The Vampire Tarot by Sue Lloyd

When I first ordered the Vampire Tarot I was nervous that it would turn out to be just another novelty deck.
I already owned the The Fantastical Tarot its sister deck, and loved working with it because of its colourful and vibrant interpretations of the tarot.
I though it would be interesting to work with the two decks together. I wondered if because they were designed by the same artist, Nathalie Hertz, there would be a connection between them, a heightened energy when used together in spreads.
So when they finally arrived I couldn’t wait to open them!
The Vampire Deck is amazing. Firstly the cards themselves are high quality. They are a comfortable width for ease of handling. The background edge is black which is effective in highlighting the pictures. The back of each card is a blood-red and black freehand design. Each face has a red border and on the left and right sides, a border of skulls and leaves. At the top of the Major Arcana are Roman numerals and each card has its name at the bottom – the Sun or Seven of Swords. Unlike many decks these are fairly simply laid out. There are no Hebrew letters, runes or astrological symbols.
The vampires depicted on the cards are powerful, sometimes scary and sometimes strangely attractive. I’d like to point out that I’m not normally into the sexy vampire thing, but actually in these cards you forget the Dracula myths and get drawn into the archetypal aspects of each card. Justice for example is a vampire woman holding a set of scales in her left hand and a sword horizontally above her head with her right hand. She has a necklace of crystals and her wild hair is black and streaked with white. She is primitive, stark and uncompromising.
Not every card has a vampire on it. None of the cups have but they are still visually enticing and somehow it’s as if the vampires are just waiting in the wings, ready to step into the picture.
The colours and pictures are raw, brilliant and sometimes very uncompromising. Right from my first spread I felt as if I was stepping through a window into my own psyche. One of my favourite things is that each vampire has a distinct face. They are all individuals. This is especially noticeable and valuable in the Court cards. I’ve been working with Mary Greer and Tom Little’s book Understanding the Tarot Court
Their approach works heavily with Jungian archetypes and the personality of each Court card. The Vampire Tarot is an ideal learning ground for this.
I’ve used this deck in many different spreads and for different questions. Personally, I find they work best in areas where I’m exploring my own motivations and lessons I need to learn. Though not a spiritual deck, I do find that they highlight aspects of my character which I need to strengthen or where I need to exercise caution if I am not to play out a painful lesson.
And yes, I have used them along with the Fantastical Tarot. The spreads have been complex and usually weighing up two distinct choices. Each time the energy between the decks and the way the individual cards balanced against each other gave a very powerful reading.
I would say that this deck is best used by someone who is a pretty confident reader. There aren’t a lot of clues to each card’s meaning in the traditional sense. But for me, that is one of the big attractions. The Vampire Tarot is a very instinctual deck and I love it!

by Sue Lloyd All Rights Reserved 2007

Sue Lloyd is A Theta Healer who can be found at: Theta Healing Scotland

Nathalie Hertz's New Tarot is the Faeire Tarot...looks good!

Cleansing Space

After a reading, it is important that you clear the space that you did the reading in of any energy left from the client. Even positive energy will potentially disrupt any subsequent readings that you may do.
Often the client leaves intense emotional and psychic energy behind. A reading can often bring emotions and uncomfortable issues to the fore and you, as the reader do not want this to 'stick' to you.

If you have done several readings, there tends to be a build up which needs to be cleansed and cleared both from the reading area and your own energy field.

Smudging
Smudging is method to help cleanse the aura and work area of unwanted energy. This requires you to burn sacred herbs such as white sage, lavender, rosemary, perhaps even eucalyptus, and then blow out the flame and use the smoke to cleanse.A small bowl, often ceramic in nature, (although any vessel which is fire proof and doesn’t get too hot will do) is used in order to avoid any cinders escaping. Needless to say, you do not want to burn the place down!!

Flower Essences
Make up a spray of appropriate flower essences to spray when the client leaves. I use a few drops of Bach Rescue Remedy with Crab Apple added to a spray bottle. But use which ever blends and brands work best for you.

Cleansing the Reading Area
To cleanse the area before the start of your reading and afterwards, you may use several methods. Make sure that you air the room thoroughly by opening the doors and windows. Allow the breeze to blow through. A white candle will help burn off negative energy during the reading and therefore helps to make the cleansing afterwards easier.

Crystals
There are many crystal you can use, some to ground you and others to help cleanse the area. Again personal preference comes into this but remember that crystals can have a powerful effect on clients and the readings the cards can give so perhaps wearing a small quartz would be the least offensive.

Cleansing Your Cards
Cards also soak up unwanted energy. Reshuffling the deck maybe enough, but sometimes returning the deck to it's complete order - The Fool to King of Pentacles will be necessary.
Sometimes I use a different deck for each client, or alternate two decks. At the end of the day remember to cleanse them thoroughly with your crystals, smudging, salt or placing them in a singing bowl. Wrap them in their silk cloth or bag overnight.

Music/Toning Cleansing
Putting on some boppy music up loud (if that is your preference) helps to blow away the cobwebs - spiritually speaking that is!! The loud vibrations from your favorite music creates positive energy which fills the room to the corners.
This also applies to the use of any toning implements; such as the use of Tibetan Prayer Bells, singing bowls, talking bells - where you run a wooden implement round the base of the bell or the rim of the dish to produce a vibrating tone which hums through your body and the immediate area. It has a clearing effect.

Sacred Symbols
Dropping sacred symbols in the reading area also helps to cleanse the room. You may use symbols from any healing modality that you are familiar with - their positive vibrations all help to eliminate unwanted energy.Another favorite method is to create a spiritual universal vacuum cleaner. Using the Che Ki Rei; symbol (Reiki symbol) and visualization, you can create a vacuum cleaner which automatically sucks up negative energy and removes it, turns it into positive energy.

Living Plants
Some readers like to place plants to suck up unwanted energy. Plants and animals can be attuned to Reiki energy and this gives them a certain amount of protection but they must also be cleansed properly - just as we have a bath or cleansing method for us, so must they be cleansed or you run the risk of them becoming unwell.

So in conclusion, remember that cleansing of the reading area and you, the reader, is just as vital as giving a clear and un-polluted reading to your client. Therefore there will be no transference of negative energy from one client to another, or client to the reader.

Tarot Uses

Over the years, Tarot has gained a reputation as a means of fortune telling. Many people, including me, are uncomfortable with this role of Tarot. Many readers are trying to 'educate' that the Tarot can and should be viewed in a better, less old fashioned light.

Tarot can be used effectively for many things other than fortune telling.

Learning About The Past And Present – To avoid the fortune telling side of Tarot – which implies the foretelling of future events - it can be used to understand the events of the past, and situations you are facing at present.

Through this, you gain insight into your thinking of the past events, and this may help you find out ways to improve your relationships in the future.

Study The Symbols – Tarot is full of archetypal symbols. Archetypal symbols are those symbols that are embedded in our mind, in our psyche, from the time of our birth. These are symbols that we just instinctively recognize for what they stand for, when we just look at them. By studying these symbols, we learn a lot about how the mind works, and what goes through it. Many symbols used in Tarot are based on religion, astrology, alchemy, psychology, numerology, color and other systems. When we start using Tarot cards, we learn a lot about them.

Developing Spirituality And Philosophy – Tarot is not just a group of unrelated cards. The 22 cards of the Major Arcana represent the journey of the Fool through its life, and the various things he learns and picks up along the way. The cards tell of the challenges he has faced and how he has learned to overcome them. Through Tarot, you learn the tools to understand life, its patterns, and ways of dealing with situations that are difficult. The understanding of life through Tarot can be integrated into an individual’s religious, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs, and help develop them.

Use For Meditation – Through meditation, you can bring the positive qualities represented by the various cards into your life. For this to happen, you need to select a card that stands for the qualities to wish to increase in your life, or the card whose actions you want to emulate – and meditate on it. Place the chosen card in a place where you can see it, and think about it all day long. Let the image of the card be in your mind always. This will help trigger the thoughts and behavior represented by the card, in you.

A Source For Counselling – Tarot has been known to be used for counselling. It helps draw out whatever is going on in an individual’s mind, not necessarily in the conscious mind, but much deeper, where it is not easy to access the thoughts. The card that appears in a reading is full of rich archetypal symbols and meaning, and this reflects how the individual responds, to a given situation, in his mind. Tarot counselors are known to draw these ideas out, which help them understand the underlying thought and feelings of the individual.

Tarot counselling is very helpful where children are involved. It helps extract stories from children, stories of difficult situations that children find difficult to tell directly.

The Rohrig Tarot

The Rohrig Tarot is a phenomenal deck with fabulous art work by Carl Rohrig that embraces college and painterly skill in every image.I have to admit that of all the decks I own (and that is no small number) the Rohrig are my favourite. One of my first decks, they are full of exciting and powerful imagery. I love the modern images and the move away from the traditional medieval influence. They are initially shocking to many people and I have heard some pretty virulent tirades against them. The nudity seems to offend implying a sexuality that people seem to find off putting. Personally, I think that Carl Rohrig adores women and is showing the power and influence the female energy has over the tarot and indeed our lives. But I feel that it is important with all Tarot decks to look beyond the initial images, they are made to mediate and discover deeper meanings and the Rohrig is a prime example of this.The Major Arcana are all full of the imagery we associate with more traditional decks, for example: The Fool is depicted with an old and young face split in two, and also a tiger and crocodile in place of the traditional dog. These cards demand that you look deeper and study them for the meanings. They all have runes and the Hebrew letters depicted and many have the astrological symbols for the planets and star signs. It is refreshing to not have the predictable red, horned Devil and having Death as a woman.

The Minor Arcana do not disappoint either. Everyone is as complex and exciting as the Majors. Again things are not immediately obvious but by looking closely you will find all you need and more to extract a great reading. King are not featured in this deck but Princesses, Princes, Knights and Queens, again highlighting the artist's appreciation of women.

The deck is larger than your normal which allows the colours and details to be displayed clearly. The white edging around the cards does not detract, unlike with other decks. The font is clear and there are often clues to the cards meanings in German and English writing on the images. The college style is used to convey some sketches of the Rider Waite, for example in Judgement. This is common throughout the deck and will appeal to traditionalists.
There are some disturbing images and many themes to make you uncomfortable but then no-body ever said that the purpose of the Tarot was to highlight only the lighter things in life. Swords show plenty of the expected with the 10 being titled Ruin, however Disks are shown with their darker sides as are the Cups.

Overall, with this deck you either love it or hate it! It is a brave and exciting move away from pictorially predictable images used in Tarot but also a great example of using the full range of symbols and meanings to gain better insight into readings.

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Tempting Tarot Cards

I really, really want a copy of this deck! Normally, I don't go for Celtic themes but this is beautiful and a lovely step away from the norm.

It is full of fabulous imagery and loosely Celtic but using more modern and up to date themes. Some of the figures are wonderful and the colours are great. I only hope that when it is published they do not give it a white border as I think this will make it seem wishy-washy....maybe a fabulous dark green for something abit more striking.....

Check out the Deck in progress, Llewellyn will be publishing the deck kit in Spring 2010. Currently pre-orders are not yet being taken, but when it is released, you will be able to purchase from the site below and orders are shipped internationally as well.

Website!

Finally after a week of wrestling with technology, I have the website up and running! So now readings are available to buy there.
The trouble with websites is that the temptation to get sidetracked & add lots of cool & fun things is great. I had to remove several pages that whilst seemed cool they really weren't appropriate for the site. But know, hopefully, I have it looking & working smoothly.
Today is pretty cold here without the beautiful autumnal sunshine that we have had all week. However, I did get inspired to find some tarot cards that would perhaps have a seasonal feel...Tarot for All Seasons is the only thing I could find relating to the seasons.

So, perhaps a deck with a strong seasonal appeal might be nice, I am aware of hallowe'en and other festival decks but not, so far, any year decks... Or Oracle cards...umm I feel a project coming on!

Talking of projects I am working on the tarot art work that I want to include on the site...hopefully, scanners allowing, I will have that up in the next few days...watch this space!

Lovely colours from the Fairy Ring Tarot ....like the look of this deck...Oh Dear! More for the wish list!

Welcome

Here is the blog for Moon In A Cloud tarot and oracle card reading. Here we will discuss tarot, reading and tarot workshops.

I hope you will enjoy the discussions and feel free to add your own suggestions!

Thanks

Moonlight