Saturday, December 31, 2011

Tarot Spreads for New Year's Eve

Tarot Spreads for the New Year

Guest Author - Leslie Fulger

Each New Year provides us the ability to start anew, set goals and with any luck have a better, happier and more prosperous year than the last. However, the previous year may have been filled with challenges, obstacles and changes that have taken the zest out of life leaving some filled with apprehension as to what to expect in the coming New Year.

One way of getting a glimpse into what the New Year has in store for us is through utilizing the Tarot. There are various spreads available specifically geared towards the New Year. One of the most common is called The Zodiac Spread which provides a couple different options to obtain a yearly based reading. The typical Zodiac Spread is similar to the Keltic Cross. This spread looks at different aspects and areas of your life.

To do this spread, pull 13 cards placing them in a circle with the final card being the overall outcome or summary. The cards in each position are as follows:

1. deals with self expression, identity and how you see yourself.
2. represents tangible assets, personal income and earning capacity.
3. governs intellect and communication, family and relatives.
4. rules your home, property and the environment you find yourself in.
5. associated with pleasurable pursuits, romance and fortunate speculative ventures.
6. pertains to your job, working conditions, relationship with co-workers and circumstances regarding your health.
7. refers to partnerships, agreements, business relationships and close personal relationships including marriage and divorce.
8. governs death, rebirth, legacies, inheritances and new beginnings.
9. governs spiritual guidance and self awareness, travel, and often times denotes the best course of action for you to take.
10. describes your goals, ambitions, achievements, desires and success.
11. associated with friendships and affiliations that help to advance your personal goals.
12. denotes anxiety and hidden influences that can cause limitations and unnecessary suffering.
13. final outcome.

Another method of The Zodiac Spread is the month-by-month spread in which you pull 13 cards one representing each month of a the year and the final card indicates the overall general atmosphere you are likely to experience over the coming year according to the influences and elements present at the time of the reading.

Months that have a Major Arcana card land in that position will signify an important month. Any Aces that appear indicate a chance for new beginnings or a fresh start so pay particular attention to those cards and influences.

These are only a few examples but they are quite effective and informative in providing valuable insight into the New Year. And remember this is only an glimpse of possibilities as nothing is set in stone. Should you encounter a card that doesn't really provide clear insight, feel free to use clarification cards to assist the process.

To Your Divinatory Success!

Leslie Fulger
Tarot Site Editor
BellaOnline.com

Thursday, December 29, 2011

What Magick is

What Magick Is - what it does and what it should and should not be used for......

    This comes from a book by Isobel Bird - it is an excerpt from a part of the book regarding an beginning class about explaining Witchcraft.
    "Anya picked up a pot that had a small plant growing in it, 'This is a lavender plant,' she said. 'I grew it from seeds that started indoors about a month ago. When it's warm enough, I'm going to plant in my garden.'   Kate didn't under stand what Anya was getting at. Sure, a lavender would be pretty, but it was hardly magick.  'It took a lot for that little seed to become this plant,' Anya continued. 'The seed contained everything it needed to make the plant, but without the help of water and the light, it would have stayed dormant. And without more of it, the plant won't bloom and fill my garden with its fragrance. In a way magick is like the water and the light. We have the potential to make all kinds of things happen. But if we don't find ways to use that potential - to nourish it - then nothing happens.'
  'You mean the magick is already in us?' asked a woman in the back.  'That's right,' Anya said. 'Many people mistakenly think of magick as something mysterious or supernatural. It is, in a way, because it's something extraordinary. But true magick is simply finding ways to make the things happen that we already have the ability to make happen.'
   'Can you give us an example?' asked Lea.  Anya thought for moment, 'Suppose I need money,' she said. 'Maybe I need six hundred dollars to pay for repairs on my car. I might do a spell in which I ask for money to come my way. A few days later, I might get  raise at work, or someone who owes me money might pay me back. I might even get a tax refund I didn't know was coming.'
   'But that's not magick,' the first woman said. 'That's just luck.'
   'Is it?' asked Anya. 'What is magick? It's removing the obstacles that are preventing you from getting what you want or need. When I do a ritual or cast a spell, I'm really asking for help in finding ways around the obstacles that are in my way. If I need money, I look for ways that I can get that money. I don't expect it to just fall out of the sky.' 
    'But if you just want something?' Sasha asked. 'I mean, like what if you see a really great leather jacket, but you can't afford it. Shouldn't you be able to do magick and just get it?'  'Thast's a good question.,' Anya said. 'Do you think you should?'
   'Sure,' said Sasha... 'If I can do magick, I should be able to get what I want out of it.'  'What do the rest of you think?' Anya asked. 
   "I don't think you should use magick like a credit cad,' Annie said carefully, breaking the silence. 'If all you do is take, take, take, then what's the point?' 
   'The point is that you have what you want' Sasha said. 'Why should you have to work so hard for everything when there's magick?' "
   So the members in the class discussed various ways using spells could 'fix' or 'get' things you want or need in your life.  One of the statements made that I thought was something to keep in mind is 'magick should be used for removing obstacles, not for plowing through things like a bulldozer.'  Maybe this excerpt can give us a better insight into how magick is really suppose to be used and how it works.
Plant seeds during this winter days and meditate on how they grow - how they make things happen and make changes in our lives.