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A mojo/talisman for you. ❤️

Be safe, be well, be happy.

The Ace of Diamonds from Portable Fortitude Cards, by Corina Dross (2018)

 

But How?

My previous post, Why I Read For Other People, was prompted by a ‘chat group’ conversation among fellow card readers. It made me stop to consider how I actually operate as a reader. And out of that grew the post.

That post then prompted someone to ask me how I knew when I was supposed to read for someone.

In my attempt to answer that question fully and coherently it basically became a whole ‘nother post in its own right. 😏

“May I ask how this was, and continues to be, revealed to you?”

“Revealed” is too strong a word for the process. It’s nothing as mystical or powerful as that.

My upbringing and my personality made the idea of being able to communicate with spirit an obvious possibility. I just embraced that possibility. 🙂

Basically, we “talk". I don’t get audible words back (except very, very rarely) but more a kind of immediate “awareness”. 

For context, I should explain that I no longer do paid readings. I hang out in various free reading groups, mainly on Facebook, and occasionally people will contact me directly as well.

Here’s an example, from just the other day, of how I “knew" when to read for someone. It’s a somewhat atypical example, but it gives a sense of how it feels for me.

I’m scrolling through one of those free reading groups. I look at each post... nope, no connection, scroll on.

Nope, 
scroll, 
nope, 
scroll, 
nope, 
scroll,
.
.
.

Then I get to one that I have no more personal interest in than all the others I’ve just scrolled past. But as soon as I lay eyes on it I know the answer to their question is Yes. 

Ah. 

I guess I’d better tell them. 

Because I’ve already been told it’s Yes there’s no need for an actual reading this time, so I pull one card just to confirm and support the answer and I tell them what I get about their situation. End of.

It’s a bit like that. Generally, I just get a “spirit nudge” when I’m supposed to read for someone. Nothing, nothing, nothing, 'That one'.

The vast majority of the time I haven't got a clue ahead of time what the answer is going to be. I’m not a capital “P” Psychic. I just somehow know that I’m meant to pass on a message to this particular person. That’s where the reading comes in. Spirit then gives me that message through the language of the cards.

Those people who contact me directly are a bit more problematic. In those cases, unless there’s some clear reason not to read for them (like they’re rude, you’d be surprised how often, or it’s obviously a dodgy account) I just trust that they were “sent”.

Why did spirit direct me to this person and not that one? I don’t know. Ask them. 

Actually, until I typed this just now I’d honestly never given it a thought. I guess I’ve always figured it was none of my business.

Why I Read For Other People

The Spiritual Path I have taken through life has led me to be a card reader (and witch).

Not a yoga instructor, not a medium, not a reiki practitioner. 

A card reader. 

Therefore, to honour my Path, I must read cards.

I’m compelled by Spirit to read for others. But I’m not going to read for every person who knocks at my metaphorical door. 

Some people are led to me by Spirit. Some just find me. I’m shown which is which and I’ll read for the former. Some readers may define it differently, but this is what I mean when I say I’m “drawn" to read for someone.

I think it’s fair to say that I don’t see this as a personal “service to mankind”. I am not a Light Worker. It’s not my show.

I read because it’s my Spiritual Calling and I go where Spirit sends me.

When I'm not reading them...

... I'm doing jigsaw puzzles of them. 

Seriously, how could I resist? I'll be starting this today. 😁

Random Reading - #90

Somewhere in my recent internet travels, I came across a mention of this book –

La Cartomancie - L'art de découvrir l'avenir par les cartes et les tarots
par Mme Zezina

"Cartomancy -  The art of discovering the future through cards and tarot
by Madame Zezina"

Originally published by Bornemann, Paris, in the 30s or 40s, this one is a 1970 edition printed in 1984. 

The book appeared to contain some interesting spreads, and while I'm not generally one for using spreads with playing cards, it was cheap enough 😏 so I thought I'd get it just to check them out and maybe give some a go. 

And so, here is L'Etoile, The Star. With the seeker's significator in the centre (I've used both my male and female significators for this reading) the positions are 1 | top: thoughts/hopes; 2 | left: immediate future; 3 | right: later future; 4 | bottom: surprise, the unexpected. 

⁛ Your thoughts revolve around dealings with a professional person – a doctor, solicitor, someone in an official capacity.

Your immediate future looks to be improving materially and/or physically, and we can relate this improvement to whatever official business is on your mind. And we see this increase from 9♦ to 10♦ going forward - definite profit or benefit for you; things really looking up. 

There will be some unexpected event involving your home or family. Seeing as this reading is quite positive, I have no reason to feel this will be a "bad" surprise. And again, it will be related in some way to the above.

The author's instructions tell us to also look for cards of the same value, of which there are none this time, and to read for the combinations formed by positions 2 and 3 with the significator (not only are there combination meanings for cards to the left or right of a particular suit or card, but also for ones before, after or between certain pairs of cards!).

9♦ to the left of a ♥ = broken engagement
10♦ to the right of a ♥ = honeymoon

Kind of an odd combo, and bear in mind that these are based on the author's core meanings, not mine, but I suggest that something which has been negatively anticipated will be cancelled, resulting in a period of contentment and happiness. ⁛

And there you go. It was fun to work within the constraints of a more structured reading for a change. It did rather stifle any intuition regarding what exactly it's all about, but whatever it is 😁 it's going to turn out well. 

And in case you're wondering, “les tarots” referred to in the book's title is specifically the Grand Etteilla (I). If you click on the book picture and zoom in, you can see some of the trump cards from that deck. This is also of interest to me because the same Etteilla meanings apply to my Book of Thoth Etteilla (III) and, just as with the playing cards, the author gives many examples of combination meanings based on whether a card lays before or after a particular other card. Probably way too complicated for me to actually try to work with in any practical way, i.e. without having to constantly refer to the book, but I'm curious to see what they're like. Maybe one or two will be worth committing to memory. 🙂

There are tarot spreads as well, but they are way too big for me. The smallest uses 24 cards, and the largest 67! And I'm willing to bet, though I haven't translated it yet, that the remaining 11 cards don't just sit there doing nothing.

Random Reading - #77

It saddens me sometimes that I haven't been able to find anyone who uses the same playing card meanings as my grandmother. Various "German" lists share some similarities, but not enough to be considered siblings. I'd love to know where Oma got her meanings from, but at the time, I was too young and foolish to think to ask.

One day last year, I spotted a listing on eBay for Diane Ahlquist's Full Moon Oracle Cards* – essentially, a set of 32 playing cards. Hello?! She'd added pictures of a few of the cards and I noticed some familiar associations. Basket! 🛒

When it arrived, I went through it card by card and found that 22 of the 32 shared at least some aspect of the meanings I had for the same cards. Considering the best prior to that was 18 with Birgit Kraheck-Liecker's meanings (from her now defunct website - here's an Internet Archive link), I was delighted!

Soooo, Ahlquist… Did Oma get her meanings from a Scandinavian source, perhaps? I really must do some investigating along those lines. But I've rambled enough – on to this week's reading.

⁛ This is for a someone who identifies as female. There will be a change that will result in some unexpected good news for you regarding your finances and/or employment. The change involves something coming to an end (A♠ is the only card read reversed in Diane's system; none in mine). Someone you would associate with the K♦** (Diane - “An older man with gray hair, or a middle-aged man with a light complexion and blue or green eyes”) may have changed their mind about it. As the 10♣ refers to journeys, it could be that you will be able to return to work very soon (an issue for many at the moment), or at least start to make some progress again. ⁛

< < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < ◇ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

*Sadly, the deck is not available at the moment. This is Diane's eBay page: swfloridagirl941, if you're interested and would like to check back later.
UPDATE 26 May 2020 - She's back! Full Moon Oracle Cards by Diane Ahlquist 

**You may make a different association with the K♦ based on your connection with the card. For me, for instance, he's not necessarily "old", but is dynamic and charismatic, and often physically attractive. And the use of the pronoun "he" is not prescriptive.

Random Reading - #71

I just couldn’t decide which deck to use for this week’s RR. So, when in doubt – Skatkarten!

Okay, this was an odd one. I had a couple of cards jump out, so I pulled the remaining three, checked the bottom card, even checked the next top card to be sure, and decided that they were, in fact, a message for me.

But when I shuffled again, the bottom card from the previous reading jumped out, and the message from the rest of the cards was very similar to the first. I had to concede that all of this *is* the random reading…

I puzzled over this for a bit. The general sense of it was clear enough but I couldn’t see what it was ultimately trying to "say". Then it hit me…

⁛ A formal notice about your job, from official sources and doctors:

          Don’t go.

This will cause you some mental stress, possibly anger (Q♣). But they (Q♦) have a duty of care, and you and your colleagues' best interest at heart with this A♣ 9♠ 10♠ - “gift of no work”.

And the bottom card? Q♠ - someone who is alone. ⁛


Damn. I was so determined not to be one of *those* people doing a “virus” reading, and then this happens. That's probably why I struggled with it. I suppose it was inevitable that any enquiry about what might be coming up for someone this week would gravitate towards what is such a major influence on everyone’s lives right now.

Even at this stage, though, I suddenly thought, “But wait, why is the ‘home’ card (A♥) not here?”, and looked for it in the deck. It was between “elderly person” (K♠) and “sickness” (A♠). Sigh. 🤦‍♀️

Stay well, everyone.

Skatkarten - German playing cards - 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A only (32 cards). This version is published by ASS Altenburger.

Random Reading - #70

My friend Raven Coyne has published an excellent book on reading playing cards – Cartomancy: What You Need To Know - suitable for those dipping their toe for the first time, to seasoned readers considering going pro.

I'm using Raven's own 6-Card Spread today. In briefest terms ('coz I want you to buy his book to find out more 😉), the two card on the left are the question, the remaining two on top are the state, and the last two on the bottom are the answer.

⁛ You're looking for an improvement in a situation which rests on the advice or actions of a man you look up to and respect. You feel you've messed up somehow and that your position is shaky, and you're reaching out for some words of support and encouragement. Rest assured, this man will be helpful and will get you going again with renewed confidence. ⁛


Skatkarten - German playing cards - 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A only (32 cards). This version is published by ASS Altenburger.

Random Reading - #64

My Skat deck is long overdue for an airing here…

First thought - Someone (Q♥: likely female) is going to complete on the home of their dreams this week/soon.

A 'straighter' interpretation would be that you will receive notification of a loved one coming home.

There is an indication of illness around this event. Falling ill is, unfortunately, the sort of thing that happens when you’ve got something major going on in your life. And the person’s motivation for coming home could be illness, theirs or yours. In either case, it’s just an aspect to be aware of – it doesn’t take away from the fact that this will be seen as a happy time.

Skatkarten - German playing cards - 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A only (32 cards). This version is published by ASS Altenburger.

20 for '20

To kick off 2020, I'm giving a free mini reading to the first 20 people to comment on my post in Judy Reads Cards - for free! (<-- click here!) on Facebook.

Random Reading - #58

For anyone who's new to my "Random Readings" (hello!), these represent a weekly-ish message for whoever needs to see it, whenever they happen to see it.

House – Debasement – Lover (man) – Sacrifice – Child of the house

The house is either literally in need of repairs, or figuratively, things are falling apart at home. Because of the presence of the Lover, I'll assume the latter. He may represent an obsession rather than a person, but in either case it's having a detrimental affect on those you care about. Give him/it up or lose your family.


La Facile Sibilla Regionale, “Easy Regional Sybil”, published by Dal Negro, is based on one of the sets of regional meanings of Italian playing cards. The playing card insets are Neapolitan, but I've had a look at Neapolitan meanings on a few websites, and they don’t tie up.

I'd love to hear from anyone who knows which region Dal Negro based their meanings on, or who recognises the sample of meanings below:

Staves – Ace: Love, 2: Meeting, 3: Relationship
Cups – Ace: House, 2: Agreement (Accommodation), 3: Triumph
Swords – Ace: Angel, 2: News (Direct), 3: Journey
Coins – Ace: Wheel of Fortune, 2: Money (A Little), 3: Money (A Lot)

Random Reading - #51

Zolar’s Astrological Tarot Fortune-Telling Cards is a weird little number.

Advertised as an “Amazing and Amusing 4-in-1 Game”, it consists of just 56 cards. One side of the deck shows the 56 minor arcana of the Tarot. Turn the cards over, and on the other side you have the 22 major arcana, 32 astrological fortune-telling cards, and two blanks. Plus the minors are marked with playing cards suits, so you can use the deck for playing card readings. I wouldn't recommend it for card games because your opponent only has to memorise the backs and you've had it. 😉

On top of this, all the tarot cards display upright and reversed “meanings” that kind of give a nod to the standard meanings of the cards while giving them a very fortune-telling-ish spin. Similar to the meanings printed on the old Nile and Ramses fortune-telling playing cards.

Take, for example, the 5 of Cups - upright: Disappointment in marriage or an inheritance; reversed: News from an old friend. A new business proposition. Or the 4 of Swords - upright: Recovery from an illness. Improvement in personal affairs; reversed: Avoid arguments with associates. Economize on your daily expenditures.

So let’s read with it.

I’m going to go with minors for the main reading, and then reshuffle and pull a major for a commentary.

Apologies for the blurriness - click for a clear picture

Luckily, the major wasn’t on the reverse of one of the minors, so they all made it into the one photo. The Knight of Swords was a jumper. I don’t normally use reversals, but this deck calls for them.

» Watch out for the advances of a forceful young man with a “cunning plan”. He’s up to no good. Justice as the commentary indicates this is most likely in relation to a business or legal matter. Use good judgement. «

Random Reading Replacement Service 😏

The trouble with holidays is that there's SO MUCH TO DO when you get back. I'm still not caught up, plus I'm feeling a bit blah, so no RR today.

Instead, I invite you to watch my latest video - the first one I've done in over a year! (apart from a brief Public Service Announcment)

This is a video response to Kelly Bear's 2019 update, in which I talk about the 5 decks of cards I wouldn't be able to live without. I participated in this tarot tag when it first went around in 2016. My selection has changed, not because my tastes have changed, although they have, but because I'm basing my choices on different criteria this time.

Hopefully normal programming will resume next week.

Random Reading - #43

Another one of those days when I came to do the RR with no plan in mind, and just looked around my collection until a deck caught my eye. 😏

That deck turned out to be Madame Legna’s Fortune Telling Cards. In this deck, Change is essentially Clubs, Love is obviously Hearts, and Money is Diamonds (Fate = Spades) .

Nice to see a “short time period” card in a reading that is, in theory, for the week ahead.

» I sense some disruption in the home this week, caused by the actions of a man whose intentions are good, but who acts in an unexpected or impulsive manner. Don’t get rattled, things will settle down nicely. «


Why am I putting a negative spin on what, based on the keywords, looks a pleasant enough bunch of cards? Because of the decreasing Change sequence, 7-4-3, with another "person" Change card ending the line. Lots of change instigated by someone else is likely to be unsettling. So I based my interpretation on that assumption, plus a bit of personal numerology.


Madame Legna’s Fortune Telling Cards, published by “Madame Legna”, London, 1997
These decks occasionally appear for sale on eBay.

Random Reading - #37

Paris Debono gets a fair bit of stick around the cartomancy community. I don't really get why. Yes, he has a somewhat outrageous personality and doesn't mind having a laugh and a joke. And yes, he does rather churn out the decks and isn't shy about promoting them.

But he's a damn good reader, he's very generous with his knowledge and his time, and the decks he produces are generally attractive, unique, and useful.

I mention all this because I was looking around my collection today to see what I wanted to work with and decided on this little number -
Paris Debono's "Gypsy Tattoo Mongrel Deck". 😁
Yep, it is a bit of a hybrid, but it works.

» If you want to improve your health and well-being, stop lying to yourself.
You know what you're doing, I don't need to elaborate. Just get real. «


This is one of the very few decks I read with reversals, because of the differing playing cards suits in the corners and the effect it has on facings. I love this aspect of it, as well as the art, and the fact that it has repeats of some cards with opposing facings and different suit combos.

But I only discovered all of that once I had it.

I bought it because it had this card...

How useful is that, right?! 😂

Random Reading - #36

I haven't used my beloved Skatkarten for a Random Reading in a while. Let's fix that -

This is a message for a man, or someone who is concerned about an important man in their life.

In a short time, they will experience a distressing change of circumstances affecting their financial situation. It's unexpected and could impact their family, home or small business.

I wasn't happy to just leave it at this dire prediction, so I asked for further details - advice perhaps, or a more optimistic long-term outlook.

Advice it was:
Professional assistance is needed to improve the situation.

The "Love" card puzzled me slightly. With the King of Clubs, it could point to a health event involving the heart. If you're the least concerned, go see a doctor!

Beyond that - Maintain focus? Don't lose heart? I felt I needed to know what the Jack was pointing to (see that hand?), so I turned the next card. Don't descend into internal squabbles over this setback. Don't start laying blame. Keep it together, and work with those who are in a position to help you.


So, yeah. As if to make up for neglecting them, my cards dish me up a 10-card reading. That'll teach me.


Skatkarten - German playing cards, this version published by ASS Altenburger.

The delightful "folk meanings" of The Russian Cartomancy

My friend Dmitry Korolev loves to share his knowledge of cartomancy. In this post - Beware the Diamond interest! - adventures in the Russian card meanings - he tells of some of the colourful phrases associated with playing cards that have come into everyday use in Russia as a result of their  fondness for cartomancy.

Dmitry also has charming and fascinating videos on YouTube exploring various "schools" of cartomancy.

If the above piques your interest, you should check out his Level 1 workshop on Russian Cartomancy starting in the new year. You can sign up over on the World Divination Association website.

Reading of the Week - #25

It can be worrying when you're confronted with The Tower in a reading, but the 9 of Clubs assures us that it's a positive change.

Things are about to improve dramatically for an older woman, or a woman on her own, who is currently dealing with illness or a stressful situation.

Bottom card: The Star. I said "Yes!" out loud when I turned this, LOL. 
✨ Healing and Hope. ✨ 


Pointner Tarot, aka Tarot Piatnik Wien - Piatnik
Tarot Nouveau - Grimaud

Reading of the Week - #24

Finances will soon be in place for buying that new home or starting that small business. Just double-check the paperwork.


Pointner Tarot, aka Tarot Piatnik Wien - Piatnik
Tarot Nouveau - Grimaud

Reading of the Week - #23

I struggled with this one.

Although I'm basically using my Skat meanings, I can't ignore the fact that, with this deck, all three court cards are looking directly at Death.

I wavered between a couple of interpretations for a while, and finally resorted to checking the bottom card, something I don't normally do until after I've completed the reading. The Queen confirmed my thoughts.

» A man is facing the death of his father. He thinks about the happy times but accepts that it's time for him go.


On a lighter note, is that not the swingin'est Death you've ever seen?


La Corte dei Tarocchi - Anna Maria d'Onofrio, published by il Meneghello
Russian playing cards based on popular prints by Viktor Sveshnikov