I'm back!

I can't believe that the Summer is over and it's nearly the end of 2010. :-(

There hasn't been much of reading going on because of the juggle between school and work, and worrying about my future career.

Just did a quick reading with the Paulina Tarot to see a good way to proceed to comfort a friend.
I don't want to delve into the details, but I liked how the reading had an underlining theme of hope coming from a traumatic event. :-)

-Super-Frog

For the Artists spread by Artemis Sans

It took me a day to pick out a nice spread to kick off my first day with the Paulina Tarot! It's "For the Artists" spread by Artemis Sans.

Some Background: I'm taking a visual and audio arts class that focuses on 3d modeling. By the end of the class, I have to complete a level to be used in a game of my design as well as character models, non playable characters, and audio assets to be used. The extent of my artistic prowess lies in choosing unusual, but pleasing colors and I can draw only from looking at a object, not from sight memory either. I never had any type of experience with 3d modeling and is slightly anxious.

.........................7
......................6
...................5
................4
.............3
..........2
.......1


1. How the past affects the future
Page of Pentacles ~ I'm the perpetual student who is inquisitive about everything. Right before this class, I bought a Wacom tablet for digital art, like drawing, so I can get used to drawing programs. Very enthusiastic about learning how to draw again. There are a lot of wings in the actual card, and it looks like the young woman is being propelled by her dreams... which may lead to a job, I hope. :)


2. How the project affects you right now
8 of Cups ~ I guess it means the risk I take when going into 3d modeling (never tried sculpturing before) or putting my game idea that I love in front of other people. Getting out of my comfort zone while being led by my artistic spirit. The winds of change are evident in this card, but I feel it means I'm already well prepared. I just need to step out and just do my thing.


3. How to begin the project
The Magician ~ A very busy card to say the least. :) This card reminds me to not try to limit my imagination and to use everything I have and know to make it my own. I have to temper my creative mind in a way to come out with something tangible: A working concept. So far I've come up with a couple of ideas for the story portion of the game, now I have to worry about the gameplay matching it as well as come up with a non-cliched title. I have what it takes to make it happen.

4. How to continue the project
9 of Cups ~ I made sure to make a wish when I first pulled this card. It's telling me that by this point in the project, I need to like and want to share my project. I sense a sort of pride from the woman in the card and her willingness to share. I need to make sure that it's enjoyable to others. Don't want to make something that just serves to stroke my ego!

5. How to finish the project
Page of Cups ~ I need to finish this project with a strong artistic spirit. Maybe listen closely to my artistic muse, and temper my project.

6. How to share the project in a way that will lead to...
Temperance ~ Maybe its telling me that my various creative whimsies and technical know-how can blend together in a way I haven't imagined before. I can make a demo to put on my online portfolio.

7. ...The future
Ten of Wands ~ Hopefully this means that it will lead to a job after graduation or a series of jobs that demand my attention. It could mean that I might be able to freelance for a bit, picking up projects with smaller game development studios, or it could mean that I might be making my own small studio in order to maybe make this into an indie game.


~Super-Frog

A slight deviation off course

I haven't been good about blogging my Deviant Moon readings, so I'm thinking about studying my Paulina Tarot for a couple of months. As my life becomes more focused on school and building an adequate portfolio, my readings have changed from relationship and "where am I going" readings to "how can I achieve etc" and advice/signs to pay attention to.

Today's May 1st, so I'm going to read for myself tonight. It's probably going to be about the direction of an artistic class project or how to reconcile my swords' side with my cups' side or connecting with my inner Temperance card. (My project is to create my own 3d level of a game I'd like to create. So my inner artist needs to get along with my logical side.)

-Super-Frog Saves Tokyo

Ten of Swords ~ pressure box of thoughts

I picked up the cards today just to do a quick reading to see if the store had the new game in stock. I was expecting to get a regular 3 card draw where I could know what to expect. Partly done to dust the cobwebs off. Anyway the first card I drew was the ten of swords. It struck me that it represented the boxed in feeling and pessimism.

A new meaning for me. (Sorry for the short post. I'm writing this from my phone. :-)

A look at the Tower

Last Friday I had a major headache. An especially achy one. While I was sitting down at the edge of my bed, eating an ice cream bar (cold compress or just eating something cold relieve some headaches), I thought about the Deviant Moon's Tower card.

If everyone spoke using the tarot to convey meanings, I would hand this card to the doctor because it describes perfectly what I was feeling. It felt like a destructive beam was beaming straight in my brain as the aura of the beam describes the fugue I had. The moon people falling from the once mighty tower reminded me of my thoughts that were falling to the wayside.

It's interesting how a tarot association can provide comfort during pain. :)

Has it been that long *blink, blink*

Whoa, I didn't know it's been more than a month since my last post. I apologize to my fellow tarotistas (just made that up lol), but between family, friends, hormonal changes, and keeping up with my studies, I was intellectually pooped. School took most of my energy because I was taking some challenging courses. However, you'll probably see more of me now. :-)

Even though I was really preoccupied for a month, I still did a daily reading for most of the days. I just recorded them in my tarot blank book. :-) Here's one them:

2/23/10 Influence Spread Deviant Moon

What is bothering me about my study habits?

1) Main issue - Rx Ace of Swords - I'm not studying as well as I need to. Also I'm not asking the questions I need to ask in class because I'm being intellectually lazy. It's there, but I'm not communicating it. Sheathing my sword, it seems.

2)Influence #1- 7 of Swords- It seems like I want to see myself fail than or to pull a last minute save so that I don't have to fail while trying hard.

3)Influence #2- 6 of Wands- I want to succeed and be given the hero's welcome. Stems from being a little too over confident. Once I doubt myself, it takes the wind out of my sails for the last ditch effort. My will falters. I know this, and it's bothering me a lot.

(Since this reading, I manage to turn a failing grade at midterm into a passing grade by the classes end. :) )

To the Eye Doctor!

Today I did a simple three-card spread about my eye doctor visit that I had a little after 3pm. The reason I scheduled the exam was because there was a clear, vein thing irritating my right eye. I was nervous about the visit because I can't afford to have an medical concern at this point of my life. The spread was the beginning, middle, and end of the visit. Here's the cards:

1. Beginning- 8 of Swords ( Ace of Pentacles)
2. Middle- Rx Temperance (The Magician)
3. End- 4 of Pentacles (6 of Cups)

In the beginning I was basically worrying about my health with a number of what-ifs taking over. Then I convinced myself that it was basically high blood pressure manifesting itself or something else lurking in the future. :( It turns out that it was basically nothing. :) In the middle of my exam, the doctor told me that my eyes were very healthy and that the irritation was probably due from being exposed to the cold wind and my eyes being naturally dry anyway. An imbalance ho-ho. Then at the end was the most dreaded point of all - payment time. Since I opted to take some unnecessary tests and had pictures taken of the back of my eye (the coolest thing ever to see!), I thought I had to pay the king's ransom for it. Apparently it only cost $40! What a steal! (I never thought that the 4 of Pentacles could indicate a bargain!, learn something new everyday. :) )

Lunch Break! Edited!!

Haven't been on much sense the last post due to work and school, but I just wanted to share a quick 3-card draw for today. I use the morning, afternoon, night for positions and draw additional cards for a clue on the meaning. (I've been trying to avoid drawing extra cards and to rely on intuition, but I was exhausted this morning.) Also I'm working on reading this deck's reversals.

Anyway, the following is what I drew:

• Rx 9 of Cups (5 of Cups to clarify)
• Rx 3 of Wands (Rx Hermit)
• 8 of Cups (Rx The Moon)

This evening I'm going to come back and edit this post to see how my day compares. :)

-Super-Frog

1/11/10

As soon as I got home last night, I started work on some classwork that needed to get done that took up most of my time last night.

Yesterday morning, a lot of things weren't the way I wanted them to be when I got in to work. It wasn't a fun time. It was partially my fault because I didn't do something the previous day that could have alleviate some of the problems and I felt conflicted and guilty about it. (In the Deviant Moon, the 9 of Cups is literally the wish card. It shows a young moon person astonished on his rear end. In his hand is a genie lamp with a very imposing genie with a third eye. They are on a beach at night with 9 Cups floating around the genie. When the card is reversed, I can see the cups falling to the sand and things are going the opposite way.)

Then in the afternoon it didn't get much better. :( I kind of withdrew within myself, and didn't tell anyone else that I needed help, so it just exacerbated the existing problems. Trying to be stoic and going it alone didn't help at all. (The 3 of Wands shows an expectant mother with a vine from her belly connected to three flower stalks, she's watching over the flower stalks as the Moon nurtures them. When the cards reversed, I can imagine the vine being cut off from the stalks. Lack of teamwork.

Yesterday evening I was so fed up with myself and the job itself. It's a customer service job where sometimes people come in from attitudes and sometimes think that it's okay to vent their frustration out on me. Usually I shrug it off and wonder what got under their skin. However, I had too many of those types come in yesterday. (>_<) By the end of the night, my nerves were wrecked and steam could have been blowing out of my ears. Emotionally it felt like I was just disgusted and through with the job. I don't get much respect, common courtesy, or just dismissed whatsoever. I decided to stop devoting so much of my emotional energy into this job and focus on school instead. It's not worth it. I started this job with low self esteem; however, I think and feel more confident and capable than before. (The 8 of Cups shows a moon woman in a gorgeous red dress with her hands up and walking away from 8 cups on tombstones. The look on her face is one of disgust.)

First Reflection Pt.2

This is a continuation of the Celtic Cross spread from the last post, and it will cover the 4th and 5th in the reading.

For the past influence card (4th), I pulled the 8 of Swords. I'm working with the Chinese print of the deck and was able to see something that I never noticed before with the first deck. Vapors or fumes coming from the horizon in the portion of sky that shows a hint of the sun that is about to rise. This is pretty significant to me because it looks like another set of vapors is being issued by the Deviant Moon to the woman.

In the recent past, I used to defer to some of my negative thinking patterns because I thought it was the truth. I felt like the moon woman in the cards, completely exposed and under it's sway semi-knowing that if I kept following them, I would skewer myself. The sun's vapors (or influence) could mean that the truth was always there, I just didn't seek it out for myself a lot.

The 5th card, the one that crowns me or my goal, Judgment. A strong angel blows a horn that wakes those who were dead. The moon angel stands out because he's full of color and energy whereas those who were resurrected are drab, but coming back to life. It looks like the moon angel is passing on his vitality in order to do this through his horn. I identify with the newly resurrected and am working towards coming back to life creatively, personality-wise, and spiritually. This is my goal right now and this card also verifies that the reading is on point.

My first reflection :)

Most of New Year's was spent in bed texting, talking to friends and family, and reading tarot books with Comedy Central playing in the background. Right before Ghostbusters 1 and 2 came on, I decided to go ahead and have my New Year's reading with the Deviant Moon. I used the Celtic Cross which used to confuse me when I first began, but I wanted to stretch myself a bit. (I usually do three card readings, , for daily draws.

Instead of asking for a completely general reading, I asked, "What are the energies at work in my life right now?". What I expected was to be confused on a certain point for the rest of the day, but it didn't happen. I wasn't completely stumped. The CC can be so inflexible to me (don't ask why); however, today's reading was fluid and made sense.

I first drew The Fool. This made me giggle. :) I remember that the first CC I ever done had this in the first position. My serious adventure recently began and I feel new and somewhat innocent again. This really clicked with me. What crossed this card was the Ace of Pentacles. Usually this is the card that stumps me in many decks, but it seemed like the two cards merged to give this card more meaning for me. I have been interested into trying to secure my future and beginning new things (like saving more money and being in control of my spending). It feels like that the need to think about all the new material concerns takes the wind from the Fool's sails a bit. It's not keeping me down though. It looks like the Fool is staring down the metallic dragon watching over the treasure.

That dragon isn't just scary, he was designed to intimidate in order to make sure that the potential held in the pentacle isn't wasted or abused. Makes sense for the pentacle that holds an universe within it. It's not so cold after all. :)

The third card I pulled as the foundation was the Ace of Wands in all her beauty. The new lease on life was helped by my guardian angel or spirit guide who is often represented as the Ace of Wands. He/She spurs me to action when it comes to my beliefs, and I am very grateful for it. I feel like I'm the baby in the pod being protected and encouraged to develop spiritually.

I'm going to end this post here and pick up tomorrow. Tarot-wise, my practice has started on a high note. :)

-Super-Frog

My Official Intro!

This probably should have been the first post on this blog, but I'm not the type of person to do things in order. The purpose for my introduction is to give a more fleshed out sense of who I am (not completely, but you'll catch my drift).

My tarot adventure began when I was seventeen. Around that time I was interested in Earth based religions as well as psychic phenomena. I was reading a book that mentioned how tarot cards could be bought at bookstores. Before I thought they were solely the domain of New Age shops, so this just opened up a whole new world for me. That Christmas I was given a bookstore gift card (people knew about my love of reading) and bought a deck and a couple of books. My first deck was the RWS.

I wasn't allowed to hold down a part-time job, so I spent a lot of time playing around with the cards looking for insight into the wrong questions. Now that I think about it, the cards were right on, my mind wasn't. I didn't pick up another deck until I was twenty-two. I saw a nature looking one, Tarot of the Secret Forest and was hooked. Then I picked up Tarot For a New Generation by Janina Renee. I've been learning about the Tarot ever since.

Fast-forward to December '08 when I bought, from the same bookstore, the Deviant Moon Tarot. At first I wasn't going to buy it, but I got good vibes in the store about it. I've been hooked ever since (with the exception of the Liber T which I believe will take an entire lifetime for me to fully appreciate it). It speaks to my subconscious in ways that my rational doesn't fully understand. Now I want to study the deck a little closer to figure out what's really being said because now it seems like I'm reading with the cards underwater. The water itself kind of distorts the message. I think that some of the "water" are the elements of the card that I don't know how to process. This PDR will be a chance for me to notice the elements that I've didn't pay attention to.

Okay, that's out of the way. :) It's time for PDR 2010 to kick off!

- Super-Frog