King of Cups ~ Wanderer, Worshipper, Lover of Leaving

King of Cups ~ Pagan Otherworlds Tarot

"Come, come whoever you are, wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving, it doesn’t matter…”

These lines of Rumi's come to mind while journeying with this embodied king, his dominion the Waters of the Heart. Though the ocean swirls around him his bedrock is firm, his feet large and capable. The water stains on the rock tell of his own emotional experiences, he’s not been untouched by Love’s arrows, he, too, has been marked but he has achieved a perspective, his station borne now of mastery. He may not choose to get involved with the minutiae but he’s aware of it all, sees it all. The musculature of his body tells stories of strength and experience.

This is a king of complexity, perhaps even ambiguity. He’s less interested in answers than questions and process. The ermine fur on his cape speaks both of his royalty and his animal nature, his humanity. And the graceful folds of his robes speak of sensitivity and grace, a refinement that he wears with ease. The luxurious lines and drape of the cloth over his knees echo this, there is a hint of gravitas in their weight, introspection, his body capable of sinking into the more sober qualities of the feeling realm and meeting them with sovereignty, with equanimity.

His upper body, as he leans in to bare his heart which is, after all, a muscle, echoes a particular stage in the whirling dervish ceremony known as the Sema, which means to hear. In the very last stage of the Sema the Sheikh stands in the center of the floor with all the dervishes turning on their own around him in the outer circle. The Sheikh makes exactly the gesture this King of Cups makes, he grasps his robe, lowers his head slightly towards his heart, the only altar there is, really, and he begins to turn very slowly. It’s a tremendously moving sight to witness this expression of sober love amidst the ecstatic turning of the dervishes. And one feels intimately that he is holding space for not only his dervishes but for the hearts of the world. He is the sun around which all the planets spin…Love as centripetal force.

Just so with this King. He leans in, he inclines his ear, he listens for that steady under-rhythm of love, he grasps his robe, his heart is bared and one can almost feeling him turning slowly, slowly, slowly, master of Love. The ocean, the Source, contains and witnesses him. It is both his arrival and return. As it is for each of us.

The Heroine's Journey

A group of us on Instagram have embarked on a shadow work focus with mnomquah for the month of October and I've decided to share some of my process here on the blog. The focus began with a spread entitled The Heroine's Journey.

Using the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot I drew my cards keeping this theme in mind and focusing on these prompts. It turned out to be a fairly intense draw. Lots of Swords, i.e. lots of conflict and the lone Pentacle that appeared is one of the more difficult ones in the suit. However the first card and the final three cards gave me a lift and looking at the trajectory of the journey I had the sense of something real and relevant unfolding. As sober as it is the reading comes as no surprise to me.

Heroine's Journey with the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi Design Studio

The card positions have been further expanded upon with this list of questions to consider and contemplate.

• 1) The Heroine - Who are you at the beginning of your journey?
  2) The Quest - What is the conscious purpose of your journey?
  3) Refusal of the Call - The reason why you're afraid of to seek out what you desire
  4) The Guide - Who/what will guide you on your journey
  5) Road of Trials - The lessons for you to learn; what you need to go through
  6) The Dragon - Your greatest obstacle to overcome
  7) Death - What you have to leave behind?
  8) New Knowledge - What new wisdom and power you will obtain on your journey?
  9) Boon - What you will take back with you to share with others
  10) The Heroine Returned - Who you come back as from the journey?

  
  
  This first card, The Star, in the position of myself at the beginning of my journey feels both poignant and vulnerable. The Star encompasses all our hope and inspiration, all the beauty and light that guides us when things feel dark or difficult. That she is me touches a raw place, a place I tend to armor and keep hidden for various reasons, some of which I imagine will become clearer as the month and the work progresses.
  
  
  The conscious purpose of my journey, my Quest, is the Ten of Swords. Total surrender, offering it all up, not holding onto any shadow material, anything that diminishes, that the ego uses to protect from its demise. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
  
  
  And refusing the Call, why am I hesitant to do this, to really seek out my soul's wish? The Five of Swords tells me it has something to do with the inner critic. This card usually indicates to me that this aspect of my personality is afoot. The part that feels the need to bully, to cut down, to diminish what is harmonious and simply trying to live authentically. With this card in this position I'm going to have to really examine how much strength I give that inner critic. 
  
  
  The Five of Pentacles as guide...hmm. This feels like a lateral move with the previous card. They're both Fives echoing The Hierophant in the Majors, who shows up later as the wisdom and power I'll obtain on my journey. But seeing this here beforehand indicates that my own suffering and clinging will be all the guide I'll need. To really examine the places those two things appear and influence my day to day experiences.
  
  
  The Nine of Swords is my road of trials, my lessons. Traditionally the 'nightmare card', that state when sleepless, all the fears are magnified 100 times and the mind gets lost in a miasma of its own making. And further along in the spread the Four of Swords echoes this by asking me to leave behind any desire to retreat and rest, to contemplate and restore. I read this as 'no one is getting out of here alive' that this being human means there's no escaping pain, no escaping beauty. 
  
  
  My 'dragon' is the Six of Swords, my greatest obstacle. This is usually one of my favorite Minors. Seeing it here as my greatest obstacle is curious and compelling both. It's a card of departure, of leaving behind a time and place of suffering for something unknown, possibly better but not entirely because the Swords, representing the conflict the mind has created, come with the boat or passengers. This feels fitting and reminds me of the line, 'wherever you go, there you are'. Or one of our Sufi songs, 'my life is my prayer, as I live so I am'. Both of these lines tell me a story about denial, tell me that recovery and healing isn't about escaping from but about immersion in the landscape of suffering with new vision that embraces possibility and a self that is in touch, literally, with the body of wounds.
  
  
  The final three positions, New Knowledge, Boon and Heroine returned all follow one another seamlessly and gracefully. They are positive uplifting cards in this position and there is an innocence to them, a purity and vitality that gives me a sense of possibility, of expansion. The Hierophant is an old friend, and this particular Hierophant is very accessible, he is my wisdom and knowledge, in partnership with the less visible, less manifest High Priestess, with whom he shares a vital relationship. Sharing the blessings of the Ace of Cups as I embody the Page of Cups is a beautiful and bodhisattvic way to complete this journey.

Isn't She Lovely!

Queen of Wands ~ Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ Uusi Design Studios

She’s kept me company on this hot September day beginning with coffee in the morning and following the light across the sky. Compelling, charming, vivacious…she doesn’t disappoint. Her little black cat is a constant presence, caprice and inscrutability both, through half-slit eyes and languid movements. Together they make a dynamic pair. Sunflower in one hand, staff in the other she wears her golden robes with ease and grace. Today as I was watering out in the garden I noticed our own two sunflowers were particularly tall. Both of them reaching towards the light, much like our Queen, seeking out the fire, the heat, the passionate response. She says, Yes, to the Desire that is asking for her by name. 

Deck Interview ~ Pagan Otherworlds

The other night I did a deck interview with the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi Design Studios. It was a surprisingly gentle reading, a whispered reading almost. For such a strong deck I was expecting something more forthright, less oblique. And yet the deck sings refinement, discipline, and restraint even amidst the compelling art and strong characterizations. And in the end the interview was a beautifully gentle one, the deck offering itself unapologetically to my questions. So off we go then.

I used a spread found on AT, a fairly standard new deck interview spread that covers all the bases.

5 ************* 6
******* 4 *******
3 ************* 2
******* 1 *******

Card 1 ~ Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? Ace of Wands

Card 2 ~ What are your strengths? Six of Wands

Card 3 ~ What are your limits? Page of Cups

Card 4 ~ What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me? Six of Cups

Card 5 ~ How can I best learn from and collaborate with you? Ten of Cups

Card 6 ~ What is the potential outcome of our working relationship Ace of Cups

What a fab card to begin with. Ace of Wands, initiating, creative energy, visionary energy, drive, instinct and intention. Fire, baby! 

I'm loving the way the green leaves of the Wand are mirrored in the grassy landscape below. They are Yod-like in shape, suggesting the power of the untapped elemental energy at work in our lives. A gift that is ours for the taking. We only need say, Yes!

And interesting for an Ace of Wands, the element of water is present. This actually sets the tone for the whole reading as it is wholly a Fire and Water reading.

The Aces speak to a renewal, a rebirth. And this Ace in particular can help me understand how the other cards in a spread might contribute to living soulfully, authentically, with heartfelt inspiration.

Next up is the Six of Wands in the position of strengths. Of all the cards to land in this spot, this card, traditionally of victory, of affirmation and recognition is a wonderful one. This is a confident, sanguine deck. The Six of Wands speaks to the future, to movement, to celebration that is directional. This depiction is full of all of the above. The green leaves and wreath remind me that instinct and inspiration are fertile places. And the pale scarf entwined and dancing around the Wands suggests a kind of teamwork, a collective approach to success. And yet only one Wand wears the wreath of success, one wand is a bit taller than the others. This deck doesn't mind being seen as dynamic, doesn't mind a little effort.

The deck's limits lie with our Page of Cups, the nascent heart, the vulnerable heart, the heart that leads without expectation. This deck has soul but it is young at heart without the experience of a Knight or King. It's learning, still, like all of us. This Page holds the loving cup aloft. His long, garment swirls around him dervish-like, his one finger pointing to the earth, much the way the dervishes do during the Sema (though in their case it's the left hand). His upturned face with red hair blowing out behind him makes me think of the kind of momentum the heart inspires, a gathering momentum. There is so much movement here but he stands still.  He's not quite ready to take that first step but all the influences are there when he is ready.

With the Six of Cups this deck is here to teach me about simplicity, perhaps my own, even. The six chalices are, themselves, filled with simplicity--narcissus, daisies and irises, joy’s bucolic dance overflowing with pastoral pleasure. Here we do see ‘a heaven in a wildflower’. 

It is a dance unfolding in the ethers, in a place outside of time and space, the country of the heart. The fields curve as a long green breath, the tree leans out of the picture, the earth beneath it slopes gently towards its past and speak of grace, of ease, of an unhurried appreciation of moments past. 'All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'

How can I best learn from this deck depends on my ability to embrace the whole picture. Ten of Cups traditionally speaks to a realization of one's dreams, emotional fulfillment, to a collective happiness, to serendipity and the sharing of it. 

How awesome that this deck is here to teach me about leaning in, about connection, about harmony and 'coming home'. Refinding my place within the larger collective and drinking deep from that ongoing stream is always a good thing, a comforting thing.

The reading began with an Ace and it closes with an Ace. Bookended by beginnings, by seeds and possibility. And here in the position of the potential outcome of our working relationship...the Grail itself, the Loving Cup, the pure and limitless energy of the Source, womb of form. I'm reminded of Prajnaparamita, the Mother of the Buddhas, interdependent with livingness, engendered by connection and flow. This card sings of that kind of energy. 

The tendriled lotus the Cup sits upon, branching down into the necessary muck of it all, the loam of the heart, of our humanity. And not losing sight of the ineffable, the dove, Spiritus hovering above the chalice, greening branch in beak as if to say, what shines does so with a green willingness to grow. 

All in all this reading has been such a gentle introduction to a marvelous deck. Thank you, Linnea and Peter, for birthing it. 

New Moon Reading with the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot

New Moon spread from a few nights ago using the fab Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Linnea and Peter of Uusi Design Studio.

1. Moon Energies ~ What energies are abundant for me during this New Moon cycle?   Chili Pepper 🌶

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2. Energy Assist ~ What can I do to aid or ease it?  King of Cups 🏆

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3. Goals ~ What challenges should I set for this moon cycle? King of Swords ⚔

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4. Drift ~ What do I need to let go of from the last moon cycle? Three of Swords 💘

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5. Advice ~ What advice do my spirit guides have for me for this new moon cycle?   The Hierophant 📿

Well, predominantly male energy here. Even the oracle card in the middle has male energy to it. Last month while working with the elements esoterically through walks, turns and breath I realized that it wasn't Earth but Fire I am deficient in. Earth needs fire to move else it stagnates, plods. Fire is also the key component in digestion and that is very much up for me these days.

Loving the King of Cups in the position of aid. His gentle, healing waters can titrate some of that heat and fire energy. 

King of Swords as goals. Clear communication, equanimity and dispassionate evaluation of my situation. Again a good balance for the heat that is theme for this moon cycle. 

Happy to see that Three of Swords in the letting go position. And my friend The Hierophant as advice from my spirit guides. This is a particularly accessible Hierophant, earthy, kind-looking and receptive. Happy to walk a ways with him and listen. 

Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ First Glimpse

Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ Uusi Design Studio

It's here. The much awaited, most anticipated deck of the year. And it exceeds expectations right down to the box that houses the cards which is meticulously curated with luxurious gold embossing, a red and cream seal and exquisite hand-lettering.

Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ Uusi Design Studio

The team of Linnea and Peter did an amazing job. It is stunning. Hand lettering by Peter on all the Court cards, the Aces and Majors is wonderful, adding a whole new dimension to the cards that I wasn't expecting.

Ace of Swords ~ Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ Uusi Design Studio

The card stock is gorgeous and the deck shuffles like a dream. It is a beautifully wrought work of art, this deck, a labor of love and devotion...to detail, to ideal, to vision and to beauty. I'll be posting my deck interview with it soon but I've already done a few readings with it and the cards have been very generous. After sharing a few pics on IG, as I was shuffling and feeling into the overwhelmingly positive response my focus naturally focused around the deck's reception by the larger Tarot community as a whole. The response couldn't have been more positive. 

Two of Cups ~ The Lovers ~ Pagan Otherworlds Tarot ~ Uusi Design Studio

I mean!! Does it get any better than this as a response? Not much interpretation needed here, the relative and absolute in perfect accord. And isn't this a fab Two of Cups! Minors don't get short shrift the way they so often do in other decks. The intricacy of line and curve here is so skillful. The water meandering out towards an unknown tomorrow. Again perfect for the 'present moment only moment' treasure aspect of this card.

Ah, The Lovers... the curve of her belly, the drape of her cloth mirrored in the coil of the snake. The apple's potency mirrored in the flame held aloft by the male figure. And best of all their size in proportion to the tree. Love looms large, dwarfs the mundane order of things. Very excited for you all to receive your copies. Clearly the cards already feel the anticipatory love 😍