Door closing, window opening (Tarot of the 78 Doors)

Continued from last week...

The incident which sparked the previous post involved having my offer to participate in a pretty big event summarily rejected. No gussying up with niceties, just a bald "no". Slam goes the door! 

This week, out of the blue, I was invited to read tarot at a blessing for new moms, by someone I barely know. I joyously accepted! A window opens. The date of this gathering? The same day as the event upon which the door slammed! If that isn't serendipity, I don't know what is!

And in this morning's email? A gift! Notification that I am the lucky recipient of this month's TABI Free Reader draw and gift certificate, accompanied by warm and friendly congratulations on the Forum.

That closed door that loomed so large two weeks ago? Cut down to size by the Knave of Swords!

(All card images in this post are from the Tarot of the 78 Doors.)

A situation has arisen that requires a mature reaction...

when in fact I feel more like this ~

Maat Tarot

and this ~

AnnaK Tarot

and this ~

Llewellyn's Classic Tarot

Here's what.

Someone has recently moved here, into a position which wields a fair bit of power in the artistic life of our city. At first everything between us seemed hunky-dunky. But that has changed. Now I feel a strong wave of dislike rolling toward me from this person - I don't know why - and as a result am blocked from moving into areas that have always been open to me. It's perplexing and distressing.

What to do?
Well, first there's all the sulking and pouting to get out of the way. But once that's done, I'm going to need a plan.

Bright Ideas

Dare I broach the subject to this person, or will that just make things worse?

Pretty sure this would bring me into red-tights-territory.

Alice Tarot

Do I ask a wise and trusted friend, who's known me forever and moves in the same circles, for advice?

Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot

There's the oblique approach: get someone else to discreetly find out what the problem is and report back.

Tarot of Jane Austen

I could write a letter, apologizing for an unknown mistake, and perhaps listing my many fine qualities that may not yet be apparent. (Ha! Do you see what's happening here? The cathartic effect of writing is kicking in! I started this post all gloomy-grumpy-harrumphy and already some humour is beginning to seep through the 'poor me'. Thank you, tarot blog!)

Gaian Tarot

What if I am a reminder of some other person, much disliked, a real red-flag-for-a-bull scenario?
If that's the case, there's not a damn thing I can do about it. On the one hand, this is a bit freeing, because it's not my fault. But on the other hand, I'm a victim of circumstance, and my hands are tied.

Dark Grimoire

Or, as a friend suggested, just put up and shut up. Never an easy thing for me. 

Druidcraft Tarot

After mature deliberation, and a glass of wine, I've decided to go with 'put up and shut up'.

At least for now. Or until the clothespin on my mouth starts to hurt.

When the Aces and Pages grow up...

I love the AnnaK Tarot. Both her self-published version (2008) with narrow borders and small card titles or symbols at the top, and the 2013 Llewellyn edition with wider borders, thinner stock, and card titles in a separate band at the bottom. (The first four cards are Anna's edition, and the linked pairs below those are Llewellyn's, cropped.)

It is loosely RWS in its style, with some notable exceptions.

Like the really scary Five of Swords: winning versus losing, taken to extremes. Yikes!

Or the bewildered and overwhelmed Two of Rods (aka Wands). Oh dear.

This Ten of Swords victim is walking away. Enough already!

And I can't leave out this lusty busty Empress breast-feeding her baby. She's not completely unlike most Empresses, but you don't want to be messin' with this mama!

But here's what I really wanted to show you! It illustrates the ongoing nature of each suit so beautifully, and enriches the readings. I don't know whether or not Anna Klaffinger herself meant any of these connections; this is just how I see it, and I hope it's OK with Anna that I'm making free with her deck!

The Aces grow up to be Queens: the nature of each suit as it moves into the fullness of adulthood.

The Pages mature into the Kings: the energy of each element tempered by years and wisdom.

I hope you enjoyed this coming-of-age post!

The Year of the 66 Hermits!

I love the Hermit card. It's the first card I look at in a new deck. I wish it were one of my birth cards, but no matter how I crunch the numbers I just can't make it work; the High Priestess refuses to budge.

Our new year, 2016, which reduces to 9, is the Year of the Hermit. Time to go offline? Quit hanging out with people? Give up your phone? Live in a cave? Move to the middle of nowhere? Sure, it you want to!

My first thought (when I began this behemoth post two-and-a-half days ago!) was to gather together nine Hermits for a nice simple little blogpost. Ha!

By the time I'd subdivided the types of Hermit images, and gone through many of my decks, my list contained 67 Hermits. Not even divisible by 9, let alone a mere 9! 

So this became a veritable convention of Hermits! A huddle of Hermits? A silence of Hermits? A contemplation of Hermits? A herd of Hermits?
Make yourself a pot of tea or pour some wine, and check out this band of solitary souls. I've whittled it down (whittling is a good Hermit-like activity) to 66!

Category 1A
An element of leavetaking: leaving what you know, looking beyond the usual, aloneness, escaping.

Vanessa Tarot ~ Green Witch Tarot ~ Aquarian Tarot

Victorian Romantic (2006) ~ Tarot de St. Croix ~ Housewives Tarot

Wheel of the Year Tarot ~ Touchstone Tarot (trimmed) ~ Tarot of Oz

Zirkus Magi ~ Tarot of the Burroughs ~ Cat's Eye Tarot

Category 1B

Uncertainty, wariness, trepidation, sadness
(A friend's comment on the Mucha Hermit "Interesting that she looks rather scared or cautious. I don't remember the male Hermits with similar expressions..." opened up this whole category.)

Tarot Mucha ~ The Fey Tarot ~ New Mythic Tarot

Manga Tarot ~ Bohemian Gothic Tarot ~ Bruegel Tarot

Category 2A
Shining a light on or for yourself, seeking self-knowledge, enlightenment; contemplation.

Fantastic Menagerie ~ LeGrande Circus & Sideshow Tarot ~ Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot

AnnaK Tarot ~ Art of Life Tarot ~ Goddess Tarot

Tarot of the Journey to the Orient ~ Songs for the Journey Home ~ Sacred India Tarot

Category 2B
Actively seeking knowledge: researching, journaling, writing.

Wizards Tarot ~ Gaian Tarot ~ Today's Journey Tarot

Tarot of Jane Austen ~ Pearls of Wisdom Tarot ~ Romantic Tarot

Category 2C
There is an element of time in the search: time is passing, is of the essence; an enforced period of taking time to figure something out.

Sun and Moon Tarot ~ Maat Tarot ~ Bright Ideas Tarot

Category 3
Being a beacon of light, wisdom, and knowledge for others; pointing or illuminating the way.

Tarot Illuminati ~ Hezikos Tarot ~ Golden Age of Hollywood Tarot

Tarot of the Sidhe ~ Whimsical Tarot (trimmed) ~ Vampires Tarot of the Eternal Night

Witches Tarot ~ Wild Unknown Tarot ~ Waking the Wild Spirit Tarot

Spiral Tarot (trimmed) ~ Buckland Romani Tarot ~ Steampunk Tarot

Silver Witchcraft Tarot ~ Wildwood Tarot ~ Animal Wisdom Tarot

Category 4

Unusual Hermit cards, or those which belong to more than one category, or are just too gorgeous to leave out!

Chrysalis Tarot ~ Shadowscapes Tarot ~ Victorian Fairy Tarot

Alice Tarot ~ Inner Child Tarot ~ Dark Goddess Tarot

Margarete Petersen Tarot ~ Cosmos Tarot ~ Mary-El Tarot

Druidcraft Tarot ~ Circle of Life Tarot ~ Siamese Tarot

Shakespearian Tarot ~ Sacred Sites Tarot ~ Impressionist Tarot

Category 5
Herman's Hermits (of Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter fame). When I googled 'images of hermits' there were more pictures of this 1960's British invasion group than there were of actual hermits, but maybe that's to be expected. Real hermits aren't big publicity seekers.

Category 6
Nine recipes for Hermit cookies. Just kidding! Only one recipe - Hermit cookies are a homey lumpy raisin-y nutty spicy variety of drop cookie. I'd definitely substitute butter for the shortening in this Sun-Maid recipe from 1923, and probably double it. Who wants to drag out all these ingredients for a mere three dozen cookies?

I hope you've enjoyed your time at the hermitage!