Pearls of Wisdom

The Pearls of Wisdom Tarot promises to be an amazing deck. I am intrigued by the seemingly chaotic colours and artwork. Whilst I do love many digital art decks, I am excited by the artwork and by the looks of them there will a huge depth in any reading. All the reviews are saying that the back story of the artist adds a wonderful understanding and meaning to the cards.

"Here was an artist who had been through heart-wrenching personal tragedy and illness, yet managed to paint the most optimistic, cheerful deck I had ever seen. And not "just" a Tarot deck, but a series of paintings - art therapy - that catalogued a seven-year journey of spiritual and emotional healing." - Janet Boyer

Book of Hours & Almanac

I have been reading about these and have studied Book of Hours for many years, the sumptuous Illuminated Manuscripts are amazing and beautiful. So, in my search for unusual and stunning Tarot (& Tarot related items) I have found some bits I wanted to share.

Here are the Illuminated Tarot, based on the Rider Waite deck but intensely coloured to give a rich and much more interesting card. I am not a fan of the Rider Waite decks, however I'd be willing to give this a try! The swirling colours in the back ground suggest more depth and complex readings would be gained.

Llewellyn's Magical Almanac covering the moon phases and magical events, festivals and important dates throughout the year. There are articles and stories which provide a nice extra addition to an already well planned almanac. Llewellyn offer more; Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac, Herbal Almanac, and an Astrological version.

The Modern Medieval Tarot and rich in colour and vibrancy. Although this is a digital photographic collage deck, I think that it has been done well. The landscape is full and contains many hidden things. The faces are modern, as if looking back to medieval times, through a tunnel.

A Book of Hours is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Each book of hours is unique in one way or another, but all contain a collection of texts, prayers and psalms, along with appropriate illustrations, to form a reference for worship and devotion.

The typical medieval manuscript called a book of hours is an abbreviated breviary, the book containing the liturgy recited in cloistered monasteries. The books of hours were composed for the lay people who wished to incorporate elements of monasticism into their devotional life.

An Almanac is an annual publication containing information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar. Astronomical data and various statistics are also found in almanacs, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, lists of all types, time lines, and more.

These have certainly made me want to keep a yearly diary of my tarot and rune casting. I encourage my students to keep tarot journals, but it is something that I haven't done for a few years. I think it will be interesting to see the patterns that emerge and also, how key moments throughout the year impact upon the tarot.

So, on my Google Calendar I will put my daily Tarot or Oracle cards that I pull. I will be interested to see how they compare with yours!

The calendar can be found at the bottom of the blog pages!

Tarot & Crystals

There are several crystals which correspond to the Major Arcana. These combo's have been based on Mary K. Greer's excellent Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for Personal Transformation. I have some of the uses for the crystals...I thought it might be interesting to pull a tarot card daily and use the corresponding crystal.

The Fool ~ Turquoise
Metaphysical Properties: Communication, protection, grounding. Spirituality, connection between physical and spiritual planes.
Chakras:Attunes all chakras. Blue-Green turquoise is good for use at the 2nd Chakra. Blue Turquoise is good for the 5th Chakra

The Magician ~ Citrine

Metaphysical Properties: Citrine is one of the only stones which dissipates negative energy, Warm energy, promotes optimism. Also attracts abundance, and is known as a merchants' stone, to be placed in cash register or where one conducts business, to not only acquire positive wealth but to maintain it as well.

Activates third chakra. Enhances body's healing energy. Good for mental focus, endurance, and self-esteem.

The High Priestess ~ Moonstone

Metaphysical Properties: Balancing, intuition,discernment. Feminine, lunar energy. Good for female reproductive system. Also has been used for protection during travel, and to bring good fortune.

Chakras: cleanses negativity from the Chakras.

The Empress ~ Emerald

Metaphysical Properties:Loyalty, sensitivity, stone of successful love and domestic bliss. Enhances memory and mental capacity. Eliminates negativity, and allows one to focus. Brings harmony to all aspects of life. Can help to maintain rhythmic breathing during meditative state.

The Emperor ~ Ruby
Metaphysical Properties: Love, purity, spiritual wisdom, knowledge, wealth. Amplifies energy. Protective.

Chakra: Heart

The Hierophant ~ Topaz

Metaphysical Properties: crystal of love and success. Promotes individuality, expression, and creativity. Stores energy, thoughts, love.

Chakras: Activates first three chakras.

The Lovers ~ Agate
Metaphysical Properties: Balance, precision, perception, eliminates negativity.

The Chariot ~ Amber

Metaphysical Properties: Helps remove energy blockages, strengthens physical body. Excellent for enhancing altered states of consciousness.

Chakras: Crown Chakra: spirituality, altered states of consciousness. Solar Plexus: strengthens the intellect and physical body's energy field.

Strength ~ Topaz
Metaphysical Properties: crystal of love and success. Promotes individuality, expression, and creativity. Stores energy, thoughts, love.
Chakras: Activates first three chakras.

The Hermit ~ Peridot, Bloodstone
Metaphysical Properties: Understanding, recognition, openness, acceptance. Provides a shield of protection. Good healer. Inspires happiness.

Chakras: Heart and Solar Plexus

The Wheel of Fortune ~ Sapphire

Metaphysical Properties: Joy, peace, beauty, intuition. Known as a stone of prosperity.Supports the fulfilment of dreams and desires of the consciousness.

Chakra: Blue Sapphire stimulates the throat Chakra and assists in communication.

Justice ~ Jade

Metaphysical Properties: Balances male/female energies. Stone of protection, provides barrier against attacks and illness. Encourages meditative travel. Helps in making the dream process productive and healing.

Chakra: Heart

The Hanged Man ~ Aquamarine

Metaphysical Properties: Courage, protection. Stimulates intellect and spiritual awareness.

Chakra: Throat Chakra

Death ~ Bloodstone

Metaphysical Attributes:eases energy flow, removes blockages, and helps circulation. It also aids in healing wounds. Bloodstone creates abundance and good fortune, and assists creativity. Bloodstone is believed to be a stone of courage and confidence.

Chakra: Balances all

Temperance ~Amethyst
Metaphysical Attributes: Physical representative of the Violet Ray. Cuts through illusion. Enhances psychic abilities. Excellent for meditation. Aids channeling abilities. Sedative, protective. Enhances feeling of contentment, and a connection to one's spirituality. Stone of peace and strength.

Chakra: Crown

The Devil ~ Obsidian

Metaphysical Properties: Excellent for grounding and protection. Wards off negativity. Useful for introspection - helps one to see where changes need to be made within oneself.

Chakra: Root
The Tower ~ Garnet
Metaphysical Properties: Stone of health, commitment, devotion, and passion. Stimulates Kundalini, assists in flow of energy.

Chakras:Base and Crown

The Star ~ Herkimer

Metaphysical Properties: Harmony, awareness, spontaneity. Crystal of attunement. Stimulates clairvoyance and telepathic communication. Can store information/emotions. Alleviates tension.

Chakra: All

The Moon ~ Milk Opal

Metaphysical Properties: represents purity and intensity. It assists in emotional and mental balance, calms the inner soul. Facilitates actualization. Excellent stone for progress, expansion, and development. Helps one connect the conscious and subconscious, providing for a clearing understanding of oneself. Clears and brightens the aura, stimulates healing. It has been used to access spiritual guides and animal guides.

The Sun ~ Heliotrope
Metaphysical Properties:improves communication. Sympathy and compassionate understanding. Purifies and protects.

Chakras: Third and Seventh

Judgment ~ Malachite
Metaphysical Properties: Stone of balance and transformation. Brings to understanding processes in one's life and body, assisting in one's spiritual evolution. Stimulates intuitive power, making one more open to change and advancement. Allows for insight into emotional factors that may be manifesting as physical illness. It helps one to recognize and clear past negative experiences.
Chakra: All

The World ~ Lapis Lazuli
Metaphysical Properties: stone for acquiring wisdom, esoteric knowledge. Connection between the physical and celestial. Awareness, attunement, intuition and psychic ability. Stone of protection.

Chakras: Throat and Third Eye

Are there any crystals that you would associate with the Tarot? Do you use crystals to cleanse your tarot cards?