Live every day the tarot way
Archive for May, 2012
Steampunk Tarot (Full Review)
01 year ago
by Angelo Nasios
in Review
Here is the full deck review for the steampunk tarot deck by Barbara Moore.
A Tarot Letter To My Younger Self
01 year ago
by Angelo Nasios
in Posted Readings
This post idea came from Theresa Reed (The Tarot Lady) who wrote a letter to her younger self through the voice of tarot giving advice to her younger self (Link here). I thought I would give it a shot and see what I would tell myself when I was younger (teens).
I used the Gilded Royale and pulled three cards.
Dear Angelo,
Things at times may feel like a battle where there must be a winner, that winner is you. However there are no winners or losers. I know things are not always pleasant with what you are going through, but things get better. Not everyone is hostile and not everyone is out against you. (5 of Swords)
You have so much fire and passion inside yourself, a desire for adventure you will find it! Just watch out for your at times over-confidence and hot temperedness. (Knight of Wands)
Finally Angelo, you have so many dreams and ideas you become unable to make up your mind. Reframe from becoming idol and lazy and work towards making your dreams a reality. (7 of Cups)
PS: Don’t be afraid to let your freak flag fly!
Angelo
Everything You Want to Know About Magick (But were afraid to ask) – Book Review
01 year ago
by Angelo Nasios
in Review
Everything You Want to Know About Magick (But Were Afraid To Ask) has a healthy balance of reason and creativity. Scanlon has presented well researched information on theory and step by step directions to preform rituals that takes the fear out of doing magick for a beginner.
This book is universal in nature, that the principles learned here can be applied to other traditions. The main sources used here are from The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Hermeticism and Qaballah to name a few. This is not a Wiccan or Pagan specific book which I think is a huge advantage because most books on Magick are aimed at wither Wiccans or Pagans with the focus on the God and Goddess (lord/lady) and other specific elements that are associated with these paths. Scanlon presents Magick as something for everyone regardless of your spirtual belief or lack of one. If you are looking to step up your magickal practice this book is a must read.
What I really enjoyed most about this book was it was packed full of really good information on the main subjects of the chapters while at the same time providing additional side information in the text or in the footnotes. Scanlon knows what he is talking about, I never doubt for a moment or questioned a think he said. All his knowledge is based on legitimate sources and traditions.
What will you learn from this book? There is a ton to learn from Scanlon. You learn about the Lesser Banishing Ritual of Pentagram which Scanlon calls “the Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram” for a good reason which Scanlon explains regarding the meaning of “banishing”. Your learn about the Tree of Life from Kabbalah which Scanlon explains excellently. Scanlon goes also into the 22 paths in the tree and the corresponding tarot cards, which for me being a tarot reader was an excellent learning experience. I have not found anything in the tarot material that did a good job at explaining the paths and tarot like Scanlon did. You learn how to create Talismans, how to synthesize your script, using magickal alphabets. Scanlon teaches you specific magick for wealth, healing, love and deeper subjects like demonology. In the demonology section it is very informative how Scanlon explains the true meaning of “demon” from the root Greek word “Daimons” which were the lesser divinities. Not evil in nature, but more connected to our physical world than higher beings like Angels.
Among all the material presented in the book only one thing troubled me. There is a small section on Tarot and Divination. Scanlon did present uses for tarot like meditation, rituals, path working and such which I liked that he mentioned. However when he discussed tarot as a divination tool he made a statement which did not sit well with me. “For the most part, divination is overused; mainstream occultism relies on it far too much. Fortunetelling feeds the ego and induces hesitation and doubt instead of promoting action, energy, force and success against any challenge that may arise”. Page 207. I would have to disagree 100% on this statement. Tarot is a tool that does the opposite, it does promote action for change in ones life. However I think that Scanlon is presenting here an issue that is specific for magickal practitioner who use divination before conducting a ritual of some kind and not tarot readers in general. Which in that case I understand where he is coming from however he does not make that distinction clear in his writing. People who do not have the frame of reference like myself might be mislead by what Scanlon says here.
In the end Everything You Want To Know About Magick is an excellent source of magickal knowledge. Scanlon presents all the material in again an excellent manner. He removes the “woo-woo” mystique that such a subject may carry so that people who want to learn real magick can do so with it being so abstract and esoteric. Scanlon does not dumb down magick whatsoever, this is a highly intellectual book that once you finish reading you will be wiser than before and will posses the tools needed to preform your own magick. While being intellectual Scanlon always stresses the importance of finding and using your person style and being creative when preforming magick. This is a must read for anyone in the Magickal community and for tarot readers like myself will find relative information to our practice.
Tarot M&M – 9 of Swords
01 year ago
by Angelo Nasios
in Tarot M&M
The 9 of Swords
Key Concepts
- Worry, Anxiety, Fear, Distress
Something is causing you to be anxious, fearful and worried. These emotions are originated in your mind. Somehow you convinced yourself that you may be in present danger or something in the future will turn out against your favor.
-Trouble sleeping, nightmares, insomnia
Experiencing nighttime problems as sleeping problems, restless nights, constant thinking that keeps you from sleep.
- Negative Cognition
Your general thinking is set to a negative mood. Doom and Gloom type of mentality.
Symbols
The woman in her bed crying stands to represent nighttime troubles. Crying indicates sadness, depression, worry and anxiety. The swords above her are symbolic of her thoughts that hover over her mind.
Psychological Aspect
The 9 of Swords is a very psychological card. Because it does with anxiety, fear, depression and all sorts of cognitive distortions. Around 30% of the American population has Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Fear and Anxiety are two different emotions. Fear deals with the present through danger being presented to us. Anxiety is a future based emotion, fearing an outcome that will not be in our favor. Behavioral theorists believe that we become anxious through classical conditioning (programing) to be anxious in certain events. We are wired in other words to that tendency. Anxiety is co-morbid with Depression. People with anxiety often have depression as well. This idea is reflected in the 9 of Swords.
Messages & Meanings
- You are worried and anxious about something outside of your control. This lack of control may be the source of anxiety. Avoid extreme thinking when the 9 of Swords appears. You worries may only be that of thoughts, without any real evidence or reason for real worry. Examine your thinking critically for flawed reasoning.
Shadow/Deeper Meaning
You may be invoking bad dreams, looking for danger. Deep down you know that you are being irrational.
10 Years in Tarot – Reflecting on the past and looking to the future
01 year ago
by Angelo Nasios
in Uncategorized
The month of May marks my 10th anniversary reading tarot! Man does it feel longer than that. I started reading tarot way back in 2002 when I was in the eighth grade. I bought myself a Rider Waite deck at a local store; little did I know that this small purchase of a deck of cards would vastly change my life forever.
I have been thinking back at my journey thus far. Where I came from, what I did, what I am doing and where I am going. I started reading tarot at the age of 13, I am now 23 and the way I read tarot has evolved and changed numerous times. There were periods of time where I shifted back and forth between styles but thankfully because of positive influences my style has changed in good ways overall. I think the most profound change in my style was because of Robert M. Place from whom I learned about the story telling method using three cards without position meanings. It is this method that I have adopted and call my I.S.I.S method. Before adopting this method I used large spreads that took up too much time. I really like small spreads that get to the heart of the issue. The three-card spread was the answer I was looking for. Reversals were another thing I would constantly be switching between either using them or not using them. Currently I am not using them and don’t plan on for a while.
The people I have met in the last 10 years have all touched me in some way. When you are a tarot reader you meet all sorts of people, like clients who are very diverse and unique. But as unique as people are, you come to learn that we all have the some issues, problems, hopes, fears and desires. As I read for my clients, sharing with them the wisdom of tarot, they to in return share something with me. Because each reading done for a client is like a reading for myself because I to learn in return from their reading and experience in life.
I have come into contact with many tarot readers through out the years. Some have come and gone and others have had a huge influence on me. Donnaleigh de LaRose, Theresa Reed and Stacey LaRosa are three people who I would have to say have had the largest impact on me in the last 3 years. During Readers Studio’12 I finally got to meet Donnaleigh and Theresea for the first time. Which was just amazing. The whole experience of being with all tarot readers during my visit to Readers Studio has given me much to think about as well. There are then the bad apples in the tarot community which rotten it for the rest of us. The names these individuals will not be named. But because of them I have also learned a lot and have woken up a little because of it.
All of this could not have been possible or would have made it more difficult if I was born lets say 10 years earlier. The Internet has been a godsend for the tarot community and myself in general. I started reading tarot a year before social media came into existence. There were still plenty of sources online for me to learn from. The first place I joined was Aecletic Tarot Forum. My first attempt at reading people online was via Yahoo Groups. With the creation of MySpace I became more connected with other tarot readers, doing reading for people in tarot groups. In 2006, I officially went “pro”, charging money for my readings. It was also in 2006 I joined a tarot organization called World Tarot Readers, a free reading site. From 2008 until 2010 when I left I was the director of the group. In 2008 I shifted over to Facebook, which was where I met even more tarot people and continue to today. It was also in 2008 I started my YouTube channel. 3 years later I have now over 100,000 views and over 700 subscribers watching my videos. At the end of 2009 I started playing with the idea of writing my own book. As 2010 came in I began to write that book. I am still writing it after 2 years at it, yea I am a little slow but I want to make sure I do it right and I am in no hurry. At the end of 2011 I was awarded by popular vote “Tarosophist of the Year 2011” by Tarot Professionals.
The more I use tarot the more I change. Over the last 10 years I have learned so much by way of tarot. Thanks to tarot I began to study related arts like Astrology and Numerology. That branched out into other esoteric/occult philosophies. I naturally have a spiritual bent to who I am. I am studying religions, mythology, philosophy and related subjects. Tarot is like a gateway drug to new forms of divination, I tried pendulums, scrying, dream interpretations and more. Tarot has made me a very spiritually educated person.
My passion for tarot is strong and has only gotten stronger over the years. At first my involvement was low, I would go through periods of time where I did not touch the cards. Then there would be other periods where I was more active. Over the years I have become somewhat of a collector. I have as of now 70 decks and 100 books. I hunt for rare decks often, looking for something unique and special to add to the collection. I also collect tarot artwork.
As much as I have done so far which is not much compared to the veterans of tarot but still respectable for my age, there is still much to be done. I have much to learn and I want to learn more. Looking forward into the future I see myself more devoted to tarot. I see myself finally publishing my book (before I die lol) and one day I hope to do workshops, lectures and one day be a presenter at Readers Studio. I want to also one day started a Long Island Tarot Association / Meet up group here for Long Island residents. My YouTube channel will be my constant source of exportation of tarot along with my blog. I might be able to made a professional tarot DVD for interactive learning. There is so much that can be done. I am very excited and looking forward to the adventures that are ahead.
I raise my chalice with thanks and gratitude to the past and I look to the future brightly with hope and excitement. Here is to the next 10 years and more
Cheers!
Tarot Reading – What was the essence of the last 10 years for me. – The Empress
The last ten years where a time of growth and expansion. Of support and nurturing from myself and from others. I can see The Empress as other tarot readers who instill in me hope and encouragement. The last ten years in a way was just the “pregnancy” of my tarot career. It is time to give birth.
What will the next 10 years have for me? – 6 of Swords
There will be a change, something will have to change in me where I need to leave something behind and move forward to something better. I know what this is referring to, it is a little personal so I will not share it here on the blog. This can also reflect me assisting more people in need.