PaganSquare.com - WitchesAndPagans.com

This review was first published in the April 2017 issue of SageWoman Magazine (issue #91)

The newly re-released Barbara Walker Tarot is rich with dedicated, attentive symbolism. A very no-nonsense deck, the suite cards as well as the court cards are illustrated with multilayered and complex images. This deck is an intense one. The images are bold and striking, even stark and harsh in presentation. They clearly draw inspiration from classic medieval images and styles, though blend many myths and themes within that artistic style. If you want an inspiring, comforting, and pretty deck, this deck will not be the one for you. Many of the cards are ominous in presentation and vaguely (or directly) threatening in imagery and theme.

The Hierophant is usually deemed Trump 5 in the Tarot. Hierophant means revealer of sacred things. While The Emperor is earthly, secular and governmental authority, The Hierophant is religious, spiritual and sacred authority. This archetype embodies cultural traditions, moral dictates, religious teachings, orthodoxy and philosophical or ethical mandates.

Phrases and Keywords: Tradition; Exoteric Religion; Formal Education; Religious Authority; Right and Wrong Wrangling; Dogma; Ethical Standards; Social Mores; Morality; Philosophy; Doctrine; Canon; Spiritual Beliefs; Revered Teachings; “Shoulds”; Orthodoxy

I've been doing a lot of work with the court cards in the tarot, recently. Some of this is due to the projects on which I'm working in my mundane job as an author, and some of it is my own research. The correlation between numerology and the tarot has piqued my interest. However, the court cards aren't numbered, so how do you go about reading them when using numerology? Do you simply count them as 11 (Page), 12 (Knight), 13 (Queen) and 14 (King)? What if there were another way of looking at them? 

What I've found has resonated with me—and your mileage may well vary—is to look at the court cards as a more complex set of numbers, rather than just as court cards. In numerology the number 11 is known as a master number, and it does seem to resonate well with the energy of the Page. It's a combination of both 1 and 2. As the Page is the first card in the second part of the suit, the first card in the court cards, it also takes on the energy of both 1 and 2. 

I distinctly remember my first Tarot deck and the sense of anticipation, “danger,” and intrigue it held for me. I was about 13 when I got it, a Rider-Waite in the yellow box, and I did NOT like it. I never connected with the deck, the book that I also got was way too esoteric and, frankly, boring, and I didn’t find the images compelling at all. This experience set me “off” of the tarot for a long time. I discovered other oracle systems I greatly enjoyed, such as Crone Stones, I bonded powerfully with Womanrunes and wrote a book about them, but I felt like Tarot and me were just not a match. Ah, then…The Gaian Tarot. One afternoon in 2013, I was turning over some issues of leadership, power, group dynamics, and “warrior priestessing” and, for a reason I no longer recall, decided to do an online reading using the Gaian Soul website. Now THIS, this was a deck with which I could connect. The images. The earthy-messages, the goddess roots. I fell in love. I ordered the deck and began to regularly use the cards, enjoying many profound and illuminating experiences with them. So, when I found out a new edition was being released I was thrilled to review it!

Since I have and love the older edition of the Gaian Tarot, my first instinct when receiving the new one was to compare the two and the new edition does not disappoint. The cards are larger and thicker and edged with silver.

There are no humans in my deck. Animals just make more sense. -- Emi Brady, creator of The Brady Tarot

Hello symbol lovers!

PREVIOUS | MASTER | NEXT

Welcome to the first of the 2017 Tarot Blog Hops. This is our seventh Imbolc hop. We began in 2012 with the question, "How can I be a better candle?" This hop was begun as a way to highlight the online Tarot community's commitment to working together rather than against one another. I'm so very proud that we are still doing this! Every six weeks, any where from 10-30 of us gather to share our thoughts on one topic. We love new bloggers too so please come join us. We are a Facebook-based group that maintains a very tight focus on the topic.

I'm the wrangler for this particular hop. The topic is "How can I best foster the energy of the Aces in my life?"

Apologies for the long hiatus in posting here at Broomstix on Pagansquare. Like most folks, I (Natalie) found 2016 to be a bit of a challenging year--in good ways, and... some not so good ways. Many good things happened, for me, particularly, the release of Magical Destinations of the Northeast in October was a high point, but it was bittersweet. I lost several family members and friends in 2016, including two beloved mentors, one of my contributors to Magical Destinations of the Northeast, and my Aunt Vinnie and Uncle John... It seems that everyone has had something last year. LAST, being the operative word.

So here's what's happening at broomstix ♥ The Broomstix Blog at Blogspot is finally being shaped into the archive I envisioned. I'm currently in the process of sorting all of the material by category, and where possible by sabbat and season. Have a look at the TAROT page which features Claire Cunnington's very cool tutorial, illustrated with Robin Ator's Ator Tarot, all together and complete for the first time!