Namaste!
Sorry I have been so quiet as of late; I have lots to share with you, but I’ve been pretty overwhelmed at work, and when you’ve spent all day writing progress reports for children, typing out a blog is a heck of a lot of work. Although, I should make an effort to write throughout the month of November, seeing as it is National Novel Writing Month. Perhaps that will be my inspiration hence-forth.
I have some amazing mediumship experiences to tell you about, but I’ll save those for later, as, right now, I would like to share with you a gloriously beautiful new set of cards I received after winning a giveaway on Instagram… Tarot in Thyme.
Don’t be fooled by the name: these are more like oracle cards, though inspired by Tarot and Lenormand cards. At the first experience of them, I was overwhelmed at how beautiful they were. The colours were outstanding. The drawings were honest, simplistic and touching. Even the backs of the cards were just GLORIOUS. And the card stock is thin but easy to handle, smooth, and allows for perfect shuffling with it’s size and the fact that the cards do not stick together, inconveniently.
I get the impression that these cards were made in a manner that is meant to be fully interpreted by the reader, which leads me to believe that these cards would be difficult to use if one is not already familiar with reading cards, and interpreting symbolism. But that’s, in fact, what I love most about these cards! They are just calling to be personalized by me and read in my own way.
As usual, with cards I get, whether Tarot or Oracle or otherwise, I had an interview with the deck, and here is what the conversation looked like…
What do you want to tell me about yourself? – The Priestess
This deck is a compassionate keeper of knowledge, of sacred spirituality and intelligence, and it’s ready to work with me and reveal it’s wisdom to me. The oracle will reveal to me the workings of my unconscious mind and will help me better understand the whispers of my inner voice.
Does it really get any better than that?!
What card do you want to show me? – Smoke
Firstly, I’d like to mention that this card is one of my favourites based on the imagery and the meaning, and I think the deck wanted to show it to me to emphasize, ‘Yes, I know this is what you want to see, and I want you to know that as we continue to work together, you’ll continue to see and hear what you’re looking for.’ I believe the deck is implying to me that it will, in fact, fan away the smoke that shields my eyes from higher truths. It will be the light and clarity through that fog.
What do you think of me? – The Moon
REALLY!? Anyone who truly knows me, knows the attachment I always have to the Moon cards in a deck! This deck believes me to be an intuitive, secretive individual, with the wisdom and knowledge of old, always ready to illuminate a spiritual path and bring light to the darkness. This deck also knows me, already well enough, to compare me to my most favourite imagery! The bond is already formed, and the relationship has begun!
There are a few other comments I want to make about this deck, but I want you to remember that this is the first print of the deck, and I imagine improvements will continue to be made.
There is a set of cards in here, Rock and Crystals, that are, essentially, the exact same card with the exact same imagery. Yes, I’ve read that the reason this is, is because you should be aware that there are always two ways to read a card or imagery. Now, I’ve removed the Rocks card from my deck because I think it’s a little silly. Of course there are always two ways to read any card! And if we were truly going by that rule, than each card in the deck should have a mirror image of itself (and I’d love to have mirrors of each card… it means more of these beautiful pieces of art)! I find the double card to be redundant and unnecessary.
Second, there are a group of cards with imagery that simply don’t fit with the theme that the other images are working with (watercolour pictures with a white background). These cards represent the elements and also include some ancestoral altar cards. I have also removed these from the deck and are using them as separate invocation and intention cards. I think they throw off the natural flow of the other cards, and think they would be better suited sold separately. They’re so beautiful! And I will be using them for spells, personal intentions, and extending my readings. But I won’t be using them with the other Tarot in Thyme cards because I don’t feel like they fit (but that’s just my own opinion – many people feel they fit perfectly!).
But I think that’s the beauty of these cards, and I’ve never experienced this with other cards before, but I feel as though they’re meant to be taken and altered and interpreted to suit the needs and style of the reader. There are no restrictions! It’s the most freedom I’ve felt with a deck since Shadowscapes. I ADORE it!
And lastly, as an English and Philosophy major and now a teacher, writing and editing has been an extensive part of my life for years and years. There is nothing I dislike more than reading an accompanying text to my cards that is unedited, containing grammatical errors… (I am the coworker you DON’T want to be paired with, as I will correct all your writing and spelling errors — haha!) The text for these cards is not written very well, cuts off (from the printing, I’m assuming), contains formatting errors and is missing many punctuation points. There are also a group of cards that do not have a written component at all (I would have really loved to see what inspired the cards or the imagery)… But considering that I believe these cards to be better suited to personal interpretation, the written component is secondary and unimportant to the splendor of the cards themselves. But considering this is an important aspect to many people who are learning to read, I considered it an important point to mention.
All in all, I cannot praise these cards enough. They’re outstanding. They’re beautiful. They read really well. And I’m so excited for the bond we will be forming with one another. I highly, highly recommend jumping in and getting a copy of the next printing of these cards (just in thyme for Christmas!). They’re so unique and intuitive, and @tarotinthyme did an amazing job with them. I love them, and I feel so blessed to have them be a part of my spiritual life and work. We were meant to join forces – and what a powerful force these cards truly are…
Have you had an opportunity to see and work with these cards? What’s your experience been like?! Share in the comments!
Blessings, Love&Light,
Cloud
seeking celestial grace® 