End Of Year Tarot Spreads

November 24, 2016 By Lilith Dorsey

End of year tarot spread photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.

In many ways the end of the calendar year is the start of the year for Pagans and Witches. Samhain, better known as Halloween and celebrated on October 31st, marks the end of the year in their traditions. This is the time when the wheel of the year is at it’s lowest point and things are all up from here.

As a rule Tarot spreads, I believe, are something that should be adjusted to whatever situation you are in. There are popular spreads like the Celtic Cross, with positions for foundations, friends, and future. But is this really what we are asking, what we need to know ? The end of the year brings special challenges and these tarot spreads will help you sort it all out.

Past/Present/Future Spread

Old Tarot Cards photo. Licensed under public domain.

This nine card spread focuses on where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. It is a good Tarot card layout to use at the end of the year to give you a better sense of perspective and direction. Shuffle the deck in whatever way feels right to you.

I used to perform an elaborate 3 shuffles, 3 cuts , throw it in the air shuffle, but when I was reading for others ( most likely less familiar with magick… or morons,) they accused me of pre-arranging the cards before they sat down… obviously this would be very difficult, if not impossible.

After you are done shuffling. Cut the deck into 3 piles with your left hand. Turn the piles over. From each pile take the bottom card and put it over the one which is now on top. These three piles represent your past, present, and future.

Shut The Back Door Spread

I believe tarot spreads should be simple, and this is one of the easiest. It requires only two cards. One card will help you open the path to new opportunities and one will help shut the door on things that are holding you back.

Shuffle the cards. Then throw them very gently into the air and catch them. This represents them being taken for just a second by the world of the spirits. Cut the deck in half to the left, with your left hand. Take the top two cards from the right pile. Place the first to your left and the second to your right. The card to your left will represent a door that needs to be closed in your life. If the tarot card is a court card ( Queen, King, etc.) this could represent a specific person who may be holding you back. The card on your right will represent new opportunities and possibilities that you are opening up to. If the tarot card is a major arcana card, it may mean that the forces of the universe are helping you with these.

This is a quick spread. If you need more information about the cards you are seeing, feel free to choose another card from the right pile and place it over the position you are having difficulty with. This can help you to understand what the cards are trying to tell you.

As a tarot card reader for over 3 decades I know that despite your best efforts meaning can still remain cloudy, especialy when trying to read cards for yourself. If you would like to schedule an appointment for a tarot card reading with me ( either in person here in NYC or by phone or on skype) please contact me at voodoouniverse@yahoo.com

And if you liked what you found here please do us a favor and like, share, and follow us on social media !

Yoruba Association of Cuba Letter Of The Year 2016

January 2, 2016 By Lilith Dorsey

Yoruba Divination board, photo by Cliff1066TM

2016 is a new year and that means a new letter of the year, or reading of the year, from the Yoruba Association of Cuba. The full interpretation isn’t out yet, but online news sources are posting the following details:

Ruling Sign for 2016 – Ogbeyono

1st witness – Ogbeate

2nd witness – Odditauro

This reading comes down from “Miguel Febles Padron,” and the Elder council of Ifa priests. Cibercuba.com tells us that the prayer for the year is

IRE OMA OYALE LESE ELEGBA (UN BIEN DE INTELIGENCIA FIRME AL PIE DE ELEGUA)

which roughly translates to the intelligence to stand firmly with Eleggua. The ruling orishas of the year are first Ogun who is accompanied by Oshun. As I stated the official interpretation will be forthcoming and I will post an update here on this blog. The early thoughts are however, is that this is a good sign, much gentler than recent years have seen. It tells of intelligence and wisdom, guided by the strength of Ogun and the sweet beauty of Oshun. The real news story is that for the first time ever the powers that be have allowed there to be only one official reading of the year. This has relieved much confusion among practitioners. Please remember however, that the reading of the year for your own individual ile, or spiritual house, will be different and should be followed whenever possible. Happy New Year everyone and Blessings !

It’s My 2 Year Blogiversary And I’ll Rant If I Want Too !

September 9, 2015 By Lilith Dorsey

Voodoo Universe Tarot Listing photo by Lilith Dorsey — Voodoo Universe photo by Lilith Dorsey

The Voodoo Universe Blog is two years old.It took a lot, but there are over 276 published posts here. I was going to write this blog post about crying if I want to, but that quickly took a back seat to ranting. Ranting is much more fun anyway! Don’t get me wrong, I have had a lot of kindness and support with this blog. My friends, family, and godkids … yes, I said my godkids, have been invaluable in keeping me and these lovely words flowing.

As for complaints however, lets start will the almighty powers that be…. I know some of you reading this Voodoo blog think I am speaking about Lwa or Orisha, those are indeed almighty powers, but no, I am instead speaking about social media networks. I have put in my time on many a social media outlet from facecrack to twitter ( I can’t even change the letters of twitter it only gets dirtier.) I read, share and post just like all little media darlings should. Yet I was still censored by one of these big guys when it came to the following post:

Candomble and Umbanda Declared Not Religions !

The only reason I was given is for unsafe religious speech. Please people, this makes me want to really write some unsafe speech. I fully realize that these are not free markets, but when my editor at the time said the same thing often happens to Muslim bloggers, it makes you wonder. But not to favor one religion over another, I was also removed or “whitewashed” (their word) in an article about Voodoo in a major Muslim news publication. The author who interviewed me said he will make it up to me, but we will see how that turns out I guess. My ire is also roused by the search engines,and their puzzling logic. People who pay attention to these things will help me rant into my cup of chai (better than crying in coffee) about panda and penguin updates. I realize people prefer to read a major paint company’s opinion of Blue, but my post about Haint Blue will tell you why it keeps away ghosts, and deserves to be seen as well. All I will say for now is I’m not the only one who associates google with the 5 of swords. Just saying people.

Regular readers of this 2 year old blog will hopefully remember that not too recently I wrote about Hexfest, an event I attended recently in New Orleans and how there too we were met with

Religious Discrimination: Here We Go Again!

An alternative venue was found, and the participants all had a proud moment as we floated by on a better boat and perhaps even gave them the finger! But seriously folks why do these things like hatred, oppression and censorship have to happen. It’s the same advice I tell my 5 year old kindergarten friends” if someone isn’t nice we move away. ” We don’t try and take their toys, money, time, energy, etc….

These struggles hurt, personally and obviously professionally. Another thing that has been hurting a bit is that despite the fact that my recent post about Racism and Recognition in Paganism received almost 200 shares the video describing mine and my godson’s personal experience got only 50 views.

Are people more will to share then they are to really see? I’m not sure anyone has an answer for that.

All in all however, it’s been a wild two years. I pledge to write more in the upcoming days about the posts and the positives. Thanks for reading, Thanks for sharing, and Thanks for caring!

Letter of the Year for 2015 Released From Yoruba Association of Cuba

January 2, 2015 By Lilith Dorsey

It is the time of year when practitioners of La Regla Lucumi, Ifa, and traditions referred to as Santeria receive their reading or letter of the year. Last year 2014, saw many houses in agreement an almost unprecedented event that brought much discussion. This year, as always, it is important to follow the reading of the year for your own spiritual house. The teachings of your godparents are always the most important instructions for an individual to follow. That said, the Letter of the year from the renowned Yoruba Association of Cuba has been published.

The year is marked by the prophecy Ire Oyale Lese Orunla and governed by the Orisha Obatala. Obatala is the ruler of the white cloth and the utmost cleanliness in all that you do is paramount. As always history, respect and responsibility should be driving factors in all that you do. To read the entire reading you can follow the link here.

The audience here on Voodoo Universe is quite diverse, and I am grateful for each one of you. It occurs to me that many of us come for different and varied spiritual houses, the reading of the year for my own house also emphasized several of the points in the Cuban reading. Do you belong to a Lucumi or Santo house with a reading of the year? What was emphasized for you? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

Many Blessings and Happy New Year !!!

How To Trust Your Tarot Readings

October 3, 2014 By Lilith Dorsey

trusttarot — tarot and crystl BALL photo by tonya pierce. Text added. Licensed under CC 2.0

Foretelling the future can be a tricky business. It’s hard to trust your own psychic abilities. They are skills one comes into by accident and design. There are lots of things that you can try. These can help to hone your skill if you’re a beginner or even a seasoned expert. I’ve been reading the cards and getting psychic readings for over three decades. Over the years I’ve consulted with thousands of professionals and clients about what it is you need to know, what you want to know, and how the different systems work.

Keep a Record– It is good magickal practice to keep track of your readings, dreams, and the events that follow. You don’t need to get obsessively anal about it, but if you keep a journal you can begin to see patterns and signs that you may not have recognized otherwise.
Observe your own Thoughts – Consider your own personal observations and associations as they relate to the archetypal symbols present in the Tarot. One of the most important things to remember while reading is “wherever you go, you take yourself with you.”
Test and Re-Test– Psychic tests can start with something simple. As your cards a question like will it rain on me today? Or Will I get a call from X in the next 24 hours? Choose simple and verifiable questions to start with. Measure your results against the actual outcomes.
Practice– How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Ok, I’m a New Yorker, I couldn’t pass that joke up. No matter what you are trying to achieve practice goes a long way. Many readers start by doing daily sessions with their cards, some still do.
Make Sure You Have the Right Cards– There are thousands of tarot and oracle decks in existence today, will more being created every day. There are decks based on Pulp Fiction, Fairies, Dragons, and Goddesses. You can find your way with cards inspired by Victorians, Steampunks, Masons, and a whole host of others.
Make Sure You Have the Right Spread– Tarot spreads can be very open or very rigid. There are three card spreads to represent the past, present, and future. There are spreads that incorporate the entire deck and are designed to tell the story of an individuals whole life.
Scry or Die– All forms of divination, tarot included, involve opening one’s mind up to new ways of seeing. Most people are used to practicing the art of scrying with a mirror or a crystal ball. These same techniques used with these methods can be utilized with tarot cards. Obviously there is the image one sees on the card, but tarot challenges your mind to think beyond the four edges of the card.
Sleep with your Deck– In many different spiritual tradition the psychic energy of places and things is very important. Sleeping with your tarot cards under your pillow allows you and the cards to access your subconscious power. That way there will be an energy exchange between you.
Only You Know– Ultimately, you are the only person who can attempt to be objective about what you are seeing in the cards. Sometimes you may notice a tendency towards wishful thinking or paranoia. That may be when you need to take a break.

Native American Tarot Queen photo by Lilith Dorsey

This list of recommendations is only just a beginning, Tarot provides a whole world of possibilities. More information about learning the tarot can be found in our Divination Space Station series. If you are interested in getting a Tarot reading email me at voodoouniverse@yahoo.com

What are your recommendations for learning and trusting your own readings? Please post them in the comments below! If you enjoyed what you have read here please help me out and share, tweet, and pin this post!

2014 Readings Have Three Santeria Houses in Agreement- Unprecedented!

January 3, 2014 By Lilith Dorsey

yemayacuba — Blue Dancer (Yemaya) Cuba by James Emery licensed under CC 2.0

According to El Nuevo Herald, for the first time in anyone’s memory three separate Santeria houses, two in Cuba and one in Miami are reporting the same outcome for this year’s divination, Egiobe or Ejiogbe. The houses’ agreement about the specific predictions are ongoing but the general feeling is that this means optimism for the coming year.

In the religion of Santeria (La Regla Lucumi) the New Year begins with a divination. Many Santeria houses (spiritual centers) perform their own divination. Special note however is paid to the readings done by the larger spiritual houses. These readings give predictions, prohibition, and insight into the coming year. Devotees use these predictions as guidelines for the coming year. It is a very good idea to follow the rules dictated by your spiritual home. I have several cautionary tales about how someone didn’t follow a food prohibition and then got ill, or didn’t follow a sex tabu and then got an STD. There are a few things to remember when reading this information. First, follow the instructions of your own ile, and your godparents first and foremost. Secondly, if you are not initiated into the religion this information is provided for informational purposes only. Fortunately or unfortunately Santeria is not a home study religion, and it can not be self taught, everyone is different and needs the individual guidance and support that come from belonging to a spiritual family. However, that said, I think this information is valuable for those who seek spiritual knowledge and truth and to that end I have included the following, which is a partial explanation of this year’s reading from the Yoruba Cultural Association.

Letter of 2014 from Yoruba Cultural Association

This divination was compiled by a large number of Babalawos from Cuba and other countries, as well as members of the Cuban Council of Ifa High Priests.

Sign: Egiobe

2014 Prophecy: Ire ariku oyale lowo Orunmila (roughly translates from the Yoruba as “good health thanks to Orunmila”)

Orisha: Yemaya and Eleggua

Recommendations for the coming year:

Ifa says “We must be very organized in all areas of our life, so as to achieve a better life.”

Ifa says “ Avoid alcohol, drugs, and tobacco”

Ifa says “ We must take great care to keep our bodies and our homes clean.”

Ifa says “ We must be humble, avoid arrogance, anger, and impoliteness.”

Ifa says : “We must maintain our families and our religious communities united”

This is only a partial presentation, please click on the link to read the entire 2014 Letter of the year from the Yoruba Cultural Association.

Voodoo Universe 2018 Top Nine

January 4, 2019 By Lilith Dorsey

As usual it’s been a busy year here at Voodoo Universe, the wider world is abuzz with the power and majesty of Voodoo and we continue to do our best to provide you with accurate and respectful information about the religion. The 2018 top nine features some old standbys and some new gems. If you haven’t checked them out here they are:

2018 Reading of the Year – Each year this is one of my most popular posts. The ruling Orisha for the year was Yemaya and we can all see how this played out on both an international and a personal level.

Accusations of Abuse Against Isaac Bonewits– This blog continues to discuss the difficult topics, and this was one of my most controversial posts of all time. In the article I write ” The accusations come from Moira Greyland, daughter of Marion Zimmer Bradley, in her book, The Last Closet: The Dark Side of Avalon. I have no direct knowledge of this woman’s experience, and I can not speak to that, but I am sincerely sorry for whatever pain she may have endured. Isaac Bonewits however, was a close friend of mine for decades….He passed away in 2010, and is no longer able to defend himself. In more than one instance I saw him take a vocal stand against inappropriate behavior around Pagan children, even when others sat silent. While he and I never had an intimate relationship, we did have several conversations about consent, and what was and wasn’t acceptable behavior. ”

Haint Blue Victorian Porch ceiling photo by Lake Lou. Licensed under CC 2.0

History of Haint Blue- The Color of the Dead – One of my favorite posts of all time is this one about the color Haint Blue. A haint is another way of saying haunt, or ghost, but the word is not used very often these days, even if the haints still exist. The color, however is as bright and alive as it ever was.

5 Witch Marks That Might Make You Magick – This post was new in 2018 and the subject is definitely close to my heart, or should I say hands. I wrote this blog because “Anne Boleyn had them, I have them, my daughters, have them, and my mother too… there are probably more than 5 witch marks that make you magick by birth according to myth and legend, but here are some to look at. For centuries witch marks were something that people tried to hide. They are marks of difference, and something that people can use as an excuse for persecution and stereotype. Hopefully, those days are behind us and we can all come out of the broom closet and celebrate these marks of magick. ”

9 Real Truths About Voodoo Spells – Here we get a welcome chance to look at some of the important truths about Voodoo and Magick in general. Things like be careful what you wish for, you get what you pay for, and it ain’t easy are all covered in detail. Please check out the post if you would like to learn more.

The Voodoo Truth About Papa Legba – is consistently one of my most popular posts ever since our honored Lwa known as Papa Legba took a place on the small screen in American Horror Story. It’s been almost 5 years since I wrote this and people still ask questions showing how confused they are about this topic.

Both 21 Ways to Use Florida Water and Top Pagan DIY Gifts for Yule, have been perennial favorites here too with thousands of shares each, so please do take a look.

Black Witches Talk Back: An Open Letter to Atlantic was one of the pieces I was most proud of in 2018. I’m still working on a follow up interview with the organizer of the Black Witch Convention, and have yet to get a response from Atlantic. Stay tuned to Voodoo Universe for updates.

These are just the most popular posts, but I’d love to hear everyone’s favorite in the comment section below. Thanks for all your support over the past year, and all the shares, likes, and comments to come ! Happy New Year !