DoW 13 - Joan Marie Japaridze Tarot

[Joan Marie]

Things are just getting stranger and stranger.
I'm finding it a little difficult to stay with my daily readings but I also find that they bring a continuity to my day that is very helpful and needed.

This week I will be using a deck that was gifted to me by Victoria (BreathingSince72) I met her just about exactly 1 year ago when I was visiting California. The beautiful deck she gave me is called Japaridze Tarot and is by Nino Japaridze.

The artwork is stunning, every single card. It comes with a beautiful book, nearly 200 pages with full colour reprints of each card. I really love this deck and truly cherish it.

Today I drew, I think for the first time ever, this strange card:

The Moon

I sort of feel like I am on the Moon. Basically remaining in contact with people through technology.

The moon card is said to be about confusion and uncertainty and that would certainly fit. Strange though how this moon is represented as an eyeball, tethered to earth by nerves, looking straight up into the heavens.
It gives me the sense of helplessness that we all feel right now. But it isn't despair, there is a hopefullness, Maybe that's naive. I don't know. But each of us is like this moon, separate but tethered.

[Joan Marie]

I think these cards are so pretty.

In the middle we have the wearer of the heavy crown, a heavy burden. But the 2 flanking cards provide the answer. The King of Tides has style and culture, teaches through skills like diplomacy and setting an example. The Stranger of Gardens (Knight of Pentacles) is imbued with endurance and has a strong will yet a gentleness, a vulnerability.

I have the feeling these days that there isn't anything to prove or to "win". It's just about keeping going, and helping others do the same. Using whatever tools or knowledge or advantages I have to give myself and others any small respite, any port in a storm, any bit of space to rest, to think, to gather ourselves up, to get past fear and boredom and the blues and get through the day. And then the next.

I'm really proud of all of us here.

[Joan Marie]

I asked the cards about a personal family issue. Kind of an interesting spread here!

I won't go into the meanings I see, not too interesting anyway unless you know the people, but I wanted to share the cards anyway.

[Joan Marie]

The Empress

The Empress is usually portrayed very calm, almost staid. But of course, she is really anything but staid.

I love this image because it shows the Empress in all her complexity.

[Raven]

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I think these cards are so pretty.

In the middle we have the wearer of the heavy crown, a heavy burden. But the 2 flanking cards provide the answer. The King of Tides has style and culture, teaches through skills like diplomacy and setting an example. The Stranger of Gardens (Knight of Pentacles) is imbued with endurance and has a strong will yet a gentleness, a vulnerability.

I have the feeling these days that there isn't anything to prove or to "win". It's just about keeping going, and helping others do the same. Using whatever tools or knowledge or advantages I have to give myself and others any small respite, any port in a storm, any bit of space to rest, to think, to gather ourselves up, to get past fear and boredom and the blues and get through the day. And then the next.

I'm really proud of all of us here.

Thank you for introducing me to this lovely deck. I love your interpretation of these cards.

[Joan Marie]

Today I will avoid the temptations of negativity which comes these days in the form of scrolling through twitter too much and reading headlines.

The Ace and Queen of Gardens tell me to focus on what nurtures me.

I love in this deck how the Pentacles/Coins are called "Gardens".

This Devil card mixes what looks to me like expressionism with surrealism, two artistic styles that always leave me feeling disconnected and agitated, which at times can be very stimulating and at others, like now, are just troubling. The news is making me feel this way. Time to walk away from that for a bit and spend some time in the garden of life.

[Joan Marie]

To go with my other reading today in the Sacred days thread, I got another fiery center!
And this one surrounded by Garden cards which seem to be prevalent also this week.

I've been letting a lot of things slide during this quarantine. I haven't been feeling very motivated and I don't want to push what doesn't want to be pushed. And maybe it is the blue sky and the clean crisp air we have here in Germany, which btw, is coming in from Russia right now. The Germans call it "Stalin's Peitshce" (Stalin's Whip!) But something is waking me up and I can feel it.

The 2 of Gardens is encouraging but also advising caution. I don't have to push. Just let things happen. Follow feelings and inspiration. See where that goes. If the 3 of Gardens is any indication I hope it is toward art and pleasant tasks.

[Nemia]

Stalins Peitsche? Habe ich noch nie von gehört - never heard of it

I think Russenpeitsche oder Eispeitsche aus Sibirien are new words - googled it and yes, they're new expressions. I didn't lose my German yet, I hope.

Now I want the Japaridze! You have some beautiful decks in your collection. I may be tempted to return to my DoW habit, I did it for some years and it was actually very helpful. And to integrate more than one-card-readings sounds great, all with one deck.