Tarot Spread Interpretation

Ok, I did two simple 3 card spreads and here's what i got...

Q: Can you give me insight as to why work is giving me more hours?:
Cards: [Page of Wands] - [5 of Swords] - [Emperor]
My take: I still need to receive a message, and work is just doing it's job?
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Q: Can you give me insight as to what I need to do before leaving this job for another?:
Cards: [Page of Cups] - [6 of Swords] - [Death]
My take: I'm not sure about this one... getting out and changing?

What I find weird was that I got, Page, Sword (but also 5, then 6), then a Major Arcana. Anyone have anything to add, or their interpretation?

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Keeping your aging tarot practice alive & kicking!

After years of studying tarot (almost ten - which I realize isn't many compared to some!), I've reached a point where I feel totally uninspired to read the cards. I feel like I've gone so deeply into them that I've reached the bottom - that I've already learned all I can from them. I'm not someone who believes in outright divination (couldn't find a "Tarot for Nonbelievers" subforum), and I've mostly used the cards to explore myself and my evolving life circumstances from an archetypal/psychological point of view. In spite of this, I'm a firm believer that a tool like tarot has infinite wisdom in the hands of an inspired reader. So, for anyone who's reached a similar point in their history of tarot study - how did you advance to the "next level"? How did (do) you keep your tarot practice challenging and engaging? Are there any exercises, books, other ideas you can recommend?

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Divination: "Blind" Reading?

Is it possible to do a reading for someone without knowing the question they're asking? If so, how?

I don't do a lot of divination, but, when I do, I use either ogham or Lenormand cards, depending on the kind of question. Ogham readings seem to work better for questions that are more about how or why. Lenormand cards seem to do better with very practical questions, like what and when.

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Should we have a Subscribers Only Area?

Randall, I'm a newly registered member obviously but I've spent some serious time here reading. The only other forum I'm dedicated to is Aeclectic Tarot where I've been a paid subscriber for years. Because the 'good stuff' is only available to paid members. Smiley It is around $25.00US a year and considering I spend at least an hour a day there that's pretty cheap entertainment. Some years if the dollar is strong it is as little as $17.00US.

The point of my post (and I do have one) is I don't see that any of the forums here are subscriber only. Would that be an option? Can you/we think of anything here now or that could be added that would encourage members to willingly help shoulder the load for a stronger faster forum?

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New (vBulletin) Board Progress Reports

While it may not look like it, progress is being made on our new vBulletin message board (part of our Cauldron 4.0 Project). Members of this forum have had access to the test board for a few weeks and may be wondering why nothing much has happened there this week. The answer is probably obvious: I started work on the basic installation and setup of of the real board this week. I hope to have it far enough along by the end of the weekend so that our staff members can create their accounts and help with setup up forums and other areas.

Features Already installed:

* Multiple styles: Nothing fancy but members will have a choice in the way the forum looks color-wise. As I have used more basic (css-only) styles than the ones I used on the test board, there are not all the problems with things working right on some styles and weird on others. This mean the styles don't vary as much, but I don't have to limit support to just the default style either.

* Lightweight Style: This is a special style for mobile devices. It is lightweight in size and in features. This means it does not support all the fancy features nor all of our mods, but it should be great for people who just want to read (and reply) to messages from their phone. Unfortunately for staff, most staff features do not work. Troublemakers may have to be blocked from this style as it may also let them avoid some of the limitations some mods allow us to place on problem members.

* Thread Prefixes: Certain forums (e.g. the Pagan Religions forum) will require people starting threads to select a "thread prefix" classifying their new thread (as about a "specific" religion in this case. This will make it clear which threads are about which religion. Also members and visitors wll be able to click on a thread prefix to only see threads with that prefix (for example, click on the thread prefix of any message with the "Wicca (Trad)" prefix and you will then only see threads in the forum that are about Trad Wicca. Cluick on a prefix again and you will see all the threads in the forum again.

* Articles: The article area from the test board is in place. This will allow members to write articles and post them directly. No need to submit them to me and wait for me to find time to convent them to HTML and put them on our web site. Unlike on the test board there will be multiple categories for articles. Members with "editor" powers will be able to edit articles for grammar, spelling, style, etc.

* Gallery: Members will be able to upload pictures to their own gallery. (Size limits will apply).

* Social Groups: Members in good standing will be able to create their own mini-forums with their own message area, gallery and group calendar. (And web pages if we can raise enough money (about $60) for the pro version of the Vaultwiki mod. Group can be public or private and are moderated by the group owner (subject to TC's rules, of course) -- much like groups on our various incarnations of TCN, only as a part of our board, no separate login needed.

* Quizes: A mod allows members to create various types of quizzes that other members can take.

More Soon.

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Getting Discouraged about Wicca (with questions)

I used to be Christian. A long time ago. I found out it wasn't for me because I was always stressed about what sin I committed and rather or not I remembered to ask forgiveness for a particular sin. I also was stressed because Christianity was too strict for me. I couldn't watch certain television shows, listen to certain music, play certain video games. Heck, to be perfectly honest, you aren't really supposed to do anything unless it in some way glorifies the Christian God. The one thing I did like about Christianity was the connection I felt to a few other people and to God. It wasn't enough though to outweigh the constant stress of all the rules. I am not bashing the religion, just saying it wasn't for me anymore.

Fast forward, I met my wife 6 years ago. She's Wiccan. She's always had a connection to her Deity(s). I remained Atheist because I just wasn't sure anymore.

After some soul searching, I began to believe that a God or Goddess or some form of Deity exists in the form that the particular person chooses to believe in. I believe this way because I have seen people in the Christian faith be touched by God, and I have felt it briefly myself. I have witnessed pagan rituals that were meant to set a lost, trapped, or wayward spirit or ghost free. I believe it worked because the reports of the noises and such that occurred stopped.

Fast forward to about 9 months ago. My wife started getting contacted via dreams by a Goddess. The Goddess told my wife several different things that would happen, the first of which, when her grandmother, who was on her way out, would finally go and be at peace. The Goddess was right. Throughout several more months, The Goddess, who she found out was Rhiannon, told her more things would happen, which all were correct. She has a very strong and close connection to her Goddess.

So now, I want to be Wiccan. I want that connection again. I feel a void in my life that I believe is a spiritual one. My questions are the following though:

1. Are their Wiccan men? (I am a male.)
2. Can you be Wiccan without having a connection to a certain Goddess?
3. Who do Wiccans worship.
4. Is it wrong to be jealous of my wife and want a connection like she has, knowing that maybe not all Wiccans experience what she has.
5. Anything else I should know about this area of Wicca?

My wife researched Goddesses before she knew Her name, and interestingly enough, we play a game called World of Warcraft, and my wife's main character is and always has been Rhiannan. Through research of Goddesses, she felt a strong connection to the Goddess Rhiannon, and the next dream she called Her by that name, and She confirmed she was correct.

I have tried researching Goddesses myself to see if I feel any kind of connection to any, and have yet to find it. Maybe I am doing it wrong. Maybe I am not meant to have one. I have no idea. I just know that I feel Wicca is right for me but I am completely lost as to what to do now.

I have talked to my wife but she doesn't have all the answers either. I am not expecting to find someone who has all the answers, but maybe some people who do have SOME answers that I have not found yet.

[url=http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=16754.0]Getting Discouraged about Wicca (with questions)[/url]

Spirit Wives / Husbands or Spouses

Within the folds of Shamanism one notion that is quite common is the idea of a "Spirit Spouse". While the most common referenced (what I've found) is the Spirit Wife (mostly based upon more culture's having male Shaman than female Shaman, but not to say there are not culture's that do recognize and have female Shamanic practioners) there are also accounts of a Spirit Husband. Yet there are also other facets of the Spirit Spouse concept that are to be found as well. Most people are probably aware of the Spirit Spouse known as a Sucubus or Incubus, especially in the Christian concept of the usage. Saddly do a general search today and the majority of links point to the Christian concept of Sucubus / Incubus vice the "Spirit Wife" who acts as a guide and astral assistant to the Shamanic practioner.

Yet in researching I discovered a slightly different take on the notion of "Spirit Spouses". Here is another variation that might be of general interest.

Quote From: http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart/Melissa_2/homepage.htm:
According to the Baule, all people have a spirit spouse who they married in the spiritual world (blolo) before being born into the physical world. a female spirit spouse is called blolo bia, while the male spirit spouse is termed blolo bian. The spouse follows the person into the physical realm when they are born, and can greatly impact the life of their spouse on earth, as well as spread good fortune to his or her children. Ultimately, the spirit spouse and its figurative representations reflect the beauty of the marital bond between a man and a woman, and also represent fertility and fecundity.

So what does the collective "You" think of the notion of Spirit Wives, Husbands and spouses?

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Codifying your religion

Do you think your path is codifiable? Why or why not?

Do you think any codification is inevitably going to involve some vagueness (eg 'be righteous')?

Have you already codified, or are you trying to? What are the factors that guide your approach to codification?

Is codification an ongoing thing, or something that gets done with once and for all?

If you already have a code, or texts etc., how do they interact with your everyday conduct?

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Learning a New (Pagan) Culture

The discussion about rules and moderation elsewhere made me think of something that I'd love to hear comments from people new to Paganism about...

Namely, one of the things I know is sometimes very hard for people new to Paganism is figuring out all the individual community and cultural cues that go along with it - what to call people, what to wear, what's seen as polite, what might be seen as too pushy, what the range of good etiquette is for your first ritual or gathering in a public location, versus one at someone's home, versus checking out a group in detail.

So, I'd love to hear from people what's confusing to you, or what you wish people would explain more clearly - but also what's been helpful to you in figuring that out. Is stuff different for you online than it is in person?

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