously went back into the Q and reassigned the files to myself and downloaded them (hows that for an upside down Queen of Wands). On giving the matter further thought, I realized that she would then be working on these files, see them go to trash, and then see them in my Q or that i had reassigned this to me, etc. Sensing this would cause great conflict, i then emailed her and told her what happened and then begrudgingly told her to just take the files and I would catch up the next day. I tried not to be bitchy in my note, but Im sure she got the idea.

To her credit, she wrote me back saying she had not even noticed, thanked me, and then offered to split them. I definitely felt like the jerk i was being and saw that I, also, had that choice and chose the more negative route in my thoughts and actions. Usually it is just my thoughts that go in that direction when working and the energy usually follows suit, so I can see how this card describes my lack of direction forward toward a more positive point of view. And I definitely see that I could make better choices that would benefit me better.

I can also see other aspects of my life where i hve been chosing to think more negatively instead of positively which do sabotage me from moving forward or appreciating things around me.

This card also discusses delays in transportation and changes in plans, difficulty with water? This week coming up involves Parent Weekend and changing plans as far as my parents' visit and what we are going to do.. maybe it is a situation where plans will change with the coming weather (its been rainy and fears of icy weather always).

What I need to know: Page of Pentacles. This person is a student, young, Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn. Cautious, realistic, steadfast. Believes only in what they can see and touch. It is also about seeking facts and gathering information. As a messenger the page says to pay attention to the physical body, health, possessions. Indicates collection of data and information. Children who are watchful, studious or pragmatic, often playing alone or entertaining themselves. - Mary Greer, Tarot Reversals.

Hmm.. sounds like a Blysse situation. First, Blysse is young, a student and a Taurus. Second, we are going to parent teacher conferences on Friday.. sounds like a great opportunity to gather information and data. She is also a very independent kid who is great at entertaining herself and playing alone. I will definitely be aware of these characteristics when going through the week and weekend.

Outcome: Ace of Cups. Hmm.. the holy grail of emotion and creativity. That sounds like a wonderful way to end the week after spending it with my family and with Blysse's other family at school. She practically lives there and it will be very nice to have all the possibilities open to us in regard to meeting all her friends and teachers and families who are on the same adventure we are.

So how does the Magician or Magic fit into this? I think this card lets me know that if I choose to think better thoughts and have more positive intentions, anything is possible and I can get into that boat and move on from the stress of the 5 and stagnation from the 6. I think it lets me know that regardless of the conferences (one or two might be difficult) that I have the ability to manifest whatever I wish from those things. I think this is a good thing and certainly a great start and promise for the week.

This should make for great validation come next Sunday. =)

The Magician

We had our tarot meetup last night and covered the Magician as well as which cards best describe us. The magician channels divine power from above and below. He has a transparent intelligence where power passes through him, he has no power of his own, it is divine power. He manipulates this power, but it is not his. His astrological sign is mercury and hermes. The power of the magician is inside of you and nowhere else.

On his table he has the tools of the elements, the wand, cup, sword and pentacle. In the Thoth deck, he creates with the wand, preserves with the cup, with the sword he destroys, and with the pentacle redeems. - Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo Duquette. Lon also mentions in his book that a common "rumor" is that in this deck are 3 magicians, or magus. This, according to Lon, is a myth. Because the decks are printed in 80 cards, most decks usually use the 2 extra cards with ads or instructions. AG Mueller instead included 2 copies of rough drafts of the original Magus card which Crowley had rejected. So according to Mr. Duquette, there is only 1 magician, or magus, and no 2 wisemen or any other card or concept.

Eric reads with the Sacred Rose deck, which is pictured here. He had a great observation of his magician card he felt the sword the magician is holding in front of him seemed phallic. I found that a very interesting obeservation which brought to mind the question Wald frequently asks when we are looking at our cards and intuiting from them. Frequently he will ask after we have shared our interpretation if that particular thought or idea was something we were dealing with. For instance, when interpretting the 6 of cups, those children reminded me of a brother and sister playing, and when Wald asked about whether that is an experience I have had, the answer would be that I could see that as my brother and I playing as children. When I asked a person in our group what she saw in that card, she saw herself as the person walking away in the very left of that card - and i would venture a guess that this is an experience she has had in relation to the meaning of that card. We did not really delve into that. But it brought about the question, in regard to what Eric saw in his magician, what experience is the phallic sword referring to for him..

This brought us to a discussion about, what I would describe as the difference between what we intuit from a card versus its textbook meaning. Does that sword in the magician have a phallic meaning, probably not in a textbook way. But that does not mean that it did not have that meaning for Eric and that it was not accurate or pointing out issues of his own power related to that. What that means for Eric is up to him, certainly not something i would choose to delve into on a public blog.. LOL

This issue is a remarkable thing because this is one of the aspects that I, myself, work with all the time. It is very hard going from a book smart approach of just going with a definition or description from a book I have read to really untuiting the many different messages in front of me. This is a skill that I, myself, have been struggling and working on for the last 2 years. To truly appreciate and understand tarot is to really see not only all the layers involved in a card, but also to know that it is alive in its way, it evolves as well do, as each card describes a part of ourselves. As we evolve and grow, so does the card and how we relate to it and what it means to us.

The magician of 2 years ago meant something entirely different to me than what it would mean to me today. For instance, 2 years ago, the magician represented something I did not know or believe. I did not know that inside me lies a magician who can bring about anything I wish, and certainly even when it was shown to me, i did not believe this to be true. As I have grown as a person and with tarot, he has become my partner. Yet when Eric was working with him last night, he did not mean the same thing for Eric at that point, nor did i read him the same way in regard to Eric. Had i just been working with a book, none of this could be said. For Eric the magician was discussing and relating to him in an entirely different way.

To the same end, there are 21 ways to read a card. The card has many attributes, i.e. name, number, atrology, path, intelligence, etc.

While I am most definitely of fire, a big part of me is also air and tends to stay in that logical sword place - and i need to remember and work with other elements in order to fully hear and feel the messages which are relayed to me. This is a challenge for me.

I learned last night that while it is easy for me to see this issue come out in others, what it is really reflecting is this very issue in myself. I was recently sharing my frustration at not having that person next to me pointing this out to me and reminding me that while logic is great, my heart and intuition are also needed as balance. And yet as I write this, i realize it probably is there, just in a different way.

And how funny is it that this is also part of the message of the magician and his alchemy.

It is amazing how even when we are just going over and learning a card we can see our stories in front of us.

How kewl is this!!

Ok - so i could not figure out how people could have the kewlest blog backgrounds and I didnt.. so im going into other blogs trying to figure this out and i hit this little teeny, tiny stripe that says blog templates, and here we go!

Of course, you cant see the previous setup.. but being the wannabe computer geek I am, i get so very excited when i do things here that I did not previously think I could figure out without calling a true computer geek. LOL

So I did my reading for the week on Monday, and once again my current situation was described as the 10 of swords reversed. This is the second week in a row my current situation was described this way. At first, seeing the 10 of swords, like most people, i went urrrrgh. BUT - it was reversed. So at first im thinking.. urrrgh, this means it will last longer or be drawn out instead of being wrapped up and moving on. Then I consulted with my favorite reversal book by Mary Greer, Tarot Reversals, and realized that the 10 of Swords reversed might be a good thing. Because, as she points out, when you look at the card, the sky is much brighter when this card is reversed as opposed to right side up. So this means things are in the process of looking brighter - i can stand that!

Last week's middle position, what i need to know, was 5 of cups. This week it is 6 of swords. So I guess my thoughts are moving away from my suffering and grief and maybe paying more attention to what is in the 2 upright cups as opposed to the fallen 3. Bernard and his b.s. was on my mind, as right after I did last week's reading I did a reading on the situation with him. Part of the 6 of swords is gaining objectivity by laing a situation and turmoil. hmmm

The outcome for my week is the Star reversed. Not sure what that is about, though it would probably describe my mood about me lately. Workin on it..

We have tarot this weekend - activity is Which tarot card are you? This should be fun. We did this with the Witches group last month and the conversations were amazing, very revealing. As crazy as that group is, they are very open people, which is one of the things I love best about them. Our tarot group seems more conservative, at least energy-wise, which is also a good thing i think..lol.. so it will be interesting to see how everyone spins this activity for themselves and contrast it with what we did last month.

My contemplation this week has been the Star reversed. And not cooincidentally, the tarot meeting this month in Raleigh will be the Star.

Getting Started

Okay - this is my first go at this, not sure how Ive done. I have no idea why im even blogging except that everyone else is! When i checked out other blogs it seems these are like online journal entries, still havent figured out why people would want the public to see their journals, but what the heck! Not sure I will tell anyone my blog address or site anyway. =)

The title - Queen of Wands - thats usually me, hence the title. Quoting from Mary Greer, The Queen of Wands wants life to be full of passion and excitement, she is about the fiery feminine with characteristics of the fire signs, mine being Aries. More than the other Queens of the Tarot, she has leadership ability and a fierce determination to make her own decisions or get her own way while remaining friendly and optimistic. When intent on her desires, she expresses her passionate nature boldly, self-confidently communicating creative visions and original ideas. She is assertive with high energy, independent and tends to have the power to influence others. She can be ferrocious when attacked or if defending others. She can be ardent in love. As a mother and partner, she is generally warm, courageous and loving but can become haughty, domineering and can overmanage her children's lives and futures (not me! LOL).

Although never arrogant, the Queen of Wands has a deep faith in her own abilities. Her quiet self assurance comes from the knowledge that she can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.

She is usually my significator in readings and I know when she is there the Universe is speaking directly to me, using her to get my attention. I like the Queen of Wands in me, and she usually serves me well, hence the name of my blog.

As for the Maris Miao part - I first heard the last name a few years ago while working - i thought, what a great last name for a person with the first name Maris! And isnt that a great dramatic stage name for me - and most befitting a Queen of Wands! Since this is my blog and I can do whatever I like and be whoever I wish, I decided a dramatic and dreamy name for my Queen and blog would be most appropriate. This is, afterall, probably the only place I will ever be Maris Miao, since my husband would take great offense should I change his name or trade him in for a person with the last name Miao..LOL. =*)

Okay - so I got this idea from Amy, someone I have not spoken to for quite some time. I loved her blog. So I have a ton of time on my hands today and thought I would give this a whirl, as it is Superbowl Sunday but the game doesnt start til 6 p.m. and im not sure what in the world i will do with the rest of my day! But this is very kewl.

I also see a lot of tarot readers with blogs and websites. I really want to do that, get a website together. When I do that, then i will attach this blog to it. But this is a great start and the closest I have gotten to it - very exciting. Next I need to get business cards for the Readers Studio, which is in April. I am very excited to be going.

The Readers Studio is sponsored by the Tarot School in New York, where I take class every week. Well, not for the next few months I wont be cause they are too busy for class between now and the Studio time, but usually during the year I take class every Wednesday night for 2 hours on the telephone. We all dial into the conference call and cover a card, though sometimes we do intensives as well. For instance, last class module covered pathworking - which was really kewl. So I guess as I experience new things, I can now blog about them instead of talking my teacher's ear off the next day! LOL.

Anyway, the Readers Studio is a workshop gathering once a year where all the accomplished readers and artists in Tarot get together and study. Those people who write the books that line my shelves are at this studio and sometimes they teach a workshop and sometimes they take the workshops. Last year was my first year to go and it was amazing to not only study with Rachel Pollack and Mary Greer and not only have them do a breakfast or workshop, but also to be among other people with just as amazing gifts as well. For instance, one night we went to dinner with a group and someone took out their deck and we all ended up reading for one another while waiting for our salads - which was totally kewl!! So the people doing the workshops are amazing, but those attending those workshops are just as amazing if not more so!

And I dont even remember a time when i was so drained and so quiet as when i got back from last year's workshop. OMG - I couldnt speak for a week! Like Eric or others would call and ask me about the weekend, and I could not even share for a week or two after I got home. Its like I was transported to this place inside me where all these magical things were taking place and I stayed there for a week or two afterwards even. It was truly an experience.

This year Eric is coming as well. How awesome this year has been - both eric and blysse have really gotten into reading Tarot as well and both are really amazing and gifted! Blysse asked if she would be able to join us at the Studio in 2 years and I absolutely think that is the kewlest!! She would be amazing.

Ok - so i cant write my whole mind out in 1 blog, so i will wrap this up and write more maybe tomorrow.