#split nibs

SJ here. To celebrate the New Year, we Nibs exchanged Tarot card decks. When it comes to belief (be it traditional religion or crystal-incense-yoga nouveau witchiness),  my motto is: I believe in nothing, but I’ll try anything. 

So you best believe I am ALL IN on this Tarot business, insomuch as I understand very little about it, but it gives me vague threads of “It’s A Sign!” to hold onto--or ignore--as I see fit. 

Susan shared a pattern for new year reading, in which you arrange cards as follows: 2 / 3 / 4    / 1 /   5 / 6 / 7 

What do The Cards hold for me this year? (According to this particular random shuffle-thrice, cut-once arrangement, at least...) Let’s find out: 

1 - Main theme of new year: 10 of cups

inner happiness, fulfillment, dreams coming true

2 - Departing energies from last year: Queen of wands

selfishness, jealousy, insecurities

3  Talents you will be expressing this year: The lovers

partnerships, duality, union

4 - Future opportunities: The devil

addiction, materialism, playfulness / freedom, release, restoring control

5 - Upcoming obstacles: 4 of swords

restlessness, burnout, stress

6 - How to deal with upcoming obstacles: 3 of coins

teamwork, collaboration, building

7 - How to achieve your goals and dreams: 4 of wands

community, home, celebration

Oooooooh! What does it all mean?! I...I don’t know. I have more googling to do.

(Image and deck via Etsy) (Interpretations: Labyrinthos Academy)

When one’s thoughts turn to the future, we’ve all got PLENTY of reasons to be wary.  At a time like this, let’s leave the predictions to the cards; we’ll interpret them as we see fit.  Here’s a one card draw for each of us.  Can you match the card to the Nib?

Normally, the Star card shows a woman kneeling at the edge of a pool with one foot on land (practicality, common sense) and the other in the water (intuition, inner resources). This version, particularly suited to one particular Nib, features a cat who cannot be bothered by the foolish interpretations of some long ago hoomans. This feline offers the world the graceful arc of its butt and only risks a forty-percent chance of catching its belly hair on fire.  It has faith and trust in the universe!  It’s about to embark on a spiritual journey!  Just as soon as it stops staring at that invisible haint floating in that corner of your bedroom.

The High Priestess represents “wisdom, serenity, knowledge, and understanding.”  She sits before the “veil of awareness” which separates us from our inner selves.  Our own unnamed Nib would so totally sit in a candy-coated neon throne, flanked by lollies, and before a curtain that looks like a psychedelic Fruit Roll-Up, and she would still lay down the kind of serious wisdom that makes you want to go for a long walk.  Eventually she’d notice the letters on the ‘pillars,” and chuckle to herself.  “BJ”.

The Queen of Wands is the dominant feminine imagery of the element of fire.  She is a strong leader, equally capable of influencing others through her vision, courage, and determination and of sustaining her own creative vision.  She is typically pictured with a flower in one hand (symbolizing life, fertility, and satisfaction) and a wand in the other (about to blossom with life.)  She is focused on her desires and determined to get what she wants.  And what, you ask, is that?  A space of her own.  An hour or two of time to herself.  A glass of wine.  A cup of coffee.  Seriously.  She will hit you with that wand.  She doesn’t have time for this bullshit right now, and if she finds ONE MORE SOCK ON THE FLOOR, you’ll find out why they call her the queen.