Watcher Angel Tarot Video Review

This review is a bit longer than some of the others, as I talk quite a bit about the companion book.  It's a fascinating read, covering subjects such as angel names and attributes, the Book of Enoch, and the creative process that led to the deck itself.  In the review you can also see all 78 cards.

This is a lovely deck - I'm really enjoying its energy and artwork.  It also has a really interesting take on the Court Cards - let's see if any of them come up this week ;)  The author and deck creator is Michelle Belanger, and the talented artist is Jackie Williams.  The deck can be bought direct from the illustrator at SpiralFire Studio.

Steampunk Teaser

Before leaving Steampunk behind until April, when Barbara Moore's Steampunk Tarot is due to be released, I thought I'd post this picture.  Finally, here is the framed consolation prize print of the High Priestess that I received from the fabulously generous Barbara at the end of last year.  I think the frame does it justice, though I'm not sure the photo does :/  My Dear One and I still have to negotiate where it will hang, but doesn't she look gorgeous?

And a quick reminder, if you're a TABI Member, or if you join up between now and March, you can net yourself a copy of this fun tarot deck for more than £5 off the amazon price, and with the companion book signed by Barbara, as well as an additional surprise gift!

Family Fun

Charissa Drengsen's Steampunk Tarot offers an image of chaos and yet joy with today's card, the Ten of Cups.

There is something so fun and cheerful about this card, despite the rambunctious bedlam it portrays.  Clowns and showgirls, schoolgirls and teachers, and an eccentric aunt in love with her gramaphone; this card is a reminder that families often have patterns that feel normal to those within them, but feel totally bizarre to an outsider (even if that outsider is a member).

I notice, too, the sign above their heads - Welcome Home.  Home is not just about the place where we live, but about all the people we share our lives with in one way or another.  It reminds me that while our blood family is chosen by birth, we get to choose the family of our heart.

So, what does all of this have to do with my day?  Well, for one thing I'm translating a letter for my step-father.  When it came through, I wasn't hugely keen - three sides of customer complaints and engineering jargon!  However, he is the kindest, most caring and generous man I know.  So, I should have it finished by mid-morning :)

I am grateful for my family in all its shapes and guises.

Beakers and Bunsens

OK, so the title is a bit of a liberty, as there are no apparent Bunsen burners in this image.  Still, today's card from the Steampunk Tarot (Drengsen, 2010) hints at the scientific.

In the foreground, we see a woman's body with her head outside of the frame.  She pours a dark liquid from one silver jug into another.  Her costume is elegant if old-fashioned, yet there is a cartoony tattoo on her arm - a strange mix of old and new.  The background is marked off in grids, and there are scientific objects - a valve-like beaker and other glassware.  I like the association of scientific measuring out of ingredients, which has a very (al)chemical feel to it.  This fits well with my understanding of Temperance, where a carefully thought out balance of different elements or factors is necessary: the right mix to create the desired outcome.

Today, the mix I must get right is a balance of work, exercise, study, shopping and, if I can, editing a video I recorded yesterday.  Plus spending time with my family.  If I get the right balance, it'll feel like I've had a productive, positive day :)

I am grateful for having a varied life.

Tophat and T-Shirt

After yesterday's Queen, today we get the King of Pentacles from the Steampunk Tarot (Drengsen, 2010).

I quite like this cheerful chap's expression.  There is a certain droll challenge in his look, and a jaunty tilt to his tophat.  He holds his golden roulette wheel nonchalantly, yet at the centre of his chest.  The wallpaper behind him is opulent, very colonial.  I do wonder, though, at the fact he is wearing a t-shirt under his jacket.  Perhaps this points to this King enjoying the finer things in life, yet also prioritising his own comfort.

Today I hope to have some time for myself, after a couple of days taken up with work, study, and Big Boy being ill and having doctor's appointments.  However, I see instead the need to get some practical matters dealt with - organising some work and household matters for the coming month.  Like the King of Pentacles, I need to take charge of the day-to-day, in order to earn my roulette wheel and be able to lounge around in my t-shirt ;)

I am grateful for the ability to be organised when I need to, and for the joys of modern software that helps in the task.