My aim was to create a card that would actually connect with the Renaissance theme and Greek mythology but still be a credible card that would not seem too out of place. So far, the results are lookin' good.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Art Project
My aim was to create a card that would actually connect with the Renaissance theme and Greek mythology but still be a credible card that would not seem too out of place. So far, the results are lookin' good.
Tarot Spreads
Before I started taking my Tarot class, I practiced using the Celtic Cross spread since it was the only one that my little pamphlet explained in detail. I had no idea that there was a three card spread--it would have made my life so much easier if I started with the simpler version first. Oh well.
Which spread do I prefer? It really depends on what kind of reading that I am doing. If someone comes to me with a dream that they wish to be interpreted, the three-card is ideal. If a non-believer or newbie asks for a reading, the Celtic Cross spread gives me more of a chance to wow them with the analysis that the cards provide, seeing as how it gets more in depth with more cards to read. I have found that a general rule of thumb is to use the Celtic Cross for complex questions and the Three-card spread for the simple questions. But seeing how I am considered human, sometimes I just am not in the mood to evaluate seven cards, so three is more appealing.
I have also learned that if one really feels the need to get an answer, both spreads can used. For example, if the Empress major arcana card appeared as my "External Influences" in the Celtic Cross, I could then draw three more cards from the deck to glean some more information and hopefully understand the meaning a little bit better.
The person I did a reading for asked the question: Am I going to have a successful college career? I pulled up the following cards:
Three Card Spread Reading
Celtic Cross
1. Empress (upside down)
2. Emperor
3. The Sun
4. Nine of Staves (upside down)
5. The Tower
6. Eight of Cups (upside down)
7. The Angel
8. The Hierophant
9. The Devil
10.The Moon
Both spreads said that she needs to be aware of the present factors that were causing her to not reach her full potential (self-doubt and lack of control in her own life). Both cards even had the Sun for past which has to do with vitality. However, she said that she prefers the results from the Celtic Cross because it gave her clues as to what the external factors/influences and possible outcomes in a better manner than the three card spread. She remarked that the Celtic spread was scarily accurate!
Friday, November 18, 2016
Center for Academic Advising Selfie
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
SYMBOLISM!!
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| Hades and Cerberus God of the Underworld, Death |
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| Feathered hat the killing of enemy combatants, a nod to the wealthy |
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| skeleton Death, mortality, resurrection, "all is vanity" |
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| Broken mirror Reflects negative/positive actions, youth & beauty |
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Pope's mitre
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| Coins Wealth |
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Scythe
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Monday, October 24, 2016
Bones over Horns
The question of the day is thus: Would I pick a different tarot card now that I am more familiar with their traditional meanings?
My original card from the second blog post was the Devil. I already knew that he was often used as a symbol of submitting to one's most baser instincts/temptation. And I definitely took advantage of both the class reading material Tarot for Life by Paul Quinn as well as the little booklet that comes with the deck of tarot cards in order to fully understand the meaning of that card in particular. I knew what that card meant then and I still do presently. The only thing is, I picked out the Devil card randomly and now that I have a choice, I believe that there is a card that is slightly more on track with how I am feeling about myself.
This handsome bag of bones is more like me, I would say. The Death card is more about starting over (slightly positive undertones) and that is exactly what is going on in my life right now. I have left behind parts of myself from when I was younger and I have now moved on to becoming an adult and learning the ways of the responsible grown-up (shudders). And now that I am attending university, that counts as starting over; new lifestyles, new environment, new challenges, and new beginnings. That's right, this girl is making her way through life with a feather in her cap and a string of cadavers behind her.
My original card from the second blog post was the Devil. I already knew that he was often used as a symbol of submitting to one's most baser instincts/temptation. And I definitely took advantage of both the class reading material Tarot for Life by Paul Quinn as well as the little booklet that comes with the deck of tarot cards in order to fully understand the meaning of that card in particular. I knew what that card meant then and I still do presently. The only thing is, I picked out the Devil card randomly and now that I have a choice, I believe that there is a card that is slightly more on track with how I am feeling about myself.
This handsome bag of bones is more like me, I would say. The Death card is more about starting over (slightly positive undertones) and that is exactly what is going on in my life right now. I have left behind parts of myself from when I was younger and I have now moved on to becoming an adult and learning the ways of the responsible grown-up (shudders). And now that I am attending university, that counts as starting over; new lifestyles, new environment, new challenges, and new beginnings. That's right, this girl is making her way through life with a feather in her cap and a string of cadavers behind her.
Il Diablo e Il Sole
IL DIABLO
1. To what do you feel bound or enslaved, and what will free you?
Like a lot of people, I feel enslaved to the American financial system. I feel that it was made for the sole purpose of belittling the American people and making sure that they feel overworked and inadequate all of the time. When I had to sign the terms of agreement for my student loans, I honestly felt like I had just signed away my life. And, in fact, I probably did sign away my soul, because, for the next few decades, I am going to be scrambling to pay off as much of the debts as I can. The banks may say that "they are investing in us" but when I see that five- or six- digit number, am I truly feel worthy of that investment? The only thing that can free me from this burden is either moving to Germany where a university education is free or having a large sum of money.
2. What negative trait that you possess has only recently come to your awareness?
Until recently, I saw my ability to keep my emotions to myself as a positive trait. I could want to rip your head off and watch your body burn but smile at you as if you were my best friend. I could be in excruciating pain but still manage to get through the day without anyone knowing (unless I wanted them to know). I can keep my tears in so you may shed yours. I always used to think that bottling up my emotions would keep me safe from scrutiny or pity but it only seems to be threatening to bubble over and set off the smoke detector.
3. What fears get in the way of living your life, and how can you move through them?
My fear of failure keeps me from living my life. Not very new, I know. It seems that I cannot live life without making sure that there is a safety net somewhere for me to rely on. My worst nightmare would be for me to take a huge risk in life and end up bleeding my heart out all over the ground where everyone can see.
4. Who or what brings out the worst in you, and how do you allow it?
Please do not judge me for saying this, but my family, more often than not, brings out the worst in me. For example, whenever I am around my mother, people comment on how I look depressed or how I need to not be so serious. I cannot help it. While she may be a very negative force in my life, it is very difficult to separate myself from her because I am part of her DNA and I cannot refute her. It is something that I have to learn to deal with.
5. In what ways do you sabotage your own well-being and success?
Every time that I look in the mirror in the morning and tell myself that I am worthless and ugly, I sabotage my well-being. When I think negatively about my future or my test scores, I am undoubtedly inhibiting my success. I have proven to be my own worst enemy.
6. What personal "demons" have you reconciled or conquered?
I have only just started my journey of self-reconciliation, therefore there is not much for me to say on this particular matter.
IL SOLE
1. What is your most powerful form of self-expression? (Where do you shine?)
I shine brightest when it comes to my knack for making people feel better about themselves. I have even been told on multiple occasions that I should become a motivational speaker. I know what makes certain people smile, I know when they need a comforting hand, and I have the drive to do it. (I know that it is technically not a form of self-expression, so pish-posh)
2. What doubts or insecurities have you overcome?
Now that I am writing this blog post assignment for a college class, I can say that I have overcome my insecurities about graduating high school and moving on to higher education. I am here, and here is where I plan to stay for the next four years.
3. Who championed you and helped you appreciate or develop your gifts and talents?
I would like to give the credit to my Bubba back in Boston for really helping me to appreciate my gifts when few others did. He was the one who made sure I always had a book to read and made sure that I knew I was both academically and spiritually gifted. If you are reading this Bubba, bhagavaan bhala kare.
4. What could you do to bring more joy in your life?
I could work on doing the things that I love most instead of trying to do what someone else wants me to do. By being a theatre major, I bring a little more joy into my life everyday.
5. What are you most optimistic about?
I am most optimistic about succeeding in life so that I may show off to all of the people who doubt me and say "Look at me now".
1. To what do you feel bound or enslaved, and what will free you?
Like a lot of people, I feel enslaved to the American financial system. I feel that it was made for the sole purpose of belittling the American people and making sure that they feel overworked and inadequate all of the time. When I had to sign the terms of agreement for my student loans, I honestly felt like I had just signed away my life. And, in fact, I probably did sign away my soul, because, for the next few decades, I am going to be scrambling to pay off as much of the debts as I can. The banks may say that "they are investing in us" but when I see that five- or six- digit number, am I truly feel worthy of that investment? The only thing that can free me from this burden is either moving to Germany where a university education is free or having a large sum of money.
2. What negative trait that you possess has only recently come to your awareness?
Until recently, I saw my ability to keep my emotions to myself as a positive trait. I could want to rip your head off and watch your body burn but smile at you as if you were my best friend. I could be in excruciating pain but still manage to get through the day without anyone knowing (unless I wanted them to know). I can keep my tears in so you may shed yours. I always used to think that bottling up my emotions would keep me safe from scrutiny or pity but it only seems to be threatening to bubble over and set off the smoke detector.
3. What fears get in the way of living your life, and how can you move through them?
My fear of failure keeps me from living my life. Not very new, I know. It seems that I cannot live life without making sure that there is a safety net somewhere for me to rely on. My worst nightmare would be for me to take a huge risk in life and end up bleeding my heart out all over the ground where everyone can see.
4. Who or what brings out the worst in you, and how do you allow it?
Please do not judge me for saying this, but my family, more often than not, brings out the worst in me. For example, whenever I am around my mother, people comment on how I look depressed or how I need to not be so serious. I cannot help it. While she may be a very negative force in my life, it is very difficult to separate myself from her because I am part of her DNA and I cannot refute her. It is something that I have to learn to deal with.
5. In what ways do you sabotage your own well-being and success?
Every time that I look in the mirror in the morning and tell myself that I am worthless and ugly, I sabotage my well-being. When I think negatively about my future or my test scores, I am undoubtedly inhibiting my success. I have proven to be my own worst enemy.
6. What personal "demons" have you reconciled or conquered?
I have only just started my journey of self-reconciliation, therefore there is not much for me to say on this particular matter.
IL SOLE
1. What is your most powerful form of self-expression? (Where do you shine?)
I shine brightest when it comes to my knack for making people feel better about themselves. I have even been told on multiple occasions that I should become a motivational speaker. I know what makes certain people smile, I know when they need a comforting hand, and I have the drive to do it. (I know that it is technically not a form of self-expression, so pish-posh)
2. What doubts or insecurities have you overcome?
Now that I am writing this blog post assignment for a college class, I can say that I have overcome my insecurities about graduating high school and moving on to higher education. I am here, and here is where I plan to stay for the next four years.
3. Who championed you and helped you appreciate or develop your gifts and talents?
I would like to give the credit to my Bubba back in Boston for really helping me to appreciate my gifts when few others did. He was the one who made sure I always had a book to read and made sure that I knew I was both academically and spiritually gifted. If you are reading this Bubba, bhagavaan bhala kare.
4. What could you do to bring more joy in your life?
I could work on doing the things that I love most instead of trying to do what someone else wants me to do. By being a theatre major, I bring a little more joy into my life everyday.
5. What are you most optimistic about?
I am most optimistic about succeeding in life so that I may show off to all of the people who doubt me and say "Look at me now".
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Week 4: The H's
The Hanged Man
What is the greatest sacrifice you were forced to make or chose to make?
Years ago, I sacrificed my childhood to the ugly jaws of reality. I did not enjoy doing it, but I felt that the life I was given called for a faster rate of maturity than other children. A single-parent, low-income household with little time to learn from mistakes meant that I could not play around. The result: I find it increasingly difficult to meaningfully connect with other people my age and everyone believes that I am older than I look.
What, if anything, are you waiting for? What is "on hold"?
Don't judge me, but I am waiting for my English prince charming to come find me, and I am waiting for the opportunity to be able to fulfill my dream of working for the BBC. Reality will tell me to expect the possibility of getting a squire and settling for an American film or television company.
Where in your life could you benefit from surrendering control?
I could probably benefit from surrendering the control of most things. I am one of those "type A people"/ control freaks and I am not afraid to admit it. I plan everything from what I am going to say, to what I am going to eat, what I am going to do in the next five minutes, to what I am going to do in the next five years. I love control. But a therapist would most likely advise me to not have such a tight control on life and just let some things go with the flow.
What limitation that you initially struggled against have you come to accept?
A limitation that I initially struggled with that I have now come to accept is my mobility range. After being diagnosed with RA last year, moving around and leading a normal young adult life seems to be more of a luxury than ever. But life continues on, thus, so must I.
When has "being out of your element" given you a new perspective?
I have been pondering this question for a few days and the only response that I can come up with is that I have a very large element range. There are not many things in life that I would consider to be "out of my element" except for mathematics and science, and that blew up in my face. Long story short, I am definitely not going to be looking for a career in those fields.
When have you felt ridiculed or ostracized for being true to yourself?
When I tried reading a certain family member's palm for fun, another certain family member ridiculed me for doing something against God and for being a "bruja" (witch). I guess it is a good thing that they did not know that I was already seriously practicing witchcraft or else I might have been cut off from the family.
The Hermit
To what questions are you looking for answers?
The question that I seek an answer to is "what will my happiness look like years from now?" I will probably never get a clear answer no matter how many tarot readings I do.
For whom are you a mentor or guide?
I work with children anywhere from six weeks to ten years old. Everyday that I am with them, I act as their guide to learning the ways of life. My responsibility is to keep them safe, but also to help them develop skills that will become important to them later on such as walking, talking, reading, proper behaviour, etc. No pressure.
From whom do you seek sage advice?
Whenever I am in need of sage advice, I look toward the Goddess and the little signs that she places everywhere. If that does not work as well as I would like, however, I turn to my Baba. He uses his past experiences to help me with my life and the paths that I might take.
How comfortable are you in undistracted solitude?
I am comfortable being in undistracted solitude every once in a while. I find that long periods of quiet are actually more distracting to me than if I were to be in a cafeteria.
When do you feel the need to retreat into yourself?
What activities do you most enjoy alone?
It is a tad difficult to say that I enjoy doing activities alone since I specifically like to do certain activities without the involvement of others, but still in the company of people. I need to be able to feel the presence of a living body or hear human conversation. For the sake of this question, however, I will say that my top three activities would be; 1) reading with a cup of Earl Gray or chai, 2) working on a jigsaw puzzle, and 3) doing research. I will say that if there are no humans, there should be a cat nearby.
What area of study completely absorbs you?
Not surprisingly, pagan studies will often take up hours of my time as I try to glean as much knowledge as I can about the history of the culture and ritual practices. What some people do not know about me is that I also have a very profound interest in the psychological effects of color on the human body. Don't believe the extent of my interest? Check out my website: http://colorpsycho.weebly.com
What is the greatest sacrifice you were forced to make or chose to make?
Years ago, I sacrificed my childhood to the ugly jaws of reality. I did not enjoy doing it, but I felt that the life I was given called for a faster rate of maturity than other children. A single-parent, low-income household with little time to learn from mistakes meant that I could not play around. The result: I find it increasingly difficult to meaningfully connect with other people my age and everyone believes that I am older than I look.
What, if anything, are you waiting for? What is "on hold"?
Don't judge me, but I am waiting for my English prince charming to come find me, and I am waiting for the opportunity to be able to fulfill my dream of working for the BBC. Reality will tell me to expect the possibility of getting a squire and settling for an American film or television company.
Where in your life could you benefit from surrendering control?
I could probably benefit from surrendering the control of most things. I am one of those "type A people"/ control freaks and I am not afraid to admit it. I plan everything from what I am going to say, to what I am going to eat, what I am going to do in the next five minutes, to what I am going to do in the next five years. I love control. But a therapist would most likely advise me to not have such a tight control on life and just let some things go with the flow.
What limitation that you initially struggled against have you come to accept?
A limitation that I initially struggled with that I have now come to accept is my mobility range. After being diagnosed with RA last year, moving around and leading a normal young adult life seems to be more of a luxury than ever. But life continues on, thus, so must I.
When has "being out of your element" given you a new perspective?
I have been pondering this question for a few days and the only response that I can come up with is that I have a very large element range. There are not many things in life that I would consider to be "out of my element" except for mathematics and science, and that blew up in my face. Long story short, I am definitely not going to be looking for a career in those fields.
When have you felt ridiculed or ostracized for being true to yourself?
When I tried reading a certain family member's palm for fun, another certain family member ridiculed me for doing something against God and for being a "bruja" (witch). I guess it is a good thing that they did not know that I was already seriously practicing witchcraft or else I might have been cut off from the family.
The Hermit
To what questions are you looking for answers?
The question that I seek an answer to is "what will my happiness look like years from now?" I will probably never get a clear answer no matter how many tarot readings I do.
For whom are you a mentor or guide?
I work with children anywhere from six weeks to ten years old. Everyday that I am with them, I act as their guide to learning the ways of life. My responsibility is to keep them safe, but also to help them develop skills that will become important to them later on such as walking, talking, reading, proper behaviour, etc. No pressure.
From whom do you seek sage advice?
Whenever I am in need of sage advice, I look toward the Goddess and the little signs that she places everywhere. If that does not work as well as I would like, however, I turn to my Baba. He uses his past experiences to help me with my life and the paths that I might take.
How comfortable are you in undistracted solitude?
I am comfortable being in undistracted solitude every once in a while. I find that long periods of quiet are actually more distracting to me than if I were to be in a cafeteria.
When do you feel the need to retreat into yourself?
What activities do you most enjoy alone?
It is a tad difficult to say that I enjoy doing activities alone since I specifically like to do certain activities without the involvement of others, but still in the company of people. I need to be able to feel the presence of a living body or hear human conversation. For the sake of this question, however, I will say that my top three activities would be; 1) reading with a cup of Earl Gray or chai, 2) working on a jigsaw puzzle, and 3) doing research. I will say that if there are no humans, there should be a cat nearby.
What area of study completely absorbs you?
Not surprisingly, pagan studies will often take up hours of my time as I try to glean as much knowledge as I can about the history of the culture and ritual practices. What some people do not know about me is that I also have a very profound interest in the psychological effects of color on the human body. Don't believe the extent of my interest? Check out my website: http://colorpsycho.weebly.com
Monday, September 26, 2016
Tarot for Life (Reflection Questions)
The Hierophant
1. What doctrine or philosophy guides your life?
In a world that seems to be overwrought by judgement and those more than ready to bestow it upon others, I have developed a philosophy to help deal with it. Judgement should not be made until both sides have been examined, and even then it should be used with the utmost discretion. I personally have gained much better relationships with other people just by following that one belief.
2. Which of your family or religious traditions do you find most meaningful?
This may sound just a bit odd, but for some reason, I find my family tradition of having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve as well as eating Thanksgiving dinner twice on the same day. Now that I am writing it out, I suddenly realize that I was born into a very impatient and hungry family.
3. At whose feet would you cherish the opportunity to sit and learn?
I would cherish the opportunity to sit and learn at the feet of the one and only Sherlock Holmes. But if I have to be realistic, I would accept the feet of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Either way, I simply desire to learn Sherlock's most powerful weapon: his mind. More than anything, I wish that I had at least half of his power of observation.
4. What is the best advice you ever gave or received?
"Keep your heels, head, and standards high"
5. What beliefs or ideas would you like to transmit to others?
I would want to transmit the idea that money and popularity can only get someone so far in life. One needs to have motivation as well in order to get far in life.
6. What long-held beliefs or values no longer serve you?
I used to believe that striving to obtain the American Dream would make me happy later on in the future. I once thought that having a big ol' house with a nice car parked in the garage, a white picket fence, and a rich husband was going to be the main goal in my life until I found out the hard way that the American Dream is mostly just false advertisement meant to lull people to this land. That is no longer the case as I have rerouted my goal to simply having a life that makes me happy and makes me feel some sense of completion, no matter what form it manifests itself.
The Magician
1. What was your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration off the top of my head would be Tom and Jerry from my childhood cartoon. Yes, they would beat each other up in ways more painful than the last, but you know what? In every episode, both Tom and Jerry get right back up every time no matter how much pain they were in and they often found a way to work together towards a common goal or manage to stay friends. I could not have asked for a better source of inspiration.
2. What would you like to attract and manifest?
I would like to be able to attract success and good fortune, but who wouldn't?
3. What specific skills or abilities would you like to develop?
I would really like to further my ability to empathize with other people instead of merely sympathizing. I want to be the type of person that people feel more comfortable with because they would know that I could connect with them on a deeper level.
4. When have you deliberately redirected your thoughts and achieved new results?
I remember that almost four years ago, I was set on becoming a veterinarian. I had gone on tours of veterinarian schools, I was in the process of an application for a pre-vet camp, and I had even tried to figure out what classes I needed to take in high school in order to make my application more impressive. I was going to be the next Jane Goodall. I have no idea when, but at some point, I started to notice that I would get a feeling of dread whenever I saw all of the required math and science classes.
5. In what area are your powers of focus and concentration strongest?
I am not exactly sure where exactly I stand when it comes to focus and concentration. On the one hand, there are times when I all I can think about is getting a task done and nothing can get in my way. On the other, I sometimes have the mental capacity of a squirrel... what was I talking about again?
6. When have you expressed the shadow aspect of the Magician and overestimated your ability to control or influence a situation?
There was this one time in my senior year of high school where I was working on a final project for my mythology class. I had come up with a few brainstorms of what it might look like depending on who did what or what aspects of mythology we were going to use. Then I made the mistake of overestimating how much time this project was going to take and ended up procrastinating until the very last week before it was due. By then, I was scrambling to get everything done and trying to regain control of my quickly disbanding group before everyone in it decided to go with a different idea. Long story short, I screwed up real bad (even if I did end up with an A in the class).
1. What doctrine or philosophy guides your life?
In a world that seems to be overwrought by judgement and those more than ready to bestow it upon others, I have developed a philosophy to help deal with it. Judgement should not be made until both sides have been examined, and even then it should be used with the utmost discretion. I personally have gained much better relationships with other people just by following that one belief.
2. Which of your family or religious traditions do you find most meaningful?
This may sound just a bit odd, but for some reason, I find my family tradition of having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve as well as eating Thanksgiving dinner twice on the same day. Now that I am writing it out, I suddenly realize that I was born into a very impatient and hungry family.
3. At whose feet would you cherish the opportunity to sit and learn?
I would cherish the opportunity to sit and learn at the feet of the one and only Sherlock Holmes. But if I have to be realistic, I would accept the feet of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Either way, I simply desire to learn Sherlock's most powerful weapon: his mind. More than anything, I wish that I had at least half of his power of observation.
4. What is the best advice you ever gave or received?
"Keep your heels, head, and standards high"
5. What beliefs or ideas would you like to transmit to others?
I would want to transmit the idea that money and popularity can only get someone so far in life. One needs to have motivation as well in order to get far in life.
6. What long-held beliefs or values no longer serve you?
I used to believe that striving to obtain the American Dream would make me happy later on in the future. I once thought that having a big ol' house with a nice car parked in the garage, a white picket fence, and a rich husband was going to be the main goal in my life until I found out the hard way that the American Dream is mostly just false advertisement meant to lull people to this land. That is no longer the case as I have rerouted my goal to simply having a life that makes me happy and makes me feel some sense of completion, no matter what form it manifests itself.
The Magician
1. What was your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration off the top of my head would be Tom and Jerry from my childhood cartoon. Yes, they would beat each other up in ways more painful than the last, but you know what? In every episode, both Tom and Jerry get right back up every time no matter how much pain they were in and they often found a way to work together towards a common goal or manage to stay friends. I could not have asked for a better source of inspiration.
2. What would you like to attract and manifest?
I would like to be able to attract success and good fortune, but who wouldn't?
3. What specific skills or abilities would you like to develop?
I would really like to further my ability to empathize with other people instead of merely sympathizing. I want to be the type of person that people feel more comfortable with because they would know that I could connect with them on a deeper level.
4. When have you deliberately redirected your thoughts and achieved new results?
I remember that almost four years ago, I was set on becoming a veterinarian. I had gone on tours of veterinarian schools, I was in the process of an application for a pre-vet camp, and I had even tried to figure out what classes I needed to take in high school in order to make my application more impressive. I was going to be the next Jane Goodall. I have no idea when, but at some point, I started to notice that I would get a feeling of dread whenever I saw all of the required math and science classes.
5. In what area are your powers of focus and concentration strongest?
I am not exactly sure where exactly I stand when it comes to focus and concentration. On the one hand, there are times when I all I can think about is getting a task done and nothing can get in my way. On the other, I sometimes have the mental capacity of a squirrel... what was I talking about again?
6. When have you expressed the shadow aspect of the Magician and overestimated your ability to control or influence a situation?
There was this one time in my senior year of high school where I was working on a final project for my mythology class. I had come up with a few brainstorms of what it might look like depending on who did what or what aspects of mythology we were going to use. Then I made the mistake of overestimating how much time this project was going to take and ended up procrastinating until the very last week before it was due. By then, I was scrambling to get everything done and trying to regain control of my quickly disbanding group before everyone in it decided to go with a different idea. Long story short, I screwed up real bad (even if I did end up with an A in the class).
Friday, September 16, 2016
The Devil is in the Cards
Week 2 (9/14-9/16)
The deck that I have chosen for my First Year Seminar class is Brian Williams' "Renaissance Tarot". This edition features the combination of Tarot and mythological references in the illustrations along with a few real famous historical cities in Italy. So why did I choose this deck? I am a proud lover of both art history and mythology, so the fact that I managed to find a tarot deck that really displays my personal interests was amazing. Not surprisingly, I took a class in general art history as well as The Myth Tradition during my senior year of high school. Go figure. I am used to seeing the more medieval version of tarot cards, thus I found my deck to still adhere to my classical tastes but have a new twist on the art. As you might be able to see, each card features a nicely drawn image on the front with references to mythological deities/symbols in the upper corners. The back of the cards all feature a dizzying array of circles with a man and a woman curled up in a yin-yang position. They are also surrounded by animal symbols of the elements: a bird for air (staves), a fish for water (cups), a salamander for fire (swords), and the turtle for earth (coins).
When I picked a random tarot card from my major arcana deck, of course I was given "Il Diavolo". Only I would get that card on the first try.
The deck that I have chosen for my First Year Seminar class is Brian Williams' "Renaissance Tarot". This edition features the combination of Tarot and mythological references in the illustrations along with a few real famous historical cities in Italy. So why did I choose this deck? I am a proud lover of both art history and mythology, so the fact that I managed to find a tarot deck that really displays my personal interests was amazing. Not surprisingly, I took a class in general art history as well as The Myth Tradition during my senior year of high school. Go figure. I am used to seeing the more medieval version of tarot cards, thus I found my deck to still adhere to my classical tastes but have a new twist on the art. As you might be able to see, each card features a nicely drawn image on the front with references to mythological deities/symbols in the upper corners. The back of the cards all feature a dizzying array of circles with a man and a woman curled up in a yin-yang position. They are also surrounded by animal symbols of the elements: a bird for air (staves), a fish for water (cups), a salamander for fire (swords), and the turtle for earth (coins).
When I picked a random tarot card from my major arcana deck, of course I was given "Il Diavolo". Only I would get that card on the first try.
According to the booklet from the tarot deck, "The Devil, a horned and dragon-winged creature, stands in front of a chained couple. The god Pan and his goat accompany him". The Devil is front and center with the main focus on him and his monstrous appearance, making the card a bit unnerving to look at. In every culture that acknowledges the Devil, he is a figure of temptation, wickedness, and danger, hence, the cards go by the same ideology. The only difference is that Brian Williams wanted to highlight that this card also has a meaning of "[i]mprisonment by baser instincts", and when the card is upside down, it could mean "irresponsible pleasure" or "childish panic". Williams used Pan to emphasize the trickster characteristic that pairs with both the meaning of the card as well as a reference to what the Judeo-Christian version of the Devil is attributed to.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
About Me
Hello beautiful readers!
My name is Thaisha Belis and I am currently an undergrad at Salem State University. My major is Theatre with a technical concentration, but I plan on maybe adding a double in Communications with a media arts concentration.
I am a former army brat, so I was conceived in South Korea, born in Texas, lived in Germany for a year, and currently residing in the state of Massachusetts. I went to Boston Latin School for six years and graduated with a class of 410 students in my senior grade alone. During my final year, I was one of twenty-five seniors within my school's Capstone program. For those of you who do not know, a Capstone is basically an intensive, year-long project that focuses on a thesis created by yourself. It is very independent and at the end of the year, we all gave a Tedx Talk in front of the school. I chose to focus on the psychological effect of color on an audience with the focus being film culture. Color psychology is a topic near and dear to my heart so always expect me to make a comment when talking about that particular subject. Feel free to check out my website but beware that I am constantly making changes/improvements whenever I have time:
* http://colorpsycho.weebly.com *
Although I plan on joining a local coven, --shouldn't be too difficult to find in Salem-- I am a self-proclaimed eclectic pagan. All that basically means is that a majority of my beliefs stem from basic Wiccan culture with the subcategories: Dianic Wicca (all things feminine), Stregharian Tradition (focus on herbal knowledge), Hellenic (Greek culture/deities) but I also include elements of South/east Asian religion such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shintoism. So as you can see, I am all over the place. I have such varied beliefs because I find it impossible to be able to say "I like this entire religious philosophy. I am going to stick to this one and only this one for the rest of my life".
Since this blog site is for my First Year Seminar: What's in the Cards, I am obviously going to be posting my responses to the homework assignments as this is the main function of this site. You and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other for the next several months, so don't get too bored along the way.
Blessed be!
My name is Thaisha Belis and I am currently an undergrad at Salem State University. My major is Theatre with a technical concentration, but I plan on maybe adding a double in Communications with a media arts concentration.
I am a former army brat, so I was conceived in South Korea, born in Texas, lived in Germany for a year, and currently residing in the state of Massachusetts. I went to Boston Latin School for six years and graduated with a class of 410 students in my senior grade alone. During my final year, I was one of twenty-five seniors within my school's Capstone program. For those of you who do not know, a Capstone is basically an intensive, year-long project that focuses on a thesis created by yourself. It is very independent and at the end of the year, we all gave a Tedx Talk in front of the school. I chose to focus on the psychological effect of color on an audience with the focus being film culture. Color psychology is a topic near and dear to my heart so always expect me to make a comment when talking about that particular subject. Feel free to check out my website but beware that I am constantly making changes/improvements whenever I have time:
* http://colorpsycho.weebly.com *
Although I plan on joining a local coven, --shouldn't be too difficult to find in Salem-- I am a self-proclaimed eclectic pagan. All that basically means is that a majority of my beliefs stem from basic Wiccan culture with the subcategories: Dianic Wicca (all things feminine), Stregharian Tradition (focus on herbal knowledge), Hellenic (Greek culture/deities) but I also include elements of South/east Asian religion such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shintoism. So as you can see, I am all over the place. I have such varied beliefs because I find it impossible to be able to say "I like this entire religious philosophy. I am going to stick to this one and only this one for the rest of my life".
Since this blog site is for my First Year Seminar: What's in the Cards, I am obviously going to be posting my responses to the homework assignments as this is the main function of this site. You and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other for the next several months, so don't get too bored along the way.
Blessed be!
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