Reading with cards, charms, tea leaves or any object
is an intuitive inner journey that takes practise.
It is a skill to hone your subtle senses and also a skill
to trust your intuition and your inner voices and prompts.
Life is a journey filled with markers and pointers for us.
Each life has a theme and certain archetypes and we can
create within those limits and parameters. To become
really in touch with your subtle senses, demand a certain
amount of humility and your own personal shadow work
It is so easy to pretend to ourselves that 'all is as it should be'
and to shift all responsibility onto a Higher Power.
The truth is that we have been dealt a hand of cards,
black and white and red and we are accountable
and responsible for getting to know both the positive
and negative of our own personal hand.
This is where amulets, charms and tarot becomes so valuable.
When you combine it with Jungian shadow work, you can uncover
your own projections and hidden perceptions - you can take
the power back from unruly emotions and the pain
of dysfunctional personal relationships.
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| Skull of Mary Magdalene in procession at Sainte Maximin -la-Ste-Baume France during feast day celebrations |
The Amulets of Mary comes with a booklet describing the fundamental
tenets of Benedicaria, The Blessing Way, an ancient Southern Italian spiritual
path. According to those who have made a study and practice of Benedicaria
it is the most pure form of Catholicism. It restores many practices
which have been classified as 'occult' to its rightful place in a spirtiual
path that integrates both ancient traditions, folklore and modern
consciousness enlightenment work.
I suggest that you keep a book in which to record your readings
and also your own interpretation of the charms and their positions
on the charts. With time you can create your own casting sheet as
you develop your own understanding of what it is that you
want to ascertain from these readings.
When you have followed the guidelines for creating your
own altar and you have asked the question, you can
take a handful of amulets from the pouch and drop
them onto the casting sheet.
The sheet has been divided into four quadrants.
These represent the four suits of the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
or any tarot deck. I have allocated the four sections of mind,
body, soul and spirit and the attributes
are handwritten onto the casting sheet.
You can add your own with a sharpie onto the linen cloth.
You can allocate the four seasons, the four elements
of earth, air, water and fire. On the new sheets I have added
Past, Present, Future and Unknown. You can do the same.
I have also added a YES and NO section
The section of the sheet that applies, depend on your question. If
you asked a simple yes or no question, then look to see where the
charm fell. If you randomly picked some charms and you choose the
yes and no sections, then it is important to see which charms fell
on the yes and which fell on the no - then read their meanings, look
at their meanings and story in the tarot guide book and add your
own intuitive meaning to it all. Sometimes one needs to allow
all the information to settle down into the unconscious and reveal
its deeper meaning to you over time.
Sometimes the answers are just so obvious and right there.
In the new sheets I have added key words to the four sections.
For instance, in Body you can add
earth, embodiment, physical, manifestation
When you want to see a bigger picture than Yes or No, you can
cast the charms over the entire sheet. This will then show you
which areas of your life is affected and what your inner guidance
is trying to draw your attention to.
Sample reading :
Chalice fell in Mind (Suit of Distaff)
Star landed on Heart (Suit of Vessels)
Mermaid landed on Body (Suit of Roses)
The Chalice
The Chalice is seen as a sacred and holy object in ancient Grail legends, Arthurian myth, Mary Magdalen myth and in a Christian hymn Mary is called the Chalice. The Chalice is also regarded as the holy grail and there are many theories : some believe that it is a physical cup in which Jesus’ blood was collected after the crucifixion by Mary Magdalene; others believe that the the Holy Grail is a women or the strength of a woman. In the Mary Mysteries, she is the Chalice and the Holy Grail. She is the strength and compassion that floods our soul; she is the Waters of Consciousness that flow everlasting from the Chalice.
Tarot Card : Queen of Vessels : Mary Magdalene anointing the feet of Jesus
Meaning : sacred vehicle; when you get the chalice in a reading it indicates the vehicle in which your blessing will appear; it also points to the direction in which you have to go; it shows in which area of your life you have to pay attention to your dreams.
Add your own connotations and meanings to the chalice and even the
stories and legends in which it appear. Chalice fell on
the Mind section. Mind is thinking, thoughts, ideas, conscious mind,
rational mind, logic, neural pathways
This placement could mean that you have to pay more attention
to your ideas and thoughts: they will take you to the Chalice and Holy Grail of
your search. The Queen of Vessels card
is of the suit of the Heart and waters. I interpret this as telling
you that your mind should be in service of your heart.
When you become aware of the way that your mind reacts
to the prompts of your heart and its inner whisper,
you will become aware of an important message.
Let's see how the other charms relate to the reading.
Star
The tale of Esther (Star) is an allegory of a feminine majesty who once stood as equal to her spouse the king and was the instrument through which her own blood relatives and all of the nation were saved. This echoes the place of Sophia who was present to God at the creation itself and helped it all come into being through her assent to the plan. This story of Esther may be a “fossil” that remains in the Bible and allows us to see how Israel first regarded the feminine, before the patriarchal powers purged the nation of all forms of the ancient Goddess known as the Shekina, partner to the masculine manifestation of God. “Esther” is another form of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, (Star) who was also called “Queen of Heaven” as was the Egyptian Mother Goddess, Isis and as Mary is yet called today. “Esther” is another form of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, (Star) who was also called “Queen of Heaven” as was the Egyptian Mother Goddess, Isis and as Mary is yet called today.
Tarot Card : Stella Maris and 2 of Holy Rood
Star landed in Heart and seen in the light of the placement and meaning
of Chalice, this makes it pretty clear that this querent is not
giving her heart and desires, equal status. The emotions and the heart
is a feminine quality and often neglected or suppressed.
This is a reality of our modern culture and religion : the feminine
is suppressed to benefit the masculine properties of
achievement, logic, rational thinking, goal setting and so on.
To listen to our inner guidance, we need to make time to play,
to meditate, contemplate, spend time alone and more.
Mermaid
Mermaids are regarded as mythical creatures. They appear in many folk and fairytales. In the story of Ariel, the mermaid, many parallels can be seen in her story and that of the goddess and specifically the story of Mary Magdalen. The mermaid is also symbolic of a woman’s ‘watery’ nature and her intense emotional body. Through the ages the emotional and feeling nature of women has been demonised and women have been institutionalised for ‘hysterics’. Her spiritual nature has been suppressed in many ways and many have made sure that women have lost their ability to have both a mermaid tale and a pair of legs to walk on land when needed.
Tarot Card : 9 of Vessels – Our Lady of Regla
Meaning : you need to find a strong sense of balance within yourself; get to know your own nature and you will be able to master the world around you; pay attention to your feelings; unknown waters; value your own feeling nature; feelings speak of your intuition; inner wisdom;
And Mermaid in Body sums it all up.
p.s. This was a real reading for someone and these are extracts
from the booklet and additional information sheets.
blessings
Hettienne
