Sun Sign Astrology & Why it is Wrong for Relationships

 Astrology is a quite well known and popular. We see horoscopes in the newspaper and magazines all the time. One often hears; "astrology is nonsense", "those weekly horoscopes are never right", or "I am nothing like my sign". Well, that is because what is being taken as 'astrological fact' is only part of the bigger picture. The weekly/monthly horoscopes in the paper are based on just the placement of JUST the Sun and there are all kinds of other factors that go into getting an accurate horoscope. There are all kinds of sources that talk about what sign is the best match; again, based ONLY on the Sun sign. This is, who your best match is, who you are and your potential is all based upon the WHOLE astrological chart.

For example, I am a Capricorn Sun. The sign in its most pure state is diplomatic, practical, ambitious, cautious and organized. On the flip side, they are also nervous, conceited, jealous, selfish and gloomy. I am certainly diplomatic and practical, but I am not conceited or a jealous person. I am more ambitious than most, I am organized only half (or less) of the time and I am not selfish, quite the opposite. Capricorns are also known to be "cold". I do give off this vibe not because I am, but because I do not show my emotions. Well, what would be more accurate is that I do not have an emotional reaction to things. It is not that I am unfeeling, I have learned how to process my emotions internally. I used to be hypersensitive.

So where do all these SUN SIGN ONLY tid-bits go wrong? They do not consider the rest of a person's astrological placements. We are not the sum of our Sun sign.

• The Sun is only attributed to the inner-self, the ego. This is the bit of ourselves that is at our core. All the other placements play upon the Sun and each other.
• The Ascendant (rising) is the public self, the external personality and our demeanor. 
  
• The Moon represents our emotions and needs.
• Mercury is how and what we learn, communicate and think
• Venus is what we find joy and beauty in. She is the planet of pleasures.
• Mars is the action planet. This is how and why we do what we do.
• Jupiter is a a teacher planet and expresses the potential for our 'fortune'.
• Saturn is also a teacher planet and expresses the limitations and challenges we face.
• Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are generational planets and while they factor into the whole, they are less notable. They make more impact if they are prominently placed or aspected. 

So you are looking for the best match for you astrologically. You will want to look at the whole of your chart. If you have a current love interest, a synastry chart can be very telling as to the compatibility.  One can also do a composite chart; this chart expresses the 'personality' of the relationship dynamic.

If you do not have a love interest you can still take a look at what would be good potential, but it is still not 100%. There are afflicted charts which lends to afflicted personalities. There are charts that have A LOT of favorable aspects that while favorable aspects are great to have, they fall into the category of 'too much of a good thing' that leads to very scattered energy.

So what to look at and consider when using astrology for romance. The Sun, Ascendant, Moon, Venus and Mars. Those placements tend to be found in most all different approaches to relationships. There is the Moon and Venus in a Man's Chart & Sun and Mars in a Woman's Chart camp. Moon and Venus are the two feminine personal planets and Sun and Mars are the two masculine personal planets. Then there is the Moon, Venus, Mars Camp; Moon is our emotional expression, Venus is what we find attractive and Mars is how we like to 'get down and dirty'. There are additional attributes as well: The houses, 5th House is the house of love affairs and the 7th House is marriage/partnerships. In my studies I stumbled upon the Sun Moon Midpoint. This was said to signify the signs (2) that we have magnetic energy with. This does not say if that the attraction is good or bad, but it is still an attraction. I have found this mid-point to be very useful when talking about astrology and relationships as it can be very telling.

MASCULINE/FEMININE CAMP 

*note: I understand that this is limited to the Male/Female dynamic; I am in no way intending to exclude those that live outside this specific duality. If you would like specifics for who you are and how you identify ~ I am more than happy to have a chat with you because you are all more unique and there is no 'astrological recipe' for you like there is for those male/female combos. You can also look at the MVM camp below, as that applies to everyone

• In a woman's chart one looks to the placement of the Sun and Mars ~
• In a man's chart one looks the the placement of the Moon and Venus ~

These placements are said to describe the ideal partner. Someone is either sharing signs: her Sun is in the same sign as his Moon, or his Venus is in the same sign as her Sun, and so on. Now, I approach astrology with more focus on the Moon and Ascendant. So I throw the Ascendant into the mix when looking at compatibility. 

ME THREE CAMP

As said above,  Moon is our emotional expression, Venus is what we find attractive and Mars is how we like to 'get down and dirty'.  This approach uses more of the synastry in chart comparison.  Where one Moon is in relation to the other person's planets and signs is going to determine if the potential partner will be a good listener or not, if they have the right sort of compassionate, or tolerant, or aloof response to an emotional outburst of their partner.  Since Venus is the planet of what we find beautiful and what brings us joy; then it is the sign that our Venus is in that (supposedly) expresses the type of person in looks and character that we find most attractive. The sign that Mars is in is the how and what we do and want between the sheets.

The Ascendant; this is a big part of who we are. Along with the Sun, this the other half of the Self. This sign will be what attracts another, is the other person's Venus in the same sign, what about Mercury for that 'mind-meld' connection? This sign will have a personality that understands the inner workings of the partner with the same Sun sign. This is the sign that compliments 'itself'; meaning the risings between both people will be in favorable aspect; are the ascendants in the same element (Trine aspect)? 

The Sextile aspect is also favorable and there are minor aspects that are also favorable.

How these personal planets Sun to Mars are in relation to the teacher planets and that expression will also play into the whole. Will their Mars be a test to your Saturn? Will your Venus sing with their Jupiter?

So... you see that just this glimpse into the compatibility demonstrates that the 'compatible signs lists' are faulty. There are all kinds of things besides what is covered in this already long blog post that goes into compatibility in astrology.     

 

What IS that Creepy Feeling?! - First Encounter With a Ghost

I have had many 'unexplainable' things have happened to me in my life and from those events it seem to be that I have an odd connection with death and the dead.  I will not go as far as to say that I am a medium, not even close.  Not sure I would want that responsibility.

While not my first 'bump' into the dead, my first (known or remembered) meeting a ghost happened when I was in high school.  My parents bought the house and it was in the first week of being there that IT happened.  I was in my room, was not all that late and I was not home alone but I suddenly got this really creepy feeling.  The overall feeling is a bit difficult to explain.  Most of us are probably familiar with the feeling that someone is watching you, and you find that someone actually is.  And then there is that feeling when someone is standing next you, sneaking up on you, and you feel it even when you don't see them.  It is a mix of that and more.

It freaked me out a bit, not scary, more uneasy as it was just new to me.
My first thought was, "It's a Ghost", and I was not really afraid.
I have an innate fascination with spirits and knowing there is more to this world than what we can see and touch, so I was already open to these sorts of things.  But, Boy did it catch me off-guard!

I could feel this energy hovering over me as I was in bed.  I thought about, 'oh it's your imagination; remember scaring yourself with imagining the two creepy guys living under the bed when you where little?  Regardless of the cause for the feeling, I had to do something.  Assuming it was a ghost, or assuming it was my imagination, I proceeded to tell 'the ghost' that it was making me uneasy and I was not here to push him out.  I told him that I respected his 'space' and asked him to respect mine.  The feeling stayed there for a little while longer and then 'exited' by way of the closet. I say 'he' because I did get the feeling that it was a man.

Again, one could say it was imagination, or whatever, and that I talked myself out of it.  And I would go with that theory all the way... BUT.... as time would have it, the ghost made his presence known to others in the house.  My mom had her experiences and I had mine.  My step dad he was skeptical.

Both my mother and I would see him sitting on the couch looking out the big windows of the front room.  It was a beautiful view, who wouldn't?.  I would see him there often.  At first I thought it was 'eye trickery'.
My real dad was a scientist and taught me to first seek a rational and logical explanation.  Just like my bedroom experience, and just like my step-dad, I was skeptical but more of a believer.  Too much was adding up that could not be explained any other way.  So at first, I had two thoughts, ghost or eye trickery until one morning when I was having breakfast at the 'bar' and saw my mom do the exact same thing that I had done the first time I saw him sitting on the couch...  go back and forth, look, don't look... as you could only see him out of the corner of your eye.  She paced back and forth and kept turning her head.
She did not know I was there until I giggled.  I startled her and when she looked at me I said, "You see him don't you", more as a statement than a question.  She replied "YES!" That's when both mom and I knew each other really knew. Mom had talked about 'weird' stuff happening in the house, but never anything that specifically pointed the "it was a ghost" finger.

What sealed the deal in the ghost hypothesis came from the experience from the #1 skeptic in the house, my step-dad.

In the garage there was several doors that would lead to different places and things.  One of those doors went into a little room about the size of a small walk-in closet. Now, this door had no door knob.  The only way the door would stay closed is by turning the key in the deadbolt.
Let me repeat that (and provide a visual) because this is important.
THIS DOOR ONLY FULLY CLOSED BY TURNING THE KEY IN THE DEAD BOLT LOCK.

From the picture you can see this would not be able to just 'pop' open. 

And then there was another door!
In that room was a door that was a submarine-bank vault-like thing. Spinning wheel to turn all the hooks around the door, a round thick glass window. Beyond that door was another 'room' about half the size of the previous one. This is where the previous house owner kept his gun and sword collection.

All the time, again, all the time, this first door with the deadbolt lock would be open.  Because both my mom and I stored stuff in those rooms, we would get 'scolded' by my step-dad about leaving the door open.  Now mom and I can both be a bit spacey at times and it would be something that we would do.  Go down and get something and then forget to close the door.  We teasingly even blamed it on the ghost.  We accepted the reminding of our forgetful ways and would try and not forget to shut the door when we went down there.
But then it got to be too much, and at times when we had not gone into the room.  Now we were getting a little irritated with the blaming and that's were we, my mother and I really started to point the finger at the ghost.  Getting my step-dad to believe that, not happening.... until one day... well, more like a week.

My mom was gone for almost two weeks and I was gone for a week.  My step dad would go to work and come home. He parked on the side of the garage that had this door.  The garage itself had doors that opened with the remote.  So there was no way anyone could get into the garage. There are no handles on the doors and no other entry doors.  On the day we left, he had to close that door. Of course thinking one of us left it open.  A couple days later when he returned home, the door was open.  Now he knew we could not have done that. There was no other explanation for that door to be open.  We had no cleaning service, we had no yard or garden service.  And as mentioned earlier, no way to get into the garage without the 'clicker'.

You could say thieves, but that house was broken into twice and neither time did they go into the garage. Now before you think OMG, what sort of hell did you live in that your house was broken into twice. It was on the edge of a super rich neighborhood and both areas got cased by thieves A LOT, so it is not like we were in the crappy part of town, quite the opposite.

So once my mom and I were both back from our trips. We got told the story about the door and we got an apology as well. At this point, we all agreed, hands down, there IS a ghost in this house. My step-dad then went on to learn more about the previous owner.

It turned out that the owner was the only owner of the house and he was the one that designed the house and had it built. It was his dream house. So it stands to reason that the guy really did not want to leave his home. I can't say that I blame him. This was one of my favorite houses that I have lived in.

Red and Green Cup Craziness

I just could not help myself with this one. 

Disclaimer: I am not attacking any religion, it's body of followers, or corporations. 

Warning: I am pointing out utter ignorance and insanity.

Home from work and not feeling well, I see on the news about some pastor being offended by the colors of a Starbucks cup.....in my head is a big WHHAAAT???

What is this madness? You can't be serious!?

I go online to check my email and of course the infamous social network feed, and I am bombarded with this cup color crisis.

Anti-Christian the pastor states. Says that Starbucks has made an anti-Christian statement with their choice of the seasons design, or as some are saying specifically, 'lacking Christmas iconography'. 

This is where I start to laugh. Apparently this guy (and others) really failed at thinking things through before they cried 'war'.....not one bit of thought what so ever....(giggle)

I also came across support of this opinion coming from GQ....really?....or was that just a joke, I'm so confused!....I just don't know; it's so hard to tell these days any more. Some things are such a waste of energy and completely stupid that I have a hard time believing that someone is actually being serious about it.

So let's take a look at this cup controversy and the cry that it is an offensive anti-Christian statement.

What is there in all this madness that supports this guys outcry.

Item #1 - Cup is red and green (and white). These colors have been associated with the holiday Christmas for generations. It is so embedded in our culture that these two colors dominate the decorations, wrapping paper, and other holiday gear. No one has ever made a stink about these two colors being anti-anything before. 

Verdict- Does not support

Item #2 - Cup is void of any and all common holiday symbols. The only symbol is the company logo. In years past there have been snowflakes, reindeer, ornaments on tree branches, people and pets sledding, snowmen and carolers. I don't associate any of those with the birth of Christ. Yet they are well known and apparently acceptable iconography for the holiday. If the lacking of these symbols are anti-Christian, what is a snowman? Why wasn't Starbucks called out when reindeer adornd the cups, or a tree with ornaments. Those are associated with the pre-Christian festivities and traditions of Winter. To be more specific, they are historically pagan. 

Verdict- Does not support

Item # 3 - Some 'Christians' are manipulating the employees of Starbucks, in protest, to write 'Merry Christmas' on the cups by using that as their name. I found a timeline of past cups, none had any sort of holiday phrasing. At most, ornaments had single words such as, hope, joy, peace. Those words are fitting on any given day. So to my knowledge, Starbucks has never 'catered' to any one religion with their cup designs. Now correct me if I am wrong, protests are supposed to hurt the intended target. How is boosting the profits of a corporation (buying a drink just so 'Merry Christmas' will be written on the cup) supposed to hurt?

Verdict- Does not support

As is said, any publicity, bad or good is still publicity. Starbucks is getting a fine kickback from this protest.

A Tarot Bag ~ Made to Fit ~ In more ways than one!

Decks in their bags from L to R:  

       Waking the Wild Spirit, Infinite, New Vision, Spirit of Flowers, Cat People, Pagan Cats, Hidden Folk, Fantastical, Fey

Custom Made Tarot Bags ~ Because Your Tarot Deck Deserves It!

        I came up with the pattern for these bags out of a need. I was not happy with the majority of bags that I found that were deck sized. All these bags were flat and either too long, too wide, or both. The cards would slide around in the bag. I did not like this rubbing of my cards. They get a lot of handling and rubbing against each other during the shuffling and reading process. I have decks that are many years old that I bought new and they have 'dull' spots on them form use. I did not want my decks in times of non-use to be subject to wear and tear. 

Here is an example of these 'flat' types of bags. This is not a bag I bought for my deck. Some publishers throw in one of these mass produced organza  bags. Which is a nice thought, but they really do not do anything to protect the deck. Plus, these bags really do not hold up for very long. This one is already starting to tear out at the seem on the right side. and this is one of the newer decks. It is need of a real home, and a real home I shall give it. I kind of like the fabric I happened to pick up at random to take this picture. 

Perhaps I will use it for the deck. Oh, picking the fabric. What a fun part of the experience! Which we will see more of later on.

        I also encountered another fault of the flat, unfitted bags; bent and wrinkled cards. Because the cards have room to move around, they do not stay together in pack form. Those cards that stray off to the sides are subjected to accidental bending. Now I take very good care of my cards, but there are times in transport or other events that a deck gets put into a bad situation and can be damaged. On two occasions a couple cards in the deck got bent while being stored in one of these kinds of bags. While I did find one bag were the deck fit near perfectly, I did not like the corners at the bottom of the bag that stuck out. I wanted to cut them off!       

It was at that moment that the mission began to design a tarot bag that fit any deck in every imaginable way.

The bag pattern I ended up designing I am sure is nothing new to the world of sewing, it is really pretty basic. But regardless of that fact, these bags are still truly unique and one of a kind.

No two bags are ever the same and they totally fit the size of the deck it is made for. As well as the fabrics used fit the personality of the deck and deck owner.

The bag is like having two bags in one! This means that when the bag is turned inside out it becomes a whole different bag. 

Bags can be made in all kinds of ways with one to four different types of fabric. They can have a layer of padding as well.  All kinds of embellishments can be added to the bag such as beads, bells, charms, and anything else that you may think of.

THESE ARE THE ULTIMATE 

CUSTOM MADE BAGS FOR TAROT DECKS*

     *also good for runes, crystals, dice, cellphones, etc.

        The majority of fabric that I have in stock are natural fibers such as cotton, rayon and silk. But I do have some synthetics and blends because the fabric is just too wonderful to pass on just because it is not 100% natural. And really, when one thinks about it, polyester and nylon is still 'natural' coming from oil, it is just highly processed. But, I know what it feels like to wear cotton or rayon and then wear polyester. I am not fully comfortable in synthetics, I need a natural layer between me and the polyester. I certainly want the same for my decks. And it is with the fabric that this process of creating a personalized one of a kind tarot bag begins.

Once I know the deck I am making a bag for and I have the measurements, I gather up the fabrics that I have that I think would go well with the deck and have you look at images of the fabric. I already have a bunch of fabric images posted for just this purpose. 

You can view some of my fabrics in my Photo Gallery - Tarot Textiles

Once it is determined the fabric to be used I start with the cut and sew part of the process. Once sewn, the bag gets it's drawstrings and any requested embellishments. I then smudge the bag, inside and out, with a special incense & herb blend.

You can request your custom bag at Owl Ka Myst Tarot 

Tarot of the Cat People ~ Owl's Eye View

Tarot of the Cat People

My first ever experience with a deck of tarot cards, but not card readings, was with this deck. A friend had this deck and as it would be, her name was Cat.

She did a Celtic Cross reading for me and then gifted me with my first deck. 

I sure do miss her....anyway...

It would be several years and many decks later that I would eventually own the Tarot of the Cat People. I got mine by trading a deck I just did not vibe with. My deck traveled across the Atlantic ocean form the U.K. Across North America to the West coast and into my hands.

The deck has given me some wonderful and sometimes interesting readings. 

While I was developing and practicing a past life spread I created, I did a test reading with my Leo daughter as the subject. The cards showed a life time in the South during the time of slavery. Her life (it was unclear if she was the male or female in this past life) in this time was about forbidden love. 

Yes, that of the slave and the slave owners offspring.

This reading was done when she was about 6 years of age. Over 10 years later, I can certainly see some parallels in her personality of not allowing the ideas of others and what is taboo socially stand in her why of what feels right.

She is one tough kitty too!

XVIII The Moon

This deck has, at times, be described as dark. Visually, it is a bit that way. The artist, Karen Kuykendall, used a lot of dark and muted colors. In a divinatory manner, with the reading of forbidden love in a past life, it sure does seem it would be on the dark side. However, that past life reading did have a happy ending. They ran away from the south and headed north-west.

In other readings I have done with this deck. I would not call them dark. I would call them very matter of fact. These cats don't mess around. Perhaps it is the 'telling it like it is' attitude of the deck that gives it a dark feel. Even when people know the truth of a matter, they do not want to believe it, but still know it is so. With the cards verifying this known factor, our inclined reaction is the 'energetic slump'. This is that, "Well, &#!^" moment. We knew it was so, but now we have to accept it and deal with it. 

Queen of Swords

With all that said about the deck. I would not call it dark. I would say it is lurking in the shadows on the edge of dark. It's 'dark nature' also all depends on the person holding the cards and their own way of communication and understanding of the deck. Some may not feel it is dark at all, for the art of the characters show a very richness and finery that is beyond dark. These people honor beauty and design, the earth and of course felines.

VI The Lovers

13, 11, 24, 31

Today is Friday the 13th. Superstition expresses that this day is an unlucky day, a day to be fearful of. Luckily, there are not very many Friday the 13th in a year. But for me, Friday the 13th has been a lucky day for me. The number 13 is one I always liked too.

Every 11 years, the days in the months are repeated. Today is my 11th anniversary with my other half. That's right, it was a Friday the 13th in September that we went out for that first date, (breakfast at Denny's at 3am) and we've been together ever since.

Before that first date, we encountered some amazing and amusing 'coincidental' things, I won't get into all the details, the  list of everything, but basically I felt that this was the Universe talking. One of the coincidental things was our birthdays. When he told me that his birthday was December 24th, he could not see my face at the time, but I was silently laughing for two reasons mostly. My reply to him, "My birthday is December 31st."

We are both Eve babies; Christmas Eve & New Years Eve. That also makes us both Capricorns and that was another reason I was laughing. I seem to have a 'thing' for Capricorns. Signs of my serious relationships in order, Leo, Aries, Capricorn, Capricorn, Capricorn, and now Capricorn. It was after Capi #3 that I learned that in my natal chart, my sun and moon mid-point draws me towards or draws towards me, Capricorns.

So when he said he was born on 12/24, it was a moment of amusement, sarcastic but tender, 'you've got to be kidding!'

Now what brings this all together is what happened on our 'true' September Friday the 13th anniversary that only comes every 11 years. And it's in the year 2013!

We decided that Denny's was where we should go. Not the same one, that is too far away. It was far the first time, almost an hour away, but now it would take us almost 3 hours to get there. Why do that when we are 5 minutes away from one?

So there we were at Denny's and we get the check. I look at the total to figure the proper tip amount and it took me a moment, but then I saw it. It made me giggle. I handed it over to my sweetie and said, "Look at the total."

He laughed and said, "24-31. That's funny."

Free Reading Samplers

I am taking the tarot reading side of my business and putting it through a transformation.
I am giving it it's own look and 'brand' as they say in the marketing world. 

With this new look, I also need some fresh material and content to go along with the whole new look and presentation.
• What I am offering here is a free reading for anyone who would like one, or two... -AND- in Exchange~ I have your permission to use the reading as a sample on my website. 
There would be no names or other identifying names or such in the readings, most my readings don't contain this sort of thing anyway, but to make sure it is known, the readings are totally anonymous.

So, if you would like to help me and get a free reading for it, please send me an email with 'sampler reading' in the subject line to~ owlkamyst@gmail.com

Some sampler readings are up and ready for viewing. Have a look

View Main Sampler Page

Also my new Facebook Page ~

Owl Ka Myst Tarot

La Tour's Mary Magdalene with a Night Light ~
A Study in Values

In my life drawing class I am really getting to understand and be able to draw the human body. I have usually avoided drawing people and faces because most of the time I try I have awful results or I become really frustrated. The instructor is also teaching about value and shading. Beings that I have taken several drawing classes, I am already comfortable with my shading skills. Our mid-term assignment was to choose an image in the chiaroscuro style and do a study of values by replicating the image.

Chiaroscuro, which is the use of extreme dark and light, started and was used quite a bit during the times when much of the art was religious in some way. Not all, but a lot of it. I was somewhat limited with the material that the Master's have left us. I wanted something simple and something that I could relate to.

I found Georges de la Tour's painting titled 'Mary Magdalene with a Night Light'. 

If one did not know the title, one would have to look close to see the religious connection. It is a white cross sitting flat on the edge of the table. Other than that, the image could be viewed in as many ways as there are craters on the moon.
 

Here is my replication, at the beginning when I had the outline and started on the left side, and then the finished product.

Tarot Tells A Tale I

The following story is what comes from using tarot to create characters and direct their experiences.  Each page is derived from a pull of three cards. 

PAGE 1

Tarot of the Cat People 

VII Chariot - XX Rejuvenation - IV Emperor

Our adventure begins with a great warrior, Otharic and his army.  Otharic is a keen commander who has seen and survived many battles.


Today he is on his way home with his men. The battle fought was the one to win the war and it was a tough one. Even though his army won, they suffered many losses.

With the war over, Otharic and his men are worn down and would not stand much of a chance if they had to fight again.
 As they travel the long road home. They take their time. Yes, they are eager to see their families-- they just do not have the energy to move at a quick pace.


Along the way they come to a small village.  All is quiet: there are no people.
 
The army stops and murmuring can be heard among the men.  There is a stillness to the air that makes them all very nervous. 
Otharic holds up his arm to silence his men. 
Off in the distance is the sound of splashing water.  All bodies turn towards the direction of the sound. Otharic dismounts his horse and walks in that direction and makes his way through the rows of homes and shops.  He comes to the village center and in the middle of a stone circle is a fountain.
  In the fountain is a statue of a naked woman with long hair blowing in some mystical wind, and her arms reach for the sky as she faces the sun. From around her feet water shoots upwards to her knees and cascades down her legs and into the pool that surrounds her.


Otharic looks around again for signs of life.
 The stillness lingers, no signs of people, there are no fish in the pond, no wildlife or livestock poking about the empty edifices. 

Otharic dips his hand into the water. The tempurature is cool and feels refreshing. He cups both hands together and scoops some of the water to his lips and takes a drink. The taste is sweet, but not like honey and he can feel the water move through his body.
  With a deep breath, he suddenly feels like a new man. 


Otharic whistles for his men and they quickly find him at the fountain, 
"Take just one drink. It is not certain if this water is pure. We shall camp here tonight and  if all is well, we shall fill our vessels in the morning and be on our way."

His men comply and go about setting up camp while they take turns getting a sip of the fountain’s sweet water.



That night as the men sit around the fire, Otharic inquires about how everyone is feeling. It was a risk to drink for something in the water could be what became of the people.
  The water could be tainted in some way with disease or with magic.
  The consensus of his men express feelings of great energy. 'As if I had slept for a week' one soldier said. 
It may all be good now, but the unknown is always lurking around the corner.
  
The night grows late and 

Otharic makes his way to a bed found in one of the homes. Finding sleep with all the new found energy is difficult for him, but sleep comes and so does the dreaming.

V.2

Sample Reading ~ Feminine Divine

This is a three card simple snapshot type spread that I developed and while it has many names, here is is known as the Feminine Divine

Deck used: Tarot of the Cat People
I shuffle the cards and focus my self for the reading. I cut the deck and pull three card and place them in their positions face up. Cards pulled are:
Self; Soul & Spirit ~ VII The Chariot
Negative Influences ~ 3 of Wands
Positive Influences ~ 7 of Pentacles

My thoughts as I put the cards in their places and look at them all:
Chariot ~ How wonderful, great card, much strength; I wonder about Cancer and   Capricorn energies that are within or around you.
3 of Wands ~ Hmmm….some conflict with a feminine energy
7 of Pentacles ~ again, feelings like that of the Chariot, rewards and securities, a good harvest

I absorb the images of the cards and how they are expressing the position they are in.
This is a wonderful throw! It’s full of good things. I do not see any major ‘drama’ going on in your life. Everything is going along rather smoothly as well as securely. Over all, what ever it is that you are doing ~ mentally, emotionally, physically & spiritually~ is working for you. You are on the right path!
You have two things, be it person or project, that are the main influences in you life. The cards do not tell me who or what, but you would know what these things are and they are what keep you going.
Of course all paths have their bumps and pot-holes, the cards suggest that your bump is some sort of internal conflict, perhaps centered on spirituality. I see a contradiction of sorts. It’s in your thoughts and emotions and this troubles you. You are unsure what to ‘believe’ or where to put your faith. This might be from what you where taught as a child. I feel that there is a maternal-like figure with whom you do not want to disappoint. You admire and respect her deeply and this love and honor you have for her is part of this confusion. Your heart and spirit wants to believe what it feels is right, but in doing so, you will be abandoning the beliefs taught to you as a child, and that could be painful for this female. But you are on the right path, and you have paved it so you can trust in yourself. The direction that you are going is one that shall grand you many rewards. You are a success story, for you take obstacles as a challenge and do not doubt your abilities. It is this attitude that makes overcoming life's difficulties easier for you, more so that it is for most people. In fact it is this quality within that is admired by many. You are always seen by others in a light of triumph.

If It Posts

I have no Internet at home except for my iPhone. It has been a life saver in that I can do most things from my phone with Safari or with an app.
Blogger has been one of those things that I could not do. And the blogger app never worked for me.
So I have updated my phone to the newest OS, and checked the blogger app for an update....we shall see it it works now. If it does then great! I can start doing a better job of blogging!
So with that....HERE WE GO!!!

Little Goat & Big Dragon

An original fable by Suzanne Maxwell~

I had to write a fable for my Children's Literature class and this is what I wrote using two creatures that are near and dear to me.

Little Goat and Big Dragon

    Little goat was finally big enough to go out into the meadow with the other young goats. Momma goat lead him to the edge of the meadow and gave him a kiss. Little goat ran off jumping and kicking out to where all the young goats where playing. As he approached he could hear them chattering away.
    "Up on the mountain lives a big mean dragon." said the tallest goat.
    Momma goat had not told little goat about the dragon so he asked, "Have you seen the dragon?'
    "No, but we can hear him!" said another goat, "Sometimes you can hear him roar."
    "Why does he roar?" asked little goat.
    "He roars right before he eats." said the tall goat.
    Little goat started to feel a little scared and asked, "What does the dragon eat?"
    "He eats everything." replied another goat.
    "You all are silly, there is no dragon!" said another and all the young goats start to argue and butt heads.
    Little goat thought to himself that he will never, ever going to go up the mountain.
    One day little goat was bored with the flat meadow. He wanted more to jump on and bound off of and the big rocks on the mountain looked inviting. All day he played on the mountain having so much fun that he forgot all about the big mean dragon. He forgot until he bounced off of one rock that said, "Umph!"
    Little goat was startled and was quick to jump behind a big boulder and hide. To terrified to move little goat just watched wide eyed as the boulder began to move. In a blink of an eye, standing in front of the little goat was a big, big dragon. The dragon swayed his head and opened his mouth wide and little goat trembled in fear. The dragon yawned with a loud rumble that filled the air. 
    "A-a-are y-you going to eat me?" said little goat. The dragon blinked a few times and looked straight at little goat and began to laugh.
    "Eat you!?... Why would I do that?" asked the dragon.
    "Because you just roared." answered little goat.
    "I did not roar, I was yawning. You jumped on my head and woke me up from my nap." said the dragon.
    "I am sorry. But since you just woke up you must be hungry. You eat everything so are you going to eat me now?" asked little goat.
    "I do not eat everything. I am an Earthen Dragon and I only eat a special kind of rock. And I usually eat before my nap so, no, I am not going to eat you now and I am not going to eat you later." said the dragon with a smile.
    "Really?" asked little goat as his ears perked up and he stood on his tippy toes.
    "Really," said the Dragon with a big kind smile.

The moral of the story is do not believe everything someone says about another.

Religion and the Irreligious

        I grew up without religion. That does not mean that I was not exposed to it. I had a christening as a baby, which of course I do not remember. I had a big book, a children's book of the bible, that covered both old and new testament stories written out in plain English. I picked it up now and then, looked through it at the pictures. If a picture grabbed my attention I would try and read the story. I was little, too little for the level the book is written, but I was a reader and did my best. As best as I can recall, I never thought, 'wow, this guy in the sky, gotta listen to him, he is the one that makes the world go round.' I never felt any spark or stirring of spirit with these stories. I found that the story of Noah was my favorite and I liked the snake in the tree too. A talking snake was just a neat concept.
Mom was smart when answering my questions about god and religion. Her response was always matter of fact and neutral. The impressions she gave me did get me in trouble a couple times on the playground. However, if it was not god that I got teased about that time, it would have been something else later. I was one of those kids that got singled out. I was one of the 'different' kids. It did not matter.

        My family never went to church and I never ended up going to church with friends. While I never had the church experience, somehow I knew what went on there. I knew the basics of the Jesus story and it's meaning. Then, on one particular night it hit me. My little young mind feared for my afterlife and what would be my judgment. I did not believe in Christianity and I had not seen any evidence of God as I understood it to be from the stories I read as a child. I should probably add here that my father was a scientist, an Entomologist specifically. Even as a child I was very much nature driven. I loved the trees, animals, the moon and stars, the cycle of life was something I totally comprehended. I was not saddened by the lions killing the baby antelope, I knew that it was part of the design
• But back to that night. 
Strange things would happen to me at night when I was supposed to be sleeping, but that is another story. Over all, my time at night was when I did most of my 'exploring'. I had my what if scenarios like what if I had never been born. I would have day dreams of having magical powers and there would be peaks into the what ifs of the future. I did not always like those. On this particular night I went on a search for God. I wondered about my standing with him, that is, if he even existed. Would I be accepted by him if i did not want to join the church? I really was not into the church thing. The whole thing seemed rather boring to me. Would he be ok with that? That is when I got my Hall Pass, given to me by God. As my little, young and innocent soul stressed over not being a church going person and my good graces with god, an answer came.

I was told that as long as I am a good person, treat others with kindness, and always know and share love I was OK. Those things was all that really mattered. I was told that there are many ways to heaven and that one did not need any specific religion or belief to get there. I was told, 'stay pure of heart'.

What a relief!
It would be many years after that I would engage God again. I ended up going to a private school that happened to be Christian and I of course had bible classes through the week, Sunday Morning Chapel, and it was optional the Wednesday and Sunday fellowships. Which I actually attended some. Usually not out of interest but because someone wanted me to go or it was the only way to spend time with boys…
Being around so many active religious people was a very different experience for me. I went from nothing, to all week in all corners. Eventually doubt set in, but just a little bit.

       I still was strongly rooted in not wanting to be part of a religion. That's when I spoke with him again, and again I was reassured that I was OK. It was also brought to my attention that the supposed shining stars within my dorm, don't shine so bright and are far from perfect and tend to be hypocritical. While I was shown that 'bad', I was also shown those that were pure of heart. Those people got my respect, the others I just did not interact with. I pretty much kept my relationship with god to myself and played the good christian student role for those two years. It was not hard because I knew I was in good standing.
I had always felt and believed that there is some sort of higher power, but just could not see it as a him, a person type being.
I saw the divine force as something grater and nondescript yet is in everything and is everywhere….So I was not exactly an atheist, but did not believe in God.
I did not believe in God but still had a second conversation with him. And he, it, looked out for me while I was at the Christian school. I never got called to lead a prayer, asked to volunteer in some godly service, never approached for anything, and I did not want to be. Really did not want to, thank god is did not have to!

        At 40 something years, I look back and see that being irreligious now compared to then is harder. People have become more forceful with their faiths. The speak more openly about it, and they are driven to tell everyone what they must do to connect to god and be saved. Maybe it has always been that way and as one gets older they are in situations that expose them more to these sorts of things and people. I know that the internet for sure has gotten a lot of paths criss-crossing all over. And that is going to lead to faith wars.
It is really sad to tell the truth. The message of Love and our purpose to be caring and kind is so lost in those who seek so hard to get people to be religious for the sake of saving their souls*


*let it be known that I do not 'dis' anyone or any religion. There is value in all things. However, there are some that tend to be a bit pushy and irrational. These are those that I speak of. I have met some really sound and delightful religious people in my life and I am happy and proud to call them friends.

All Hallows Eve ~ Dia De Los Muertos ~

October 31st is Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, and known to many pagans as Samhain (pronounced Sow-en).

On November 2nd is Dia De Los Meurtos, translated Day of the Dead and also called All Souls Day.

Halloween has been known as a day of setting out jack o' lanterns, dressing up in costume and collecting candy from door to door and other fun traditions.

Dia De Los Muertos is a day when the living honor the dead with alters and offerings.

Very different traditions but both a bit spooky in their own way.

What is interesting is that these days hover around a time when the veil between the living and the dead, the Otherworld, is very thin.

This is when those who reside on the other side are more likely to be seen in our dimension. We become more sensitive and receptive to those in the spirit world.

For those that celebrate Dia De Los Muerots, they communicate and 'touch' their past loved ones with their offerings and alters.

For those that run around in costume saying 'Trick or Treat', are doing so from an older tradition that served a different purpose than a bag full of candy.

People dress up to hide their true identity so that those spirit that walked among them when the veil is thin will not recognize that they are of the living.

Halloween is not the only time that spirits and loved ones who have passed on can be communicated with or will communicate with the living themselves.

There is a phenomena known as After Death Communication or ADC for short.

Many people from all walk of life will have stories about butterflies and coins, token symbols that seem to be present at times when one has died.

I had a ADC with a deck of tarot cards.

A Bit of History~

It was Spring in the late 1990's and I met a man who was one of my soulmates.

I am one who believes that through living past lives, we have several soulmates that we encounter in a single lifetime.

I had been through some rough relationships and what a bit jaded.

As a matter of self preservation, I came up with a question that I would ask all my suitors.

"What are your intentions?"

I had asked this of my soulmate several times when we first met, his reply always was,

"All Honorable". All the other guys just fumbled over their words.

Shortly after we met and after asking him that question numerous times, I pulled out my tarot cards, the Native American deck.

If some one wants to be with me, they need to know everything about me and if someone is not comfortable with my use of cards and my intuitive ability, then it is not a good match.

I fanned out my tarot cards the way I normally do when I want to feel for a single card by waving my hand over them. When I told him to pick a card he waved his hand back and forth over the cards in the same manner. In my mind I thought, 'wow'. Then he picked a card and turned it over, and big "WOW".

The card's title was "HONOR".  He just looked at it and then looked at me with that delightful goofy smile.

The Universe had spoken!

I knew for sure that he was my soulmate. I was also able to relax and enjoy and not be so fearful with a big armored box around my heart.

The ADC~

Fall, same year.

The relationship was short lived for my soulmate was taken away from me by the hands of another.

At that time he was officially just a missing person but I knew that he was dead for I had felt it the moment it happened. It was the saddest, deepest sorrow and emptiness I had ever felt and it came out of nowhere. 

One night I was home alone and lonely, missing his company and the sound of his voice. I was wanting to have some sort of a connection with him. Being a sensitive, able to feel ghosts and sometimes connect with the dead, I was a little disappointed with the fact that I was not feeling anything from him. He was my soulmate after all and it puzzled me. So I thought I would break out my tarot deck and use it to make that connection.

I spoke out loud and said, "I have no question for the cards. Just want (name) to talk to me, tell me something for I miss listening to you."

I decided on 5 cards for this pull for we had been born almost exactly 5 days apart. I was born at just before 11pm and he was born just after 11pm 5 days later.

The first card I pulled, "HONOR" all I could do was cry. Cry because he was gone and I missed him, cry because I had made that connection that I so needed. I whispered 'I love you' and continued to pull the cards.

The 2nd card was VII Strength. Pictured on the card is a mountain lion. Both of us have mountain lion as one of our animal totems. The constellation lynx is also depicted on the card.

As a totem, the Mountain Lion protects my sacred space, the place where the heart is kept. The answer to my 'intentions' question was the key to my sacred space- give the wrong answer and you are not invited in. Here he was telling me to be strong, stay connected and listen to my totem animal.

Lynx had meaning as well. Lynx made an appearance out of my Medicine Card deck when I pulled cards just after he disappeared. I asked "What happened to him?" and Lynx showed up and represents secrets. Being a missing person at that time, there was a lot of secrets surrounding his 'situation'.

I felt that here, he was telling me that his death and location was to be a secret for a while and this is why I needed to be strong. It was also telling me that what I felt about his death was indeed very real, that I 'knew' the secret.

The 3rd card I pulled was the 5 of Vessels, which is known as Cups in traditional tarot. The title to this card is Warrior Woman. I would get this card a lot in my personal readings, so much that I called it MY card. This continued the message of being strong and to keep my 'fighting' spirit. That I would be challenged emotionally but possess the strength and will to continue on.

The 4th card was the Maiden of Shields, Pentacles in traditional tarot, and the maiden is equal to a Page. This card is a card that I related to much like the Warrior Woman and also made me aware of one of my past lives. With this card he was telling me that even though the relationship was short, that it was meant to be. We where soulmates in a past life, in this life and will be again in a life to come.

The last card I pulled was XVII The Star. The image upon the card was of Grandmother Spider and her web of fate. This continued the message of the card before, of past lives of soulmates and of fate and what is and meant to be. It is also a card that speaks of dreams and hope. After my bad relationships, he was the one who brought me back to that place of hopes and dreams and he wanted me to know that even though he was gone, that I was not to ever give up hope in finding a love like ours in the future.

The two Major Arcana cards that showed up here are connected through their numbers. Strength is number 8 and the Star, 17, when reduced is also 8.

The shape of the number 8 is used in tarot by turning it on it's side to see it as the well known symbol for Infinity.

Again, this ties to the life cycles that go on after we have left this life-time. I also see it as his way of telling me that he would always be with me even if I could not feel his presence and energy.

More on ADCs

Just in Time for Halloween

DO YOU SEE THE GHOST?

The story goes like this ~

I am hanging out with the neighbors, having a pot luck. One of the neighbors, well, we have some of the same friends and other people we know that we have met independently, this info will be important later....it's a small town thing, ya know.

As we sit shooting the breeze, she says, "oh, you have to look at this freaky picture my friend sent me a few hours ago. They where up camping....." she hands me her phone and I instantly spot the ghost. The hair on my arms stands up and my eyes begin to water excessively, as if they where dry, not like I was so very sad. 

I tend to be a sensitive when it comes to spirits in the Otherworld.

My physical reaction did not surprise me that it happened. The hair thing is common, but the watering of the eyes I am still trying to figure out.

Back to that small town thing. The people in the picture look familiar to me, but I cannot really tell if it is the people I know. 

But, I start in with the questions since I am a bit of a ghost magnet.

'Who took the pic? who are those people? where and when did this happen?'

It was at a campground a few hours to the northeast of where we live. The picture had been taken within about 24 hours- did not know if it was that night or the night before. She did not know the names of the people in the pic, but the picture came from her friend (my understanding).

How it went down at the Campground~

The friend took the picture with her phone, they looked at it that night and when they saw the ghost in the picture, they packed up camp and got out of there.

The area they camped in is known for ghosts, so there is something to help validate the truth in this story.

I am working on getting names to see if these are the people that I think they are and talk to them to see if they have something to share with me. 

Update~ 

A fellow artist friend passed this photo on to a friend of hers. She said that when she looked at the picture that her eyes began to water and her hair stood up.

I am curious to know from other sensitives, what was your initial impression? How did your body physically react upon seeing this photo? 

Soaking In the Sun

I spent over three years in a damp, foggy and cold environment. The temperature everyday was a brisk 65 degrees.

Being a dragon, I am of the lizard kind and I need my sun. I am also more pacific islander than I am anything else. I want heat! I do not mind the wet so much. I really love the rain but to be in a place that is like winter all year long!? I could not take it anymore.

So I flew south to better weather. I am in a temporary spot but it feels like home. I live just under the landing and take off point of those mechanical winged brethren that spit out fire retardant rather than fire itself.

The critters are doing well.

One of my critters, is really enjoying the warmer weather, for she is also from a tropical climate.

She has been singing and making up new songs. She also feels a bit at home for she can speak the large brown OOPS truck-speak with the back-up beep-beep-beep....those live down the street.

The black demon-spawn feline is trying to figure out how she can get on top of the shop roof. It will be the highest one yet if she makes it. However, in the meantime, she makes her nightly climb up the ladder of my rolling cave and trots back and forth meowing.

Fathead is back on patrol. He had gotten so miserable and depressed with no mountain to guard that he started pulling out his hair. He is now getting it back, with the help of some neem oil added to his shampoo.

The little pooper machine runs the poop out of herself every morning.

As for this dragon, well she is working on a clutch of Dragon Eggs. Once they are close to hatching, they will be available for sale at Dragon's Moon Studio