Unicorn Key Card Daw, with bonus roses
Jun. 13th, 2024 01:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wyld_dandelyonAll the weeding and such I did in the last few years in the garden has paid off, and I have lots of roses. Sitting here with the window open, the scent is lovely!
Also,ellenmillion 's crowdfunding campaign for her beautiful Unicorn Key cards, is up and it has funded (so it will definitely be real!). The campaign still has nearly 3 weeks to go, and she's already close to funding the third stretch goal.
I have an actual, properly printed prototype deck, complete with gilded edges, in a lovely magnetic box (which she hopes she can offer as a stretch goal), and, to celebrate, you are welcome to ask for a free one card reading, or a paid reading using one of her layouts.
I have permission to post pictures, so in addition to my reading of the card, you'll get to see a photo of your card, posed next to one of my roses, weather permitting. (If you ask for a reading, you'll get a picture of the reading with Ellen's art as backdrop instead.)
To order your own deck, go here: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/ellen-million-graphics/a-unicorn-key-oracle-and-guide-deck
As always, New friends and old are very welcome.
Status: If you want a reading now, please ask on this new post (just so I don't have to check both places): https://wyld-dandelyon.dreamwidth.org/477331.html
About the readings,
You can simply ask for a single card with no obligation to tip (though tips are very much appreciated, and tipping allows you to ask for one clarifying card if the initial reading is not clear to you).
I am offering Unicorn Key readings for $20. I can choose a random layout, or if you share your question, I'll pick a layout that suits. Most of these readings are 3-6 cards.
Regardless of the length of the reading, you may ask about real life or a creative project, or even for a character you play in a game. I can draw a card for you to meditate on, to represent the Guide you need right now, or to get you unstuck. I can draw a card for your protagonist or villain, or can draw a card or cards for you to use as writing or art prompts.
The first card is free (though tips are always appreciated). I understand all too well that when people don't have cash or spoons that is generally when they most need inspiration. Don't be afraid to ask for a card if you can't tip.
When you tip, it's helpful to me for you to mention it here so I can connect your Paypal information with your request. Tips should be at least $2 (Paypal charges fees). If Paypal doesn't work for you, drop me a message and we'll work something out. The guitar case below is my personal PayPal link, featuring my own artwork, which does inspire me even though it isn't Tarot- or Oracle-related. Or you can use paypal.me/DeirdreMMurphy
I will reply to all requests. If I start to feel overwhelmed, I will close to free readings; in that unlikely event, that will be in nice bold letters after the word Status above. I plan to stay open at least through the weekend for free readings. After that, you can certainly ask for a paid reading, if you want one. (Yes, I still have the stupid long covid, though it's getting (oh so slowly) better, so if I'm too tired or can't focus at any particular moment, I'll rest and return later. I appreciate your patience when that happens.)
As always, while I work hard to offer insight and inspiration, all I can legally promise is entertainment. See my "Dandelyon's Readings" page for a little more about my readings.
Also,
ellenmillion 's crowdfunding campaign for her beautiful Unicorn Key cards, is up and it has funded (so it will definitely be real!). The campaign still has nearly 3 weeks to go, and she's already close to funding the third stretch goal. I have an actual, properly printed prototype deck, complete with gilded edges, in a lovely magnetic box (which she hopes she can offer as a stretch goal), and, to celebrate, you are welcome to ask for a free one card reading, or a paid reading using one of her layouts.
I have permission to post pictures, so in addition to my reading of the card, you'll get to see a photo of your card, posed next to one of my roses, weather permitting. (If you ask for a reading, you'll get a picture of the reading with Ellen's art as backdrop instead.)
To order your own deck, go here: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/ellen-million-graphics/a-unicorn-key-oracle-and-guide-deck
As always, New friends and old are very welcome.
Status: If you want a reading now, please ask on this new post (just so I don't have to check both places): https://wyld-dandelyon.dreamwidth.org/477331.html
About the readings,
You can simply ask for a single card with no obligation to tip (though tips are very much appreciated, and tipping allows you to ask for one clarifying card if the initial reading is not clear to you).
I am offering Unicorn Key readings for $20. I can choose a random layout, or if you share your question, I'll pick a layout that suits. Most of these readings are 3-6 cards.
Regardless of the length of the reading, you may ask about real life or a creative project, or even for a character you play in a game. I can draw a card for you to meditate on, to represent the Guide you need right now, or to get you unstuck. I can draw a card for your protagonist or villain, or can draw a card or cards for you to use as writing or art prompts.
The first card is free (though tips are always appreciated). I understand all too well that when people don't have cash or spoons that is generally when they most need inspiration. Don't be afraid to ask for a card if you can't tip.
When you tip, it's helpful to me for you to mention it here so I can connect your Paypal information with your request. Tips should be at least $2 (Paypal charges fees). If Paypal doesn't work for you, drop me a message and we'll work something out. The guitar case below is my personal PayPal link, featuring my own artwork, which does inspire me even though it isn't Tarot- or Oracle-related. Or you can use paypal.me/DeirdreMMurphy
I will reply to all requests. If I start to feel overwhelmed, I will close to free readings; in that unlikely event, that will be in nice bold letters after the word Status above. I plan to stay open at least through the weekend for free readings. After that, you can certainly ask for a paid reading, if you want one. (Yes, I still have the stupid long covid, though it's getting (oh so slowly) better, so if I'm too tired or can't focus at any particular moment, I'll rest and return later. I appreciate your patience when that happens.)
As always, while I work hard to offer insight and inspiration, all I can legally promise is entertainment. See my "Dandelyon's Readings" page for a little more about my readings.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-13 08:45 am (UTC)I am writing a serial story that I am trying to incorporate reader prompts in. (just to say that prompts are not unexpected in this tale.)
My protagonist is about to embark on a road trip to find her missing friends and she will have companions, but does not yet know who she will be asking to go with her. They will be on foot and going by road, not cross country. She expects that most of the time they will spend the night in local inns. It is a pre-industrial fantasy setting. Could I have a reading for the trip please, from leaving the city she is currently in to reaching their destination?
I have a loose framework for this trip and I'm hoping to block a few things about it in. :)
From Change to Renewal
Date: 2024-06-14 06:38 am (UTC)So, for you I chose the Facing Your Fears layout.
In the Background, we get card 41, Bringing the Night. This is a card of change, of seeking wisdom, perhaps of questioning one's purpose in life, or, here, the reasons the protagonist's friends are missing. Night is coming, figuratively or literally, and things look scary. As they should for the beginning of a story, of course! Anyway, something's got to change, and the protagonist needs to start trying to make that change happen. Looking at the rest of the reading, I suspect the protagonist has to make some changes in themself, though they probably are more focused on making changes in the world around them, especially at first.
In the position of Baggage we get card 10, Lavacorn. This card stands for Pressure that might lead to an Explosion. This isn't advice about what to pack, this is talking about the situation(s) that led to this story. Stuff has been building up in the background, and hasn't been dealt with, the pressure has been allowed to mount, but now the protagonist has to face that and deal with the fallout. The description in the reading says that this card can represent giving more weight to the things that are bothering you than necessary, but in this reading, it feels more like consequences of past mistakes.
Ah, next, Companions: Here we have card 16, the Unicorn Flag. It landed very solidly in the reflect aspect, which is Reform. The companions should be there to support the protagonist, of course, but even more than that, each one of them should prompt the protagonist to reflect on how they got to this point in their lives, where nothing is going well and the consequences of the past are threatening to explode like a volcano. Each companion should challenge the protagonist in ways appropriate to allowing the protagonist to reform themself into someone who at least won't make all the same mistakes over again. Persisting is important, unless it's persisting in hurting others; resisting is important when facing an enemy, but not when facing a mentor or teacher or necessary task; representing oneself and one's friends well is also important, and requires communication skills and wisdom that take time to develop.
Next, Assistance. Your protagonist is not alone, penniless and skill-less. They have companions and resources. Here I drew Card 4, Celestial. What's needed to get things to work? This card suggests the primary requirements are Invention and creativity. This seems like it should be straightforward, and lead us to our resolution (which we see is the wonderfully triumphant Card 20, Fireweed, where things are repaired, friends return, wrongs are rectified, and friendships renewed), but the unicorn here is depicted upside down. What seems like it will finally be easy is anything but. The straightforward path must fail spectacularly, possibly more than once, and more creativity and invention will be needed.
I drew each card and laid it out and then went to put the rest of the deck down, but Card 23, the Guardian of the Path wasn't about to stay out of this reading. I slid it into the Assistance slot, as The Guardian was promising a Guide on this Journey. I don't know where the guide comes from, whether it's one of the companions or someone met along the way (perhaps repeatedly). Perhaps it's advice that the protagonist has been ignoring or misinterpreting, but listening to the Guide provides an essential key to turning things around in the end, so the protagonist's efforts can finally succeed.
And finally we get to the resolution, Fireweed. Wildfire is scary and destructive--but that destruction clears the way for renewal, for new beauty to sprout. Where the fire pulled down the old tangles, fireweed can sprout; when you destroy harmful habits, you can choose a new path, a new you. Your protagonist is stronger for having faced these challenges and learning new things, and can look to a bright future. (Of course, there will be new challenges, but that's for the next story to tell.)
Re: From Change to Renewal
Date: 2024-06-20 10:57 am (UTC)Thank you!
Thank you!
Date: 2024-06-14 07:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-13 12:33 pm (UTC)I'd love a one-card reading on whether I'll be able to figure my life out soon, lol.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-14 07:31 am (UTC)For you I drew card 55, Backward Glance.
The card shows a unicorn looking backward, gaining (or trying to gain) some perspective. A person's life is, well, it's not a finished thing, not so long as they are alive. As you look back on it, you can learn a lot, and that can help you in knowing where you want to look forward to, what you want to do, where you want to go, who you want to be. While you're in this retrospective mode, consider whether there is information you need to understand where you are now. If so, see if you can get it! But either way, each new morning is a new day, the start of the rest of your life, and it's important to remember that the past is just your backstory. You can learn from it, of course, and you should. That's information and skill you get to keep, to use in the future. You can start a new story today, or tomorrow, or any tomorrow.
If you don't know what direction you want to go in, you can pick one to try and see if you like it. My littlest sister told me that some people make choices to limit their future options, but while she observed it, she didn't understand doing that. She said it made more sense to her to make choices that increased her future options. But you know, she got a Fine Art degree and then went on to be a lawyer, not because she doesn't love art (she does, and is very good at it) but because she didn't want to be doing someone else's art to order to support herself and her family.
Let yourself be curious, and let yourself be open to considering unexpected opportunities.
I don't usually quote from the guidebook, but in this case I think the last lines of the description for this card, the Shine aspect, are pertinent: "You are so close to what you want to be and where you want to be! You just need a tiny shift in space and life and perception to get to your destination. What you think might be an ending might be a brand new beginning..."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-18 10:57 am (UTC)I have never thought of this before, and I'll keep this with me as I go through life. That's a big perspective shift for me. Thank you!
This is so freeing.
Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-14 12:00 am (UTC)(donated thru PP "reignkeenheart" as well, many thanks!)
Re: Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-14 05:45 am (UTC)Re: Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-14 05:51 am (UTC)Re: Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-14 07:05 am (UTC)It shows a unicorn at night, standing in what might have been an ancient temple. I also dropped a key on the table to help give me insight about what aspect(s) of this card were most pertinent to your answer, before moving to take your picture.
So, the first aspect, the one I drew, is the Act aspect: Remember. You are standing in what feels like the ruins of your creativity, but the temple you built is not fallen, merely neglected. Remember what it was like when your temple was at its best. How did you build it? What did you do that you're not doing now? Were you healthier, or getting more sleep, giving it more time, or just simply allowing yourself to play, to enjoy the work? Were you taking breaks to refill your well of experience? Whatever it was, how can you recreate that love of making your dreams real? The key is in your memories.
The aspect the key was closest to is the Shine aspect, Teach. Do you already know some people you can share your love of your art form(s) with? If not, how can you find some? Join a club? Find an online group? Or can you let your higher self teach you something new about your art?
All of the aspects of the card are intertwined. If looking at the traditions of your art, finding a teacher, or even simply making your own "cover" of another artist's work to let yourself relax into making art seems the best way to go, try it. Or maybe you need to try something totally new, something where your inner critic won't expect anything great, and will stop bugging you to live up to expectations.
There are things that take up one's mental and emotional bandwidth, of course. I stopped writing for a time when my mother died, for instance. If something like that happened, or you have health issues, be kind to yourself while you recover. Let yourself do smaller creative things, perhaps, along the way.
Remember what it felt like when you were in the flow, and do what you need to do to be able to step back into the temple, renewed and ready to renew it.
Re: Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-15 10:00 pm (UTC)Re: Single card please!
Date: 2024-06-16 07:55 am (UTC)This doesn't really tell me whether you need to teach or study or both, I'm afraid, but it says very clearly that you are ready to transcend what you thought were your limits. Don't be afraid to make some changes, even though change can be scary. You are ready to step forward and shine. I believe you can both teach and learn, as the need arises, and you will know when it's one or the other, or both, that is the right choice in the moment. Trust your instincts.
Logically, I wouldn't be surprised if the answer is both. I know that a lot of people find they learn a lot from the act of teaching, from having to take knowledge they have in the back of their brain and say it out loud, and try to find ways to explain it so someone else can also understand it. I've also heard from a lot of teachers (and parents, too) that they do learn things from their students, all unexpected. It doesn't have to be in a formal setting; maybe what you need is networking, with an openness to sharing what you know and learning new things. Or maybe a formal setting is would be perfect for you. Again, trust your instincts.
Another thought--many of the published authors I know hit a point where they hate their current half- or mostly-written novel; as far as I can tell, it's a combination of fatigue and something like imposter syndrome or insecurity. If that's where you are, you can transcend that feeling and get on with it. Or it might be that you need to move on to another project, either temporarily or permanently, for whatever reason. I can't answer that for you--but this card says that you have the wisdom to answer that question for yourself.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-14 02:39 pm (UTC)I'm feeling stretched very thin right now. Is there advice for keeping my feet under me?
I'm OK with weird too!
Date: 2024-06-16 08:34 am (UTC)Anyway, for you I drew card 22, Stargazer Lilies, in the Shine aspect, Beauty.
Those stargazer lilies really are beautiful! If I was doing this a little later in the year, I'd have ignored my plan to take pictures with roses and taken a picture with an actual stargazer lily, but instead I picked a very tall, thin rose plant, tall and thin because a bird dropped a mulberry seed in the middle of it and it sprouted and grew. The tree trunk is now 6" thick. I keep being amazed that the rose is still alive and blooming!
Re-reading your question and looking at this card, I am reminded of a dream I had in College, where I dreamed I was in the middle of the ocean, without any boat or nearby support, and I was focused on desperately trying to keep the watch on my wrist out of the water. But the feeling I had on waking wasn't that I had had a nightmare, which was probably because of the sound track, which was Max Davis' You've Got to Stop and Smell the Roses. I woke up and laughed. It was clear to me that I was letting myself get over-stressed and worrying about at least some of the wrong things. I didn't even like that watch!
This card says take the time to appreciate all the beauty and wonder in your life. It's such a simple answer, it's easy to discount it, but if you feel off balance, root yourself in the beauty and breathe.
I do wish I could send an "image" of the smell of our roses right now, so you could literally smell my roses. It's one of the best things about June, living here. But at least I can send pictures.
Re: I'm OK with weird too!
Date: 2024-06-18 01:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-18 05:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-06-19 07:46 pm (UTC)Freedom
Date: 2024-06-19 10:49 pm (UTC)Do you feel chained to these mundane maintenance tasks? Do you want to take charge rather than letting them take over all your time?
This card is all about what you are holding and what is holding you. Consider, do you need to secure some resources, whether it's research or space or a working computer or even something like a memory? Do you need to let go of something, like expectations, or grudges, or anything that is taking up a lot of time and energy you could otherwise be using for your creative projects, and that in the long run you value less than your creative life? You have the freedom to choose what to do with your time. Maybe you need to secure time that's dedicated to your creative work, and take care of the maintenance tasks around that time? Or maybe you need to schedule the boring maintenance stuff for the morning when you're not awake yet and/or the evening when you're tired, so you have the focus to make a good choice between projects and get to work?
Of course, being free doesn't resolve you of responsibility. But having maintenance stuff, even urgent maintenance stuff does not mean you have no right to pursue the things that matter to you. It can certainly be a difficult balance, though. It's so easy to focus only on the one thing that seems most urgent in the moment. Are there things that you only maintain because you still keep them around? Maybe have a rummage sale or a potlatch or give stuff to a charity?
Alternatively, is it possible to do something to give your creative work some of that urgency? Word sprints with one or more friends is just one example of a possibility if it's a writing project. (Being automatically competitive myself, word sprints make the back of my brain want to get more words in.) Scheduling time to do art with someone helps with the visual and fabric arts. I don't know what might work for you, but you probably have some ideas.
Another possible way to look at this answer is to mentally line up the projects you're having trouble choosing between and see if the card resonates with one of them. If you need to focus on themes of keeping and letting go or binding and unbinding, then a project that resonates with that theme is probably a project that will have a good chance of holding your attention once you actually start working on it.
Good luck!