It's Fairy Tale Friday

Here's your fairy tale for today....maybe you can relate.

"Once upon a time there was a friendly lady, who loved to entertain, help people relax and enjoy themselves. She used her creative talents to host many gatherings, summer theme parties, patio parties, Christmas festivities, brunches, Boo Bashes, and assorted other fun adventures.

Now this VERY same lady always vowed to prepare ahead of time for such gatherings but alas life always seemed to get in the way and usually the day before a big event...for example BOO BASH -3, slated for Halloween night, she found herself pondering the menu, making lists, shopping for ingredients, cleaning the house, getting costumes ready, and all sorts of "last minute" details.

In general, the lady was very lucky because even with a lot of "oh my gosh why'd I wait till the last minute whining" her events seem to be fun, enjoyed by others, and perhaps what one could term a success. Only she knew that behind closed doors evil monsters lurked, clothes were piled here and there, and just maybe a few things were stuffed in closets.Now this didn't really help her stress level much when the final hours rolled around but here once again she finds herself preparing for the onslaught.

Magically the house cleans itself, the food is prepped and ready to be cooked to perfection, the decorations are organized and ready to be displayed, the costumes are dug out of boxes and freshly laundered, no dust, no clutter, no last minute toilet cleaning...

HMMMMMM....I did say this was a fairy tale...didn't I? Time to STOP blogging and start cleaning....Enjoy your Friday....I'm off to create a "happily ever after..."

It's Tarot Spread Tuesday!!

It's TAROT SPREAD TUESDAY....I meant to have a little round up ready for you today with links to some great spreads I've been discovering online but alas....life.....it has a way of throwing things into disarray!! So hopefully that will be my goal for next week. Instead today we will talk and think about the NO SPREAD...spread.

When I was very new to oracles and tarot cards I first discovered the No Spread spread idea in the book that came with the Froud's Faeries cards. MacBeth calls it a faery spread but I have since discovered lots of no spread spreads. Or I should say...ideas or ways to do a reading without a predetermined spread. At times when I work with them they are fabulous and at other times I miss the 'position" spreads...where each card represents a factor or a question. But I am rambling again...lets get to a NO SPREAD method.

Take the deck of cards shuffle them and cut them. etc. Pick out however many cards you wish to use for this reading. Put the rest of the deck to the side. Take the chosen cards and place them on the surface before you...in whatever manner you choose. Now before turning any cards over spend some time looking at what you have before you. Do any cards present themselves as representing something?...For example if you have a card sideways might it represent a block? Or if you have three cards in a row...might they represent a path etc.? Don't push this but if something represents itself to you....then go with it. Read the cards!!!

So there it is...today's spread...no spread at all!!! Give it a try. You will be amazed at the wealth of information that flows freely in a no spread reading! I'd love to hear how your no spread readings go...let me know!

It's Tarot Spread Tuesday: Mirror Mirror

It's another tarot spread Tuesday! Wow the weeks are going by FAST...today's tarot spread is a simple one I have been using with the Fairy Tale Tarot...it's called Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Five cards.....one in the center and four, one on each corner around the card in the center.

Card One is the left hand upper corner, Card Two is the right hand upper corner, Card Three is the lower left corner, while card four is the lower right corner. Card five is in the center.

Card One: Is the thoughts of the situation.

Card Two: Is the feelings of the situation.

Card Three: Is what clouds the situation

Card Four: Is that which is real...the true essence of the situation.

Card Five: Is that which we wish to see. May be our false perspective or what we long to be.

Hope you try out Mirror Mirror on the Wall and let me know how it works for you!!

It's Fairy Tale Friday

Image Copyright 2009 Lisa Hunt Used by Permission

It's another Fairy Tale Friday.....and it's time for the Polish tale....The Glass Mountain. Work calls....but I'll be back this evening for more about this fairy tale and thoughts about the card it represents, In the meantime....enjoy reading the tale and feel free to search for some different versions of it...I'd love to see whats out there!!

Okay time to round out my Fairy Tale Friday post. It's been a busy weekend.

Fairy Tale: The Glass Mountain is the tale of a Princess trapped in a beautiful castle at the top of a glass mountain with slippery slopes and deep ravines where many have perished try to reach her. She despairs of ever finding a husband until one day a clever young man makes himself some claws to cling to the side of the mountain. But even with this clever invention he still encounters troubles with birds, and apple trees, and dragons. Finally of course he reaches the princess and in doing so wins not only her hand in marriage but also brings back to life all those that have perished in their attempts to reach her.

The Card: Seven of Cups: challenges and getting past illusions.

Another version: The Glass Mountain

I think the story speaks to creativity and determination but honestly, also a certain amount of luck. It sort of makes me think that some things are meant to be...like being in the right place at the right time.

It's Tarot Spread Tuesday: The Haunted Path

I'm going to try a slightly different version of the Once Upon a Time Spread in celebration of Halloween.

The Haunted Path

Just as in the Once Upon a Time spread, put the Fool card to the side. You then shuffle the deck and select 5 cards. Add the Fool with the five cards....shuffle and then place them in a single row, left to right. The difference is in the number of cards used and the way the cards are read according to a meaning Any cards to the left of the Fool have already happened or something the seeker is aware of. Any cards to the right are yet to come or are things the seeker isn't aware of. In reading the cards you jump over or ignore the Fool card and read the meanings as follows...keep in mind whether they are to the left or right of the Fool.

1. Card One: Describes the path the seeker is on

2. Card Two: Decribes what haunts the path

3. Card Three: Describes what clears the path

4. Card Four: Describes an alternative path

5. Card Five: Gives Advice.

Depending on a particular reading...sometims all five cards will be to the right of the Fool...indicating what is yet to come or be known....or vice versa they could be all to the left....indicating that which has already passed....or any combination.

Fairy Tale GiveAway

In celebration of October, Fairy Tales, and the Fool's journey through life.....Once Upon a Time is having a giveaway....The Prize?

Little Red Riding Hood by Andrea Wisnewski.

This retelling of the classic tale has a few twists and turns. With graceful illustrations that emulate woodcuts and some changes in characters...for example the woodman is Little Red's father the story is sure to delight young readers or the fairy tale collector.

To read more about the book visit this amazon page.

Since I'm a bit late getting started...the giveaway will run from today until November 11th....at that time all names of people leaving comments will be put in a drawing...0ne time for each comment....so the more you comment...the more chances you have to win...

So good luck and enjoy!!!

The Story of My Week

The idea that I use with some other decks is to pick a card on Sunday evening or afternoon or whenever really...and that becomes my weekly card and other cards that week are looked at it relation to the weekly card.

Here is a worksheet that I have found useful for this activity but you can create your own or even just use plain note paper. Daily Weekly Draw Worksheet

I thought it might be fun to "play around" with this concept and create a Story of My Week activity to use with the Fairy Tale Tarot cards. To me one of the main parts of this deck is the tales themselves and the "lessons" they present. The idea behind the activity is to explore the card but also to explore the fairy tale and how it might have a "message" for the week. Even without the idea of a message it gives a focus for the week or one small tidbit of life to reflect on and ponder as we go about daily life. We can look for ways where the tale plays out in our week in one manner or another.

I have created a worksheet in googledocs for the activity which you may feel free to use. Sometimes goggledocs gives me fits so hopefully you will be able to access it. If not let me know and I'll see about emailing it to you. You can find the webpage with the document: The Story of My Week. You are free to use it and to link to it but please do not publish the form itself on any other website.

I hope you enjoy the activity and look forward to hearing the story of your week and how the fairy tales enriched it!!!

It's Fairy Tale Friday!!!

Today's fairytale is Urashima and the Turtle. This is a Japanese tale about loss and regret.

Urashima takes pity on a turtle he catches and lets it go, only to be rescued many years later byt this same turtle. It takes him to an underwater kingdom and turns into a beautiful (of course) princess, whom he marries. After several years he wishes to return to shore to visit his home for one last time. Upon doing so he discovers that hundreds of years have passed in what was only a few years beneath the sea. In his grief he opens tha magic box the princess had given him and warned against opening...in doing so he begins to age and dies there on the shore...alone.

Sad....the book states that this card represents sadness and regret. Change has dealt a great blow. Accept loss and move forward. While all of those a very good meanings...what immediately came to mind for me is...."you can nver go back" or pehaps "let go of the past or it will destroy you".

PLEASE be sure and read the comment posted by iceclone for a link to another version of the story.

It's Tarot Spread Tuesday: Haunted House

As promised another spread and a Halloween gem at that. I first noticed this in a post by Astraea Aurora but she further referenced it to this post by Metafizzypop So thanks to both members at aeclectic forums for this great spread!!! What a great one for October!

If you are interested in the card positions just click on Metafizzypop and it will take you to the thread post that shows the spread. The card questions/topics are listed below.

The Haunted House:

1.- The Skeletons in the Closet - The secrets you keep from others.

2 - The Rats in the Basement - The secrets you keep from yourself.

3 - The Black Cat in the Parlour - What makes your claws come out?

4 - The Jack O Lantern in the Kitchen - What, or who, would you like to take a knife to and carve up?

5 - The Ghost in the Bedroom - What, or who, haunts your mind and thoughts?

6 - The Spider in the Bathroom - What totally creeps you out.

7 - The Bats in the Attic - What drives you to the brink of madness.

8 - The Front Door - The way out of all this insanity ......... or maybe, the way in.

Full Moon Hello October

Here's a snapshot of where I will be doing the Full Moon Hello October readings this evening. Right now there is brilliant sunlight streaming in but when the sun sets the moonlight will fall throught the window and I will open the shades and perhaps even the window itself if weather permits. Since it is a Harvest Moon, I have included some pumpkins and gourds as well as autumn spiced candles. In celebration of the faeries I have added a few seashells.

I plan to take a lovely walk by moonlight before starting my series of readings. I hope to clear my mind and center myself for the readings. I will be using three different decks: Fairy Tale Tarot (which is pictured in this spread) and Froud's Faeries and also my newest deck Wild Wisdom of the Faery Oracle.

In the spread above: Card One is in the center....at the top is Card Two and then around to the right are Cards Three through Seven. In a simple sort of way it creates a full moon circle. According to my readings, the Harvest Moon typically falls in September but this year it is in October. It will not be in October again until 2017. Since October is also my birthday month, I feel as if this moon is a powerful one for me in particular and hope that it brings forth positive energy and growth, not only for the readings but also for my life in general. Harvest moons are about completion and bringing things into being. The harvest after long months of work. A celebration of bounty for the coming months of cold.

Take Care and I will be back later to write up my Fairy Tale Tarot Full Moon Hello October Reading!!!

Once Upon a Time Update

October will be a GREAT month here at Once Upon a Time...

• I'll continue with Tarot Spread Tuesday's and since it's Halloween this month we wil be looking at some good spreads to use with a little Halloween twist to them.
• Fairy Tale Fridays are a good way to look at each fairy tale from the Fairy Tale Tarot in a bit more depth...with some links to other sources and some different versions. I'd like to get into some of the history of the fairy tales too but honestly it will just depend on how much blogging time I have!!!
• In honor of Halloween, I will host a blog give away...hmmm not sure of the details yet so check back....something fairy tale related though!!!
• Next up....Comparing the Princesses.....
• Another fairy tale character poll.....
• Write up on my Full Moon Hello October reading using the Fairy Tale Tarot

I hope readers are enjoying my ramblings here at Once Upon a Time....sometimes it is so hard to tell if those random thoughts that present themselves to me are really worth blogging about or not...Hope you have a great weekend....

Fairy Tale Friday: The Snake Prince

When the old woman finds a snake in her pot by the river, she decides to bring it home and basically commit suicide by letting it bite her. Instead she discovers a lovely necklace, which she presents to the king. He locks it away until his wife wishes to wear it and then discovers it has turned into a baby boy. After many years the Prince marries a Princess who discovers that he has a curse and turns into a snake at night. When she uncovers this secret, he returns to the muddy waters of the river. He does visit her again and instructs her to put out bowls of water and sugar and demand from the Snake Queen that she wants her husband. Bravely she does this and her husband is returned to human form.

For some reason I find this a little creepy. Perhaps because I don't like snakes very much but the story reminds me that lots of people have hidden secrets and uncovering them can cause great pain (the loss of her husband) but sometimes it is necessary to really know the truth to move foreward.

This Indian fairy tale is also sometimes called The Enchanted Snake. There is a slightly longer, and a little different version. HERE. As I was looking for other images of The Snake Prince it came to mind that its sort of just a different version of "kissing the frog" which is an enchanted princess under an evil spell. It does bring it to a more sinister level...a snake.