I've started work on the Applied Tarot Reversed Book. Here's a sneak peak of a page I just wrote and haven't edited yet... because The Fool Reversed is all about jumping in without being fully prepared! So why not just dive right in?

The Fool Reversed
The fool upright dances through the hilltops without direction, his faithful pup by his side. Upright, the fool card asks us to take a risk and make a leap and trust yourself. However, in reverse, there are a few things that could be happening here. Figure out which one is correct for you:

1. You may be bounding into something without first stopping to weigh the pros and cons.
2. You may be talking yourself out of something before you begin. Is it fear?
3. You may be so in love with starting new things, you fail to commit to growing in one specific area
4. You are NOT taking a leap when you should be. What is holding you back?

 
Questions answered by the Fool Reversed:
Who? A naïve or reckless person
What? A thoughtless action
Where? Somewhere dangerous
When? Immediately; January and February
Why? “Carefulness costs you nothing. Carelessness may cost you your life.”
Yes or No? Maybe – stop and consider it first
 
What should I clean?

• Clutter on the floor
• Give the baby or pet a bath

 
Where are my keys?

• On the floor somewhere

The Fool Reversed as:
..an action

• Stop and think about things
• Walk the dog
• Dive deep into skills you already have

 
...a place in your house?

• The floor
• Downstairs

 
...a place in your city?

• Somewhere you visit frequently
• A pet store
• A children’s museum

 
.. a place in the world?

• The sea
• A famous valley, such as the Valley of the Ten Peaks (Canada) or Yosemite (USA)
• The Grand Canyon

 
...something to eat?

• Applesauce
• Oats or granola

 
..a color? White, Yellow
 
...a movie theme? Avoiding danger, rushing into things

• About Time
• Safety Not Guaranteed

 
...a new career?

• Join an established company with good benefits
• Working with animals, babies, or pets

Possible Major Arcana combinations with The Fool Reversed:
Upright Magician: brilliant but careless
Reversed High Priestess: not listening to one's intuition results in being taken advantage of
Upright Empress: an insecure or worried parent
Reversed Emperor: a reckless tyrant
Upright Hierophant: archaic harmful traditions
Reversed Lovers: partnership ends too quickly
Upright Chariot: not being cautious on a trip
Reversed Strength: Insecurity leads to one being taken advantage of
Upright Hermit: a wise person doubts themself
Reversed Wheel: a risk leads to bad luck
Upright Justice: consider cause and effect
Reversed Hanged One: faking martyrdom
Upright Death: impulsive ends
Reversed Temperance: extremely careless
Upright Devil: a drug addict, inconsideration
Reversed Tower: trying everything to avoid disaster
Upright Star: blind faith
Reversed Moon: thoughtlessness and confusion
Upright Sun: carefree abandon, childhood joy
Reversed Judgement: a lack of self awareness
Upright World: Fear of success
 
Before any card: Don’t jump into (card)
After any card: Reckless Behavior
 
The Major Arcana represent significant life events. Fool Reversed could be:

• A failed start to a new venture
• A career change requiring deep thought
• Downsizing a house or career
• A divorce
• A bad fall or tumble

There you go, card 1 of the Applied Tarot Reversed. No, I have no idea when it will be published because I'm foolish and naive and very ill-prepared, much like the reversed Fool. While you're waiting for me to get my act together, why not buy the upright version?

A future edition of Applied Divination is Applied Tasseography, or Tea Leaf reading. Let's have your phone try your luck with interpreting Tea Leaves today, with this silly Predictive Text Meme!

As always, my books are available on Amazon. Coming soon will be Applied Tarot Reversed - an Excessively Practical Guide to Reversed Tarot Cards

It's finally here, 2021 has truly begun! While we've celebrated both January 1 (the Gregorian new year) and February 12th (the Chinese New Year), on March 20th the Sun moved into Aries, the first sign of the Western Zodiac, and the start of the last first day of the new year! Hurray!

The sign of Aries is enthusiastic, spontaneous, and a go-getter, so like the flowering trees and the animals coming out of hibernation, we're all ready to get a move on. Now that vaccines are here and 2021 is looking a bit more open for business than 2020 was, what better way to celebrate our enthusiasm than with a Tarot spread for this new year?

Card 1 - This is Ending

• It's the final end of a year most of us would rather forget, thank goodness. Let's see what is going away with that terrible year for you.

Card 2 - This is being born

• What will Spring to life for you? What spontaneous and new event will come for you in this next year?

Card 3  - The Year Ahead

• This is an overview of the year. It might relate to the new project that will be birthed in Card 2, or it might just be a general "what to expect" card during these next 12 months.

Card 4 - Skills to Grow

• Here's what you should try to work on. These may be talents you already have that you should delve into even deeper, or it could be a brand new thing you'd like to learn (2021 is your year to do it!)

So I did this reading for myself because I would also like to know what to birth and what new skills to learn this year! Although I am already starting a new school program and also trying to grow my business, it's always important to see if there is something else I need to grow or know.

Card 1 - This is Ending
The Reversed King of Pentacles - a lack of income and an unsuccessful business. Oooo! Does that mean my business will get more successful and I'll have more income? Or wait... does it mean the business is closing down due to a lack of income (it was a pretty big year of losses just getting established, but that happens to every new business, right? Right?) Gosh, this is worrisome.

Card 2 - This is being born
Ten of Swords - Exhaustion, catastrophe, and failure are being born? Great. Great. Looking forward to that. Not. Seriously, WTH? When skilled Tarot readers see this card they try to say things like "there is nowhere to go but up" or "disaster leads to growth", but the fact is this card is the literal worst. I am not looking forward to whatever Ten of Swords is birthed this year. This is even more worrisome than that reversed Pentacle.

Card 3 - The year ahead for me
The High Priestess - Intuition and psychic abilities. Oh yay! Maybe this does mean that my divination business will grow even further! Yay for reversed Kings! Smash the patriarchy! But I'm still really worried about what that Ten of Swords implies.

Card 4 - Skills to grow
Ace of Swords - Puzzles and intelligence! Yay! I love puzzles (as evidenced by my book, Psychic Word Puzzles) and would love to make more of them. Unfortunately that book hasn't sold very well, so I don't really have the resources to make another one yet. However, I was thinking of quitting puzzle books altogether, so this Ace kind of gives me hope that maybe I can make them work somehow. I'll think more about this, once I get over that devastating Ten of Swords.


So that's my reading. 2 swords in only a 4-card spread, one pentacle and one card about intuition. So it'll be a year of growing my education, seeking wisdom, perhaps suffering a catastrophic failure, and some intuitive growth for me. I'm ready! Sort of!

​Let me know how your reading goes. Happy Astrological New Year 2021! 

One year ago I started writing a little reference book called Applied Tarot. Since then I've published three books and a card deck in the Applied Divination Series, I have another book coming out in a couple of months (Applied Tarot Reversed) and yet another one planned for later this year (Applied Tasseography, An Excessively Practical Guide to Interpreting Tea Leaves.) 

Starting a small business is never an instant success; a divination business, at that, is definitely not a lucrative enterprise; AND launching that small divination business during a pandemic is probably the worst idea I've ever had.

The worst best idea.

I love what I do. I love Tarot cards and Runes and Tea Leaves and Palmistry and Astrology and Feng Shui and anything and everything related to divination and the mystical arts. Practicing them as a hobbyist kept me going through a lifetime of bad jobs, school stresses, parenting issues, clinical depression, and everything else that is just part of existence.

But now practicing it as a professional is keeping me going through a pandemic where I might otherwise be driven straight into an institution. 

I bought myself an Employee of the Year mug to celebrate. My IT support staff (husband) is super envious. Maybe he'll work a bit harder this year and win it next year.

​Maybe. 

What does your fortune teller predict today? Ask your autocorrect! 

This spread should really be called the "Are the kids alright?" spread, but I'm trying to be positive about it. 

The truth is a lot of kids aren't alright right now. Some are sick, some are depressed, some are struggling in school, and others might appear to be doing just perfectly but their entire worlds are shattered in the background - how would you even know? This spread is to hopefully help you figure that out and give you a way to help if needed.

As a fortune teller, it is my belief that we should never do readings for other adults when they haven't expressed consent. It is for this reason that I don't do "does he/she love me" spreads or nonsense like that. I only do spreads that relate to the querent and how they are involved in their own situation. However, for children under the age of 18 it is well within a parent's purview to ask about them. I still do believe that young kids deserve a bit of agency in the matter, so I've created this spread about how you can best help them, rather than about what's going to happen to the kid themself. 

This spread is expandable - so any number of kids you have who are under the age of 18 can be asked about. It's not just for kids, either. You could ask about your pets, your plants, or something else you're in the care of - just make sure they're not freethinking adults who might dislike you doing readings about them behind their backs.

I have one child under the age of 18 and one new puppy, so when I do my reading I'll do it for those two. My adult children can do their own readings (I gave them each a deck of my Tarot cards for Christmas!)

Card A - You as a parent

• This is you! This is how you operate, your parenting or caregiving style, and maybe how you yourself are feeling in this moment. Parenting is hard, but parenting during a pandemic is all but impossible. How are you doing, Dad or Mum?

Card 1 - How is the kid doing?

• This is your kid - their general sense of wellbeing, where they are in the world, what they're struggling with. You--as a cool parent--probably already know what's going on with them, but it's nice to see it written out or looked at from a different perspective.

Card 2 - How can you help your kid?

• Here's an action you can take, someone you could reach out to for assistance, or a resource you could expend in order to help your kid get what they need.

Carry on with Cards 1 and 2 for each additional child/pet/rock/plant you have questions about.

Card Z - The family outcome

• This is the result for the family, if you do the work outlined in Card 2 for each child. I specifically do not have actions that the child should take, because this reading is about you and what you can do for them. Your kid has the freedom to make their own choices and decisions too (or even reject your help altogether!) but if you do the work outlined in card 2, the result for the family is what is indicated here regardless of whether or not your kid accepts your help or does anything to help themselves.
• If you get a negative card here, you could either read it as positively as possible, or you might want to reconsider how you initially interpreted Card 2. If you come up with a different interpretation for Card 2 (how to help), go ahead and draw another Family Outcome card and see if that's better.

I did this reading for my 17yo son who is struggling in school, and my 17 week old dog who is struggling with existence right now (or, more accurately, with whose existence I am struggling right now! ha ha! He's lucky he's cute because he's a bit of a nightmare.)

Card A - Me as a parent:

• The Death card leapt out of the deck while I was shuffling. It is exactly right - I am dealing with transitions, changes I cannot control, and a general feeling of helplessness in every parenting role I have. It's a disaster. I'm in therapy for it. 

Son Card 1 - How is my 17yo human son doing?

• Page of Wands, reversed. He is struggling with setbacks and a lack of direction. I know that already. Thanks for no new information, cards.

Son Card 2 - How can I help him?

• The Eight of Cups. Retreat? Give up? Well, okay. Maybe I should just let the chips fall where they may and lay off a little. I would still like him to graduate high school, though. 

Dog Card 1 - How is my 17wo puppy doing?

• Reversed queen of pentacles. He is driving me crazy. He is acting unnaturally for his breed. He is causing an imbalance in family and work commitments. Yes, very true.

Dog Card 2 - How can I help him?

• Knight of Pentacles. Stop and assess the situation? Read the mail? Invest in a safer car or house? Well, okay. My car and house are safe enough, but I suppose I should keep working on protecting them from my aggressive and insane chewing and climbing dog. I'll keep doing that. It will be fine. Maybe the knight is also reminding me to take it easy and give him a bit more time, and this will all work itself out as he grows. Fine!

Outcome for the Family

• The Reversed Queen of Swords. I'll be overly emotional, bitchy, and cold-hearted? I may have misinterpreted one of the cards along the way and will need to reassess. But for now, yeah, I'm a little overly emotional about everything. I'm in therapy for it, so at least I'm on the right track.
• I reinterpreted the Eight of Cups for how to help my son. One of the interpretations (in my own tarot book!) is to try a different solution (rather than give up and ignore the problem, which is how I initially interpreted it.) There are a few other solutions I could try, one of which is getting him enrolled in a different school rather than hoping the high school will help him out. I could have a talk with him about maybe doing that. Let's see what outcome I draw if I do that:
  • I drew the Tower Card - which is usually an ominous card about imminent disaster and total life destruction, but it could also be a card about overthrowing a system, bucking a tradition, or burning a huge institution to the ground (such as a high school that isn't helping my son anymore.) I may be on the right track here. I have to see how he feels about possibly switching schools. I don't think the suggestion will go over very well, but just asking him is doing my part to help out, and that might be enough. The rest can be up to him. 

So there you go, a reading for the parents out there who are struggling with the best ways to help their kids, both during a pandemic or at any time!  

For more Tarot Spreads, click the Spreads link at the side of this page.
For more info on the cards, read Applied Tarot

Everybody loves Runes. Ask your phone what your Rune says today!

The Norse people liked simple things. So here's a simple spread straight from the ancients themselves - the Three Norns! 

The Norns were mythical giant maidens who ruled the fates of both gods and men - that's a lot of gal power! Their names were Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. This spread of the Three Norns holds a lot of power. It basically declares your destiny based on your past and present.

Stone 1: The Past (Urd)
As well as being the name of one of the Norns, Urd was the name of a well at the base of a large mountain, and is said to be where the Norns reside. Urd herself spins the events of the past. The Rune here represents events of the past that have a direct correlation to the present and the future.

Stone 2: The Present (Verdandi)
If Urd spins the events, Verdandi weaves them together. The Rune here is what is being woven based on the events of the past. It could be what is happening right now, or what will come into being very soon. 

Stone 3: The Future (Skuld)
Urd spins events, Verdandi weaves them, and Skuld is said to "cut them short." So while this Rune does represent the future, it also serves as a reminder that it's not too late to change the future if you don't like how it ends. Skuld hasn't cut anything yet! 


So I did this reading for myself just now, and my topic is this dog I adopted on a whim. At the time I thought 'hey, all three of my kids were super easy, my cats were super easy, everything I've parented in life was super easy, so this dog will be super easy too, it's fate! Right?'

Wrong. This is kinda the worst idea I've ever had. I am trying very hard with this dog, I've spent a fortune on training and books and toys and solutions, but it's still quite a mess. He's extremely anxious, abnormally energetic for his breed, and a fluffy giant ball of love and teeth and crying. So much teeth. So much crying - both him and myself. It is hard work. The vet has prescribed anxiety medication for him. I may take it myself.

So, on to the Three Norns - the past, present, and future of my dog.

Rune 1: Fehu
Fehu is wealth that moves - it comes into your life and it goes out again. I think as a Rune representing the past, it's telling me this was a gift that came into my life, and I did the right thing by accepting it. So that's nice. 

Rune 2: Jera
Jera represents those moments between seasons, and how they blend to create natural cycles of abundance and loss, marriage and divorce, and planting and harvesting. Jera is a cycle that is never quite complete. I suppose in the present position, I'm in that middle part of a cycle, where dog parenting is both bad and good, fluffy and difficult, adorable yet crying. The only thing to do is push through.

Rune 3: Raido (Reversed)
Upright, Raido is about travel and taking a journey. In reverse it is about immobility, restlessness, or one who is a control freak. I suppose Skuld is warning me to be a little more flexible with my dog and our lives, and understand that immobility is a natural part of having a new puppy. I will just have to work around it, and maybe put travel on hold for a bit. The dog won't let me go anywhere anyway. So much crying.

That's my story and my dog and I'm stuck with it for now, I guess. Oh well! He's cute, so he's got that going for him. 

If you don't have Runes, I found this neat online Three Norns reading that also includes reversals, which I feel are important when summoning the divinatory powers of the cold North. 

For more on the Runes, read Applied Runes! 
​

With 78 cards to learn, Tarot can sometimes seem too daunting to pick up. For anyone who has always wanted to learn but doesn't have time nor patience, or who is overwhelmed by the sheer profoundness of this divination tool, I wanted to suggest this handy little resource for starting to learn Tarot cards.

(I have no affiliation with Easy Tarot, I make no money off of the sale of this, and I'd probably be lambasted in the industry for suggesting this rudimentary intro to the cards anyway, so rest assured I'm only recommending it because it's stupid easy and I adore it.)

For only thirteen bucks (USD) you get a nifty little book with interpretations (upright only, unfortunately, but reversals are challenging to learn so give yourself time on those), and a full deck of the Gilded Tarot, which has images that pretty much portray the meaning of each card right there on the front, you almost don't even need the book. There should be little question as to what each card means, because it's right there in front of you.

Here are some examples:
The Nine of Cups has what appears to be a shopkeeper showing off his stuff with pride - boom: the meaning of the Nine of Cups is that you've made it, and you're ready to open your store and show off the things you love and are proud of. 

The Seven of Pentacles shows a farmhand surveying the ripeness of their tree. They are about ready to pluck the fruits - boom: the meaning of the seven of pentacles is that you've planted your stuff and you're about ready to start harvesting the fruits of your labor (but you have to check it for doneness first!)

The Empress holds a female symbol within a circle of astrological symbols - boom: She's the mother of all life and holds dominion over the cycle of the year.  Not pictured here, her counterpart the Emperor holds a scepter and is also in a circle, but his is the Chinese zodiac. So the interpretation could be that he also holds dominion and is an authority, but of a longer period of time (the Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle). 

​
Easy peasy! I love this deck and I still use it when I need a quick and easy read.

March 1st began my new adventure as a --I don't want to say unemployed-- no-longer-employed-by-the-man author, grad student, and business owner. I work for myself and myself alone now! It is terrifying and lonely and I don't recommend it at all!

So, of course, instead of getting right down to brand building and writing new books and working on my assignments, I procrastinated all yesterday and came up with this Tarot spread for myself. It works for anyone undergoing a career overhaul, or starting a new job, or just trying something a little different.

Card 1 - Your New Role

• This is an overview of what you're getting yourself into! Super daunting, but keep going.

Card 2 - Personal goals

• This is what you, yourself, hope to get out of this adventure. These could be emotional goals, or a self development plan, or something that relates to what makes you you.

Card 3 - Business goals

• Business goals could be financial, or developmental, or professional, anything that has to do with getting down to business and up in the world

Card 4 - The challenges

• Self explanatory - the bad stuff you'll encounter and will need to work through.

Card 5 - The perks

• The awesome stuff about this new adventure you're on!

Card 6 - The Outcome

• Woo-hoo! What's the scoop on how this will go?

So of course I did this reading for myself, because I can't NOT invent a tarot reading and then do it on myself. Also, not doing it would mean I'd have to do my other work and really focus on my new self-employment venture, and I don't want to do that.

My New Role - the Reversed Eight of Pentacles

• Inexperience, cutting corners, and not doing the hard work required. This is factual as I am only blogging right now to avoid hard work. Thanks for this reminder, Tarot.

My Personal Goals - Two of Wands

• Planning, potential, and launching my ships! Yes! That is definitely my goal! Now I just need to do it!

My Business Goals - Four of Swords

• Rest, coming up with ideas, taking a break or vacation. I mean, sure. Getting a vacation would be a nice business goal, although more expensive than lucrative. I suppose my goal for starting my Master's program is to eventually study on campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so that would be a nice vacation where I could incubate ideas among my fellow grad students. So this card could make sense in a few different ways. I did need a break from my last job, that's for sure.

The Challenges - Five of Pentacles

• Poverty and instability. YUP. THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, CARDS.

The Perks - Seven of Wands

• Perseverance, defending what matters, challenges. It's not a great perk, but perseverance is healthy, and working on challenges can only help me grow as a person.

The Outcome - The Reversed Ten of Cups

• Family troubles, selfishness, divorce. Well, lovely. I don't know what the positives are of this at all. I'm the worst at doing Tarot spreads for myself. I guess I'd better go tell the hubs it's over and call my lawyer.

Want a personal challenge and a psychic reading? Try my new book, Psychic Word Puzzles! It's a Tarot Spread, a Fortune Teller, an exercise for your gray matter, and a fun distraction all in one!