DoW: Spolia Tarot

[Joan Marie]

For Week 1 I am choosing a deck I have not played with in a long time.
It is the Spolia Tarot by Jessa Crispin and Jen May

This is an unusual deck for sure. I have always felt like this deck is made for artists, to address artistic questions. Jessa is a pretty prolific writer on all kinds of topics, and I have her book, "The Creative Tarot: A Modern Guide to an Inspired Life." I'll be referring to that too this week.


This deck has extra cards, 12 zodiac cards and 4 element cards.

I'm always torn about how to use them, if I should shuffle them in or use them some other way. I'll decide.

I think I am going to start my week on Saturday. In addition to my daily readings, I will also fill you in on the deck and the book.

Since we are just starting this exercise it might be a little bumpy at first but we'll get some kind of system down for My Deck of the Week.
I'm thinking of keeping all my posts in this one thread to keep them all together as opposed to starting a new topic each day.

But you do you.

[Rose Lalonde]

I'd never even heard of this one, so that will be fun to see.

About the zodiacal cards... Just curious, is this a deck you read with GDS (or other) correspondences, so that you're already considering astrology even without the zodiacal cards -- or not, so that these extra cards are the only way astrology enters into the reading?

[Joan Marie]

I'd never even heard of this one, so that will be fun to see.

About the zodiacal cards... Just curious, is this a deck you read with GDS (or other) correspondences, so that you're already considering astrology even without the zodiacal cards -- or not, so that these extra cards are the only way astrology enters into the reading?

I think this deck is based, very loosely, on RWS, though there are many original interpretations. But it does not have the astrology or kabbala or elemental correspondences on the individual cards.
I have to confess, I do not know a lot about astrology so am at kind of a loss as to how to use those cards.
She does provide some guidance to their meanings in the lwb, but not really in how to use them specifically.

I think for now I will shuffle them all in and see what happens.

[Joan Marie]

Ace of Cups

Page of Cups

The World

First I want to say that this deck's use of the colour Periwinkle blue is life to me. That Ace of Cups just sends me.

I drew these 3 cards a little late in the day so I am focusing on a message for the evening. I am going to a party. In all honesty I'm not looking really forward to it but would like to make the best of it.

Card 1: Ace of Cups: The Spirit of the Evening
That creature (me?) between the peaceful Lotus above and the bursting party glass below (that looks like a fun drink) feels about right. Hectic social gatherings tend to throw me off my equilibrium. And I don't recover from drinking the way I used to. This card seems to be reminding me of keeping in the middle, somewhere between where I can enjoy the party and yet not lose my balance.

Card 2: Page of Cups: The Priority of the Evening
The mermaid's pose with her arms above her head is interesting. She seems like she's letting loose, a bit vulnerable but somehow still very self-protective. She knows she can retreat if needed. Could that rose in the cup be her phone with Uber app?

Card 3: The World : What to be mindful or careful of
That's a funny answer on the face of it.
The woman on this card is surrounded by all sorts of strange and interesting spirits and still she seems quite centered within herself.

I just read in the lwb that those images behind her represent the 4 fixed signs, Taurus, Leo,Scorpio and Aquarius.

It's this sense of strength from the fixed signs, the steadiness that I need to be mindful of in myself over the course of the evening. But as the woman on the card shows, just because you are strong and balanced doesn't mean you can't dance! (Although please dear god, don't let me sing!)

[Joan Marie]

Well today is already mostly over and was a real wash.

The one thing I did manage to accomplish was making a list of things I'd like to accomplish next week, starting tomorrow. It's a pretty ambitious list. It's so easy to make those kinds of lists when you have already decided that today is useless.

So I just pulled 3 cards asking for three things to keep in mind that will help me succeed next week.

10 of Cups

10 of Coins

Hanged Man

The 2 tens is interesting because tens are about finishing things. And I always see this as also making way for more things.
Generally this tells me to keep plugging away. Every little task completed is a step closer. I always need to remember this because when I look at the big picture the tasks seem so big and impossible. I sometimes forget that they are comprised of lots of smaller tasks.

So that is one thing I need to remember.

I like these hands stretching and reaching upward for the Cups in the 10 of Cups. I can relate to that feeling. I want a lot this week. From myself mostly. It's a stretch.

The Garden scene in the 10 of Cups is appropriate too. I have some literal outdoors work to do, to prepare some things. It's work but it's in contrast to the other things I have to do which are mostly computer related. I need to remember that the garden tasks are just as important as the other things and to not neglect them. The mood of this card is so opposite the other 10. This is where I will find a sense of balance.

The Hanged Man feels like where I am today, preparing for action. And this is something I may have to do again and again this week. Take time to prepare. And be patient and allow things to fall into place. Think of those marshal arts where you use the opposing energy to your advantage.

[Joan Marie]

Ace of Wands

Leo

Five of Wands

My question for this evening is kind of personal so I don't want to share my interpretation, but I do want to share these beautiful cards.

Tonight I drew one of the astrology cards. I love this Leo with the sunflowers for eyes. Leo time comes in deepest summer here, when the sunflowers are blazing in the garden. I love how the flowers belie the typical image of a lion.

The deep deep reds on this ace are so vibrant and varied, it's like there really are at least a half dozen different reds here and yet they each stand out somehow. Beautiful design. Beautiful printing.

And that five! So many alchemical references.

So much to work with here tonight!

[Rose Lalonde]

Once you say it, it seems so clear that on the Ace of Cups you'd be the bird between the lotus and the glass, finding that balance at the party. The art adds a definite slant and detail. As much as I like esoteric correspondences, I do best paying a lot of attention to the art in front of me too, as you do here, and this deck seems to give you a good bit to work with. I like its vibrant colors too.

[Joan Marie]

Pretty uncanny draw just now.

I wrote earlier this week that I really wanted to accomplish a lot of things. I'm not doing too badly but there is one thing on my list, a creative project that I have been trying to get to for longer than I care to say. I alwys find ways to push it aside and perusing through my list I decided that Wednesday, tomorrow, would be the best day to tackle it.

So I asked the Spolia Tarot to inspire me and I drew this:

Eight of Coins

The first sentence in the lwb says: "This is a card that focuses on craft."

I like the look on the old woman's face. She looks one with what she is doing. I want to be like that tomorrow.
The green colour of the coins is good for me too. I always relate to the colour green as being symbolic of the heart. It's the heart chakra colour. This project I hope to work on tomorrow really needs that kind of motivation, that kind of love and connection. Or really it's a reconnection.

I'm really enjoying reconnecting with this deck too.

[Libra]

Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on the Creative Tarot book? I've been very interested in it!

[Joan Marie]

Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on the Creative Tarot book? I've been very interested in it!

It's a very original take on tarot books and Jessa Crispin is a wonderful writer.

In the first part of the book she describes using tarot as an aid to the creative process.

She then examines each card meaning as it relates to the creative process and often compares the cards to works of art and explains the connection as she sees it. She also recommends other works of art to help you understand and internalise the cards, paintings, music, films etc. In addition to opening your eyes to a fresh way to view tarot, the book is a treasure trove of artistic references.

There are also spreads she's created to help with certain artistic questions, writer's block, lack of inspiration, creating structure, things like that.

It's also clear that she has a firm grasp on reading tarot so even though her perspective in this book seems out of left field, it's still very solid and rooted in classic tarot and astrology.

What I really love about it is it makes you look at reading tarot from another direction entirely, which while adding to your own perspectives also puts what you already know into sharper focus.

I also really enjoy her writing style a lot. It's a fun book to read.

[Joan Marie]

The Best laid plans of mice and women....

What a weird week. It started with pure ambition. Sunk into a low place for a day, then sort of revived with unexpected detours.

And also weirdly, I wrote that before looking at the 3 cards I drew.

8 of Coins, Devil, Fool

It's like they are telling the story I just described.
My question was, what should I learn from this week.

I had that 8 of coins earlier. To no avail.
I don't do good with pushing myself. As much as I would like to be that person who can will herself to stay at the grindstone, I simply am not and expecting myself to is a recipe for failure.

Truth be told though, I don't do so bad. I have to learn my own pace and respect it.