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You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
Lesson 6: Categorizing the Cards
Being able to group the tarot cards into a variety of categories will make it easier for you to remember and understand, not only the traditional meanings, but also the expanded area of expertise that each of these cards touch on.
You’re going to be using the following pages in my book for this lesson. As usual, record the answers to the questions, as well as the expanded ideas and contemplations. Make note of any patterns or repetitions in the personal information that you write down.
The Major Arcana (beginning on page 26)
The Minor Arcana (beginning on page 136, The Suits; beginning on page 146, The Sets)
1.List two cards in the suits that herald celebrations.
Here’s a hint: check the cups.
1a) Now list two cards in the tarot deck that mean ‘celebration’ to YOU.
Be sure to write down why you chose these cards and what connections they have for you, why they bring the joyful feeling of celebration to you. What stands out most about each card?
2.In the major arcana, which card will reveal deception?
As an odd twist to this little exercise, go through the court cards and the personalities found there. Did you find a connection between the card of deception and any particular court card? Why?…explain.
3.Which two cards in the suits implicate bickering and confrontation?
I’ll give you a hint: check the wands and the swords.
4.Which two cards in the deck implicate being on the defensive?
Another hint: look at wands.
5.Browse through the tarot deck & choose a card that would bring peace to issues.
There is no right or wrong answer here. The card you choose has to do entirely with the energy and mental images you pick up from it.
Write down what card you chose and why this card brings the energy needed to resolve issues and bring peace. What was it that inspired this feeling in you when you chose this card? Does it bring other impressions to mind?…memories, connections, feelings?
6.Choose three cards from each of the four suits (Ace-10):
Use a separate section of your notebook for this, a different section for each suit, because you’re going to need plenty of room.
a) Write down the correspondences for each card; including the element, basic meaning, and astrological associations.
b) Read the in-depth meanings and explanations for each of the cards you chose, one at a time; and after reading the definition of a card, write down your own interpretation of this card– what do you automatically associate it with, what types of feelings or situations, what kind of people or circumstances.
c) Look at the three cards you chose from each suit. Without reading the definitions of the major arcana cards, choose a major arcana card that compliments, balances, or goes with the three suit cards in some way– choosing these cards purely by your own visual interpretations, feelings, and intuition.
(You will choose four major arcana cards for this part of the exercise, one for each group of three cards from each suit.) After you’ve chosen a major arcana card for each group, write down your own interpretation of this card and how it relates to the three cards which you chose it for.
d) Look up the major arcana cards that you chose and read the definitions.
How is your own interpretation different? Similar? What new elements did your interpretation bring to the major arcana cards chosen?
You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
Lesson 5: Tarot Meditation
The tarot’s most popular and most recognized use is for divination, but you will discover that its mystery and power goes way beyond the confines of revealing other people’s secrets, exploring the past, or predicting the future. Through the use of tarot with meditation you will be able to explore your own psyche– what drives you, what bothers you, what compels you, and what you might need to face to reach your goals and your full potential.
The only way for me to teach you how to do this, is to take the journey with you.
As you will pull a card for this meditation, so will I; and I will record the findings for my card as you record the findings for your card.
Let’s begin…
1. Shuffle your deck and pick a card. I don’t care how you do this, as long as the card chosen was chosen completely at random.
2.Turn your card over and record the name of the card at the top of a fresh page in your tarot journal.
My card is…The Chariot.
3.Write down the first thing you thought of as you saw the card you drew.
Journeys, travels, the idea of how far I’ve come and how many roads, pathways, and detours I’ve taken to reach the point I am now…
I’m not going to record the entire answer I’ve written for this section, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll need plenty of space and quiet time just for this section. Don’t rush the process. It would be nice to be able to do this all in one sitting, but that isn’t possible for most of us. If you have to, put it aside, and come back to it when you’re able.
But keep writing…you are going to be surprised at what pours forth from just your first glance at the card you’ve chosen. It’s choosing wasn’t as random as you might think– there’s a reason that you’re holding the card that you are holding and you will discover that reason through this meditation.
4. Write down what you think this card is trying to tell you.
I think I’m going somewhere, going places, perhaps not even physically, but that I’m going to reach specific goals that I’ve set for myself, vantage points that I’ve strived for, milestones.
What is your card trying to tell you?
Record your answers for the following questions:
5.What color do you most notice in this card?
6. What do you associate with this color?
7. Does this card make me think of someone?
Your answer to this question might be a real person, someone you know– family member, friend, fellow employee, acquaintance, etc. But the individual that you think of could just as easily be someone that you’ve seen in a movie or on tv, a deity, a character from a book, someone that you’ve seen in a dream, or a historical figure.
8.If this card makes you think of someone, what feelings do you have when you think of them?
Sad? Happy? Moved? Inspired?…but also, afraid, disgusted, intrigued, mesmerized. What do you feel when you think of this person?
9.Do you associate a season with this card?
Look at the card closely, for as long as you need to, and record your answer.
10.Write down the feelings, memories, and associations that you have with this season.
11.Is there the image of a particular object on this card that catches your eye above the other images/objects found on your card?
What is the object or image?
12.What does this object mean to you?
Use all the time and space necessary to cover, as thoroughly as you can, what this object may mean to you, along with any secondary associations connected with it.
For example, sunflowers remind me of autumn, autumn reminds me of my childhood in South Dakota, my childhood in South Dakota reminds me of my grandmother…etc. Interestingly, when I refer back to question 4 of this lesson, the card that I chose– The Chariot– did indeed take me somewhere. It took me home.
You’re going to end your meditation here.
13.One last time, for this meditation, look at your card.
Think about the following questions. Either meditate upon your answers, or write your answers down in your tarot notebook:
What stood out for you most about this card, the questions, or your answers?
At the end of your time with this card, were you in the same place (mentally) that you were when you began, or did this card take you somewhere else?
What emotions did you experience?
Were you surprised by any of the emotions, memories, or thoughts that came to you during this exercise?
You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
Lesson 4: Court Cards ~ Familiar Personalities
Each court card represents an archetype and a personality. The personality associated to each court card is unique to that card. I’ve found that these distinctive personalities are easily recognizable in the people around me, whether it be those I know well, family and friends, or acquaintances. I’ve found that most often a person will exhibit the characteristics from one particular card most strongly; and I think of this as their ‘signature card’. I know that human beings are extremely complicated and it’s thought that they may often mirror personality traits from more than one court card. This may be true; however, I’ve never noticed this. I suppose it could be because the ‘signature card’ and it’s characteristics are dominant, extraordinarily powerful, and so easily identifiable.
You’re going to become acquainted with the court cards in a very simple way, and a way that will make it very easy for you to remember the characters associated with the cards. In fact, once you look at it this way, you will find yourself easily, almost sub-consciously, associating new friends and acquaintances with a court card.
1.In your notebook, make a list of the court cards; including the four kings, four queens, four knights, and the four pages. Read the personality type for each card, and behind the name of the card in your notebook, write down the name of an individual who matches this description. (court cards, page 225)
As an example, the Kings are very stark and identifiable to me as male individuals in my life. If I were to do this exercise in my own notebook, it would look like this:
King/Pentacles: my father-in-law
King/Swords: my step-father
King/Wands: my ex-husband
King/Cups: my husband
Not only will this exercise help you to understand the psyche of the court cards, making them stand out individually for you and more easy to identify; but this exercise will also bring these characters to life. As you watch these individuals and study the cards, their personalities and the small innuendos of each will build. You will begin applying what you’ve learned about the court cards to your readings. These personalities will show up both as a querent, or as someone in your querent’s life, and the insights you’ve gleaned by having an up-close and personal look at the various personalities and psychological profiles will give you stark insight into the reading and the circumstances surrounding these people.
2. What court card are you?
Set aside at least one page in your notebook for this question. First, after reading the personality descriptions in the textbook, decide which card and description represents you. Write it down.
Refer back to this page and jot down new revelations, ideas, or changes about yourself when this occurs to you. You might find that you should set aside several pages for this part of the exercise, as you are a unique being who is in a perpetual state of growth and discovery.
You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
Lesson 3: Expanding the Tarot Connection
Note: We’re not finished with our tarot reading from Lesson 2. We’re going to be expanding the connections and adding another card to the original group.
1.In my book, read the section on The Numbers. (page269) Also, read the section on the tarot spread: Triplicates. (page 335)
2. Find the major arcana card connected to this group of cards by combining the digits from all three cards until you arrive at a single digit.
So your equations are 11 + 3 + 2= 16; 1+6= 7.
Since your final number is 7, the major arcana connected to this set of cards will be: The Chariot.
3. Referring back to Lesson 1, record all the necessary information about The Chariot in your tarot journal. Don’t skip this process, or any portions of it.
4.Re-read the story you wrote for Lesson 2.
Now that a new card, and a major arcana card at that, has been added to this reading. Has the story taken on a different light, a new twist, an unexpected direction? Does it allow you to see something in a new light, from a different perspective?
5.Re-write your story, or add to the existing story, incorporating The Chariot and everything this card brings to the reading.
Note in your journal whether the addition of this major arcana card dramatically changed the story, only slightly changed the story, or didn’t affect the story at all. If it did make a difference, how did it make a difference? Who did it affect? What area of life was touched?
6.Do another three card reading.
Shuffle your deck and draw three more cards for a new reading. Beginning with the steps found in Lesson 2, begin this new reading on your own, recording the information in your journal.
You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
Lesson 2: Interpreting a Three Card Spread
The real knack for tarot reading, and sometimes the most difficult part for some people, is putting the meanings of a group of cards together and making sense from it. This comes with practice, and if you practice enough, it will become second nature. The cards, in fact, will begin to tell you a story.
What you’re doing now is simply learning how to read that story and learning how to apply it to your life and your reality.
I’ve drawn three cards for our spread:
Page of Pentacles…Two of cups…Three of cups
1. For each of the three cards listed above, refer back to Lesson 1 for required information about each card. Record this information in your journal.
I know, this might seem like a lot of work; but to read these cards as a group, you’re going to want an up-close and personal look and relationship with each of the cards individually.
2. Write down the dominate suit for this reading and the subjects connected with this suit. In the case of these three cards, it appears that “Cups” prevails. (the sets, page 146)
3.Upon reading the subjects generally touched on by the suit of cups, write down what you think the main topic of this reading will be.
4. Let’s learn about the Page of pentacles. Who is he? This is a rogue card, the only card in this reading of another suit. And this card may represent not just a message or messenger, but an individual as well. (court cards, page 225)
5. Looking at these cards as a group, write down impressions that come to mind.
As you write, view the cards; and don’t hesitate before jotting something down, even if it seems like something totally irrelevant, weird, or downright out in left field. For instance, if you look at the three of cups and think ‘apples’, write it down. When you’re finished, and don’t rush this process, go back and re-read what you’ve written. Do you see a theme?
6.With the information that you have so far, look at these cards, as a group, and write a short story about them (your interpretation of what’s going on here).
You will need a notebook or three-ring binder and a pen. I recommend the notebook or binder, as opposed to typing your answers/reflections into the computer. A couple reasons for this…handwriting anything puts you closer to the topic and the energy you’re working with. This is why the emailed tarot readings I do are all written out in long-hand first, as I turn the cards, and only then typed into the computer. The second reason is that, at the end of your journey, you will have a keepsake of your adventure, in your own handwriting, to review at your leisure, to use for reflection and meditation.
You will also need a tarot deck to work with. This should be a deck that resonates with you, a deck that you’re comfortable with; but I do suggest that the deck be a standard deck, in that the major arcana, the court cards, and the suits be traditional. I recommend good old Rider/Waite. It’s a traditional set of cards that you may find yourself returning to again and again during a lifetime of tarot study and reading.
The first thing I want to tell you is that the journey you are embarking on right now will be an incredibly personal journey.
These tarot classes are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced in any form, nor may they be displayed to the public through blogs, social websites, personal websites, emails, etc.
When you re-read your notebook, when you review your lessons, when you handle the cards and interpret their meanings; your experience will be unique to you. You will come to develop a relationship with the cards that will open the door to your sub-conscious on many levels. You will discover, perhaps much to your surprise, that you can no longer look at the same card the same way twice. The tarot is fluid and ever changing, as are the lives reflected in tarot readings.
Lesson 1: A Card A Day
This exercise is going to go a bit deeper than merely choosing one card and jotting down your interpretations. We’re not going to leave it at that. We’re going to take this card apart, looking at it from levels unthought-of and through aspects not usually brought out in most tarot classes.
To begin, pick your card. You can shuffle your deck and cut the deck, choosing a card any way you want to. You can spread them out in a big messy pool, back sides up, and choose a card this way if you wish. Just find one card, one card that you select out of the entire deck.
1. In your notebook, write down the name of this card.
2.Is this card a major arcana or one of the suits?
If this is one of the suits, write down which element and season it is associated with. (Refer to page 136 in my tarot book.)
If this is one of the major arcana, write down which astrological sign and element this card is associated with. (Refer to page 26 in my book.)
Write down the number associated with this card. If the card has a two digit number, add the numbers together, and keep doing so, until you get a one digit number. Write down the numerological meaning for the number you arrived at. (Page 269)
3.Read the traditional meaning for the card that you drew.
If it’s a major arcana card, see page 26.
If it’s a card from one of the suits, Ace-10, see page 146; for court cards, turn to page 225.
4.Now put my book down and pick up your card.
Relax, take a deep breath, ground and center yourself if you know how to do this and if you feel the need. Look at this card, not in a rushed or expectant way, but in a contemplative mood. Allow your mind to be open, and allow your mind to wander. Pay attention to what you mentally ‘see’ and feel, pay attention to impressions that are coming to you. Take your time, all the time you need.
When you are ready, write down…
a) The first thought that came to you when you looked at the card. Include details, as much detail as you can. Did this thought involve a scenario or a stagnant scene? Were there characters or animals? Objects or locations?
b) The first person you thought of when you looked at this card. Is it someone you are close to, or at odds with? Is it a living person, or someone who is deceased?
c) What color came to mind? What do you associate with this color?…including people, places, objects, memories, feelings.
d) Did a memory come to mind when you viewed this card? If so, is it pleasant, or unpleasant? Does it include people you are still in contact with now, or people who have passed? Does it include particular animals, objects, a specific time period?
If so, write it down– in detail.
e) Write down any and all random impressions. This includes impressions and details that you might feel make no sense, at least not at the moment. Write down how you feel about the card, and what emotions surfaced.
5. If you have any dreams on the first night after viewing this card. Write this dream down in your tarot journal– in as much detail as you can recall.
First, for anyone who has not heard this term, this is the definition I'll be addressing in this post...
Spiritual appropriation (basic definition):
It is the act of adopting for worship spiritual deities and practices from a culture of which you do not share a blood line. The act of adopting a spiritual path and practices that are not connected to your family and ancestors.
Right off the top, I'll say that this topic is not one that I agree with.
I don't believe that any human being has the omnipotent capacity to know how another human being should, or should not, connect with or interact with a deity, no matter from what culture of man it originated... How do you know a deity didn't reach out to a particular human being instead of a human being reaching out to a particular deity?
I don't believe it's possible to contain and pigeon hole another person's deeply held spiritual beliefs, or their desire and choice to view the spiritual world from their chosen perspective. Spiritual appropriation is a man-made constriction. Spirituality rises above humanity and it's borders.
An example of the ludicracy of spiritual appropriation: If this narrow marginalized view of spirituality were held true across the board for ALL spiritual paths, only Italians could rightfully practice Roman Catholicism.
For Americans, the idea of spiritual appropriation has a special colossal conundrum, one I haven't seen mentioned anywhere, so we'll mention it here.
As an American, I have no single connection to any one culture or ethnicity. As an American, my bloodline and ancestors are a mystery filled with a multitude of cultural and ethnic connections -- some known, but others not known. For many of us, we'd have to take a DNA test to know exactly who are ancestors are, what story our bloodline has to tell.
With every set of grandparents, on both sides of my family, as far back as I can go, there will be new connections, new ethnic revelations, another link in the evolution of mankind and my heritage.
Personally, where do I begin?... German, French, English, Irish, Chippewa, Lakota Sioux. This is only three generations. I can't begin to imagine the intriguing possibilities. What else am I? To what races, ethnicities, cultures do I share a bond? What spiritual path am I to identify with? What gods and goddesses walk with me? What spiritual practices am I being called to embrace?
I'm an American. I am a beautiful tapestry of human evolution and cultural integration.
Let my spirituality exemplify and honor this truth.
Romantic, highly sexual, insipid, quiet, lazy, hedonistic, intuitive, stubborn, sensitive, unambitious, complacent…these are just a few of the words that will describe this tarot king. The King of Cups is the least verbal of the kings. Whether you’re waiting for a soliloquy of undying love and devotion, or a clear explanation for his actions, you are not going to receive it from this character. The one ironic twist to this king is that although he doesn’t have the skills or the desire to express himself, his lack of expression does not mean that he doesn’t have the capacity for feeling deeply.
At his best he’s romantic and chivalrous, as long as this means that he doesn’t have to stand up for anything, and he’s gentle. At his worst he’s lazy and passive aggressive, which generally tends to come off as childishness, and he tends to be promiscuous. He’s also exceedingly stubborn and often has a skewered perception of any given situation. This King indulges his appetites, whatever they may be, with unabashed abandon, and of course, no explanation or apologies.
The King of Cups, though quiet and mostly passive, will become stubborn and sullen when confronted with opposition. He also tends to retreat from contact with those who annoy him, or with anyone who has pushed him past his limit– and this king does have a limit to how much he will tolerate, though you will never know, until it’s too late, that you’ve reached this limit, because he will never speak up.
The King of Cups is closely associated with the element of Water; the herb palmetto; and the zodiac sign of Scorpio.
The Earth, The Air, The Fire, The Water…gather here, at the crossroads of reality, between the world of the living and the world of the dead, where time does not exist, where the past and future are one.
Touch me now, with all my senses, including those that rise above the mundane, so that I may feel your presence, feel your power, feel the essence of what constitutes your being.
You are, I am.
Earth…you are the soft and glossy fur of an animal beneath my hand; you are the agonizing pain of birth; you are the solidity of the ground beneath my feet.
Air…you are my first breath and my last; you are the spark of my creativity; you are the mental connection I maintain in this life with those I love.
Fire…you are the passion that fuels my enthusiasm and resolve; you are my instinct for survival; you are what compels me to leave common sense behind and unleash the instincts of the animal within.
Water…you are my visions and my dreams; you allow me to see past the physical world to other realms and possibilities; you are my second sight, my empathy, my connection to spirits that walk the earth.
You are, I am.
Touch me now, touch me now to light me from within, that I may feel, that I may grow, that I may see, that I may know.
I’m reading D.J. Conway’s book, “By Oak, Ash, & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism”. Within it I found a fascinating topic and the reason why some people are the way they are, why they seem to have to go through, or put themselves through, a "trial by fire". It’s in a chapter called “The Shattered Soul”, pg. 167……
“Every shamanic culture teaches the value of what is called soul-retrieval. This practice is one of the least understood methods of shamanism. It does not mean, as the orthodox religions interpret it, total loss of the soul. Rather it recognizes that traumas, personal tragedies, illnesses, and crises can often shatter off a piece of the soul, leaving the individual feeling not quite all there. This feeling may well be the origin of the saying, “being beside one’s self.” This separation can open the body to illnesses, the mind to confusion and uneasiness, and the life to disorganization and disruption.
In the cases of comas and long periods of unconsciousness, the shaman may well have to retrieve a greater portion of the soul. In these instances, the soul may have withdrawn as a whole or have shattered into a myriad of pieces, each of which will have to be found and encouraged to return.
With the pressures and dangers of our present society and the state of the world, it is no wonder that a great many people are trying to function under conditions of partial soul-loss. They feel lost, out of it, not all there. They are constantly searching for something that they can’t quite put into words. They try to find it through drugs, alcohol, sex, frantic activity of work and play, and/or life-threatening pastimes, but nothing fills the void…”
D. J. goes on to explain just how you can recognize a shattered soul, and she also takes you through the shamanic journeys necessary for healing (the most important part of this chapter, in my opinion). The things to look for, those things connected with a shattered soul include:
1. Chronic depression
2. Difficulty with being "present" in the body
3. Feeling numb or apathetic
4. Trouble resisting illness
5. Chronic illness as a child
6. Memory gaps
7. Addictions
8. Frantically trying to fill life with external activities or people
9. Difficulty getting your life back together after a broken relationship, loss of a job, death of a loved one, etc.
Here's today's video tarot reading taped at our Arizona homestead, Casa Monteraine. It was already heating up when I taped this video early this morning. We're heading towards temps of 117 degrees... stay cool out there, stay safe!
Do you remember the first day of your menstruation? I do, and I think most women have this day seared in their memory. It was the day that we left childhood behind and became something magickal and remarkable...Women.
From the moment that I first learned about menstruation through a fifth grade class film, I looked forward to this momentous experience, this amazing and beautiful transition. I was prepared for it, I was impatient for it, I was awed by it, and I welcomed it, and all that came with it-- the discomfort, the inconvenience, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the miracle my body had become.
It's a sad fact that our culture, our western society, tends to be very secretive about this topic in general, and a girl's first menstruation in particular. It's all hush-hush, like some dirty little secret best kept under wraps. How awful that we make our girl-children self-conscious and maybe even ashamed of such a stupendous event, a once-in-a-life time "first".
So let's change this. Let's celebrate a girl's entrance into womanhood with congratulations, cheer, laughter, and merriment. Whether it be your daughter, granddaughter, or niece, prepare a celebration to mark this first major milestone in her young life.
Ritual Suggestions:
First, let's establish that this celebration is for women only. It's our moment, it's all about the feminine perspective. It's a celebration given by women for a new young woman. Those gathering should be female friends and relatives.
The moon phase will be the full to waxing moon; and it would be delightful if the young woman's first period coincided with this phase of the moon, but if it not, you can improvise. Either plan the celebration around the actual date of first menstruation, or plan the celebration around the appropriate moon phase, or the Full Moon following this event.
Items needed:
1. a white lace tablecloth
2. three pillar candles: white, green, and red
3. flowers: primroses, for the table
4. Incense: patchouli
5. matches
How do we decorate the table for a First Menstruation Celebration?
One way is to choose one of the goddesses who will be invoked and honored during this celebration, and in this case, I'm going to choose the maiden goddess Artemis. This celebration will actually be bidding her, and this first phase of life, good by. We're going to use candle colors, herbs, and such that align with Artemis to honor the Maiden this young woman is leaving behind, emphasizing that each magickal phase of a woman's life gives her an opportunity to learn and to grow into the mature woman she is meant to be, and each phase moves along naturally, according to nature, transitioning smoothly.
The table will be decorated with a white lace cloth, pretty and feminine. The flowers will be pink primroses; the candles will be green and white and red; the incense will be patchouli.
Fill the table with favorite goodies and sweet treats. Light the white and green candle and the incense.
Keep everything casual, light-hearted, and fun. But at some point during this celebration, the young woman and her mother, or a chosen female friend representing the Mother, should stand together at the table and in unison, their hands joined, extinguish the white candle and light a red pillar candle in honor of the occasion.
This is representative of the Mother welcoming the Maiden; it's representative of a girl's transition from childhood to womanhood. By extinguishing the white candle, we bid adieu to one phase of life and set out on a path that will lead to another. Other women gathered at the celebration can come forward to hug, kiss, and congratulate the young lady on her passage, perhaps giving her presents (a significant pendent necklace, perhaps), flowers, and such.
(O' Joy, I am the woman I dreamed of being!)
The most important thing is that this milestone, this awesome all important event in a girl's life is celebrated and acknowledged.
"So many people throughout my life have told me who I am, what I must do, what I can't do, what I have to complete, and what I will never be able to accomplish, and then I met the Goddess." (From The Spiritual Feminist) ...The Spiritual Feminist empowers today's modern woman through the Goddess, connecting her to ancient matriarchal divinity and spiritual practices which invoke this energy. It embraces the essence of womanhood in its entirety, through mental, physical, and spiritual affirmations, connecting personal energy and lives through the four elements--Earth, Air, Water, & Fire, with affirmations and invocations.
A croning is a ceremony that acknowledges a woman’s passage into the third phase of life, honoring the third aspect of the Goddess. This ceremony usually takes place in a woman’s life at the time of menopause.
This ritual is written for a group/coven setting, but it can be easily adapted for the solitary practitioner. When done as a group, two women will be chosen for the ceremony to represent the Goddess in her aspect of Maiden and Mother. These women can be coven sisters, or they may be the woman’s relatives-- mother, sisters, aunts, nieces.
Also, I want to mention that I have not written an eldering ceremony for a man; however, this ceremony could easily be adapted for this purpose. Simply start by changing the three aspects of the Goddess to the three aspects of the God: the green man, the horned god, and the sage.
Items needed:
1. A black candle to represent the Crone
2. A white taper candle for the maiden and a holder for this candle
3. A red taper candle for the mother and a holder for this candle
4. A special piece of jewelry, perhaps a pendent or a ring, that commemorates this occasion and will be presented as part of the ceremony
The altar will be decorated with those items which honor the Crone, the dark aspect of the Goddess. This will include the cauldron, and you will use this fire-proof container to hold and burn the black candle for the ceremony. This cauldron will have a special place of honor in the center of the altar, place the holders for the two taper candles on either side of it.
A variety of herbs associated with the Crone, which could be laid about the altar to disperse energy, or burned as an offering, might include-- anise, mugwort, elder, hazel, hellebore and tansy-- Both hellebore and tansy are poisonous.--, lilac, lavender, jasmine, ginger root, ash leaves/berries, blackberries, or thistle.
The stage is set, the ladies have gathered, the circle is cast and quarters called to witness this epic passage.
1. The Priestess stands before the altar, facing outward, to the circle and the women gathered there. The woman about to experience the croning stands before the Priestess, facing her. The Priestess says:
“We invoke the Dark Mother. Upon this day we call forth the energy of the Crone, that we may be bathed in her wisdom and experience, that we may embrace the shadows She casts, only to discover the light.”
2. The Priestess will then light the altar candles and the incense, but not the black candle, and come back to her place before the altar. The Priestess will say:
“Who comes today to represent this woman and her journey to this point?”
A young woman carrying a white unlit taper candle comes forward before the Priestess, she says:
“I come forth to represent the path of Maiden, to represent beginnings, discoveries, and potential.”
The Priestess uses an altar candle to light the Maiden’s white taper candle, which the Maiden then places in a holder on the altar. The Maiden takes her place to the left of the woman, standing by her side, facing the Priestess.
3. The Priestess says:
“Who comes today to represent this woman and her journey to this point?”
A woman in the midst of child bearing age comes forward carrying an unlit red taper candle. She stops before the Priestess, saying:
“I come forth to represent the path of Mother, to represent fertility, strength, and purpose.”
The Priestess uses an altar candle to light the Mother’s red taper candle, which the Mother then places in a holder on the altar. The Mother takes her place to the right of the woman, standing by her side, facing the Priestess.
4. The Priestess says:
“Who comes today to celebrate her journey to this point?”
The woman steps forward, saying:
“I do. I come forth to represent the Crone, to represent wisdom, experience, and accomplishment.”
The woman will then step to the altar and, using an altar candle, she will light the black candle that is sitting in the cauldron. The Crone will then return to her place between the Maiden and the Mother, where all three women will turn to face the circle and the ladies gathered there.
Now is the perfect time within the ceremony to include participation of family or coven members, allowing individuals to come forward to embrace the new Crone and leave a flower upon the altar as an offering to the Goddess; as each individual passes through, they will then return to their place in the circle.
When this phase of the ceremony has been completed, the Maiden, Mother, and Crone will turn once more to face the altar and the Priestess.
5. The Priestess says:
“You have forged your path in life. You have stood in the light and the shadows as well. To celebrate your arrival at this stage of life, you shall receive this token-- blessed with the elements and infused with the energy of the Dark Mother.”
The Priestess then gives the woman her special piece of magickal jewelry, either clasping a pendent around her neck, or placing a ring upon her finger.
The Priestess then says:
“May you continue upon your life path, walking it now as Crone, teaching the young ones the ways of the wise woman, spreading light upon those you love by embracing the shadows and the energy of the Dark Mother.” Blessed Be!”
The quarters will be dismissed, the circle dismantled.
The Casa Monteraine tarot readings are videos that will be spontaneously taped and will sometimes not be edited. They are filmed at our Arizona homestead, Casa Monteraine.
*NOTE.. if you're trying to watch this on your phone, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on "view web version"... or just click on the YouTube link.
Writing a book is the easy part, believe me. The real grind will begin six to eight weeks before your book's release date and continue for four to six weeks after your book has been released. New authors may not realize that marketing your book is just as much hard work as writing it, and that this process is an absolute vital necessity in order to sell your book successfully.
For some of the books I've written in the past eleven years, I've been fortunate to work with incredible publishing/marketing companies and publicists. If you have a good editor and publicist, embrace them. They run a gauntlet for you. They are priceless.
For other books, I've run the independent race and did everything myself. It is daunting, but it's not impossible... remember that. There are so many tips for marketing your book in order to reach as many readers as possible, and isn't this why we write? Here's some teasers to a terrific article full of helpful information and tips.
Handfasting is not a legal marriage. It is a commitment between a couple to remain together for a year and a day. At the end of this time period, this relationship may be abandoned and the individuals will be free to go their separate ways, or the couple may decide to renew their handfasting vows and commit to each other for another year and a day.
The following ritual will give the couple a sense of commitment to their relationship and a chance to celebrate their union. A handfasting ritual will highlight the couple’s bond of love to each other. It will bring blessings from the God and Goddess, and it will cement their relationship before family and friends.
Items needed:
1. Two white taper candles, one for each of the individuals being handfasted
2. Three ribbons, approximately 6 feet long, tied together in a knot at one end, preferably white, red, and black
3. Handfasting rings, or another piece of magical jewelry to be exchanged by the couple during the ritual
4. A handfasting broom, decorated as you wish for the occasion
The ritual:
1. The handfasting ritual may be performed inside a cast circle, with the quarters called. This would be the perfect opportunity to include participation of friends or family members by assigning individuals to each of the four quarters, to invoke the element and light the elemental candle.
2. The Priestess will lay a broom near the altar, and she’ll light the two white taper candles representing the couple, but not the main altar candle-- this will be lit later during the ceremony. She’ll also light the incense at this time.
3. The couple and the Priestess shall take their places, either in the center of the circle, or before the altar, the couple standing together facing the Priestess. She will say:
“We gather now in sacred space to witness the handfasting of this couple before the God and Goddess, before friends and family, and before the spirits of our ancestors.”
4. The Priestess speaks to the couple, saying:
“You come today to publicly proclaim your commitment to each other. May you both walk the same path, but in doing so not loose sight of your own individuality and uniqueness. May you both walk the same path, but in doing so, respect each other’s space and celebrate personal growth. May you walk the same path in love and light, reverence and joy.”
5. The Priestess says to the groom:
“Do you come here freely, with love in your heart, to commit yourself to your partner?”
6. The groom responds:
“I do.”
7. The Priestess says to the bride:
“Do you come here freely, with love in your heart, to commit yourself to your partner?”
8. The bride responds:
“I do.”
9. The Priestess now bids the couple to exchange their handfasting rings/jewelry; and at this time the couple can take the opportunity to exchange personal vows of their own creation.
10. It’s time for the couple to each take their lit taper candle and jointly light the white altar candle from these flames.
11. This point in the ceremony would also be the perfect time to include children or step-children in the ritual; either by giving them a commemorative pendent for the occasion, or allowing each child to light a personal candle on the altar to represent themselves and their bond with this couple…Personally, I think it would be lovely to include both of these suggestions.
12. The Priestess will then tell the couple to face each other and join their left hands, and as they do, she will take the bridal ribbons and, while wrapping them around the couple’s wrists, she will say:
“By the power of the Goddess: the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone; and by the power of the God: The Horned God, the Green Man, the Sage, may your handfasting be blessed. You shall remain bound to each other for a year and a day. May your love grow and happiness flourish. So mote it be.”
13. The Priestess then removes the handfasting ribbons from the couple’s wrists and lays them upon the altar. She may now perform a ‘Cakes & Wine’ ritual, if this is to be included in the ceremony.
14. It’s time now for the couple to ‘jump the broom’. The Priestess may move the broom to the floor/ground before the altar. The couple will join hands and leap over it together.
15. The Priestess says:
“Over the broom and into your new life you leap. Blessed Be!”
There's always so much negative being said about couples browsing FB on their phones, and most of the criticism is probably warranted. But how many couples, including Bob and I, might lay down for an evening to relax and browse our independent phones -- together -- sharing stuff? It's fun... humorous or unusual videos, news about friends and family, memes that hit the spot, inspirational posts, etc.
Your shared social media profiles can be a source of conversation, humor, and enlightening revelations (the good kind). It's fun and makes for a relaxing enjoyable evening. I highly recommend it.
We live in a house that has always been very active on a paranormal level. So much so, that I began recording some of these events in a Journal to keep track of these unique experiences, and I'm so glad that I did. It's interesting to go back and review the activity and to see how it was also touching other family members.
How Do You Detect the Presence
of Spirits in Your House?
1) Scents: It’s happened to me before, I’ll smell my grandmother’s perfume, or her favorite flower (roses). You might smell cigars or cigarette smoke in a house where no one smokes. You might smell a loved one’s favorite food. Anytime you pick up a scent that is not explainable on a physical level, you might want to consider that it’s coming from another source. I’ve heard about (but never experienced personally) the unpleasant and obnoxious odors of malevolent spirits. This is just something to keep in mind. Most of the time it’s all good, but once in a while you might run into something unusual. The sense of smell is just another one of our six senses, just another way we learn and experience and process information about the world around us.
2) Noises: Here we go again, another one of our six senses. Several times over the past few decades, since my grandmother’s death, I have heard her call my name. Often this has happened in the dead of night and woken me out of a deep sleep, but there have been occasions where this has happened during the day, when I’m wide awake to begin with, and usually when I am alone. It’s cool, nothing scary. She’s just touching base, letting me know that she’s still near, that there is still some sort of connection. (Death isn’t the end, it’s just a different plane of existence.) Besides hearing voices, there are other odd sounds– knocking, scraping, footsteps, growling (not usually a good thing), hammering, human sounds (like hand clapping, finger snapping, muttering)…and always, you will have no logical explanation for these sounds.
3) Temperature Changes: We’re talking big in-your-face changes that are unexplainable through normal physics. This means the furnace man won’t be able to explain to you a 40 degree drop in 5 seconds. If you ask him to explain this he’s just going to stand there scratching his head; and if he’s a really savvy furnace man (who knows about ghosts and all that paranormal stuff), he’s liable to be throwing tools in his bag and scurrying from your house so fast all you see is the back of his head. I guess there are more subtle temperature changes you can experience, but people are more liable to explain them away– a sudden cold breeze that wafts through a room, gently lifting the pages of a newspaper; a momentary “chill” that gives you a shudder. Besides unusual temperature changes, you might experience drafts– the kind of draft that flickers and toys with candle flames, the kind of draft that can’t possibly come from anything of this world because there is no place for the draft to originate from.
4) Electronic/Electrical Malfunctions: We’ve often heard that the spirit world has the ability to collect energy from our electrical gadgets and use this energy to manifest all kinds of paranormal phenomena. I don’t know if any of this can ever really be scientifically proven, but it seems that a lot of these occurrences (odd things happening with your electrical gadgets, lamps, lights, computers, etc.) almost always seem to precipitate a mad rush of paranormal activity. Do you have appliances, lights, a television, computer, or other gadget that turns itself off and on? …that turns itself off and on regularly?
7) Moving Objects: This is pretty extreme and the fodder for many movies and television shows. But it does happen, and the most basic kind of activity that I’ve personally witnessed (with moving objects) involved a series of cupboard doors that would be closed one minute and all open the next; drawers or doors, same thing. I’ve yet to see anything as dramatic or theatrical as portrayed in the movies. Remember, for a spirit to move a physical object, an object of atoms and matter, it would take an incredible amount of energy.
6) The Goose Bump Factor: Some people are more sensitive to the paranormal and its energy than others. There are a lot of people (a lot!) who can actually “feel” the presence of spirits, even if they are not sensitive enough to communicate with them (as a medium or psychic), they still know dang well that there is something there, and they can often pick up on positive or negative energy. Never underestimate The Goose Bump Factor.
Below you'll find old entries from my personal journal.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Last night...
I had been lying awake for quite some time, as usual, tossing and turning in the dark. I glanced at the glowing face of the digital clock one more time as I fluffed my pillow.
It was going for 4am.
I lay down and closed my eyes—hoping I could get back to sleep. Suddenly, I heard a soft “click” sound. I opened my eyes to find the room aglow in the soft light of the lamp on my nightstand.
Later in the morning my 12 year old daughter told me that on a visit to the bathroom during the night, she heard a soft knocking sound. She thought someone was at the bathroom door and she opened it...no one was there.
She turned around and a small mirror hanging on the wall was gently swinging back and forth. This wall is a divider for the shower—there is nothing on the other side of it other than the shower head.
Update: At 2pm this afternoon, one of the girls was going to enter the bathroom and stopped short. She called us to come quickly and look...there was the mirror, swinging away on the bathroom wall.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Last night I had a nightmare. One so sharp and startling and real that I was covered in goosebumps when I woke up. And then, of course, I couldn't go back to sleep, so I laid there...and laid there...and...
About 3:45 am I heard the front door being opened-- my Isabella coming home-- I heard her taking keys out of the lock and I heard her give the door a mighty slam so that it shut all the way.
Then I heard someone crying-- a female voice-- soft. I raised my head off the pillow to listen better and to see if I could tell who was crying. I thought it was either Isabella or our Resident Elf (our youngest).
I got up, put my robe on, and went to see what was going on. Our little Elf was sound asleep, I pulled the covers up over her. I peeked out the living-room window, to look for Isabella's car-- the driveway was empty.
To be sure, I went to the front door-- had to unlock it-- and looked outside, stuck my head out to see clearly...the driveway was indeed empty.
I knew I had heard someone come into the house. I knew I had heard the front door being slammed shut. I knew that I had heard someone crying.
I went downstairs to the family room. My son was still awake, absorbed in the computer. I told him what I had heard. He said that he hadn't heard a sound. He went around the house with me (all 6'1" of him with a baseball bat) to check all the rooms in the house, as well as the back doors and the garage doors.
I peeked in the girls' rooms-- everyone was sound asleep and all was quiet
Tuesday, November 8, 2007
My 12 year old daughter and I were kept awake most of the night by all kinds of “noises” in the house, including the sound of a large round object being rolled up and down the wooden floor of the hallway outside our bedrooms.
When we would get up to investigate these noises, there was nothing there. Everyone else in the family had a good night's sleep and heard nothing.
March 19, 2007
A couple nights ago I sat up in my bed and watched in fascination as a small ball of light moved very slowly and deliberately back and forth, back and forth, and then up and down, up and down at the foot of my bed.
This went on for at least 3 to 5 minutes and then the light disappeared.
January 2007
I was lying in bed...I thought that my husband had turned over and laid his leg across mine—I could feel the weight on my leg. It was uncomfortable and I reached down to push his leg off mine—There was nothing there. My husband was clear over on his side of our queen sized bed. I laid back down.
A few minutes later he said, “Did you hear that?”
I asked what and he said, “It sounded like something running across the floor.”
The sensation of weight on my leg was gone.
Sunday, August 13, 2008
My 19 year old daughter told me she has begun to see “spiders” out of the corner of her eye—spiders that aren’t really there. I have also been experiencing this strange phenomenon with spiders, and this is why I found it so extraordinary—I hadn’t discussed my experiences with her.
Friday, June 17, 2006
During the past couple of weeks...
1. I was working at the island in the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw my husband standing in the kitchen doorway (in his yellow shirt and blue shorts). It startled me and I was just ready to blurt out, “How did you get home so early?!”...
There was no one there.
2. I was lying down—getting ready to settle in, when I looked in the dresser mirror. Reflected within this mirror was the mirror across the room. Rising within the mirror within the mirror was a dark object.
I was startled and at first I was not going to look, but I did—
It was the image of my husband wearing a yellow shirt and dark shorts. He was staring at me.
(His physical self was lying beside me, sound asleep.)
3. I’m doing a tarot spread by candlelight on my bed. Everyone is out in the living room watching TV. I suddenly feel the bed push down, like when someone leans on the mattress.
I thought it was my husband and he was getting ready to say “boo” to scare me. I spun my head around, starting to shout, “Don’t you dare!”...
There was no one there.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
I was lying in bed awake and my husband was leaving the room to go make coffee. I turned over in bed and glanced up—I saw a large spider, larger than anything I’d ever seen before. It was seemingly dangling in mid-air, suspended—I presumed-- from a thread of web. I sat up and opened my mouth to call my husband back into the bedroom.
Then I looked at it again. It began climbing up the invisible “thread” to the ceiling. And suddenly it began disappearing—very gradually, as though it were slowly crawling behind an invisible curtain.
I was stunned. I stared in disbelief as I said to myself, “It wasn’t real!”
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
The other night, while lying in bed, it felt like something had hold of my foot. I quickly sat up, thinking that my husband was teasing me. There was no one there. I lay back down.
A few minutes later something took hold of my left arm, which had been lying limp on my side, and tossed it in the air. I’ve never had this type of experience before.
Tuesday, June 2004
While standing in the main bathroom yesterday, between noon and 12:30pm, I was at the counter when someone touched the back of my head on the left side. It felt as though they were gently lifting my hair.
I turned to see who it was, thinking it was one of my daughters.
There was no one there.
I turned back to the mirror. Suddenly I felt an overwhelming “tingling” sensation, a “hair standing on end” sensation – but only in the spot on my head that had been touched!
My oldest daughter said this happens quite often to her, here upstairs, after everyone has gone to bed and she’s watching TV by herself. She said that something “messes” with her hair.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Yesterday, one of my daughters told me about two different occasions when she “saw” someone out of the corner of her eye walking through the hallway, passing from one bedroom to another. When she went to see who it was, she discovered that there was no one there.
My husband I and my oldest daughter all experience this phenomenon in this house.
Friday, May 14, 2004
I was awoken abruptly out of a sound sleep—someone was crying, calling out to me. I thought it was one of my children and even called out, “I’m coming!”
I got up and checked the house—everyone was sound asleep.
The next morning I told my husband about it. He said, “Last night I thought I saw someone walk into the bedroom and I thought it was you—until I realized my hand was on your hip!”
Also...yesterday, the lights in the living room turned themselves on three different times.
Note:The day before these odd occurrences, I had been released from the hospital from an overnight stay for a minor procedure. This is the same hospital that my husband’s girl friend had passed away in three years ago from colon cancer...Her name was Cheryl.
1. The nurse I had the two days I was in the hospital was named...Cheryl.
2. The nurse who prepped me for the procedure was named...Cheryl.
3. The lady who came in to clean my room was...Cheryl’s aunt, her mother’s sister.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
On the last weekend in March my husband and one of my daughters left to take care of some business in Iowa. My oldest daughter and I took advantage of an evening alone, putting the babies to bed early.
We lit white candles and placed them around us on the living room floor. We sat in the midst of it with a Ouija board and tried contacting spirits.
We asked “Are there any spirits here now?”
The board answered, “Y’ no?”
Ever since, we have been waking up during the night this past month to find the TV in the living room has been turned on.
During the night, my youngest daughter called out to me in distress from her bedroom. When I went to her, she was thrashing around in her covers, upset and frightened. I asked her what was the matter.
“There’s ‘A Lady’ bothering me,” my daughter told me.
After a few more questions, this is what I got: “The Lady” had been standing beside her bed off and on during the night. The Lady was angry or upset or sad.
Unlike the majority of parents, when my children describe unseen entities and paranormal activity to me, I believe them. Also, while standing by my daughter’s bed talking to her, I had a rush of tingling goose flesh run from the bottom of my feet up my legs. I knew that some kind of presence was in the room.
In order to clear my daughter’s room of this “Lady”; I lit a white candle and some incense, tossed a handful of salt about—including under her bed, and left a small bowl of salt on her night stand. I told my daughter that if “The Lady” came to bother her again, she could just take a pinch of salt and toss it at the entity and it would go away.
Reassured, my child—and I—went back to sleep.
The next day came the daily local newspaper:
Yesterday evening a pregnant young woman, along with her year old baby, was killed in a head on collision with a semi-trailer truck just a few miles north of our home.
This young woman had been the daughter of the people we had bought this house from several years ago.
My daughter was sleeping in what had been this young woman’s childhood bedroom.
