Tarot Journal: Gypsy Witch

Date: 8/2/14

Deck: My mom just bought me this Gypsy Witch deck, so why not?

Today was actually QUITE interesting. I was meant to have a nice morning with my boyfriend but I got called into work (I am a massage therapist.)

1. Client reminded me of the benefits of a lighter touch. (There is often an expectation to have firm pressure.)

2. I scared the breath out of my coworker by accident… lol

3. At the end of a long day, I felt like a warrior, tired but determined. (Doing too many massages can really take it out of you.)

Now for the cards!

1. Lilies (7 of clubs): This picture of flowers was the first card I saw, and I thought it was perfect for depicting a positive, delicate touch.

2. Amor (Q of spades): Title aside, there is a picture of a heart being pierced with arrows, and I certainly stopped my coworkers heart! But perhaps not in an amorous way.

3. The Roads (Ace of clubs) and The Fox (Ace of hearts): I couldn’t chose between the two. I felt very primal in that physical exertion way, but it also related to my life, my choices, and my path. I tend to be insecure, and in that moment I felt powerful. It is interesting that both of these cards happen to be Aces.

Share comments and also your own experience with this activity!

Thanks and cheers,
Idalia

 

An Evening Tarot Journal

I had this idea many years ago when I was regularly going to tarot meetup. Ah! The good ol’ days!

You’ll notice this is not a new idea. Not one hard to come by, either. But that’s fine. It doesn’t matter who’s it was. I don’t truly believe, after all, that people create ideas. They simply receive them, and therefor can only lay claim as a carrier, not as an originator 😉

So the idea was to pick a topic or event and then look through the cards (face-up!) and pick a few that describe what you have in mind. This is great for journalling, receiving commentary on the events in your life, and also learning more about tarot! Tarot journalling helps to build your ability to connect the imagery in the cards to real-life events. After all, a good tarot reading not only suggests mysterious impressions but ties the abstract concepts of ancient symbolism to the reality of our every-day lives.

ABSTRACT EXAMPLE

Reader: There is a positive energy around you. You feel motherly.

Querrant: Great. Is that going to help pay my bills? Because I was asking about my bills.

CONCRETE EXAMPLE

Reader: Hmm. Eat more Pineapple!

Querrant: Whoa! I just started a new diet!

Ok this is a very narrow example of a reading that is connected to real-life events. You aren’t expected to magically pull specific details out of a hat–all the time. But this is an amusing example, especially because it really happened! (I wasn’t the reader. It was my tarot teacher.)

The Formula

At the end of the day, write three events that happened throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be a wedding or a job promotion. It could just be an enjoyable conversation, a meaningful moment, or something interesting you noticed. Wrap up your event into one sentence. Now is not the time to write all about what led up to it or how you felt, etc. Ok, now that you have three events, get out your deck and start looking through. You might have an intellectual process–considering which card would best describe what happened. Or you might use a gut reaction, just grabbing whichever image jumps out at you (with the day’s events in mind, of course.)

If picking one card drives you nuts, pick all the cards that depict your day, and then when you are done, sift through them and choose the best one (or two or three.) Now contemplate:

How does the card depict your event?

What does this tell you about how YOU feel about what happened?

If you drew this in a reading, what message would it convey?

Now you have learned a little about tarot and a little about yourself! Because you connect with the cards through this process, it is a great way to get comfortable with a new deck, as well as draw new inspirations from old ones. This practice is well-matched with the classic card-a-day where you draw a card in the morning and see how it relates to that particular day as the Sun goes marching West. Please share your results! I will be posting these journal entries–maybe not daily, but often.

Cheers!
Idalia

One whole year

Wow, it has been almost a year since that last post! I will probably clear all these out if I ever really try to get this thing running again.

Since last september? A lot of ups and downs. A lot of confusion. Well… up until April that is. In April I made a leap and started massage school. At first it was like a movie… new faces, new beginnings, learning new stories and looking forward to the experiences to come. Since then it’s been like a rush. And now… time has flown by. 6 months isn’t that long, and all these people I have bonded with… well… we will all go about our ways.

This was definitely one of the best decisions I ever took a hold of. I have so many people to thank… friends and family who supported me, my boyfriend who understood when I didn’t have time to be social or help around the house, every therapist who gave me a nugget of wisdom along the way, and my friend who donated my text books. Now I am on another cusp… a cusp to a new life. A career I can love and be proud of.

Where will tarot fall? I actually got a few gigs recently. Weird huh? Someone called me out of the blue and asked me to do a late night birthday party. Tarot will always be part of my life, as well as spirituality and divination. But professionally? Who knows. I shall wait and see.

Love,
Idalia

Gypsy flying

Well here I am, at SFO again. Last time I was here it was pretty inspiring. A lot of psychics move out west–san fran, albuquerque, sadona. I always said I didn’t just want to join the crowd. But I have to admit it was great being in sf for the first time: everything was recyclable, there were noh8 and obama posters everywhere, plenty of psychics and even a psychic newsletter. This time it was really all about seeing my sister and supporting her. There was much less phantasmagoram about this experience… and I realize much has been disillusioned since my first trip.

Being out on my own has brought me to this strange reality where things are finite–life, money, and time with loved ones. That casts a fairly depressing shaddow over everything no matter which way I try to swing it. Most people hit this wall at 22. I loved that age.. I was still so free and encountering more freedomevery day. No, for me it was at 24 when I moved out on my own. Suddenly life seemed so short. I felt like I was on my last limb, like I had maybe a week or a month. I’ve spent all this time trying to become sane… but I think it’s the worst thing I ever did.

One thing that really depresses me, I suppose, is standing here, half-way between 20 and 30, with just… not enough under my belt. Not enough experience, education, trade, travel, pain. Suddenly all my wild stories and travels are just the wanderings of misguided youth–and for what?

I guess I’m just not impressed with much anymore, especially myself.

It’s Wednesday.

Work has come around to being that thing which I no more despise than look forward to. Hence, the very thought of it makes me bored. And I’ve only been there two weeks. For all my blessings, I’m melancholy. All the signs say, wait, wait, wait. My friend gave me a fantastic reading which basically said ctfo. Lay low. Grow some roots.

Granted, the whole idea over the last couple years was exactly that. I need a foundation, a jumping-off point. I can only hope my big solid foundation acts as a runway for my dreams and not the hunk of cement that pulls me to the bottom of the ocean.

I don’t suppose I should try to start a tarot group at this point… wait wait wait wait. Patience used to be my thing you know. My jam. Everyone else was in a hurry, I was content. I was content with whatever I was given and nothing more. Goddammit. But it’s not like that now.

Its Wednesday. I suppose life is going to be domestically delightful and rather void of adventure for a while. So I suppose I should enjoy it when I can. Did I fully take advantage of the last flare-up? The last wave? I paddled my ASS off. Did I ride it as high as I could? Will there be another one? I feel like… I don’t know. I feel like I was super-human for a while and now I’m a walking, bleeding mortal again.

Last year it was time to paddle. Now I guess its time to climb!

Reader-to-Reader Etiquette

I’ve been in a couple of tarot groups and met a LOT of other readers. Sometimes, especially within supportive tarot groups, it is customary to swap readings. So when I joined a new tarot group online and got a request for a reading, why was I so offended that I flat-out declined? Well, let me tell you what happened.

As I said, I was new to this online group, knew absolutely no one, and was still finding my way around the site. It was late, and there weren’t many members online. Yet there was a little blinking IM that only said “hi.” Oh! Neat! One of my new fellow taroters! I believe I bothered to introduce myself, but this person only had four words for me:

“Are you any good?”

…. beg pardon?

“Are you any good? I need a reading.”

I firmly but politely declined. At first it was hard to justify how assaulted I felt. After all, readers swap readings. It’s what we do, right?

The answer is yes, but we certainly aren’t required to. And furthermore, free readings certainly aren’t the main point of a tarot group! It is to socialize and get to know each other! So after realizing this person seemed to have no interest in me, and not only wanted but seemed to expect a free reading, and on top of all that asked for one very rudely, I assured myself that I didn’t overreact.

Also, “are you any good” is a perfectly useless question. If I genuinely believed I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be on such a site and if I was trying to dupe anyone, obviously I wouldn’t admit it.

Here are some tips on good reeader-to-reader etiquette: The first three kind of coincide with each other.

Appreciate differences: Beyond making a genuine connection with the querrent, self, and spirit, there is no right or wrong way to read tarot. And even then, some people use tarot for purely psychological or creative purposes, so keep an open mind. Even if you think someone is “wrong,” try asking questions instead of making statements. Don’t say “I think it’s better to read reversals.” Instead try, “Why don’t you read reversals?” This will open a learning atmosphere for everyone involved.

Don’t cross-read: This is a tough one! Though it may be in your interest to observe the cards someone else lays down for you and even interpret them for yourself, try to listen to what the reader has to say FIRST. Even if you think you are a better reader, this reading is intended for this person to interpret, and you must trust in that to some degree. It is likely that you have something, even something small, to learn from this person and his or her technique.

Only give criticism when appropriate: Try to sense when you should simply let the other reader do his or her thang or if it is really a good time for criticism. Sometimes these perimeters will be established by the group leader or the readers involved. “Let’s read for each other and give critiques.” “Ok.” If you ask for a reading as a favor, it is probably not a good time to give critiques. If someone goes out of their way to mow your lawn, a polite response isn’t to go back and tell them they missed a spot.

Remember you are there to connect, socialize, and support one another first: This would be a good pointer for that unknown person who offended me on our unnamed social network. Instead of wanting to connect and get to know me, they jumped right to the punch and questioned my ability in the meantime.

Don’t usurp the generosity of others: Having a supportive environment is wonderful. However, it is no one’s job to give you free readings. It is always a courtesy and a favor, so appreciate it every single time.

In the end,we are all here to learn and grow and support each other. Make sure you give as much as you take and vice versa. Have a genuine interest in your fellow readers. And most importantly, be open-minded and supportive! Have fun socializing!

New Spread: Facing Your Fears

Fears and hopes are usually closely related. Most of the time, you fear that things won’t turn out the way you hope. So your hope that you’ll make good grades in class goes right along with the fear that you won’t. To get past the negative feelings associated with this duality, you just have to focus on the goal and empower yourself to achieve it: “I WILL make good grades this semester. I AM capable of making good grades.”

Beyond our little psychological demons, some people are in difficult situations where there is a legitimate reason to be afraid, like living in a bad neighborhood, so we will acknowledge that too. We’re going to separate reasonable fears with unreasonable ones and then look at solutions.

As you look at the cards, try some of the techniques mentioned in my previous posts to be distant, objective, and read accurately for yourself. Try to step outside of your initial assumptions, really look closely at the card, and allow it to reveal the truth about yourself.

This layout is meant to be experienced in two stages: the obstacle and the solution. The obstacle here is partially your fear, which is imagined, and the real danger, which is your actual obstacle in life right now. Don’t be discouraged by the word “danger,” it could be the danger of not pursuing your dreams or the danger of over-organizing your schedule. It could be the danger of not showing enough affection to your loved ones… etc. So what we’re trying to do is separate what you’re afraid of (fear) from what you actually need to face (danger.) Hope, as I said earlier, goes hand in hand with fear. Don’t be surprised if these two cards are obviously related; either very similar or direct opposites. Look at these 3 cards before moving onto the next group.

So now you should understand the problem. Continue to contemplate the cards until you have received NEW information about yourself–don’t just use the cards to represent things you already know! This may take time and patience–don’t force it! Then you are ready for your solution! We are going to view the solution in four parts; it will give you advice on how to face your fears using four areas of your life: mind, body, emotions, and actions. So each card in this section is a commentary on how to use that part of you to face your fears.

Continue to focus on your four answers until you have even the tiniest piece of new information; perhaps an option or angle you hadn’t considered! Try blurting–flipping the card and saying the first thing–everything–that comes to mind. Tongue-tied? Start naming everything you see in the card until the interpretation starts to fall out of your mouth. Overwhelmed? Narrow it down to one symbol or specific aspect of the picture on the card.

Once you feel you’ve learned something, take this solution and turn it into an affirmation. Start with “I,” use strong words like WILL, AM, and CAN. Don’t say “I am not weak,” say, “I AM strong.” Use positive statements! You can even simply say “I will overcome this fear. I have the strength to conquer my obstacles.”

That is your affirmation; now you need a symbol, deity, or character to focus on. Find, select, or create a character, symbol or image that represents STRENGTH. If you choose a deity or character, choose someone who seems to always overcome their obstacles–someone with strength and confidence. Or choose a symbol that represents this for you. Whatever you choose, draw it, print it, get it on something tangible and put it somewhere you will see it every day. Every morning, focus on your symbol. Absorb its strength. Now say your affirmation like you believe it! Do this every day for a week; until next Friday. See how changes can be made in your life! Enjoy!

Idalia’s Journey as a Gypsy: bright new future

It’s been a while since I posted a strait-up blog entry–you know–just me, Idalia, connecting with you, anyone who may read this. Just talking about my journey and my life. The original point of this blog, before Sebastian and Mystic Conceptions, was about me becoming a successful tarot professional. It was about new horizons and self-discovery!

Well, even when I thought my life had slipped into some pit of doom, I’ve always been headed to this bright horizon! Technically I AM a tarot professional! Though it does not support my living needs–everyone starts somewhere. I didn’t read professionally all winter, but it’s warm again and it’s as if, as the flowers are blooming, so is tarot. Two weeks ago I was invited to join a group of readers at a Hebrew temple in town; temple Beth-El. That was…. reassuring. I did have one reading which the querrent claimed was completely incorrect. However, it did have to deal with the future, and you never know what’s coming! I told her to keep an open mind; maybe I was wrong… but maybe I wasn’t! I also had a host of readings that were dead-on, and it felt GOOD.

I plan to start reading at Cosmos Pizza again, like I did last summer/fall, on Sundays for brunch. The whole Five Points South area in Birmingham has a wonderful atmosphere…. and Cosmos especially.

But even with more readings coming up and the work I’m putting out for Mystic Conceptions (which has all together been a wonderful positive experience!) my life has landed somewhere I never expected: in love.

I was a loner growing up. I never felt really safe and warm at home–not that I had an awful family–I didn’t. But there was a lot of emotional chaos between a mother and three daughters, and there was a lot of fighting, and my sisters and I didn’t really learn to be friends until we had all moved away from each other. Dating in high school was mostly unsuccessful–immature people pretending to be in relationships. At 18 I had my first real relationship, but found myself incapable of really trusting him, letting him in all the way. So I broke it off and stopped dating… for about four years.

In that time I learned tarot, strengthened my intuition, and continued to grow as a person. I always thought I had some profound purpose in the world–perhaps I just sensed a universal truth for every living person! Then, around the age of 22, I wanted to face my loneliness. Working at a hip coffee shop was a great place to find a new beaux, and one happened upon me! At 18 I was pretty bad at socializing; being comfortable with myself, talking casually, and not flipping out over every little crush. But I discovered, as I re-entered the social world and dating world–that I had grown. I could talk to attractive guys and not get all tongue-tied. I could talk to anyone off the street and have a good time.

At 23 I moved to Huntsville and really thought this journey was all about spiritual growth and business. Business, business, business. Like I said, I really wanted a PURPOSE in the world. But instead I met Joe. He sort of blew into my life, knocked me off my feet, and the blew out again. I learned to trust, to love, and then I learned to transcend through pain and anguish. I’m not saying our break-up was worth the anguish I gave it, but it was how I felt, and it was part of my growth as a person. Using the pain for transcendence was magical and profound. Pain is part of love, so I knew that the more I hurt, the stronger my love was.

Well, I came out on the other side of all the agony and self-pity a whole, happy person. I was single, I was free, and life was GOOD and FUN. My job was fun–a local deli–and tarot was an integral part of my life. I also joined my first coven. Right when life was perfect and I had accepted that I would be single for a while, I fell in love.

It was magical and wonderful; it opened up new doors for me. I thought that was IT, but I felt compelled to move to Birmingham. Well, my new love turned out to be different than expected. The distance really hindered our ability to advance as a couple, so we finally broke it off. And then, something else happened. Soon, after, I realized I was in love with my best friend. And this time, I think it just might last forever. But you know, we’re taking it day by day.

Before this, I figured my destiny was to move to some big city and focus on business. I knew, when Joe broke my heart, that I would leave that town. I knew I couldn’t stay there. But life never works out the way you think it will.

I landed here in Birmingham, and now I’m in love again. I’m not always sure what this means for my future, where I will live, what profession I will have. Should I go to college? Should I focus on learning trades? I don’t know. But I certainly have experienced a lot of miracles and I have been given a great gift: a friend and companion. Topped with that, I also have my blog and my radio shows, which are these new little blossoming lives! They challenge me and thrill me, and I am inspired through my dedication to Mystic Conceptions and my promise to deliver! To strive and work and grow, to learn and share. So here is to learning, sharing, and being in love. To a new life–one I never expected I’d have at 24, one I am so lucky to have been blessed with.

Special thanks to Sebastian and Mystic Conceptions, for giving me what I’ve needed most of all; a purpose.

Off-Topic with Idalia: Visions and Trances

Visions and Trances
~Idalia the Gypsy 

Hello, all! I will be posting about Tarot-py every Friday! However, on top of that, I am bound to go off-topic as I am inspired. I don’t want to limit this blog… I want to post everything that inspires me (gearing toward, of course, things that are tarot-related.) However, I will also post loosely spiritual-related stuff–like today!

Visions

I want to take a moment with you and share some visions that I have had throughout my life. As a child I was nearly always in a trance-like state. Parents and teachers called it “head in the clouds” or “inability to focus.” I was a 100/0 student–either acing my work or not completing it. Sometimes my mind would leave my body so completely that I would freeze mid-motion (usually while sitting down) and my eyes would be open (and embarrassingly pointed at someone for several minutes for no apparent reason.) Frozen in time, I would not respond to any noise or movement around me.

During these trance-like states, sometimes, especially in my late teens and into my twenties, I would have strong visions. Concepts moved through my mind like a movie, an animated image, sometimes with music or just a low rumbling noise, like being underwater. Here are the stories as they were given to me.

Creation-For God So Loved the World

I have had many visions of creation. The first, and one of my first visions ever, was of God splitting himself (or herself or itself) into a billion pieces to create the Universe. In my vision, God’s “son” was is own spirit breaking into physical reality, He broke off a piece of himself to create our Universe and our world, He “gave his only begotten son.” I do not claim that this is the proper interpretation of John 3:16, but this is how it pertained to what I was experiencing. The words from the passage were spoken in my mind as part of the vision! The little pieces of God were the atoms, electrons, elements etc that make up our world. In that moment it was shown to me that everything that exists in this world is part of God and God is part of all of us.

Creation-The Balance

You know how if you’re sitting on a rowboat in the middle of the water and you throw a stone, the boat moves? In science, it seems, nothing can move without something else moving in the opposite direction. We need leverage… something to push against. The finger actually requires the nail to use as leverage to create pressure. Our grip would not be as strong without that leverage. Something floating in null gravity can not be moved or change course unless it interacts with something else. Another vision of mine showed existence exploding into reality where light went in one direction and darkness went in the other, and then they circled each other. Where Life and Death exploded into being all at once, one as a counter-product of the other. It seems as though space, time, light, and matter all somehow emerged simultaneously, moving around each other and creating balance.

Creation-Behold Time

I was in my apartment. Was it raining? I think it was night time. We had these huge glass double doors upstairs through which I could see the whole city (we lived on a hill, as most people do in northern Alabama.) Some bluish light was shining behind a tree, perhaps a street light in the parking lot, creating a reflection on the glass where I could see the shadow of the leaves dancing around, back and forth. As I stared at the spectacle, I saw the Initial Intent. Before there was Matter there was Mind, and the Mind wanted free will, sort of like Lucifer leaving Heaven. So it created time. Only through time can life be experienced. Where God lives, everything is happening at once, and all existence is merged together, or rather, has not yet been separated, like light not yet filtered through a prism. So, similar to my other visions–and many creationist stories around the world, there was this great effort, this initial push, where the Intent for life and free will was so strong that Time burst into existence. Time moves in a circle. This thing was born already  in motion. It is held on a pedestal, moving around, circling and circling, creating an illusion of moments, of life squeezed through the picture frames, from birth to death, from the womb to a cold grave. We experience Time in a series moments, but in the grander scheme of reality, it is held all at once, circling and circling. And there is an outside of Time. And in your mind, you can go there.

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Discuss this topic!

Thank you for reading!
~articles by Idalia 

Story time!

I am inspired to draw a tarot card and tell a story from my life that it reminds me of. I want to be candid, so hopefully I’ll be reminded of a family-friendly memory! The deck I have on me is the Thoth (which I LOVE, love, love!) So, here we go!

Ok, confession time. When I was a kid, I was big into barbies. Into my early teens I loved fashion and stories, and I used barbies to express these interests. I loved making them action heroes. Somehow they got their petite little lady hands on some miniature plastic semi-automatic firearms, and I would have them do backflips and all kinds of stunts.

Now, I wouldn’t just pick up my dolls and mess around. I would have a full-fledged story with dozens of characters and a plot that would continue to develope over weeks and sometimes months. Sometimes I would just leave them set out in my room so it would be easier to pick up where I left off. Loving movies all my life, there was usually a dramatic movie trailer for the story as well!

There is no doubt that I had a tendency toward escapism in my adolescence, and story-telling was a great get-away.

One of my favorite stories was a gypsy camp. Part of the allure, I think, was the idea of the security of a strong family unit. Also, you can never go wrong with kick-ass chicks! There were always a handful sitting and standing guard at the edge of camp with guns and binocculars, wearing bra tops and scarves around their wastes. They were my favorite. The guards. Protectors. The ones who would throw down when the trouble started.

I had a favorite doll who was the star of every story, and I’d imagine the other dolls hoping she’d break so that they could be number 1. Childish as it was, I’m not embarassed about my forays with little plastic people. Story-telling and imagination are a big part of magick–the better you can picture an idea,the stronger your intent will be! What am I suggesting? I don’t know. Maybe you should dig into the old toy box and play with some dolls!