Tarot Tuesday 11/15/16

Today's card drawn is the King of Pentacles.

The King of Pentacles is a card of authority, tradition, and success with money.  When the king appears, it is a message to follow the established way of doing things rather than to break away from tradition at this time.

This card is telling you that you need to be a good steward of your money, of your time, of your energies, and of your life. Manage your money wisely.  Save some time for yourself. Take care of yourself so that you will have more energy to give.

In regard to finances, this is an excellent card to be drawn today.  It is a sign that your finances could be improving soon if they are not already.  This is largely due to what you are doing to improve those matters.  Your efforts are paying off.
However, this is not the time for speculation with money matters.  It's okay to take a calculated risk or two, or to treat yourself to a couple of nice things, but don't get carried away. It is always a good idea to perform a random act of kindness or two.  What you put out there will come back to you eventually.  Treat money like an energy and make sure you have more coming into you than going away from you.

It is also a good time to turn to your spirituality.  You might have focused for many years on your material stability and finances and not given much thought to your spiritual side.  Now is the time to give it some thought and do some exploration.  Improving your spiritual life will also benefit your financial life, interestingly enough.

The King of Pentacles is a very positive card for today.  As the king himself sits on his throne, comfortable in his wealth and contemplating his existence and spiritual life, you will be able to experience this same relaxation and contemplation.

Stay positive.  Enjoy your Tuesday and check back for some witchy fashion tomorrow.

Witchy Wednesday

Today many of my friends are grieving for America.  And a few are happy.  That being said, you really need to look at some great gothic clothing today, the darker the better.

I found a site called mysticcrypt.com.  Super dark.  Super goth.  Perfect for a day like today.  Not only do they have some great dresses, skirts, shirts and jackets, they have zombie dolls, accessories, coffin boxes and all kinds of spooky stuff.  Check them out.








This is the "Dark Star" black corset shirt.


















I love the sleeves on this.  This is the spider web bell sleeved shirt.  Very dramatic.  Wear something underneath, though.

















They have some great skirts.  I especially like the purple and black one.











 

The dresses on this website are very dramatic.  Think "Morticia".























I love this itty bitty skull hat hair clip.

This is the steampunk skull box to put your hair clip in.  Love it!


















Knowing that colder weather is coming, I've been especially interested in jackets and coats.  This long velvet coat has a red lining.

So today don't despair.  Put on your darkest clothes instead.  There's a goth outfit for everything!!

Tarot Tuesday, 11/8/16, Election Day

Wow.  It's election day.  Good day for a Tarot draw.

Today's card drawn is "The Hermit".

I may have mentioned this before, but I am in love with Cat Rocketship's tarot cards.  Her deck is not complete, but when possible, the image I will share of the card of the day will be from her deck.  We are in luck today, as "The Hermit" card is one she has completed.

"The Hermit" is a card of spirituality.  Appropriate for an election day?  I think so.  This card often has to do with institutions and large organizations, government offices, even the entire Christian Church.  If you are an atheist, it still represents spirituality, so whatever "spirit" means to you, that is the meaning this card should take.

It would be helpful for you to take a little time to yourself to clear your head.  Even just a five minute walk can be helpful.  Appropriately enough on election day, this card is also very much about "doing the right thing".  Doing the right thing requires a clear head.  In this case, make sure that "doing the right thing"includes doing what is right for you personally and that you are not just worrying about the wants and needs of others.

Regarding finances, it is a good time to be conservative.  In health matters, a healthy ritual would be a good idea.  If you are experiencing any health problems, they could be more of an indication of a general life/mind problem, rather than an actual physical one.  Sometimes those problems manifest in the body.  Take care of yourself.

It is very likely that a spiritual teacher or mentor could come into your life at this point.  This person  might not seem like a "teacher", but you will still learn from him/her on several levels.  You might feel the need to withdraw from ordinary life to a degree.  Honor that need and know that it is only temporary.  Soon you will be feeling more social again, so don't push yourself to be around other people right now if you don't really want to be.

Honoring yourself spiritually will result in you emerging from this month feeling refreshed and renewed.  You will once again be ready to tackle what ordinary life brings you and will be able to face it with a rejuvenated outlook.

Have you voted yet?  I will vote right after school today.  Whoever you are voting for, make sure you DO vote!!  May tomorrow arrive with a new and competent leader for America.

Witchy Wednesday

Happy "Dia de los Muertos".

Well, Halloween has come and gone and at this point, the picture to the right is pretty much how I feel. From the late nights reading fortunes in the gypsy wagon, to the weekend at "Valley Scare", to the 2nd annual "Cedar Valley Silent Supper" and finally, Halloween night itself, I am one exhausted witch.  I still have to take down the Halloween decorations in the yard and put away the decor from the silent supper (it's still mostly in my van).  That's what this coming weekend is for.

Today I was looking for witchy Autumn clothing.  I found a great site called Artka at alliexpress.com.  Browsing through this site was a good reminder for me that "witchy" doesn't always have to be black.  The rich fabrics and colors are just beautiful.  This is clothing that takes you someplace else.  Some are gypsy inspired, making me think of the gypsy wagon. Others are more romantic, classic or bohemian.  I will share several of the gorgeous dresses from this site.  The prices are moderate, ranging from $20 - $100.

First, we are going to need a cloak for the upcoming fall/winter weather, and this one is perfect.  It also comes in black.

Now, enjoy the lovely dresses and skirts.

How many of these could you picture yourself wearing?  If you're like me, the answer would be all of them!  If you like what you see here, head on over to the Artka at aliexpress site.  There's a lot more there!

I'll be watching "American Horror Story" again tonight.  It's so delightfully weird.  I'll also be figuring out ways to let a little of  "Halloween" last all year long.  Enjoy your Witchy Wednesday Day of the Dead.  Take the time to remember your ancestors and leave a soul cake out for someone special.

Monday Musings - Halloween!!

It's here!  Happy Halloween!  Blessed Samhain!!

It was quite a whirlwind weekend celebrating Halloween.

First, I had the day off on Friday. This was a very good thing for me because I had much to do.  KD had a couple friends over Friday night to celebrate the upcoming holiday.  It was a very informal gathering, but I still had to get food, clean the house, decorate, etc.  Also, I had a few things I still needed to get for the silent supper.

Friday night, KD had two friends over.  We had snacks and they basically just hung out.  It was a gorgeous night and would have been a great night for trick or treating!

Saturday morning, Angelle, her two friends, KD and I got up early and headed to Valley Scare in Minnesota.  We drove to Shakopee and checked into our hotel.  It was a cool, rainy day, but we went to Valley Scare, anyway.  Nothing could really prepare me for the fun I was about to have there.  If you have never gone to Valley Scare, the actual name of the amusement park is Valley Fair.  First, the decor!!  Kudo's to Valley Scare for going all out with decorations for the holiday.  From the moment we entered the park we were in awe.  Skeletons and jack-o-lanterns everywhere.  It was really quite beautiful.  The girls kept saying how it felt like we had gone to Halloweentown.  It really did.

Since the haunts didn't start until 7:00 p.m., we walked around for awhile.  We got to preview "The Chateau", the mansion where the vampires live, during the daylight.  Again, we were wowed by the decor.  It was quite beautiful in there.  We rode a roller coaster and some other rides.  Then the 17 year olds found the makeup and effects kiosk.  They were offering fake scars, bullet wounds, etc. there, and they all took advantage of that.  You will see Angelle's lovely head wound in the photos.

KD and I weren't interested in getting makeup done, so we went for a walk and found a couple great rides to go on.  There were these adorable antique cars you could drive around a track, so KD got to drive me in one of those.  She said it was time I get used to her driving since she will be getting her permit in a couple years.  Yikes.

We left the park and got some supper, then headed back.  Finally, it was time for the haunting to begin.  Valley Scare is full of "scare zones", sections of the park decorated and "haunted" by particular monsters.  There was the cemetery full of corpses and ghosts, the "Carnevil" full of, you guessed it, clowns!  There was abnormal alley where the humans affected by toxic waste were there to scare.  Those alone made it so much fun, but then we got to go into the haunted houses.  We were lucky enough to have the Fright Lane pass with the Skeleton Key.  That meant we were in the fast lane so didn't have to wait in lines and it also meant we got into special rooms at each haunt.

The first haunt we toured was "Zombie High".  Very well done.  In the skeleton key room, I had to dig through a bug-infested corpse to find a key to open a vault to open a door with something in it we had to eat.  The entire time a hungry zombie was in a glassed in booth waiting to eat us.  If we lost, we were going to be eaten, but if we won, we would be spared.  I got the key (the bugs were kind of slimy, not sure if they were real or not), got the vault open, then the door slid open and they said we had to "eat it".  There was something in a plastic cup, so I said "Angelle this is you", because she will pretty much eat anything.  She picks up the cup, screams, and drops it.  Then I become the bad parent and start yelling at her saying "You failed at the eating.  I would have eaten it!!", etc. etc.  It was the adrenaline and the heat of the moment, I think.  I picked up the plastic cup, but whatever had been in it was gone.  The zombie got out and apparently ate us.  Angelle said it was some kind of a small white bug and it was moving.  She's not terribly fond of bugs, so she dropped it.  In retrospect, I feel really bad for yelling at her.  It was really fun, though!

After that it was time to go to the "Divination" room, another skeleton key zone.  There were two drag queens reading "tarot cards".  The one who read our cards was very funny.  It was pretty crude and somewhat inappropriate, but we all had a great time.

I won't go into detail about the other haunts because there were 6 different ones and 6 skeleton key rooms as well.  But I'll share a few of the highlights.  One was being tried, found guilty and "hung", at the "End of the Line", complete with execution hoods over our heads and nooses around our necks.  I have to admit that probably bothered me the most of anything we did that day.  The floor even dropped a half inch or so underneath us.  Scary.

There was the skeleton key room in "The Chateau", where we were offered drinks of "blood" in a shot glass.  If we drank the blood, we got to keep the shot glass.  I'm very proud of all of us in our group because we all drank the "blood".  What was it?  Well, it sure tasted like I would imagine blood would taste.  A lot of iron.  It really was not a pleasant taste.  Luckily I had tic tacs.  What a fun experience.

Probably my favorite haunted house was "Humane Habitat", where we were led through 5 different cottages (the last one was the skeleton key room).  There were human/animal hybrids there and it was a really good scare.  The skeleton key room was finding your way through a pitch black cottage using hearing and touch.  There were some great scares along the way.  Then at the end, you got to do the scaring for the next group.  I backed up and let the girls be at the control board.  It was so funny to watch the next group go through and get scared on the monitors.

Valley Scare is a great time and I strongly recommend it to anyone.  KD wants to go again next year and so do I.  It might become a new tradition for awhile.

Sunday night was the 2nd annual "Cedar Valley Silent Supper".  There were 25 living guests in attendance.  As before, it was a wonderful time with some improvements made to the whole celebration.  "Po", my human skull, took the place of "spirit" at our table.  He made a very nice addition to the experience.  After the silent supper which was served backwards (with music including a song by David Bowie and one by Prince), Shelby and I read fortunes for everyone who wished.  I continue to be very impressed by Shelby's gift of "Lithomancy" divination.  Everyone loved her sessions.  When I was reading someone's cards, they said "Oh, that's very much like what her reading said.", referring to Shelby.  Shelby and I just looked at each other and said "That happens quite a bit".  Very affirming when two readings done with different methods turn out to be so similar.

Many thanks for DuRaae Davis and KD for helping with the decor.  The decor was even better than last year because of their gift for making a space a beautiful place to be.  I could not have done it without them.  Many thanks to Shelby for providing readings after the supper.  Many thanks to the Waterloo Community Playhouse for the rental of the room and to "Moment in Thyme", my awesome caterer who is so good at accommodating my very unusual supper.  Can't wait for next year!!

Now tonight is for relaxed fun, Halloween candy, horror movies, and maybe some trick or treating. Stop by to see my spooky yard and trick or treat at my door.  I will have candy and goodies!!  Hope to see you tonight.  Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain to you all.  Enjoy the holiday!!  Enjoy the photos from our "Valley Scare" experience below.
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Witchy Wednesday

Happy Witchy Wednesday.  Saturdya was the "Witches' Walk" in downtown Cedar Falls.  It was so much fun to see people dressed in their best witchy attire.  There was a lot of black and some lovely witch hats.  I spotted Zhanna there wearing a great copper crown with antlers which she made herself.

I'll share a few photos from the day.










Here is Zhanna looking mysteriously witchy with her antler crown (which she made herself) and and crystal ball.















Of course, Shelby Davis and I were reading fortunes that day. Here are Shelby, DuRaae and I in our witchy outfits.



















The lovely Shelby doing a Lithomancy reading for a fellow witch.

















I had to do a "Witches' Walk" selfie.  I do love my hat.















It's almost Halloween!!!  I can hardly contain myself.  Do you know what you are wearing for your holiday festivities?  Feel free to share below.  My daughters, a couple of their friends and I are heading to "Valley Scare" on Saturday.  We originally were going to all wear costumes for the day, but then I read the FAQ section on their web site.  It says guests are not allowed to wear costumes inside the park during the Halloween season.  I understand the reason.  It's so that workers are easily distinguished from guests.  However, we had already planned our costumes so were a bit disappointed.  We decided we could still wear our clothing from the costumes (since they are very much like our regular clothes anyway), and maybe bring our masks, accessories, in a bag and find an opportunity at some point to put them on.

Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering what our costumes are going to be?  This is all Angelle's idea (leave it to a teenager), but we are going as the Gotham City Sirens (and a couple friends), but making the costumes steampunk.  Yes, I guess that's a thing.  The picture to the left is not us, but this gives you an idea of what Steampunk sirens would look like.

I thought I would look up some good sites that sell Steam Punk clothing today.



Some of the most reasonable Steampunk items I found at Good Goth, one of my favorite sites for all witchy and fun clothing.  Here are a few things from that site.


The "Ashes to Ashes" dress.  Very cute and would also be perfect for the silent supper.

















The "Black Rider" coat.  Very nice.

















The "Bloody Dead Walker" trench coat.  Love the color and texture.





















I love the colors of this dress, too.

Here's a lovely velvet burgundy coat.
















Steampunk is all about accessorizing.  This is the "Clockwork Bat" necklace.  Very nice.













You really must wear a hat if you're going to go Steampunk.  Here are a few hat options from the Medieval Collectibles site.  You can find them here: Medieval Collectibles

So, there you have it.  Steampunk is a very fun style to try sometime.  Perhaps mix it up with another style like we are doing for Halloween (by the way, I'm going to be Cat Woman).  It's all about texture, fabric and accessories.  Have a wonderful witchy Wednesday, watch "American Horror Story" if you are so inclined this evening and gear up for a fabulous Halloween weekend coming up!




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Tarot Tuesday 10/25/16

Today for Tarot Tuesday, I've asked Shelby Davis, fellow gypsy wagon fortune teller, to share her experiences.  To see her story, please scroll down, as first I will share the meaning of "Judgement", today's tarot card.

Judgement is all about forgiving and being forgiven. KD and I recently went to a shamanic workshop. During that workshop, we went on a guided shamanic journey.  On my own personal journey, I was forgiven by my ancestors, then sent way back in time to an ancient ancestor whom it was then my duty to forgive.

Forgiveness has great power.  Personally, I find it to be a very difficult think to do.  But it is a necessary difficulty.  In order to truly close the door on your past and move forward, you really do have to shed it.  You shed your past in the way of forgiving both yourself and those who have wronged you.

What in your past is holding you back from moving forward?  That is the question this card is asking.  It is time to heal from those wounds and wrongdoings and truly move forward.  Healer, heal thyself.  The past is the past.  It is no longer necessary to hold onto it.  Some doors may be closing in your life, with new and exciting gates opening to new worlds for you to explore.  Remember that with every ending comes a new beginning.  New beginnings are exciting opportunities.  Move forward with joy.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to share the wonderful story from Shelby Davis of To Our Moon and Back.  Sit back and enjoy reading about how she got into divination and how she has personally connected with lithomancy.

Hello, readers! I am Shelby Davis. I am a student at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Ia and a Health Market clerk at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee. I have known Crystal for many years now. She was the woman who introduced me to Tarot and helped me to realize my gift of intuition. Although we met during a production of Alice in Wonderland at Black Hawk Children's Theatre in 2012, it wasn't until two years later that our families would come together on a more person level. 

In September of 2014, Crystal contacted my mother to ask if I would be interested in doing Tarot readings with her and her daughters in a gypsy wagon recently built by the folks out at Harris Haven Haunted Funeral Home in Evansdale, Ia. While I was immediately interested, I was also very intimidated: I knew very little about divination, let alone Tarot reading. Putting that fear aside, I decided that it was worth a shot, so a week or so later, I got dressed up and went along with them. When we arrived, we were all given a tour of the wagon, along with a basic run-down of what they were hoping we could provide for them and add to the attraction, and sent off on our way. Inside, Crystal handed me her Halloween-themed deck of Tarot cards and a cheat-sheet she had printed out for me to base my interpretations off of. She explained the basics of the readings, gave me a reading as an example, and asked if I was ready to try it out. I hesitantly claimed to be prepared and took the first group that arrived. I don't remember exactly how that first reading panned out, but I'm sure I was nervous and glanced down at the sheet in my lap often. The first reading ended, and another group took their place, then another, and another. As time ticked on, I gained more confidence in myself and didn't feel the need to glance at the sheet as often. At the end of the night, Crystal complimented me on my reading. She said that I was a natural and that my intuition was strong. That made my confidence in my abilities soar and sparked a flame in my that I felt had always been simmering, but never brought to flame. 

I continued to go out to the wagon and read with the Waltz ladies more over the next few weeks, loving the way it felt to get positive and surprised reactions from the people I read. I had a gift that I hadn't known about prior, and it was exhilarating. Once October came to an end, and Harris Haven closed for the season, I began researching Tarot decks, searching for the perfect fit for a deck of my own. After scanning and sifting through hundreds of different decks online, I finally came across one that stuck out to me. The "Wild Unknown Tarot" became my deck of choice. I absolutely fell in love with the artist's organic designs and simplistic color scheme. I received the deck as a Christmaspresent that year and immediately went to work familiarizing myself with each and every card.

Over the past two years, I have had very little time to connect with my deck, causing me to fall out of practice. When Crystal inquired with me as to whether I would help her with readings at Harris Haven again this year, I was tempted to decline. It did not feel right to me to go out there and fake readings for everyone, knowing now how deeply connected I am to divination. On a whim, one night, I asked Crystal what she would suggest for me to overcome my nervousness. She suggested that I look into other forms of divination: that maybe Tarot reading just isn't for me. I took her advice and dove into researching the topic. Once again, I was met with dozens upon dozens of styles and types of divination, but none of them felt like the right fit. And then, I came across of variation that immediately drew me in - Lithomancy, or reading of the stones. I pulled up various articles on the practice and quickly discovered that very little is know about its origin. Even modern practices vary from culture to culture, as well as amongst casters (the individuals who read the stones). I did, whoever, find that there is a form of Lithomancy used in Wiccan and Neo-Pagan practice that uses 16 stones; one in the center to represent the person being read, and fifteen which are cast and read. After righting out a list of the meanings of each of the 15 stones, I sorted through my personal stone collection and found perfect fits for each in less than ten minutes. I sat with my little pile of stones for a while, pouring over the meaning list I had written, quickly committing it to memory. I then moved to the carpeted floor of my bedroom, placed my center stone, gathered the other 15 up in my hands, and cast them down from just above the center stone, and did a reading for myself. I was astonished to find two things. 1. I had almost no trouble interpreting the meaning of the stones and their patterns. 2. The reading was EXTREMELY accurate. I excitedly called my mother in and did a reading for her, which yielded a similar result. She even cried as I read her because elements of her past were coming through. I was so excited. I contacted Crystal and let her know that I would absolutely be joining her to read for the Halloween season. 

Over the last few weeks, I have done fifty or more individual readings. This past Saturday alone, I read fortunes for a combined total of 8 1/2 hours. In all of those readings, I could guess nearly 80% of them have landed and resonated with the people I read. The moment when the stones connect with someone, and that person turns to their group with an astounded face, is the moment when it is reaffirmed for me that I am on the right path. I have had numerous accounts of people thanking me for the clarity or peace-of-mind that my readings provided for them. It feels so fulfilling to know that I am helping people, even if just by being someone they can share their troubles with. Knowing that I am able to provide a sense of comfort is a gift I will never be able to repay. Instead, I will continue to give, to read and to bring peace and joy. 

I am honored to have been asked to be a contributor to this week's blog post. Thank you to Crystal Waltz for all she has done for me and my family in the past two years. Her constant friendship and unwavering loyalty have been a blessing and a light in times of darkness. 

You can meet me and get a free reading by coming out to the Harris Haven Haunted Funeral Home in Evandale this upcoming weekend, Friday and Saturday night, starting at 7pm, as well as Monday nights at the same time. I look forward to seeing what the stones say for you!