11:11 Twin Flames: The 8 Stages and Signs

What are Twin Flames exactly? 

Plato said it best as he described, "according to Greek Mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves" (The Symposium, Plato).

Twin Flames are what modern day individuals consider as "Soul Mates" today; soul mates are the souls who are considered to be "cut from the same cloth as your own soul," who are meant to help you grow and challenge you, they travel in the same "pack" as you through the lifetimes, constantly by your side. Soul mates are usually your family, closest friends, they help guide you to become your most genuine self, a step in the great staircase that will help you on the way to enlightenment.

One receives many soul mates throughout their life time, because they are meant to teach important life lessons. Many believe that after you've learned the particular lesson from one soul mate, the relationship with them has run it's course - it isn't to say that you learn the lesson and just toss them aside, you just don't feel the same for them anymore, especially romantically. One can meet a soul mate as they would normally, and you may just have them through many life times.

A Twin Flame is that person who is the other half of your own soul who mirrors your own soul back to you, it is one soul energy in two physical bodies who perfectly compliment each other, you both will embody the aspects of Yin and Yang.

For one - usually considered "the chaser" - they feel as if they are finally home, sometimes this will be felt in both persons' souls, sometimes for the other soul - usually called "the runner" - like their world has been completely turned upside-down, but for both souls the relationship will be the most intense relationship one has ever felt in their entire life, it can be quite overwhelming at times and unique for every relationship. They are your ultimate teacher, friend, partner and lover. As the mirror to each other, you will reflect back to them all of their hidden fears and darkest parts while also echo their strength and beauty.

There are several stages to the Twin Flame path to union:
1) Yearning for "The One", 2) Glimpsing "The One", 3) Falling in Love, 4) The Fairy-Tale Relationship, 5) Outer Turmoil and Inner Purging, 6) The Runner and Chaser, 7) Surrender and Dissolution, 8) Oneness.

Stage One: At this stage, you usually spend your entire life looking for "the one," the person who will perfectly complete you, and though you may never date or you go through soul mates you feel that they will appear in your life at some point. It is at this stage that you begin to prepare for the arrival of your Twin on an unconscious level. For some people they are taught to learn to love themselves, for others they develop an awareness, discovery, and understanding of themselves or the things around them in their lives.

~*~

Stage Two: There will be a point in your life in which you will gain an insight of your Twin Flame; this usually occurs through meeting in real life or a vision by dream, but you will have a sense that it is them - at first you might not be sure, but the feeling probably won't leave you. You'll want to get to know this person much better, maybe get to know as much of them as possible or they may be strangely - strange for them - very open to you about certain things, especially difficult things that have happened to them throughout their lives, things they wouldn't normally tell a stranger. Despite this, you feel that they are an exception, that they are special.

~*~

Stage Three: Like Icarus after flying too close to the Sun, when you fall for your person, you fall very hard; it may take you by surprise either because you had never felt so deeply for someone before or you always promised yourself that you would never do something so irresponsible with your heart, in your own eyes. As you get to know your Twin Flame, you fall even more in love with them, which will feel quite unlike who you are. You may try to resist the attraction, telling yourself that it isn't logical or that you were supposed to take things slow, but the pull to being home finally will probably be just too strong.

~*~

Stage Four: The feelings for each other can no longer be held back, the cauldron has been boiling and the only way to turn down the heat is by accepting it. When you begin your relationship, the both of you are perfect for each other in every way! It will appear that your Twin Flame fulfills your every need and makes you feel as if you are floating on Cloud 9 or one step closer to Heaven/Valhalla/the Duat.

~*~

Stage Five: It is at this stage that the Personal Ego begins to awaken and flare up like bad acne. Differences of opinion begin to emerge, personality changes - not everyone will always stay the same but this is definitely different than the person you have come to recently know - and old wounds from the heart of spirit begin to consistently develop. "While our Twin Flames share and mirror our deepest needs, desires, and dreams, they also tend to mirror our Shadow Selves" (Luna). If you tend to hold your emotions back, the dam will break. If you are arrogant and self-righteous, your Twin will be quiet and ambiguous. Where you once perfectly mirrored each other and brought balance, your opposites will now come to light and take over. "In this way our Twin Flames challenge us, riling up our insecurities. This can be infuriating, devastating, and very painful" (Luna). Although this seems like the end of the world, it is necessary for your personal growth, as well as the growth of your Twin Flame union! Without seeing each other for who you both truly are, you will continue to live in a place of illusion - in the honey-moon phase.

~*~

Stage Six: This is the game of cat and mouse, a trial by fire, in which one Twin is the "runner" who runs from their emotions, the intensity of the Twin Flame relationship, and even from the painful things that they could potentially do to hurt their Twin. They withdraw back into themselves and their old bad habits, falling back on what they know rather than delving deeper into their awakening. The "chaser" is not meant to chase after the Twin that has run, despite their title. Instead, they are meant to chase after themselves and their own awakening, down the path that the Universe is leading them towards. Sometimes life takes them onto a completely different path than the one they themselves are on right now, since they tend to be more mentally and emotionally mature of the two at the moment, trying to seek to understand and make amends at times even. There are times that this isn't a physical separation in the Twin Flame relationship, sometimes it's just emotionally or the Twins take a break from each other, other times the Twins separate completely and may even result in the permanent termination of the union. As stated before, this is a trial by fire; this will test both of the Twins as well as the relationship. While apart, it is up to the Twins to mature their souls by themselves, which can be as long as months or even years.

~*~

Stage Seven: "After so much anguish, distress, and provocation, you both begin to open up about your wounds and insecurities" (Luna). This is when the both of you have set your pride and ego aside, you have become more aware of your faults, where you went wrong, and how you can strengthen your relationship and work together through your difficulties.

Stage Eight: "In stage eight it is common for you to both find a shared meaning, passion, or cause that brings you a mutual sense of fulfillment" (Luna). You both will begin to be sensitive to forgiveness, empathy, and especially patience. This is the stage in which the ego will die as you reach a form of enlightenment by working together and see that it becomes easier to do - especially when it comes to communicating and enjoy miraculous work.

* * * * *

Twin Flame Signs

There are many signs that will help you to distinguish if you have, indeed, found your twin flame. Somethings are not coincidence.

• You feel a strange and peculiar sense of "recognition" when you meet, as if you have finally come home, or you feel a sense of deja vu. 
• You established an immediate and deeply intense connection with each other that shocks either just you or the both of you.
• Again, you feel like you have finally found a home or that you finally came home.
• You embody the aspects of Yin and Yang, your darkness is balanced by their light and their light is balanced by your dark - or vice versa.
• You have the feeling that they are extremely important to you without even knowing why, when, or how.
• They make you a better person, even in the smallest ways; they help you to be happier, optimistic, or more responsible. 
• You both are attuned to each others' energy and can telepathically communicate or just tell if there's something wrong. What this means is you both are connected to each others' spiritual consciousness, and have a high level of empathy towards  what they are feeling. This could be you know what the other is thinking before they say anything, or you know what each other is feeling. This can include knowing when they are talking or thinking about you, or when they push you away.
• You both have connected deeply and echo each others' aspirations and core values for life.
• Your childhoods were opposites or even polar opposites.
• One of you is more aware and spiritually mature than the other and will serve as the teacher, counselor, or confidant in the relationship to help them become more aware - just be careful not to turn into an enabler. 
• You are taught important life lessons, as well as they are; this can include patience, empathy, forgiveness, open-mindedness, and gratitude. 
• Your connection is multi-faceted. Meaning, your Twin is your best friend, teacher, lover, nurturer, and muse all in one.
• Your Twin Flame doesn't try to change, rather they accept who you are and encourage you to grow into the person you want to be or they see that you can be.
• You can tell each other the truth about anything, no matter how painful.
• The both of you - or even just the aware one - feels driven towards a higher purpose.
• You may be able to remember past life memories with this person, and recall vivid details from your previous experiences together.
• Despite sharing the same soul, your Twin and you could share significant differences that balance each other out; this could be in personality, demeanor, likes and dislikes, and even dreams
• When you first came together, you were probably in a relationship already or was healing from a relationship that had just ended, and either one of you or both just didn't feel prepared to come together quite yet.
• Despite the hardships of life, you both continue to evolve together and make each other better.
• Your Twin takes you to new depths of your souls that you never knew existed before meeting them. They may even show you a light to your darkness that you never thought you would deserve, and it will be scary, but also thrilling.
• No matter what annoys you or your Twin about each other, there are certain things - bad habits or personality traits - that you overlook, because of your unconditional love for them.
• Due to your instant connection, your relationship may move pretty fast or be rushed - this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it could just be that you both are ready to make up for lost time, don't fight the flow, but do try to not move too fast.

~* * * * *~

There is just so much to this wonderful Union, so much information, so much intensity. When I discovered that I was in my own Twin Flame union, I thought I was crazy; I looked to my sister for advice and she thought I was crazy too, since neither one of us had ever had a relationship similar to this at all. Many people told me, when my Twin and I had reached the Separation Stage, that I should let him go and give up on him, but in my heart of hearts it felt wrong. Instead of taking my anger, frustrations, and stress on him and blaming him for everything, I sought to understand, to learn as much as I could about this Twin Flame union, to see where we both potentially went wrong and where we got it right.

I will be making a series of posts committed to the Twin Flame relationship so that others who are in a position such as myself to seek to understand. You didn't do wrong; you loved deeply and completely, but if you are the Chaser, such as myself, you just felt too deeply and your Twin Flame Runner wasn't ready to experience it all as fully as you were. This doesn't mean you were in the wrong or that they were in the wrong, it just means you both weren't ready for the full experience of this beautiful and spiritual union. That is why you are going through the stages of separation, to focus on yourself and to raise your own spiritual vibrations. 

~*****~

10 Signs You’ve Found Your Twin Flame

"10 Signs You’Ve Found Your Twin Flame". 2015. Power Of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude. Accessed May 30 2019. https://www.powerofpositivity.com/10-signs-youve-found-your-twin-flame/.

Anon

2019. Lonerwolf.Com. Accessed May 30 2019. https://lonerwolf.com/twin-flame/.

Hurst, K.

Hurst, Katherine. 2018. "Mirror Soul Meaning: Twin Flames Stages And Signs". The Law Of Attraction. Accessed May 30 2019. http://www.thelawofattraction.com/twin-flames/.

The Internet Classics Archive | Symposium by Plato

"The Internet Classics Archive | Symposium By Plato". 2019. Classics.Mit.Edu. Accessed May 30 2019. http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/symposium

Luna, A.

Luna, Aletheia. 2015. "8 Twin Flame Stages – Are You Experiencing This? ⋆ Lonerwolf". Lonerwolf. Accessed May 30 2019. https://lonerwolf.com/twin-flame-stages/.

The Twin Flame - Forever Conscious

"The Twin Flame - Forever Conscious". 2015. Forever Conscious. Accessed May 30 2019. https://foreverconscious.com/the-twin-flame.

V., A. and V., A.

V., Andreea, and Andreea V. 2018. "7 Twin Flame Stages You Need To Go Through To Reunite With Your Soulmate". Learning Mind. Accessed May 30 2019. https://www.learning-mind.com/twin-flame-stages/.

Your Twin Flame Is Your Energetic Equal, Here's How To Tell If You've Found Them

"Your Twin Flame Is Your Energetic Equal, Here's How To Tell If You've Found Them". 2017. Elite Daily. Accessed May 30 2019. https://www.elitedaily.com/life/twin-flame-energetic-equal-heres-tell-youve-found/1899291.

How To Work Spells - Introduction Exercise

Alright everyone, merry meet, and let's get started! Today we are going to be learning more about spells: making them, using them, all the shabam! The book that I will be using is called Wicca Power Spells by Aurora; I'm just taking concepts from it, so don't worry and I will be including some other cool stuff. You may want to take some notes and write this stuff in your Book of Shadows so it can help you later! So, let's get started!

When you use magic (please don't judge before you hear me out!) don't be mislead or misunderstood about it. Magic is not supernatural. Magic is actually one of the most natural forces in the world! Only people who fear it call it supernatural, so try to learn what magic really is and how to respect it, because there's nothing to be afraid of if you respect it.

Magic is considered the projection of natural energies to produce needed effects. Say you are doing a love spell just to make yourself more attractive to someone; the energy required for that is positive and love energy. Where better to get that energy from than the Earth? The energy that it gives off is natural and clean (except what us humans have done to it).

There are three main sources of energy in the Universe (but let's just stick to the world for now so it's not a lot to take in). It's important to know what kinds of energy we are talking about when we cast spells.

The first kind is personal energy. This is our own personal life force. We take in energy from the sun, water, and food, and we release it through exercise, movement, and even as we exhale.

The second type of energy is earth energy. This is the energy found within our planet. Each natural element has its own power which can be used in magic: earth, trees, stones, wind, fire, and crystals are some examples of earth energy.

The third, most powerful type of energy, is divine power. This is the energy that makes up the entire Universe (world). This is higher power energy, life force-whatever you want to call it. It's the universal (world) power source, and it's what we tap into when we perform magic.

Those times when we just say a simple, quick chant, we are performing magic. Either to protect us, to help us pass a test, or to feel confident, magic is being used.

When using a spell, there's one, very important, VERY, to concentrate! You have to focus on what it is that you really want when you cast a spell and you have to really feel it! You can't just burn some candles and say some magic words-you have to actually MEAN what you say.

And keep very well in mind to remember the Wiccan Rede. Even though some of you won't be following the Wiccan path, it's not against the rules to mix and match things like a really awesome and personalized outfit, because there are no rules about that! Still, remember that when you cast a spell, it's not supposed to harm anyone! If you intend your spells to harm someone, you will create negative energy. This means your spells are going to backfire on you or have consequences that you did not intend. YOU ARE WARNED!

Now, let's talk about the divine powers that should help us with our spells. In Wicca, Wiccans believe in a lord and a lady, a god and goddess. For us/you, you can use different deities. Like the last post I did, it can be your patrons or it can be totally different gods that are required for you spell. It doesn't mean you need to believe in them in order to practice spells, but you need to be able to focus on a higher power, and the power of nature. If you can do this, then you are on a roll!

Keep in mind that magic is working with higher powers of the Universe (world) to create a better world for you or for others. It all depends on who or what your spell(s) are intended for.

While reading this book, I read that there are certain tools needed in order to cast spells. This is news to me and this may be news to you, so let's get a look at that list!

Believe it or not, some of the tools needed are actually used to stereotype witches: the broomstick, the cauldron, and the magic wand, all are important parts to certain rituals. Here's what they are used for:

The broom is used to purify and cleanse the space you are doing magic in. As you sweep, you are sweeping away any bad energy that can interfere with your magic. A classic broom is made of ash, birch, and willow. These kind of woods are protective and purifying. Of course, any broom will do the job, so you don't have anything to worry about.

A magic wand is used to direct and channel energy, and to invoke the god and goddess. You can use just about any fairly straight piece of wood as your magic wand. You may decide to decorate your wand, carve it or paint it as you choose. Make it special to you and feel free to personalize it.

Another important tool for casting spells is incense. Our sense of smell is very powerful, and certain smells create very potent magical effects. You can use stick or cone incense, or buy a special granulated kind from occult stores. (Specific spells will call for specific scents, so watch out in case you want those exact ones.)

The cauldron is the container in which transformations occur. It is your very own tool for creation. Usually, cauldrons are made of iron and rests on three legs, but they are kind of hard to find, so you can always brew whatever it is you need in a pot on the stove or a substitute. Remember, it's the intention that matters when it comes to magic!

Candles are very important when practicing magic. Most spells require you to light candles, or use them to contain energy. You can use any candles you wish, although certain spells will require a specific color. We'll get more into that later, but not too much later. Herbs and essential oils are also important for spell casting and potion making. so watch out for those too.

You will also need a place to practice you magic; your alter. I have already gone over what it is that you should need for this, so don't worry about this!

Last, but not least at all, is your Book of Shadows. This is your personal book of magic and a record of everything you do (a combination of your personal journal and a spell book). This I have also went over, so if you have already created your amazing, elaborate Book of Shadows, great! If you haven't, that's still good, you can use a substitute notebook and then place all your information into it. I suggest, this I forgot to add, that you write your spells and things in hand because it makes it more personal, but if not that doesn't disrupt the magic! Don't worry!

When doing a spell, two common elements that is included during a spell are the magic circle and the alter. The circle is a powerful tool. It's the space where you magic will happen. It is a sacred space that only you can create for yourself. The magic circle protects the witch from the forces that he or she is raising. It's also used to shut out any energy or forces from outside which will interfere with the ritual. The circle also contains your own personal power while you are working magic, holding and channeling it for your purposes. Essentially, the circle creates the atmosphere for all the magic you will do. It is a sphere of energy that forms the boundaries of your magical space. As you set up your circle, try to feel its energy moving around you. focus on creating your perfect magical space, the place where you can access your true power.

Now, let's talk about "raising your power" stuff. There are different ways to tap into the power that runs through your veins. First of all, anyone can cast a powerful magical spell. If you think you're not powerful enough, or not magical enough, or you're still skeptical about this, don't worry! You will be able to perform very effective magic, if you can follow some pretty simple instructions.

There is a very important principle that underlies all magic spells you perform; some people call it The Secret or the Law of Attraction, but the point is you WILL attract what you think about and focus on. That is how powerful your mind is! If you focus on protection, like you REALLY focus, then it will be given. Call it Faith if you'd like, but it's not just faith in the divine or in the Earth, it's mainly faith in yourself. And if you do not of faith in yourself, your spells will not work. You have to put your ENTIRE BEING into achieving your goal.

Here is an example: making negative statements WILL cancel out any positive energy created by your spell. This basically means that the spell won't work. How great is that? (Sarcasm). When you cast a spell, you need to be CONFIDENT that it WILL work, that it WILL succeed. In fact, the more confident you are, the more successful your spell is likely to be.

--->So I can tell that you are just SO excited to tap into that river or power that flows right through you, am I right? Great! Let's start with an exercise. First, we are going to tap into our personal energy. Find a comfortable place to sit and make your breathing long, deep, and slow; like meditation. 

FEEL your body relax and your mind get quiet; begin to ignore the outside world and its problems, tune into yourself. Now, start rubbing your palms together, taking deep and calming breaths. Do this for about twenty seconds, or when you feel like stopping. Start slowly, and then rub faster and faster; go at the tempo you want/need though. Now, feel your muscles begin to tense up. Feel your palms begin to get warmer. Stop. Hold your palms about two inches apart. Can you feel them tingling? This is the energy that you have built and released, and it's now flowing through your hands!

Once you have created this energy, you can now try to manipulate it. Using your mind and powers of visualization, give this energy a color, like your favorite color. Form it into a ball of pulsing energy and let it move between your hands. Now, you can make it bigger or smaller as you choose. And finally you can choose to let it return to your body. Simply let it flow back into your palms into your arms, and be absorbed by your body again.

Once you have practiced with your personal energy, it's time to start sensing Earth energy. For this exercise, find a plant. Any herbs,plants, or flowers will work-but it's better if they are still growing, not cut. Now, breathe deeply for a few moments and, like before, relax yourself. Hold your left palm a few inches above the plant now. Focus your awareness on your palm. Think about the following: what do you feel? Is it a dull throbbing, a hum, a wave of heat, or a kind of energy shift in your hand? If you can feel something different, then you are feeling the energy of the plant. You can do this exercise with any natural object: stones, crystals, and trees for example. They all have their own earth energy.

For many reasons, it's better to draw energy from the earth and other natural objects when you are performing magic. Using your personal energy is very draining and this enhances your own power with earth energy, making your spells more effective.

The power, as you may guess, comes from the divine. When you perform magic, you are asking the divine to contribute this power to your spell. You may be able to sense this incredible power as you are doing a spell. Over all, divine energy is what makes magic truly magical.

To help, let's just get an idea of what we learned in this post:

You have learned more about the meaning of magic

You have learned all bout the three types of energy and how to tap into them

You have learned exercises to help yourself feel this energy

You have learned of the supplies needed to perform magic

You are ready to practice real, effective spells

Blessed Be!

Divination 101 - The Tarot Deck - Tarot Spreads

Now that we have a good (if a firm then great!) understanding of the Tarot Deck and the meaning of it's cards, let us move on to Tarot Spreads. There are MANY different Spreads you can do, so you have the choice of the world! When I recieved my deck, there were a few ideas of the Spreads I could do, and most likely when you get your deck you may recieve one. The most popular spread is the three card spread --> Past, Present, Future.

Basically, for this spread, you shuffle your deck, cut it into three smaller decks and you flip the first card on the top. This spread is popular because of the simplicity of it, and it helps to create a focus for you. When you do shuffle your deck, either do it three or nine times, because those are powerful numbers. Like I said, there are a lot of other spreads that anyone can do, such as Major Arcana Spreads. These spreads are for each Major Arcana card in the deck, because they are themes. Also, before I forget, it is crucial for all of you to learn this specific spread: The Celtic Cross. This spread is the most commonly known because it helps to give more of an insight for one's question.

This is the Celtic Cross Spread. If you are just now beginning, it is a must that you know this, because this will help you the most. Here is a video that helps to explain better and take her advice accountable, because it really worked for me. Also, I will post the website that has some pretty good Tarot Spreads for you to try. If it works, let us all know!!!

Blessed Be!

http://thaliatook.com/AMGG/tarot.html





Divination 101 - The Tarot Deck

Divination is the practice of reading the future or the unknown. 

There are many ways to practice Divination, but one of my absolute favorites is the Tarot Deck. The Tarot Deck is basically a deck of 78 cards. There are two lists that help to make up this deck: The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. These two are different because the Minor Arcana is most like a pack of regular cards while the Major are universal themes for the deck. Here is a list:

Major Arcana
0. The Fool
I. The Magician
II. The High Priestess
III. The Empress
IV. The Emperor
V. The Hierophant
VI. The Lovers
VII. The Chariot
VIII. Justice
IX. The Hermit
X. Fortune
XI. Strength
XII. The Hanged Man
XIII. Death
XIV. Temperance
XV. The Devil
XVI. The Tower
XVII. The Star
XVIII. The Moon
XIX. The Sun
XX. Judgement
XXI. The World

Minor Arcana

While the major arcana expresses universal themes, the minor arcana brings those themes down into the practical arena to show how they operate in daily events. The minor arcana cards represent the concerns, activities and emotions that make up the dramas of our everyday lives.
There are 56 cards in the minor arcana divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. ~ Each of these suits stands for a particular approach to life.~

• Wands
  The Wands are the suit of creativity, action and movement. They are associated with such qualities as enthusiasm, adventure, risk-taking and confidence. This suit corresponds to the yang, or masculine principle, in Chinese philosophy and is associated with the element Fire. A flickering flame is the perfect symbol of the Wands force. This energy flows outward and generates passionate involvement.
• Cups
  The Cups are the suit of emotions and spiritual experience. They describe inner states, feelings and relationship patterns. The energy of this suit flows inward. Cups correspond to the yin, or feminine principle, in Chinese philosophy and are associated with the element Water. The ability of water to flow and fill up spaces, to sustain and to reflect changing moods makes it the ideal symbol of the Cups suit.
• Swords
  The Swords are the suit of intellect, thought and reason. They are concerned with justice, truth and ethical principles. Swords are associated with the element Air. A cloudless sky, open and light-filled, is a symbol of the mental clarity that is the Swords ideal. This suit is also associated with states that lead to disharmony and unhappiness. Our intellect is a valuable asset, but as an agent of ego, it can lead us astray if it is not infused with the wisdom of our Inner Guide.
• Pentacles
  The Pentacles are the suit of practicality, security and material concerns. They are associated with the element Earth and the concrete requirements of working with matter. In Pentacles, we celebrate the beauty of nature, our interactions with plants and animals and our physical experiences in the body. Pentacles also represent prosperity and wealth of all kinds. Sometimes this suit is called the Coins, an obvious symbol of the exchange of goods and services in the physical world.

Each minor arcana suit has a distinct quality all its own. Our everyday experiences are a blend of these four approaches. Your tarot readings will show you how the different suit energies are impacting your life at any given moment. The suits are structured much as our everyday playing cards with ten numbered cards (Ace - Ten) and four court cards (King, Queen, Knight and Page). Each card has a role to play in showing how its energy expresses in the world.

• Aces
  An Ace announces the themes of its suit. The Ace of Cups stands for love, emotions, intuition, and intimacy - ideas that are explored in the other cards of the Cups suit. An Ace always represents positive forces. It is the standard-bearer for the best its suit has to offer.
• Middle Cards
  Each of the middle, numbered cards presents a different aspect of a suit. The Wands explore such themes as personal power (card 2), leadership (card 3), excitement (card 4) and competition (card 5). A card may approach an idea from several angles. The Five of Pentacles shows the many faces of want - hard times (material want), ill health (physical want), and rejection (emotional want).
• Tens
  A Ten takes the themes introduced by an Ace to their logical conclusion. If you take the love, intimacy and emotions of the Ace of Cups to their ultimate, you have the joy, peace and family love of the Ten of Cups.
• Court Cards
  The court cards are people with personalities that reflect the qualities of their suit and rank. The court cards show us certain ways of being in the world so that we can use (or avoid!) those styles when appropriate.
  • A King is mature and masculine. He is a doer whose focus is outward on the events of life. He demonstrates authority, control and mastery in some area associated with his suit. A King's style is strong, assertive and direct. He is concerned with results and practical, how-to matters.
  • A Queen is mature and feminine. She embodies the qualities of her suit, rather than acting them out. Her focus is inward, and her style, relaxed and natural. A Queen is less concerned with results than with the enjoyment of just being in the world. She is associated with feelings, relationships and self-expression.
  • A Knight is an immature teenager. He cannot express himself with balance. He swings wildly from one extreme to another as he tries to relate successfully to his world. A Knight is prone to excess, but he is also eager and sincere, and these qualities redeem him in our eyes. We admire his spirit and energy.
  • A Page is a playful child. He acts out the qualities of his suit with pleasure and abandon. His approach may not be deep, but it is easy, loose and spontaneous. He is a symbol of adventure and possibility.

You now have a basic idea of the role of each card in the tarot deck. You have a feel for how they all fit together and what each one contributes to the whole. Soon you will learn more about these cards and how to interpret them in your readings.

Choosing a First Tarot Deck

Here are some points to consider if you are choosing your first deck:

1. Choose a deck that makes you feel comfortable and secure, but also inspired. Since you will be spending a lot of time with your cards, you don't want to pick a deck that strikes you as odd, unpleasant or boring. Later, you may seek out unusual decks for the challenges and insights they offer, but it's better to start with one that attracts you. If a certain deck calls out to you, go with that one!
2. There is no official tarot deck. Decks come in many different forms, but the "standard" deck has 78 cards with 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards divided into 4 suits. Most decks are built on this model. You should probably stick with a standard deck to start so that you are familiar with the most common format.
3. Many decks are oriented around a theme. This is especially true of modern decks. Typically, the images, the names of the suits and the court card figures reflect this theme. If you choose a deck with a theme, be sure it is one that suits you and that has lasting appeal.
4. The Rider-Waite is probably the most common deck in the United States, and many tarot decks are based on it as well. Cards in these decks often have the same subject matter as the Rider-Waite, but are drawn with a different style and artwork. The Universal Waite is essentially a copy of the Rider-Waite, but with softer colors and less contrast. The Albano-Waite has bright, unusual coloration. Here's a side-by-side comparison of some cards from the two decks.
5. In some tarot decks, the pip cards, or numbered suit cards, all have unique picture scenes. In other decks, these cards simply show the suit symbol repeated the appropriate number of times (similar to regular playing cards). Some people like these symbolic decks, but for learning and memorization, it is often easier to have the pictures.
6. Some newer tarot decks have been created in the spirit of light-hearted fun. Two examples are the Halloween Tarot and the Silicon Valley Tarot. These decks are amusing, but not the best choices for deeper, more thoughtful tarot work.

In formation came from this website: http://www.learntarot.com/decks1.htm

Pagan Gods - The Great and Powerful

Beings that have been immortal and all knowing has been known through every culture in the world. One thing that most cultures have in common is that their Gods reflect those of Nature or of Man. In Hinduism you can see that the Gods clearly depict that of Nature and have been worshiped as two beings - the darkness and the light of each person; this, I believe, is because of the belief in reincarnation. If humans can be reincarnated, why not Gods? (Also, Hinduism is a mixture of multiple beliefs and these beliefs are recorded in the Upanishads).

But, there are many Gods that represent many of the same ideals. I'll give you a list of some of the people who have been known to have Gods (and there may be more) that house these major Gods and you may do away with it as you will. But, just remember, there is a God and/or a Goddess out there for you, and they will be very close to you (a mother/father, sister/brother, aunt/uncle, or a best friend). Take good care in whom you choose and who has chosen you. Blessed Be.

• Egyptian
• Greek
• Roman
• Hindu
• Norse
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Mongolian
• Hawaiian
• Native American 
• Mayan
• Aztec/Mexica
• Inca
• Cherokee
• Mohawk
• Navajo
• Blackfoot

SO MANY GODS!

p.s. I, like many others, have a strong connection to the Ancient Egyptian beliefs and I feel a good connection to Anubis, because I have always faulted and have needed the guidance of an older brother, but I hope to find a mother-like figure for me. It may be Isis, Bast, or maybe even Sekhmet. If anyone has a good and clear way of finding who your God/Goddess is, it may be helpful to others, but here is a good site that I found that may be of use. Good luck!