The Reading of the Cards

I ran across a word I'd not heard before over at Forest Grove- Spaewife. (there's several variations in spelling, I like how this word looks) It means female fortune teller.

I realized I'm a spaewife because I carry around cards every where I go just so I can get an idea of what path to choose. If you had asked me before I thought about it, I would have said I don't let predictions rule my life. But why else am I carrying around cards?

The deck I am currently enamoured with is the Bicycle Poker Deck, Anne Stokes Collection. Yes, the same art I shared with you about a week or two ago.

I love the art. I like the size- this deck fits easily into my purse and probably I could get the box in my pocket if necessary. There are dragons (my favorite!), unicorns, fairies, vampires, one werewolf, a few angels and some grim reapers (an archetype I've always thought was misunderstood). It's a very balanced deck- light, dark, and both at once.

This is a modern deck of cards, but the imagery is classic fantasy. I like that. I want a deck with rich, historical symbolism, but at the same time, the deck must be able to reflect my current issues and problems. Arcane symbols with half-forgotten meanings are of no use to me.

Being that this deck is designed for playing and not reading, there is no book of meanings. I thought at first I would need to research the meanings of ordinary playing cards but I've connected so well with the deck I understand as soon as I draw a card. And that's the way it should be. In fact, you might want to throw the booklet out and let intuition be your guide.

Sometimes I'll draw a card and I don't know what it means. Whenever this happens, I try to wait, to watch and see what unfolds. Each time, something is revealed to me and then I know what the card was telling me. Every single time I've waited, when all is revealed I think, I'm so glad I didn't rush headlong into a wall. These cards are helping me to be more patient. They make life a little easier.

I have other decks, but this is my favorite. This is the only deck I've ever carried around with me. This one really speaks to me. I understand it. It warns without putting a dark cloud over my head. Some people are afraid when they see bad things in the cards. But you need to know when a problem is on the horizon so you either deal with it or avoid it. I used to have an angel deck. Loved the art, but the cards only showed me light, no shadows. I was constantly being blindsided by things I never knew was coming. It was a beautiful deck, but I couldn't learn from it.

Spaewife. I don't tell fortunes per se, but I think about time constantly. I wonder about my future, I see how events from the past still shape the present, and sometimes I wonder if I am where I am supposed to be. Rarely do I read for others. It's fun at parties, but for me to read for others the tone has to be light-hearted. People usually want to be told something good and frivolous. Rarely are people willing to admit they may need an attitude adjustment. I use the cards as a tool of self-transformation. I won't lie about what the cards tell me so don't ask unless you're prepared to hear my prophecy. If I read for you I'll try to end on a positive note, but I'm going to tell you what you most need to hear. That's what Spaewives do.