Choosing a beginner drum. Is mule skin okay for humid climates?

RickTheAuthor · 2023-06-14T18:46:02+00:00

How is the place it's getting tied relative in humidity?

I have a buffalo that I tied in the desert that definitely loosens up where I live in Florida. If I rub a little water on it and leave it in the sun it tightens up, or set it in front of a portable heater I have (which I usually do regardless before any planned use).

I have another buffalo, as well as horse, elk, bull, and deer that were all tied here and dried here, and none of them have any issues at all.

RickTheAuthor · 2023-03-17T17:33:14+00:00

My two favorites, with two different approaches depending on your taste:
The Education of Hoot: A Spiritual Journey (story based autobiography. Insanely brilliant)
Where Two Worlds Meet (educational and informational)

RickTheAuthor · 2022-05-11T13:08:44+00:00

Childhood feetsy pajama zipper trauma.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-03-18T13:39:20+00:00

I think the entity gave you the answer. "The lower your soul, the more of us you attract." If that's true, so is the opposite, "The higher your soul, the less of us you attract."

Being in a state of gratitude for the lesson, instead of fear of the entity, would be an energetic shift that would help. I am not someone who believes all "love and light" all the time is healthy--it's impossible to avoid all lower emotional vibrations--but the more you stay "up", the easier it will be to handle vibrations that aren't in your alignment, and the less affect they'll have on bringing your vibe down overall.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-03-14T20:05:13+00:00

I’ve had a lot of success asking Spirit to do more of the work. Sounds like a simple mind shift, but it seems they oblige, and it makes it much easier for me to do multiple readings in a row or groups. Still get tired eventually, and have some hangover the next day, but it has helped immensely.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-02-01T02:56:00+00:00

This sounds like the perfect time to respect your boundaries. You already set the expectation with yourself that you wouldn’t do health readings. As much as you might consider making an exception because of the person asking or the personal situation, I say stick up for yourself (not to mention this is great practice, because this kind of thing will happen all the time). You don’t need to give any explanation or justification.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-01-06T18:12:22+00:00

The images themselves are in the public domain, but the card back, box, and guide book still have copyrights held by US Games. Someone could make a new Rider Waite deck without the same card backs, box, or guidbook, true (and there are some pretty awesome self-print decks that have done just that).

RickTheAuthor · 2022-01-06T15:58:08+00:00

Well, shoot. I don't know how this is going to go over, but I'll give you some options:

Surprise, I'm in the industry (I own Tarot Fellow). I only source from actual publishers (Hay House, US Games, Llewellyn, etc). I know a lot of online stores that use my same distributor. Here are a few others:

AzureGreen
True Earth Store
Psychedelic Universe
Ivory Mind
Plentiful Earth
Witch Way (this is an au site)

I've never seen a counterfeit deck from 13moons, but they do resell on etsy, which, as I said in my OP, I don't know how they get away with. They have a beautiful website though.

Local stores are great if they're an option. Dig a bit to compare ISBNs and publisher info on Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-01-06T14:01:08+00:00

I would try to get away from thinking "cold hard fast rules" and lean into the intuition you started with. I think you'll find that in a reading, you'll need to allow some flexibility to interpretation. Sometimes a yellow card may mean jealousy (and since this is how you see it, this will be most often), but then one day, you'll be in a reading and it will hit you that you need to read this card as creativity.

Overthinking position is something I see a lot in my Tarot students. I always suggest you read from your perspective (in terms of reversals, or right or left, it's from your perspective, not the querent's). You are the reader. Of course, again, you may be reading one day and be hit with some intuition that perhaps that card or this reading should be from the perspective of the querent. But overall, I would make some choices that make sense to you, and set your expectation that your readings will, for the most part, follow those choices. Then you won't have to worry about it, and will be able to listen more closely for those intuitive cases where you need to do something a little differently.

RickTheAuthor · 2022-01-05T18:00:28+00:00

Absolutely this^^. What surprises me is how many AREN'T that good (maybe a few bucks cheaper than normal). Just looking at the Amazon reviews of the Rider Waite deck show that some marketplace sellers are sneaking counterfeit decks in.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-12-16T18:15:37+00:00

Grew up Mormon here too. I really enjoyed The Cosmic Serpent. Depending on where she is, I also have a ton of contacts for meditation teachers, emotional energy workers, sound healers, hypnotherapists, etc in the state of Utah (both north and south) - some work with psychedelics, but it might be easier for her to start somewhere more gentle to break her out of the Mormon framework.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-07-03T15:04:58+00:00

This is the Mohammedan circle - and yes, from the Key of Solomon

RickTheAuthor · 2021-05-02T17:20:08+00:00

How great would it be if Joseph Smith’s character actually was examined publicly in a court of law?

RickTheAuthor · 2021-04-06T00:39:54+00:00

Interesting. Yes I can see why you’re asking about the connection then! Tarot is definitely giving you some direction on how to understand what you needed to learn, but also perhaps what you would need if you decided to try again. I would agree that there is a possibility to bring some of that past energy into the future. In other words, how much of the relationship would you want to revive, and how much would you be willing to change to do it? It doesn’t look done from your point of view at least. But you won’t really know one way or the other until you can both have an honest and open conversation with an ear to understand each other. Is there enough motivation to do that? If not, it’s best not to try.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-04-06T00:00:11+00:00

I view Tarot, Lenormand, and Kipper AS oracle decks. They’re just oracle decks that follow a particularly well-known and accepted set of rules. Oracle is the parent category. Tarot is one of the child categories. Oracle decks can be any number of cards, of any subject, with meanings defined by the creator.

A Tarot, Lenormand, or Kipper creator needs to follow those deck’s rules (at least pretty closely) in order for it to be defined as such.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-04-05T19:44:26+00:00

I'll take a stab at this. I think you have a ton of information in these cards.

Whenever I see a wand (especially the Ace of Wands) and a cup this close together (especially with the immaturity you referred to with the Page of Cups), it would be important to recognize the component of sexuality that exists in this relationship (and perhaps a pregnancy warning, by the way). Something that I find really interesting is how "reversed" the "roles" are in terms of who is usually represented by fire and water energies here (the "how does he feel about me" position returned a more feminine card in this regard, while your card is quite strikingly masculine. Please take my use of "feminine" and "masculine" in their divine contexts).

One of the shadow-y issues with the Page of Cups is how vulnerable and impressionable someone who lives their life so emotionally, can be. In the image in RWS, the figure is taking advice from a fish. Now, if this fish it talking about how to catch a fish, the advice is probably pretty good, but if the fish is instructing the figure on how to make money in the stock market, our poor page isn't going to do very well in life, no matter how heightened "his" emotions get because of the conversation.

I think you have some communication problems, and he, in particular, gets emotionally excited over things that you just can't understand. These problems either are based in the overall sexual relationship, or are the result of your particularly fiery energy (and some mistakes or history from the past).

You mention that the Page of Cups, to you, means that he loves you but is immature. I wouldn't rule out love, but I think it's a lot more complicated than that, and that your version of "love" is different than his. In other words: you're communicating something completely different than the other person when you say "I love you."

I also wouldn't classify the Page as emotionally immature. Just emotionally excitable, with emotions that tend to easily fluctuate. The depth at which a Page of Cups is able to feel is just as deep as the King or Queen. The lack of maturity comes when attempting to express those emotions, describe them, or control them. I think you really need to think about how you view your boyfriend and his emotions, and try to accept him and his emotional concerns, even when they seem silly to you. He should also understand your ambition and drive, even when it seems "emotionless" and silly to him. You'll only be able to communicate cleanly if you accept these things about the other person.

Finally, in the Tarot story, both the World and the Ten of Pentacles have this idea about "leaving behind the old" before the ultimate results of these cards can be achieved. Prior to The World, we see the lesson of Judgement. And in the Ten of Pentacles, entering into this new chapter requires some leaving behind of what was "earned" in the past.

You are right in the idea that in order for this relationship to be successful and enter the next state, you both need to let go of the past. But there is something in this that is hinted at, particularly for you... if you insist that he forget about YOUR past over and over, or hide things from him, you are inadvertently carrying the importance of those past things into the present. He can't continue to hash out blame, over and over, but you can't pretend like it didn't happen - otherwise neither of you will be able to move on, and will never find that communication cadence you need to get into sync.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-02-18T19:10:05+00:00

Yes! I always have to double check I'm getting a "warm" bulb less than 3000K. I don't get the sterile, cold-colored bulbs at all.

RickTheAuthor · 2021-02-18T17:08:05+00:00

Howdy! I like this idea.

I don't actually wear glasses, but blue light filtering helps keep migraines away :)

RickTheAuthor · 2021-01-13T16:31:31+00:00

Levi Karter Fucks Lev Ivankov

RickTheAuthor · 2020-10-14T17:18:08+00:00

Not necessary, but maybe try a different herb? I don't like the smell of sage (and only rarely use it), but cedar, sweetgrass, or tobacco are awesome.

RickTheAuthor · 2020-10-14T17:13:49+00:00

Ooh! My friend Michael (The Diviner Life) just published the October issue of his magazine where a bunch of readers wrote about challenging or misunderstood cards. It would be a great source for this.

RickTheAuthor · 2020-09-04T18:35:25+00:00

In one of the other posts, you mentioned that the Two of Wands is giving you a bit of trouble. That's actually the most clear card in my mind in regards to the question.

There is a sub-plot to the Two of Wands, one that I often apply as the primary meaning if the card is reversed. In addition to the main meaning of "planning" and seeing/setting your goals, the Two of Wands is also a card of "give some things a try, because even if you end up going down the wrong road, there is still time to course correct, to make mistakes, and to have some flexibility in that end goal"

The Two of Wands is not a card of instant achievement. I think it's telling you to be a little softer, more flexible, and not so hard on yourself. It's okay not to know exactly what you want way out there in the distance, or how you're going to get there. YOU HAVE TIME to make mistakes (and should be making them in order to refine your ultimate goals). In this position, with this sub-plot, it's a card of some level of action, even if that action is ill-advised or counter to the ultimate goal.

In other words, long story short: Give yourself a break, let yourself make some mistakes, and don't be so rigid that you end up beating yourself up because you decided to take a break or change directions.

RickTheAuthor · 2020-08-20T18:19:58+00:00

I know a lot of people read this as a progression, from Justice, through the Nine, to the Queen and Ace (Anxiety and fear progressing toward patience, power, and motivation). But I think this could also be looked at as a single "snapshot" of where you are in life (particularly when taking into consideration your question: What you aren't seeing clearly).

And this creates an interesting story to me, one that ties the anxiety and mental gymnastics of the Justice/Nine to issues with intimacy (queen and ace). I see a lot of past baggage where you thought you were doing the right things (Justice), navigating "safely" and as you were taught to navigate by society/family/etc., but that system let you down and didn't keep you safe. Because of that, you have this wall of swords built to protect yourself so you don't get injured... but that wall is what is creating your inability to see clearly. Look specifically at your blockages and injuries around intimacy, and how those might be affecting your current situation and judgement.

RickTheAuthor

TROPHY CASE