A fire ceremony is one of the best ways to clear and release energies that no longer serve you. The fire can burn up negative thoughts, emotions and anything else that you want to let go of. by letting go of these old energies, you can live a better life and get closer to your soul purpose.

Fire ceremony is wonderful to do at the beginning of any new time in your life. You could do during the new moon, full moon, the beginning of a new year or a new season. You could also do a ceremony during the change of seasons (solstice, equinox), at the Full Moon, New Moon, and even during the new year. It can also be done when you are feeling stuck and can't figure out how to move forward.

Fire Ceremony Preparation

You will need to get paper and and write down the things you are looking to remove from your life. If you have made drawings, have pictures, anything like that make sure you collect those also. Next, you will Prepare a fire in a SAFE manner, whether that is using a fire pit, using a candle in a fire-safe container, or even using a barbecue. Most importantly, just make sure the fire is safe. 

The Ceremony
1) Start by creating sacred space. If you do not already have a ritual to do this, call upon whatever you believe in: The Divine, your ancestors, spirit guides, angels, and just about anyone who is on your spiritual team. Ask them to be with you, thank them for showing up and for the work that has already begun.
2) Ask the spirit of the Fire to help you release what you want to let go of and thank it. Then ask the spirit of the earth for absorbing it. 
3) Now you can start placing the items into the fire one by one. As you put them into the fire, say aloud what it is you are letting go. After each item you put into the fire, look upon the fire and see the smoke rise and remove these blocks from your life. 
4) If anything else comes up during the ceremony, name it and release it, even if you haven't written it down, speak it into the fire.
5) Thank the fire for what it has done. this is not necessary but i love to dance or sing a song to celebrate what the spirits have done for me. Then put out the fire. Give gratitude to the divine and the spirits you have called in for what they have done and will continue to do. The most important part of the ceremony is to know and believe that it is done and finished. 

With the multiple cases civil unrest in the US and other places around the world, people who have never had an interest in anything dealing with government to start to care more about their community and get more involved with the issues that will affect them and the people they care about. More and more, I'm getting questions like, "How can I help?" and "What is my place in this new changing world?". So I decided to create a simple spread that can help us all figure out what we can do to contribute to the global society in a positive way.

Now I want to mention that contributing your community can be big or small. We all do not need to volunteer for Doctors without Borders or the Peace Corps (but if you do that is totally awesome) to make a difference.

In order to do this reading, you are going to want to separate your major arcana cards from your minor arcana cards.

The way I look at the suits when it comes to this subject as follows:

Major Arcana- Interpret each card as you usually would and use your intuition to help you figure out what that might mean to you as it relates to the community.

Wands-Action (attending meetings, becomes part of community action committees, etc.,)
Cups-Helping on a small scale (Helping neighbors, friends, caring for others)
Pentacles-Using your creativity and/or skills to further issues you care about
Swords-Writing and speaking

​

Position 1: I would pick between 1-3 issues to get involved with, that way you don't get to overwhelmed. I would recommend you do a different reading for each issue.

Position 2,3,4- Create a full storyline using the cards. The best thing about the tarot is that it spans the spectrum of life, hitting all the important aspects so you can't really go wrong asking a question like this. 

The whole reason this spread is so short is because volunteering and getting involved in your community should be simple and accessible.
We all do not need to volunteer for Doctors without Borders or the Peace Corps (but if you do that is totally awesome) to make a difference. So go get to it and let's all work together to make things better.

Ok and for my second project...

This is for my tarot peeps specifically. Do you make art? Awesome. Do you make art based on tarot that doesn't fit on a deck? Also awesome. Well, I want to share your art. I want you to make whatever you make, and I'll put it on my blog! Examples include:
- A dance based on a tarot card
- A non-convential drawing inspiried by a tarot card
- Sculpture, basket, woodworking, metal working, game, photograph, a song, literally anything you deem worthy of art!

I want you to share all your awesome creations here on my blog! Once a month I would like to feature a new artist! Don't know if it's art? Ask and we will decide together what to do! I want to turn this side of the internet into a small tarot museum! Let's see what you can come up with friends! Please send your best pictures, video and other things to dreadlocktarot@gmail.com and I would love to feature you!

Ever since I was little, I loved stories and story telling. I love hearing about people's experiences and the emptions and feelings that come with it. Also, as a tarot card reader, people feel very comfortable telling me their supernatural stories and I think we should all be able to do that. So, this has lead me to starting a column on my blog called "The Numinous Tales". I want to hear stories from you about your spiritual experiences. Here are a few bullet points:

-Your stories can be about anything involving spirtuality, angels, divination, the divine, magic or anything like that. I'm really looking for stories about how your life has been changed or how you came to have the beliefs that you nw have. I'm not really looking for ghost stories, unless those stories involve something specific that changed your life. The story can be sad, funny, puzzling, I don't care as long as it is real and something that touched you in some way.

-Stories should be no longer than a one page, single spaced, size 12 font.

-You can email your story to me at dreadlocktarot@gmail.com with the subject "NT (your name)"

-Please tell me if you want to stay anonymous, or if you want me to post your website information and twitter handle and all that jazz. Whichever you want is cool with me. 

I will continue to update this page if more questions come in, but I'm super excited about this.

​Love is a wonderful thing. When we first fall in love, we spend all our time with the person. are in constant contact, and all those lovely things and it's wonderful! But sometimes those behaviors can turn into an unhealthy, codependent relationship. This can be very hard to identify because it can be easily mistaken for some type of intense love. Some people will say, "Oh he's just clingy" or "She just likes to make sure I'm safe, that why she texts me every 10 minutes". When codependency starts, at first we may find it even cute or see it as a sign of affection. But this can sometimes it can be a lot more than that.

Clues you might be in a codependent relationship:
- You have minimal interests outside your relationship
- You see unhealthy traits in your partner but stay anyway because you feel you "need" them or they "need" you
- You are constantly trying to make your partner happy at the cost of your personal emotional, mental and/or physical health 
- You feel like you can't live with the other person
- You feel like your babysitting your partner

Having been in a relationship of where the codependency ran rapid between the both of us, after I got out of it, I personally grew hate when people talk about relationships and say "we are one". No your not. You are two people who happen to really care about each other and often have things in common. You may like the same music, from a similar background, enjoy the same sports teams, but you are still two different people and you always will be. Now if you find yourself if this kind of relationship, it's up to you whether you want to continue it or not, but it is healthy for you and your partner to be able to recognize is their is a problem so you can figure out how to go about fixing it. Remember, the most important thing is that you realize how important you and your happiness are.

Use your tarot cards and try out this spread (I didn't include a picture because you can put these cards in any shape you want):

1. What do I bring to this relationship?
2. What does my partner bring to this relationship?
3. What hidden feeling do I have about this relationship?
4. What hidden feelings does my partner have about the relationship?
5. What can we do to improve our relationship?

Using this spread, you can look at the relationship from a different angle to see if their is any issues you might want to address. Codependent relationships usually have something to do with things that happened to the individuals in the relationship, and communication can be the cure for that. So speak up and stand up for your independence because you are beautiful and important and you deserve it. 

(This is a short one.)

Ok kids, I'm coming at you with another reality check. Hold on to your hats.

You don't have to be a full-time self employed person to be happy. 

Ok, there, I said it. Please don't hurt me!

Why am I saying this? Because lately, we have been inundated with stories about people who left their oppressive, full-time, grown-up stupid jobs to pursue their passions. WHICH IS AWESOME. But I also noticed that because of this, many people now feel this extreme pressure to drop everything, throw themselves into their hobbies and/or side hustles and instantly become happier. And I get it because I was going through it. I was trying to get my business off the ground and started feeling like if I wasn't working full time at tarot, then I was failing, and that feeling sucks.

Don't get me wrong. Being self-employed is awesome and is MY goal. That is what I really want to do, and I'm gearing myself up and have two business so that one day that may be a possibility. But right now, if you are like me, you have bills. You might need health insurance from your company. You may need to support loved ones. There is a lot that you need to do with your money, and you may not have someone to support while you figure yourself out. Also, self-employment is a lot of a work that not everyone is cut out for. You don't get paid time off, and sometimes you end up working more than 40 hours a week. Knowing that you have to fully rely on yourself can actually be overwhelming and cause you more stress than you had before.

Instead of putting pressure on yourself to be an instant success with your own business, why don't you first examine why your unhappy with your current job. Is it:

Distance?
Pay?
Management?
Co-workers?
Stress level?

Examine why you are so unhappy, and until you can branch out on your own, change your situation. Try to look at the things that make your job hard and either try to change them or find a better to deal with it. Suggestions include:

-Finding a position with better pay.
-Look for a job closer to your home.
-Seek higher education or apprenticeship opportunities.
-Look for a job where you don't feel micro-managed or don't have to deal with such snarky co-workers. 

I'm not saying that any of this is easy, but if you try, it will definitely be worth it. In the meantime, work on your passion on your off hours and with enough work and dedication, YOU WILL GET THERE!!! So keep working on your business, but don't KEEP yourself unhappy while your doing it. In the words of Oprah (I think it's Oprah) "Live your best life now!!!!".

So in the past few months there has been a lot of talk about diversity in the world of tarot. A lot of people have been arguing as tarot readers we can do better, we can have more diverse decks and such. Well, the progress, I believe, has been steadily coming through. Decks by Carrie Paris, the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert, and many other are really becoming more of a representation of the people who are readings and designing tarot art. I saw this deck and I felt like this is even more of a step in the direction of diversifying tarot. So let's get into it. 

Here is a little bio provided by the artist: "Courtney Alexander is a recent graduate with her Bachelor’s in Studio Art from the University of South Florida. In her past work she dug into issues of duality, hyper sexuality, and self-awareness; a much more personal dialogue which served to create vulnerability and explore the complex nature of her existence. Her paintings and sculptures are abstract and experimental, allowing for a more tactile sensory experience. The Dust II Onyx Tarot Deck is her largest project to date."

-How did you get into tarot?
"My interest in tarot grew over time. I was initially very weary of it. When I began to explore my spirituality I felt comfortable just staying within the realm of crystals meditation. There was woman I trusted (and still do) in regards to receiving readings. Then I began to get readings with friends and so that helped me to be less afraid of the cards. I also began using tarot apps. It took the dark mysteriousness out of it and helped me see them as a very valuable tool.

Now I own 3 decks: the Aquarian, Crystal, and traditional RW tarot decks. I also own one word angel cards that I pair with my readings. Tarot has helped me understand myself so much more. I'm very intuitive but I'm also an intellectual. So my brain gets in the way of me hearing what i need too. So instead of fighting my brain or making it sit in the corner like a child, tarot helps me include it in my readings. It speaks to my ability to recognize patterns while also triggering my higher conscious to speak to me."

-What is your philosophy on tarot?

"I don't prefer to use tarot to predict. If I read for anyone or myself it is always with the premise of empowering the receiver. There is no system of divination that can overpower my ability to make decisions or manifest in my life. It can not replace my free will. All it can do is tell me what the forecast. From there I always have the power to make decisions that align with my soul growth. It is an informant of sorts. So with the philosophy in mind it keeps me from falling into the trap of believing tarot has some special power to control my life. That's how many who read or go to readers are disappointed. However, when we see tarot as a teacher we are in a much better place to receive the lessons we need to learn."

-What inspired you to create "Dust II Onyx"?

"I had the desire to create a deck for several months. When a friend invited me to be a part of an art show I saw it as a perfect opportunity to begin. I've spent a lot of time looking at so many different decks and none of them deeply resonated with me. My first deck was the Aquarian and I was definitely drawn to the Art Deco. The Crystal tarot is beautiful and is reminiscent of the style of one of my favorite artists, Gustav Klimt. Even still, the cards don't hit me in deeply powerful ways quite yet. They have been great to learn with. 

The deck I've wanted is one that felt truly connected and bonded to me. So creating a deck is certainly a way to make that happen. I also wanted a deck that featured POC. The decks that do exists were either not created by us, and/or they were laden with stereotypical themes that didn't appeal to my personal spiritual journey. 

Once I decided to create a deck it didn't immediately come to me. i sketched a few ideas but nothing stuck. Then I went on with life. Within the span of a few weeks I had two dreams about these beautiful black portraits. They became the inspiration for the art. As for the actual process of creating the compositions, I work intuitively. I look at basic symbolism and meaning of each card, but otherwise I let them speak for themselves. I trust the deck to be what it wants to be." 

-What is the message you hope to send with this deck?

"My desire is for people to see themselves in this deck. To have a kindred connection. To see the mirror reflecting who they really are. It's about deep, impactful transformation. That's the energy I put into them and hope resonates with each user. Whether you're an enthusiast or a reader, the work is meant to stir within you on the soul level."

Want to be part of the awesome Kickstarter for the deck?! Click here.

​If you want to learn more about this deck, check out the links below:
www.dust2onyx.com   
facebook.com/dust2onyx   
instagram.com/dust2onyxtarot
​

I've been reading Tarot cards for 8 years now and obviously our love affair continues. But in the last 2 years, I became incredibly interested in Lenormand. One thing I heard from tarot readers over and over again is, "I can't understand it! It's way too hard!" and yes, it is hard. I'm going to tell you a secret about why you might have a problem learning Lenormand.

You've got tarot brain.

Yes, tarot brain! As tarot readers we are so interested in the astrological, psychological, symbolic, Kabbalahic, numerological and anything else we can see in the cards. We are DEEP people! We think deeply and we read deeply. We look at each picture and card combination and see a world of possibles for the sitter (or ourselves).

Lenormand is not asking you to do all that.

Tarot says, "Let me consul you. Talk to me, tell me your hopes and dreams, let me help you."

Lenormand says, "I'm giving you the truth bitch. Straight, no chaser." 

Lenormand isn't too considerate when it comes to your feelings, because it's like your best friend who will let you know that yes, you look fat in that dress and no, they really aren't into you.. It is straight forward and takes no prisoners. So I want to give you a few tips when learning to read Lenormand to help you on your way.

1. Read "The Essential Lenormand: Your Guide to Precise and Practical Fortunetelling" by the fabulous Rana George (and if you have ever met Rana George, you know that she is actually fabulous, she's nice, beautiful, an amazing diviner and has a killer sense of style). Now, she is not paying me to plug her book, but I'm just letting you all know that this book is basically a Lenormand bible. She has excellent descriptions of each card, examples of combinations, wonderful practice exercises, a very good section where you learn about the Grand Tableu, and some awesome person stories. Before I got this book, I went through different books, most of which just had  card combinations, and it didn't really help me learn about the cards. Rana breaks it all the way down. Read it, you will love it.
2. Shut off your tarot brain- temporarily. Don't read so much into each card. For example, the Mountain. Mountains are big, they block your way. So this indicates there is a something in your way. Easy enough right? Ok, next crossroads. Crossroads, two paths, indicates a choice needs to be made. Next, Ship. Ships move people and things. Traveling, leaving, moving. Got it? Good. See I'm making it sound easy, but it is only because after a 2 years of banging my head against a wall with Lenormand did I realize I was reading WAY too much into every reading. Now when I say shut off your tarot brain, I don't mean turn off your intuitive mind. If you are an intuitive reader, then that will serve you very well with Lenormand. But keep it simple. 
3. This is fortunetelling. Remember that. This is pure and simple fortunetelling. What happens happens and that is it. This is where my semi-issue with fortunetelling is. There is usually no advice (unless you get some intuitively) coming from your Lenormand readings and Grand Tableu. Sometimes this can leave your sitter with some anxiety about what is coming, and not with any solutions. Don't try and get something from these readings that you aren't getting, because then you may start to read way too much into in, just like we just talked about. 
4. Get a deck you adore. Look- it is always easier for you to learn something when you are using tools you like. Make sure you get a deck that speaks to you, and if you can't get one that speaks to you, get one that is attractive to you. Check out Aecletic Tarot and find a deck that is amazing.
5. Practice, practice, practice. That is pretty much the secret to getting good at anything right? There is no other super secret to getting good at reading these petite 36 cards. Lenormand takes time to learn, especially when you have been reading tarot this whole time, but you can do it!      

Ok guys, any questions? I want to see a bunch of new Lenormand readers STAT!!! Let's go. 

I saw Ashley on the tarot scene and I loved her spirit and energy. She is an absolutely delightful person and I loved how she used Tarot as writing prompts! So I suggest you get to know Ashley too, because she is super cool. 

How did you get into tarot?
Tarot has been on my radar since I was a child. I have always been interested in witchy, occult, magic things, (as problematic as it can be, Charmed was and still is one of my favorite witchy shows) but growing up in a strict Christian household I was never able to do anything more than look at cards or books if they happened to be in a store. 

Fast forward to January 2015, I was at EarthBound Trading Co. (I know, I know....don't judge me too harshly please) and there was a Rider Waite Colman Smith deck next to the register. I picked it up and bought it right then and there. No second guessing. I posted a picture on Instagram and asked for advice to get started, the rest just fell together wonderfully.

How and when did you start with your spiritual practices?
This is a tricky one! I am actually still trying to sort out and develop my practice. I believe that I am constantly evolving so my practices have to reflect that as well. Right now it's a lot of daily tarot, taking my favorite crystals out (clear Quartz and obsidian), and journaling.

How and when did you start using the tarot as a writing prompt? 
After taking Beth's Alternative Tarot Course, I almost immediately began using tarot as a writing prompt. In her course there is an exercise that asks you to lay out all the majors in order and write a story based on The Fool as she journeys through each card. It was so fun! I just kept doing it to help me learn the cards. 

Eventually, I started developing my own spreads to help me with my current novel that I'm working on. 

Do you have any specific methods for coming up with stories?
Most of the time I have a character in mind, maybe even already a particular scene. But to help me flesh it out more, I developed a couple of spreads to help me get to know the characters. Carrie Mallon has a wonderful three part series that I used around NaNoWriMo! 

Also, I find that each deck I have inspires a different kind of story. My RWCS has a very contemporary feel to it, which is weird given how old the deck is. My Hidden Realm is very magical and has lots of layers to it. 

You call yourself a moon witch. For the rest of us who don't know what that means, could you explain?
Oh, yes! Thank you for asking! Basically it's just my fancy way of saying, I follow the Moon Cycles for my practices and rituals. 

For the New Moon, I do a lot of journaling, tarot, and bubble baths. New Moons are super heavy for me, much like the Full Moon is for others, so it's very mellow and full of self care.

Full Moons I usually sit by the window and just stare at the Moon. Sometimes I do like to leave out water under the Full Moon and use it to make my coffee or tea in the morning. 

I'm going to start bringing in some candle magic too to help me home that moon magic. 

You are very opened about mental illness and being a queer person. Does this play a big part in your tarot practice?
Thank you! I do try to be very open about those things. They play a huge part in my every day and they definitely play a huge role in my tarot practice. 

I have a couple of go to spreads that I use when my anxiety and depression gets real bad. Most times though, the best practice is setting the cards aside. If my emotions are too over the place, I can't get a good enough read. But going to my cards every day, just to pull one, helps keep my emotions in check before they get too overwhelming. 

As far as being queer, I am becoming more aware of queer representation in tarot decks and oracle decks, in how I interpret cards for myself and others, particularly the court cards, and the wording I use when reading. 

The LGBTQIA community has a special place in my heart, as I personally know how difficult it can be to navigate the waters of sexuality and gender. It is a goal of mine to make sure that I am incorporating my queer values in my practices and readings. 

Want to know more about Ashley? I thought so. Check out her links below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoryByTarot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybytarot/
​
​

​As a black tarot reader, I get this question a lot:

"Why don't any of your decks have black people in them?"

And you know what, that's a great question. My honest to goodness answer is that I never have found a deck with a lot of diversity that really appealed to me. But I can honestly say I am EXTREMELY happy that I now have this wonderfully diverse deck by Joanna Powell Colbert. I'm telling you guys, this is like a cold glass of fresh lemonade on a beautiful summer day because this deck is refreshing. This deck shows beautiful depictions of nature and people working wonderfully with nature. And one other thing I have to mention here is the peace one feels when you start to use this deck. Its overwhelming and magically. I have to say I'm completely in love with the imagery and the joyful energy that this deck brings up.

About the Author:
Joanna Powell Colbert has been an artist, teacher, and convener of circles for over thirty years. She was named by SageWoman magazine as one of the Wisdom Keepers of the Goddess Spirituality movement. Joanna teaches workshops and e-courses on earth-centered spirituality, seasonal contemplative practices, creativity as a devotional path, the Divine Feminine, and using tarot as a tool for inner guidance and self-exploration. She joyfully hosts Gaian Soul Retreats several times each year. The Gaian Tarot, nine years in the making, combines her love of symbolic, archetypal art with the mysteries of the natural world. She lives on a small, magical island in the Salish Sea near Bellingham, Washington. There, daily encounters with the mysteries of the natural world continue to inspire and inform her work.

Deck Summary:
"The Gaian Tarot is a beautiful 78-card contemporary, multicultural and mythical Tarot deck with accompanying spiritual guide. It has a focus on the healing of the earth and of the self. Interpretations include uprights and reverse divinatory meanings, themes, exercises, symbolism, journal questions, affirmations, and ten spreads.". This is the fourth version of this deck, and if you have never owned this deck, this is the one to pick up.

The Packaging and Cardstock:
I've said this and I will say it again: I LOVE A GOOD BOX. This one is awesome. It's hard and big enough to hold the deck and the book, it has a magnetic closure so there is no to go buy a case. The cardstock is great, nice and firm but not so firm it is difficult to shuffle. The cards are 4inch x 6inch, so they are a bit bigger than your average deck. But honestly, the pictures are so beautiful that if they were any smaller, you might not be able to see all the detail in the artwork. Also, the edges are silver which is a really nice touch. 

The Book:
The book that is included with this deck is actually amazing. For the Major Arcana, every page has a description of the card, the meaning, the shadow side (the reversal), the themes, the symbols in that particular card, some wonderful journaling questions and an affirmation. My favorite thing is journaling questions. Here are some examples of the questions:

"Where do you find you "lust for life""?
"What is hanging me up?"
"What gives me hope?

I find it sometimes hard to journal because I can't figure out what to journal about. This book is full of wonderful questions and all you have to do is pull a card to find one.

The Minor Arcana follows the same formula and is organized by number (Ace through 10) and then the court cards. Each card has a description of the upright meaning and the reversal. Then at the back of the book is 10 different spreads, some from Joanna herself and some from other Tarot greats. I often don't really read the books that come with the deck, but this one is really great and can be thought provoking for everyone from the novice to the advanced tarot reader. 

The Deck:
The Major Arcana has some cards that have different names other than the tradition name. For Example:
The Empress is the The Gardener, The Emperor is the Builder, The Devil is Bindweed. That is just some of the interesting variations with names. The suits are names for the 4 elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water) and the court cards are as follows:

-Pages are Children
-Knights are Explorers
-Queens are Guardians
-Kings are Elders

This deck is very diverse as I said before, and has people from all different cultures, different ages, different genders and in between! There are several cards that are groups of women, but I think makes perfect sense, based on the fact that it is called the Gaian tarot, and is "Mother Earth" based. I personally love it. 

Favorite Cards:
I love all the but these are just a few of my favorites:

​Divination Potential:
This deck is great for divining, and I particularly am planning on using this deck in my Shamanic and healing work, as it is very Earth based. 

Final Note:
I give this deck 5 stars and I am so excited to get using this with my clients! If your looking for a deck that is nature based, diversity friendly,  and artistically beautiful, I recommend you try it out. 

Wanna know more about this deck? Here are some links:
www.GaianTarot.com
www.GaianSoul.com
www.facebook.com/joannapowellcolbertartist/
www.facebook.com/GaianTarot/
www.twitter.com/joannapcolbert
www.instagram.com/joannapcolbert