Wisdom from The Tarot

Seeeking my way through the forest.

[outsidertarot]

9 of LIGHTS / THE HUSTLER whose sexual energy functions like a tractor for wanted and unwanted attention.  Undressed and perched on a bed in a run down motel room, the Hustler seems to be waiting for someone, perhaps a lover or a client.  A kundalini serpent appears to writhe from the Hustler’s core, devouring the fiery energy of light bulbs in its path.  A pair of lampshades are printed with a pattern of the waxing and waning moon, suggesting the constantly changing roles, circumstances and emotional states The Hustler faces every day. 

The motel room itself is a transient and anonymous space, safe or not, for sexual exploration, kink, and sex work. In readings, the Hustler refers to kundalini energy, physical attraction, raw passion, libidinous powers, or transactional sexuality, all of which can be empowering or oppressive depending on the surrounding cards 

The astrological influence is the MOON in SAGITTARIUS. The pairing of fleeting lunar phases with the lofty aim of the archer evokes an underlying need for constant change and new experiences in pursuit of long term goals.

[brooklyntarot]

From my new deck, the OUTSIDER TAROT available 2020. http://outsidertarot.com

[outsidertarot]

The OUTSIDER of the day is artist, designer, stylist & karaoke king JJ Chinois. JJ chose the BILLOW OF EYES (formally Knight of Swords), a non-gendered REBEL sometimes with a cause, sometimes without → depending on their mood! The Billow is an outsider and non-conformist who lives their own truth and follows their own rules, this is non-negotiable. ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣JJ and I have been close friends and occasional collaborators for just about two decades. Just as the card suggests, she is a fearless innovator, risk taker and fierce defender of those she loves and her personal values. @jjchinois ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣Wanna take a selfie with an Outsider Tarot card? DM me or tag a photo with #outsideroftheday ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

[outsidertarot]

THE WITCH & THE PREDECESSORS. 

The Outsider Tarot dispenses with figures from the Major Arcana.  Instead, each Major is a scene offering props and set pieces everyone can step into their own Fool’s Journey. The modern witch, of any gender, color, sexuality or religious belief, wears the familiar pointed hat piercing upward and a veil of stars, preparing for a journey through other dimensions on a broom stick of protective rue. 🧹🧹🧹 Every Outsider Witch embarks on a quest to connect to nature’s power.

⛪The second card of the Major Arcana began as the FEMALE POPE in the Visconti Sforza tarocchi back in the late 15th century representing “the medieval legend of Pope Joan, a learned female pope who successfully passed as male until she gave birth in public and thus revealed her subterfuge.”  Others believe this first Popess truly depicts Mary Magdalene and her secret gospel.  

🌝 By the early 1900’s the Female Pope evolved into THE HIGH PRIESTESS (most famously from the Rider Waite pack) an esoteric representative of the moon and its magical qualities, sitting just in front of a pomegranate printed veil that hides the secrets of the universe.  

I love these and many other iterations of the Popess/High Priestess. The Witch from the Outsider Tarot allows everyone to imagine themselves in this role.

[outsidertarot]

6 of BOTTLES. This Outsider is THE NOSTALGIC yearning for a past that has been sweetened and romanticized with time.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣Napping on a couch in the afternoon sun, the Nostalgic escapes into the world of dreams where they can become their untamed and fearless childhood self, dressed tiger pajamas. The Nostalgic approaches the world with youthful energy and curiosity but is overwhelmed by responsibilities and practical concerns that threaten to extinguish the child at heart. Six milk bottles imprinted with the symbol of the sun suggests the Nostalgic is in need of nurturing or clarity in the present moment to keep moving forward without compromising their youthful perspective.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣In readings, the Nostalgic pinpoints a longing for something from the past, regret or a ‘grass is greener on the other side’ mentality that has lead to inaction. ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣The astrological influence is the SUN in SCORPIO which can confuse and obscure the pursuit of personal goals. Scorpio is where the light of the Sun is weakest and has little influence. Both Scorpio and its ruler Pluto can be experienced as overwhelming darkness, however both offer the opportunity of rebirth and change.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

[outsidertarot]

This weekend was my birthday!  I’m a full fledged Sagittarian through and through! ♐️♐️♐️ I’ve decided to pose with the Billow of Lights from the Outsider Tarot (who replaces the knight of wands.)  

The design for the Billow of Lights is based on a fantastical character self portrait I did many years ago.  I’m not sure why I drew some aspect of myself as an eager and willing elf-butler back then, maybe it was some past life stuff bubbling up from a scorpionic hotspring? I always did love elves and a proper tailcoat but anyone who knows me will agree that I do not have the temperment for the service industry…

While the original drawing is me, the Billow can be anyone. Instead of a tray loaded with delicious cocktails, the Billow holds a lightbulb lantern to illuminate a forward path in the smoldering red world of possibilities.  This card is all about forward movement, exploration and identity play - but the power chord indicates there are limits before needing to navigate the dark and trust one’s own intuition. 

I am sincerely thankful to have the opportunity to finally share Outsider Tarot with everyone! Tonight the tray will be full of cocktails as I celebrate another revolution around the sun.

[brooklyntarot]

Please follow my deck, the OUTSIDER TAROT, to be released next year!

[outsidertarot]

The 8 of EYES. This Outsider is THE REFUGEE, a child who must decide to leave a home that has become oppressive and dangerous.⁣

⁣The Refugee is ready to make an escape by boat but remains tethered to eight cycloptic apparitions of fear, doubt and nostalgia. The Refugee will need every ounce of courage to finally decide to release the rope from their grasp and face the open water. The danger of the Refugee’s journey may be real but the bind to the 8 EYES is purely mental. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt and traveling under the cloak of night, The Refugee’s hardships remain unseen by most as they search for a beacon of hope and a better life.⁣

⁣In readings, the Refugee refers to fears that bind, doubts that negate action, a forward path that seems full of risk, isolation. The 8 of Eyes always calls for reflection on the unseen suffering of others. Send light. Shed light. Act.⁣ ⁣

⁣ ⁣The astrological influence is JUPITER in GEMINI, where pivotal plans and goals are given intense scrutiny. Jupiter and Gemini create a back and forth struggle where potential failures have as much pull as potential successes, creating a moment of complete indecision. ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

[outsidertarot]

Iron Pyrite is the go to talisman for my Outsider Tarot readings. I got my first pyrite when when I was a kid on a family trip to Vegas, the golden nuggets came in a pouch labeled, “FOOL’S GOLD.”  The nuggets were so sparkly and mesmerizing, I felt like I scored a priceless treasure.  What more perfect talisman for a divination system that tracks the Fool’s journey than Fool’s Gold? 

Pyrite is the quintessential Outsider Mineral. Often found by rookie miners during the American gold rush, pyrite was considered all but worthless.  Gold has always been considered the most sacred metal, alchemists were obsessed with creating it, but pyrite forces us to consider what we value and disregard.  

But what could be more miraculous than such a precise cube forming NATURALLY?

Ria Mizra from Gizmodo writes, “Pyrite contains both iron and sulfur…  those iron and sulfur molecules join themselves into rigid bonds to create a system of cubic crystals. It’s that isometric structure which then forms the sharp planes…”  Outside of these conditions, pyrite forms densely sparkled masses, like a hypnotic disco ball on acid.

Spiritually, pyrite is used for protection, as a forcefield against negative energy. I see my pyrite cube as a mirror into another dimension.  I often ask clients to meditate on their own image through the pyrite before a reading, as if placing their energy in a protective space.  

Pictured are the 6 & 10 of EYES from the Outsider Tarot.

[outsidertarot]

9 OF EYES. I call this Outsider THE TWIDDLER because they are anxious the house down! Nine nervous hands animated by powerful & aggressive Mars energy point in every which direction, making every gesture as if each hand has a mind of its own. The nine eyes wide open in every palm are indecisive, reverberating with intense energy fueled by unexpressed creative fire. In the darkness the Twiddler sees only that which causes anxiety.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣I get this card all the time in readings, more than I care to. This is my energy when I’m not making artwork and I become an indecisive, nervous mess. The Twiddler needs to channel the Magician who grounds pent up energy into creative works, no matter how small.⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣What nickname would you give this Outsider?⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

[brooklyntarot]

WINTER SOLSTICE SPREAD

The winter solstice is a time for us to slow down and reflect upon the path we traveled in the last year. The transition between Sagittarius (fall) to Capricorn (winter) is a good time to ask what we did in service of our personal and shared goals, and which of our actions countered those goals. There is so much hidden in our individuali and collective darknesses. In time of the longest nights, we can assess what needs to come out into the light, some of it needs to stay hidden. To get the answers to these questions, I have created a spread you can do anytime around the winter solstice/new year that centers around a card not to many people are happy to see pop up in a reading: THE DEVIL. It’s important to remember darkness is THE counterbalance to the light. The darkness forces us to go inward and confront that which has no shape, color, or definition (emotions, fears, old wounds, oppression, spirituality and psychic powers.) The Devil card, which in many golden-dawn influenced tarot decks represents Capricorn itself, offers lessons on how to move forward through the darkness, back into the light. Expect the information in this spread to present itself in a puzzling, mystifying way. The Devil speaks in tongues, and plays with our personal illusions and confusions. Take a photo of your spread and give yourself time to interpret. Feel free to share.   Be patient.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pull out the Devil Card, reflect on it.

The devil represents darkness, fear, the deep of winter, but it is also offers lessons we need to learn in order to keep moving forward. Try considering the DEVIL the balancing aspect of either THE EMPRESS or THE HEIROPHANT, it is the card of that which we hide in the dark: our fears, misconceptions, wounds, and our psychic powers.

2. Select one other card to be your protector — any card you want.

3. Reflect on the last year.

What happened personally and politically? What was positive, what was negative?  What pushed you forward, held you back?   

4. Slide THE DEVIL back into the deck. Elsewhere, slide YOUR PROTECTOR back into the deck.

5. Shuffle (and prepare the deck for reading as you normally do.)

6. Find the DEVIL CARD.

7. Lay down the SIX cards BEFORE the DEVIL, then lay down the SIX cards AFTER the DEVIL.

If the Devil is too close to the front or back for you to get 6 cards on either side, start over.  If this happens three times in a row, end the reading.

THE SPREAD:

[1],[2] POSITIVE PATH (Path to follow) What you IN SERVICE OF YOUR GOALS in the last year.

[3],[4] NEGATIVE PATH: What you did COUNTER TO YOUR GOALS in the last year.

[5] NEED TO LEAVE HIDDEN: What needs to stay hidden in the dark that you should not be dealing with in this cycle.

[6] NEED TO ADDRESS: As the darkness of night dominates, what hidden thing are moving closer to that needs to be dealt with?

***DEVIL CARD***

[7] CLEANSE/NEUTRALIZE: How do I work with card #6: that which needs to be dealt with?

[8] KEEP HIDDEN: How to protect myself from that which needs to be hidden?

[9] HOW TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY WRONG DOINGS?

[10] WHAT DO I NEED TO RECONCILE MY WRONG DOINGS?

[11] WHAT DO I NEED TO PREPARE FOR AFTER WINTER?

[12] HOW DO I ALIGN MY ACTIONS WITH THE PATH I NEED TO BE ON

****FIND YOUR PROTECTOR CARD  (If this is already in the spread, then you need to choose another protector and find it.)

THE THREE CARDS FOLLOWING PROTECTOR ARE REGENERATION ADVICE:

[13] HOW TO SLOW DOWN IN THE WINTER COLD AND REFLECT

[14] WHAT NEEDS PRUNING IN YOUR LIFE

[15] HOW TO STAY PROTECTED

[contac]

[brooklyntarot]

BLOCKAGE SPREAD

Many tarot spreads tackle broad issues, but it’s good to get into the minutia of one very particular blockage.   For instance, the simple drive to be healthy could turn into a waiter-terrorizing gluten-phobia.   The drive to connect with someone sexually could easily be morphed into obsessive Tinder swipes and taking endless selfies that look like anyone else but you.   The drive to create and be creative is thwarted by reading every article on the Huffington Post, followed by rearranging the closet and calling everyone in the phonebook. 

THE BLOCKAGE SPREAD shows you what’s behind the blockage and what could help clarify the drive behind it.  Before doing this spread, try identifying a behavior (like a bad habit) that’s linked to the blockage.   I.e.  Instead of writing this blog post first thing in the morning, I visited all my go-to websites and blogs first.   I can see this as my SPIRITUAL or CREATIVE DRIVE getting blocked by supreme procrastination (and probably low self-confidence.)

THE SIMPLE DRIVE BEHIND THE BLOCKAGE - Sexuality, spirituality, creativity, safety, health, financial security, love, etc.

WHAT BLOCKS THIS DRIVE - You probably already know the behavior that results from the blockage (i.e. procrastination, tinder swiping), this card is an objective view of the impulse and energy behind the block.

WHAT I’VE USED TO DEAL WITH MY BLOCKAGE - This is a tool you already have, and probably have used, to deal with and manage your blockage. This might be an effective tool for now, but it’s usually just a bandaid. 

WHAT LEAD TO THE BLOCKAGE - Heading back to the left side of the spread, this is the circumstance that helped create the blockage in the first place.   It’s essential to spend some time contemplating this card as it gives clues how to eliminate the blockage altogether.

WHAT REMOVES THE BLOCKAGE - The energy that negates the blockage and opens the drive back up.   Throw more than one card in this position for more intense blocks.  This could show a more effective tool than the one you’re currently using, or even a talisman.

ADVICE / WHAT ROLE WILL I HAVE TO PLAY TO MAKE A CHANGE - The tarot has given you a picture of what your blockage looks like and what energy will help remove it.  This card shows what is required of you to open up/remove/change the blockage.   For instance, if you get THE STAR card here, the advice might be to just let the blockage work itself out while focusing on the energy of the 5th card in the spread. THE CHARIOT would suggest you need to take a much more active role in dealing your blockage, using the 5th card as a device/tool/weapon.

How did you’re reading go with this spread?

These are the results I got using my in-progress deck, THE OUTSIDER TAROT

[brooklyntarot]

The Lunar Eclipse

The lunar eclipse is happening right now, and as has been the case with every single eclipse in recent memory, it’s cloudy.   I’m on the east coast, so the eclipse comes into full effect under the horizon.  Even if I can’t see this lunar eclipse, I can certainly feel it!  I decided to take some time to do a reading with the tarot deck I’m designing.  A card that represents the moon came up in each row!

Astrologically, an eclipse is a direct opposition between the Sun and the Moon, with the Earth wedged in the middle.  In a very plain way of speaking, we are momentarily blocking all light from the moon which causes a shake-up in our lives for better or worse.  This particular lunar eclipse is taking place in my third house:  From Molly Hall on About.com:

Eclipses in the third house jolt the nervous system, and involve the networks you're plugged into. Something meaningful happens in the local 'hood, or in your snippet-fast everyday exchanges. Brothers, sisters, school mates and extended family could play roles. Or an eclipse could activate an urge to go back to school, or be trained in a new field.

HERE’S MY READING, which you can also do for yourself:

Top row:  Sun, Earth, Moon

Middle row:  Before, During, and After Eclipse / Opposition

Bottom row: Advice

ROW 1:

THE SUN: 10 OF BOTTLES:  Bottles are Water in my tarot. This would be the side of myself I show the world, the most visible part of my persona.   It’s been a tough year thus far on all levels, so seeing this person numbing themselves through their vices makes total sense.  This card shows a person in an isolated protective state.

THE EARTH: QUEEN OF ROSES:  Roses are Earth. This is what’s blocking the light of the Sun, and it’s also the card the represents my true self. What a strange card to see!   This is the first Easter I will be spending without my family.  This connects to what has made this year so challenging to begin with, intense Italian family drama.   This year, I am literally channeling my grandmother and making Easter dinner for my friends instead.   This shows her energy coming in and washing over me.  Interesting that this is what causes the eclipse, because my role in this holiday is suddenly the matriarch.

THE MOON:  4 OF BOTTLES:   This the first Moon card (in Cancer!)  1 elixir bottle becomes empty as the moon’s cycle wears on.  The elixir calms the mind, but only for so long.   This connects to the Moon card itself, whatever is being suppressed will surface.   Since this is a card of Cancer, the Tarot is confirming that family is truly at the core of my upheavals this year.

ROW 2:

BEFORE THE ECLIPSE/OPPOSITION:  9 OF EYES:   Eyes are Air.  All 9′s have a lunar quality, but this is the card of Mars in Gemini.  Generally there is a sense being very fidgety and restless.   It couldn’t be more true for me right now.  Idle hands...

DURING THE ECLIPSE:  6 OF ROSES:  It’s 8AM and the eclipse is happening at this very moment and this is my second Moon card (in Taurus!)  So here, the tarot is saying the eclipse offers the possibility of calming the waters, just as Taurus calms the emotional energy of the Moon making it feel comfortable and at home.  A marriage between the Sun and the Moon is suggested here, perhaps they are renewing their vows.   Not a bad place to be!

AFTER THE ECLIPSE:  10 OF EYES.   Now in my tarot, the 10 OF EYES is a great card, it is the SUN in GEMINI and shows the thaw of snow and emotional upset with the rising sun.  I woke up at 6 AM  to see the eclipse.  It was completely overcast but a break in the horizon with clear sky reminded me of the 10 OF SWORDS from the Rider Waite - and here it is in my reading.  This card shows the passing or clearing of a painful time.  The sun is finally rising.  The spring is finally coming.

ROW 3:

ADVICE:  2 OF EYES:  THE THIRD MOON CARD, completing one in every row.  This card represents the Moon in Libra and is suggesting emotional balance.  The Tarot is showing me a version of myself without the ELIXIR and VICES of the first row.  The advice is to be vulnerable, and trust my intuition and to be seen by others as doing so.

Happy Lunar Eclipse!

[brooklyntarot]

WHAT SHOULD I DO SPREAD?

I’ve been asked to go to Los Angeles for brief trip to do a show -- and when I say brief I mean two nights.  On one hand it would be fun, on the other it would be stressful.  Since I’m really on the fence, I developed a pretty simple spread to help answer the question.  You can use it too:

Me in the question.  This card will show me where I’m at.

What are the benefits if I do this?

What are the obstacles that will arise if I do this?

What are my fears about doing this all about?

Advice.  What the tarot thinks I should do.

What the hell? One more for good measure...

And that’s about all!   Here’s my spread:

Well, as the QUEEN OF CUPS I’m pretty open to the idea of going somewhere, even ready.  I take the 4 OF CUPS to mean the benefit would be a successful show if I put in a decent amount of energy.   The obstacle is the 4 OF COINS. Even though event organizers would pay for my flight, I’d be worried about money or it may cost more money than it’s worth to go.  My fear is the 8 OF WANDS, burning out (or perhaps a more needed opportunity going up in smoke as the result of leaving town.)  Finally, the advice.  The 8 OF COINS REVERSED seems to suggest saving my money, while the ACE OF WANDS REVERSED feels like a flat out, “don’t go.”   It’s pretty interesting to see a pair of 4′s doubling to a pair of 8′s.  I take it to mean the idea of going is a bit lopsided, more work than what it’s worth.

[brooklyntarot]

NEW YEAR SPREAD

New moons and solstices provide plenty of opportunity to wipe the slate clean, but there is no denying how much effect January 1st has on all of us. New Year is the big kahuna of new beginnings, it's always the elephant in the room.  Go to any crowded gym in January then see how empty is it by April if you need proof.   Perhaps dumbbells and diets aren't what we really need in the new year.  Time to ask the tarot.

SHUFFLE THE CARDS

As you mix the cards, think about the year that's ending and what you want for the new one.  When you're done, cut the deck into three stacks, then stack again however you want.  (I personally like to feel each stack for heat and select the hottest one.)

TAKE THE CARD FROM THE VERY TOP & VERY BOTTOM OF THE DECK, THEN ONE MORE CARD FROM THE TOP.

TOP CARD:  YOU IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

BOTTOM CARD: YOU ONE YEAR FROM NOW

THE POWER/GIFT/TALENT YOU GAINED IN THE CURRENT YEAR

WHAT SHOULD YOUR RESOLUTION BE?

The next part of the reading is essentially it's own 5-card spread. You make this super general or do separate resolutions for work, finance, romance, art, spirituality, family, etc.  Each one of these would essentially be its own 5-card spread.

1st card: RESOLUTION

Now track the effort of resolution through the seasons.  Depending on the card and/or the reversal, these cards will indicate work that needs to be done, easy passages, obstacles, gifts, or people.   Use your intuition.

WINTER 

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL

I did my resolution about my artwork.  Here's the spread:

When I saw these cards, I knew the spread was just right.   Right now I am standing with the ACE OF PENTACLES (which means I have a gift I need to put it to use.)   In one year I will be THE FOOL, perhaps all the wiser, gaining the ability to take risks and chances (maybe even moving?)   The gift/talent I gained over the year is the TOWER REVERSED, I'd call this the ability to do damage control, to prevent things from falling apart.

I did the resolution part of the spread about my artistic career, the ACE OF SWORDS REVERSED.  Right now, I'll take this to mean that I shouldn't be afraid to express myself.  With the reversed Tower as my talent/gift, I can afford to be more emotional and expressive in my artwork.    I love the progress through the seasons:  Winter of CHARIOT REVERSED (don't try to muscle through / take time) > Spring of KNIGHT OF SCEPTERS (be inspired) > Summer of KNIGHT OF SWORDS (create!) > autumn of THE STAR (reflect.)

What did you get?

[astraltwelve]

[brooklyntarot]

Kenneth Anger.

[brooklyntarot]

I love your Leap of Faith reading. I got THE TOWER in the position of The Leap of Faith step. Which I know I need to jump off of. There is a tower I'm planning to jump off of and I've prepared myself to do so. In the 1st step, I got THE STAR. So it is: Star, Tower and then the landing is 9 of Cups. This was a great reading for me, actually, and I wanted to know if you had any thoughts about those three I got...

Hi!  Thank you for your kind words.  

It's interesting to see The Star come before The Tower, which effectively reverses their natural order.  The Star wants to you reflect and be ready for the Tower's explosion.   The Star is literally quite naked, meaning she's no longer attached to material objects that create her identity.  After the Tower explodes, these material objects won't be coming with you on the journey across. 

There is a lot of energy in The Tower's explosion that could help propel you beyond the obstacles, almost like rocket.   If you're afraid or not ready to take the leap, The Tower is gonna take care of it for you.

I get a sense that The 9 of Cups IS A PERSON in a control tower. They're going to help you land, but they seem to be in a pretty self-protected space.   Do you have any idea who this could be?   I think it's going to be work to get in contact with them, but they have a lesson to share with you about how to get settled in after The Tower phase is complete.   As if they've been through all this themselves.