6-9-2017- Full Moon in Sagittarius “Strong Sun Moon”

June 08, 2017

Color- Rose
Friday- Influenced by Venus – love, friendship, reconciliation, beauty
Sagittarius- Element fire, encourages self-confidence, expansive imagination, hopeful outlook, expansion & growth

Happy Full Moon in our lovely Fire Sign of Sagittarius. That sign which has self-confidence at its core as well as an optimistic outlook. The Sagittarius can point their arrow right toward their goals, & they always have impeccable aim! That fearlessness, as well as their sometimes-quiet fierceness (they are not as showy as the other signs in their element, Leo & Aries) serves them well. The moon is aligned this month in this sign to give us all access to this energy. Use it to point your arrows straight to where you want to go!

Venus & Mercury both returned to the signs that they rule on Tuesday, this is great news for all of us. Venus & Mercury open the doors to all of us for manifestation, especially when in their ruling signs. Planets being in their own sign & direct allows energy to flow in a very clear direction. The ease for the strengths of these planets to shine their light on us, helping is to navigate dark terrain is all around us.

We must enjoy what we do, to do it effectively. Venus in Taurus emphasizes how enjoyment in what we do gives us the energy to not only continue that path, but, also to do so with success. Venus is all about love, friendship & beauty. The Taurus, ruled by the Earthly Suit of Pentacles deals with those matters that are important to help us to remain grounded. Those things that at times can frankly feel like chores. However, the loving energy of Venus paired with Taurus grants us the amazing gift of seeing exactly where our path is leading & we will have fun while we navigate this path! Expect this energy to not only impact you, it will also have lovely implications for those around you. We can expect this to linger until Independence Day, 7/4.

Mercury will be in Gemini, its own sign until 6/21. This is going to be a little tough I’m being honest! It will be travelling close to the Sun during this time. Mercury is our ruler of communication, & remember that the Sun represents the physical world. So, do not let the quickness of the Sun’s proximity impact how you communicate with others. There will be a natural energy in the air that makes being quick, snappy & rash easy for all of us. Do not let this have a negative impact on those around you, & if you happen to get caught up in this be patient with yourself… it is natural with where the planets currently are. Mercury will end up in a heated opposition with Saturn, this means that those big ideas will require even bigger effort. Understand that those Wings of Mercury are magical, so is their charm & gift of gab. This energy will serve you well this month, use it wisely!

Friday’s Full Moon will be a powerful one, it peaks as its ruler Jupiter changes direction. Jupiter is the ruler of expansion. When planets change direction, it is very powerful because their effects can be felt on a grand scale. Friday’s Full Moon also sees most of its rulers being direct, which means we will all be soaring! Saturn plays a big part in the frequency of this month, the moon will be sitting a couple of degrees from Saturn. This is the last full moon in Sagittarius that Saturn will be present for the next few decades. What have you been able to become a master at the past couple of years, and how has that given you the confidence to point your arrow straight in the direction of your dreams?

Heru Jerome 5/23/2017

5/25/2017- New Moon in Gemini

May 23, 2017

Happy New Moon in our lovely Air Sign of Gemini. That sign which causes us to look at things from both perspectives. It is important to look at life from every angle possible, sometimes the answers aren’t always clear. Having the ability to look at the picture from every direction possible helps us to develop wisdom that is invaluable. Don’t always take things at face value, investigate until you can gather the truth. The energies of this moon will allow us all to exercise these abilities.

Venus squares Pluto on Thursday, the day of our New Moon. Venus is a planet that is associated with love in all its forms as well as the harmony that comes from channeling that energy. So, when the planet that is responsible for love & beauty finds itself in a tense square with Pluto, a planet that is associated with transformation (sometimes painfully). This pairing will give us a clear look into the pain that can severely damage if left unhealed. You will find very deep feelings arise within you during this time, these are feelings that may have not been apparent until now however they are coming to the surface so they can be manifested through strength. Like it says in the Neverending Story, “it has to hurt for it to heal.”

Venus is currently ruled by Mars, so we will find tough times as Mars opposes Saturn late Sunday night. Saturn’s lessons are needed, but can be harsh in their approach. These are two of the planets that can cause great moments of pain, however they can also cause extreme moments of ecstasy if the lessons that they teach are approached with an open mind & heart. They oppose each other in every since with Mars having the energy of the Suit of Wands encouraging us to go, & Saturn being slightly more cautious asking us to stay. Like the Gemini look to the duality of this lesson, how is it double sided & how can we learn to take a two-toned approach to how we handle matters in our lives?

We have a very strong lesson of determination presented to us this month, through realizing that sometimes it requires us to truly look at every angle of a situation to conquer it. It takes emotional maturity & intelligence; however, it is a skill that if properly developed has long lasting effects.

Take a moment on Thursday night to reflect on the duality in every situation. We can’t always take things at face value, & sometimes must use all our intelligence to get to the bottom of things. What is worth having, is truly worth fighting for.

Heru Jerome 5/23/2017

Tarot Talks Volume XV: An interview with Nicole Piar, creator of the Spirit Cat Cards

May 16, 2017

Hi my beautiful souls, before you blink your eyes it will be Summer here on the East Coast! I hope that you are all enjoying your Spring, & are taking advantage of those warm days! This is a great time to truly connect with your inner truth. That can be used to manifest your wildest dreams, making them a true reality. Oracle decks are a great way to communicate messages to yourself that help to nourish the soul. Nicole Piar has used cats to create a language that truly speaks to spirit. These animals, gentle, fierce tamed & not create a platform to express that which resides deep in the soul. I hope that you enjoy reading about this deck, as much as I do working with it!

-HERU JEROME

Interview
Nicole Piar creator of the Spirit Cat Cards

Nicole Piar has created a deck that is a breath of fresh air. These cats will become friends that comfort & deliver messages that are much needed.

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?

NP: I grew up in a very small town in New Hampshire. From my windows, you could only see trees. I wandered through that forest when everything was winter white & when it was soft, verdant summer green & when it was crisp, autumn gold & dried-blood red.

I spent so much time alone among the trees. I loved to daydream & feel the palpable enchantment of nature. This childhood brought out the seeker within me.

My parents grew up in New York City & were from immigrant families (my dad from Puerto Rico & my mom from Italy). They caught the wave of free-thinking, psychedelics, & the spirituality of nature in the 70’s.

My parents were in stark contrast to the more conservative, puritan descended, materialist New Englanders all around me. I felt like a fish out of water. Though I love solitude, I felt a deep loneliness there.

Now, I live in Los Angeles where all the weirdos & misfits wash up to shore from all over the world. It is easy to blend in by not blending. It is here that I found a sense of community for the first time, meeting artists, rebels, & mystics of all sorts.

Creativity & the spiritual quest matter to people here. It is a rich environment for learning from my fellows. Yet, nature is still right there from me too in the rugged canyons, spotted with hawks, lions, coyotes & deer.

Here I can walk right down to the edge of the human world & watch the endless rhythms of salty tides & waves & touch something bigger than me.

Nicole Piar, creator of the Spirit Cats Cards

Worthy Tarot: What drew you to Tarot & Oracle, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?

NP: My mother gave me a variation on the Tarot Deck called Psycards when I was 15 & I immediately started doing readings for myself & my best friend. I was fascinated by these magical archetypes & started including them in my artwork.

I have always been drawn to things connected to magic & intuition. I had a rich experience with night dreams from early childhood & that only became more intense & lucid as I learned more & had more practice.

With my Sun, Venus & Mercury all in Pisces, I have a natural inclination towards the rich inner world & have spent much energy & time cultivating my skill in travelling deep within & bringing back insights & visions.

My Spirit Cats carry the energy of playfulness, radical independence & healing love. They are mischievous, sensuous, & cuddly savoring solitude & connectedness.

They embrace the darkness & the light & they love to linger on the threshold.

Worthy Tarot: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?

NP: Dance is a fountain of inspiration for me. I love to dance as it is ephemeral creativity in action. Dance, especially for long hours under the Full Moon with other people, brings me visions, ecstatic comprehension, & an indescribable, visceral feeling of being a fully embodied spirit.

I incorporated that sensuous alchemy of imagination & being alive, humming & soft, into my deck. My deck has a bit of wildness to it. Perhaps, that is why cats came through to carry the messages, Cats are only partly tame & inhabit our society on their own terms.

Worthy Tarot: If you could use a film, artists, novels to make your dream Oracle Deck what would that be?

NP: If I could make a witch’s brew with the essence of the following inspirations & concoct an Oracle Deck, I would be delighted. James Jean, Amy Sol, Haruki Marukami, Virginia Woolf, Dark Crystal, Spirited Away, Amelie, & Totoro – all under the spell & divine orchestration of the nature spirits.

Worthy Tarot: Would you ever create another deck, maybe a Tarot Deck? Think about this one I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!

NP: I would definitely love to create another deck (oracle or tarot) but it is not something I will plan. I like to be open to receiving my projects from my soul & her friends beyond the viel – a rag-tag posse of nature spirits & guides. Once the project starts to emerge organically & from this intuitive place, then I am willing to make the commitment & sacrifices to bring it into reality.

As a creative, I have more ideas that I would ever be able to usher into this world. I have to let some of my dreams wither on the branch. This hurts but I trust that the ones that really need to come through me will as long as I am willing to do the work & be dedicated to that dream.

Worthy Tarot: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

NP: You can learn more about my Spirit Cats Deck & pick up a copy for yourself & a cat-loving friend here: www.spiritcatsdeck.com

I also have a Free Tarot/Oracle E-course called Vision Seeker. It is a 13-day quest with guided mediations, card spreads & creative exercises. You can join here: www.nicolepiar.com/courses

Pop over to my Instagram to say hello & see what I am currently working on: http://Instagram.com/ghostkittenart

5/10/2017- Full Moon in Scorpio (Flower Moon)

May 09, 2017

Spring is in full swing, so are the showers that promise to bring us all those pretty flowers. This has been an interesting couple of months, the universe has bent itself in so many ways to make lessons apparent to us. However, Pluto’s placement this month allows for positive transformation for all of us. Many people will look at this as luck, call it what you will but this energy is at our fingertips for us to use to our advantage. Use the energy of this month wisely, how can it be applied to your current situation to make the direction in which you are moving clearer?

Scorpio energy promotes genuine transformation by allowing us to reach a clearer since of who we are. Also, it sheds light to those corners that we would like to remain dark. However, proper balance of our shadow & light sides promotes a stronger intuition & sense of self. There is always a flip side of energy such as this, as powerfully healthy Scorpio energy can be… If not wielded properly it can also vibrate at an intense & very low vibration. Therefore, it is important to look at this sort of situation honestly. How can it be developed to find personal power & freedom? The events this month will solve to answer this question for all of us.

The past couple of months have been filled with lessons that are very deep rooted. They have promoted learning that we will carry through lifetimes. May is going to be a turning point for many of us. We will quickly move from the difficulties of the past few months with a greater sense of understanding. However, we are to do so with the lessons from the past couple of weeks. So now is the time to do some soul searching to see how you can effectively wield that change in your life. This way we do not look at certain opportunity as just luck, but as a solid chance to claim positive change. Mercury & Venus will start to speed up, which have both been retrograde. This movement will leave lingering effects way after the ending of this moon. We all will feel like the road which we are travelling on is much clearer.

Change is always an uneasy feeling, & great change is ahead. I know that there has been a weird energy in the atmosphere the past couple of weeks. Trust me, I have felt this as well. It is just our internal compasses telling us that major change is on the way. However, this doesn’t have to be met with a sense of anxiety. I began 2017 telling all of you that this is a 1 year, which is ruled by the Fool Card in the Tarot System. This is all about change, a clean slate that will change based on its influences. There is change in the cards for all of us as we enter the Summer, however it will be exciting and much needed to get us to our next phase!

We have been prepared fully through retrogrades and systematic full & new moons to allow us to understand our higher purpose. There is true meaning to why each & every one of us have incarnated here. Sometimes the minutia of the everyday can sometimes make seeing that purpose hazy. Every lesson serves to allow us to mature & handle what life throws at us with a little more grace. Keep your eyes open, we are almost there!

Heru Jerome 5/9/2017

4/26/2017- New Moon in Taurus

April 26, 2017

I hope that all of you are having a wonderful April, our month is ending but let that bring excitement, there are great things in store! Today is a New Moon in our lovely Earth Sign of Taurus. This is probably this sign out of all in the zodiac that gives me the most trouble as an Aries but that is a personal problem, lol. The Taurus is like fertilizer their ability to remain grounded & focused with where they will assert their energy to help their ideas flourish is a gift. The ability that allows the Taurus to put on blinders & focus, gives their dreams & wishes the proper nourishment to grow & prosper. However, those same blinders can sometimes hinder them from seeing the panoramic view that is life. This moon ushers us into balancing those tools within ourselves regardless of where we fall within the zodiac.

We have had many things thrown at us the past couple of weeks that have truly opened our eyes. One of them has been the Mercury Retrograde which I am sure will bring smiles to all of us once it ends. However, with a week of heightened intuition concerning those steps that need to be taken to get us to our hearts desires we are presented with a New Moon in a sign that has realism at its core! The lessons of this New Moon come to us in a week that is clear of other influences to allow us to truly get to the heart of what we will be taught over the next couple of weeks.

Although the Taurus is rooted and grounded to the lessons that earthly matters involve, its “Fixed Earth” orientation, can make them overindulgent, stubborn & stagnant. Truly walk with balance this month, & put clear view to how being too caught up in these tendencies can have negative effects for us this month. Being able to assert your energy to truly move to bringing ideas to fruition is an asset that is helpful to everyone. However, it must be trained as to not negatively influence other aspects of our lives. Do not allow those blinders to stop you from seeing things in your range that need your attention & energy as well! We will see significant change in the next coming weeks concerning those issues that the Mercury, Venus & Pluto retrogrades have presented us.

One of the things that can give us a release is that Mercury will come out of retrograde during the window of this New Moon. Mercury will begin moving forward again on 5/3 – 5/4, so many of the lessons that it has presented to us over the past couple of weeks will start to make sense for us. This month is rooted in the practicality of the Taurus, so expect the observations that we make to be done through a lens of sensibility. Venus finished it’s retrograde on 4/15 however it’s slow movement can still challenge us in the areas of relationships, personal values, friendships. Those insights of the Taurus will cause us to look clearly at how these things are impacting our grounding & everything associated with being grounded (money, health, living space, etc.).

This is a great time to set realistic intentions. There are many frequencies in our planets that are supporting positive change. How can the practicality & determination of the Taurus help you this month & how can they hold you back? Reflect honestly tonight with those ideas at the forefront of your mind. 2017 is an amazing month for all of us because it is a 1 month (2+1+7= 10 | 1+0= 1), so understand that change will occur regardless it is knitted within the fabric of this year. We just need to be strategic!

Heru Jerome 4/26/2017

4/20/2017- Pluto Retrograde

April 17, 2017

Pluto Retrograde 4-20-17 8:49am – Direct 9-28-17 3:36pm

Pluto retrograde will begin 4-20-17 at 8:49am ET at 19° Capricorn and ends on 9-28-17 at 3:36pm ET at 16° Capricorn. There will be opportunity for much progress, however there will also be many obstacles that test that progress. Jupiter’s involvement in this retrograde suggests that many problems that will arise will deal with greed, excess, our beliefs, our faith in them, & our personal & spiritual ideologies.

Pluto Retrogrades are very common in most all of our natal charts, about half of us have it in retrograde in our birth charts so generally there is less fear associated with it being in retrograde then say one of our inner planets. However, this still does have influence over us & repercussions so we are not out of the clear just yet!

All of us have the fear of letting go, even when it claws at us. Some of us struggle with this issue more than others. Pluto retrograde in one’s natal chart can make this fear of moving forward all too familiar! Retrogrades make it difficult for us to access energy that is most often abundant to us. So, expect this retrograde to bring with it the difficulties of bringing those intense needs to the surface that require your immediate attention. Especially in the areas of letting go & moving forward. You may have difficulties accessing your personal power at this time & expressing it.

Understand that our past life experiences can manifest fear in us that is very real. Most often this is from dealing with old issues of past karmic lessons. The fear of being controlled & the balance with taking control most often can deal with these past life traumas. The side that you fall on concerning this balance of power will be revealed through aspects of Pluto & fixed star conjunctions. These struggles spill over to many areas including fear of poverty, death, manipulation, & betrayal to name a few; these can make us extremely intense on the inside & difficult to be around.

Pluto retrogrades help to bring these fears to the surface through bringing fated events to us via our real world tests. These themes will continue to repeat themselves until you learn how to calm the beast that is within through learning how to properly wield inner power & intensity.

Pluto retrogrades occur often, typically they lasts for five months yearly, during Pluto’s opposition to the sun. It causes much less concern then the rarer retrogrades of our inner planets. Use this time as one to reflect about the proper use or misuse of power & control in your life. Look to those people in your circle who abuse their power using it to control, now is the time to remove those energies. If you have abused your power & have tried to control others in an unhealthy way, now is the time to change those behaviors. If you are too controlling in your relationships now is the time to reevaluate, smothering doesn’t always quantify love!

This is also a strong time for the Devil Card in the Tarot to take reign. Watch out for those habits that prevent your personal freedoms… What tethers you & prevents you from vibrating at your most high? Are issues such as laziness, overspending, not saving, overly sexual behaviors, gambling, racism, abuse of porn are they holding you back? Remember there is balance in everything, truly look at how these issues take a toll in your life!

Keep in mind that the presence of Jupiter in this retrograde means that opportunities for success will be presented to us. However, there will be many tests for us to comfortably get there. There is energy that is destructive and it hinders the transformation that is needed in us to move to our next steps. This retrograde will put that in our faces in order for us to find personal solutions to help us to succeed.

Events to Note:

Saturn Trine Uranus- use this time as an ideal one to make positive change that will bring realistic transition.

Jupiter Square Pluto- this is all about success, you will want to succeed and I mean big time. Watch out for the excessive pride that can come from our success in areas and how that is shown to others. Misuse of this can create big enemies that none of us want during this time.

This will be a great time filled with many lessons, just have to keep our eyes open to properly navigate.

Heru Jerome 4/17/2017

4/11/2017- Full Moon in Libra (Wind Moon)

April 11, 2017

Libra Moon-

Cooperation
Compromise
Social Activities
Balance
Friendship
Partnership

We have a Full Moon in our lovely Air sign of Libra, the sign that considers balance to be an integral part of navigating anything. As you know the element of Air deals with thoughts, expect this moon to bring clear thought in regards to how aligning the heart & mind better allows us to navigate self along with the needs of others. This is a very delicate dance, one that this moon is attempting to help us to master.

We have witnessed several cosmic events this year that are impacting all of us on a global karmic level. Just like the individual has its own karma that determines how we make moves, so does our world collectively. We witness this month the continued struggles that come from an ongoing Grand Square in the Cardinal Signs (Libra, Aries, Cancer & Capricorn). What does this mean to us? Well, just like those Cardinal signs usher us into our 4 seasons, this Grand Square will usher us into an area that allows us to learn from big life lessons. This can be a stressful time, however many of us will leap during this time because we are at the edge of the precipice. This isn’t always as terrifying as it sounds. Change will occur regardless however, the universe is giving us all that extra push this month. Access this power this month; it helps one to look at stress in a different way through seeing how it can bring forth positive change. Optimism is one of the most powerful weapons!

The Libra Full Moon is aligned to Jupiter, keep in mind that the moon is our feminine side & represents our subconscious & yin. These aspects are expanded during this time as support from Jupiter continues. Air signs are all about our headspace & how one thinks about things. Your mind will definitely try to conceptualize how things are effecting your overall well-being. Keep in mind that air blows around everything that is not tethered, do not allow your peace to be blown away in what many can consider temporary chaos. Allow yourself to access wisdom & see how you can use the energies of the month to promote clearer thinking. The thoughts that we will have are developing so we can bring them into action with the learning lessons of a Full Moon in a Cardinal sign. Use this light to guide you this month, that should bring much needed comfort & momentum.

“I see those trees, they bend in the wind, I feel that they have a lot more sense than me…” Kate Bush Rubberband Man

Full moons in Air signs teach us the ability to be flexible & adaptable. They help us to gain better perspective for ourselves & those around us through the clarity of balance. Keep in mind that the Sun & Moon enter a collective balance themselves this month. They will align with the on-going T-Square of Jupiter opposing Uranus with Pluto. This is tremendous energy from many different sources. You can see supported by the energies that are manifesting around us that we are close to major change not just on individual levels but on a huge global level. It is important to set intentions & remain grounded during times like these. I can’t tell anyone what to believe in or do, however it is important to connect with things on a more spiritual level during times like this. This gives one greater perspective & allows one to not only see but to truly understand things on a more collective level. We are all on the same journey, we just all have radically different ways that we will end up there. We are all in this together, change is near & it will be big!

The obstacles that have stood in the way of your spiritual, creative & mental freedoms will become apparent this month. We are in an Air sign so naturally you will want to think about these things, however it is important to see how you will bring change into practice that is practical for your spiritual self. This is why it is so important to be connected to a spiritual source that is greater than the individual, because it makes it easier to navigate this energy & wield powerful change. An awakening is happening for all of us, just anticipate what you will do once woken! STAY UP!!!!!!

Heru Jerome 4/11/2017

3/27/2017- New Moon in Aries

March 24, 2017

We have a New Moon in the amazing Cardinal sign of Aries! Sorry if I show a little favoritism, this is my sign & I am so much an Aries. The fiery, will be seen, fast moving warrior energy is something that I am very aware of. It is important though to learn how to tame those fires as not to burn others, but we all know a little burn is needed once in a while. This New Moon is aligned to the Spring, Season of Aces, & is associated with an energy that is capable of bringing forth exciting new things. Just like the flowers that come from the ground & bend their way towards the sun’s rays, the energy of this moon provides us the sunshine to help our new endeavors grow. Bravery is a concept that is not foreign to most Aries, allow yourself to tap into that energy this month regardless of your sign. The flip side to this attitude is also the me first, selfish mentality that is something that most fire signs struggle with. These behaviors will most likely be highlighted in yourselves and those around you this month. This moon is charged with energy to give you drive & focus, all of us should take full advantage.

One of the major aspects of this New Moon is Aries conjunction to retrograde Venus. Venus, being a sign of balance & harmony struggles with the power hungry energy of the Aries. So expect a push & pull this month concerning these areas. When Venus enters Aries, the “I Love You” energy can easily shift to “I Love Me.” So, this moon is suggesting to turn your attention inwards to have love for self. Bring this energy with you into your new projects & endeavors, they will not be successful without a deep understanding & connection to your personal needs. Reassess those values that are at your core, & be honest with yourself to see if those are in place in your life. We have the time to better understand in our minds eyes exactly who we are & what is needed to sustain us personally. This will help us not only to define our goals more clearly, but to realize them in our actual day to day.

The Aries energy is heightened this month; we have five planets in this sign as well as Mars. Mars is strongly supported by its proximity to Pluto, which can make matters spin out of control in an atmosphere that is charged with energy that is so much related to personal power. The Mars, Saturn, proximity this month allows Saturn to come in allowing Mars to proceed with caution. Meaning, Saturn provides the discipline for Mars to channel its power responsibly. We can also tap into this wisdom, using caution & strategic planning to carefully channel our energy to make our endeavors successful. You will be aware of any impulsiveness, a lot of that stems from internal frustration.

There is also a T-Square which brings Jupiter, Uranus & Pluto together. We find this providing the platform for new ideas that burn bright. This is the time to create something meaningful of substance that is aligned to your personal truth, freedom & power. This clarity will allow you to understand which ideas are worth your time & investment.

Pay attention to how you come across to others this month. There is great energy brewing & it is important that it is used responsibly. This is going to require us to be flexible, although the “me, me, me” mentality can be fun to talk about it is not always fun to be on the other side of it. You have to be able to balance that out, as to not be selfish. You should have in your heart & minds eyes what will serve you best, however it is a delicate dance when going about how you will convey that to others. This is a great time, take full advantage, enjoy the Spring!

Heru Jerome 3/24/2017

3/20/2017 | Spring Equinox 6:28am Northern Hemisphere

March 20, 2017

Spring is finally upon us, the season of new beginnings or the Season of Aces as I like to refer to it. The 2017 vernal or spring (or fall) equinox will come on 3/20 at 10:29 UTC, marking Spring in the north & Fall for the south. This is my favorite time of year because being the Cardinal Sign of Aries I start the Spring! Spring is so much like the Fool Card in the Tarot, a clean slate, that has the potential to develop into anything. So, this is a wonderful time to give birth to new ideas. I like to explain it to people this way:

In the Tarot the Winter time is represented by the Suit of Swords. This suit is aligned to the element of Air, & air deals with how we think about things. Therefore, the winter season presents the time for us to delve deeply into our thoughts, it is a time for stillness. All of the seasons create a wonderful platform for us to manifest. This is the most natural magic that we all have access to. We are ushered from the Winter season into the Spring (here in the North), so those seeds that are created in the Winter serve us well when we can start to plant them in the Spring where they will take bloom.

We should approach each season understanding this concept:

Spring: Season of Aces, Time of New Beginnings, Ideas Root & Bloom

Summer: Season of Wands, Time of the Alchemist, Energy Brewing, Ideas are Given Energy & Power to Come to Fruition

Fall: Season of Pentacles, Time of the Harvest, Provides the Foundation & Requires Discipline to Prune & Tend to Ideas to Cultivate Them

Winter: Season of Swords, Time of Stillness, Deep Reflection to be Grateful for Harvest, Time to Hone Ideas for Spring

Approaching each season with this understanding helps us to properly align ourselves to take full advantage & manifest what is in our wildest dreams. This also helps us to better navigate when we are hit with roadblocks. Those ideas that we plant in the Spring are given energy to grow in the Summer which is the Season of Wands. They are brought to action by the alchemy of the Summer & harvested during the Fall which is the Season of Pentacles. We then have the beauty of the holidays in the winter that allow us to meditate & give thanks for those things that we have harvested to again usher us into the Season of Swords, Winter Time, or the Season of Stillness….

The Spring Equinox symbolizes new beginnings across most cultures, we have put tremendous significance on these traditions. The Catholic tradition honors the time of Lent which is a time for self-reflection, through personal sacrifices one honors and appreciates the blessings that are presented during the Spring time or Easter which is all about Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This can also be seen as a transformation or new beginning which has been represented in our culture for centuries. Esotre or the Goddess of the Dawn is also a representation of the concept of starting over or new beginnings. Just like the first appearance of light in the sky Esotre represents that new light & ability to start over. These are not the only cultures that embrace this concept, the Spring Equinox marks the start of the Iranian New Year. It also is Vernal Equinox Day in Japan & Chunfen in China, which bears significance to farming traditions. We also start to see many images of those cute Easter Bunnies, which is a timeless image that carries the symbol of life the Egg.

Equinoxes are so special because they happen twice a year & take place when the hours of day & night are equal. My clients are very familiar with the concept of MAAT which teaches us balance in our light and shadow sides. It is important to remember that both of these aspects are very important to who we are. The duality of today’s equinox reminds us of how light and dark sides are equal, & it is important to have them balanced. Take time to examine your light & shadow sides during this time. What are those things that you proudly show in the light, & what aspects of who you are lay dormant in your shadow side? Life is a delicate dance; it is like walking a tight rope you want to use that pole to keep yourself steady. It is not always natural to be righteous or to stay in the light, just as it is unnatural to constantly be depressed or in a shadow state. Both are necessary to who we are, but none should take over. This week is a great time to celebrate your duality.

The energy of Aries helps us to think about what is next! So you will naturally be thinking about what the next thing is for you. Remember the natural balance of all of the seasons, & look back to the reflection that you have done this Winter. It will allow you to have a sense of direction for where you want your ideas to grow & thrive. Regardless if you are in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres the energy of Aries will generate a natural power, when properly balanced will help you to open true doors that will lead you well into the fall.

Put pen to paper this week, write down where you would like to see yourself go this Spring. Understand both the positive and negative aspects of what will get you there, & allow yourself the time to reflect on how the past year has helped you to grow. 2017 is all about newness rooted in effective strategy, how can this be applied to make major change in your life? This is a great week to conduct this personal exercise in order to see a clearer direction over the next few months.

Honor the growth that has happened in your life this year. However, understand the pain that was necessary to learn the lessons that allowed you to get here. The Spring Equinox is a magical time, flowers bud and so does our sense of who we are. Keep close to the lessons of past seasons, but also allow yourself to be open to the amazing changes that are to come!

Heru Jerome 3/20/2017

3/12/2017- Full Moon in Virgo- Storm Moon

March 10, 2017

So we have a Full Moon in our lovely Earth Sign of Virgo. We have spoken a lot about the situations that our actions can cause these last couple of months. 2017 has presented several opportunities to look at the consequences of our actions and to look at the results that come from our actions and how we can use those to catapult us into areas that are more suited to who we truly are. We all want positive outcomes, however sometimes forget that it is a bumpy road to get us there. The Virgo is the perfectionist; they seek to improve anything that they are involved in. The events that will take place this month are making improvements to get us all closer to who we truly are.

Mars is changing sign, this will steady the up and down that life has been throwing at all of us. We find ourselves looking at those areas of the Suit of Pentacles, those earthly concerns of most Earth signs especially the conservative Virgo. The real world issues that are around all of us are more than apparent. The Virgo energy of this moon helps us to contemplate. We find confirmation of our thoughts presented to us through various signs, and the action oriented energy of a Full Moon in an Earth Sign will cause us to move on our thoughts. This month is a call to action!

The Virgo considers everything, so look at what is currently working and what can use repairs. The soul searching that the Full Moon in Pisces on 2/26 has given us all ample time to look deeply. Now is the time to use that information to make true changes in the ways that we are doing things. We all know that 2017 is a year of 1, meaning that it is a blank slate, a time when the map re-calibrates. We all can go off track, but the universe has a way of putting us back on course. The direction in which we are to go is the one that will be best for who we truly are. Release that which has held you back this month, & do it without regret!

Virgo’s are meticulous in their maneuvers, so make sure that the energy that you exert this month is thought out & planned to be used for the greater good of your overall plan. Virgos need a cause that is worth their effort, make sure the work that you do this month is useful to what it is that you truly want. Also, give thought of what is needed to get you there.

March’s Full Moon is ruled by Mercury and sits in a square with Saturn. Saturn is our stern teacher, so lessons this month will be harsh however useful. Mercury delivers messages, & it is currently sitting in Pisces, so expect to get deliveries of those messages of an emotional nature. Pisces can make the visions that Mercury shows us blurry, so take the time to deeply contemplate on what you are being taught & how that can be applied to your greater good. Remember most Earth Signs have zero patience for bullshit and Virgo is one of them!

Clarity is a blessing & a powerful tool that can be used to hone truth & individual freedom & power. The last couple of months paired with the magic of a 1 year have all worked to make us better versions of who we truly are. We need to walk through life with clear purpose and this Virgo moon is allowing us to do so. Keep in mind that Venus is in the beginning phases of its retrograde, that will definitely play into how things are done this month. Venus is currently in Aries; this isn’t a quiet time. This is that vocal annoying SOB that points out the obvious instead of being silent. The boat will definitely be more than rocked this month, however, this is nothing that we will not be able to maneuver.

Heru Jerome

3/10/2017

2/26/2017 New Moon in Pisces – Solar Eclipse

February 24, 2017

Happy New Moon, in the lovely water sign of Pisces. It’s like Erykah Badu puts it, “two fish, one swimmin’ up stream… one swimmin’ down livin in a dream.” Pisces have the ability to see things in two directions, they look at both parts of the equation to determine exactly what the sum means. Expect this month to be filled with all sorts of energy, especially since Mars will bump heads with Pluto & Uranus. We will have to exercise the Pisces that is deep within all of us, as well as the ability to see things in their totality.

I relate to Mars in such a profound way, sometimes to my detriment. He rules my sun sign of Aries, and sometimes needs to be trained to cohabitate. Mars always doesn’t have an ear for others opinions, can tend to learn things the hard way, is a warrior most of the time, & generally will do what it wants to do! Currently in Aries, when this sign squares with Pluto there will come the whole push and pull & struggle for Power. Mars has a taste for power, & will do things in a way that only he can. When this planet becomes conjunct with Uranus we find that rebel come into play, fighting back at the systems that can bind us. However, this isn’t always a peaceful dance, it can be disruptive if not channeled properly. We may fight against those things that we feel tie us down with that, “I Don’t Give a Fuck Approach.” This can be charming in books & movies, but in real life not so much!

No one wants to be a rebel without a cause. We have to find those characteristics within ourselves that institute change in a way that eventually brings forth change for the betterment of all. That is how we should approach our day to day in this world. How can our footsteps make since for others that will one day walk where we once did? Especially in today’s highly charged political climate it is so important to channel our energy effectively. Change is brought forth with great thought & strategy, that is what moves people. Rebellion although sometimes needed doesn’t always provide the long-term effects that we would like it to.

We have to understand that not everyone views life in this fashion. The ego can manifest very self-centered feelings that causes one to believe that their needs are greater, & their stories more

important than others. So the rebellion that we see is not always for the benefit of others. Many times it can be oppressive, this New Moon will shed light onto who benefits and who is repressed by this sort of behavior. What is being broken down, and who benefits from its destruction?

Sunday will bring us a Solar eclipse in Pisces, this occurs the same time when Mars will conjunct with Uranus. We all have seen what having a lack of compassion breeds into this world. We are in a time where we can’t be more divided which is very sad, because the issues that divide us are the same issues for us all. Trust me, those in Milwaukee are struggling with the same things those are in Newark NJ. We can’t be more connected now, because we all are hurting about the same things. New Moons are generally a time for new beginnings, but this moon in particular will bring together themes that have haunted us all over the past couple of years. Kindness is such a valuable characteristic to the human experience & it is important that it never leaves us. We have to develop this in a greater since to sustain the world that we live in, & the world that we will one day pass on to others to take care of.

True rebellion & freedom is understanding this concept deep within. The systems that we rebel against most times were truly not set up to allow us to flourish. What generates change is understanding each other, then it spreads! Release yourself from that which binds you to give you the freedom to fly, & once in flight help others to ascend as well. We will continue to be drained by that which keeps us down until we realize that the knowledge that we learn once we get our personal freedom should be shared & not kept for few of us!

Heru Jerome

2/24/2017

1/27/2017 New Moon in Aquarius

January 26, 2017

Happy New Moon, in our lovely Air Sign Aquarius. Our water bearer who thinks about things so much at times, the feeling of Atlas having the world on his shoulders can become all too familiar. This new moon has Venus squaring Saturn at the forefront. Expect your thoughts to be on Love (Venus) and Financial Matters (Saturn). Light will be shed on the difficulties that improper balance in these areas can have on our minds & hearts.

Imbalance in our Venus and Saturn quadrants can bring much frustration when we are not properly aligned, disciplined, or lack proper communication skills. It is important to realize that these are issues that the best of us struggle with. We must tend to these areas daily to help them to thrive, much like our gardens. We all know that beautiful landscapes do not grow overnight, they are a process. However, with proper pruning, watering & love we can get these areas to bloom. This new moon phase is the final in the current eclipse cycle which began in September 2016. It will bring an irritating feeling in those areas we discussed. The frequencies are there this month, so have extra patience and care in your dealings with people. This feeling is calling you to take action in these areas not weigh you down. Do not get caught up in depression this month, gather yourself to a point where you have crystal clear vision about exactly what your expectations are in these areas and make a real plan about how you can change things for the better.

As you know, New Moons represent a beginning of a new cycle which means an ending of an old one. So get ready for a new 28-day cycle in February. This is the beauty of Tarot & Astrology we use it as a map. You understand that Saturn and Venus will highlight our areas of Love & Financial matters so keep that in the back of your mind when addressing problems that may occur in these areas over the next couple of weeks. Make way for new beginnings during the first two weeks of this moon.

Venus square Saturn is a huge influence over our January new moon. This formation can add stress to our intimate relationships because of the abundance of negative feelings that we may have during this time. Most of this arises from our own internal fears and self-doubts, however they may also emerge from those around you. Feeling lonely & depressed in this frequency is quite common. Also pay very close attention to how you spend your money this month, avoid unnecessary spending as it may bring more stress to what can be a stressful couple of weeks.

Pay attention to that which needs your care, especially the care of your loved ones. You may be feeling low this month, however those close to you will most likely feel the same and need your support. Now is the time to go to action as to avoid negative results. Delve deep into your soul and look at how your personal actions effect you and those around you. Make the necessary changes to institute more caring into your dealings, the challenges of this month if left unattended can lead to breakups, or deep financial troubles.

New Moons are about New Beginnings! Keep that in mind as you maneuver, I know that the tone of the next couple of weeks could be a little sad. However, the moon is simply highlighting the areas that bring struggle so we better deal with them to have an open space in our hearts to bring in a frequency that aligns more with who we truly are & need. Hold those things dear this month that you value deeply, and pace yourself before you react understanding the framework of the next few weeks. We will get through it!

Heru Jerome

1/26/2017

1/10/2017 Full Moon in Cancer

January 11, 2017

Happy full moon, our first of 2017 and it is in the sign of Cancer! The moon represents our feminine side and intuition… who it is that we really are. In Egypt it is represented by the Cobra that the Pharos wore on their crown. The feminine counterpart to the masculine Sun Side of us represented by the Vulture. This is going to be an interesting moon because it previews what our journey will be over the next year. Of course it will be marked with great twists and turns, but the watery and intuitive energy of Cancer says a lot about the journey that we are all about to embark on.

The feminine or Moon side is where our subconscious lies, and all of the intricacies of who it is that we really are. The Full Moon on 1/10 will call us to step into our truth, & look at it for what it is, in the attempt that we will begin to make the changes that are necessary to move forward. Doing this in a conscious & intelligent way allows us to access the inner power that is inside all of us.

This energy will be intensified due to a Grand Cross formation that will be taking form in the sky the same night as the full moon. This is a square that is formed by at least 4 planets. The January 2017 Full Moon you see the Sun opposite the Moon at right angles to Jupiter opposite Uranus, which creates a push and pull between two different extremes. A Grand Cross makes for energies that are difficult to resolve because each opposition has its own set of energies and extremes to deal with. When paired the oppositions create an eternal struggle. So get prepared for several tests this month.

As you can imagine this is energy that has been building up for some time now & it will become part of bigger events that will play out for us over the next few years. This has great energy & is interesting in 2017, 2016 called for us to make many changes based on all of the processing and downloading we were doing in a 9 year. We did much clearing closed old projects, & made the necessary space to bring things into our existence that were deep within our hearts. The energy that is brewing at the beginning of this month almost allows us to sit back and observe the slow building energy that will be at its height during next month’s eclipse. There is a lot brewing, but it is doing so slowly allowing us to preview exactly how it will take form in our lives.

Be cautious of being impulsive during the time of this moon. The energy of the Grand Cross will cause your emotions to be higher than they normally are. You will be doing a lot of processing of your feelings & I am sure that you will feel those rising to the surface. Allow those to be released in a healthy manner, many of these may not be all personal struggle. Some of what you may feel is probably the result of the energies that are moving in the planets around us. Allow for restorative rest this month, it is important to process everything that is going on in your mind & heart. Also, you don’t always have to move into action with what you are feeling. Especially this month J!

This is a great and interesting start to 2017, a moon in the cardinal sign of Cancer. Like the crab you will want to feel nested in your own energy. However, do not be sensitive to change like crabs are. This is going to be a year where change is all around us. We have to understand what those mean to us, & learn how to incorporate them in our lives. Allow the energy brewing this month to guide you, trust what is in your heart and follow it.

Heru Jerome

1/11/2017

Tarot Talks Volume XIV: An interview with Neil Lovell, creator of the Tyldwick Tarot

January 06, 2017

Hi my beautiful souls! Winter is here & so is the time to connect with The Hermit. This is a great time of year because it allows the stillness that is necessary to connect with self on a deeper level. The bridge is built in the winter that leads us to the Spring, the season of aces & time of new beginnings. The stillness of winter allows us to reflect on the Harvest of Fall, what we are grateful for & what we would like to see ourselves do better. Neil Lovell has created a deck that works well with this self-reflection, it is like a warm sweater on a cold winters day. Something that seems as though it was found in a closest in an old house, but this deck is far from being old or mundane. There are no people in the deck, merely glimpses in the Court Cards. The scenes depicted allow one to connect to the subconscious with crystal clear vision. I hope that you enjoy reading about it as much as I do working with it!

-HERU JEROME

Interview
Neil Lovell creator of the Tyldwick Tarot

The familiar images of the Rider Waite deck may create structure for this deck, but Neil Lovell has created a deck that is truly a piece of art. There is something that is timeless & new about it both at the same time. It is like a magical object found in Grandma’s attic. It’s like he said “I’ve tried to capture some of that sense of only ever being given half of the story, of not quite being let into the secret. The intrigue of knowing somethings got history behind it, but only being able to guess as to its truth.”

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?

NL: I spent my childhood and teenage years in a village in Northamptonshire, which is in the very center of England- as far away from the coast as it’s possibly to get. My family, which is very large and very extended, has lived there for generations, mostly working on land and in forestry, so I still feel a very strong connection to it. It’s changed enormously since I was a child. These days it’s fairly anonymous and feels much like anywhere else. But back in the 1970s it had a very distinctive character. It was still pretty Victorian in many respects, it could just as easily have been in the 1870s in terms of the way most people lived and how it operated. The same families had been there forever, there weren’t many outsiders. There was certainly a running surplus of established eccentrics who were very much entrenched into the fabric of village life.

We weren’t at all well off, and being stuck in the middle of nowhere, there wasn’t a great deal to do, so very early on I developed quite an overactive imagination and that’s stayed with me ever since. I don’t think I was particularly unusual in that respect – nobody else had much money either, at least not in my immediate peer group, so I’m not claiming that I was especially deprived. Most of the kids in my village back then tended to be fairly creative and imaginative by default simply because of the majority of time you needed to make your own entertainment. It wasn’t like nowadays where children spend hours a day in front of some screen. You went to school, you went to chapel, but that left a lot of time over to use up and you all needed a certain amount of imagination to fill it in. I think maybe my creativity and imagination just extended further than some of the others. I suspect that part of that was to do with my being exceptionally small; I didn’t start growing to normal size – if I am allowed to say that- until very late, in my mid-teens. I tend to forget now how small I was, and people who did not know me as a child think it is hilarious when they find out. I was only reminded of it myself the other day when I saw some photographs my uncle had taken of me and some of my cousins- I think I had to be about 7 or 8 in these pictures- and I wasn’t just small, I was properly tiny. In retrospect, I think that probably had some kind of effect. When you’re little, and you can’t run as fast or climb as high or ride your bike as far as the other kids, you inevitably end up being left out of some things. So you need to find other ways of keeping yourself occupied- which for me was reading, music, just generally drawing and making stuff I suppose. But I didn’t have a lonely isolated childhood or anything traumatic like that. The family was always around, everywhere, so I always had plenty of cousins to play with. I wasn’t one of the wild ones (and some kids in my village were extremely wild), but I did all the regular things, good and bad, that you’d expect to do growing up in the countryside of England.

To answer your question about how growing up influenced what I do creatively, I’m not completely sure, but there are a few things that I am conscious of. The first is obviously just the urge to create. That’s a product of my early background and something I’m grateful for. Second, I’m saddled with a great enthusiasm for and fascination with the past, particularly its more hidden aspects. When you grow up in a village, you’re surrounded by secrets- there are so many things that have happened, often a long time ago, that are only ever whispered about and never openly explained. Family secrets, village secrets – so many secrets. I think the obsession with secrecy may be a peculiarly English trait – that whole “not in front of the children” attitude. My own childhood was deeply affected by that and I think it possibly shows through. In all my decks, particularly with the Tyldwick Tarot, I’ve tried to capture some of that sense of only ever being given half the story, of not quite being let into the secret. The intrigue of knowing somethings got a history behind it, but only being able to guess as to its truth. I suppose I like the fantasy of someone discovering one of my decks in an old box in an attic somewhere, or down the back of a bookcase – that’s very much influenced the type of designs I produce and the styles I’ve chosen to work in.

When I was 18, I went off to Oxford where I read Classics. I was there four years, did all the embarrassing things that every student does everywhere; probably like every ex-student does everywhere, I now live in perpetual dread of any of them coming to light. After that I moved immediately to London, where I have lived since. I spent more than 20 years working in market and brand consultancy, becoming a partner in a small boutique agency which during my time there expanded and evolved into a much larger and profitable outfit. I had a very successful career there working for many global brands, particularly media brands – that meant a lot of international travel, reporting to top brass, often working to very tight deadlines, a lot of intellectual pressure. I loved the job for a long time but towards the end I became progressively more disillusioned with what I was doing. I’m afraid it was a slow death. I’d felt for some time that I wanted to devote my energies into something more purely creative; eventually I had to acknowledge that the tension between what I was doing professionally and what I actually wanted to do wasn’t sustainable, so I decided to just ship out and leave that whole world of big business and million dollar decisions behind. I can’t complain – I had many years working with great colleagues, I had a better boss than it’s possible to dream of, and I did all right out of it financially over the years! And that brings me to where I am now a year later, being a full time artist and designer. It’s a very different life. I’m still based in London, although I’m not sure that I need to be here much longer. I’m in the fortunate position of being able to do what I do from anywhere I like. I wouldn’t mind a bit more space- both physically and mentally- than London offers, that’s for sure. I suppose it’s a decision for me to make over the next year or so.

Worthy Tarot: What drew you to Tarot, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?

NL: I wish I could give you a more interesting backstory. I was only about 13 when I bought my first deck- it’s difficult for me to remember that far back, and I don’t recall any specific trigger. I do know that as a youngster I was interested in the supernatural. Perhaps not so much interested in the supernatural, actually- more, I’d say, fascinated by the unexplained. In England there was a popular magazine called, imaginatively enough, The Unexplained - it was one of those silly partworks where you collected all the editions every week for about a hundred years and put them into binders. My cousin used to get this magazine, and whenever I was wound at his house I’d pore over it obsessively. Not so much the stuff about Uri Geller, UFOs, men in black, or the Philadelphia Experiment; I was never terribly interested in any of that. I think that possibly all felt too American and very distant from my own surroundings. But I loved all the historical and folk mysteries which belonged to the landscape I was lining in and which were intimately connected to a culture I could instantly recognize: Merlin, the Grail, ley lines, the Lambton Worm, the Woolpit Children, Spring-heeled Jack. Of course even at a conservative estimate ninety percent of the material in this magazine was absolute fantasy twaddle, but back in the 70s and 80s, before the internet ruined everything and destroyed imagination, it was much easier to be seduced and convinced by it. Particulary growing up where I did, where as I’ve already said there just wasn’t very much other stimulus. Anyway, I think it was probably against that backdrop that I first decided to get a Tarot deck. I’d love to be able to say that I was drawn to Tarot because it called out to me or that I immediately felt some deep spiritual affinity with it, but I’m afraid that wouldn’t be true. It’s much more likely that I was attracted to it because it was a bit spooky and weird, and because I’d seen it in the opening of Tales of the Unexpected. I suspect most people of my generation – if they are honest about it- would probably tell a similar tale. Because back then there simply wasn’t the literature or the knowledge base that there is now. There weren’t even many decks around. It was only many years later, I’d say perhaps in the early 90s, that you could walk into any bookshop and take your pick, without getting to the counter and being stared at like you were some kind of devil worshipping deviant.

More generally, I’ve also always had a slightly pathetic devotion to sets: I’m one of those completists who reads one novel by an author and then has to read everything else they ever wrote. Couldn’t read just one Murdoch- had to read all twenty six in one go. Couldn’t watch just one Fassbinder movie- had to see them all. And in an odd way, I think the sequence and structure of the Tarot deck appealed to me very strongly precisely because of that tendency in my character. I love the deck’s symmetry, and how individual cards work and combine together as a complete set. That was certainly one of the reasons I wanted to create my own deck: to see if I could create 78 separate pieces of design that which would join together as a unified whole. Achieving that unity certainly isn’t easy. As I’m sure other designers will have already told you, one of the toughest parts of designing a Tarot deck is the need for cohesion- creating cards that work as separate pieces of original design but which also add up to more than the sum of the parts. That can be frustrating and often desperate process, because very often you are forced to discard designs for not fitting the overall scheme. You regularly throw out designs which you’ve spent ages working on. What’s worst is if you make a radical change of direction midway – or even later – through the process. That’s happened to me a couple of times designing Lenormand decks.

I couldn’t really say what aspects of my own energy are in the decks I ended up creating – that may be a question better answered by others – but when I set out to design the Tyldwick Tarot I knew that I wanted to capture some of that original sense of mystery I’d felt when I bought my own first deck, back in the days before every aspect of Tarot had been described and analyzed in the hundreds of books and thousands of articles written since. I very definitely didn’t want to make a deck which gave away answers directly – I wanted it to provoke its uses to wonder and to speculate, encouraging them to probe their own intuition and to develop their own interpretations.

I suppose the two aspects of the Tyldwick Tarot which set it apart most immediately from other decks are that (a) every card’s set within and around the same house, and (b) it doesn’t feature any people (although the Courts have hints of them). Both were deliberate decisions; I wanted to set the deck in a single place to create unity, and I wanted readers to respond to atmospheres rather than personalities. It’s a deck which communicates its messages through memories, echoes, and traces. I imagine that it will require a certain amount of dedication and patience to work with. That was a concern when it came to actually publishing the deck. Before you publish and finally give people the opportunity to use a deck, you don’t know it’s going to be received- whether it will actually work. And then once its published it’s really out of your own hands after that. I’ve been delighted to hear from so many readers who tell me they genuinely “got it”. I realize that it’s not a deck for everyone, and the reaction to the deck since it has been published has been quite polarized. I haven’t seen many middling opinions- people’s responses to it have seemed to be either extremely positive or extremely negative. I don’t mind that – I’d much prefer to put a deck out which generates strong opinion either way than something which nobody cares less about. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s made it into the Tarot “canon”, but I can see that it’s made some impact and I’m pleased about that.

Worthy Tarot: We are entering an Air Age which is associated with thought. When you examine air it can blow everything around that is not tethered. People are trying to find their footing and light as they enter this age and are drawn to the magic and spirituality of the Tarot. The face of the tarot just like our new age is changing, how do you feel your deck lends to this revolution?

NL: Hmmm, I’m not altogether certain how it does. I can only speak for myself and I wouldn’t want to make assumptions about what draws other people to my deck, or to Tarot in general. I know I’ve made some changes to myself to my own situation and I’ve recently gone through a major reassessment of what I’m looking for in life. I walked away from a highly lucrative and established previous career to pursue a much more modest but more fulfilling existence. Whether that’s prompted by the coming Air Age or just by my own middle age I can’t tell.

Is the Air age an unqualified good? I don’t have an answer, so I can’t really analyze what role my decks might have in that shift. I agree absolutely with your comment about air blowing everything around that’s not tethered- that’s a good way of expressing quite a lot of what I actually find frustrating and disappointing about modern life, particularly what happens online. I don’t want to sound like some grumpy dinosaur, but a large part of both the spirit and behavior of the Air Age strikes me as being very superficial and incredibly selfish. There’s a huge amount of moral vanity and more competiveness and, sad to say, moral laziness swirling around nowadays, generally tied up with identity politics. I don’t see very much progress or revolution happening. I think technology, for all the benefits and delights it provides, is exercising a damaging effect here and I worry about how social medial in particular is affecting the collective psyche – what the consequences are going to be on the pathology of future generations, and what that’s going to mean for all of us.

Air by itself is… just that, air. It needs to be substantiated by the other elements if we’re all going to get anywhere or get anything done. Regretfully at the moment I think there are many people who’ve somehow convinced themselves that thought, by itself, provides sufficient claim to moral virtue – that being a good person is determined entirely by what you think, rather than by anything you do. I can’t align myself with that. I find it especially depressing that being a “good person” seems in the minds of many increasingly to depend more upon how loudly you declare your right-on credentials in Facebook posts than upon what you’re personally prepared to do to make a difference. Posting a message declaring how much you hate the Daily Mail or Fox News doesn’t make you a good person – it’s just empty virtue signaling, involving no sacrifice or effort. Whether you hate the Daily Mail or Fox News (or, more to the point, broadcasting loudly to the world that you hate them) is neither here nor there in my book. It’s not enough simply to click and support the cause- goodness requires rather more sacrifice than that. It’s going next door and helping out your neighbor who maybe can’t read very well, or taking the time to do the gardening for the disabled lady up the road who can’t manage it herself. Donating your time, your talent, or your money to others in need, whomever and wherever they may be. Tarot is a fantastic tool, to my mind one of the very best tools, for providing answers to life’s many questions. But if you don’t then use those answers for good, well, I’m afraid there’s nothing very magical or spiritual about that.

Worthy Tarot: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?

NL: It can come from anywhere, but memories of childhood are especially powerful. And fascination with the past is an ongoing feature of my work, for better or worse. All of my decks have, at least to some degree, been imagined pastiches – I’ve designed them to look like they’ve been around a long time. I think I’ve already said enough about that though – I’ll only be repeating if I say more about it.

I do follow what other deck designers are up to, and of course there’s also a lot of inspiration there. I like Robert Place’s work very much indeed. Although his visual style is quite different to mine and we’ve not met one another, I do feel some kind of invisible humming thread connecting what he does to what I do. He seems to be interested in many of the same things as me: historicism, allegory, mythology, symbology. And I adore Patrick Valenza’s work with absolute, unqualified love. It’s probably saying the unsayable, but I do think there’s a certain subtle competiveness between deck designers, even if they generally don’t know one another and although they’re working in completely different areas. You sometimes see an amazing deck and at the same time as you admire and appreciate it, you’re also just a little envious that someone else came up with such a great idea and realized it. You can’t help it – I suppose it’s an inevitable consequence of others also designing fantastic stiff. I don’t think there’s anything around with that kind of friendly rivalry though. It spurs you on to do better yourself next time.

Worthy Tarot: If you could use a film, artists, novels to make your dream Tarot deck what would that be? (I have a couple NeverendingStory Tarot, Pippi Longstocking Tarot, Julie Heffernan Tarot like please now!!!!)

NL: Well, when it comes to artists, all the obvious ones. I often wish that at least one of the greatest Renaissance painters had done us all a favor and knocked out a deck. I’m sure Michelangelo could have squeezed another 22 paintings into his schedule if he tried. I have to say, though, that I have mixed feelings about those artist themed decks of this sort which occasionally come out. I see people who’ve attempted to create decks out of classic paintings by Raphael or Alfred Waterhouse or whatever, but, speaking just for myself, I don’t think they ever quite work. I recognize that those decks have of course been compromised by what original art’s available, but I just feel that all too often the art itself’s been shoehorned into a structure where it doesn’t fit very well. The cards can be lovely, but as decks they’re really just catalogs of paintings rearranged with new titles attached.- and the links to the titles are necessarily often somewhat tenuous. So whenever I see someone’s bringing out a Klimt deck or a Schiele deck or something like that, I do look at it… but after some initial enthusiasm I quickly end up getting frustrated and impatient, wishing instead that Klimt or Schiele had designed one. I don’t think it helps either if you’re already familiar with the artworks, because they tend to carry quite powerful associations of their own and that inevitably causes interference.

I have a number of paintings in my house by a Hungarian artist who worked mostly in the 50s and 60s, Laszio Dregely, and I’ve sometimes wondered what kind of deck he would of produced. His work carries a lot of very subtle symbols and mythological allusions and I’d like to have seen how he’d have incorporated them into a deck. There’s recently discovered deck by Austin Osman Spare due out soon which I am waiting for and really looking forward to, and I suspect Dregely might have come up with something in a similar vein.

I’m not sure about films or novels – nothing immediately springs to mind. I’m not much of a fantasy fan: I’m such a drudge, these days I mostly only read novels about English middle-class anxiety and watch dreary European films about existential crisis. I don’t think much of that would translate across to a deck very easily. There’s no film I’m so crazy about that I find myself wishing that it had a deck. Although purely in terms of art direction and costume I’d have like to have seen what Eiko Ishioka could have done. Her work was amazing, even if the films it appeared in weren’t always the best. Immortals, for example, was truly dreadful in terms of script and performances, but was absolutely glorious to look at. I think she’d have created a fantastic deck. The dame with Alexander McQueen. If he could have disciplined himself enough to stick to the structure, that would have been interesting.

Worthy Tarot: Would you ever create another deck, think about this one as I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!

NL: I’ve already started another deck, but progress on it’s been quite slow to date- much slower that I’d hoped. I’ve designed several Lenormand decks since I published the Tyldwick Tarot, but I’ve found it impossible to combine Lenormand and Tarot projects. I’ve recently realsised that if I’m going to get the new Tarot deck done I need to dedicate myself to it exclusively. It’s surprised me, actually, because I’ve not had a problem working on multiple Lenormand decks at a time – in fact I’ve found it nice being able to hop between the various different decks I’ve had on the go. But the new Tarot deck clearly refuses to share my time with anything else, it demands 100% attention. So the plan’s now to get the three Lenormand decks I’m working on done and out the door. Once they’re finally out of the way (early next year) I can knuckle down to working on the Tarot project properly.

Worthy Tarot: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

NL: My website is www.malpertuis.co.uk I also have a regularly updated Facebook page for Malpertuis at www.facebook.com/malpertuisdesigns.

2017 Going Back to 1

January 04, 2017

By: Heru Jerome

Happy New Year, Happy 2017, Happy 1 Year. 2017 cleans the slate & ushers us into the realm of number 1. What does this mean? Well, when we look at 2017 in terms of numerology 2+0+1+7=10 we look at years in single digits so 1+0 equals…. Wait for it…. #1!!! The last decade has been filled with many life lessons, much change, & a greater sense of self from the lessons & tests that we have all endured. Even those with 3rd eyes that aren’t the most open can notice the spiritual shift that has been occurring over the past few years & sudden change. This trend is only just beginning. The time of 1 is all about change, fresh starts, and the freedom that comes from being who you truly are.

Whenever faced with the word change many of us quiver, change can be a scary concept especially when it is sudden. However, like Benjamin Franklin states, “when you are finished changing, you are finished.” What is not growing is dead, & each year provides the foundation for tremendous growth with the tools that the previous year has granted.

1 Years are like the Fool Card in the Tarot, they are blank slates that are extremely powerful because they have the potential to become anything.

They can morph into what influences them, both positive or negative…. Or like most of us a combination of both. Understand that the 1 year grants us access to an entirely different path, and a brand new 9-year cycle of our lives. However, you are not entering this period blindly. You have all of the arsenal behind you that you have learned to wield over the past year, which will help you to enter a period of greater understanding with much more focus & clarity. Open your eyes to the new potential that is constantly developing around all of us. How can that energy be harnessed to be used to our benefit?

One way that we are able to benefit from the newness of any year is to develop firm and realistic goals based on who we are, the lessons that we have learned along the way, & the ability to delve deeply inside to ask your heart what it truly is that you need & want. Do not let others influence those ideas that come to you. This isn’t about resolutions that we will abandon in a month. This is about developing a solid map that is clear in where direction leads. We have to begin to understand as a society that our wants are all different & begin to remove the self-doubt & judgement that can occur when we have aspirations that cause us to reach. Dream big, but dream realistically having the intelligence to see all of the little pieces that need to be sewn together to bring your dreams into fruition.

We all will have growing pains this year because 1 supports it. You may begin to think differently about things that you have been very sure of over the past decade. You may be presented with new opportunities that you did not expect. Most importantly you probably will begin to rid yourself of old systems of thoughts, ways, & people that no longer serve who you are simply because you are becoming your true self. The room that is created from this cleansing leaves room for new energies to come in!

One of the greatest gifts that 2017 will bring us is a defined and realistic sense of self-worth based on all of the tests of the past few years. 1 is the number if individuality, knowing oneself & what one needs to be healthy & productive. All the tests will have something to do with change, individualism, personal leadership & finding true purpose.

Everything in life is frequency, I could write a whole article on this. However, to avoid you reading a dissertation I will explain it like this. Our thoughts carry a frequency; our truth carries a frequency. The lovers, jobs, friends, people, family members, pets that we attract we do so because their frequency corresponds with ours. When we are on a path of ascension & greater understanding our frequency begins to shift. Therefore, those friends, lovers, jobs, family members, pets, habits etc. that no longer coalesce with ours …. REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM US. This is one of the most difficult concepts for myself and many of my clients to truly understand. They enter this spiritual path to find self, put the work in and I get calls saying “Heru my life is falling apart… my relationship isn’t working… I lost my job… distance is growing between me and my friends….” Well most times that is because your frequencies no longer agree and the universe is making space for something new to enter based on your change. Many of us do not look at it this way though & take these shifts as personal failures & blows to the ego. Understand that 2017 may see an end to people & habits that are no longer on your bandwidth. I know this is bittersweet it’s okay to feel that sadness, but not okay to wallow in it because it stunts your spiritual growth.

This is going to sound selfish, but this year is the year of you! When we truly look at it this is probably the most selfless year to date because how can any of us be of value to anyone if we do not value ourselves. The universe will open itself up to acquaint us all with self through showing us the beautiful, the ugly, the terrifying, & the tempting to bring us out on the other side fully understood. Break free from those constrictions that others put on you, rid yourself of those doubts that you place on yourself. Allow a freethinking open energy to come in, allow it to remove judgements of others and of self. Simply put we can’t be good lovers, brothers, sisters, uncles, citizens, artists, or people if we are not first good to ourselves so understand that 2017 is putting that back into practice for all of us.

The beautiful thing is that once we own this, we find more respect from people, less criticism, & the ability to be who we are without the bullshit that comes…. & hey, if it does the way it can affect us shifts because our individual strength is greater. 2017 has much in store, you will find your mind clearer… your purpose will be obvious to you…. those dreams from a couple of years ago will most likely have the fuel to take off. We will all visit new terrain which can be scary, but we will do so with the experience gained from previous mistakes! Hold on, there is much in store!

Heru Jerome

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Tarot Talks Volume XIII: An interview with Devany Litha Wolfe, creator of the SERPENTFIRE Tarot

December 01, 2016

Hi my beautiful souls! The holiday season is upon us; this is a great time to reflect on everything that you are grateful for. Give thanks for the family, loved ones, friends & relationships that sustain us. Utilize this time to turn inward looking at present & past behaviors that both help and hinder us throughout our journeys. Devany Litha Wolfe, has created a deck that is so close to my heart. It incorporates contemporary images with Egyptian imagery to create a deck that is as beautiful as it is useful. This deck communicates the feminine principal clearly it is a great change in many decks that are populated with male energy.
-HERU JEROME

Interview
Devany Litha Wolfe creator of the SERPENTFIRE Tarot

Devany Litha Wolfe has created a deck that is a work of art and is a sister deck to the Thoth Deck. Its mixed imagery of the contemporary with the classic blends together seamlessly creating cards that are magical. The images are so layered they cause you to delve deeper than the traditional meanings of the cards. It is a great tool to have in any spiritual practice.

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?

DLW: I’m from small-town Ontario, currently residing in Toronto. This is a great deal of lovely scenery here, that for sure – but most of my creativity is influenced by other types of landscapes and dreamscapes – a psychedelic blend of both. The desert in particular has a hold over me; it’s symbolism and starkness is great for expressing archetypes.

Devany Litha Wolfe, creator of the SERPENTFIRE Tarot

Worthy Tarot: What drew you to Tarot, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?

DLW: I was drawn to the tarot/esoterica from a very early age. I loved all of the artwork and was fascinated by the breadth of it all. When I began working with the Thoth tarot several years ago, that was really the tipping point. I resonated so much with the meanings of those cards and how they were expressed. SERPENTFIRE Tarot is like a sister deck to Thoth. Its uniqueness comes in the artistic style, primarily, and the use of almost only female figures throughout. The digitally collaged medium is unlike any other deck out there to date, and I really enjoyed exploring the cards with the Goddess in mind, instead of the Rider Waite-Smith, for example, which is very male-centric. I am a feminist and believe that more emphasis needs to be placed on women artists and makers of all kinds, so making a deck that prominently features women as the subject was a no-brainer.

Worthy Tarot: We are entering an Air Age which is associated with thought. When you examine air it can blow everything around that is not tethered. People are trying to find their footing and light as they enter this age and are drawn to the magic and spirituality of the Tarot. The face of the tarot just like our new age is changing, how do you feel your deck lends to this revolution?

DLW: As I mentioned, this deck points towards a more feminine paradigm shift, encouraging those who use it to tap into the divine feminine- whatever that means for them. In this thoughtful age, I feel many people, especially women, are waking up to their own power and are not simply laying down to oppression or repression. This deck showcases women in positions previously held by men in the tarot – especially in the Major Arcana cards. Also, the digitally collaged format of the artwork lends itself to the new age of computerized artwork, bending previous ideas of what tarot artwork could be.

Worthy Tarot: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?

DLW: Big projects inspire me, and I was very interested to see what would go into creating 78 complex pieces for a single body of work. That’s what started the ball rolling. As I grew more and more familiar with the intricacies of the tarot, and the profound impact that is has on people’s lives this inspired me so much that is has now become a permanent niche in my life. As of yet, I have not done a single reading where there hasn’t been such resonance that the person receiving the reading isn’t a little awe-struck. The cards help you to see into yourself, using archetypes and universal language. It is magickal, and I sought to create a deck that would be accessible in its positive affirmations but also challenging when necessary.

Worthy Tarot: Would you ever create another deck, think about this one as I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!

DLW: I have begun creating an oracle deck, simply under the title “SERPENTFIRE Oracle” thus far. I’m not yet sure how many cards it will have, but it will be focusing on Jungian archetypes of the light and shadow self. I am very excited to reveal this when it is done, because this project is allowing for some creative license where tarot does not – so this will have a bit more of my own spin on things.
As for creating another tarot deck- I have created the trumps for another deck called “Eternal Horizons” which is very Ancient Egyptian in motif, but instead of releasing them as a deck, I am going to be creating large scale paintings of the card artwork, because many of them are my best work to date. These paintings will be made over the next year, so watch out for updates on my Instagram (@serpentfire)!

Worthy Tarot: If you could have your favorite artist/artists create your dream deck who would they be?

DLW: I would live Nicole Magnolia or Neil Krug to create a photography deck, I think Sebastian Wahl would make an insanely amazing collage deck, and Randal Roberts would make an eye popping painting based deck for sure.

Worthy Tarot: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

DLW: shop.serpentfire.ca or they can email me info@serpentfire.ca :)

Chakra Meditation

September 20, 2016

Chakra Meditation 9.20.2016

By: Heru Jerome

I hope that all of you are surrounded in light and love… The Fall is starting off AMAZING, enjoy it! The changing leaves, the walks, the breeze… this is a great time to connect with self on a deep and spiritual level. This probably is why many of you have asked me to share some of my meditation techniques. The Chakra Meditation that I perform is something in my arsenal that has allowed me to access tremendous energy, with it I can shift my energy when I am not in the best of places. I like to visualize myself in my sacred space, for me that is a brownstone building that has 7 floors. Each floor is associated with the color, emotions, and feelings of its corresponding chakra. To go floor to floor you must actively rid yourself of the challenges that chakra represents. Sounds confusing, let’s make sense of it!

Close your eyes, and see yourself surrounded in white protective light. Access your key to get into your Chakra Space by letting go of any negative emotions that you might be harboring. Feel the weight of the key in your hand, look at its’ markings.… — Close your eyes, and see yourself surrounded in white protective light. Access your key to get into your Chakra Space by letting go of any negative emotions that you might be harboring. Feel the weight of the key in your hand, look at its’ markings. Allow yourself to put your key in your door, and you have access to the first floor!

1st Floor- Root Chakra
Element- Earth
Color- Red
Physical Association- Skeletal Structure, teeth, large intestine, kidneys, blood

Upon entering the first floor you notice yourself surrounded in red light. This color is a representation of MULADHARA or our root Chakra. I am sure that you feel the density, red is the densest out of all of the colors in the chakra system. In science red is the slowest of all of the wavelengths, yet it remains visually stimulating. Just like warning signs & stop signs the red chakra commands one to take notice. It can also warn us of danger. When we cut ourselves, we bleed red which is our life-force. Also red is the first color we see growing in the womb.

When we have a balanced root or foundation we naturally can manifest:

• The ability to calm through stillness

• Physical health and stamina

• Healthy blood, organs, tissues, skin

• Healthy body weight

• Energy, vitality, healthy sexual libido

We can also manifest certain challenges when our foundation is not properly rooted. These can include:

• Disconnect with our bodies

• Obesity, health problems that arise

• Laziness, sluggishness, stubbornness, cramps, irritation, issues with fibroids

• Depression, anxiety, over indulgence in sexual behaviors

• Poor spending habits

The root chakra is also the energy of the manifestation of our anger. We all deal with these emotions at one time or another and there is nothing wrong with that. Oftentimes, the issues arise from how we express our emotions. Our fears can make us overspend, be lazy, procrastinate, & become depressed because we direct our energy inwards. We may be overly sexual because we feel that is a distraction from dealing with our emotions.

Take a moment to reflect on how this chakra is currently impacting your life both negative and positive. Are there things that you can adjust and better deal with the be more balanced? Forgive yourself for where you are now, allow those issues to come to the forefront and simply breathe to let them go. This relief gives you access to the 2nd floor and our next Chakra!

Meditation Exercise

WHAT NEGATIVE ASPECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROOT CHAKRA CAN WE GET RID OF TO ENTER A BETTER STATE OF PEACE AND BALANCE? ENVISION THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU STRUGGLE WITH AT YOUR ROOT AND SEE YOURSELF ACTIVELY MOVING THROUGH THEM WITH GRACE AND EASE. NOW THE DOORWAY OPENS FOR YOU TO ACCESS THE SECOND FLOOR OF YOUR SANCTUARY TO THE SACRAL CHAKRA.

2nd Floor- Sacral Chakra
Element- Water
Color- Orange
Physical Association- Womb, genitals, kidney, bladder

The 2nd, floor is surrounded in Orange light! This color is a representation of Svadhisthana our Sacral Chakra, also known as the creative and sexual chakra. It is located above the pubic bone & below the navel.
Svadhisthana is translated as “the dwelling place of the self.” When we examine this with the understanding that the element of the Sacral Chakra is water we understand that it promotes a since of cohesiveness with who we truly are against the demands of the real world. When we are balanced in this chakra we are able to access emotions of wellness, abundance & pure joy.

Svadhisthana is also located in our pelvic areas, to be more accurate it resides in the gut. Proper balance and trust allows us to work better with those “gut” feelings that we get about things. Orange is a very sensual color and living with a connection to it helps to turn the blandest of things into activities that can provide deep senses of pleasure.

Orange is also associated with gentle nurturing, giving this energy to ourselves and others keeps us on the path of true growth and spiritual development.
Physically the Sacral Chakra relates to the colon, bladder, & gallbladder and is a major part of the digestive cycle.

Balanced use of the Sacral Chakra promotes:
•   Stimulated senses
•   Enjoyment of life
•   Healthy access of emotions and feelings
•   Heathy relationships, the ability to relate on a physical and spiritual level
•   Deep expression of sexuality and sensual pleasure
•   Feeling the inside and outside of the world fearlessly
•   Creativity, fantasies, dreams

Imbalances in the Sacral Chakra can manifest as:
•   Dependency, or co-dependency with other people or substances or habits that bring quick access to pleasure
•   Letting your emotions control, you
•   Feeling trapped in a particular mood or pattern
•   Lack of sexual desire, dissatisfaction with sex
•   Overindulgence in fantasies and sexual obsessions
•   Feeling numb, out of touch with emotions

Meditation Exercise
ALLOW YOURSELF A MOMENT TO BE AT BREATH, WHAT NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF AN IMBALANCE OF THE SACRAL CHAKRA CAN YOU WORK ON RIDDING YOURSELF OF? LET THE ENERGY BEGIN IN THE AREA OF THE PUBIC BONE AND NAVAL FEEL IT’S WARMTH ALLOW IT TO TRAVEL UP YOUR SPINE TO YOUR CROWN CHAKRA. NOW YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE THIRD FLOOR YOUR SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA!

3rd Floor- Solar Plexus Chakra
Element- Fire
Color- Yellow
Physical association- Digestive system, liver, gall bladder

Upon entering the third floor you notice that it is surrounded in yellow and gold light! This is the representation of Manipura our 3rd chakra. This Chakra is located between the naval and the solar plexus, and is the core of our personality, identity, and pause wait for it…. our Egos! Balance within this Chakra gives us the ability to truly wield our willpower, and to have a clear perception of who we are within this world. Notice that it is right on top of our Sacral Chakra which is about fun and enjoyment, which can be the foundation to move fearlessly in this world with a true connection to our personal truths, values & who we are.
Moving within this frequency allows us to move with clear action, allowing us to meet challenges with grace to move faster and forward in our lives. The challenges of this Chakra is truly balancing personal power and the ego. Our Egos can be a tremendous blessing, or a great curse depending on how we tame them.
We must consciously harness our personal power and not be victim to it. Have you had outbursts, gone off on people that were or weren’t deserving of it? Can you anticipate what your reactions to life circumstances are, are your reactions that of love & light or an expression of inner stress and disappointment? Realize that the center of the Solar Plexus Chakra is also your self-esteem. Self-love and acceptance are the tools that allow us to not be victims but to continue forward on our paths learning from life’s lessons.

Manipura translates to “lustrous gem” balance within these energies grants:
•   Clear direction of goals in life
•   Proper discipline to achieve those goals
•   Healthy view of self-esteem how you see yourself which allows you to understand how to see yourself in the world
•   Accomplishment, day to day not feeling like chores, moving through things without procrastination
•   Life’s challenges will wash over you, with the understanding that they are merely tests on your path
•   Discipline of the ego

Imbalance within these energies can promote:
•   Laziness, Stubbornness, Ignorance
•   Poor self-esteem and the unhealthy habits that come from that poor diet, sleep habits, skin problems, anxiety
•   Unnecessary fear, the feeling of being stuck and not moving ahead
•   Not being able to truly be happy for others out of jealousness and frustrations because of comparison of where they are vs. where you are
•   Relationships that are not based on truth, but rather superficial things
•   The feeling that the outward appearance of having certain material things makes the inside okay and healthy

Meditation Exercise
WHAT NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THESE ENERGIES CAN YOU RID YOURSELF OF? HOW CAN WORKING ON THESE IMBALANCES WITH PROPER BALANCE & CONCENTRATION ALLOW YOU TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE? PAUSE AND BE AT BREATH YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE 4TH FLOOR, THE HEART CHAKRA.

4th Floor- Heart Chakra
Element- Air
Color- Green
Physical association- Heart, lungs, circulatory system, arms, hands

Upon entering the 4th floor you notice that it is bathed in green light. This is the representation of Anahata, the 4th Chakra. Joy, compassion, warmth, and love are the center of this Chakra which is located in the center of our chests at the heart level. The Heart Chakra moves love through our lives. It is the center of our kindness, compassion, connection with people and things, self-love, respect for self & others, & our generosity.
This Chakra, the unifying Chakra, brings completeness and the feeling of being one with self. The Heart Chakra is our healing center, love heals everything! The energy of Anahata also teaches us that we aren’t alone. It reminds us that we are in a global community and makes us feel attachment and belonging to something that is bigger than ourselves. We are all interconnected through complicated webs and the heart chakra reminds the loneliest of us of those strings that tie us all.
It is important to remember to walk this world on the path of love. Love yourself, love those who have created you, love those who you have yet to meet. Have compassion & understanding through the knowledge that our differences are actually what make us the same. Living this way will inspire compassion & love in the coldest of hearts. All of the Chakras are important, however this one is the KEY. It unlocks doors and manifests miracles.

Benefits to an open heart Chakra:
•   Ability to give and receive love on all levels
•   Deep respect and honor for self through self-love
•   Compassion and generosity
•   The ability to give without the need to receive in return
•   Being able to move quickly through your mistakes, because of a deep knowing of self
•   Ability to express your feelings in a mature & healthy way

Symptoms of a Blocked Heart Chakra:
•   Loneliness
•   Anxiety and shyness
•   Being very picky, overly critical of self and those around you
•   Feeling constricted, all freedom and hope lost
•   Holding grudges for years to come
•   Inability to give and receive, thinking that everyone wants something from you
•   Suspicion and fear, letting these ruin new and existing friendships and relationships

Meditation Exercise-
WHAT NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF HAVING A BLOCKED HEART CHAKRA HAVE HELD YOU BACK? HOW MANY GIFTS COULD YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO, BUT FEAR AND SELF DOUBT KEPT YOU AT ARMS LENGTH. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU STILL ANGRY AT FROM THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED YEARS AGO, OR EVEN IN PAST LIFETIMES? DO YOU TRULY LOVE AND HONOR SELF AND TREAT YOURSELF AS SUCH, ARE YOU ON THE PATH TO GETTING THERE? PAUSE AND BE AT BREATH AND UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN BETTER WORK IN THESE ENERGIES, FORGIVE YOURSELF AND BE PATIENT. YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE 5TH FLOOR, THE THROAT CHAKRA.

5TH Floor- Throat Chakra
Element- Akasha
Color- Blue
Physical Association- Throat, ears, mouth, shoulders, and neck

Upon entering the 5th floor, you notice that it is bathed in blue light. This is a representation of Visuddha our Throat Chakra. We must live authentically, in our truest form always shining our light. The Throat Chakra helps us to move within this energy genuinely. The Visuddha is the first of the higher spiritual chakras. It is located in the region of the neck and shoulders and has the beautiful color of blue. It is important to always speak your truth, proper use of this chakra allows you to do so.
The frequency of this Chakra allows us to look further, behind, beyond and through things to get to the heart of the truth in matters. This goes beyond our cultural and family conditioning, and speaks to our souls that reveal who we really are.
So with all of this talk, and the challenges of the world and our peers you can imagine that this Chakra presents many challenges associated with self-doubt and negative thinking. This is when it is important to truly connect with yourself on a spiritual level through meditation. The key is to start to put yourself in a place where you are able to verify what you know to be true through the experiences that you have in your life. Everything happens for a reason and has its purpose, once we reach that realization fear & doubt are removed. Stand up for who you are, and what you know to be true. Respect your ideas and understand that your energy is like a fingerprint unique only to you. Everything that is around you from the time you come here to when you leave and head to the next all comes together like puzzle pieces to build the uniqueness that is you.
Move through life with a sense of integrity and honor, be what you dare. All of this is rooted in our Throat Chakras.

Benefits of an Open Throat Chakra:
•   Plethora of creative ideas and thoughts
•   Personal sense of integrity and grace
•   Freedom and courage to be who you are and express that
•   An open mind to new ideas
•   Questioning what you see before you, delving for your own answers
•   The ability to hear what others are truly saying between their words
•   People taking notice to you, what you say, either being mystified or totally put-off

Symptoms of a blocked Throat Chakra:
•   Feeling like you are not heard or seen, feeling misunderstood like your words have no weight
•   Communication barriers with yourself and those around you
•   Feeling like you can’t intelligently articulate your thoughts
•   Arguments with those closest to you about small things that do not impact the bigger picture
•   Fear of speaking up for yourself at your job, in your relationships
•   Keeping secrets from those closest to you for fear of not being accepted
•   Not saying what you feel because you want to be polite and not offend
•   Difficulties learning a new language

Meditation Exercise:
WHAT ASPECTS OF HAVING A BLOCKED THROAT CHAKRA HAVE HELD YOU BACK? HOW HAS THIS FEAR KEPT YOU FROM BLOSSOMING INTO WHO YOU TRULY ARE? ENVISION YOURSELF WALKING IN YOUR LIGHT, FREE FROM JUDGEMENT FROM OTHERS BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY OF SELF. YOU ARE A DIVINE BEING MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE, KNOW THAT YOU ARE HERE TO SHINE YOUR LIGHT. LET IT SHINE! YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE 6TH FLOOR, THE 3RD EYE CHAKRA.

6th Floor- 3rd Eye Chakra
Element- All elements combined, light
Physical Association- Eyes, base of skull, brow

Upon entering the 6th floor you notice that it is bathed in Indigo light. This is a representation of Ajna, our 3rd Eye Chakra. This chakra is located in the brain, just at the brow & above the base of the nose. This grants us the ability to truly see, both internally and externally. Prayer, and meditation help to relax us and make our thoughts clear so we can really hear ourselves. The 3rd Eye Chakra really helps us in this cause. This energy center helps us to experience clear thought, and to connect with ourselves & others on a spiritual level through true contemplation of self, due to self-reflection.
That inner voice inside of you is your conscious speaking to you, the third eye chakra allows us to connect with this voice on a very deep level. We can clearly cut through the screen door that blurs the truth to see what we know inherently to be true for ourselves. We can become witness, and see things as observers carefully working through events to establish truth and codes that we live by.
To really work in this sort of energy it is important to rid yourself of self-limiting ideas and allow yourself to develop the wisdom from knowledge that only comes from looking at things past the duality of what you have been taught of what is good or bad, or black or white. You start to truly understand the concept of MAAT from Egypt and the balance that comes with everything. You can see the middle ground much easier to find the proper answers for yourself without much care of the opinions of others because you are wise enough to understand those can be limiting.
We are naturally light and dark, masculine and feminine. This is supported by the Cobra and Vulture on the brow of a Pharos’s crown The Cobra or Ujadt representing the feminine side of our brains and the Vulture or Nekhebhet representing the masculine sides of us. Proper balance of the 3rd eye chakra sees both of these sides operating in complete symmetry. Our system of justice and ethics are birthed from the 3rd Eye Chakra, because it allows us to question and understand what things truly mean.

Benefits of an open 3rd Eye Chakra:
•   Deep connection to self, trusting self, truly being able to rely on self
•   Open communication with the inner voice, letting it guide you to what is true
•   Both sides of the brain working in complete symmetry
•   Balance in relationships
•   No longer sweating the small stuff because you see the bigger picture
•   Truly understanding your purpose and why you are here
•   Foresight, psychic abilities, anticipation of events
•   Negative energy washing over you like you are wearing an egg shell

Symptoms of a blocked 3rd Eye Chakra:
•   Not trusting self
•   Closemindedness accepting what is put in front of you, not having the courage to delve for the truth
•   Blocked thoughts, not being able to think or see clearly
•   Total disconnect of both sides of the brain, feeling stuck in patterns for decades doing new things with the same old approach
•   Anxiety, and worry
•   Disconnection with the spiritual realm, believing what is in front of you is all there is
•   Insomnia, depression, bad dreams, migraines, high blood pressure, thyroid problems

Meditation Exercise:
WHAT CAN YOU RID YOURSELF OF TO TRULY FEEL FREE? WHAT BLOCKAGES HAVE YOU PLACED ON YOURSELF THAT HINDER YOU FROM CONNECTING TO YOUR INNER VOICE? WHEN IS THE LAST THAT YOU CHALLENGED WHAT IS PUT BEFORE YOU? DO YOU ACCEPT THINGS AS TRUTH EVEN THOUGH YOUR SUBCONCIOUS MIND PUSHES AND PULLS AGAINST? HAVE YOU TURNED OFF THAT VOICE COMPLETELY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET REACQUAINTED WITH IT? TAKE A MOMENT AND BE AT BREATH, LET GO OF ALL LIMITATIONS FORGIVE YOURSELF AND THOSE AROUND YOU. YOU ARE NOW ON THE LAST FLOOR, THE 7TH THAT OF YOUR CROWN CHAKRA.

7th Floor- Crown Chakra
Color- Violet or White
Physical Association- Central nervous system, cerebral cortex

Upon entering the 7th floor, the last of our chakras you notice that it is bathed in violet & white light this represents Sahasrana our Crown Chakra. This chakra is the top of our crowns, and at the very top of the Chakra ladder. It’s our connection to the universe and the Divine. When connected with it we truly experience Unity and understand that everything is connected on a spiritual level. When we walk in the light of the Crown Chakra we have the knowing of oneness and feel a natural connection with everything and everyone.
The Crown Chakra grants us with the natural ability to experience the oneness in everything. It is our link to understanding that everything is connected by tiny threads. Vibrating in this frequency allows us to experience the serenity, pleasure and joy in life. You have a deep understanding that even within the most chaotic of things there is an order that frames our existence.
This chakra encourages us to go beyond the limits of our egos and partake in a more global approach and sense of connection in our thinking, movements & decisions. Many studies state that the Crown Chakra is both the receiver and giver of energy, receiving energy to sustain life and giving back that energy that becomes part of the “collective pool of consciousness.” This is the crossroads where timelessness presents itself and where death and eternal life meet.

Benefits to an open Crown Chakra:
•   Moving beyond the ego
•   Understanding the interconnectedness of life
•   Being able to connect the tiny lines and see the bigger picture
•   Feelings of grounding, oneness, being at complete peace
•   Connection to a higher power, not just your own
•   Fearlessness, faith & gratitude

Symptoms of a blocked Crown Chakra:
•   Loneliness, despair, isolation, inability to connect with others on a deeper level
•   Feeling a spiritual disconnect
•   Inability to find one’s purpose and direction in life
•   Insomnia, depression, procrastination
•   Negative outlook on life

Meditation Exercise
YOU ARE ONE WITH LIFE; YOU ARE MOVING IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO. ANYTHING NEGATIVE THAT HAPPENS ARE MERELY TEST DRIVES TO TRAIN YOUR SOUL TO VIBRATE ON A HIGHER FREQUENCY. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DIFFERENCES ARE ACTUALLY WHAT MAKE US THE SAME. ALL NEGATIVITY WASHES OVER YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE AT PURPOSE AND ARE FULLY PROTECTED. YOU ALWAYS WILL MOVE WITHIN YOUR LIGHT, EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE DIM.

Tarot Talks Volume XII: An interview with Jennifer Drantel, creator of the Nomad Tarot

September 20, 2016

Hi my beautiful souls! The Season of Pentacles (Fall) will soon be here. I hope your summers were amazing & gave you’re the time to explore what you will like to bring into fruition this fall. As the pentacles suggest, the fall is about the harvest. Putting fingers to soil, getting dirty & doing the work that is required to build. The lovely navies and whites of Jennifer Drantel’s Nomad Tarot are a great way for me to connect to that transitional phase where summer is almost over and fall approaches. Her use of minimal images helps me to get straight to the heart of matters. This deck is truly a breath of fresh air & a very powerful tool in my Tarot Arsenal. I hope that you enjoy reading about this deck as much as I enjoy working with it.

-HERU JEROME

Interview
Jennifer Drantell creator of the Nomad Tarot

Jennifer Drantel has created a deck that may not be “traditional” but has a tremendous connection to the elements (Fire, Air, Water & Earth). Feathers, crystals & nautical elements make for a deck that is deeply rooted in nature & the subconscious.

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?

JD: Well, I feel like I’m from all over. I grew up in Maryland, right on the Chesapeake Bay, and have lived in Hawaii, Colorado, Florida, Ireland, & California (hence the business name “Nomad”). The past seven years my family and I lived north of Seattle in a little town called Bellingham, WA, and I’d say the Nomad Tarot Deck has a distinct Pacific Northwest flavor. There’s a wild woodsy vibe that I associate with the mountains, forests, and tide pools of the Pacific Northwest and the Salish Sea.
I’ve just moved to Savannah, GA to pursue my MFA in Textile Design.

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DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat=… — Jennifer Drantel, creator of the Nomad Tarot

Worthy Tarot: What drew you to Tarot, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?

JD: I grew up in a very strict Catholic family, and I think because of the hours spent at church staring at ornate altars and stained glass windows, I’ve always been fascinated by religious iconography and symbolic imagery. One of my best friends got me into reading Tarot when we owned an art gallery together in Oakland, CA, and after my husband and I moved north to Washington my friend (who is a really amazing musician: https://derekschmidt.bandcamp.com/album/major-arcana-vol-i) started a project where he was composing a song inspired by each of the Major Arcana. I started talking to him about it, and I had an upcoming gallery show booked and no real inspiration, so I decided to illustrate the Major Arcana as sort of tie-in for his project. I did about six months of research on the Tarot, its history, lots of different decks, as well as research into Norse mythology, Native American totems, herbology, botany, alchemy, and the Kabbalah, & I fell in love the more I worked on it. Once I started drawing the Major Arcana, I became obsessed with having a whole deck in my hands, & about a week before my show I illustrated the remaining 56 cards in a fit of insanity and sleep-deprivation. I never imagined my deck would take off the way that it has, I only wanted to be able to use it myself. After the show I had such an overwhelming response to the deck that I found a manufacturer, got a bunch printed, and started selling them online.

I have to admit that I’m not a longtime Tarot reader, & I think for that reason I created a deck that might be slightly untraditional, but felt more intuitive to me. I feel a stronger connection to the elements (Fire, Air, Water & Earth) instead of Cups, Wands, Pentacles & Swords. I am also heavily influenced by the natural world, for me Tarot is an opportunity to tap into the energy & beauty of the world around me & remember my place in it, so that imagery is much more present in my deck than in many others (particularly Rider-Waite). I fleshed my deck with pip cards instead of unique minor cards because as a visual person & illustrator, I am so captivated by imagery that I found illustrated minor cards to be a distraction to my readings. I found myself reading so deeply into each & every little detail & symbol that it was upsetting the balance & flow of my readings, & how I wanted them to feel as I was interpreting them. Using a deck with pip cards is peaceful for me, quieter, & I find myself better able to focus on the larger patterns & tides within the spreads.

I really just created the deck I wanted to use & am completely amazed each time I hear another person say the deck speaks to them as well.

JD: While I absolutely adore all of the older Tarot decks (an all-time favorite is the Psychedelic Tarot!), I think a sad connotation for many people is that reading Tarot is only for a specific demographic. But as you said, more and more people are turning to Tarot and Astrology these days, I think some of the more traditional imagery can be confusing & off-putting to many who would otherwise love the spirit of the Tarot. So I really strove to create a deck that felt very modern & new, with simple clean imagery & a style that I felt would seem approachable and visually appealing to a different crowd. I wanted the imagery to feel relevant to me now, & relevant to the things I connect with in my everyday life.

Worthy Tarot: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?

JD: I’m inspired by travel, adventure, the quite small moments in nature happening around us all the time. I’m inspired by my best friends who are all fearless artists, & my 4-year old son who is a complete wild thing.

Worthy Tarot: If you could use a film, artists, novels to make your dream Tarot deck what would that be? (I have a couple Neverending Story Tarot, Pippi Longstocking Tarot, Julie Heffernan Tarot like please now!!!!)

JD: One of my favorite illustrators is Carson Ellis, so I think a Tarot deck of hers would just be impossibly beautiful I also would love to see a deck created by David Lynch- I think his work has a sense of the uncanny that feels exactly how I want my Tarot readings to feel. His films are dark and eerie but there’s also a sense of wonder, of the unknown, and the indescribably that makes you delve to a new depth, & I think it would be a fascinating deck to work with.

Worthy Tarot: Would you ever create another deck, think about this one as I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!

JD: I think if I ever did, it would be interesting to create an “East Coast” deck inspired by the history, ecology, & topography around Savannah to foil the West-coast imagery of the first deck. But that being said, I’ll probably never get around to doing it. I’ve got a lot of projects on all the other burners that require my attention first. Plus, Grad school isn’t exactly leaving me with much in the way of “spare-time.”

Worthy Tarot: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

JD: The deck and guidebook can be purchased directly from me through my webpage, www.shop-nomad.com & is also available for purchase at a smattering of small shops all over the country. & It’s just gone international and is now available in Manchester, UK at Little Red Tarot.

Tarot Talks Volume XI: An interview with Terry Marks, Artist Extraordinaire & Contributor of the Stuckists Tarot Deck

July 27, 2016

Hello, all of my beautiful souls I hope that you are enjoying your summer. Taking walks, hikes, getting into the water at the beaches and lakes. Taking those midnight walks around the block after those sticky, humid summer days. Hopefully the AC bills aren’t that high this year, with all of the challenges that Summer brings this to me is the most wonderful time of the year. I find my thoughts clear which always lends to the best readings. I have been blessed in my life to create a network of people that have truly inspired, mentored me, and people that I can now call some of my closest friends. Terry Marks is one of those people, we started working on my full body tattoo almost 11 years ago and I am honored to call her a friend. I continue to be in awe of her lines, attention to detail and her continuation of painting in oil making sure that old traditions are honored in this Age of Aquarius. I hope that you are all as inspired by Terry as I continue to be!

-HERU JEROME

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DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat=… — Temperance, from Stuckists Tarot by Terry Marks

Interview
Terry Marks Artist Extraordinaire & Contributor of the Stuckists Tarot Deck (Temperance)

Terry Marks has brought new life to timeless traditions. Her attention to detail and work in oil is awe inspiring. She creates characters that are all her own, and tattoos that are beautiful and worth carrying for a lifetime. I am honored to call her a mentor and friend!

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about your art and your process.

TM: I make oil paintings with a surreal take on Magical Realism. The stories I tell have a kind of upside-down, perverse logic, like dreams. Both puzzling and believable, many of the elements I put in are contradictory, things that shouldn't be in the same room together, but are.

I paint with a mostly Byzantine palette, like the colors in a stained glass window, using layers of translucent texture. I also like to work with smoky black charcoal and handmade printmaking techniques. As an adolescent I discovered I could escape my troubled family life by making pictures. Now when I make a painting, and I'm doing it right, time completely stops. It feels a like a comic book hero super-power. I get to go away from the world and when I come back, there's a picture on my easel. I like to listen to spaghetti western soundtracks when I paint because it reminds me that I am embarking on a journey and an adventure, sometimes dangerous and difficult but potentially illuminating.

Terry Marks, Artist…Painter…Tattooer…Actress

Worthy Tarot: Where are you from, where are you currently, and how have these locations influenced what you do creatively? Tell me about the stories in your pictures.

TM: For subject matter I am partial to absurdities in general, oddball pairings, and aspects of my hometown, New York City, particularly where there is urban decay combined with signs of nature taking over. Growing up in Manhattan leaves an indelible mark on the psyche; my own identity is inextricably and forever linked with New York City. Even during the nine years I lived in London, England, the part of me that is a New Yorker never evaporated, and the city itself has become a character in my pictures.

Worthy Tarot: What drew you to Tarot, and how is your deck unique?

TM: In 2012 I contributed one painting to the Stuckist Tarot project. The Stuckists are an international ReModernist arts group devoted to painting, from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations, who work in a wide variety of styles. We each painted one card, and each card is a reflection of the artist that painted it. I requested and was luckily granted my personal favorite, Art/Alchemy.
The Art (Alchemy/Temperance) card is all about transmutation: the act of transforming something ordinary into something extraordinary, the mundane into the precious. This activity for the alchemist means turning base metals into gold. On a personal level it refers to a similar, but internal transformation, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually: ie. the elevation of the soul. For a painter, it is about our practice in the studio, taking paints from a tube, stretching some cotton fabric over a wooden frame, and making a piece of art whose value is worth considerably more than the sum of its combined materials.

I used symbology from multiple traditions for my image, and will describe a small portion here. The androgynous angel often depicted as pouring water from one vessel into another I show as a mad scientist in a modern, post-Frankenstein laboratory, distilling and mixing liquids in a crazy apparatus all night and into the wee hours, as the first light of sunrise appears through the window.

The colors in the many glass jars and bottles throughout the lab mimic my painter’s palette. The colors being mixed by the hands of the scientist are red and blue, representing the elements of fire and water, and also male and female, which although combined, still retain their separate qualities.

One of the scientist's feet stands in a puddle as the contents of one beaker spills onto the floor, echoing the "one foot on dry land, the other in a lake" from other traditions; indicating that dipping into the subconscious is a necessary part of personal transcendence and of making art.

The vertical test tube contains blue glitter in the center of the painting, where the transmutation occurs, during the exact moment when night turns into day

Worthy Tarot: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your contribution to the deck?

TM: I am fascinated by illuminated manuscripts painstakingly painted by anonymous monks using what seems like a brush with a single hair, the anatomy of living plants, trees, birds, and beasts (including humans), and I find antiquated machinery and mechanisms oddly compelling. I also work as a background actor in movies and television, and there I see plenty of unusual characters in ordinary pursuits. All of these things get jumbled up with whatever's lurking in the back of my head, and find their way into my pictures.
Some of my influences include: Max Beckmann, Remedios Varo, Frida Kahlo, Albrecht Dürer, Jan Van Eyck, Otto Dix, Stanley Spencer, Stephen Campbell, Adrian Wisniewski, Charles Addams, Lenor Fini, Rene Magritte, The Clayton Brothers, and Robert Krasker.

I don't set out to be especially cryptic or mysterious. I choose elements that interest me and that I want to spend time with. Basically, I stick my paintbrush inside my head and see what I can find in there. I see the result of my painting efforts as a puzzle with almost all the pieces there, and I like the viewer’s imagination to complete the parts that are left unsaid.

Worthy Tarot: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

TM: My website has a contact page to get in touch with me. You can also use the Facebook page to contact your favorite Stuckist artist; we each have a limited number of decks available.

http://www.terrymarks.net
https://www.facebook.com/StuckistTarotDeck
Instagram: @terrymarksnyart

Tarot Talks Volume X: An interview with Lenka Brazinova, creator of the Avalele Street Deck

July 07, 2016

Hi my beautiful souls! Summer our Season of Wands is here, I hope that you are enjoying the beach, the hikes, the grills, the walks at night, the love, the music & the passion. I love doing readings this time of year and connecting with decks that make me push my intuition further. There are so many interesting decks to work with and share, and this is one of them! Enjoy ☺
-HERU JEROME

Interview
Lenka Brazinova creator of the Avalele Street Deck

Lenka Brazinova has truly expanded what one thinks about when they reflect on the traditional images of the classic Rider Waite Tarot Deck. She has fused the traditional with the contemporary to create a deck that is vivid in color and imagination. She uses her original artwork & collages of her paintings and photography to create a Tarot system that finds a comfortable home within the Tarot universe. I have had the pleasure of speaking with her about how she works!

Worthy Tarot: Tell me about yourself, where are you from & where are you currently? How have these locations influenced what you do creatively?

LB: Hi everybody, it is nice to meet you here through Worthy Tarot. My birth name is Lenka Brazinova but for some years now I have been using my artistic and spiritual name “Avalele”, which also means a flowing river. I was born in a beautiful land in the middle of Europe, in a country called Slovakia. To be precise, when I was born in 1985 it was still known as Czechoslovakia. In 1993 I became a Slovak citizen as a result of the peaceful separation of these two countries.

Looking back I can truly say that I love the place where I was born, and have sincere respect for the family, time, environment, and experiences that I lived through. My hometown is Kosice and, while I always love to return home, my adventurous nature has caused me to travel extensively throughout Europe. While I believe that one day I will travel around the world, for me now is the time for travelling without moving by traveling in my mind, heart & spirit. Throughout the years I have found myself living and working in a variety of places where I was naturally led to by the circumstances of my life, such as Paris, Brighton, Nice, Cyprus, Brussels, and my latest nest London, the home of the Prime Meridian with a longitude of 0°. I have only been here for a few months and I must say that I really like it. I’ve come to understand some very important truths about life in this big city. It is another challenge for my personal growth, where I learn to keep myself centered despite the very hectic and demanding lifestyle.

My art is a reflection of myself and who I am, it is a result of every one of my experiences. Long story short, I was always a creative kid. In my youth I lost track of my art for some time, then back in my early 20s I started to create again. Primarily ceramic mosaics, and then later paintings on canvas. The real boost in my painting came in 2010 in France, where I met 2 professional painters, who became my mentors while I was becoming a painter myself. I spent years painting and living my life peacefully in nature. It was the time of maturing in background. Now I feel that it is time to share what I do with the world and I think that broadcasting this from London is a very good idea.

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DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat=… — Lenka Brazinova, creator of the Avalele Street Deck

WT: What drew you to Tarot, what aspects of your energy have found their way into your deck? How does this make your deck unique?

LB: My first real contact with Tarot was when I was around 17. We were trying to predict our future, life, love etc. Then a bit later, when my soul went through its dark time, I used Tarot as navigation tool. Although it misleads me many times, it gave me one of the greatest lessons. I was reading it as my ego desired, not as reality really was, with all its aspects. This was a really painful experience however, looking back, I am so thankful for it. Once I became absolutely honest with myself, I was able to learn a lot more about myself and life. I believe this makes one so much stronger. It is not self-confidence based on your ego, but the contrary; self-confidence gained through steady release of the ego. For this reason I have found the Osho Zen Tarot as one of the greatest tools in my self-development.

Mentioning all of this, my deck reflects what I have been through. It consists of paintings and photographs that were created at the time I was releasing my past experiences. I let them breathe through this act of giving them life in matter. In truth, it’s a very personal deck, but I believe many people go through similar experiences during their lifetime. It reflects the old tradition, structure, patterns, making the old same mistakes again, but at the same time it shows the need to break it all down, the need for rebirth, for something fresh, playful and young, that is not afraid of anything. That is why I have chosen The Fool as the front cover picture. I think this deck is like a fool. It opens up a whole other story by showing bravery and naivety at the same time, inside that picture is me.

WT: We are entering an Air Age which is associated with thought. When you examine air it can blow everything around that is not tethered. People are trying to find their footing and light as they enter this age and are drawn to the magic and spirituality of the Tarot. The face of the tarot just like our new age is changing, how do you feel your deck lends to this revolution?

LB: When I put my deck out, I had different reactions to it. Most who liked it were those who do not have a clue about Tarot, they found it interesting, intriguing, fresh & alive. On the other hand, experienced tarot readers didn’t get it. They somehow couldn’t understand it, because it was not exactly following the same old patterns. When I was trying to understand why, I realized that maybe the tarot deck I created is a shaker of the grounds. This brings the Tower to my mind and we know that the Tower is not comfortable, it is the same with the era we live in. We are all shaken up, to wake up, and it can be painful. Waking up means progress in evolution. It calls for new inventions, because open minded people are not afraid to dream and look out of the box. The new era is about releasing the old and acceptance of the new and unknown. Doing this, we truly can be consciously free.

WT: What inspires you and how was that inspiration incorporated into your deck?

LB: My first inspiration to create this tarot deck was when I say the Voyager Tarot Deck. It was so much out of the “normal”, and I loved that. It sparkled with freedom of non-conventional ideas. I also find the medium of collage really attractive and fun to do, so the decision was easy. I wanted to create something playful and out of the ordinary.
I can find inspiration in anything. There is nothing that doesn’t inspire me. Bad or good, everything affects me in one way or another.

WT: If you could use a film, artists, novels to make your dream Tarot deck what would that be? (I have a couple Neverending Story Tarot, Pippi Longstocking Tarot, Julie Heffernan Tarot like please now!!!!)

LB: As a painter I would love to have a tarot deck with paintings of the great old masters, one edition for modern era painters and one for contemporary.
I also love the work of Mr. Hayao Miyazaki, so a Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke deck would be fantastic!

WT: Would you ever create another deck, think about this one as I know 78 cards are a huge undertaking!

LB: I already have a couple of ideas for new decks. Before I created the Avalele Street Deck, I started to draw two different decks, one closer to illustration drawing and the other one closer to illustration painting, both of them in digital form. It takes a lot of time to create this kind of deck. A collage deck is much easier and faster to do. I made my first one to remember and collect my first works of art. I am planning new decks in the future. I just don’t know when and how they are going to manifest themselves.

WT: If someone is interested in your deck how would they get a hold of you?

LB: Either through my website or my Etsy Shop

InterviewDevany Litha Wolfe creator of the SERPENTFIRE Tarot

Chakra Meditation 9.20.2016

InterviewJennifer Drantell creator of the Nomad Tarot

InterviewTerry Marks Artist Extraordinaire & Contributor of the Stuckists Tarot Deck (Temperance)

InterviewLenka Brazinova creator of the Avalele Street Deck

Interview
Devany Litha Wolfe creator of the SERPENTFIRE Tarot

Interview
Jennifer Drantell creator of the Nomad Tarot

Interview
Terry Marks Artist Extraordinaire & Contributor of the Stuckists Tarot Deck (Temperance)

Interview
Lenka Brazinova creator of the Avalele Street Deck