Grain of Sand

Over this past weekend, I attended a workshop led by Michele Jackson from Digital Dissonance on How to Create Your Own Tarot Deck. I've been wanting to try my hand at making a divination deck for years and I've been scared to dive in. I even listed it as one of my goals over at 101 Notes to Self (see #93 on the master list). So when I heard Michele was offering this class, I though it just may be the push I needed to get started.

I was not disappointed! Michele is a fantastic teacher with lots of tarot and art experience. She gives clear instruction and plenty of support along the way. She wants very much to inspire the artist in each of her students, just as she has been inspired in the past, and didn't even look sideways at me when I ended up producing a card that was clearly not of the tarot variety. Plus, she's just plain fun to be around.

Grain of Sand, originally uploaded by Marni Molina.

My card is called Grain of Sand and is 4x6". It shows a man walking through a swarm of locusts in the desert, just as calm as can be. In the foreground shines a giant pearl with a snake wrapped around it. As I was making it, I was thinking about the teachings of the Iron and Pearl Pentacles. More specifically, I was remembering Thorn (my spiritual teacher) speak about how it is the irritation of a single grain of sand (the irritation of the Work of the Iron Pent) that creates the pearl. I was imagining how irritating and frightening it would be to walk through a swarm of locusts, but this man seemed cool as a cucumber, dedicated to his walk ... his Work.

So the card is about Work and perseverance. It's about dancing with Iron before reaching for Pearl and about the snake of transformation that makes the transition possible.

I love my card. And now, dear friends, I am hooked. I have great plans for the stacks of old magazines and mailers I've been collecting and I can't wait to make more cards.

Treasure Map Collage

Today is the Vernal Equinox and, as always, I'm marking the occasion with a Conjure Craft. I must confess, despite lots of juicy ideas for possible Lady Day crafts, the holiday really snuck up on me. So, when my girl's group got together last weekend to create Treasure Maps, I was grateful. A Treasure Map Collage is the perfect compliment to the energy of this time of year. It's a wonderful way to set your intentions and remind yourself of your goals.

Much has been written on the practice of creating Treasure Maps, so I won't go into it too much. If you've never heard of one, simply google "Treasure Map Collage" to find many articles and ideas about how you can go about creating your own.

Simply stated, a Treasure Map Collage is a visual affirmation of your goals and desires. Go through old magazines and rip out pages with pictures that speak to you. Don't think too much about it. Let your right brain run the show. Once you've got your images collected, begin cutting and pasting in a way that is visually appealing to you.



My collage is loosely organized into zones: self in the center, love and spirituality on top, health and environment on the right, and income and vocation on the left. The zones aren't all that important, though. Use whatever system speaks to you or simply paste all your images on wherever they seem appropriate.

I cut my poster board into the shape of a heart because love is the foundation for everything I want to work to bring into my life in this coming year. Once I had all the images glued on, I decorated it further adding ribbon flowers, scrapbook embellishments, charms, and key words that will help trigger my brain every time I look at it.

I hung my Treasure Map Collage in my dressing area, so that I will see it every day. It's very important to keep your goals and intentions on the forefront of your consciousness. It's also important to give yourself a timeline to reach or at least reassess your goals. My latest Treasure Map Collage will be "active" for one year.

Have fun creating your Treasure Map Collage. Make a point to use it every day to set your intention and live the best life you can.

May this Lady Day bring you love, wide smiles, belly laughs, and great sex. Blessings to you.