Rachel’s DoW 43 Dark Grimoire Tarot

[Rachelcat]

This is a Lovecraft-based LS deck. It came out about the same time as the Llewellyn Necronomicon Tarot by Donald Tyson, so I think Lo Scarabeo agreed to call theirs Dark Grimoire in English. The name is Necronomicon in the other languages in the lwb. I like the artwork. It’s appropriately creepy and shadowy, with interesting glimpses of light. I was going to only use it for the Halloween reading circle, but I thought why not try using it all week?

I will definitely be referring to the lwb, since I’m not familiar with Lovecraft’s fictional universe. (I tried at one time, but it was just too racist for me to keep reading.) Lwb says chalices are dreams; pentacles are shadows; wands are lights; and swords are demons. And it has more detailed allusions for the majors.

Now for a good shuffle and an interview!

What is your most important characteristic? Ace of Swords
The idea behind the deck is important. It truly has something to say to me.

What is your greatest strength? 3 Pentacles
This made me chuckle! The deck’s greatest strength is its artwork and its ability to portray the unknown and unreal.

What is your greatest weakness? 4 Pentacles
This is a card of someone trying to take it with him. As a deck’s weakness, it’s difficult to translate this shadowy world into a useful reading. It’s too close to its theme.

What can you teach me? 7 Wands
Only light dispels darkness. It’s right to use my light to fight demons. And to enjoy it.

How do I learn it? The Wheel
This is a well from which people are summoning forth an ancient creature. The thing is a the threshold. Something is about to happen. I should be open to it and observe it.

What will be the outcome of our work together? 8 Wands
The book of the ace is now open in the light. I will gain an understanding of the book and the light.

I like it! And it seemed like an easy read. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes. Have a happy Sunday!

[Rachelcat]

Monday
Why the Who is in the What

In the physical realm, I can be in charge of my physical stuff, money and body. I can take charge and be my own leader. Because I know the strength is in me. I’ve done it before.

The pentacles cards show “stuff,” rats, boxes and bowls full of stuff, and a king who’s very attached to his coin.

I’m not sure about 6 Wands. A mysterious figure who might be on fire delivers a letter to an unsuspecting “man on the street.” The robed guy has successfully completed his mission before he goes up in flames?

This is a great Strength card. The woman uses the crystal and the book to protect herself from the demon, but if she didn’t have the strength inside of her, she never would have showed up in the first place.

I’m so glad I chose to read with these monsters instead of just owning them!

Have a great day!

[Rachelcat]

Tuesday
All-Purpose Spread for today

Me: King of Swords
I’ll be a visionary, seeing what needs to be done and how to do it. It looks like there’s some deception going on here, like the king is all tentacle-y but he’s wearing human clothes, and is that a mask? He’s trying to appear different than he really is. Maybe it’s just a random sea monster that’s been dressed up by the little naked guy to look like a king, but the little guy is really in charge. I thought he was eating bread, but he’s playing the pan pipes. Entertaining or controlling the king? The king has separated the head from the body, so I’ll be able to think clearly without physical distractions today.

Issue: 10 Wands
I’ll be crawling out from the dark into the light. After much effort.

Outcome: Queen of Pentacles
My head will be joined back to my body. I will still have to deal with physical issues after work is over.

Advice: 5 Pentacles
Being drunk in an alley is fortunate this time. Otherwise he’d be forced to march with the faithful by the monsters. He’s well out of it! So the advice is don’t follow the crowd. It may look like I’m missing out on something, but it’s good to miss it.

Hmm. Really got into the illustrations there! And enjoying it! Have a happy Tuesday!

[Rachelcat]

Wednesday
Elemental star for the day

Physically: 6 Pentacles
I’ll be well today. Actually, I’m not, I’ve got a bit of vertigo nausea, but maybe this means it won’t last long. I need to accept health when it’s handed to me.

Emotionally: Queen of Chalices
Ok, this is a lot of water! I might be emotionally swamped today. Feelings all over the place. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing, but it could be overwhelming.

Intellectually: 9 Wands
I have the power to defend my ideas. I can easily make myself understood. I need that today for a project for work!

Energetically: Death
This is a beautiful death card. Those great doors through which everyone goes eventually. I think even T. Rexes and Giant Redwoods go through them. For today, I think it means I should let things end that are meant to end, which will clear energetic space for something new tomorrow.

Spiritually: 7 Chalices
This confirms the previous card. I need to take a spiritual break and enjoy the moment and stop trying to make everything make sense. Let the pipe dreams take over, at least for today.

This deck really is easy to read! Have a great day!

[Rachelcat]

Energetically: Death
This is a beautiful death card. Those great doors through which everyone goes eventually. I think even T. Rexes and Giant Redwoods go through them. For today, I think it means I should let things end that are meant to end, which will clear energetic space for something new tomorrow.

Omg! I now have a better understanding of the Death card. I just told my ex the reason why I did something (very serious, very traumatic) that I did 20 years ago. Finally. I just didn't think he could handle the reason before. But now I feel really different. It wasn't a secret exactly, but I feel lighter getting the truth out there. I don't know if he needed to know, but I needed to tell him.

[Rachelcat]

Thursday
All-Purpose Spread for today

Me: Justice
Justice or revenge? I don’t want to get them mixed up. No voodoo dolls for me. If I want justice served, that doesn’t mean I want someone to be hurt by it. An eye for an eye leaves a world of blind people.

Issue: Queen of Swords
Similar to the King of Swords, she’s very tentacle-y and seems to be wearing a mask. And she has a whole collection of severed heads! And a hooked sword. And a heptagram on her shirt. Today I’ll be dealing with some kind of learning situation, teaching or learning. I will need to keep my head separate from my body to make everything clear.

Outcome: 5 Wands
But it will still be seen as a kind of contest. Will my teaching be as good as someone else’s? That’s ok. Sometimes competition can help both sides be better.

Advice: Ace of Wands
I should be in control of my energy but also expend some energy today. Don’t hang back and let things happen to me, but make things happen.

[Rachelcat]

Friday
What do I need to know elemental star

Physically: Fool
I’m kind of in free fall now with my health goals. I need to start afresh with new commitment.

Emotionally: Emperor
I was feeling stressed because me internet was down, so I was missing out on work. I have an uncomfortable relationship with my work right now because of it, but I don’t think that will last long.

Intellectually: Empress
Instead, I want the focus to be on me and how smart I am!

Energetically: 5 Pentacles
I need to rest and recover from the stress of today. And I want to get out of doing what I should be doing!

Spiritually: 7 Chalices
And that’s ok. I need to refresh my soul and dreams too.

Interesting that these are all cards I had before except adding Emperor and Empress. I dutifully riffle shuffled 7 times (thank you Lo Scarabeo card stock!), so it must mean something important. All those majors and previous cards . . . .

[Rachelcat]

Saturday
Last day for Dark Grimoire
What’s up with the oracle project? (I always have a project in mind . . .)
Four Noble Truths spread

Issue: 9 Swords
It’s a nightmare. It’s not what I think it is. I’ll only get out of it what I put into it.

Cause of issue: Hermit
Because I’m working on it totally by myself. Maybe I need input from others.

Outcome: King of Swords
It will be an intellectual success, but maybe without much feeling or buy-in involved. It’s intellectually satisfying and entertaining, but that’s it.

Advice: 6 Coins
Same as the Hermit: Spread the wealth. I can share my ideas and others can add to the project to make it a greater whole.

6 advice cards:
Queen of Pentacles, Magician, Hanged Man, 3 Wands, 6 Chalices, 10 Pentacles

My next step is making handwritten cards to see if it works at all. It’s completely up to me, I can hold off if that will help make it better. But sooner or later I’ll have to make a move or forget about it. Once again, working with others will do nothing but make it better.

Got it!

I’ll let you know how it goes!

See you tomorrow with a new deck!