It's always a pain when a card comes up reversed for the whole month, but Temperance Reversed brings with it some possible fortune, if you know how and where to look for it! This card can represent a need for more balance, a change that must be maid, or an opportunity to look at where you are in the world and re-align your actions with your values!
As possible simple steps to take to make your life a little brighter, you could make your bed, paint your nails red or purple, watch a movie about a storm or tidal wave, or eat some grapes! For bigger changes, why not book a trip to Mount St. Helen's, Pompeii, or Victoria Falls? Or learn a trade like welding? The world can be your oyster this month, you just have to balance and prioritize your activities. Ask your Tarot cards: What actions can I take today to align with my life's purpose?
Books to Read This Month:
Temperance Reversed is about strong emotions, resistance to change, and flooding! Why not read some great books involving angry gods, the sea, or an inability to adapt?
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 I bid on a really nice lake house, but was outbid. I trust that the universe knows what it's going, but when you try to make a purchase of that magnitude, it can be a hell of a bummer when it falls through. I'm spending the day licking my wounds over here, and wondering if another, similar house will ever become available again (in my head I know it will, and it will be perfect, but I can't help but feel negative and pessimistic about the whole thing. So I created this Tarot Spread to help me move on a little faster. This spread can work for any type of dream that was just not obtained. It doesn't have to be a lake house, it might be something equally large like starting a new business, or something as minor as trying to bake cookies from scratch and ending up with something akin to burnt cardboard (lord knows I've done that, too!) So I'm going to try it out. Let's see what happens. 1. What about this goal was right? self explanatory, really. What part of the dream was good, which you should hold onto as you move toward your next goal? In my case, what about this house was right and should I look for in the next house? I pulled Strength upright - the house was solid, had good bones, and in practical terms would have been great for my pets. Okay, I will keep that in mind going forward. 2. What about this goal was wrong? What mistake did you make when choosing this goal? In my case, what did I overlook about the house that wouldn't have worked for our family? I pulled The Fool Reversed - in my book, Applied Tarot Reversed, the fool reversed is actually about downsizing, but I think this was more of a warning that this was TOO MUCH OF A DOWNSIZE. The house only had two bedrooms, and we need at least three to welcome our children and family when they come to visit. The fool reversed is warning me that this is not a new beginning, the house was just too small. 3. How should I change the goal to move forward? What adaptation can you make so that your dream is more easily realized next time? In my case, this might be asking what should I look for in the next house? I pulled the Knight of Wands reversed - on an esoteric level this often implies recklessness, but in more direct terms it reminds us about our cars. The house I bid on didn't actually have a garage or electricity to the parking lot, which is something we need for our electric vehicles. I think the cards are warning me to think about my travel needs next time. 4. How can I best support my emotional wounds? What can you do right now to make yourself feel better? In my case, can I treat myself to something to get my mind of losing out on this house? I pulled the Wheel of Fortune upright - According to my book, Applied Tarot, I could either try gambling (no thanks, gotta save my money), clean the hall closet (I could do that, I suppose) or watch a movie about taking chances (I will probably choose that option. I'm not only sad but also super lazy.) 5. What message does the universe have? This is the crux of all things when you're feeling down about something - what does the universe want you to understand about it? In my situation, what does the universe want me to know about house hunting? I pulled the Hermit - This card is about introspection and the attainment of wisdom, so I guess I need to remember that I learned something throughout this process? In literal terms it's about being up high on a mountain or having a better view - so maybe I have to wait to find a house on more of a hill! I can do that. ;) I got a lot of major arcana cards, which tells me that this was completely out of my control and is exactly what the Universe planned and expected for me. I find comfort in that. The deck is the Land of Stories Tarot. I did the reading right here at my desk while I was blogging this.  
A 2023 New Year Tarot spread. The background is a tabletop with candles. The reading, counter-clockwise from Left: 1. What am I leaving Behind. 2) What have I learned. 3) How have I grown? 4) What new things are coming? 5) A message about 2023
Happy New Year! Although the Gregorian Calendar is rather arbitrary in that it assigns a numerical value to circles made around a giant ball of fire, Jan 1 is still a great day to assess how far we've come and where we still have to go. In the Northern hemisphere, where an estimated 90% of the global population resides, Jan 1 tends to fall in the cold, dark winter. What better way to liven our spirits than to begin a new journey around an old star? For 2023 I've created this tarot spread. I haven't numbered the cards, as I want users to read it in any direction or order they choose. I also want to give 2023 the opportunity to bring surprises rather than pain - so if you happen to draw the Nine of Swords for your "What New Things are Coming" card, go ahead and switch that around with "What Am I Leaving Behind," instead. Trust your gut! Don't be afraid of the new year! 
My cats are very curious about the Tarot. Yes, I drew the cards on the floor.
For the sake of standardization, I am going to do my own reading counter-clockwise from "What have I learned." I have chosen to use the Salvador Dali Tarot Deck, as 2022 was a little wild and loopy for me, so I feel Dali's quirky art will be accurate. I also find this deck very large and hard to manage, which pretty much explained 2022, too. 1. What Am I Leaving Behind? The four of pentacles: This card is about security, and being in a place where your monetary needs are met. I don't really want to let that go. However, it's also a warning not to be greedy. Share your talents, your wealth, and the physical gifts you have. I'm willing to let go of greed and insecurity. I have lived with the fear of loss long enough. Although this recession isn't being kind to my bank accounts right now, I know that I am safe because I am loved. 2. What have I learned? The World: Everything? I've learned... everything! woo-hoo! In the Dali Tarot, the World has a bit more negative connotation, though. It's a reminder that we have inherited the earth from our parents, and we are passing it down to the children, so we must use our time and skills in the best way we can. I think this particular reading is telling me that I've learned what my gifts are, and now I must share them. 3. How have I grown? The reversed Star: Reversed, the Star is about fear, the inability to move on from tragedy, and being a "Debbie downer." In terms of how I've grown, it might be telling me that I've learned bad things will happen anyway, so rather than hide from them I must continue to have hope, and push through the difficulties. I'll accept that. In my book, Applied Tarot Reversed, the reversed Star also tells me to watch Wall-E. I could just do that, too. 4. What new things are coming? The four of cups: Boredom and apathy? Oh, yay. EYEROLL. The Dali Tarot book says "explore your feelings, define your boundaries, and meditate." Perhaps that's what is coming this year - more acceptance of my feelings, some down time that I will have to live with (I usually dislike downtime, as it makes me feel useless. This may be a lesson), and the opportunity to practice mindful meditation. I could do that. 5. A message from the Universe about 2023 The Ace of Swords: This card is about determination and focus. I think the message from the Universe here is to keep going, solve puzzles, and continue pushing ahead. The Dali Tarot book says "Rise and stand up straight! Gain strength from your knowledge..." I'm currently working on a graduate degree (I should finish this Spring) and my project is a scathing report about anti-feminist trends in the tech industry. I have met with a lot of resistance about my goals, but I think this Ace is telling me to be confident and continue on this path, it is the smart and correct way. I'll take it! So there you go, enjoy your 2023 and let me know what messages you get! Mentioned in this post are:
I had the privilege of beta reading Westside Oracle, by T.J. Deschamps! This book is like a familiar animal!
The main character, Lydia, starts out as a completely fake fortune-teller, just trying to hustle to support herself, and then gets swept up into the world of the Greek Gods as an actual, real Oracle with mad fortune-telling skills (which she can't control!) I totally feel for Lydia while she tries to run from her old life, all while desperately trying to avoid the clutches of rogue nymphs, sneaky gods, frightening Titans, and her own crazy three-headed doggo. Sure, my dog only has one head, but he's just as drooly and gross as Cerberus, I swear. You'll want to read this book if you love: Greek myths (or are they real?), Tarot readings gone awry, women taking control of their ridiculous situations, and hot Gods! Or if you're a fortune teller, like myself! I loved this book and give it 5 stars. Westside Oracle comes out January 15th, but you can pre-order it on Kindle for the super low price of $2.99!
Stupid pleased to announce the release of O-69 by Emmy Tidning! This silly sexy romp through a bingo parlor will leave you desperate for an O-69 of your own! Pre-order now on Kindle!
Finally, we come to the last entry in my card information items, the reversed King of Pentacles. This King might be greedy or corrupt, but if it represents you or me, it's more likely that our businesses are failing.
That could not be more true for me. I haven't put enough work into my business this month, and I'm way in the red. I've bought more than I've earned, and even readership of this free blog is down over 50% this month. It's not great. The other day I was joking around with my youngest son, who hadn't yet committed to a university, and I said if he waited any longer I'd cancel the whole thing, I couldn't afford for him to go, anyway. He asked if that was true, and that's when I had to do the math to figure it out. To put four of us through college in one year, we're spending more than my spouse's starting salary when we moved here in 2006. We have reversed my husband, the Kind of Pentacles. We've tipped him upside down and dropped every cent out of his pockets, just so we can get an education. Remember, I'm in grad school, we have a daughter who is a junior and applying to grad school this year, one son who is a sophomore in college, and our youngest son who - -just now put his deposit down on an expensive private school. Dammit, boy! Get a job, instead. College is for suckers, like your parents. 
Upright, the King of Pentacles is powerful and successful, but also conservative and miserly. The king is a great dad, and generous when there is a reward in return.
Reversed, this King might be unsuccessful in business, corrupt, broke, possibly a gambler, and a terrible father. Questions answered by the reversed King of Pentacles: Who? A greedy, materialistic person What? A corrupt business Where? A casino or house of ill repute When? Mid-August to early September; When the business is in the red Why? “An unsuccessful person feels obliged to praise himself all the time because in order to feel happy, he must compensate for his failure in a virtual way!” ~Mehmet Murat ildan Yes or No? Maybe The reversed King of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Red, blue, orange …a movie theme? failure; business corruption
…a new career?
King of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Be wary of extortion or failure in (card) After any card: Corruption; haste; greed Flip that sad King back right side up - read about the upright King in Applied Tarot
My youngest child has to make a decision this week about which University he'll attend in the fall. I am trying really hard not to influence his decision, but it is frustrating me to no end that he's putting it off this long. With three adult kids in Universities across the continent, I need to start making plans for moving their things and getting them settled.
I'm trying very hard not to be a - I had to pause writing this because I just saw some type of animal scoot past my window. It might have been a rat. I hope it was a bird. I screamed. I digress. I'm trying very hard not to be a manipulative, overbearing Mom. (I'm also trying hard not to scream at rodents.) My kids are adults now and they can make decisions for themselves, I just wish they'd do it sooner rather than later so I can figure out the rest of our lives. Working this all out also reminds me that I'll miss them and I'll be an empty nester very soon, which makes me very sad. I am very much the reversed Queen of Pentacles right now. I'm going to eat some cake and call my therapist. Update: It was a squirrel. Whew, that's fine. Sorry I screamed, squirrel. I am the reversed Queen and I'm freaking out. 
Upright, the Queen of Pentacles is a nurturing parent who is down-to-Earth, approachable, practical, and successful in business and at home.
Reversed, the queen is self-centered, smothering, possessive, manipulative, or is an otherwise bad mother. Questions answered by the reversed Queen of Pentacles: Who? A cruel woman What? Troubles in business or relationships Where? Your physical environment When? Mid December to early January; When a manipulator arrives Why? “What you feed will flourish. What you neglect will die.” ~Unknown Yes or No? No The Reversed Queen of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Orange, black …a movie theme? Smothering, a difficult woman
…a new career?
Queen of Pentacles reversed Before any card: A gross misunderstanding about (card) After any card: A difficult woman; a manipulator Did you know that most of the Tarot Cards have a matching Rune? The reversed Queen is akin to the reversed Berkano rune. For more on practical Rune divination, read Applied Runes! This past week I flew my son all over the country for various reasons relating to his entire future. First, we traveled to California to write a math test, in the hopes that one of the universities he has applied to will accept him. Next, we flew to Pennsylvania and New York to check out two universities he's been accepted to already, in the hopes that maybe he could just settle on one and we can move on. We left with less information than we started with. Both schools were perfectly fine in their own ways, and my kid could see himself at either. My son's apathy about which college to choose is a very reversed Knight of Pentacles way to be. Flying him around the country for no reason makes me freak out about money, and I begin to hoard it like another type of reversed Knight of Pentacles. My kid's Dad then gets all impatient because our son hasn't made a decision yet and the due date is fast approaching, so that's yet another type of reversed knight of pentacles. And all of this takes place during mid-April to mid-May, which is the prime knight of pentacles (reversed or upright) time of year. No wonder the knight represents this time, all these kids with their decisions not being made, and their parents freaking out, is the knight of pentacles to a tee. Time to nosh on some carbs.  Upright, the Knight of Pentacles is a guard or another type of stationary protector. While ambitious, this knight surveys the land and chooses the best courses of action before making a move, making this card about practicality and dependability.
Reversed, the knight is impatient, irresponsible, or doesn’t finish what he or she starts. This card could also indicate a problem with earning money, or someone who is greedy and materialistic. Questions answered by the reversed Knight of Pentacles: Who? An unreliable person What? Apathy Where? A large shopping center When? Mid-April to early May; When you’ve given up Why? “Many sophisticated, intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense.” ~Joyce Meyer Yes or No? Not now The reversed Knight of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Blue; green; purple …a movie theme? Complacency; unreliable narrators
A new career?
Knight of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Promises are not being kept about (card) After any card: Disloyalty; lack of common sense
This week we're traveling around the country for various reasons all related to my youngest son, who has to make a choice about University by May 1st.
Our first stop is Cupertino, California, where he'll write the Euclid Math Contest, an optional entry requirement for the University of Waterloo. We need to do all the optional things because he needs all the help he can get for consideration in these applications. His ability to excel at schoolwork during the pandemic was... not great. He's got a high SAT and 5s across the board on AP tests, but those Covid Ds do not look good on his academic record. The next day we head back to crash at the airport for one night, then we're flying to Pennsylvania, hopping in a car, and touring a couple of the schools he did get into, to see if he likes them enough to attend. Here's where this stuff is all Page of Pentacles related - it's expensive! and unrealistic! This trip is costing us a fortune, all because my kids' grades weren't quite good enough to get into some closer schools. Of course he had to apply to the hardest field to get into, as well. If he were going into Humanities, we wouldn't be flying around the country like this. His college advisor said "Computer Science is the bloodsport of college admissions." Every student in CS is having trouble getting accepted this season, not just ours. They're all pages of pentacles, suffering bad news, not getting into some of their safest safety schools, and costing their parents a fortune just trying to figure it all out. I feel bad for all of them. My accountant feels bad for me. I'm going to go eat a Pizza and download The Hangover for our flight. 
Upright, the Page of Pentacles is a young, studious individual. This is a card about going back to school or engaging in activism for a sustainable future.
Reversed, this page is unfocused, disorganized, immature, and unrealistic. The reversed page might be the bearer of bad news, or a warning that you are living a champagne life on a lemonade budget. Questions answered by the reversed Page of Pentacles: Who? A careless young person What? A lack of money Where? An amusement park When? Spring (Northern Hemisphere) or Fall (Southern Hemisphere); When the money runs out; after college Why? “Never spend your money before you have earned it.” ~Thomas Jefferson Yes or No? No The reversed Page of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Purple, red, green …a movie theme? Bad news; immaturity
…a new career?
Page of Pentacles reversed Before any card: A lack of common sense about (card) After any card: Bad news; being unfocused
Switching up from Tarot? Try our companion book, Applied Runes. It has more info for your confused and unrealistic young'uns!
My son was rejected from all the highly-rated universities we'd thought he had a shot at. This year's application cycle has just been a beast. It's sad, but although he's got the highest IQ of anyone I've ever met, he's certainly not alone. All the kids who took gap years because of the pandemic are applying, colleges are trying to keep their numbers reasonable so that they don't end up with too many, so competition is just fierce. It's disappointing for everyone who worked so hard just to be devastated by rejection after rejection.
The colleges he did get into are great, so I won't complain about it. The problem with them is that they're a full day of traveling away, with multiple flight layovers and very expensive travel. We're going to tour two of them next week, and our 4-day trip is costing multiple thousands of dollars. Applying to colleges is a slog, and visiting those colleges is a money pit. It's a very reversed ten of pentacles! It's the worst-case legacy scenario (baby not getting into schools we expected him to get into), It's a financial loss (expensive travel), and we're all still muddling though this stupid pandemic that won't end (disaster). Maybe I'll go eat fruitcake behind a bank, and hope someone throws out a bag of money. 
The Ten of Pentacles upright is about fortune, legacy, and inheritance. This card depicts the epitome of wealth, the highest level of career success, or a completed family tree.
Reversed, it is generally the worst-case scenario for finances, such as a disaster, bankruptcy, issues with inheritances or wills, divorce, or money loss. Questions answered by the reversed Ten of Pentacles: Who? Someone going through a divorce or bankruptcy What? A disputed financial transaction Where? Behind the bank When? The middle of September; During a reading of a will; At the end of a life stage Why? “It’s easy to meet expenses – everywhere we go, there they are.” ~Anonymous Yes or No? No The reversed Ten of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? blue, green …a movie theme? Debt; financial disaster; family trouble
…a new career?
Ten of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Refrain from financial dealings with (card) After any card: Debt; bankruptcy; will disputes
For more on the reversed ten of pentacles, read Applied Tarot Reversed
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