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Just stopping in to give you a preview of some good news! Serendipities has been accepted as a vendor at Baltimore Faerie Faire!!!
We’ll be vending gemstone jewelry (some of it reiki attuned, some of it devotional) and giving short reiki treatments.
Check out the event: Baltimore Faerie Faire.
More details to come!
~Réaltán~
So in my Etsy Shop I’m migrating towards two types of listing, as far as the tarot and oracle card readings are concerned: by deck, and by spread. I think having one listing with multiple price tiers is a better idea for me in the long run, because it will cut down on relisting costs and expirations. To that end, I’m starting a new sort of aesthetic for that. Most of the deck listings currently look a bit like this:
That’s a lot witchier than the cards by themselves with plain wood beneath them, don’t you think? Hopefully potential clients will like it, too. I’m still including lots of pictures of cards, of course, especially in these deck listings.
The thematic spread listings got a facelift, too, but I think they may still be too plain. Here’s an example:
That could use witch-ing up a little, probably. But at least this one’s pretty straightforward and was up in time for Valentine’s Day. For these I’m also including a picture of all the decks I have, to make it a little easier for clients to choose one.
Beyond Love and Career and New Year (which will be leaving soon), I don’t have any thematic spread listings… but I’m thinking about perhaps making one or two more, if I can figure out what sorts of things potential clients are looking for.
Outside of the realm of divination, I’m working on devotional bracelets for Sekhmet and Anubis, and hopefully those will be in my shop soon! Stay posted!
In other news, I’m going to start trying to update this blog weekly, probably on Mondays, although I’ll be out of town for the end of February, so I may not start posting regularly until mid-March. Thanks for following along!
~Réaltán~
This is a tarot reading for Serendipities, based on this Imbolc tarot spread, using my Fantastical Creatures tarot deck.
1. What is still frozen for Serendipities?
The Empress: The Morrigan. We are still lacking in creativity, fertility, and bountiful prosperity.
2. What will help keep us warm and comfortable?
Three of Pentacles: Hobgoblin. We will need to learn new skills. When an opportunity presents itself, we should take it.
3. What clutter needs to be cleared out?
The Magician: Winged Cat. Too much studying. Time to put it into practice.
4. What will the first signs of new growth be, this spring?
Three of Swords, Reversed: Jenny Greenteeth. The relief of anxiety.
5. What’s a project that we should begin now?
King of Pentacles: Lord of the Greenwood. Organizing finances.
6. A message of inspiration:
The Chariot: Centaurs. If you sustain your efforts, you will succeed in the end.
These are really brief notes, I realize, but these are my very first impressions, and I’ll be returning to these cards to meditate further on their meanings in the coming days, and in the weeks up to the Equinox, when I plan to do a similar reading for the business. It seems like solid advice and a good omen, though, so I’m happy with that. I hope everyone who celebrated had a wonderful Imbolc! Gwdihŵ and I are going to a little gathering tomorrow to celebrate more formally, but we’ve been celebrating in small ways at our own altar and hearth since January 31st. Tomorrow marks the end of our festivities.
~Réaltán~
Hello All!
I’ve been pretty sick lately and so haven’t updated here, apologies… I’m trying to catch up on things today. This is going to be a sort of a list-post, so bear with me, okay?
Recently Gwdihŵ and I did another big-and-intense reiki healing session on another friend, but as that one was highly personal and centered around past traumas, we decided it was best not to post about it, even under a psuedonym. This one was done as a gift to a friend in need, so no barter this time… though I think we have a paying customer in the works, and hopefully it will only take a few paying customers before we can afford our own travel massage table, so we can have people lie down (instead of sitting in comfy chairs).
The biggest thing to report, I suppose, is that we’ve submitted an application to vend Baltimore Faerie Faire this May. We hope to offer quick reiki treatments and some gemstone jewelry – probably some empath shields (charged lava stone beads) and the like turned into bracelets as well. If we’re accepted, I’ll need to make a ton of inventory before then, but that should be doable! So fingers crossed and candles lit and here’s to hoping!
The next thing is sort of an upcoming thing… I have a lot of new pictures to add to the Etsy shop, and some of the listings will be changing, and I’ll be adding a new tarot deck, the Radiant Rider-Waite. So be on the lookout for that! I’ll probably make a post with a few pictures here, once I’m done.
And one more teaser: I’ve started crocheting a kokeshi-style Sekhmet icon. I’ll post pictures and talk about that more once I’ve finished one! It’s a pretty exciting project, and I think they’ll make create altar pieces if I can do a bunch of different deities – similar to the devotional bracelets.
And speaking of devotional bracelets, the one for Bast is still available in my shop, though I should probably whip up another one as that one sold. And there’s a Sekhmet one in the works, though I need to get my hands on some tiger’s eye beads in a better shade of brown.
That’s all for now. Thanks for following along and check back in soon!
~Réaltán~
Here’s the second New Year’s Tarot Spread that I made, and this one is also available in my Etsy Shop! The full graphic for this one is on tumblr, too, so spread it around if you see it, please! And again, I don’t mind if anyone else uses or modifies this spread, even to sell in their own shops or tarot practice, but hopefully some of those who see this will decide to knock on my little (internet) shop door!
Overview of changes coming in the New Year:
1. Work: changes to your career, job, or schooling
2. Play: changes to your hobbies or recreational activities
3. Friends: changes to your friendships, or changes in your friends’ lives that will affect you
4. Romance: changes in your love life, or change’s in a romantic partner’s life that might affect you
5. Family: changes in your family life, or changes in a family member’s life that might affect you
6. Health: changes to your health, either physical, mental, or emotional
7. Spirituality: changes to your spirituality or your religious beliefs or practice
If you do use this spread, let me know how it works for you! And if you’re interested in having me to a reading for you, I offer this spread in four different tarot decks, or in two different oracle card decks.
~Réaltán~
I created this tarot spread for our Etsy shop, anticipating that clients may want a little insight into what’s coming with the coming year, and what they can do to help make the transition smooth. I made the graphic to share on tumblr, so if you see it there, please reblog! I don’t mind if anyone else uses or modifies this spread, even to sell in their own shops or tarot practice, but hopefully some of those who see this will decide to knock on my little (internet) shop door!
Things Leaving with the Past Year:
1. Something you’re ready to let go of
2. Something you need to let go of
3. Something you want to let go of
4. An external way to help yourself let go
5. An internal way to help yourself let go
6. An obstacle preventing you from letting go
Things Coming in with the New Year:
7. Something you’re ready to accept
8. Something you need to accept
9. Something you want to accept
10. An external way to help yourself accept things
11. An internal way to help yourself accept things
12. An obstacle preventing you from accepting things
If you do use this spread, let me know how it works for you! And if you’re interested in having me to a reading for you, I offer this spread in four different tarot decks, or in two different oracle card decks.
~Réaltán~
I (Réaltán) suffer from seasonal depression (AKA Seasonal Affective Disorder). It makes keeping my energy up, both physically and magically, much harder in the late fall and winter, as my natural inclination is something like hibernation between Samhain and Imbolc, approximately. Part of this is probably due to my spring fae nature (about which I will no doubt have to make a post eventually), but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do anything about it. I just am not sure how to.
Or, rather – was not sure. But then I had what seems to be an absolutely genius idea (though I’m no doubt reinventing the wheel): talk to an Evergreen spirit!
I have something of an affinity for plants, and I frequently use plants and herbs in my general craft, but I have not spoken to the spirits of plants much to do anything more than what they are prescribed for in herbalism, or associated with in magical symbolism. This is my first major relationship with a plant spirit, and so far I’ve done a handful of hedgecrossings (aka journeys, tranceworkings, astral travels) to go meet and talk with who I have identified as Black Spruce. In my talks with him, he has given me the following tidbits of advice, which I will share here in case anyone else can benefit from his wisdom as they deal with their own challenges, this dark half of the year.
Hopefully these ideas will reach those who need to hear them. And I highly recommend seeking an Evergreen spirit to guide you if this sort of work sounds like a path you need to go down. I am very much enjoying my work with Black Spruce, and after I mentioned this to a friend of mine, she met a Balsam Fir and is now doing some very important work with him. His messages have been similar to Black Spruce’s – he also stressed the importance of slowing down, which is probably the most important message out of all of the above.
~Réaltán~
I have finally finished (and listed in the Etsy Shop) my first piece of devotional jewelry: a bracelet for devotees of Bast, the Lady Devourer, my Patroness. The bracelet is about 8.5 inches in length, but as I have enough supplies to make several more, the length can be variable with the addition or removal of the golden glass accent beads. The gemstone beads are rutilated quartz, golden tiger’s eye, picture jasper, and black onyx, all in 8mm rounds and pearl-knotted on durable nylon cord.
There are four of each bead, in four groups, split in half by the glass scarab bead. The number four is important in Kemetic numerology, and of course the scarab is an important symbol as well, and protective amulets were often carved in the shape of this beetle. The gemstones are ones that I personally associate with Bast, and the golden accents are evocative of the Netjeru generally, as they are sometimes said to have been made from gold itself!
Hopefully this bracelet will find its way home with someone who will appreciate both the design and the goddess for which it was made!
~Réaltán~
In the interest of keeping most of my more formal workings here on this blog, especially if they serve the folk, which is the end goal of Serendipities, I have decided to copy here a ritual outline I originally posted to my pagan tumblr.
About a month ago, I led a Kemetic revivalist styled (flavored?) public rite using the sanctuary of the ADF Grove where I a member. It was done as a “moon rite” because Kemetic rituals aren’t ADF-kosher for the 8 yearly High Rites, and honestly, that suited me just fine – it was a more intimate rite and I got to use my own outline, instead of the ADF Core Order of Ritual. I started with Per Sebek’s outline here, and then altered it to fit a group, and to more closely resemble the sort of ritual my attendees were used to (ie, ADF-style), and as we were holding this rite outside, after sunset, in October, I tried to make sure it would be short, too.
My general intention for the ritual was to help us let go of things that no longer served us, in preparation for Samhain (I led the rite the week before) and the introspection of winter months.
So here is the ritual outline, complete with prayers written by me:
First, good news! I’ve had a few Etsy sales (goodness it’s hard to start out in a crowded market), and the first three sales were people we didn’t know, yay, and also, they all left reviews, yay, and ALL THOSE REVIEWS ARE FIVE STARS, YAY!!! Plus I have a couple more in the works, from both friends and acquaintances. I’ve been running a tumblr coupon sale for 10% off, but so far I’ve only had one bite on that, and none of my promotion posts have gotten many notes. I’ve got about 125 followers, but it really takes a few reblogs before a post takes off, and that hasn’t happened. Probably I’d have better luck trying to circulate a layout post with my shop info on it, but I’ve not yet tried that. (Also, for any blog readers who want the coupon, it’s “TUMBLWEEN”, and it’s good through November 5th.
Second, less-good news: we have not been accepted into the Gryphon’s Grove classes we applied to. However, that was one path of many, and we are not discouraged. Caroline Kenner did divination to select her students, and this class is not meant to have us in it. Perhaps that’s for the better, though, as I still have a mental block about the term “shamanism” and I may not have been ready for the work (under that heading, I mean – I’m more than ready to meet and work with new guides). There are other methods of working with spirits for healing, however, and Gwdihŵ will continue to learn from his guides as we do reiki, and will perhaps discover more guides in the process.
Third, I’ve used some of my proceeds from the Etsy shop to purchase an Oracle Deck, which will eventually end up in the shop as well. It’s “The Wild Wisdom of the Fairy Oracle Deck”, by Lucy Cavendish (art by Selina Fenech). I’m going to do daily pulls for a while until I get to know it better – probably 30 days or so – before I list it, though. So far it seems to be pretty straightforward, talkative, and encouraging! Here are some pictures:
Fourth, I’ve been looking at threads and cord for the beads I posted about ages ago, and I’ve finally found one I like. I ordered it and it arrived a week or so ago. I’ve been playing with single strand or double strand, and different kinds of knotting between the beads, and I think I’ve found a knotting style I like… which means now all I need are some findings, and I can start putting beaded devotional jewelry in my shop! I’ve been working a little bit on design, too, and as I finish items I will likely be posting them here. But here’s a picture with all the different kind of knots, made with some loose beads (the knots I like best are the ones on that bottom strand, double overhand):
Fifth, I’m leading my first group ritual on October 25th! It’s a Kemetic execration rite, honoring Bast and Sekhmet as the Eyes of Ra. I’ve written up most of the prayers and outline, and I’ll post it here when finished. I’m a little nervous, but I’ve got some good people as part of the ritual team, and I think the work we’re doing is really necessary for this time of year. Hopefully everything will go as planned, or as close to that as possible!
And that’s it for your pile of updates!
~Réaltán
