The very first video I posted to YouTube was in October, 2014. It’s been 9 years. And I thought I’d take a pause from regularly scheduled programming to reflect on those 9 years.
To do so, I’m combining several TarotTube or Pagan Youtube (Occult Tube?) community tags on the subject. If you loiter in any of those networks then you may have seen some. I’m going to do my response as a blog post. And I think that in and of itself probably says something.
Guan Luo Yin 觀落陰 is a practice of wu shamanism 巫術 found primarily in the South Pacific. While methodologies will differ, one approach is as an astral journey to the underworld to see the spirits of those who have passed on; another is as a method of “remote viewing.”
Some traditions conceptualize the descent as beginning from the entrance to a cave at the base of a mountain (associated with the Kunlun Mountain). Others conceptualize it as a palace with many floors descending (as opposed to ascending the way floors of a building are constructed in the physical earthly world).
This video serves as an introduction to the practice.
See also:
Refuge in the Storm is a collection of 24 essays by Buddhist chaplains, spiritual leaders, psychotherapists, medical providers, and scholars who share their perspectives on crisis counseling, be that personal or global crisis.
We begin with a poem by Mushim Ikeda, “Five Irises for Mary Oliver.” One line in particular might resonate with you:
We aren’t always reduced to our entangled thoughts, our anguish.
Praying with my friend this morning, he said Thank you, he asked Help– we bow down and rise up.
Crisis is a disruptive event or relationship. A disaster, per the definition published by the American Red Cross, is “an event of such destructive magnitude and force as to dislocate, injure, or kill people, separate family members, and damage or destroy homes.” Disasters produce a ripple effect– the numbers of people affected on a fundamentally spiritual level is far greater than the number of people killed or injured.
When faced with crisis or disaster, how do we lean in to Buddhist tenets to help us emerge from it?
Continue reading “Refuge in the Storm: Buddhist Voices in Crisis Care (ed. Nathan Jishin Michon)”
The Little Sister Tarot is a tribute to the cycle of life, what we gain from that cycle, and the heartbreak of loss. It is a deck about rebirth, illustrated by an artist who descends from a legacy of artists and art professors, and paints from the rugged north coast of California.
Ginny Thonson is a little sister. She lost her big brother to leukemia and later, her big sister to a tragic accident. Their spirits accompany her always, though, and so she perpetually embodies that role of the little sister.
The RWS-based deck follows the narrative of Eden Gray’s The Fool’s Journey, though here The Fool is represented by the little sister. We follow her journey, documented through encounters with wise spirit guides and vignettes of her life experiences.
The Fool here is naive yet fearless in the face of the challenges that lie ahead in her journey. She is not motivated by materialism, but rather, is lifted by her innocence and playful nature.
These are snapshots of two sibling Lenormand decks by Logan Townsend of Lark and Legend, who also has a fantastic TarotTube channel.
If you’d like to see a video walk-through of both decks side by side, check out this video by the creator.
The Black Salt Lenormand has the emblems printed in metallic silver while the Pink Sugar Lenormand has the emblems printed in metallic gold, though both have that rainbow holographic effect. Both come with a fold-out pamphlet of keywords for card meanings and a beautiful magnetic clasp keepsake box.
There is a nostalgia to this deck for 90s kids. I love that the first card is Skater instead of Rider, reminiscent of the skating rinks we’d hang out at in junior high and high school.
Now let’s take a look at each deck.
Continue reading “Lark and Legend’s Black Salt Lenormand and Pink Sugar Lenormand”
I’ve covered moon block (Jiao Bei, 筊杯) divination before here in a past Tinkering Bell video. And this downloadable PDF linked here is a quick reference sheet for using moon blocks.
When you walk into a Buddhist or Taoist temple anywhere in the southern regions of the Mainland, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, heck– just in general the East Asian cultural sphere– you are going to see moon blocks. Baskets full of moon blocks. It’s so you can ask your question of the patron divinity or spirit, then toss the moon blocks and receive an answer from beyond.
Moon blocks can also be used for divination with the Zhouyi (I Ching).
This is a TarotTube tag started by @Kelly Bear but I’ll be participating via blog post. =) I was tagged by the lovely and precocious @JessReadsCards. The prompt is to share 5 tarot decks, 4 tarot books, 3 tarot spreads, 2 tarot reader habits or tarot reading paraphernalia, and 1 piece of advice (or alternatively, 1 tarot card you’d like to embody).
Ack. You can see my Invisalign attachments in the above photo. And of course now that I called it out, it went from 50% chance you’d see it to 100% chance you’ll see it. Also, shameless off-topic plug for my new book, I Ching, The Oracle. The first few months after an author has released a book, you’re just gonna have to brace yourself for a lot of promo. =D
This is a quick look-see and walk-through of a beautiful ink and watercolor oracle deck I received. The Great Lakes Oracle: Freshwater Energy (Everyday Treasures Edition) is illustrated by Sarah Palmer and comes with a guidebook written by Colleen Footit.
The Great Lakes reminds me of childhood summer vacations. Having grown up in upstate New York, I’m most familiar with Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This deck is personal to me. It is nostalgia. Palmer’s art style is very much emblematic of Americana and the Naturalism Movement.
Continue reading “Great Lakes Oracle: Freshwater Energy Cards”
I reviewed Eric Maille’s Ink Witch Tarot back in 2021. Maille has now released a Second Edition, which is significantly improved many features from the First Edition. You can click here for a walk-through and review of the Ink Witch First Edition.
This post will focus on the differences between the First and Second, and showcasing the additional options and alternates from the expansion packs.
The Second Edition comes in a sturdy magnetic flap box, compared to the first edition cardboard tuck box. Also, the above photo shows the difference in deck sizes. You’re getting a lot with this Second Edition pack!
Instead of 78, we now have an expansion pack of 84 cards in total, including unique cards such as The Witch. For a deck titled the Ink Witch Tarot, I’m loving this bonus. I like using this card as the significator, and that use aligns with the creator’s intentions– per the guidebook, “This card represents you— and anyone else who might use this deck.”
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