Throughout this post, I have been keeping a theme running in the background. Part of this theme has been to explore the past. Now I am beginning to come forward, card by card and deck by deck towards the present. 

The Vertigo Tarot, represents the point, where I am about to become involved with our group of Tarot readers, enthusiasts, and creators here in within the Facebook group: Tarot Blog Hop discussing topics, as each festival or solstice arrives. 

I will have email conversations and from that receive a great deal of amazing Reiki information from Joy Vernon, of Completely Joyous and the collection will still keep getting bigger, although there will be crystals involved...

However, let's not jump too far ahead, I'm going to flashback for a moment to a point where I have just spent 18 months on the other side of Scotland, and come home in ill health. 

During that time I lost one of my favourite decks, The Dragon Tarot. While, it has since been replaced it just isn't the same. 

A lesson in this was not to abuse the gift of understanding the Tarot, self interest is one thing but selfish interests, which was the root reason they were removed is quite another, and the lesson was learnt.

During that first few years, while being back home, health became the primary focus, finding out what was borked on the inside, became a bit of an adventure in itself. Scans, bloods, more scans, and more bloods later and an answer was found.

By now the collection had gone into the abstract, and the adventure in discovering myself really got started. We'll skip the recap about being in business, the need to prove myself, and let's pick things up around the whole people having baggage that is abit beyond my years...

This brings us nicely into the moment, and into the last 18 months towards 2 years. 

Let's take a breath, and also spend a little time connecting the theme, the cards, and the post, firstly the cards, have you noticed that the majority of the cards selected have been the Hermit?

Have you also noticed that each period of time reflected has been connected to the time surrounding when that particular deck and I met each other?

Each heading represents either a phrase, song lyric, band, or episode title from a program. These, in turn reflect the tone and direction for that part of the theme and overall link to the post. They also foreshadow cards and the deck which eventually turn up.

So in this instance, Magic Dance, links to the Hermit card from the Labyrinth deck. The abstract period in my life represented by Crowley's Thoth Deck. DC Vertigo Tarot, represents that phase where things got a little dark and worrysome as I tried to figure out what was borked.

If you look back to Page 1 of this entry, the Mythic Deck and Witches Tarot both represent a time of growth, innocence, and change. This in turn links into the overarching theme of Life Balance and in turn answers the different parts of this.

I guess you could say I have a knack for the whole "interpret the theme “Life Balance” in a way that’s unique to you!" down to a fine art.

As with many of my Hop posts, I don't always know where they are heading until I start typing. Much of my writing and hop posts come from the heart, the head only helps to do the functional stuff like formatting, grammar, and spelling.

I guess that's why I have a lot of passion for them. I speak from the Soul a lot of the time, its the only way to be if I am honest. It's why this journey has been a bit of a special one, its not really been about naval gazing this time, but more looking back at where I have been and the experiences that have shaped me.

Part of this shaping comes from recognising that I have been called to do a lot of the work and learning, not quite a one armed band but more to do with understanding and rising to a challenge when it occurs. It is just as the Starseed Oracle says, it's time to step up. 

Well here we are, full circle to some degree. I have taken you on a journey through the cards, looking at snap shots of where each deck came into my life, and threaded it through the theme of the Hermit, the quiet watcher and gatherer.

Once upon a time, I would have easily seen myself as the High Preist, or Heirophant; the teacher, the guide, but now I recognise that I have always been the Hermit. The outsider with understanding and gained knowledge or wisdom, but rather than be the one to impart it, I would rather privately teach those who are interested.

There are very few who have the awareness that I have two trademarks to my name, I have developed, written, and have a healing system accredited and that I am trained in Internal, and External Quality Assurance.

I am also training to be a Vocational Teacher in Holistic Therapies. As well as overcoming a rather huge challenge in gaining my diploma in Anatomy and Physiology.

Recently, through a series of regressions, I was able to dissolve a few blockages, and get a better understanding of myself from a different and somewhat unique perspective. Part of the above has something to do with that, but so does this final card.

The World, my world may seem to the outsider as complex and has so many strands, but in the spirit of the card and its deck, things aren't always as they seem.

Eventually all the strands come together and the pathway becomes clear, but until that happens, its about the journey and gathering what is needed.

Thanks for hopping by and see you next time.