Shadowscapes

Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law has just found its way into my collection.  And into my life.

This deck, this absolutely lovely deck, is one of the most beautiful decks I have seen in a long time.  The artwork is incredible, blending alcohol inks and water colours into images that spark the imagination.  Asian, Celtic and fantasy themes are flow together in fluid and sublime perfection.

The deck is based on the Rider-Waite system's symbolism making it easy to read even for beginners.  But the rich images are softer, more detailed and bursting with energies that surprise and delight.  Yet far from skirting the harsher realities of life, Shadowscapes cleverly incorporates all aspects of life and presents them honestly - without frightening the wits out of you.  The Death card, for instance, is a rising phoenix instead of a mounted skeletal entity.  The message is clear; the threat is removed.

Cups, Pentacles, Swords & Wands make up the four suits.  The Major Arcana is represented exactly as it is in Rider-Waite.  Tradition meets innovation in Shadowscapes, combining to make this deck an absolute treasure.

As I began working with these cards, I felt an instant connection that doesn't happen with many new decks.  A basic understanding of the Rider-Waite meanings transfers quite smoothly to Shadowscapes, so there is no need to learn an entirely new system.  That being said, there are many subtle shifts in the energies that are drawn out intuitively.  As I mentioned earlier, it is filled with surprise and delight.

Shadowscapes is now part of my working collection.  I am using it to do readings for clients - with great results!  To order a reading, visit my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/Yemallasmoon/, or my website:  yemallasmoon.ca.

A Tarot Challenge!

During the month of July I participated in a Tarot Challenge on Instagram.  The Challenge (#crystaltarotchallenge), hosted by @starlightandskulls, posed 31 questions inspired by different gems and crystals.  

Instagram followers from all over the place rose to the challenge and conducted personal readings based on the questions posed each day.  For some people, it became deeply personal; so personal that they felt unable to share the full reading.  

I, too, had a few nerves touched in the process.  The challenge pushed me to examine some pretty tender areas and while I was poking around in them, some shocking revelations came up.  It wasn't an easy process.  It was, however, quite enlightening.

Now, I've had readings done for me by other readers many times.  And I keep a daily tarot journal.  So I'm familiar with the process from the perspectives of both reader and client.  But this challenge, opened up something a little different.  It tool a while for me to figure out what it was that made these short daily readings so unusual.  I think it was the fact that the questions were chosen for me.  I had to focus on specific things... things not of my choosing!

So when questions like: What do I need to protect?; What do I need to distance myself from?; or What will help me to release my fears? came up, I was had to face some imposing truths.  

These are not the typical types of questions that clients ask me.  They are not the typical types of question I ask when I get a reading.  They are the types of questions that made this challenge live up to its name.  I was indeed a challenge!  But one that I am glad I undertook.  

The self-reflection was cathartic.  I got some new perspectives and some interesting food for thought.  This was a profound exercise and one that I will repeat again sometime.  Just not right away.  

These Tarot challenges have become quite the phenomenon on Instagram.  There are many people who share them and many people who participate in them.  For now, though, I need to digest the information and the messages that I received, work through some of the stuff that was brought up and try to integrate this newfound insight into my Being.  

For those of you who may be interested, here are a few links to some of my challenge readings:

Day 12 How can I gain more inspiration?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHxWP6vjcFu/

Day 21 What do I need to distance myself from?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BII-yPqD2Ey/

Day 28  What will help me to speak my truth?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIa7Jeqjwuq/

Many thanks to Liz Reed (@startlightandskulls) for creating this amazing challenge and sharing with us.  It was hard work, but good work!  

Follow me on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/yemallaarcanum/?hl=en

Follow me on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Yemalla_Arcanum

We're Just Regular Folk - Like You

I love it when people come up to me and say:  You don't look like a Tarot Reader!

My standard response is:  Thank you.

I used to say:  What does a Tarot Reader look like?

The answers were fairly similar...  Well, you know!  Scarves and dangly earrings and rings and bright, flowy skirts.  Lots of make up.

I don't know a Tarot Reader who does look like that!  But, I do understand the imagery and the stereotype.  When I first became interested in the Tarot, that's what I wanted to look like!

Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since then.  And experience & time have tempered the fantasy.  The reality is that Tarot Readers are - generally speaking - just regular folk.  Like you!

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter (also a Tarot Reader) and I recorded a conversation about our Tarot experience.  You can watch it here on YouTube:  Tarot Interview with Toni McKilligan.

In the video, my daughter and I share our stories about finding the Tarot and what it means to us to be Readers.  I hope you enjoy it.  Please leave a comment so we know you've visited with us.  (Here on my blog & on YouTube)

Brightest blessings!