A few years ago I made a couple videos about my Tarot deck collection and since then I’ve been bombarded with requests do make a new one that includes my new decks (since everyone knows I have no self control when it comes to getting new decks!).
So….in this video I share all the decks I have acquired since my last deck collection video. I know I am missing a few – I still have some unpacked boxes in my basement which most likely contain some decks and of course this video didn’t include all the oracle decks I’ve gotten – so I will probably have to do another video at some point to include those ones!
And if you missed my previous deck collection videos, here they are:
So now that I’ve shared MY deck collection, tell me about yours! In the comments below, tell me what decks are in your personal collection?
Are you tired of reading Tarot in the same old, tired, boring way? Are you ready to kick things up a notch and read outside the box?
You know how you shuffle the deck and then randomly choose some cards? Scrap that!
There’s a new, cheeky way to read Tarot and I want you to give it a go. But first, some background….
The other night I was getting ready to give myself a Tarot reading and I thought “I hope I don’t get any shitty cards.”
I had just had a particularly uninspiring day and I wanted to perk myself up.
Then an epiphany slammed into my brain!
What if I just chose the cards I wanted?
So I did.
I picked the three cards I really, really wanted. The Empress, The Magician and the Ace of Cups.
Crystal Visions Tarot
These cards symbolize the kind of energy I want to bring into my life – creativity, power, magic and fulfillment!
Okay – I want you to stop right now, get your Tarot deck and choose the 3 cards that you would just LOVE to get in a reading. Like your 3 favorite cards or the 3 cards that really sum up what you want to draw into your life right now.
Now, look at each card one by one and ask yourself these questions:
How am I already like this card?
What activities or things help me feel like this card?
How would I like this card to show up in my life right now?
What can I do – today- to create more of this in my life?
Is there anything that might stop me from doing this and how will I overcome it?
Here is a little sample of how I did this exercise for the first card….
How am I already like this card?
When I looked at The Empress I reminded myself that I am creative (I like arts and crafts!) and I can be nurturing sometimes (like with my houseplants).
What activities or things help me feel like this card?
Painting helps me feel creative and relaxed, just like The Empress and spending time in the kitchen making tasty things feels very nurturing.
How would I like this card to show up in my life right now?
I would to be able to relax more and feel abundant, like everything is unfolding and happening in the way it needs to and all I need to do is hold the space for things to flourish, instead of feeling like I have to do, do, do, push, push, push.
What can I do – today – to create more of this in my life?
Practice meditation! I always forget to do this. And make time to paint at least once a week.
Is there anything that might stop me from doing this and how will I overcome it?
I might tell myself that I don’t have time and there are other things that should take priority – like doing homework, working on creating my Tarot course or doing laundry. I will overcome this by writing my painting or meditation date into my calendar each week and then maybe inviting a friend to join me (so I can’t waffle and do laundry instead!)
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Doing this exercise with your Tarot cards might actually create real change! This exercise isn’t for wimps, so don’t attempt this unless your ready to become a fearless, deep diving Tarot explorer 😉
Tying it together….
Now that you’ve drilled down each card individually, take a step back and look at these cards as a whole. Do you noticed any similarities between the cards? Any repeating symbols, colors, suits or numbers?
Repeating patterns are your subconscious’ way of getting your attention and communicating something super-secret and important to you!
For example, I notice that there are lots of wings in my three cards – butterflies, a dragonfly and birds. What do wings represent for me? Freedom!
So there is some message here about breaking free or feeling free – and if I choose to go deeper into the reading I can contemplate this a bit more and maybe journal about it. But I’m lazy right now, so I think I’ll just go watch Mad Men and eat a vanilla bean chocolate bar…..it’s from the health food store so it doesn’t count as junk food 😉
Share your results!
I’d love to hear from you!! Please feel free to share your cards and your epiphanies in the comments below….
It’s time to go on a hot date…with your Tarot cards!
Now that Summer is here, it’s the perfect time to pack up your Tarot deck, a journal and pen and head off to the beach, a park or your backyard and do some self exploration.
If you’re wondering what on earth you’re going to ask your Tarot cards, I’ve posted some ideas below. I encourage you to draw only one card per question and to spend some time contemplating and writing. And who knows where your new insights will take your life 🙂
Dame Darcy Tarot & iced tea…yum!
What do I need to know/see/understand right now?
What do I need to focus on right now?
What message do my spirit guides/angels have for me?
How can I have more fun in life?
What’s the best way for me to make a positive difference in the world?
What will help me feel more at peace?
How can I express myself creatively this week?
What talent do I have that I need to use more?
What part of myself am I ignoring/denying right now?
What do I need more of in my life?
What do I need less of in my life?
How can I feel more connected to others?
Who in my life do I need to reach out to right now?
What is influencing me the most right now?
What spiritual lesson am I trying to master right now?
How can I be more powerful and effective in my life right now?
What is my biggest block at the moment?
What characteristics do I need to fully embrace?
What area of my life needs the most attention right now?
How can I feel more free?
What if you get a negative card in a positive position?
For example, let’s say you ask “how can I make a positive difference in the world?” and you get The Hanged Man. How on Earth will you interpret that?!
1. Put yourself in the position of the figure on the card. When you become The Hanged Man, what do you notice?
I notice that I am powerless to do anything action wise, but I still have control over how I think and feel. Surrendering to what is brings peace, fighting what is brings suffering.
I also notice that I am upside down, which gives me a totally different perspective on things than I had before!
So I might interpret this as meaning that I can make a positive difference in the world by not wasting energy on fighting against what is. Instead I should put my energy on finding peace where I am and remembering that there is always more than one perspective. When I am in a peaceful state and when I recognize there are many ways to see a situation, I will behave differently and voila! I will have made a positive difference in the world!
2. Ask “what is the positive side to this card?”
All cards – regardless of whether they appear “negative” or “positive” have a positive side to them.
For example, The Devil is about addiction and feeling trapped and stuck, but it’s also about breaking free from addiction and stuckness. So if I had gotten The Devil instead of The Hanged Man for the above question, I may conclude that in order to make a positive difference in the world, I need to first break free of my own destructive habits and patterns and then help others to do the same.
Share your experience...
Which question(s) did you choose to explore? Did you have any epiphanies? Feel free to share you experience in the comments below!
Veronica is my evil Tarot reading twin. She enjoys sneaking in dirty gifts at her workplace’s Secret Santa party, avoiding shopping malls and buying herself lavish gifts on Amazon.com. Let’s read her advice for the holiday season….
Osho Zen Tarot
Meditation is like telling your mind to shut the fuck up.
And this card, Silence (aka The Star) is telling you to do just that.
During the holiday season, your mind is probably all like “what should I take to the party? when will I get all my shopping done? What am I going to buy for this person and that person?”
Don’t buy anyone anything this year. It’s all going to end up in a landfill in a couple of years anyway.
Give the gift of silence this Christmas.
Instead of presents, how about presence?
Gosh, I’m witty!
But what this card’s really saying is take some time out from all the pointless parties, socializing with irritating family members and horrific shopping excursions and connect with the deepest part of yourself.
This will allow you to be fully present at your next nightmare inducing social gathering so you won’t have to chug dirty martinis all night just to get through it.
Although, that doesn’t sound so bad after all!
In the comments below, tell me what Christmas event/party/obligation you will be skipping this year…just because?
Veronica is my sassy, foul-mouthed twin and she’s here to inject some fabulousness into your life! Let’s see what she has to say about the Nine of Pentacles….
Tarot of Mermaids
When you go off looking for the good stuff, you’re likely to find it.
The Nine of Pentacles is all about total enjoyment of your surroundings. And you can start by noticing what’s awesome about your life right now.
No, I’m not going to say “make a gratitude list, be grateful for what you have,” because YUCK! who wants to hear that?
Personally, I’ve had enough of preachy spiritual types telling me to practice “gratitude”. They can suck it.
But I love to appreciate the good things in life – like shutting off my alarm clock and going back to sleep when it’s dark and rainy outside. Or the feel of two boy-toys massaging my feet while the third one feeds me profiteroles. Or just knowing that my kindle has nearly 1,000 filthy unread novels waiting for me….
It’s the simple things, really.
So if you want to make your life more fabulous, make a list.
No, not a gratitude list. Call it a “Delicious List” and list everything in your life that is deliciously wonderful.
There are times in life when doing a Tarot reading may be inconvenient or impossible.
For example, you’re on a camping trip with your uber-religious family who shuns Tarot and all other fun things. Or you’re bored shitless waiting in the dentist’s office but you don’t have your deck with you. Or you’re just totally pissed off at your Tarot deck and don’t want to consult it today….
Here are some fun and inventive ways to flex your intuitive reading muscleswithout your usual deck of Tarot cards:
Step One: Think of a big, important question you want answered like “what is the meaning of my life?” or “how can I get more boys to notice me?”
Step Two: Now, randomly pick a book off your shelf. It could be The Bible or Having the Cowboy’s Baby. It doesn’t matter!
This book may contain all the answers to your biggest dilemmas!
Step Three: Let the book fall open to any page and let your gaze come to rest on a random sentence. Read that sentence out loud. That is your answer!
Sometimes this exercise produces profound results. Other times it’s just good for a laugh. But either way, it’s worth a try.
2. Read your current environment as if it were a Tarot card
Step One: Think of a specific question or just ask “what do I need to know right now?”
Step Two: Take a good look around you. Your environment is like a Tarot card – rich with symbols and secret messages just waiting to be discovered!
What do you notice first? What stands out? What symbols are present? What color is most prevalent? What is going on?
What is on your left hand side? This is the side of intuition and creativity.
What is on your right? This is the side of action and power!
Step Three: If there is a message for you in your environment (and trust me, there is!) what would it be? What are your surroundings trying to tell you?
I did this exercise last Spring when I was walking along the beach. I asked “what do I need to focus on right now?” and the first thing I noticed was a family of geese, which were flying along. I watched them land in the water, floating gracefully and then diving under the surface. It suddenly struck me how amazing it is that geese get to traverse the world of sky, land and water. I was reminded of the three worlds in Shamanism – the upper, lower and middle earth. At the time I was reading several books on Shamanism and I took this as a clear message that I was to keep on reading this stuff. Also, not to be afraid to dive deep into the unconscious world of dreams and meditative journeys.
3. Doodle!
You know how when your listening to someone on the phone you sometimes scribble little drawings without realizing it?
These scribbles can be a goldmine for illustrating what’s going on in your subconscious mind!
Something I drew while listening to someone boring
Try this!
You can do this exercise by yourself or with a friend.
Step One: Get out a piece of paper and some crayons (or a pencil if the idea of crayons gives you the creeps). Put on some nice music and sit at your table and just draw some stuff. Don’t think too hard, just let your mind wander. Don’t try to draw something “good”. Just doodle!
Step Two: If you’re doing this with a friend, you can trade drawings and then proceed to “read” each others pictures in the same way you would read a Tarot card.
If you are doing this alone, then you would just “read” your own picture.
Pay attention to what you are drawn to. What color stands out? What symbols speak to you? What is the general feel of the picture? Does it seem to be saying something specific?
Often, the pictures we draw illustrate what is going on for us in our inner and outer lives.
I first did this exercise years ago in a workshop called Exploring Your Psychic Self. The woman who I was partnered with swore she had no psychic abilities whatsoever, yet she was able to spell out my deepest wishes and desires just by looking at my drawing. A drawing that looked like it was drawn by a five year old on acid.
So there you have it! Three totally new ways to have fun with your intuition. No Tarot cards required!
In the comments below, tell me which exercise your going to try today :)…..
Imagine this: It’s 8pm on a dark and rainy night. Thunder and lighting boom and flash in the distance as you sit in your armchair by the fire, shuffling your Tarot cards.
Across from you sits Minxy Blue – a friend of a friend. Minxy is a high class escort who lives a lavish lifestyle, “escorting” distinguished gentlemen and the occasional celebrity. But she has recently met someone special who has a problem with her chosen line of work. His name is Vlad Smith and he has proposed to her on the condition that she quit her escort job and do something else.
Minxy loves Vlad but she also loves her work. She’s in a conundrum! She asks you “what on Earth am I supposed to do?”
Just then, two cards come flying out of the deck, landing upright on the table in front of you.
But here’s the challenge: Minxy doesn’t have the time or the patience to listen to you ramble about the cards. So make it quick! In just 3 sentences or less, interpret these two cards in a way that is helpful to Minxy:
Hanson-Roberts Tarot
Please feel free to post your interpretation in the comments below!
If you would like to see how I interpreted these cards, just click on the text below…
Speak openly with Vlad about how you feel about leaving your career (Two of Cups). But make sure you go within and do some soul searching to find out what is truly important to you right now (The Hermit). There is much light and brightness in these two cards which shows that now is not the time to hide from your feelings and issues, Minxy girl!
Do you wish you had your own personal life coach? Well guess what? If you have a deck of Tarot cards you kind of already do have a life coach. Let me explain…
Think of your Tarot deck as a mediator between you and your Higher Self (or Inner Self, Unconscious, Inner Wisdom, Inner Guru, whatever).
Here’s my easy peasy formula for gleaning important info and guidance into your life via your Tarot cards:
If you would like to do this exercise along with me, the video version is below. Otherwise, read on!
1. Identify your “issue” or problem that you would like some guidance around.
When I did this exercise last night, I chose my “issue” of not finding the right house to buy. I have been searching for over a year and haven’t found the right place yet.
2. Ask “what do I need to know about (issue) ?”
For example, what do I need to know about finding the right home (and why I haven’t yet)?
3. Draw ONE card.
The card I got was The Moon.
Anna K Tarot
4. Which suit is that card from? This will indicate the area of your life in which your “issue” is based.
Major Arcana = spiritual, life path, major life lesson
Wands = energetic, creative, career
Cups = emotional, relationships
Swords = mental, thoughts, communication
Pentacles = body/health, money, material stuff
Court card = A particular person or personality trait
Keep an open mind here. The area of your life that your issue is based in may surprise you. For example, your health problems could be connected to your relationships (Cups) or your relationship issue could be rooted in your money issues (Pentacles).
Because I got The Moon, a Major Arcana card, I know my issue of not finding a house has to do with my life path and is acting as a major spiritual lesson right now.
5. Now, lets take a closer look at the card. We know the area that it relates to, but what is it trying to tell you? Jot down the traditional meaning of your card.
The Moon Tarot card has to do with the subconscious, dreams and that which is hidden. Sometimes it can indicate deception or not being fully aware of something.
6. How does the traditional meaning (or keywords) apply to your specific issue and/or the area of your life in which this issue is based.
Here is where you are really getting into the nooks and crannies of your issue. This is a chance to look at your issue/problem in a way that you probably haven’t yet.
When I did my reading I felt that The Moon applied to my life in that I have been having lots of dreams lately about going down into basements to view disturbing things (which I suspect is a symbol for exploring the unconscious). This could indicate that subconscious issues are holding me back from finding a house.
7. What advice does my chosen card have for me? What should be your next step?
Now you are switching the lens through which you see this card. You are asking a different question, but there is no need to draw a different card. You only need to look at this card in a different light.
When I gaze at The Moon, the advice that jumps out at me is this: study your dreams and explore the scaryness and ugliness that lies beneath the surface. The frightening things you find in the basement of your dreams may represent thoughts, fears and feelings that you have repressed because you’ve deemed the unacceptable or too scary to face.
8. Set a goal. Write it down. Give yourself a timeline. Take action.
This is where the life-coachy part comes in! The impact of a really insightful Tarot reading can vanish like a fart in the wind if you don’t write it down and do something about it.
I set the goal to consult some dream books and take a closer look at the symbols in my dreams and do some journalling around this. I aim to do this over the next 7 days.
9. Bonus question: what message does my Inner Self have for me in regards to this issue?
If you still feel a little unsatisfied with your reading, this can be a nice way to wrap things up. Spend some time gazing at your card, noticing the symbols and general vibe of the card. Can you decipher a comforting or encouraging message there?
When I gazed at The Moon, I noticed that it wasn’t a full moon – it was only a crescent moon. When I pondered this for a bit I heard the phrase “the moon is not yet full” meaning that the time has not yet come, but it will. In other words, now is not the right time for me to find a house. So I can just relax.
Was it good for you? Let me know what you think!
In the comments below feel free to share your own experience with this Tarot exercise 🙂
Do you remember when you were 13 and you would spend hours doing those stupid quizzes in teen magazines?
I remember one lazy Summer day in particular when I laid up in my friends tree fort with a pile of Seventeen magazines and we quizzed each other on crucial topics like Does your crush like you?,Which hollywood hearthrob should I date? and What your shoes say about you…
I thought I would bring back some of that nostalgic Summer fun with a totally ridiculous Tarot personality quiz!
I bet you’re just dying to know which of the four Tarot suits – Wands, Pentacles, Cups and Swords – your personality falls into.
Well, wait no longer!
1. It’s a hot Summer day and you’re spending a day at the beach! You spend your time….
a. Thinking, thinking, thinking…..about all your problems and what you should about this colossal problem that is your life.
b. Daydreaming about sexy mermen and all the wonderful possibilities life has to offer.
c. Swimming, running up and down the beach and chatting up the 21 year old lifeguard.
d. Napping in the sun, lazily collecting sea shells and chowing down on fried food at the concession stand while you read some grisly true crime book.
photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
2. Your dream career is…
a. Professor of something very intellectual where you get to wear smart looking glasses and read lots of books.
b. Painter and sculptor that lives on an island, by the beach. Instead of a coffee break, you take skinny dipping breaks.
c. Running your own business where you get to be creative, teach, travel and be fabulous!
d. Farmer, Builder or Chef – something earthy, where you get to work with your hands.
3. When you go to a friend’s house for dinner, you….
a. Fret about what your host will serve because you are very, very concerned about chemical additives, GMOs, pesticide residue, gluten, BGH in dairy and eating meals with a 80/20 alkaline/acidic ratio.
b. Are simply delighted and touched by the beautiful foods she has lovingly prepared for you. You feel so nourished!
c. Look forward to meeting the other guests and networking with them. You have so many exciting, juicy stories to share and love being the center of attention.
d. Spend forever picking out what to wear. Everything you own seems to exacerbate your spare tire. But holy fuck, are you ever looking forward to knocking back the wine tonight! Good times ahead!
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
4. When you meet someone for the first time, you always ask them…
a. What books they are currently reading.
b. How their love life is going or how they met their significant other.
c. What their big dreams and visions are.
d. What they do for a living.
5. In bed you like…
a. Dirty talk and role playing. Maybe even a bit of bondage.
b. Romantic bubble baths and eye gazing.
c. Excitement galore! Elevator sex, threesomes and lap dancing.
d. A candlelit massage on silk sheets, followed by a generous glass of red wine.
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
6. A perfect meal would not be complete without…
a. Scintillating conversation and debate.
b. Deliciously prepared seafood
c. Something spicy!
d. Chewy bread, tasty fowl, fine wine, good cheese and Tiramisu.
7. Your favorite escape is…
a. Music
b. Booze
c. A torrid affair
d. A good book
8. If you were handed one million dollars, you would…
a. Pay off your mortgage, upgrade your car and get your masters degree.
b. Go to a $30,000 shamanic dream journey retreat in Hawaii, a $28,000 past life DNA activation seminar in Sedona, Arizona, a $40,000 painting the goddess art tour of Italy, Greece and Turkey, etc, etc… and more wonderful stuff like this!
c. Start a charity for animals in need, backpack around the world – volunteering with various humanitarian aid organizations and write a novel about it.
d. Get plastic surgery.
9. Your tastes in literature tend to lean towards…
a. Non-fiction.
b. Romance novels.
c. Self help, personal growth and business books.
d. Stories! Especially trilogies and epic series.
10. You suddenly realize your job is total shit and everyone you work with is a complete sociopath. So of course you….
a. Spend a lot of time thinking about what you should do…..and plotting revenge.
b. Emote! Cry about your troubles to friends, family and random strangers in the lineup at the grocery store.
c. Take action! Immediately start looking for a new job and/or quit your current job.
d. Say to yourself “making changes is too hard right now” and then go watch some reality TV, eat some crispy chips and pretend everythings fine. Your unhappiness will show up later as stomach problems, headaches, rashes and eye infections.
Your Results!
Okay, now tally up your score…
Robin Wood Tarot
Mostly A’s – Oh no, this means you identify most strongly with the Suit of Swords – the jerkiest suit in the Tarot! Your brainy, bitchy, focused and boring. Oh well, at least your well read.
On the plus side, your great at communicating with others, teaching and making decisions. You don’t like to dawdle and piss around – you get shit done and most people respect you a great deal, even if they can’t stand you.
Fenestra Tarot
Mostly B’s – Yay! Your Cupsy! You identify most strongly with the Suit of Cups – the creative, emotional, touchy feely suit. You love intimacy but crave your freedom.
You enjoy spiritual exploration, personal growth and making stuff but your mom tells you that you need to get your shit together, for god’s sakes your 35 years old and other people your age have families, careers and second marriages. When are you ever going to find yourself?
Robin Wood Tarot
Mostly C’s – Well congratulations, you Wandsy Wanton! You identify most strongly with the Suit ofWands, the suit of impassioned action and adventure.
Your a go-getter, people like you and your sexy as hell. But at some point you will crash and burn, so don’t get so smug with your checked off goal lists and your manifested dreamboards. Mwwahahaha! At some point you will have a midlife crisis and realize that being successful is totally boring…at which point you may suddenly attain spiritual enlightenment.
Robin Wood Tarot
Mostly D’s – You identify strongly with the Suit of Pentacles. Your down to earth and what you see is what you get. You have truly mastered the art of being in the here and now – as skill that others could certainly learn from you.
You love all the earthly delights like food, wine and sex, but you can sometimes become obsessed with your physical appearance and have a tendency to ignore your emotions, which resurface as physical problems like constipation, low back pain and allergies.
In the comments below tell me which suit you fit into (or if you were a combination of two suits) and if your personality description was bang on or way off target 😉 ….
Veronica is my crazy, evil Tarot card reading twin. When she’s not traipsing about town sans underpants, she’s writing filthy trash and knocking back Mojitos like armageddon is just around the corner. Let’s see what kind of cracked out advice she’s cooked up for us today…
Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke
Today’s card is the Ten of Fossils (aka Ten of Pentacles), represented by Dog.
Dogs are all about loyalty and sucking up.
I’m more of a cat myself.
When you people-please and ass sniff all day long, bonds are instantly formed! It’s easy to feel part of the family.
But if your more cat-like, you might find yourself with more space for solitude and soothing emptiness – especially if you are prone to raking people’s faces when they get too touchy feely with you.
Traditionally this card is all about “the marketplace” or “everyday society”
So, ask yourself: when it comes to my place in my community/family, am I a cat or a dog?
Do you go through the motions of everyday life like a dog chasing a stick, clueless as to why he is doing it, but throwing himself into it wholeheartedly nonetheless?
Or do you sit on the sidelines, like a bitchy cat, enjoying your own snide mental commentary of your canine-esque neighbors and colleagues?
Veronica is my evil Tarot reading twin. She enjoys sneaking in dirty gifts at her workplace’s Secret Santa party, avoiding shopping malls and buying herself lavish gifts on Amazon.com. Let’s read her advice for the holiday season….
