The Man in the Moon

About a month ago, friend, illustrator, and Golden Moth Deck owner Katie Green asked me to write about Card #21, or what I consider "The Moon" card. Forgive me if this post gets a bit rambly, because it has been on my mind for awhile now. It is also serendipitous because when I checked out Priscilla Smith's blog Spirit Speak 444, I discovered that she had pulled this card today! Priscilla is pulling one card everyday this November and writing about it. You can read her Moon/Star post here. It has been interesting to read Priscilla's interpretations of the cards because it further reinforces my decision to keep the symbols simple and in a single color (which was also suggested by Katie Green - double thanks!) I think these artistic decisions make the interpretation of each symbol much more open and free-flowing. With simple line drawings and no color cues, people are able to see what comes to their unique minds without too much outside influence. Priscilla's posts have also shown me that how someone literally sees an image is so very personal, based on their history and personality. It all continues to fascinate me, as both an artist and the creator of this deck. When Priscilla first mentioned this card in her Golden Moth Deck Interview, she called it "The Man from the Moon." Upon seeing this, I realized that when turned upside down, the object in the center of the image does look kind of like a person! Crazy, I did not picture this when I was drawing it. Actually, I meant the object to look a bit like a castle or a weird plant. I left it purposely ambiguous. The image actually came to me many years before as I was doodling some designs for T-shirts and this strange castle-ish image came out onto the page. I certainly didn't think I would end up turning it into a divination card.

When I created this symbol, I was highly inspired by the Moon card of the traditional Rider-Waite tarot deck and the interpretation I found on www.learntarot.com. 

The Moon card is often seen as representing fears, anxieties, heightened fantasies and imagination, intuition, and creativity. I thought of this card as a ghostly imagination-castle growing out of a lake reflecting stars. However, the reflections are not total mirror images, which makes them a little less cut-and-dry. In fact, for a long time this card still remained ambiguous, artistically and interpretation-wise. I had some idea of what it meant through studying the Moon card in tarot tradition, but it still eluded me a bit when it came up in readings. Now I can see the symbol of an upside-down Man in the Moon is very fitting for this card as well. It reminds me of the Hanged Man card in the tarot tradition.The Hanged Man is one of those paradoxical cards. While the words "Hanged Man" can sound ominous, the man in the card is very calm and the ring of light around his head makes him seem as though he is enlightened in the spiritual sense. (And isn't it further serendipity that my Moon card is #21, and the tarot Hanged Man card is that number reversed - #12? Woo...believe me, I didn't do that on purpose.) From learntarot.com:  

"The main lesson of the Hanged Man is that we "control" by letting go - we "win" by surrendering. The figure on Card 12 has made the ultimate surrender - to die on the cross of his own travails - yet he shines with the glory of divine understanding. He has sacrificed himself, but he emerges the victor. The Hanged Man also tells us that we can "move forward" by standing still. By suspending time, we can have all the time in the world."

I see the influence of this paradoxical and mystical energy in my Moon card. In readings for others and for myself, the Moon card will often come up during times of uncertainty. But I also think it is about trusting the moment and allowing unknowing to function in your life. The moon appears when the clear light of day is absent and we are left with a different kind of light - bright in its own way, but softer, more mysterious and magical. I think that this card often appears in times of life when events, thoughts, or actions have this sort of mysterious quality. Perhaps we are building a castle out of moonlight, letting the castle grow out of the water like a strange plant with its own life-force. Maybe we are simply dreaming, letting ourselves float through the night because we know the dream won't last. Or maybe we are dreaming so that we can figure out how to build the dream during waking life. The light of the moon is our testing ground, a time when we can create, drift, imagine, explore what we don't know. This all sounds pretty ambiguous and mystical, I know. But I do believe that is what the Moon card is about, at least to me. A time of transitions, a time to see our world in a different light. What does the Moon mean to you?

This card also has personal significance for me because I believe it is my guiding force when doing readings for other people. Since self-publishing the deck, I have done many more readings and I think that I have grown as a reader because of it. There have been many instances when people have told me they felt better after a reading, and I could feel it from their smiles and the lightness in their demeanor. But there are times when I feel nervous or unsure of what others are getting from the readings. Sometimes I go into anxiety-mode and start talking much more than is necessary, trying to fill the nervous space by leaving no stone unturned. I've come to realize that reading cards is very much about being in the moment, responding to people's needs as well as knowing what it is in my power to offer them. I can't always tell people what they want to hear. As much as I want to help people who are going through difficult situations, I have decided that my role as a reader is one of facilitator for people to understand themselves better. I try to remind people that they do know themselves and what they need to do, the cards are just there to help them see it in a more conscious way. I am not an all-knower, all-fixer, or there to placate them just so I feel good about myself. I don't think anyone really expects that of me, but it is tempting to wish that I could make people's lives better through my readings.

I am constantly floored by the mystery of life. Who is to say what effect - subtle or larger - that the readings will have on a person? Maybe I helped someone become more conscious of a negative pattern. Maybe talking through a reading helped lightened a burden for someone. Maybe the burden will come back, maybe it won't. I can't know or control it all. All I can do is try my best to be open to what is needed in the moment. Whenever I shuffle the cards, I've come to ask in my head "What does so-&-so need to hear right now? What does he/she need?" which amusingly makes me think about the Oracle in The Matrix movies. And it is amazing when I allow myself to be open to the cards and see them fresh each time. I definitely have personal interpretations for each card, but lately I've been trying to truly be in the moment and trust my intuition. It actually makes a card look different each time. Certain aspects will appear more strongly to me. I also am more open to other people's interpretations. When I am unsure of a card's meaning in the spread, I will ask the Querent what they think. And this is always the "right" meaning for their situation. I have learned so much more about my cards and their possibilities through the thoughts and suggestions of other people.

Whenever you feel confused or unsure, remember the Moon. Don't try to understand right away. Let it be. Let it be scary, let it be crazy, let it be the wrong thing for you. Or the right thing. Maybe they are the same thing. Let it ramble just as much as this post about the Moon. It is your nightmare, your dream, your mysterious and sacred life.

Sprout Head Sale - Hurrah for 2012!

To help kick off the holiday season and my new linocut prints, I am starting early with a SALE in my online shop, Sprout Head! Use Coupon Code HURRAH2012 upon checkout to receive 10% off your entire order - hint: that includes Golden Moth Illumination Decks! Sale runs from Friday, November 16 - Monday, November 26. The first 10 orders over $10 (not including shipping) that use coupon code will receive the zine "We Carry Each Other" for free with your purchase! IMPORTANT: You MUST use the coupon code or else you will not receive the discount or bonus zine.

GOLDEN MOTH FOR NABLOPOMO!

NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month, where bloggers set a goal to blog every day for a whole month. I've been lucky enough to have Priscilla Smith of the blog Spirit Speak 444 choose my Golden Moth Illumination Deck as the theme for her NaBloPoMo! Starting on November 1st, everyday she will draw a card and post about her thoughts and interpretations. Get a preview of what is to come with her awesome and insightful "Interview with the Golden Moth." This will be exciting and fun for me to read and I hope it will be for you, too. Thanks Priscilla!

Also, you may have noticed a new tab at the top of the blog called "CRAFT SHOWS & EVENTS." You can click on it anytime for an updated schedule of craft shows where I will be selling my art and Golden Moth Decks, as well as events where I will be doing Intuitive Card Readings.

Who's Behind Blue Elephant?

As some of you already know, I've started to give monthly Golden Moth Intuitive Card Readings (like tarot readings, but using my own deck of cards) at Blue Elephant in Richmond. This months readings will take place on Sunday, October 21st from 1-4 pm - coinciding with their weekend Sidewalk Sale which starts tomorrow! 

Blue Elephant is a fantastic boutique that sells vintage housewares and artwork by local artists, and I always feel inspired after I visit. I've gotten to know Patsy and Jessica, the owners, but thought it would be neat to interview them to find out a little more about the mysterious women behind Blue Elephant. Enjoy!

Here's Patsy on the left and Jessica on the right.

Hello Patsy and Jessica! Would you please tell us a little about yourselves?

J: I was raised in Northern Virginia, and came down to Richmond to attend VCU. I definitely wasn’t thrilled to move here at first, but now I can’t imagine living anywhere else! I have a cute row house in Oregon Hill that I share with great roommates and one fat cat, I ride a scooter everywhere and refuse to get my driver’s license, and I love all the great local shops and restaurants. The amount of creative talent and friendly people make Richmond one of my favorite places. It’s a beautiful, but unpretentious, city.

P: I come from a military family, and moved around often while growing up. My mother (Jessica’s grandmother) is Japanese, so my father would take assignments in Japan so my mom could be close to her family. I’ve lived in Japan twice in my life, and been back for visits several times. Japan and all things Japanese hold a special place in my heart and soul.

I worked in Northern Virginia at a large telecom company for almost 20 years, while Jessica and her brother, John, were growing up. When I first started working in telecom, I had no idea that I would do so for so long. While working in a corporate environment has its good points, it certainly didn’t make me feel fulfilled in a creative sense.

How did you become interested in vintage items and what made you decide to open a shop?

J: My mother, Patsy, was the one who always wanted to try her hand at owning a store. When she decided it was time to give it a try, I talked her into opening in Richmond, because I thought a vintage housewares shop in Richmond would make a great fit. She was still working in Northern Virginia, so she asked me to help set up the store. And things kind of just went from there!

P: As time went by in my telecom job, I found myself thinking more and more about leaving my current life behind, and doing something totally different. So in 2010, I took a large part of my savings, and opened Blue Elephant.

Jessica is a huge part of why I opened the store in Richmond. She loved this city, and, in all my visits to it, I found that I loved it, too. As I was still working in NoVA in 2010 and 2011, I also needed someone in whom I could trust to be my business partner, and whom better than my own daughter? J

It’s hard to say how I became interested in vintage items, as it seems like I just always have. I like things that have a history to them, and I like wondering about who owned them before me. I like new things, too (well, some new things), but given a choice between a new couch and a cute vintage one, I will almost always choose vintage!

How do you acquire your items, and what sorts of things are you particularly on the lookout for?

J: We take things on consignment from people and we also source things from auctions, estate sales, etc. Generally speaking, we look for things that range from the 1940’s through the 1970’s or vintage inspired pieces. Small pieces of mid-century furniture are always popular. I’m forever searching for dressers, side tables, etc. Things that fit into small Fan apartments.

P: When I go shopping for the store, I just look for things that I like. End of statement! I think people sometimes think we’re experts or curators and know a lot about this period and that particular designer and whatnot, and, over the past couple of years, that certainly has become more of a true statement as we’ve learned a lot. Jessica especially spends a large part of her day researching items, and can generally give our customers a much more informed history of an item in our shop than me. But as for me, I just look for what pleases my eye and what strikes a chord inside me.

What are some interesting/non-traditional ways that customers use objects from your store?

J: just had a customer that bought a wooden crate and mounted it to the wall for a shelf. He also came back and bought a giant wooden spool to try and turn into a side table. We also sell vintage luggage and people do all sorts of things with them; tables, storage, pet beds.

P: We’ve had people buy mid-century china cabinets and sideboards to use as dressers, and people buy dressers to use as sideboards. I think non-traditional uses of furniture and accessories make a space interesting.

What is your favorite item currently in the store, and why?

J: My favorite piece of furniture is probably the gray mid-century sofa that we had reupholstered at u-fab. It has the greatest lines with wide arms and original brass tapered legs. I’m also a sucker for tiny animal figurines. I have a lot of bookcases at home and I like to add the animals in with the books. I tell my little sisters they come alive at night to have tiny animal book club meetings. 

P: I love the gray sofa, too, but just recently someone brought in this blue clay bowl with three blue clay heads inside. It’s odd, it’s whimsical, and for some reason, it just delights me. I think I’m going to buy it for myself and take it home! 

  

You two are the main owners of the shop, but other members of your family are also involved. Can you tell us how each of you helps in the running of the business and what it’s like to work with family?

J: My brother, John, is a senior Crafts and Materials major at VCU. He comes in frequently to do the windows for us. I assist him when we do them, as there’s usually a lot of work that goes into our window displays. John also will come and rearrange the store for us. He has a great eye for visual merchandising.

My mother’s husband, Ron, also helps us. Unfortunately for him, it’s usually the un fun part that he helps us with. Delivering furniture, helping us with the accounting. He’s a good sport about it, thankfully!

P: As Jessica said, John has a great eye for arranging a space. Have you ever watched that show on HGTV where a designer comes into someone’s apartment and rearranges all of their own furniture and makes it look like a thousand times better? Well, that’s John! I love when he comes to the store and rearranges everything!

I don’t think that without the support of my husband, Ron, I would have been brave enough to venture out and start Blue Elephant. It’s true that he does help with a lot of the un-fun things, like moving furniture and fixing things. But for the past two years, he also played a really important role as our bookkeeper, and helped us make sure all our accounts and taxes were in order. 

What is the best part of running your own business? The most difficult?

J: The best part? I like when I have someone buy something that I know they are excited about. Most everything in the store is something I would like, but I am not a hoarder. So it’s the next best thing, finding things for other people that make them happy!

The most difficult part for me is the stress of owning your own business. When things don’t work out, or something you are trying to do fails, you have no one but yourself to blame. I think people have a misconception that what I do is fun all the time. I love what I get to do for a living. But it is hard. There are a lot of responsibilities involved, and I put myself last.

P: One of the best parts for me is that I get to work with my kids. I like that we have a common goal, and I feel it has brought us closer. The relationship between parents and their adult children is a lot different than when they’re little. I really like where I am with them at this point in their lives. J

One of the most difficult is exactly what Jessica said. It sometimes seems that we sacrifice a lot to maintain the store.  It’s not a job that you work 9 to 5, and then forget about when you go home. It’s integral to us, and it’s really important to us to be fair to our consignors and our artists and crafters.

What has been your favorite experience with a customer?

J: Recently, we sold a beautiful blue mid-century sofa to a young couple that had just moved to Richmond. They were both very kind and I knew the wife had her heart set on the sofa. When her husband came in later after work to see it himself, I worked with him to get to a price we could both work with and had it delivered for free. It made my day when they sent a text telling us how thrilled they were with the sofa and thanked us again. When people appreciate the things we do, it makes everything worthwhile.

P: I have so many it’s hard to choose! Generally speaking, I just love when someone buys something that they’re super excited about, and that’s a good deal for both them and us.

How do you like your current location in the Fan?

J: We just recently moved from Strawberry Street to Robinson Street. The old location was smaller, and when the opportunity to be next to Halcyon Vintage Clothing opened up, I couldn’t say no. And so far, it’s worked out great! The space is larger and brighter, all the ladies next door at Halcyon are wonderful, and having Deep Groove a couple blocks down is awesome too! We’ve kind of made a little trifecta of vintage stores.

P: Ditto to that!

What kinds of items do you think will be popular this coming holiday season?

J: The things that I think make great gifts are vintage items like aprons, books, embroidered linens, and cute kitchen items. I also think work by local artists such as yourself make wonderful gifts. Small prints, paintings, or pottery by local artists are great one of a kind items that support the creative community within Richmond.

P: I think anyone who has someone they’re getting a gift for who appreciates something not mass-produced and that’s different and unique as well as thoughtful, will be able to find something special at Blue Elephant!

Anything else we should know?

J: I can’t think of anything else. Just, thanks!

P: You ask a lot of questions, Aijung! I’m tired now. ;) But thank you so much for taking the time to interview us!!

Thanks, ladies!

Golden Moth is on Facebook!

I created a Facebook page for The Golden Moth Illumination Deck:

www.facebook.com/goldenmothdeck

Please "like" my page to receive updates about events, sales, blog updates, and anything else Golden Moth! Feel free to comment about the deck or experiences you have had with it, too. I'm still trying to create a dialogue on the Golden Moth blog, and would love it if people shared their thoughts here or on Facebook because I've already heard some great stories from some of you.

Thanks!

Shedding Masks and Seeing New Faces

There is a definite chill in the air these days. It's still t-shirt weather for me here in Richmond, VA, but more often than not I will wear a light hoodie while I wait for the clear afternoon sunlight to warm my skin.

I love this kind of weather. I love watching the transition into fall, anticipating the day when I will bundle inside layers of clothing, coats, scarves, and hats that make me feel protected and cocooned against the cold. Being an artist, it feels only natural to sit at my desk and work during these days. While I do want to soak up the perfect autumn days, there isn't the same pull that summertime has with its restless energy.

As we pass the autumnal equinox, the daylight recedes earlier each evening and humans follow the habits of the sun. Our thoughts and inner wanderings become more pronounced as we recede inside of ourselves. I think of October which is coming soon, and the holiday that is the hallmark of the month - Halloween. The modern-day celebration for masked tricksters and glowing pumpkin faces began long ago as a Celtic pagan tradition called Samhain. It was the Celtic New Year, a time to celebrate the gathering of the harvest, honor relatives who had passed, and look towards what the seasons ahead would bring. It was a time of magic, of transitions, when the skin that separated the living and those who passed was very thin.

It is wonderful to feel at peace with transition, with the unveiling of things hidden.

A couple of weeks ago I gave readings at the Blue Elephant (which I'm excited to say will now be a monthly event!) Often when I give readings to many people in a short amount of time, a handful of the same cards will come up again and again - in the same or different positions - within the spread. This is after shuffling, cutting, and having the Querents randomly pick out individual cards that are spread out on the table, so it's not just a matter of the same cards clumping together within the deck. I'm not sure why this happens. Perhaps people intuitively pick up on the energy of cards that have been recently touched. One friend suggested that maybe people go through similar life-themes during certain periods of time, like a cosmic effect. Either way, seeing the same cards over and over again can be disconcerting at times because it's like repetitive deja vu. But it teaches me to be flexible with my interpretations and often alerts me to dimensions of the card that I hadn't noticed before. It's funny to me, and rather amazing, that even though I created these symbols and had specific ideas about their meanings, the cards continue to morph and reveal layers of complexity. These seemingly simple images are so open and inviting if you allow them to be.

One of the cards that came up repeatedly that day is #14. While I advise that no card is inherently positive or negative, I can't help associating this card with unhappiness - which to me is a negative characteristic. However, through the readings I discovered qualities I had not previously recognized, such as judgement, criticalness, and discernment. In themselves, these qualities can be used for beneficial or hindering effects, depending on what the Querent needs in their life. One Querent pointed out to me that #14 is male and the left side of his face is frowning, while #15 is female and her right side if smiling. Not to get too gender-stereotypical, but traditionally males are associated with more analytical, left-brained thinking and women with more intuitive, right-brained thinking. (Although if you want to get really technical, I believe the right and left hemispheres of the brain control the respective opposite sides of the body...) I hadn't thought of these things consciously, but the symbolism had come through intuitively while I was drawing the symbols.

Oh, how I love it when things turn out to be more than they appear.

Dialogue:
Can you think of a time when things turned out to be different than you had previously thought? Do you notice transitions in yourself or others more clearly during certain seasons? 

For those of you who use the Golden Moth Illumination Deck, which cards have come up repeatedly in your readings? Which cards' meanings have revealed multiple dimensions to you over time?

Giveaway Winners!

Hello!

I thank everyone who left a comment on the Giveaway post - it was great reading all the comments and hearing about your perspectives. And thanks so much for your patience waiting for me to pick out the winners.

I put your names in a mason jar, swirled them around, closed my eyes and fished out the winners.

One Golden Moth Illumination Deck set plus one Intuitive Card Reading goes to...

Michelle Cornelison!

One Intuitive Card Reading goes to...

Jeanie!

And lastly, I decided to throw in a little runner-up prize for a third winner. You will receive a set of two notecards. That winner is...

 This is the peev!

A little more info is needed now. All e-mails can be sent to: good_old_fashioned_smell@hotmail.com

Michelle, please e-mail me your address and information to receive your Intuitive Card Reading. Follow this link to find out the information required for your Reading.

Jeanie, follow this link and e-mail me the information required.

Thisisthepeev, e-mail me your address and follow this link to see your notecard choices. You may choose 1 of each card, or 2 of one design.

Thanks everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners!