Practicing Gratitude With The Tarot

Thanksgiving Day in the US serves as a gentle reminder for everyone around the world to pause and consciously appreciate all the goodness in our lives.

But why limit practicing gratitude to just one day? Cultivating a habit of appreciation can significantly improve your mental health.

If you're struggling to find things to be grateful for right now, you're not alone.

Life can be tough—relationship breakups, unemployment, poverty, illness, bereavement... It's easy to become cynical in such situations. I get it.

A time of year so devoted to being grateful for what we have can also painfully highlight what we lack or have lost.

But here's an invitation: be open to gratitude.

Expressing appreciation for even the simplest things that go right in your life can help shift your perception to a higher vibrational level.

And why not use the Tarot to help you along?

You can approach practicing gratitude with the Tarot in two ways:

1. Go through the whole deck and choose one thing for each card you are grateful for.

2. Or just pick a few cards at random to explore what you can be grateful for at this moment in time.

Examples:

Wheel of Fortune – grateful for those lucky turn of events in my favour

Three of Pentacles – grateful for all the experience gained from working with fantastic people

King of Swords – grateful for having stopped all the emotional drama in my life once and for all

The Moon – grateful for the magic, mystery and imagination in my life

Two of Wands – grateful for new opportunities I’m excited about

Remember to make a note of them all in your journal (check out the Tarot Moon Journal).

Why not giving this gratitude tarot exploration a try and raise your vibes today.

Pick as many cards as you like, and perhaps you will even enjoy drawing a daily card to express your gratitude for something (or someone!) good in your life right now.

Special journaling prompt:

What can I be grateful for in my life that money can’t buy?

Make your own set of oracle cards….

Discover your hidden blessings with the Tarot!

Warmet wishes,

Christiane

Madame Endora’s Fortune Cards

 

Madame Endora's Fortune Cards is a 48-card oracle deck first published in 2003, and I bought it back in those days, shockingly, that's 21 years ago 😱😂

This is the kind of dark deck I still love especially at this time of year.

It was designed by the creators of the Gothic Tarot, hinting at its moody and mysterious atmosphere.

When I revisited the website the other day after all these years, I was delighted to find that the deck is not only still available for purchase, it can now also be downloaded as an app, although sadly just in the Apple store.

Nevertheless, it's come a long way 😄

So here I'm talking about the good old-fashioned analogue card deck, that you can hold in your hands.

There is a nice feel to the card stock; it’s somehow grippy and therefore easy to shuffle.

The cards themselves measure a standard size of 12.50 cm x 7.50 cm.

The artwork blends fantasy, Egyptian and Celtic themes, and the style of the deck is described in the accompanying booklet as “incorporating mythical lore and old world concepts of the Tarot with New Age mysticism”.

The colours of the card images are vibrant with lots of gold on a black background.

The title of the card is on top with a short explanation at the bottom, for example “The Gate – A barrier keeps you from your goal.”

This allows the beginner to start reading the cards immediately.

The deck is divided into five suits:

The Royal Court—representing people influencing your life or aspects of yourself

The Realm of Fable—various beings from ancient lore representing outside forces affecting your destiny

The Bestiary—creatures of legend representing valuable lessons and truths to be discovered

The Treasury—mystical tools and treasures symbolising aid and guidance in achieving your goals

The Elements—consisting of celestial bodies and the natural forces, which all surround and influence us on a daily basis

The mini booklet included provides brief explanations for each card and also suggests some specially created spreads for this deck, such as the Oracle of the Dawning Day and the Seer’s Fan.

The cards are meant to be read upright; there are no reversed meanings. However, there is definitely potential to introduce reversals for additional depth.

This deck always proves a hit with my friends around Halloween and cosy get-togethers by the fireplace on dark cold days. Readings are fun, eerily accurate and to the point (surprise!).

Some of the cards suggest a link to dark magic, such as The Raven, The Hand of Fate and The Mystic Circle. 

Unlike the traditional Tarot deck, Madame Endora’s Fortune cards are specifically designed for fortune-telling, with statements such as “darkness looms on the horizon” and “your luck will soon change”, but it’s certainly worth a try using them for more insightful readings offering advice and guidance.

If it's the first time you've heard of this deck, then you might be interested in buying it. 

Created by Joseph Vargo & Christine Filipak, it comes with a small but useful instruction booklet and is available online including the publisher's website Monolith Graphics.

If you bought it back in those days and still use it occasionally today, I'd love to hear from you! Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below 🤩

Until next time,

Christiane 🦄