A Bit About Me - Rewrite

She/her, bi/queer, cis white Celtic American (there's a story behind that)

There's three things there's nearly always time for in my book; sass, sparkle, and smellin' roses. Sometimes this gets me into trouble. Ha!

I'm rewriting this because, well, weird formatting issues with the original one, and why the hell not? You can always read the original here.

This time, I'm gonna do things in a nice bullet form category fashion, because, why not? And it's easier to read. 👀 

🎓 My formal, nifty cool, accomplishments! 🎓

• Spiritual Minister via the Universal Church of the Masters, Aug. 2023
• Certified Massage Therapist CAMTC#83230, Jan. 2020, current
• Motoki Lvl 2, earth-based modality, Jan. 2018 
• Tarot Card Success - The Complete Tarot Reading Course, Jul. 2017
• Master's in Education, multiple subject curriculum and social justice, May 2016
• Reiki Master/Teacher, traditional Usui Ryoho, Mar. 2016
• Bachelors in Child & Adolescent Development, magna cum laude, Dec. 2012
• Associates in Early Childhood Education, Jun. 2008
• (We won't talk about the blackness of HS, wherein I graduated by the skin of my teeth; if you look at HS transcript vs college transcripts you would think you were looking at two completely different people with the same name.)

😎Unofficial, nifty cool, accomplishments!😎

• First Meetup class I taught! Feb. 16, 2019 
• Pamela Colman Smith's birthday! Had no idea at the time! 
• She is the artist of the Smith-Waite Tarot. 
• First fair doing Tarot Energy Healing! at the Center for Creative Living, Dec. 2, 2018
• Note: The date is different than what I have shared before because uh, I remembered wrong. I double checked the dates on the emails about it. Apologies! 
• Initiated into professional Tarot reading Jun. 13, 2018 (There's a story behind that.)
• Note: Yeah, I messed up that date too. I remembered this and the above in relation to each other but got the dates wrong.
• Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma, Fall 2016
• It was INTENSE. Worth it. 
• I took a bunch of group therapy classes/groups at Kaiser too. They were quite helpful for shadow work and properly healing old wounds.
• Consistently practicing meditation and mindfulness since Summer of 2011 
• I figured this out by age of child and where we lived at the time. Also note, consistency, I don't count the dabble on and off years.)

♪♪🎵These Are A Few of My Favorite Things! 🎵♪♪

• Lois McMaster Bujold, author
• especially Paladin of Souls
• Enigma, music artist
• Babylon 5, tv show
• Shadowscapes Tarot (the deck that made me brave)
• Intersteller, movie
• Persona 4, video game
• Elfquest, comic
• Singing 
• (I love to singa about the moon and the June and the springa, I love to singa, about skies of blue and tea for two and I-I-I-I-I-I LOVE TO SIIIIING)
• Talking to the crows and the trees and everything around me. 
• Rain

👪😻Core Family!😻🐀

• Cat Mom! Owl, and Huntress. 
• Married to The Robert, Best Spouse (no bias here obvs lol) 
• Mom to a grown human
• We used to have pet rats too, and other cats and guinea pigs.

🌈🌞🌓Personality Stuff🌗🌟🔥

• Fire Nation 
• You gotta watch "Avatar: The Last Airbender"! It is my favorite animated cartoon series.
• The Hierophant - Soul and Personality Tarot card
• Temperance - my hidden factor/teacher Tarot card
• Queen of Wands - who I am in the Tarot Court
• Myer-Briggs: ENFP-T 
• Taurus Sun, Gemini Moon, Rising Leo
• Sidereal Astrology (a little bit closer to actual astronomy, but still not quite the same as astronomy)
• Gemini Sun, Cancer Moon, Rising Virgo
• Tropical/Western Astrology (absolutely not the same as astronomy, not at all; this is the default astrology people refer to)

🌎✊My World View / Politics ✊🌍

• You cannot heal what you cannot see
• or what you refuse to see
• We are stewards of the Earth
• Let us tend well
• "Every rock and tree and creature, has a life has a spirit has a name." -Colors of the Wind
• Diversity and inclusivity are our friends
  
• Duality is ONE of many metaphors to help us understand our world
  
• If it's not ugly, if it's not beautiful, what is it? Plain. 
• I am unapologetically anti-fascist and an intersectional feminist
• Trans rights are human rights
• Climate change is real
• and we can do something about it
• Science is real
• Being anti-science is like amputating your curiosity at the neck.
• "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science!" -Girl Genius
• Vaccines save lives
• Black Lives Matter 
• Stop Asian Hate
• Free Kids in Cages
• There's more than two genders
• Everyone deserves a living wage
• It's okay to be wrong. 
• It's part of learning; and oh how I have learned. 

Note: this list in no particular order, and is not necessarily complete. Basically NO to ableism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, fat phobia, and to colonialist capitalist ideals. Yes to taking care of our planet and all peoples as humanely, compassionately, and kindly as possible; and it's more possible than we think.

My Soul Vow is: I Accept All Things that are for the Preservation, Healing, and Growing of LOVE Eternal; come what may.

 

Reiki Is For Everyone. Period.

I recently saw someone in a Reiki group tell another person that maybe they shouldn't be doing Reiki. Her reasoning? Because fear has no place in Reiki or any energy healing. I. Call. Bullshit. It is wonderfully healing and courageous to engage in healing practices in the face of fear. 

Everyone experiences fear. Everyone learning a new modality experiences fear. And asking a question out of concern for one's health in the detox process that happens after receiving your attunement was a LEGITIMATE question, and not some unfounded fear based thing. It was a good question. 

The real answer to that question is to trust that Reiki won't harm but help, and that the changes after an attunement (often called a detox) will not exacerbate pre-existing conditions. There are other things you can do as well to prepare for an attunement, like getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating balanced meals, meditations, walks, and even receiving Reiki from a friend, etc. 

Having a pre-existing condition does not mean you can't do Reiki. Of course you can. 

Having medical devices does not mean you can't do Reiki. Of course you can, you simply have to think of the medical device as part of your body so the device and body work together in harmony. 

There is no reason to tell someone Reiki is not for them. It's for everyone. At the right time. At the place. By the right teacher. In the right moment. And that is for the student to ultimately decide. 

You cannot rightly force Reiki on someone. 

You cannot rightly push Reiki away from someone. 

Reiki is the Universal Life Force Energy. It is in all things and through all things, and it is by Reiki that all things exist. We simply know how to harness it in ways for the benefit and benevolence of humankind and of all living things. 

Reiki does not judge you. 

It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be nervous. This is why I use phrases like "Zen mode" because sometimes, I, a Reiki Master, am afraid too, and I have to set that fear aside in faith hope and trust (with a little bit of pixie dust) to get the job done anyway. 

Reiki is for you. No matter what. I promise. 

Doing What I Love, Just Because;

This site is a perpetual work in progress, rather like myself really. This is a labor of love. I love love love Tarot. I love it so damn much, it's crazy. And it feels so damn good to be able to do what I love. 

I also love energy healing, and I teach Reiki in a very grounded earthy style. And well, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to spiritual things, and helping people connect with stuff. It's why I have psychic protection, and spirit animals guides, and whatever else I feel called to include. 

As I write this I am in a bit of a bubbly mood. Feel free to ask me questions or give me suggestions! Feel free to join my meetup classes (all donation based). Make comments (unless it's spam, spammers can go away). 

My motivation to write this particular post is the fact that I am often slow at writing regular blog posts, but a bit faster at writing more pages that get added in the table of contents areas of the different sections of the site. Then it just looks bad, like, oh, it's been forever since she's updated, it's a ded site, and I'm like noooooo. 

So, to make myself feel better, I'm writing this as an opener, that may change later. May what you find here be useful to you on your journey. May you be part of the efforts to preserve, heal, and grow, LOVE. And part of that is doing and sharing what you love. ^__^

Smith-Waite (top left), Melanated Classic (top right)
Crow (bottom left), Shadowscapes (bottom right)
Modern Witch (center)

Sharing Feb 16th Musings

 Heya All,

I wanted to share a couple musings.

Saturday, February 16, 2019 is when I held my first ever Tarot class, and I did so via this Meetup group. So today, is the group's birthday!

It's also Pamela Colman Smith's birthday. She is the woman responsible for creating the artwork for the Smith Waite/Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck, the deck that became very popular and is now the most popular deck to date. Pamela, aka Pixie, created all 78 paintings in 90 days, and Waite trusted her work. She was an amazing biracial woman who loved theater and nature. 

It is so interesting to me that the first Tarot Energy Healing class was on Pixie's birthday. Previously I just thought it was neat that it was on the 16th, since the numbers 8 and 16 have special meaning, and oh, I was spiritually ambushed into creating the group and hosting the first class so having a little Tower energy absolutely makes sense; and it was terrifying to hold that first class. Okay, it often still is, ha!

Anyway, Happy birthday to Pixie! Happy birthday to us!

Stay sane safe and well out there, and I hope to see more of you in the classes. Ideas and suggestions and questions are always welcome. 

Blessings to you and yours!

Pixie circa 1912 
image from wikipedia

The Russian Doll, Nesting Doll, Style of Reading Tarot

In my Tarot classes I always describe what I do, but apparently it wasn't clear until I showed my personal planner. 

I "Russian Doll" my readings.

If you aren't familiar with Russian dolls they are also called "Nesting Dolls" and "Matryoshka Dolls". Traditionally they are shown with a woman in a bonnet and it's the same woman getting smaller and smaller.

Here is an image of an owl version where you can see how they get smaller, but each smaller one goes inside the bigger one.

I just purchased this set from:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlankDollUkraine

 This is how I do my personal readings. That big owl on the left is the Year reading. The owl next to it is the Month Reading. The middle owl is the Weekly Reading. The owl after that is the Daily Reading. And then last but not least is the little owl that's a reading about a specific issue or event that may come up. 

The Year Reading encompasses the  Monthly Reading which encompasses the Weekly Reading, which encompasses the Daily Reading which encompasses the specific reading. 

Another way to look at is from the top down. Like so. 

You can see how each one is embraced. Sure, some specific readings may be an ongoing issue, but it is still encompassed by the other Readings and it's only the Daily card that changes. 

Below is an example of how I do my readings. My Year Reading was The Sun (19), and so I kept that in mind as I did my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Reading. This method is also a FANTASTIC way to get to know your cards. 

I am not at all perfect at it, as you can see with this example, I left out one day and I didn't always write down more than what cards were drawn. I also include what deck I used as well. You can also see that I switch up the kind of daily reading that I do, and that I also do an expanded monthly reading

This method works for me. It helps me stay grounded and focused. And often gives me much needed reminders of things that need to be kept in mind. 

It's okay to take breaks, especially when you feel angry or frustrated with the cards, to come back later, or to only do parts of this. I especially have to come back later when I'm angry because I'm not in a place to receive the message!

The point is that it's supposed to be helpful to you, not a chore to be done. I have to remember sometimes, that it's not a chore but a chance to actually to PLAY with my cards! And not beat myself when I'm perfect. 

If you have questions feel free to contact me or to leave a comment. Feel free to share what worked for you and what didn't too! Always interested. :)

Today is 1-20-2021

 That's a palindrome, which is super cool. 1202021.

However, when this was pointed out to me by a random FB comment (in the Stormlight Archive FB group of all places) my brain went WAIT. 

Add all those numbers up you get the number 8. That means today's card in the Tarot is STRENGTH,  or JUSTICE*, in the major arcana. Today is the day of the inauguration of Biden and Harris. How auspicious for the birth of their four year term! 

Okay so, thinking about that, then let's look at both of these cards. 

Then we have the minor arcana cards that are numbered 8 to look at too. Much work needs to be done in the next four years to remedy the mistakes of previous leaders, such as real relief for the hardships so many are dealing with due to the pandemic and restitution for the kids who are still in cages. It's going to take a lot of Strength, of proper application of persistent, diplomatic, and personal power to convince the lion that it wants to follow you. 

And the Justice card is not losing sight of your goal, of seeing with the sword of truth, of looking at things from a balanced view, yet what that judge says, goes. This likely also alludes to working with the Supreme Court which is unbalanced in its representation of the people, most of them having been appointed by the GOP, yet also the President who has veto powers and other executive powers that can be used to strength out country. 

The 8 of Wands (8S), where things are happening fast, and it can feel overwhelming. Basically, a lot of things that need to be a priority are going to demand attention. And the trick here is how to handle it with finesse. 

The 8 of Cups (8C) is about moving away from what no longer serves, and in this case undoing the harm that's been done, and having to figure out a way to work with people who hate you. Which leads us to...

The 8 of Swords where you feel bound but in reality there is a way out, a way to solve the problem but you gotta maintain you vision (that castle), and fill your emotions up with hope instead of despair./ All you gotta do is think outside the box, to notice what you haven't noticed before. 

And then 8 of Pentacles, working diligently on your craft, on your skills, leveling them up. Hella work ethic is needed to make stars worth displaying. 

And all of these things, are the day to day things that are going to come in and cycle over and over again, with small breaks here and there, as seen by the larger separation spaces between the wands in the 8W (groupings of 4, 2, and 2), as well as a space between two of the cups in 8C, a space between the very bottom pentacle and the one above it, and even a space hidden in the 9S, right behind the woman who is loosely bound and can easily be freed. 

In sum, for the next four years, it's "if there's a will, there's a way."

May our new White House administration be endowed with wisdom and the gumption to right wrongs, and anything else needed to do the job, and to do the job well enough; for all of us. 

Faith manages,

Ruth  

*Most decks have 8 as Strength, but some decks do not, they went back to the pre-RWS ordering which is Justice at 8 and Strength at 11. 

13-card Year Reading Spread

 

The purpose of this reading is to help you be prepared for what’s going on in your life, so that anything that shows up you can handle with finesse and zen. Indeed, the purpose of this reading is to empower you and to give you hope.

This spread is like a clock. Representing the whole year and the individual months. The 1 o’clock position is January, 2 – Feb, and so on and so forth ending on 12 o’clock as December.

The center card, card 13 is like the hands of a click is the card that touches ALL of the other cards. It is the card that represents the energy and lessons that will be present for the ENTIRE year. How to calculate your year card for the current year is talked about in this post: https://www.ladyofradiantjoy.org/2020/12/finding-your-year-card-for-current-year.html

So in reality, every month is a two card spread, consisting of the year card in the center, the card of the month.

A year reading is about YOU and the general energies of what’s going to be present in YOUR life. The purpose of having this reading is NOT one of fatalism or determinism, but one of probabilities, that these are the energies that are most likely to come to pass, and be present in your life in the upcoming year.

These cards are general, so they will apply to all aspects of your life, but depending on your personal context sometimes one aspect of your life will take more prominence.

When you look at these cards think about any anniversaries, expectations, goals, work cycles, due dates, familial responsibilities (both legit and not legit), holidays you celebrate, religious observances, etc. Such things can give you clues. Sometimes you won’t understand something at all, but keeping aware of the energy presented by the card can help you be more mindful and watchful, and thus make it simpler to adapt to the unanticipated.

Of course, if you don’t look back at these from time to time then, uh, you may miss something and then make a mistake that’s avoidable. Not that I have ever done that. Nope. Not at all. Ha! Yeah, I TOTALLY HAVE. But that's okay, I learned from it.

Do I Scrap the Whole Thing & Start Again or Not? (An Impromptu Tarot Spread)

 I was having creative difficulties with the oracle deck I'm creating, specifically for people who have dealt with mental health disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I wasn't meeting my goals, felt frustrated, and cluttered in my mind. I didn't know if I just needed to reorganize or if I should scrap the whole thing thing and start again from scratch. 

So I decided to do a comparative reading, telling me the story, of what would happen if I scrapped the whole thing, or if I were to keep going as is. 

Cards are from the Modern Witch Tarot deck
Cloth is from the Orien's Tarot, feat. the star from the Star

Story of what would happen if I were to scrap the whole thing?
Row 1 - Left to Right

Popout card - Ace of Pentacles

      A shiny new beginning that is well grounded. 

Beginning - 6S

      Moving from what no longer serves to something better. Both people in the boat are me, different aspects of me. The oar is me using  my fire, passion and will to direct the boat, to move through the waters of emotions, with all the lessons and wisdom of thought and of mind to help me cut through the BS. 

Middle - 7C Ⓡ 

      There will no longer be choice paralysis. I will be free to work with greater grace and ease.

End - The Star

      The cards will be as they are intended to be. A symbol of HOPE. 

Story of what would happen if I didn't and kept on with what I had?

Row 2 - Left to Right

Popout card - The Sun Ⓡ

      It's gonna suck. The joy of the work will be absent.

Beginning - 4S 

      Getting into the zone will be difficult. Stress instead of repose. The Swords are above me, and they aren't comforting, one wrong move and they will fall on me. I'm stuck inside, possibly even with stress migraines. 

Middle - 5W Ⓡ 

        I will stop fighting, but at what cost? 

End - Justice

       The cards will be heavy handed. While justice is good, the deck will not be filled with hope.

Last two cards:

Left - Now that I know this what should I do?

The Lovers Ⓡ

        Break up with the current working of the deck. 

Right - And what will the outcome be as a result?

The Hierophant

        And then I will be able to live up to my soul and personality card, bringing hope to the population that is often gaslit, victim blamed, and ignored by religious, spiritual, and metaphysical communities. 

I just did this spread a few days ago. And I am listening. 

I gotta say, I felt amused by the popout cards because they are like a summary or foreshadowing of the three cards after them. 

This spread was originally going to be a 6 card spread, of comparing the stories, beginning middle and end of what would happen if I went forward with the two choices I had before me. Yet, I was still a little resistant. I worked hard on these cards! Hence, I asked, okay now that I know this what should I do. And when I got the break up card I was like OKAY FINE but I'm still freaked out about it so what will happen as a result. And it was like YOU WILL BE YOU, DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. 

Yeah, I felt a little called out, but it was also REALLY NICE to get this extra confirmation, so I am glad I added those two cards. It was exactly what I needed.