I ordered the Book of Maps and 22-week workbook thing and MWB this morning
My partner was gonna get it for me for my bday so I waited, but I got impatient hahaha so he can get me something else. We're gonna share the MWB and I guess I'll let him look at my Book of Maps....for now
(the whole ritual coloring thing makes me want to keep it sorta sacred or something, but I'm sure he'll treat it reverently until he gets his own copy too, especially since he's too busy right now to devote the time to it. He's planning on diving in around January).
I've been....good. Normally I compulsively sort of draw cards, and stuff until the answers get meaningless. Especially if I'm too tired to do much else, or if I'm bored. But I've let it sit on the altar. I hope to do the Key 0 reading tomorrow.
I had already designed a tarot reading ritual while going through Holistic Tarot, and because of a surprisingly impactful deck interview with Britt's 3rd Eye tarot that ended up being a mini ritual through a series of unusual inconveniences.
So, I'll try and follow that after clearing my desk.
We're still cleaning house, and I've ordered myrrh and a specific frankincense and oil from my country through etsy, and we're puzzling over how to make the holy anointing oil with galangal powder (or checking out the nearest asian market to see if they have it fresh) and trying to figure out proportions and prices.....
I'm also unexpectedly travelling to Ethiopia for 2 weeks in July.
Family/legal stuff. It was easy to get off work too. I'm just worried about rent, but everyone around me is saying "do it!" and my partner and mom will probably help with rent and such. I'm still surprised though. I've never left the country before. I'd planned on it a few years back, so I do have a passport though. So weird.
I'd also been doing offerings more lately, and I feel like everything is going more smoothly. So, that's nice. Sort of a weird start for my incoming hermit year. I guess my only Virgo placement is Jupiter though?
Somehow I feel like this ties in to the Book of Maps but I don't know how. (maps? haha - ooh, fiction writing? interesting)
Also, I hate lemongrass. But the oil smelled amazing! I think it was the cinnamon? It smelled like a sort of fresh or wheaty meadow or something to me. I flipped the plastic and rubbed it on the box even haha.
And wow that mirror finish gilding. Like, I love gold. Silver is alright, but gold is where it's at to me. And it's so beautiful against that dark umber backing. How gorgeous. And I'm so surprised by the cardstock. I'd watched my partner unbox his first because it made me so happy (probably the best present I've gotten someone) and when I heard that paper-y sound I was shocked. They look kind of like pucks to me (in a good way) but they sound like ....paper shuffling, books rustling. The librarian in my soul is freaking out haha. What a solid deck, physically and energetically speaking. Absolutely radiant.
Another thing that was odd, and probably very specific to me, was I felt my shadow self sort of bubbling up in weird ways. In positive and negative feeling ways. My partner and I both individually got emotional looking at the Initiate card. I didn't understand why he seemed teary eyed until I saw my own and felt it too. We stared at it each for a while. There were a couple cards that had me feeling touched and moved in ways I didn't understand as well. I almost thought I would cry once. Then there were some negative feelings that would pop up, and that was interesting too. My more critical and nagging and perfectionist side for one. I'd been thinking ...lately.. that I have such a negative outlook, and that I needed to cultivate gratitude. I'd been feeling that too and have been trying and getting better (kind of ties in to the deck name too, and a ceremony I'd done with my partner early this month).
I really love the Archangel of Glory (King of Wands). I knew before too, but yeah, really love him/her/them. And one of the few angels I bothered learning about was Uriel, after a roommate had a dream where I featured (amongst others) wielding a flaming sword. And there's a lot I relate to in terms of the fire element and warm light (like fireflies and oil lamps) and creativity and stuff. Also one of the deities I work with is Apollo, and I found him in a pretty dramatic and overt way. There's just a lot there.
Alright, that's enough from me. It's late here. Thanks for geeking out here everyone. It's been fun reading everyone's responses and squee-ing. It's been a great party
(and it's not over of course, we've got folks still getting their decks and all hehe)
No, no, then the day will go by longer. Hmm .....hmmm...ok. ok.
YESS now we will have a Joan Marie who can talk with us about the SKT on this forum 
