I had a couple lucid dreams the other night. This isn’t a super uncommon experience for me - I’ve written a number of times about dreaming and the strange things I experience in this space. For some reason though, I’ve been more fascinated than usual about the most recent episodes, I think because I intuit they have much to teach us about not just dreams, but the nature of reality as a whole.

So, what is it about lucid dreams? For anyone whose had one, you will recognize that remarkable feeling when reality clicks and then shifts - that moment you realize you’re in a dream. It’s as if some great epiphany has been bestowed upon you and now, you’re in this elevated, illuminated and liberated state. And for the most part, the dream usually looks the same even once this realization is achieved, but the feeling you have while in it is what’s been altered. It’s exciting - the prospect of no longer being bound to the rules of the world! You can do as you please, at least for as long as you can remain in the dream.

The shadow is a tricky thing. It lives in a language-less land and so it can’t just come out and say, with words, what’s on its mind (generally speaking). Instead, it feeds us in symbols, feelings, sensations, intuitions and other such urgings that can seem vague and elusive.

I can’t say for sure, but I wonder if part of the reason it works in this way is that it simultaneously wants to be discovered while wanting to evade detection. The part of it that desires discovery, is probably the part of it that is seeking expression and ultimately acceptance. But on the other hand, it doesn’t want us to be totally aware of its schemes because then it runs the risk of eradication or further suppression. Let’s face it, we haven’t been exactly welcoming of our shadow parts - I can totally understand why it would be as afraid of us as we are of it!

For a long time, I associated the High Priestess with intuition - just, a broad sweeping faculty that spoke to one's ability to access something out of the ordinary.

The more I sit with this archetype though, the more nuanced my understanding of intuition has become. I have discovered, and probably you have as well, that intuition isn't intuition isn't intuition. There are levels, degrees and types - and we think this may be why many of us have a hard time discerning between the voices in our head. 

We recently sat down with Vanessa Bartlett on her amazing podcast The Aquarean.

Vanessa invited us on to talk allllll about tarot, our practice, what brought us to this work, the Golden Dawn, shadow work and even our relationship, which is...something we don't discuss often. At least not in this depth!

On March 17th, doors open to our SEVENTH(!) year of Pull Pen Paint - A 10-month journey of Self-Discovery using signs, symbols, and systems in your spiritual and creative practice. I just sent an email newsletter with all the details, but I know not all our readers are on that so I wanted to make sure I share in this space as well.

The program is open for registration and students are already making handmade journals; organizing binders; and gathering their oracle & tarot decks, crystals, art supplies, woo-woo tools, and other goodies for a dive into learning more about who they are and how they move through the world. They are all connecting to their intuitive voices as they prepare for the opening circle on March 17th. 

We’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to conduct an ethical tarot business/practice. It’s a topic we’ve touched on before, and one in which many other practitioners have lent their perspective. I think it’s important to regularly come back to it though because as with all things, our ideals and principles evolve over time. This way we can reassess how those evolving values impact the work we do, and determine if our conduct is still in alignment, or if some tweaking is required.

Why did you pick up your very first tarot deck? What were you hoping to accomplish when you began your journey with the cards? Where did you expect that journey to take you? We all have our origin stories along these lines. For myself I was 10 or 11 when I sensed a deep calling toward the cards. I don’t remember it clearly enough to say anything other than that; I just knew they were calling and that I very much wanted to explore that.

But, what I do distinctly recall are some of my expectations at the start, one being this very grandiose idea that if I could just get my hands on a deck of tarot cards, I could know anything. Of course, my conception of “anything” was somewhat limited and my curiosities were not exactly sophisticated. I desired to know what my peers were thinking. I looked forward to getting a sneak peak at summer plans. I was anxious to know who my real friends were and who were the phonies.

Our charts are really individualized things, and one of the simplest ways to really get to know yours is to explore what is often called the Big Three. And because I like to weave everything back to tarot, we’ll also look at what the cards can add to this understanding. To begin, you will want to determine what your big three are - your Sun, Moon and Rising sign. To do this, you can find an online resource to create your chart, but you will need your time of birth in order to get an accurate read on the Rising sign in particular. I use Cafe Astrology though you can find other sites that offer similar services.

Knowing what your signs are for each aspect, we’ll explore what those aspects mean to the whole of our personality below.

I posted nothing with the exception of a playlist in the month of January, and even though this is unusual for me, I also know enough at this point to trust in my ebbs and flows. While my blog has arguably suffered from inactivity, I’ve been in greater creative throws where other endeavors are concerned. And through that, I’ve had some time to reflect and pay attention to the reminders that universe or spirit or whatever has been graciously sending my way.

Here’s what I’ve learned or what has been reinforced through the month of January. Maybe you’ll find some pieces relateable, maybe a light-bulb will go off, or maybe you’ll completely disagree and leave an angry message in the comments. I don’t know, let’s go!

Note: Please find an updated version of this post HERE!

https://www.spiralseatarot.com/blog/meetyourspiritguide

Well before I launched this website, far before I began speaking freely and openly about my passions and practices, I was a student on endless quests to satisfy my curiosities surrounding things I couldn't see but, but only felt. One of my earliest teachers was a series of books by author Jane Roberts introduced to me by my dad. This collection of channeled texts was my very first foray into some of the biggest question marks around this existence, consciousness and the nature of reality.

Sleep is a funny thing. We all do it and yet, we never really regularly compare notes. Growing up, I assumed my experiences with sleep and dreams were the same as everyone else's. I'm not saying they weren't, for the most part, but it's hard to distinguish what is common with what is perhaps more unusual if the experience is everyday (or, every night as this topic would have it).

Dreams for me have forever been a spiritual experience. I was always curious about this state and thought a lot about my adventures upon waking. Even as a kid, I'd wonder what they meant and dig for hidden context. In this post, I'm going to highlight various dream states that I personally experience, and provide my thoughts both on what they mean, how they can be achieved (if desired) and what to do with them once you're there.

Maybe you've been reading the cards awhile or perhaps you just started - whatever the case, you’ve probably thought to yourself at some point, “how exactly do these things work? or “why do they work?”

The truth is, no one can tell you for certain, but, it’s fun to play with theories. Below I’ve shared 5 ideas that may explain how or why tarot works. In terms of my own belief system, I don’t think one idea is more true than any other and I tend to think they all play a role and factor in.

These theories may ring true for you or you may have your own ideas which are just as valid (I’d also love to hear them, so please leave a comment if you’re up to sharing). 

As for my totally inconclusive list of reasons why tarot works, here it is!

Tomorrow is the much anticipated Solar Eclipse in Leo and depending where you are in this world, you may experience total-partial darkness for a brief period of time.

Solar eclipses are relatively rare and when they show up, it's a good time for us to take a peek at what's lurking in our shadows and what is attempting to find its way to light. It's also an opportunity to allow for some serious transformation to take place and depending where this eclipse is landing for you in your chart, it could mean a focus on different things.

To figure out where the eclipse is showing up for you, you need to locate what house Leo lands on in your natal chart. You can run a chart over at Cafe Astrology, which is an excellent resource that I use frequently since I'm definitely no Astrology expert. Once you've run your chart, scroll down to the bottom and find what house Leo falls in for you. There are 12 houses total and I've included a list below so you can reference what each of them means. Please note that I've included the natural sign that occupies each house to provide more context to that house, but your natal chart will show you specifically where the signs are landing for you.

Obviously no one *needs* a tarot reading, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get one anyway. We don't need lots of things, but there are still ways in which we will benefit immensely from certain "non-essentials". Ways that promote personal growth, provide clarity and give guidance at any juncture. I'm definitely not of the mindset that you need to check in with tarot for every curious little thought that crosses your mind, but here are 5 really good reasons for consulting a reader if you want to get the most of this powerful tool.

Post Edit: I came back and revised this to add a bonus 6th really REALLY good reason. Check it out after the cut!

Hey Friends,

Just a quickie to let you know I'll be at the Seeker's Market in Kleinburg, Ontario this Saturday giving 15 minute readings for $20 a pop. You have your choice of a mini spirit guide sesh or a regular ask anything/general tarot reading. It's running 1-4pm so if you're in the area, stop on by! There will be other readers, metaphysical practitioners and creatives doing their thing so it's sure to be a fun-filled and mystical day.

Check out more on the event's Facebook page or Instagram!

Hey Tarot enthusiasts, I've made a fun little quiz to put your knowledge of the cards to the test! There are 4 ranks that can be achieved - Fool, Magician, Hermit or Star; where do you fit in? Take the test and find out!

The other day a link landed in my inbox - Top 75 Tarot Websites And Blogs For Tarot Card Readers. Interesting...and I was happy to see, as I scrolled through it, so many familiar faces who I've come to know through the magic of the internet, particularly social media. I was even more shocked to discover that this humble blog made the list!

Well, I wasn't expecting that, but I'll certainly take it so thank you very much. While Tarot has been a love of mine for a very long time, this spot only came into being just over a year ago. You can still read my first ever post and the intention behind it. At the time, I honestly didn't know if I would be able to keep it up. I'd started and stopped things in the past, so I almost prayed that this time would be different. Of course I turned to Tarot for guidance and I was continually shown the Sun during this period and I knew exactly what it was saying. If I was going to do this thing and it was going to grow, it needed sunlight and that meant, I couldn't keep it hidden. I had to approach it as openly and honestly as I knew how and just be exactly who I was. It needed to be an utterly true expression, even if it made me uncomfortable.

Anyway, I'm so grateful to all of you who stop by or care to read my perspective on any of this. I also strongly recommended you check out the rest of the list because there are some seriously awesome blogs included- you won't be disappointed!