Using the Mary amulets with the deck

Mysteries of Mary healing amulet set

The Spring and Autumn layouts

 I have always been drawn to the tarot because of its beautiful art and the archetypal interpretation thereof and of myths and legends.  It seemed a perfect vehicle to bring the hidden story of Mary and the goddess to our consciousness and thus afford us the insight and clarity into our own behaviour

and responses.

My second big love has been charms and amulets.  And through the years I have uncovered the many meanings and traditions related to charms.  I also found it fascinating that there are holy medals for every church, every saint and every archetypal event in the church history and theology.  Through an instagram friend I discovered Benedicaria and this led to the Amulets of Mary charm oracles.

As I created these I realised that each and every card in the Mysteries deck contain many charms and that these two streams are intertwined.  So I have been playing with my charm oracle in tandem with my cards and I would like to share some of the ways in which I use it with you.  You will obviously create your own and that is half the joy and the insights gained are priceless.

Two of my favourite spreads are the Spring and Autumn spreads.

For Spring I use II of Vessels/Cups and the II of Holyrood/Wands and for Autumn I use the II of Distaff/Swords and II of Roses/Pentacles. 

These are the four annunciation and birth cards so they give you a good indication of where and what is being presented and what is being born and how to midwife the birth.

As without so within

As above so below

We see the cycles of the seasons reflected in our own psyches and our external world and understanding the impetus of rebirth during summer and pregnancy in the Underworld of winter (especially in the northern hemisphere) can be key points on your journey.

Then I empty my pouch of amulets and pick the ones that match the cards.  (I have collected new amulets on my recent pilgrimage and am working on putting these new sets together - one or two will be available in the shop soon, hopefully)

For the two annunciation cards I matched the following amulets :

blessed Mary, heart with wings, archangel and the chalice

In the annunciation of Anne I have the bee, the blue bird, the sparrow, the red yarn, the palm trees and the scissors.  You can also add the needle, the archangel, and thread should you wish to. 

In the Southern Hemisphere we are entering Spring and there is a sense of regeneration, hope and optimism within oneself.  We have been through a long and severe drought and this has brought water restrictions and a change in lifestyle for many of us.  (I wrote this post in the spring) Living consciously and with introspection one is confronted with the drought within your inner landscape and the pockets of lack of joy or happiness in the garden of your soul.  

I am therefore doing the Spring reading for myself.

Spring :

II of Vessels 

and II of  Holy Rood 

and I would expand this with the card of the Sun which is XIX Holy Child

So the questions would be :

- where specifically am I lacking in the living waters of Life in my inner landscape?

- what can I do to facilitate change and transformation?

-what can I expect to change?

-how can I cooperate with these changes?

-what do I need to let go of?

-what should I encourage into my outer life?

-whom should I welcome into my inner world?

as a few examples.

 If you have the time and you want to do a really in-depth reading, you study these three cards and their meanings in the guide book; you pack their amulets out and study their meanings in the small handbook; take a few minutes to ponder the picture that is being revealed.

then put it all back,

shuffle the cards,

and draw your three cards which you will put into these three positions :

Position 1 =  annunciation

Position 2 =  birth

Position 3 = fulfillment

The Annunciation

Birth of the Golden Child

Celebration, joy

then proceed to add the amulets that matches up with them to these three cards

and together they will tell the story.

The annunciation asks your consent and willingness.  By putting a card down in this position of the spread, you are opening the door and welcoming change and transformation in.  You are declaring yourself as Handmaiden of your soul and its goals of growth.  This is an act of unity and a sacred marriage as you are opening your mind in acceptance and you are stepping up to the altar of your life.

The card that you drew plus the amulets, will show in which area of your life

you can expect the announcement to be made.  

In the second position of birth you will be shown what you are expected to give birth to;

it may show the area of potential growth;  sudden and unexpected good fortune;  a major change;

a new beginning; a new cycle or an event

In the third position is celebration and joy

The card and amulets that you place here will show you in what form and in which area of your

life you can  expect the manifestation to turn up. 

or else if you want to a quick reading. you can put the three cards down and draw

the three cards for the reading and place them on top with their amulets. 

St Anne, Ten of Vessels

on the position of the Annunciation

with the amulets of St Anne, teapot, bowl

chalice

IV Vessels in the position of Birth

with the amulets of Mary, chalice and dove

The Queen of Holy Rood in the position of

celebration and joy with the amulets of rosy cross, 

flaming heart, Mary and the rose

If you combine the three 'foundation' cards and their matching amulets,

with the drawn cards and their amulets, you have a thorough and in-depth

picture of what to expect.