I know I have promised another spread that is not this one, but I found myself inspired and I knew deep in my heart I had to do this first.
December has been quite an emotional season for me. I spent a lot of time working... I´m actually in my medical residency years preparing myself for a day when I become a Family Practioner.. Because of this I have not seen my family properly for months at a time (the irony... it burns).
This december 24th I arrived at my Grandmother´s House and hugged her so hard, like it was going to be the last time I saw her. What with all my activites I just can´t see my family that much... Sometimes I barely have time for me.
So yesterday I found myself perusing some youtube videos on my computer in those few free times I have and I found the video that is embededd at the end of the post. And just like Link´s Grandmother from Wind Waker I knew that my Grandmother patiently waits me as well and that she loves me unconditionally.
In came memories of my childhood. A cozy house, a large table, to my right a kind old woman smiling me gently, her eyes glowing with love. In front of my a bowl and a spoon, the bowl filled with the most delicious soup I have ever tasted... I´m with my Grandmother. She loves me unconditionally...
With so many childhood memories coming to mind while hearing the lovely musical piece I started bawling like a baby. I knew I had to do this. So I came up with a spread that is very dear to me right now, because sometimes I just need that tender, warm and happy contact with my grannny and the rest of my family, and it breaks my heart because I will not be spending New Year´s Eve with my family, I´ll be working at the hospital.
I don´t know if this will be of help to others, but it is for me. Because every now and then I just need some of my Grandmother´s Homemade Soup, just like Link amd Aryll... So, if this helps others in anyway, even if it helps just one person out there, I´ll be more than satisfied.
It´ll be like bottling some of her love and bringing it with me everywhere...
First off, the lovely musical piece that inspired came from lovely Mark of Two. Here is Mark´s Tumblr, check it out: http://markoftwonotes.tumblr.com/
Just shuffle and think of your loved one, then lay the cards this way...
The Spoon: Why you will always be welcome in my heart.
The Smell: Go out and play like when you were little, you are at home... You know it, you can smell the soup being served... This card is to know how can you unwind from your hard work day.
The First Taste: I took you in my arms once, when you were a little baby. I knew I would love you so much because...
The Right Temperature: Don´t let adversity get you down and cold...
The Right Taste: I know what your favorite things are, specially the right mixture of spices. I know because I used to try different mixes when you were a kid to find the perfect taste to get you to eat...
The Lovely Aftertaste: Here is what I remember to be the best things you always do that make me smile and know you are going to grow up to be happy...
The Nutrients: They may be vegetables, but you need them to become the best you can be...
The Kind Talk and the Tender Smile: Let´s talk about the wonderful things that have happened to us... I specially love hearing your adventures. You are kind, and funny... Don´t let anyone tell you otherwise because...
The Unconditional Love: Yes, you misbehaved once or twice. You have made mistakes. That doesn´t mean that I will stop loving you. Learn from your mistakes...
Remember me and remember that.... When I´m gone and cannot longer cook for you I want you to remember a lot of things... Here is one of those and it´s important... But above all, remember that I will always love you...
So there... I made myself cry dreaming this up,making it, writing it, reading it and using it... But it´s an elixir that´s very dear to me... I hope you can spend your holidays with your loved ones. In my case, out of my four grandparents I only have left my Grandmother on my mother´s side... So I´ll enjoy this soup when the tough gets going.... Wind Waker Link knows what I´m talking about...
So happy New Year. And even though a new year will come full of surprises and shiny new things to get you distracted, don´t ever forget to love powerfully and fully, and live everyday with your loved ones as if it were the last...
“Link? Aren't you hungry? Would you like Grandma to fill your bottle with some of her homemade soup?“
Feeling like something is off? You wake up agitated at night feeling betrayed? Is he or she not being truthful? Does your co-worker says he values you while looking sideways? Is there a Poe hanging around your toilet when you are not looking? Fear no more! Just bring out the trusty Lens of Truth and take a look. This spread is intended to pierce through deceptions and lies.
“Why do I see “NX” instead of “Wii U”…? Ohhh! Cunning Wizzrobes!!”
Let´s get on with it. Here is the spread:
-1-2-3-
—6—-
—4—-
—5—-
It´s meant to represent this:
Why, close enough again! I´m on a roll, you guys.
Shuffle and lay down the cards thinking about your question. Then begin reading:
1, 2 & 3: The Shadow Crystals. The represent the past (1) and present (2) circumstances that lead you to this conundrum. You know: motivations, feelings, ideas, external influences. You name it. They also show where everything is headed (3) if you do not act. The third card I find useful because maybe you can let things continue the way they are if there is a possibility nothing bad is going to happen to you.
4 & 5: The shaft. The represent the things going in your favor. Hold onto these for dear life and you will have nothing to fear except the Poe in your bathroom judging your ugly taste in décor.
We have some Bad News: Your toilet was the place where Hope decided to drop in and die. Good News: We flushed it for you.
6: The You-are-not-fooling-anyone Eye (of Sarcastic Intent, if you are so inclined to snarkiness like me). This is your answer. This is what that person really thinks of you. This is the Yes or No card. This is what´s really going on. This is the Poe that is SOOOO getting trapped in a bottle for flushing the toilet and having an opinion.
YOLO they said… LMAO
A word of caution: Tell me you did notice something missing, You did, right? No? Well then, that Poe was correct and you should really start paying attention to the little details. Nowhere in the spread is a Card standing for “What should I do with this information?”. Strap on your Hover Boots, because if there is a hole and you are not careful, it´s going to hurt when you hit the floor. Proceed with caution.
I would advise you to try other direct methods first, if the problem is of a delicate nature (especially with loved ones). And if the cards turn up something nasty, take a breath, meditate, speak with your BFF, have some sleep, and think through what you are going to do. Heck, think it through before reading the cards. Have a very good idea of what are you going to do if something less-than-good comes up. Throw in an extra card at the end of the reading representing a Heart if it helps.
This is it. This is my favorite spread. I feel quite proud of this one. This will be the last one for a time. I have a couple others spreads but they are not ready yet. When they are ready, I´ll share them.
So, to find out more about this spread, read on. Yes, this spread will allow you to open a treasure chest and find a useful surprise inside. Every now and then we all could do with a Treasure Chest and its useful contents.
Daily life is like navigating a Dungeon (or several Dungeons at once). Grinding, solving puzzles, confronting enemies, defeating them or getting hurt, going through every twist and turn, springing the occasional trap, and searching every nook and cranny. And like any Legend of Zelda fan will tell you, navigating a Dungeon is a pain in the Heart Containers. Luckily, inside Dungeon corridors we will always find chests containing useful items to assist us in our journey to the boss chamber and to that which we desire. This Tarot Spread lets us open chests. It uses an easy chart that will tell us what kind of item we have found.
Maybe a Heart Container, indicating that, for better or worse is time to take care of our spiritual, emotional and/or physical health. Maybe Rupees, indicating that is time to check our finances; after all, rupees make Hyrule go ´round. Maybe we will find the Map, Compass and Key, giving us the orientation we need to keep navigating the dungeon and getting near our ultimate fate. Perhaps we will find a fabled Weapon, which tends to be of the physical variety (maybe a friend, a new job, an ability that will come in handy soon). Or maybe, we already have everything we need to take a last stand against demons in and out of ourselves. If this is the case, inside the chest we will find the Boss Key, indicating that is time to confront the darkness; we are ready to finish the dungeon for better or worse.
First ask the querent which dungeon is he or she navigating (relationships, health, love, school, work, etc.). Then, let him or her shuffle and divide the deck into three smaller parts. Then ask him or her to proceed to open the chest by taking the top card of each pile. The reader will take notice of which suit predominates (Cups, Pentacles, Swords, Wands, or None) and consult the chart while that epic music when you open a chest in a Legend of Zelda game plays in your heads (this last part totally optional).
Chart:
1. Heart Containers (Cups/Bottles): You found a heart container. Time to heal yourself, spiritually, emotionally and/or physically. The cards shall reveal how.
2. Rupees (Pentacles/Rupees): Time to work on your finances. Let the cards reveal the secret to wealth.
3. Weapon (Wands/Swords): You are now in possession of a very powerful artifact (be it spiritual, mental or physical, but physical is the predominant theme here). The cards shall reveal its nature. If you have found it, you are about to need it. Pay attention to the cards. If you have doubts, check the Inventory Spread to take note of the abilities you already possess.
4. Map, Compass and Key (Swords/Wands): You have found the map, the compass and a small key. Together they shall tell you what your next action should be to get near your objectives.
5. Boss Key (none predominates or you have two or more Major Arcana cards): You have found the Big Key. It´s time to face your outer and/or inner demons. Pay attention to what the cards are about to say, for the end is at hand. When you find the Big Key, my suggestion is that just for a day no additional cards must be drawn regarding the particular dungeon the querent mentioned earlier when asked. He or she already has everything they need to face the Darkness and win.
Note: The suits writen inside the parenthesis, followed by a slash are because originally I wrote the spread to be used with Deosil Design´s Legend of Tarot product. Where the swords represent the Wands and the Swords are represented by Deku Sticks. I think the associations are respected in both cases.
Also, I was toying with the idea of doing this spread just with cards from the Minor Arcana. Ultimately I decided against the idea because a lot of time you need to look at the big picture and the cards from the Major Arcana let you do that. Still, if you want to use only cards from the Minor Arcana, it is your choice.
As always, feedback and/or suggestions are welcome. Happy Treasure Chest Opening
So, life constantly puts us on the spot to come up with solutions to problems old and new. Life will call you to use the right tool for the right job at the right moment. The problem is, sometimes we don´t know the full extent of our abilities. And sometimes, we do know what we have and what we lack. And still, there are times we need to know how to develop new skills, and don´t know how.
Well, this spread will help you know your abilities a little more and where you are lacking. Life would be a little easier if we could just pause and bring out the inventory screen and take stock at how many bombs we have left to give or how many arrows we have left to shoot and see which one’ll stick. Time to bring out the Inventory Screen then. Read on.
Shuffle the deck and lay cards in two horizontal lines composed of 5 cards each. Pay attention to the card orientation. If it´s upwards, you have the skill and the card will tell you more about it. If it is upside down, you are struggling in that area and you need to pay attention to what the card is telling you so you can start yourself on your way to acquire that skill. Read starting with upper line and from left to the right. Then the second one, also from left to right.
1. Bow and Arrows: mental acuity, focused, precision, self-control, justice
So, a word of caution: if you do not agree with my interpretations, you are free to change them. That being said, I view the Bow and Arrows position of the spread as one of mental acuity, capacity to concentrate and self-control, because holy bokoblin!, you need to get a-hold of yourself to use this weapon corrrectly.
2. Din´s Fire: feelings, optimism, passion
This one is self explanatory. In my opinion, is one important part of any arsenal. If you do not feel enthusiastic and passionate about something, you will hardly get the job done.
3. Nayru´s Love: logic, thoughtful, wisdom, protectiveness of self
This position will let you know how protective you are of YOURSELF. But also, given its relation with Nayru, it gives you an idea regarding the other associations.
4. Farore´s Wind: curious, organized, responsible
The theme is diligence, is what I am saying. Like the wind, it goes anywhere, on time, responding to rhyme and reason.
5. Bomb: assertiveness, energetic, communicative
BOOM! There. You said it. Or maybe not. I admit that I often struggle in this area. Sometimes the explosion is bigger and badder from what I originally intended. When I used this spread on me, it shone a light on how I communicate. Though oftentimes I am nice, when I get really mad I am quite destructive. This position will help you gauge your assertiveness and communication skills. The card was upward, so I do have the skill, only it is not exactly a positive skill, so I better take notice of it and how potentially unhealthy it can be.
But yes. Communicational abilities and assertiveness are associated with the bomb. Because nothing sends a clearer message than a good old-fashioned explosion.
6. Boomerang: trust, team oriented, adventurous, flexible
I view the boomerang as the position that talks about trust. You really expect that thing to return. And also, the ability to work in team, because watch out!, don´t let the boomerang return to you while you are distracted… oooof! that is going to leave a mark!
The boomerang is one of the most flexible and versatile items that exist in any Zelda game. For that reason, this one screams to me Adventure!
It takes a certain kind of determination to not let obstacles like chasms stop you. All with some help of our little friend the Hookshot.
9. Lens of Truth: intuition, open-minded, visionary
When it comes to the ability to see more than what is already there, nothing screams intuition, visionary mind, and open mind than the fabled Lens of Truth.
10. Fairy in a Bottle: Caring, empathetic, helping, trustworthy, protective of others, prudent.
Sometimes life sucks. For you and others. But hey, we are in this together. So here, this is how empathetic, caring, helping, trustworthy, and protective you are of others and others of you. Also, as any Zelda fan will tell you, sometimes if you do not go prepared with a fairy or two, you certainly are a fool.
Feel free to expand on this spread. Also, any suggestions are readily accepted. Thank you.
So yeah, sometimes when I go about my day I feel so energetic I feel I could probably go on for hours before calling it a day and then I will stubbornly stay awake at night reading websites and refreshing the facebook/tumblr/google in hopes of something new because I am special that way like everyone else. Also, apparently I need a hobby. But I digress.
There are other days when I feel so fragile it takes a little thing (it´s always the little things) to make me lash out at others, cry and go around in circles waiting for the sweet release of the night to rid me of the horrid little day. #SorryNotSorry. Also, I´ll stay awake at night, refreshing the websites nevertheless. Because screw it, I am special that way like everyone else. But I digress. Again.
So this tarot spread will help you pinpoint the exact moment and event where everything went straight to a crater in Death Mountain. The cards will tell you about your well being and how to get the spark back. I wish we could just cut some grass until the hearts start appearing. Oh, well. :) You can still mow my lawn if it makes you feel good.
On to the fun part.
Draw eight cards and lay them in a horizontal line. Take all inverted cards and put them to the far right of the horizontal line. You are going to read from left to right. The inverted cards represent Empty Heart Containers and will offer you clues and advice on how to refill them. The rest of the cards will let you know your personality, dream, hopes and your current emotional state and well-being.
I decided to use 8 cards, although if you want a more deep reading you can use up to 20 cards or start out with just 3 cards, which represent the maximum and the minimum of heart containers in a any given Zelda game.
Nevertheless, a good start will always be just smiling when life does that thing with the nonsense and the not-really-nonsense.
