Hey there, Moonbeams. Welcome back to Tarot & Tea with your faithful friend, Jessika TuCrow. It is not actually Tarot that we will be practicing today but rather cartomancy using a deck of playing cards. Card reading has been around since the 14th century, shortly after the invention of playing cards and well before the addition of the Major Arcana which created the Tarot as we know it. The card I have drawn for our reading today is the Six of Spades. This ominous card is traditionally considered to predict a death and funeral. Interpretation of playing cards is diverse, varying widely between regions and readers. My favorite expert in playing card divination, Professor Charles Porterfield, describes the Six of Spades as representing "10 miles of bad road," and includes the idea that some good will come from ill in the end. The special playing card oracle deck that I'm working with depicts the Six of Spades as grey ruins of a castle. What once was, is no more. We are warned against allowing the past to affect us now in detrimental ways. This poignantly reflects the current Venus retrograde transit which seems to be affecting many folks right now. What old baggage are we carrying? Maybe letting go of some of that old junk will make these next few miles that much easier to traverse.
I know whenever I'm going through a rough patch in my life; I have trouble sleeping at night. A good Moonrise tisane to pair with the Six of Spades would be Sound Sleep. This soothing blend will put your mind at ease and allow you to rest yourself deeply and completely. Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Chamomile, Orange peel, Linden, Damiana, Tulsi, Passionflower, Valerian root, and Licorice root harmonize together in a flavor which is smooth, sweet, and earthy. Deeply relaxing, Sound Sleep Tea is full of calming nervines and gentle sedatives. In addition to helping relieve sleeplessness, this potent herbal formula canserve as an ally for severe anxiety. Valerian root is a heroic nervine and mild muscle relaxer used as a remedy for insomnia, nervous tension, and muscle pain. Oddly, a few people out there find Valerian root to be stimulating rather than sedating, so just be aware of your personal response. Many of the herbs in this formula happen to also be excellent spiritual cleansers and road openers which can be used to clear away negative influences and support a fresh start.
Our featured deck this episode is the beautiful Playing Cards Oracle Divination Deck by Ana Cortez and C.J. Freeman. Although cartomancy may be performed using any deck of cards, this special deck is designed for the purpose. I have an interest in cartomancy and felt it would be nice to have a playing card oracle, so I ordered this curious deck through Moonrise Herbs. The cards are embellished with pictorial symbolism and given descriptive titles, so I thought that it might be easier to remember the meanings of the cards. However, I found that this deck is pretty well its own thing... the meanings conveyed by these cards do not always match up with my familiar interpretations, even the suits are rearranged. The images and words on the cards have a certain grave, mysterious quality that alludes to profound secrets which are waiting to be found within this magickal deck. I imagine that it would be very easy to work with if one is not already well-versed in cartomancy and would thus be a great way to learn a system of divination in which one might eventually substitute any pack of cards. Think of it as a cartomancy training deck. It's really quite lovely and I recommend it to folks who are looking for a unique oracle with practical, traditional roots.