On my way to publish

I'm still trying to publish my novel as an e-book on one Polish platform, but it turned out there are obstacles, such as having to acquire an ISBN number and some difficulties before uploading the EPUB version.

How will the ISBN thing go? IX The Hermit

Advice for ISBN process. Queen of Swords

How will the platform thing go? 10 of Wands

Advice for the platform process. Ace of Swords.

The ISBN process will require a looot of patience... But I shouldn't give up, maybe also take some advice from a female writer I know. The uploading process will be a pain in the ass... A lot of work, I mean ;) But if I don't give up, I should be successful.

Oh, I just got the answer from the ISBN fellows - they require that I send them a paper version of application form, because the one I filled in and scanned is not enough for them, obviously. They can send you the numbers by e-mail, but the form must be on paper... A perfect Hermit with a white beard!

Lost my trimming virginity!

Well, I have never trimmed a deck before. Never even thought about it, before I read so many about trimming on Aeclectic Tarot Forum... I've been thinking that my White Cats Tarot has too large borders (with titles in 6 languages), but the actual pictures were rather small. So first I checked in the computer if I like the result of trimming and I did, so then the scissors came! It was acutally much easier than I thought. Now the deck looks much more beautiful, like paintings in golden frames or windows to the cat world...

I only need to find a corner rounder now, the corners are quite spiky...

After trimming the backs are not reversible anymore, but I don't worry since I don't use reversals anyway :)

Where is my coat?

I couldn't find a nice coat I got from my sister. I thought I searched everywhere and in the end I decided to ask tarot for help. Fortunately, in the newest "Tarocista", a Polish tarot magazine, there was an article about finding lost objects with tarot's help. I used Izabela Podlaska-Konkel's spread. She adapted the classical "Star" spread for it.

The top card is the chances of finding the object (XVIII The Moon). On the left: where is it? (XV The Devil). On the right: where not to search? (Ace of Pentacles). Then the story of the object: IX Strength, King of Swords and 10 of Swords. What will help? - Ace of Cups.

The chances didn't look too promising (The Moon). Acording to Izabela Podlaska-Konkel's tips, The Devil can mean various things, but some of them are: somewhere hidden, something connected to bed and sex. It can also mean the thing was stolen, so I was worried. Where not to search: in the dining room probably (a place connected to work and making money) and the kitchen (connected to food). The story: I came back after a party and pulled the coat off (XI Strength). Then maybe I got distracted by my husband (King of Swords) and put the coat into a carton box near bedroom (we've just moved here, so we still lack furniture and have a lot of boxes). Then it was covered by our spare blankets. What will help: Ace of Cups. First I thought I would have to get drunk to remember the logic I used after the party, LOL ;D But obviously the Cups mean the thing is hidden somewhere deep, in a dark place, also the bedding is mentioned in the article!

So indeed I found it under our spare blankets. Thank you, kitties! Now my husband is suggesting I should try and find a lost tube of wasabi this way...

Problems with new decks

I don't know how it is for others, but whenever I start reading with a new deck, I don't get clear readings. I need time to get familiar with the pictures, get to know the deck - and then, magically, it starts to speak to me. But at first, even if the deck is very beautiful, I don't seem to understand it. It was the case even with very easily readable White Cats Tarot deck.

Nevertheless, it doesn't stop me from buying new decks :D When I go back to Poland next week, a new purchase, Tarot of Cat People should await me there :)

German classes

We're starting German course on Tuesday. I thought it's a good excuse to pull out my old Jaśniak Tarot and see how the first lesson will go.

I asked about the teacher, the other students and the ovarall aura of the class.

I pulled Knight of Pentacles, 9 of Wands and Queen of Cups.

It seems the teacher will be a serious, methodical person. "Look at the blackboard!" - he seems to be saying, pointing on it (his Coin/shield). Maybe also not showing emotions - the Knight's face is covered by his helmet. The students will be energetic and talkative, maybe even loud? The atmosphere seems feminine - maybe there will be more women than men?

After the class I can tell how my reading worked. The students looked more like they're concentrating hard on what's going on, because the pace was fairly fast, than being loud. There were actually more men than women. The atmosphere was serious and one of the women had the hardest time of us all. So it seems that my interpretation of these two cards (9/Wands, Queen/Cups) was not so accurate, but man, the teacher! He was exactly like the guy on the card! He had broad shoulders, serious face and even a blue T-shirt!

Review: Jaśniak Tarot

I like reading deck reviews, they are very helpful when I'm thinking of buying new cards, so I decided to make reviews of the decks I own. Maybe someone will find them useful.

First allow me to introduce my very first tarot deck, the one I'm most sentimental of. It's the Jaśniak Tarot, titled after creator's name, Aleksandra Jaśniak. It is known also as "Tarot Polski" ("Polish Tarot"), colour version. Aleksandra Jaśniak made also a completely different deck known under the same name, but black and white version.

I bought this deck in the middle of nineties, being a teenager back then. I remember the excitement and the seriousness I treated my deck with. I bought it together with a companion book, but it was not enough for me to be able to read fluently. Also because of the Catholic Church's contempt for tarot I gave up on cards for many years (yes, believe me, the priests hate tarot). Only last year I came back to tarot and pulled the deck with equal excitement.

The cards have gold borders and titles in English and Polish. Strength is VIII and Justice XI (or in my deck was, until I "corrected" it with a marker... xD) and suits are: Wands, Cups, Swords and courts: Pentacles, with King, Queen, Knight and Page as ranks. Pips are non-scenic type. The backs are black, with author's initials AJ, fully reversible. It also has two blank cards.

The artwork by Anna Gałuszka is simply amazing for me. The colours are brilliant and the style daring. I just adore the court cards, their faces, clothing and hairstyles! I have so many favourite cards in this deck that it was difficult to choose for this review. The Devil with his tail in his hand, holding it like a microphone, his tongue stuck out, is just perfect! :D As the author writes, "he is to warn us about mischief we may encounter". You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

The ones I have were printed in the nineties, but some two years ago there was a reprint, so maybe the new ones have a better card stock  Mine are matte in feel and the borders are getting a bit worn out. Also they smell strongly of printing paint, but for me it's just "a smell of tarot" I remember from my teen times :D Anyway, hopefully the new print doesn't smell, since it's not nineties in Poland anymore ;) I've seen that in America they cost 25$. You can buy them on Amazon or directly from the author herself (she lives in USA).

I like reading with these cards, although for example characters of the court cards seem to differ from classical ones. But that just adds some different angle to the reading. I recommend this deck to anyone who can read non-scenic pips.

How will the party go?

In my search of opportunities to practice reading tarot I come along various occasions in everyday life :D

Tonight we're going to a house warming party of my husband's colleague. I asked how the party would go.

I got Page of Cups, 10 of Wands and Ace of Wands.

It's a chance to meet new people and to have some fun, including alcohol (Page of Cups). It won't be boring for sure, maybe we'll even get a little bit drunk ;) (10 of Wands as a lot of fire energy and the Ace - lots of possibilities and energy as well).

After the party I can say it was a lot of fun! Indeed I met new people and stayed much longer that I planned, because it was a pleasure to spend time with them.

To buy or not to buy

I have a great desire for Alexander Daniloff's Tarot Deck. It charmed me the moment I saw the scans of the cards. The problem is the price (for me 80 euro is quite a lot!) and also a bit grim aura of the deck. I am a person who wants to read from all decks that I own, so I'm wondering whether even if I buy that deck, will I be willing to read from it?

I asked: how happy would I be with that deck? How would the readings with it be? Advice.

I got 8 of Cups, Page of Wands and 2 of Swords.

As I thought, I can be a bit overwhelmed by that deck (8/Cups), but on the other hand it can give me new, interesting readings! (Page of Wands). Advice: think well before buying... And what to do?! :D

Is my book ready?

I'm preparing to self-publish my novel that I wrote some time ago and couldn't find a publisher willing to take risk with a debut. Recently I read it again and felt sorry that it's not being read, for I had a lot of fun reading it, so I decided to make an e-book, but of course before that I made some corrections. The problem is that it's difficult to tell when to stop! So I asked my Crystal Tarot for advice.

How ready the book is? What will happen if I still keep correcting it?

I got XIII Death and 4 of Pentacles. I pulled an additional card to clarify Death, it was Ace of Swords.

Seems my book is dead ready :D If I proceed, it will be killed, it will be too much. The Ace also suggests that the text (Swords are connected to words, communicating, writing) is as perfect, as it can get. More fixing won't make it light and easily read (4 of Pentacles).

By the way, I think this deck is absolutely stunning, I love, love it!

Yoga

I of course believe yoga is very good for both your body and soul, but while thinking about physical exercises - why not make a tarot exercise too? :)

I'm thinking about coming back to my yoga exercise  I pulled 3 cards: gains for my body, gains for my psyche and a piece of advice. I got 10 of Coins, King of Coins and Page of Wands.

Yoga will give me physical health, but it will also stabilise my mind which is searching for something new - look how the King is stearing at the Page! He would probably like to get up from that chair and do some excercise! I also thought that maybe the Page is suggesting going on a yoga course rather than doing it at home. Well, for now I'll try to do it at home together with my husband. Maybe I will have to motivate him with a metaphorical stick :D

Desk

We have moved to a new apartment just recently and don't have all furniture yet. We had a chance of getting a charming (in my opinion) desk for free. We already have a large table in the living room and there wasn't a very good space to put the desk, so I asked the cards for advice. This time I used my Tarot de Marseille (Fournier version),  asking for pros and cons.

What happens, if we take the desk?

On the plus side there is 6 of Wands, which I see as my satisfaction, since the desk is beautiful (the satisfaction is mine, because my husband didn't like the desk). On the minus side, however, is The Moon, meaning probably, that I shouldn't be deceived by the charming shape - I won't be able to make good use of the desk. It will also be probably too dark to use it properly.

Graphics cards

We had a complicated situation with multiple graphics cards in our house, in the end we had two: one that was already inserted to the computer and the other, yet unpacked (we wanted to send it back). We had some doubts however, because the card A, let's call it, was using much more energy than card B and also we were not sure if it will work without problems. I told my husband to pull two cards, each for one graphics card. We got King of Pentacles for card A and 5 of Swords for card B.

It seems that indeed card A will be eating more energy, but it should be dependable. Card B doesn't seem dependable at all! There could even be some complications with computer's functioning. So we decided to send card B back :)

Starting today

I'm starting this blog hoping it will help me develop my tarot skills.

I used to be interested in Tarot, astrology and mineral stones even as a child, but later my interests faded. Only last year in Autumn my Tarot fascination rekindled. I bought my first deck in the nineties, when I was a teenager - it was a Polish deck, known as "Jasniak deck", for the author's name. A book was attached to it and it was very interesting to me, but finally I found it too difficult with non-illustrated pips and so little information on how to actually make a reading. Back then, it was my only source of Tarot knowledge, but alas, now it changed, because we have Internet now! :) I don't know exactly why and how it happened that I remembered my old Tarot interest and started searching for new sources. I learned a lot from a great forum called Aeclectic Tarot Forum  http://www.tarotforum.net

I read mostly for myself and sometimes for friends and family. Just recently I started exploring the marvels of Marseilles Tarot.

I believe I'm not very good with blogs as opposed to journaling (I've been writing my diary for 21 years now...), but we'll see how it works!