What In The Tarot...?

My sister and I grew up in the same household...but worlds apart. Where I like true stories, science, down-to-earth no-nonsense kind of stuff she doesn't. She was always one to read up on dreams, back-to-nature kind of stuff and tarot cards. I'm personally not a great believer in this but don't mind some fun now and then.

When daughter, Alberta friend and I were visiting in Ottawa my sister held court one evening with her tarot cards. According to my sister we walk this earth with some spirit animals and we can learn about ourselves through recognizing what type of animals accompanies us. We were game and her cards were brought out.

Let me show you....

It was a dark and stormy night... oops ~ wrong story! It was a threatening kind of evening (as per rain clouds) but that was it. I had to retouch the photo below to make it dark and mysterious as circumstances lent to a seance type of atmosphere.

The girls are eagerly anticipating their readings. Hmmm...well, actually ONE is ready to jump in with enthusiasm. The other, well...? Engrossed in a dark, mysterious type of magazine perhaps?
Nope. Just some hardcore brain candy - "People Magazine".

Daughter went first. She shuffled the deck, cut it into 4 piles and then selected her pile. My sister laid out the cards in a 7 card semi-circle and then began the reveal. It is quite in depth and complicated...stuff about east, west, above ground, below ground, etc. Each person took notes for future reference. Here you can see daughter just beginning to write about her animals. By the time my sister was done, daughter had written to the bottom of the page!


Next up was Alberta friend. She had finished the fluffy, light reading and turned her attention to more serious matters. She had some cards that I wanted but you get the cards you deal. The deck used by my sister is North American animals so nothing exotic or particularily poisonous showed up ~ proving we're just good ol' Canadians! Alberta friend also took copious notes which she tucked away in her suitcase.


While my cards were being shuffled (and during a dessert break where we pampered ourselves with strawberries and whipping cream), daughter caught my speeding nephew. He is still in that cute, cuddley and kissy-pooh stage much to daughter's delight. She grabbed him up and gave him a squish-a-bug-hug (our name for happy, squeezable hugs).


As for me no one took my pictures during my reading. I don't mind. I have some pictures that were taken when we left and I've got to have a word with my brother-in-law about that. He has not yet learned that to live long and peacefully he must beware of unflattering camera angles....wide-angle shots...squinty eyes...

My sister's kids popped in and out to see the animals we dealt ourselves. There are a couple of my animals I'd like to trade for something cuter or scarier, like the turtle or bear, but apparently wishing it doesn't make it so. I figured that being a Taurus, born the year of the Dragon, with a name that means "Battle Maiden" that I'd score some ferocious animals but no, my walk with animals spirits is a lot tamer than I'd expected!

Although dealing myself a whale didn't improve the self-image much! Especially after I saw brother-in-law's photos! Note: people do NOT resemble the animals they deal!!!