It is just now beginning to feel like spring here in Minnesota, even though we still have snow on the ground. I always associate the Aces with spring, probably because I think of them as seeds full of all the potential of their suit. Awhile back, I wrote an article about the Aces and created a few spreads to explore their power in our lives. Seems like a good time to revisit it. Springtime and the Aces http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/1865

Many tarot readers consider their decks as important tools for their magical or spiritual work. As such, they treat them with respect and reverence. Often, they cleanse or charge their decks, dedicating them to specific purposes. This article but Joy Vernon is one of the best I've read on the subject. Reading and Ceremony for Charging a Tarot Deck http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/1329   Do you charge, dedicate, or cleanse your decks, and if so, how?

Once I was in a yarn store with a friend. I was teaching her to knit and we were picking out yarn. The yarn she wanted was in a skein not in a ball, so I told her had to wind it into a ball before she started knitting. She asked, “how do you wind it into a ball?” I cannot remember when I learned to wind yarn (or string) into a ball. I cannot remember not knowing. It never occurred to me that someone wouldn’t know how. That happens a lot, when people have known how to do things forever. Shuffling and selecting cards is a lot like that. I tell people to shuffle and draw the cards for the reading. They sometimes look baffled and I realize that they are waiting for instructions,

Yesterday I got to see some new items from Lo Scarabeo that will be available in the US very soon. Lo Scarabeo creates innovative tarot and oracle decks. They also make many other items that are of interest to tarot enthusiasts, such as bags and reading cloths. I am particularly excited about their newest reading cloth. It is large (47 x 31 inches), rich dark blue velvet, with a small very light grey satin border and tassels. I like it because there is no design in the center to interfere with my cards. See more about the cloth HERE There are three new bags, one featuring art from the much anticipated Illuminati Tarot, one with the Universal Tarot Magician, and one with art