Saturday, July 25, 2009

Time to Spy on the Ancestors

I'm looking forward to next Sunday, August 2nd, (from 1-3), when I will be at the Triple Goddess demonstrating the "Animal Cracker Oracle," (my adaptation of an old Prussian custom), plusTarot tips and techniques for looking in on some of the doings of various lines of one's ancestors. The weekend coincides with Lammas/Lughnasadh, the festival of the grain. In keeping with the symbolism of the grain as the seed of life that is passed through generations, I like to look at its Ancestor World symbolism, and so I view Lammas as a good time to ponder the chain of connections that link us to past and future generations--as well as the interconnectedness of all people.

In keeping with this theme, we'll looking into some of the ethnic-tribal oriented Tarot decks, as there are some that depict scenes of life among the various European groups such as the Celts and Teutons, as well as Native Americans, various Asiatic cultures, and Africans. If you will be joining us on Sunday, the Triple Goddes has many sample decks availble, and lets us use them for these demonstrations. If you don't have a preferred deck of your own, you will likely be able to find something that you can work with, that will speak to some aspect of your ethnic heritage.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Defining Archetypes

On Sunday’s blog radio interview and in the previous post, I talked about Michael Jackson and the archetype of the boy that never grows up. This week I was riveted by the archetypal drama and pageantry of Michael Jackson’s funeral, (as I was with Princess Diana’s). Funerals bring up all kinds of archetypal associations because they are rites of passage. Also, just as last year I wrote about the “feng shui of Halloween,” that is the energizing movement of masked people through a community, there is another type of feng shui motion associated with the funeral procession, whether that be people in a motorcade or walking behind a coffin, as, for a short while, they accompany the body of the loved one who is beginning his or her Journey to the World Beyond.

To better clarify what I mean when I use the term “archetype,” here is the definition I provided in the glossary of my book, “Tarot For a New Generation.”

“Archetypes are regarded as patterns within the mind that correspond to important human instincts and experiences; the Tarot is a collection of archetypal images: for example, the Hermit is an image designed to portray the archetype of the search for wisdom, the Empress is an archetype of loving nurturance, and so on. Archetypes such as Love, Wisdom, Justice, and the like tend to be almost universal, appearing in different cultures in recognizable--though culturally relevant--forms. Archetypes are especially significant to us when they operate through our personalities. For example, the High Priestess card relates to the facet of your personality that yearns to explore the mysteries of the universe, while the Emperor corresponds to the part of you that wants to build stable foundations and create order around you. In other words, you have a ‘priestess within’ and a ‘king within,’ as well as a wise elder, a fool, a magician, and many other characters inside of you that correspond to the main Tarot cards. Of course, some of these archetypes may be more active than others, or at different phases of your life.”

Saturday, July 4, 2009

2 Gigs For Sunday

Hi All! Just reminding you that I will be at the Triple Goddess from 1-3 tomorrow, Sunday, July 5th. The theme is Treasures-of-the-Sea, and I will be demonstrating the Seashell Oracle and Tarot readings as described in my earlier post, below. Then, at 7 p.m. Eastern time, I will be doing an interview on BlogTalk Radio, talking about how to consult the Tarot for advice, and doing over-the-air readings. The link to the general radio show is http://www.blogtalkradio.com//beyondworlds. That is affiliated with the site, http://www.DivineWhispers.net. I believe the link to my specific show will be http://tinyurl.com/janina-renee. So, looking forward to a busy day tomorrow, and hope our friends in Spirit will helping out, as getting out a pack of Tarot cards is one way of signaling to the Spirit World.