I won’t say goodbye…

I am going to say see you later.

I am a stay at home mother of one (yes, only one – I have no idea how mothers of more do all this, often running a business as well) through my own choice, and love it.  But it doesn’t leave many hours in the day to get anything else done.  Once she is napping or asleep, that is when I have the time to fit in:

  • cooking;
  • cleaning;
  • blogging;
  • writing (two separate projects);
  • university work;
  • exercise;
  • working on my goals and related personal projects;
  • spending time with my fiancé;
  • working spiritually (e.g. tarot readings, personal study, etc); and
  • anything else that happens to pop up (and it invariably does).

And that list, as you can see, does not include sleep.  Or the recurring submission I am hoping to be able to start making to an online magazine.  I just cannot do it all at the moment.  I have too many big goals all at once (finishing uni, working out properly rather than just regular normal exercise).  I have tried this a couple of times and each time I end up in the same place – exhausted, upset, and with something being very neglected (e.g. a messy house, ignored fiancé, or sub-standard uni assignments rushed at the last minute).  I keep telling myself it’s not too much…but it kind of is.  At least for now.

And that’s where the “see you later” comes into it.  One day…maybe next month, maybe in a year or so…I will finally be at a lull where I can organise my list and my blog into something doable.  You will get an email update from a long-forgotten (and, I hope, sorely-missed) blog…and then another…and soon another…and they won’t stop.  Because I will be able to make this a priority.  I cannot stay away from blogging – if you’ve tried it, and you love writing, you’ll know how addictive it is.  But I want to build a respectable blog, with well-crafted and well-written posts.  One day.

I won’t delete this blog, because it had a lot of blood, sweat and tears poured into it.  The reviews on here may yet be useful to someone who Googles a particular book, or movie.  And besides, how else will my subscribers know when I am ready to come back and make a mighty blog worthy of the Interwebz??

I will 100% honestly miss this…I know my lil blog was still wobbly on its feet but I had people subscribing to my blog – and I didn’t know them!  Thank you for believing in this blog while it lasted, sorry if I let you down at all, and I hope to see my readers (and more) when I eventually make my ‘professional-type’ blog ;)

Frantic

It has, as you all probably know, been a while since I last posted.  I really don’t like blogs that start every post with “sorry it’s been so long” and my blog has been turning into one of those, especially in November when all my free waking hours were being used for NaNoWriMo (more on that later), so I decided to just buckle down and get back to the blog when I would not have to say that anymore – or at least not as often!  Then yesterday, while I had a busy day, I was tempted to try and post as well as completing my long To Do list, when I happened upon my horoscope for the day:

You have been running at a frantic pace, just trying to keep things in order and fulfill your obligations.  How did things get so out of hand?  Actually, Scorpio, that isn’t really the issue.  The problem is that you tend to take on more than you should at times, and now you are facing the reality of putting too much on your plate.  As a person of high integrity, you will certainly honour all of your commitments.  But let this be a lesson for the next time you’re tempted to take on too much.  Happily, though, things will calm down soon and you’ll have a nice breather.

Dang, don’t you just hate when the Universe slaps you upside the head like that?  But this is true for me in general, and especially over November-December (NaNoWriMo and Christmas).  I am just going to keep things simple and streamlined as much as possible for now.  This means I may not review websites as much as I want to (a lot of hours go into finding appropriate websites, I was surprised by that), but I am definitely going to keep going with the Tarot card interpretations from tomorrow.

Back to NaNoWriMo…I won!!  Not only did I win (after a mad dash to the end on the night of the 30th) but I won with the novel I started on the 8th, and I was spending a lot of time organising NaNo events for the Gold Coast as well.  So I consider it an uber-win :) I started a new novel on the eighth because writing was so frustrating throughout the first week with that cast on, that I was sick of writing my story by the time it came off.  I needed a change of pace to stay in the game.  And I made it!!  Tomorrow I will post about my NaNowriMo 2012 experience :)

I also read my November Amazon.com book, Sweet Tooth.  I have to say, some of it was harder to wade through than other parts.  Not that it was poorly written or overly prosaic – quite the opposite, I think the writing technique was beautiful and it flowed well enough, and the descriptions evoked a sense of being there without intruding upon the story.  But the majority of the story was…cue dramatic music…political (lightning flash).  Now, obviously, that was to be expected from a book about Cold War espionage.  But there was just so much of it, I would more likely class this a political drama rather than suspenseful historical romance, as it is described elsewhere on the Internet.  While it isn’t light enough for a summer beach read, nor thrilling enough to be read while tucked under the covers in the middle of the night, it was still interesting and mildly engaging (probably moreso if one has a strong political interest).  My personal opinion – 3.5 out of 5.

I have been able to choose my December Amazon.com book: Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  It sounds incredibly interesting: “Fragile things break under stress, but according to Nassim Nicholas Taleb, there’s an entire class of other things that don’t simply resist stress, but actually grow, strengthen, or otherwise gain from unforeseen and otherwise unwelcome stimuli. Taleb sees degrees of antifragility everywhere, from fasting, mythology, and urban planning to economic, technological, cultural, and biological systems. The wealth of radical thinking on tap in this book astounds; to be frank, the glossary alone offered more thought-provoking ideas than any other nonfiction book I read this year. No one will finish this book unchanged, and in any case, nonfiction is seldom this maddeningly fun.”  I will let you know what it’s like!!

November = Blog Unfriendly

November is not the month to be adding things to my blog, I see that now :) But hopefully you can all excuse my absence…pretty please? :)   I happened to try a new food, as per one of my goals.  I tried…wait for it…quail.  Granted, it was as an entree from the local Chinese store.  But it was still quail.  I have got to say, I am not very impressed.  The flavour was good, but nothing to write home about.  The skin was unusually tough, but I don’t know if that was the cooking method or quail in general.  And the teeny tiny bones freaked me out.  While I am very glad I tried it, and would probably not turn it down if it were offered to me (depending on what they do with it), I don’t think it’s something I will be seeking out any time soon.

Today is Mummy Monday!  We have had Momtastic on here before for their Mummy Styles and fashion, and now for their parenting tips and articles!  The copious advertising is a little off-putting, but the quality of the articles is great, and very helpful.  They even have sections for activities and tips and tricks, so there are some nifty craft ideas here as well as ideas for simple games to play with your little one.  Most are geared more for the early primary school age group, but there are some things that are good for toddlers, and 10-12 year olds as well.

THE EMPRESS

This Empress card shows a very clear message in its art – a young woman surrounded by plentiful fruit and vegetables and flowers.  I don’t think the meaning can get any clearer than that – getting everything you need and them some; abundance.  Sasha Fenton’s book suggests a reading of just that – abundance and fertility – and also suggests the presence of a loving, perhaps motherly person.

The Witchy Empress is completely different – sitting on a branch with flowers in one hand and a mirror into the other, focused on her reflection.  An open book on her lap and birds in the background.  This suggests a quiet dignity, rather than the implied warmth in the last card.  The interpretations suggested, however, include a creative mind and ideas (a form of fertility or abundance), elegance and narcissism, and a female friend.

The Egyptian card shows a seated topless woman with a golden bird perched on her hand and the sun rising behind her, and a bowl beneath her feet.  This hints at opportunities for action, having something beautiful, and perhaps even inspiration.  Its booklet gives meanings of intelligence, creation, activity and, as with the other two, fertility.

Lastly, the Cosmic Empress is a very self-assured looking woman with some huge bling, along with a bird giving her a jewel, and oh yes the whole world.  This card is very obvious in the symbolism of – you have everything you want, you can do anything you want.  Its meanings are given as femininity and beauty, as well as abundance, but warn off the temptation of being too caught up in earthly objects.

There are more images of the Empress card from other decks located here.  See if you can find some common symbols with these Empress cards, or look for images that show you some kind of message about what the card means to you.

How one interprets the card also depends on the question it is answering.

  1. Is it about the essence of a situation or common theme?
  2. What a person is like, or facets of your personality?
  3. Or what you should do in a situation to move forward or resolve it?

These can require three different styles or phrasings for the answer, even though they all carry the same type of message from the card.

  1. So we have a definite theme of creation, fertility and abundance.  But with its emphasis on femininity rather than masculinity, it does imply feeling and simply being are important at the time, rather than decisive action.  Contemplation, intuition, and ensuing one does not get caught up in the pretty baubles of abundance are much to be reminded.
  2. A person this card refers to is definitely a woman, or a man who feels he is more feminine than masculine – not just a man who shuns overtly masculine trappings, he must have a definitely female energy.  This card is very specific with the IT’S A LADY vibe.  This woman prrobably cares a great deal about making her home welcoming (although you may not see how much she values it, she may just always have a very welcoming home).  And goodness, this woman can usually cook up a storm.
  3. This card advocates creation of new things, and an understanding of how things work together as well as how they work seprately.  Introspection is advised, especially before doing anything one must do.

I hope this overview was helpful – remember, these posts are just overviews of general interpretations, comparisons of different symbols one might see in different decks, and basically just a crash course in the basics of what each card means.  And don’t forget, it’s also reliant upon your own feelings about each card, and upon the cards that surround it in a reading as well.

Good books, Bad books, and Witchy knowledge

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg.  What can I say about this book?  It isn’t a bad book.  But I did not like it.  It had a very generic style of writing – much of the mainstream fiction I am reading nowadays has the same kind of tone to it.  It seems like they are trying too hard to be easily relatable and just end up coming out like a stream of consciousness chat that keeps returning to the topic at hand.  The topic is one that needs more popular culture exposure – the impact of extreme over-eating on the person’s family as well as their own health.  It had a few moments of bitter humour, a couple of sadness.  But it wasn’t compelling, inspiring, thought-provoking or interesting.  The only thing that kept me reading was the need to write this review.  Unfortunately, I would only give it 2 stars.  I feel bad (as I always do if I have to give a less than 4 or 5 star review) but I can’t reasonably give any more than that.

In hopefully better news, I have chosen my November Amazon.com book – Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan.  A historical thriller set in 1972, which is apparently witty and suspenseful.  I look forward to reading it!  In addition, I found that one of my earlier Amazon.com books, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, has a sequel coming out this month – Days of Blood and Starlight. Well, I have put both of these books on hold at the library, and am looking forward to both of them!

Dinner Club – France is coming up next Saturday, the day before my birthday, and I still don’t have a menu for the night!  I shall have to get right on that.  I am thinking of having a delicious gateau for dessert, as it is the night before my birthday and I am not having a birthday party, per se.

Today is Witchy Wednesday – as always, ignore the timestamp…late night is pretty much the only time I have to blog and write.  The site for today is the Effects of the Moon’s Eight Phases on Your Personal Reality…a page from the Wisecraft site.  If you go back to the Wisecraft site from this page you will find a few more interesting tidbits, most nature related, and some links to some other interesting sites.  But this specific page on the site is particularly interesting – it details what effect each tiny phase of the Moon can have on you personally, from mind, to emotions, to body, to dreams.  The Wisecraft site as a whole, I would give maybe three stars for clear and simple, yet very useful information on a very limited range of subjects.  How accurate is this for you?  Have you observed any changes in yourself by Moon phase?

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

In Sasha Fenton’s deck, the High Priestess is a young-ish woman seated in front of a crystal ball, with a card from each suit of playing cards in front of her.  It is night outside.  She is obviously spiritually/magickally inclined, as evidenced by her tools, and she is looking right at the viewer of the card, as though she is imparting some of that wisdom (as much as she has, given her age).  The yellow background may be significant, as yellow is often used to represent mental clarity.  The book that came with it suggests logic and intuition, as well as teaching and learning, but advises not to let emotions cloud your judgement (I guess I was right about the yellow).

Now this High Priestess (or just Priestess, as she is referred to in this deck) looks as though she has some wisdom she could impart, so I would definitely mention wisdom for this card.  She has a scroll on her lap and is stirring something in her cauldron – although we don’t know if it is soup or potion.  She has an owl on her shoulder, ivy around her cauldron and a snake under her foot - all obvious symbols of wisdom - and is seated in front of an archway leading somewhere.  That last imagery suggests embarking upon a metaphorical journey – spiritual or personal growth, perhaps.  This is supported by the presence of the snake, which often represents transforming oneself as a snake sheds its skin.  The booklet that came with it mentions intuition, patience and one’s inner world, and can also be used to represent (obviously) an older female such as an aunt or mother.

As with the other Egyptian cards, the High Priestesses symbolism in this deck is simple and sparse – a seated woman with robes and important and spiritual accessories, in front of an arch (again).  This to me says important knowledge, but not much more than that at a glance.  Its booklet lists its meanings as including study, wisdom, intuition, and research, so it seems that the symbolism reflects the meaning pretty well in this deck – it is all about the knowledge, in its various forms.

This High Priestess is a serene looking woman with a yin-yang symbol at her third eye, a crescent moon, an ocean and an open book that has the symbols ‘alpha to omega’.  This says esoteric knowledge – topics other people wouldn’t normally research – as well as indicating tranquility.  The booklet includes these meanings, as well as secrets and mental power (the latter being a feature in the first deck’s High Priestess as well).

There are more images of the High Priestess card from other decks located here.  See if you can find some common symbols with these High Priestess cards, or look for images that show you some kind of message about what the card means to you.

How one interprets the card also depends on the question it is answering.

  1. Is it about the essence of a situation or common theme?
  2. What a person is like, or facets of your personality?
  3. Or what you should do in a situation to move forward or resolve it?

These can require three different styles or phrasings for the answer, even though they all carry the same type of message from the card.

  1. So the message remained pretty much the same for all of the High Priestess cards – knowledge (often spiritual/magickal/otherwise esoteric), intuition, patience and serenity and mental clarity.  It also advises to keep said mental clarity and not to get too worried about the future or allow your feelings to cloud your thinking.
  2. If you lay out a card for a person and get the High Priestess, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are a “wise woman” or witchy advisor (although that is definitely a possibility).  It can also be an older helpful female (as mentioned earlier), or someone who is quiet, refined, and an exceptional listener.  If you think you know who it is but they are extroverted and not someone you would call ‘quiet’, they may still be the one the card means, if they are quiet within themselves, listening to their own intuition and body – this may take a lot of getting to know them to find this out.  They often give off a tangible best friend kind of vibe.
  3. The course of action this card advises to look deep into oneself, especially at one’s own motivations, as well as to look deeper into a situation and not to be superficial or become complacent just because things ‘have always been’ a particular way.

I hope this overview was helpful – remember, these posts are just overviews of general interpretations, comparisons of different symbols one might see in different decks, and basically just a crash course in the basics of what each card means.  And don’t forget, it’s also reliant upon your own feelings about each card, and upon the cards that surround it in a reading as well.

No more cast!

Just a quick apology, I kind of abandoned all writing and focused only on getting by day to day with that cast on making everything take three times as long and driving me crazy, so I just want to say sorry for disappearing so abruptly.

But after four and a half hours waiting at the hospital yesterday, the cast is off now, and I should be back tomorrow with a review of The Middlesteins and the next Tarot card – The High Priestess!

The Magician, and DIY Tarot

Well I didn’t post last night because not only was I privately celebrating Beltane, I was also handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters, and come midnight I was starting my NaNoWriMo novel!  Abby had a ball with the kids coming by  in their costumes…there was a teenaged boy who kept walking round the complex blowing an air horn, and whenever he did that outside our place, Abby ran to the screen door and yelled, “EEEEEE!” back out at him!!!

By 2AM, typing one handed, after starting at 12:01 AM, I had typed 1 843 words!  My only concern is that I am further ahead than I thought I would be in the plot already, and that my novel won’t need the full 50 000 words to be completed, which means I finish my book but not NaNoWriMo :s

That’s a concern for another time.  Today I am looking at the second card in the Tarot deck (number 1, as the Fool is 0).

THE MAGICIAN

  1. The magician from the Sasha Fenton beginner’s deck has all the features one expects for the symbolism of the Magician in a traditional deck – a man who is obviously magickally inclined holding representations of all four Tarot suits (or variations upon them) - a wand, a pentacle, a chalice and a sword (or dagger).  These four items are also very significant magickally, implying a mastery of esoteric knowledge – indeed, the book that comes with this deck says this card represents confidence in skills, a  new enterprise that one is particularly equipped to carry out, and the need for using one’s intuition and psychic abilites.
  2. The Witchy Tarot card number one is titled The Witch, rather than the Magician.  She too has a dagger, a chalice, a wand and a pentacle (albeit on paper).  She seems more cunning and confident than the first deck, and also more relaxed – this card’s interpretations include determination, courage, competition and control.  These are more ‘down-to-earth’ and decisive terms for what is happening in the same card in the first deck.
  3. The Egyptian version of this card shows a man with a sceptre in front of what looks to be an altar – while it has much less detail than the other two, it has similar connotations – will, initiative and ability, and a new undertaking.
  4. The Cosmic Tarot contains the same four items as the first two, but they are more prominently displayed, and his psychic powers are more obviously referred to by the symbolism of a pyramid of light at his third eye and rays of light coming from his eyes.  The book’s meaning is also more precise – the Magician rules the elements with his will, he has knowledge, determination, and skill.

There are more images of the Magician card from other decks located here.  See if you can find some common symbols with these Magician cards, or look for images that show you some kind of message about what the card means to you.

How one interprets the card also depends on the question it is answering.

  1. Is it about the essence of a situation or common theme?
  2. What a person is like, or facets of your personality?
  3. Or what you should do in a situation to move forward or resolve it?

These can require three different styles or phrasings for the answer, even though they all carry the same type of message from the card.

  1. As seen above with each of the four decks I own, the general message is pretty clear – skill and ability, a new undertaking, and will and control featuring prominently.  It does have an undercurrent of caution however – none of these characters seem entirely ‘on the level’, and treachery is also often a meaning taken from this card, so discretion and good background research is advised.
  2. A person who is represented by the Magician card is someone who is always “on stage” – they are hyper-aware of their appearance to others.  Now this can lead to adolescent-type  behaviours (or perhaps they are an adolescent).  More rarely, this person is a an actual performer, or someone who is such a true to heart expert that they command the spotlight without knowing it.  They are easily identified by the hum of energy that surrounds them when they have an audience, or are ‘doing their thing’.
  3. Action – what action should you take?  This card does not beat around the bush – definite action and clear communication.  Business enterprise?  Magician says go for it.  Starting a new course?  Magician says you can do it.  Keep your eyes open, beware of manipulation, but whatever you do get moving.

I hope this overview was helpful – remember, these posts are just overviews of general interpretations, comparisons of different symbols one might see in different decks, and basically just a crash course in the basics of what each card means.  And don’t forget, it’s also reliant upon your own feelings about each card, and upon the cards that surround it in a reading as well.

I have used much of the same text layout from The Fool post, but am curious as to which works better for readers – having each card image larger but loading separately, or smaller but side-by-side as one image for bandwidth conservation and ease of comparison?  Let me know which one you preferred, and whether you have any suggestions.  Even a quick, “ah see now that card makes sense” or a “yep that totally works for me” or even an “actually, I found that…” is much appreciated on this blog.  Audience participation is encouraged ;)

Today being Things to do Thursday, and with all this focus on Tarot cards, I thought this page might be of interest.  eHow has always been a close friend of mine, and it still delivers here – this page tells you all you need to know to create your own deck with your own photos or drawings.  I would love to make one of my own soon!