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It's been awhile since I've been here, and that's because things have been... mutable. I've decided to try to re-enter (because Mercury retrograde is always a good time to go back to something that's been previously started, right?) working with clay again. I believe I mentioned it previously, in my last article. I've been doing a lot of reflecting since then. 

You see, Tarot is such a part of my life that it is hard for me to isolate things. I see the cards in shapes throughout the day. I think about what card would represent what activity I'm doing at the time. I use the Tarot as a guide to activities, as a focal point for my art, and more. Between astrology (to which I've also returned over the last year), runes, stones, and the tarot, my life is pretty full of amazing shapes, themes and designs. 

I saw those words on a bumper sticker this morning and they made me cry. Why? Because in the last year, who I wanted to be got overshadowed by who other people needed me to be. Things that were important to me, like working with my tarot cards, writing my books, articles and blogs, knitting my sweaters, and playing with my clay got shoved to the back burner while I performed duties that others needed of me. My New Year's resolution was to find myself again, and by gods, I'm going to do just that. 

Within the next few weeks I'm returning to a project that I started nearly three years ago. I make pottery masks, and I have always wanted to do a series on the tarot. I think embarking on the whole deck may be a bit ambitious--at least at the start--but I do think I can execute the creation of the majors, all embodied in a 'green man' type of wall-hanging. It feels good to have a vision, and a goal, again. 

So last month I acquired a set of Karen Mahony's Alice Tarot. Having done about 20 readings with it, I have to say that I'm very impressed with it. 

The cards are of high quality, and have a bit of a metallic sheen to them to add interest and depth. I like slightly large cards, and these accommodate that. The backs are the same dignified or inverted. What I like most about them, though, is that this is MY Alice.

When I was a child I adored Alice in Wonderland. It was my story: Alice in Virgoland. I always had to eat that, drink this, do too much, be too curious, and I was never backwards about telling adults exactly what I thought. I won't say it did me any favors, but I certainly resonated with Alice! I had my images of what the characters in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were like (and I was terribly disappointed in Disney's version). So when I saw another reader post a layout with the Alice cards, and Alice looked like my Alice, I had to take a closer look. 

So, remember a few weeks ago when I started using the Tarot to give me a hint on what my body might need from me in the upcoming day? That has actually proved to be quite an interesting exercise (if you will pardon the pun). Not only am I finding that the cards give me clues as to what to expect, but I've actually started to broaden this to different aspects of chores around the house. 

Is it crazy to 'predict' what to do? Well, yes. Tarot--like astrology or any other oracle--can give us insights, but it doesn't control us. However, I have found on days when I draw a high energy card, I do tend to get a lot more done in the house as far as mundane chores go, than if I drew something more relaxed. 

Okay, well, maybe it is not particularly high-tech to some of you, but for an old crone like me who seems to have an aversion to modern electronics, it seems that way. I don't pay for my apps, I hardly know how to use my smartphone, but this is something that I discovered awhile ago, and now would not be without. 

Yes, I still like the feel of the cards and yes, I still adore my Tarot of the Cloisters deck, but with the Galaxy Tarot app on my phone, if I have my phone, I have my Tarot. What's more, I can do readings, and email the screenshot right to my client. I can share specific cards, I can add my own notes, I can refer to the different aspects of the symbolism or different correlations; in short, there's not a lot I can't do with this. 

My friend and I were talking about fitness the other day. She's been wearing a 'FitBit,' and another friend of mine has been wearing  Nike FuelBand. I was contemplating investing in such a gizmo, as I'll be the first to admit I could take better care of myself than I do. These things are neat little gadgets and I'm sure they work for tracking, motivation, and encouragement . Mulling it over before sleep that night though, I started thinking about the tools that I already have. I've got a food tracker on my smartphone, I've got a pedometer, and I've got my Tarot. 

"How on Earth does the Tarot fit in with a keep fit plan," you might well ask? Before you chalk me up to being completely crazy (as opposed to just the 'way-out-there-crazy-but still-functional' type of crazy that I'll readily admit to being), hear me out. I thought I might be off my rocker, but I've played around with this for a few days now, and I've been very surprised by how well it works. 

Often when we think about the Empress card, we think of things pertaining to the springtime and fertility. The Empress can inspire fertility year round, though, through creativity. She is a very potent symbol of abundance and plenty. 

When I'm stuck for inspiration, I call upon Empress energy. This season, she's been working with me to help me very creatively make seasonal gifts for friends and family. That's the thing I've found with Empress energy; it works best when the creativity is infused with love.