Christmas Carol Tarot Spread

Yuletide/Christmas is the time of the year which can be truly magical with family, friends and/or our pets, a time to relax with mulled wine and mince pies. A time when a simple thoughtful present can help someone realise how much you love them.

However, it is also the time of the year which can bring difficulties, stress, ressentment, loneliness, family tensions and the list goes on.

Yuletide to me is a time of reflection, looking at what the year about to end has brought me, the good things and the not so good things. It is a time to count my blessings (to be alive and well is the best blessings of all), to see the good things in my life, to be grateful that I made it through another year.

With that in mind, this spread has been created to have fun with the cards during the festive season, but also to truly find the magic of Yule: the sun is being reborn, we can wish upon a star (from the top of our Yule tree) for more blessings to be counted in the future.

Blessed Yule
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year

Christmas Carol spread with the Yuletide Tarot

Position 1: Ghost of Christmas Past 
What was the main theme of most of your Yule/Christmas from the past?
Was it a good time?
Was it a difficult time?
Do you have fond memories of these times or none?

Position 4: What needs to be put to rest?
(Card on position 1 and 4 work together)
What memories do you need to let go off?
What energies no longer serves you?
What chapter in your book of life needs to close?

Position 2: Ghost of Christmas Present
What is the most important thing to you during the festive season?
How can you create a truly magical time for you?
What is your wish for this Yule/Christmas?
What do you need right now?

Position 5: What needs to be born?
(Card on position 2 and 5 work together)
What are your wishes for the new year?
What seeds are you planting right now that will bear fruit next year?
What chapter in your book of life needs to be written?

Position 3: Ghost of Christmas Future
What does the ghost of Yule/Christmas future want you to know?
How do you envisage your future Yule/Christmas?
Would it be a time of true happiness?

Position 6: What will be born?
(Card on position 3 and 6 work together)
What do you need to put into motion to make you feel happy?
What will the incoming year bring you?

Position 7: The Future
What could possibly be on its way for you next year?
What important direction you may want to take?
What would need to change?

Position 8: Gift from Christmas present
In position 2, we looked at the Ghost of Christmas present, but with this position, we are now looking at what they have left behind for you.
So, it would be interesting to see if your desires on position 2, will be fulfilled in the future 🙂

Position 9: Gift from Christmas future
In position 3, we looked at the Ghost of Christmas future.
Position 9 looks at the extra gift left for you!

Oephebia and the Pumpkin Queen Kitty (and the kitty monsters in spirit)

Follow Oephebia on Instagram

Birth of a New decade Tarot spread

This is the time of the year that is full of hope for a better and brighter future.
The birth of a New Year spread is a fun spread to use to see what 2020 may bring J

However, 2020 is also a brand new decade that will bring its positivity and challenges as well.

Looking back at previous decades, I am sure we can all be grateful for the positivity in our lives, the achievements and successes we may have encountered, the love around us from people and/or pets, and the wisdom acquired along the path.
Of course, light cannot be without darkness and the last decade may have presented us with emotional challenges, trials and tribulations on many levels.

In order to have a look at what the next decade may bring, I have created a Birth of a new decade spread, which looks at the last decade (the root of the future) and what the future may bring.

It is interesting to see the progression from one decade to another, or to see if similar themes will be around.

For people hitting their second Saturn return (around 58 to 60 years old), this new decade may show what your soul truly needs 🙂

Card 1: Main lesson learnt from the last decade
The main theme of the last 10 years, what you needed to understand or to integrate on a soul level.

Card 2: What do I need to release from the last decade?
This is what no longer serves you, situations or people who should not be part of your future. A bit of spring cleaning  🙂

Card 3: Positivity of the last decade
This is quite fun to remember the good fortune in your life, the achievements, the travels, the opportunities to do better things, the children born during that time, the pets who came to live with you, the change of jobs, new hobbies and so on.

Card 4: Negativity of the last decade
The other side of the coin, the events less positive that have occurred, redundancies, divorces, separations, death, children leaving the nest, health problems, financial constrictions and the list goes on.

Card 5: What do I need to bring forward from the last decade?
The card in that position may surprise you. It is the message of your higher self to you.

In my case, it was the Ace of Cups, which comforted me as the last decade has been tough on the emotional level.

Card 6: Main lesson for the next decade
Principles you will need to learn on the soul level.
Have a look at card 1 (lesson of the last decade) and compare the two.
It might reveal a similar lesson or something totally different.

Card 7: What do I need to concentrate on in this new decade?
What goals you may want to set for yourself.

Card 8: Positivity of the new decade
Something to look forward to, what the main positivity will be and to take it in your heart and soul 🙂

Card 9: Negativity of the new decade.
We know that life will bring some unwanted gifts in many forms.
Forewarned is forearmed.

Card 10: Gift of the next decade
What the Universe has in store for you…mine was the Wheel of Fortune and the Sun 🙂

With this spread you can put two cards in each position, to have more details or, you can just put one card for each position, the choice is yours.
Personally I did one card with one tarot deck, and an additional card with another tarot deck, it was good fun 🙂

Let me know if this spread is easy to use as creating a spread is a very strange process.
What works for someone might not work for someone else.

Bonne Année – Happy New Year
Oephebia and the kitty monsters

  Follow Oephebia on Instagram

Birth of a New Year Tarot spread

This is the time of the year when we can truly look at the previous year and take account of what has happened, the trials and tribulations we endured, the blessings and joyful moments we had, the goals we reached, big and small. In other words, to integrate life’s up and downs and to look with hope in the year ahead 🙂

At the beginning of each year, traditionally,  we make a list of New Year’s resolutions which most of the time will be gone by the end of January if not before.

Personally, I like to look at the year ahead and to have projects and goals I would like to achieve or more generally, a direction I would like to focus on.

With that in mind, I created this fun spread which can be used as a general spread, or for more specific areas of life such as family, love, career, spirituality, creativity etc..

Card 1 : Main lesson of last year
That which was more challenging to integrate, what you needed to focus on most of the time.

Card 2 : What I need to get rid of
What you need to let go of on the shore of 2017 and not to carry  any more.

Card 3 : How to let go of what no longer serves me?
What has become a burden and practical steps to let it all go.
This card is significant as it is a little something from the universe to help you unburden yourself.

Card 4 : New Year’s gift to me
The gift/blessings/energies that the Universe (or deity you believe in) wants you to be equipped with for the new year.

Card 5 : Main focus of the year
What will be your main direction/intent for the upcoming year. Which area of life is in need of  TLC.

Card 6 : What I must do this year
Here there is a sense of duty and urgency with this card. What would be the pillar for your goals/expectations to be achieved.

Card 7 : Goals to achieve this year
What would be a great focus of intention laying the foundation for the future that could spread further than 2018.

Card 8 : Advice from the universe for this year
This card is significant as it is linked with card 4, so pay attention to both to see if they complement each other or seem in opposition. If in opposition, it will mean that challenges will be keenly felt, which sometimes is needed in order to achieve.

Card 9 : Main energy of the year.
With this card you will be able to feel intuitively what the year will bring 🙂

Have fun using this spread, and please let me know how it worked for you.
I did it for 2018 and it was absolutely spot on, a bit scary actually.
So cannot wait to do it after 1st January 🙂

Bonne Annee – Happy New Year 🙂
Oephebia and the kitty monsters

  Follow Oephebia on Instagram

Mother’s Day

Here in the UK Mother’s day is celebrated in March whilst in other countries it is celebrated in May.

Regardless of the date, it is a day to celebrate and remember the woman who carried us for 9 months in her womb and gave birth to us.

But to me Mother’s day is also to celebrate the biggest mother of all…Gaia or mother Earth, our beautiful planet.

Without Gaia, there would be no life on earth, we must remember that our planet is in need of love, not only on Mother’s day but every day.

We need to nurture, protect and be compassionate to all of Gaia’s children from the plants/flowers’ kingdom, the animals’ kingdom and the environment.

If Gaia thrives, we all thrive.

It is also to celebrate all mothers….humans and animals.

Animals usually have very strong maternal instincts (most species) and humans so often interfere with the love of an animal mother and her baby.

Some of us are mothers to human children, whilst others are mothers to animals and people who are not genetically linked to them.

They all share a theme in common, the love given to another being 🙂

Inner Mother Spread

To celebrate Mother’s day, the Inner Mother spread I have created is quite fun to look at …well you guess it…your inner mother, regardless if you have children or not J

Position 1
My idea of motherhood
Position 2
Shadow side of motherhood. What do I need to avoid?
Position 3
How can I release the energy of my inner mother?
Position 4
How can I tap into my creative powers?
Position 5
How can I nurture others around me?
Position 6
Which area of my life is more suited with my compassion?

As usual, have fun 🙂

Happy Mother’s day to all.

Oephebia and the kitty monsters
 

Affair of the heart

Recently I have worked with a wild animal who was seriously ill, and I simply did what I always do when healing. I have sent this animal unconditional love, no strings attached, no ifs and no buts, just love in its purest form.

Animals are very receptive to the energy of love because they have this ability to love unconditionally.

It does not matter what you look like, what you do, how rich or poor you are, your religion or background, your physical state, they will love you as you are.
Anyone with a pet will tell you that 🙂

However, unconditional love is something humans cannot display most of the time and we need to be reminded of romance once a year 😉
Traditionally, 14^th February is the day for romance and love and this day is commonly known as Valentine’s day

What was intended as a beautiful day to celebrate love has been turned into a commercial circus and millions are feeling the pressure to buy some roses and chocolates together with a present and a card whilst millions of women are expecting to be wined, dined and romanced on this day.

The expectation creates tension and anxiety and competition on social media; who will share the biggest bouquet of roses or the most extravagant Valentine’s proposal, when in reality love should be celebrated everyday with little gestures of tenderness and respect to our partners, but also to people, animals and the planet.

For those who are single, seeing Valentine gifts, cards, flowers and ads is a reminder that they are not in a relationship. As Tarot readers we certainly see our fair share of people coming for a reading regarding relationships and love. The quest for love and happiness is as old as humanity.

For the newly single, Valentine ’s Day is a painful reminder of what was there before and what has now gone.

Personally I do not celebrate Valentine ’s Day, the love I have for my beloved is shown and expressed every day and has been for the last 25 years 🙂
Still, regardless if you are going to celebrate Valentine’s in style or will give it a miss, it can be fun to check the pulse of your relationship by doing a reading for you and the love of your life.

Arrow of love spread

Position 1 & 4 : The past – how you met your partner, your situation at the time.
Position 2 & 5:  The now – what is happening between the two of you. The strength or weakness of your relationship
Position 3 & 6 : The future – what you want to achieve with your partner
Position 7 & 8 : Your common ground when you met, what you brought to the relationship at the beginning (positive and/or negative)
Position 9 : Your relationship right now, the strenght or weakness of your relationship, what is happening at the moment around you guys.
Position 10 : Your common goals for the future, what you are hoping to achieve as a couple, what steps you want to take to consolidate (or not)  your relationship.
Position 11 : What is likely to happen with your relationship – the outcome 🙂

And if you are single, well a little peek into the future to find out more about a potential partner could be fun to do on Valentine’s Day 🙂

Key to my heart spread

Position 1  : This card reveals if a new relationship will enter your life soon. Also this card shows your frame of mind regarding the possibility of a new romance.
Position 2 :  This may reveal the character of your future partner, showing their qualities or faults, their background and even their possible astrological sign!
Position 3 : Compatibility between you and a new partner. Are you going to complement each other or not?
Position 4 : Love or lust. In other words, will it be a long lasting relationship or more of a physical passion.
Position 5 : How this new relationship will evolve
Position 6 : The outcome of the relationship. Will your true desires be fulfilled (or not).

Spread the love 🙂

Oephebia and the kitty monsters

Day of the Dead Tarot spread

This is my favourite month of the year, Autumn is truly around, leaves on trees are changing colours, the air is full of magic and nature is preparing for the big sleep.

October is by far an exciting month as it is of course the month of Samhain or Halloween.
Halloween is very special to my heart as it was on an Halloween night that I kissed my beloved for the first time (and he did not turn into a toad) 24 years ago 😀

Another festival which is close to my heart is the Mexican Day of the Dead which is a festival honouring our dear departed and ancestors. It is a joyful celebration of the dead, to remember those who went before us.

It is said that the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest around Samhain.  With that in mind, I have designed a little spread to reach our ancestors.

1 – Advice from my ancestors (here take it as what you need to know or to do to improve your life)
2 – What I need to banish, to let go, to remove from my life, what is no longer serving me.
3 – What I need to embrace, to welcome in my life, to attract to me.
4 – Ancestral traits I need to tap into.
What qualities from my ancestors (immediate ancestors or from many generations ago, in other words, your tribe),  I may want to use.
5 – What is holding me back? What is not working, not good for me etc….
6 – Blessings from my ancestors. What is the message from beyond the veil from your ancestors to you. What is essential to acknowledge and to be aware of.

I did a reading using this spread with very surprising results, which I am still meditating on.

Have a blessed Samhain and enjoy the Day of the Dead.
I know I will 🙂

Oephebia and the kitty monsters

Tarot deck interview

You know the feeling when a new tarot deck is on its way to you, a deck you have been drooling over for a while.

The anticipation and the excitement of getting your paws on the new deck, to caress it, to feed your senses, feeling the cards underneath your fingers, sensing the energies and looking at the artwork. What a treat eh?

But sometimes, although we love the artwork, the theme of the deck, the artist etc… the energies during your first reading with your new deck are not as strong or totally off.

Rings a bell, right?

Before working with a deck, it is a good idea to ask a few questions to your new deck and to get a feel of the energies of the deck, how it combines with your own energies.

Here is a spread to do just that (I know many tarot deck interview spreads are on offer), but I created mine because I know what I am looking for with a deck for myself personally or professionally 🙂

1 – Main energies of the deck
2 – Best way to approach the deck
3 – Areas of life best suited with the deck
4 – Lesson or challenge from the deck
5 – Best advice from the deck
6 – Friend or foe?

I have used this spread with my trusted Rider Waite (energies in synastry), my Everyday Witch Tarot ( very good vibes) and the Star Tarot (jury is out on this one with position 6 : Kings of Cups/Moon).

Happy interview 🙂

Oephebia and the Pumpkin Queen kitty (and the kitty monsters in spirit)

Tarot readings for pets

The UK is seen as a nation of animal lovers and many households have at least one pet.

I have seen many times people using the Tarot for their pets or consulting tarot readers because their pets are feeling unwell.

If your pet has changed its behaviour or is off food, is unwell etc…Obviously, the first course of action would be to consult a veterinarian first. They are the professionals that can diagnose an illness, conduct tests and can give your pet the most appropriate treatment for their condition.

If you are unemployed, or on a low income, there are still brilliant vets that can help your pet such as the PDSA or the Blue Cross (here in the UK).

Once you have had a diagnosis by a vet, you may want to consult a complementary therapist, such as an animal communicator, an animal healer, a feline/canine/equine/bird behaviourist or a homeopath to help your pet in a more holistic way (mind-body-spirit).

However, when your pet is in good health, and with no apparent behavioural problems, it can be fun to do a reading for your pet 🙂

Here is a little spread I have designed for you and your pet.
1 – How do you feel emotionally?
2 – How do you feel physically?
3 – How can I make your life better?
4 – How can I relate to you better?
5 – How do you feel about the vet?
6 – How do you feel about people or other animals?
7 – What do you want to tell me?

The questions can be changed to fit with your pet’s circumstances and more can be added.
It is a canvas 🙂

To help with interpreting the cards (example from the Cat’s Eye Tarot) we could define:

– Wands as activities (or lack of) your pet may need to do more or to do less; playing, going to the park, obedience classes, outdoors activities and confidence in new situations etc.

– Pentacles as food, comfort, security, health/body, routine, toys and sleeping arrangements

– Cups as emotional ties and security, rest time, interaction with guardians, with other animals, fear (thunder and noise for example), bereavement and emotional problems.

– Swords as mental abilities like learning new tricks, stubbornness, communication with guardians, communication with people and other animals outside the home but, within the home too, trust issues and behavioural issues.
– Pages could be seen as the interaction between your pet and young children, or young animals. Also, could represent your pet at this moment in time, the youthful energies that they may display or not.

– Knights could represent your pet as they mature, how they protect their territories and start to establish themselves at home and the outside world.

– Queens could be translated as the emotional side of your pet with you or other humans in the home. The emotional attachment displayed by your pet. The security and affection your pet needs.

– Kings could be seen as the vet, or any professionals your pet encounters such as a groomer, trainer, behaviourist, pet sitter etc. How your pet behaves with professional people generally speaking.
–Major Arcana can represent the message and the energies your pet may want to convey to you. Also the principles of life you may need to implement to give your pet the best home possible.

Like with all tarot readings, the most important thing is to follow your intuition!
Have fun 🙂

Oephebia