Far right deck is Botanica: Full Bloom, which is a Tarot with an additional oracle mixed in.

May this year really started off with a BANG! Not only did the full flower moon land on Beltane/Mayday, but we will also have a blue moon at the end of this month as well. In that spirit, I chose decks this month that have serious chutzpah! I know it’s not exactly the deep theme I typically search for (kidding, kidding) but I felt the need to get decks out that have BIG personalities and bold artwork. You might recognize a couple, but largely these are decks I’ve used very little of so it will be a learning month for me! Also, in all honesty, I should perhaps call this the month of great guidebooks as all these decks have superb guidebooks, even the LWBs!

The oracle in the center, Mystic, Augur & Sage, is relatively under-represented in this blog as I reach for it very often. I’m honestly not a huge fan of oracles in general as I struggle with lack of structure, but this one is a gem in my collection.

From this deck I drew 22: The Tree of Life. To me this gives strong, Grandmother Willow/Hierophant vibes. There’s a troll or goblin hiding in it’s roots, a crown of blooming flowers, and it holds a celtic style coin with three running critters. When I see this image I think of the interconnection of everything, from abstract ideas to the physical realm of nature to even humdrum economics. The books speaks to ascending spiritually from being grounded in reality. It speaks to cycles of nature and rest and growth and seeking enlightenment.

Well, would you look at that. I normally do my monthly draw the night before the new month begins and I write it down in my notebook so when I have a free moment I take pictures and write up my notes for this blog. It was quite the surprise to see an actual Hierophant come out of the charming Four Courts Tarot, and even more so when it’s in another tree form. What about trees am I needing to learn from this month? I am planting several trees this month to replace my long gone apple trees, but there seems to be something important here. In this tree, I see a strong teacher, a sleeping knowledge that is old, old, old. What story or practice of old must I turn to this month?

And, to add to this theme, from the Botanica, I drew one of the oracle cards, and the final card of the deck, Anachronistic Fruits & Megafauna. “Everything good comes to an end, but there is still more on the other side,” says the key quote. Seasons and cycles again. This image features an extinct megafauna with some fruit from that time which we still have today thanks to luck and human cultivation. These ancient fruits relied on the megafauna to disperse, and many have gone extinct when the megafauna went extinct. These “anachronistic” fruits had their dispersal methods drastically interrupted, so had to do something new and innovative to survive. This is such an interesting card to pair with the two Hierophant-esque trees! What tradition of old needs to adapt to the new? Something good in my life is coming to an end, but I can take important things from this experience and apply learned knowledge and traditions to move forward to something new and good. Wow, this is really hitting some key notes for me after my challenging April month!

The Wonderstruck Tarot was a Kickstarter deck I backed at the very last minute and am I glad I did! This deck has a modern focus on femininity and strength in very mundane senses, but it packs a wallop! It has extremely colorful images overlaid with glittery foil but the art itself really steals the show. This may be my favorite 7 of Cups in my entire Tarot collection. She is grocery shopping, and there are an overwhelming amount of things to choose from but she has a limited budget–what is best for her needs and how can she tell? Not everything hold something worthwhile. What does your heart truly want? See things as they truly are, not how you wish them to be. The book, while simple, is perhaps one of my best Tarot guides I have.

And we end with the impressive and uniquely on-guard King of Swords from the incredible Bohemian Cats Theater Tarot out of Baba Studios. This King is a leader who sets aside his emotions to act rationally, justly, and fairly. He has high standards and is incredibly self disciplined and always uses rational thinking. He knows when to attack and when to defend and when to do nothing. His crown is also a helmet—he lets his accolades defend him. Unlike many traditional RWS King of Swords this one has his sword drawn and is ready! He isn’t afraid to get off his throne and do something! I have many choices in front of me right now, some of substance and some not so much. I need to channel my King of Swords to see the deep truth of these choices and use rational thinking to discern the reality of the situation and I need to not be afraid of taking action to move to the next step!

Together, there is a cycle coming to and end, things to be learned by those that have come before me in order to grow beyond this ending and ascend to the next stage of my life. Ahead there are so many different things! But I need to chose to have a clear head, integrity, and a willingness to act! I also see the King of Swords defending the Tree of Life—what profound connection and truth needs my defense? Woah, what a month! Anyone else’s cards say something similar for this May?