Sacred Circles' Coven

November: Herbs and Tarot

by Anna Franklin

Featured in Tarot Calendar 2002

Herbs can be used to gain a greater depth of understanding of any tarot pack. Herb spirits are great teachers: they can subtly alter the consciousness of the user to become aware of a greater magical reality. To connect with plant familiars, attune to their vibrations, and absorb their lessons, try burning incense when you use your cards.

Incense are made from dried leaves, petals, berries, woods, resigns and essential oils. They are burned on small charcoal blocks, which are readily available from occult suppliers. As you mix an incense, ask the plant spirits to share their knowledge with you. Begin by blending the resin with a few drops of oil, then add any woods or crushed berries. Add lesser quantities of leaves and flower petals. An incense might not contain all of these types of ingredients: it can consist of just one substance, so use your common sense. Experiment with quanitities to find the blend that works for you.

To enhance your preceptions when you are divining with the cards, burn the incense blended from frankicense, calendula oil, sandalwoood, rowan berries, hazel wood, and honeysuckle blossoms. For tarot meditation try an incense of frankicense, lemon balm oil, acacia, sandalwood, and chamomile flowers. Or alternatively you might like to use specific incense to attune to specific cards.

All herbs mentioned are harmless when used in the way described, but please bear in mind that some other herbs are poisonous or have toxic vapors. Make sure that you fully research any new herb you want to use.

Incense for Suits

Cups relates to the Element of water, emotions, feelings, intuition, and psychic skills. To attune, use an incense of myrrh, jasmine oil, willow bark, rowan berries, and chamomile flowers.

Discs relates to the Element of earth, the body and the material plane, money, and possessions. To attune, blend an incense from pine resin, patchouli oil, pine wood, sage, honeysuckle flowers, and cypress needles.

Swords relates to the Element of air, mental activity, and communication. To attune, blend an incense of benzoin, acacia, lavender oil and flowers, ceder wood, and mint leaves.

Wands relates to the Element of fire, creativity, life enegry, and the spirit. Make an incense from frankicense, rosemary oil, oak bark, crushed juniper berries, and marigold petals.

Incense for the Major Arcana

You can also use incense to attune to cards of the Major Arcana. The following are some examples:

The Fool: Frankicense, oak bark, hawthorn blossom, and the buds and leaves of any forest trees.

The High Priest/Magician: Chamomile, fennel, fern, mint, marigold petals, yarrow flowers, and ash bark or leaves.

The High Priestess: Myrrh, willow bark, rowan berries, and white sandalwood.

The Lovers: Frankicense, lavender flowers and oil, apple, meadowsweet, myrtle, violet, hawthorn, and rose.

Strength: Frankicense, borage, nasturtium, basil, tarragon, and fennel.

The Wheel of Fortune: Ash, chervil, pine, caraway, poppy, and ivy.

Death: Rosemary, rue, parsley, cypress, myrrh, ivy, and corn.

The Moon: Rose petals, frankicense, poppy, cinquefoil, mugwort, willow bark, and myrrh.

The World: Oak, mistletoe, ash bark, and leaves, apple bark and blossom, frankicense, sandalwood, and bistort root.

November's Tarot Spread

Root, Stem, Leaf

The natural structures of the Earth can provide us with inspiration for the tarot. When faced with a dilemma, use the beauty, strength, and simplicity of the plant ot enlighten you as to the nature and solution of a problem.

While concentrating on your question, lay three cards one above the other. The first card will show you the heart of the matter -- the "root cause". The second card is the path to the solution: the stem that leads to the fullfillment. The third card, the leaf, shows the final outcome.

November's Tarot Tip/Suggession

Do you always select a Significator before a reading? Instead, try letting fate decide for you. Next time you lay out a spread, let the Significator come from the shuffled deck, like the rest of the cards. You'll be surprised at the insights you can gain from a "random" Significator. Often, it lends a new meaning to your entire spread.

To Purchase this deck titled "Sacred Circles' Tarot, by Anna Franklin and Art by Paul Mason you can go to

Written permission from original author is needed to reprint. Articles within are used w/permission, or are originals.

We do have some older pages have within that are with Author Unknown? If you know of the original author, please contact any one of us and we will give the Proper Credits.

http://sacredcirclescoven.com

**Site Maintained and Created by Lady Leona

Owned Exclusively by Sacred Circles' Coven. Witch HPs Leona

Orginally Founded Oct 15, 2002, Mother site Originally Founded Aug 1, 2000.

Hosted by BlueHost.com