The meh Tarot or Oracle Spread - for when you're feeling a little meh x

Sometimes you just feel a little bit meh. Not great, not that bad, but just a bit "whatever". On those days you can grab a deck (Tarot, Oracle, Angel, Crystal, Uno, whatever) and come join me in exploring what's going on with your meh mood.

The two positions in this spread that say "Oracle" can totally be interchanged with whatever decks you have. Check out the video below to check it out in action with a little workshop style Tarot reading! :D

If you're feeling a little more than meh, like if you're totally bummed out, you can try the Bummed Out Spread. 

You can find the link to all my other free Tarot and Oracle Spreads here. If you love it just SO, so much you can grab my e-book of spreads here too! 

Why you feel meh

Sometimes we don't really know why we feel meh.

This card will shine a little light on where you're at and let you know what it is you're resisting, avoiding, what blocks are coming up and whatever else might be causing your meh mood.

What's holding you in meh

When we feel meh it can be hard to just "get over it" and turn off Netflix. I mean we've all been glued to The Gilmore Girls with no ability whatsoever to move, unless it's to make tea, and sometimes even that feels like an effort. This card will let you know what's keeping you feeling meh.

How to release your meh

And now some tips on how to release your meh feeling and move on with your life! Yay! 

Action to take

OK, so what do you need to do to get out of meh,  you know, when you're ready. Because it's totally OK to feel a bit meh sometimes, but you can't pitch a tent and live there, K?

Thoughts to change

Very often when we're feeling a bit blah we're not paying attention to our own thoughts.

Are you hustling too hard because you have a belief about how you gotta hustle to win at life and burning out in the process? Are you feeling like a loser because you have a belief that being single sucks?

So many old thought patterns can creep in, even when we think we've totally cleared them for good. This card will let you know what thoughts to change and focus on right now to bring you out of meh.

Oracle for Love and Hugs

This is just a lovely little message from your spiritual team of support, love and etheric hugs!

Oracle for Empowerment

And here's a message from your team to empower you and help you move through this. :D YAY!

If you wanna post a pic of your spreads on Instagram you can use the hashtag #newagehipster or tag me so I can find you! :)

And if your meh mood still won't quit you can always hook up a reading with me and we can sort through it together.

With so much love, light and meh moving vibes!

Vix

x

An Interview with Matt Myers

Matt Myer's Art Nouveau Tarot has a very special spot on my deck shelf. As a big fan of 80's art and Tarot decks (and everything else 80's actually!) I had to snaffle one of these beauties up for my collection. It's an amazing deck with a totally unique vibe and when I randomly met Matt Myers online I knew I had to convince him to pop on over for an interview and a hang out! :D

Your Art Nouveau Tarot Deck is one of my favourite decks ever. Where did the idea for this deck come from?

When I graduated from art school (Ringling College), I had three career goals and creating a Tarot deck was one of them. I already had an interest in Tarot and had been reading cards for myself and some of my fellow friends and students since High School.

Most of the decks I saw were published by U.S. Games Systems, so I did some samples and approached them to see if they might be interested enough to commission a deck from me. They had the idea to do a “Gustave Mucha” deck, but I convinced them to do an “Art Nouveau” deck which would capture the style without mimicking any particular artist of the period.

To be frank, I’m not sure I was successful in that goal – Art Nouveau certainly influenced the design choices I made, but as you can see, there is more of the 80s in the deck than the 10s – and probably more of the transition from Nouveau to Deco than purely Art Nouveau. I think this has contributed to the fact the deck is now out of print. It really isn’t one thing or the other and the title doesn’t really reflect what it is.

The goal for the deck I DO think I achieved is the intensity of color. It has changed a bit now with the huge variety of deck options, but when I began the artwork, other decks I saw were flat and somewhat washed out. I wanted to do something with more brilliance. I think the intensity of color in my deck is its most successful aspect and continues to be unique.

The first time I saw these cards I was blown away by the artwork. How did you get into art?

Like most artists, I drew from an early age and always wanted to have a career as an artist.  Growing up in the American Midwest, artistic careers are not encouraged or even considered a possibility, but I managed to be stubborn enough to attend Ringling College and graduate as an Illustration major. I moved to New York City and gave myself five years to have success in the field. If it didn’t happen, I was prepared to move in a different direction and allow art to be hobby.

The Art Nouveau Tarot was one of my first jobs and helped me to convince myself a career as an artist would be possible. 

All the pips cards in this deck feature couples! Very cool, and awesome for relationship readings. x

How long did it take you to create this deck?

I worked on this deck from 1983 to 1987. I was working full-time in New York, first as an office temp and then as a legal word processor. The deck was my “second job”. Each of the individual paintings are 5” x 9”. There are 81 total – the 78 + a Title card, an Introduction card (which was directed to be a self-portrait) and the design for the reverse. In addition, the lettering was created by hand because the art director was struggling to find authentic Art Nouveau-styled type-faces.

The deck was originally intended to be printed in a larger size with an accompanying book. When it was commissioned in the early 80s, Tarot had become very trendy. By the time the deck was finished, interest had died down a bit so the project was scaled down.

I actually repainted several of the images during the process because my painting ability improved and I switched mediums from acrylic to oil. It’s a bit difficult for me to look at the deck now because I see things I would do differently, being older and a more capable painter. I see the struggle in the work, both in the rendering and in the attempt to communicate an idea. I’m always gratified to read a review where someone “gets” what I was trying to say because, in hindsight, I see how I might have been more successful in capturing the essence of the card.

The minors in this deck are a little different to the RWS and any other minors I’ve seen for that matter. Could you tell us a little bit about how you came at the minors?

I had always been interested in the Rider-Waite interpretations, but I had an idea there should be some connection or progression within the suites with each pip making a progression from what came prior and leading to what came after. The indicated interpretations of my deck are exactly the same as Rider-Waite even though the images are not. I worked to place those divinatory meanings into the context of a story-line and let the plot be driven by those definitions. The stories are briefly covered in the deck booklet and were more fully developed in the unpublished book. It was also important to me the reverse meanings were either different interpretations of the same idea or an alternate choice relative to the same situation.

I would like to point out that I tried to be more balanced with gender roles than is customary. The action in the Swords and Staves is driven by the male while the Cups and Coins have the male in the passive role. Even though the costuming is very stereotypical (and very dated at this point despite my best efforts) I tried to treat the male and female images equally as far as nudity and sexualisation are concerned. This has led many people to look at this deck as a Woman’s deck or a Gay deck. I see why the deck is perceived that way, but my intention was to address and possibly correct what I saw as an imbalance in that area.

I might also admit that one way I feel my deck fails completely is in the depiction of ethnic diversity. I tried to figure out a way to incorporate it, but it interfered with the idea of letting the pips play out as a story with the same repeated characters. I would have had to assign entire suites to an ethnicity. I couldn’t figure out how to do that without implying the certain characteristics of a suite described that ethnic group. So I gave up and made everyone vanilla because that is what I happen to be. And even if I did depict a variety of ethnicities, I would not have been able to represent all, so I decided to leave it as limited as it is. Still, I consider it a failing.

Which card in this deck best describes you?

The Hermit, no question. The Hermit has always been my Significator.

I always judge a deck by it's Tower card. How incredible is this one? :O x

I love everything 80’s, and this deck is just so 80’s! What’s your favourite 80’s movie?

My favorite movie from the 80s actually has nothing to do with the 80s. I saw “The Trip to Bountiful” on a first date (mistake) and cried so freaky hard my date was convinced I was unstable and there wasn’t a second date. The movie is set in Texas in the 40s and is about an elderly woman living unhappily with her son and his wife in Houston. She has the goal of returning to the town where she grew up and raised her family – Bountiful. It’s such a perfect representation of longing and the intensity of desire in the face of opposition and what we become willing to settle for in the process.

If I were to pick my favorite movie that represents the time, it would be “Sixteen Candles” – so totally 80s!

Favourite 80’s song?

I listened to a lot of music in the 80s. At the time, I didn’t own a TV and the stereo was always on. I can’t tell you my favorite, but I can tell you I listened to a lot of Alison Moyet/Yaz, Sade, Eurythmics, Crowded House (anything Finn brothers), the Smiths/Morissey, Bryan Ferry, Kate Bush, Shawn Colvin, Kirsty MacColl – all people I still listen to. I tend to be pretty faithful to my likes.

How do you personally believe the Tarot works? Do you believe that it can tell fortunes and futures? When you’re asking the Tarot questions, who are you asking?

I believe that nature has a pattern. The shape of a tree is similar to a river system or the nervous system of an animal. The earth is shaped like an orange or a drop of water falling through space or an eye. All things in nature repeat patterns that are familiar to each other. I think human nature is the same.

Our behaviour and emotions follow natural patterns. Sometimes we get trapped in the pattern we inhabit and can’t see events in our lives in any other way. We are so accustomed to defining our experience of life in a certain specific manner and are blind to any other way of seeing.

I think the images of Tarot are an attempt to capture the pattern of life and our human experience in a manner that can be held in your hand. When the cards fall the way they do, whether random or with some driving force, they ask us to examine our lives in a different form. “This is your Heart, this is your Head, this is your Home” – now consider these things from the viewpoint of the card that has naturally fallen into that position. Does it give you a new perspective on the way you define that aspect of your life, especially with a Reader who is neutral regarding the subtle, intimate, possibly secret details known only to you. If you are open to considering this new pattern, a new way of looking at your question, you may find a piece of your answer. I’ve sometimes described the cards as a stack of photo slides. You hold up the slide of your question, you overlap it with the description depicted in the card, you look at the new pattern made – does it give insight you didn’t have before because the things you see have altered from the way you had become accustomed to seeing them?

Whether there is a Something directing the answer, I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t discount the possibility, but I don’t attempt to define it. Some people are uncomfortable with the Spiritual aspect assigned to a reading and I think approaching it from an emotional or practical standpoint is valid as well – whatever helps the Questioner feel comfortable.

Regardless, I do ask for respect for the cards before each reading so the Questioner enters into a state of considerate alertness. It isn’t necessary for them to completely BELIEVE, just that they agree to momentarily somewhat suspend disbelief. I ask them to make an attempt to listen without judgement and consider the reading, not just in the moment (when it can be abrupt or shocking or odd or seem unrelated), but more deeply and thoroughly when they are alone and quiet – because all natural things, including our lives, don’t exist without relationship. I also ask for payment of some sort, something of value (not necessarily money), because the questioner needs to make a gift of some kind to connect to the process. If they must consider a price for the reading, they are forced to become mentally involved – they have tangibly assigned value to the experience which is an important requirement for success.

Something I find interesting is my experience that people who come to a reading with a more practical mindset often experience the most emotional response. Maybe it’s because they are not so accustomed to examining the emotional patterns of their lives. I am also constantly surprised at the frequency of the times where I describe an interpretation which makes absolutely no sense to me but is afterward explained to me by the Questioner. It always amazes me because I have to admit I am a very sceptical, common sense person. But you have to surrender now and again to the experience of seeing the world in a new pattern other than the one you believe you are living. It helps you remember that life is bigger than you and full of things you know you don’t know and also things you don’t even know you don’t know. And it validates the notion that most of life is defined not by some immoveable reality but rather by how we ourselves define it.

The original artwork for the Magician and Empress cards! Amazing! x

What’s your favourite Tarot deck? (Aside from the Art Nouveau deck of course!)

When I started my deck, I was really impressed with the Aquarian Tarot by David Palladini. Now, I really like a lot of the decks published by Lo Scarabeo. They have several decks with historic art styles I find interesting.

Do you have any advice for budding artists and deck creators?

Be prepared to devote a LOT of time. Seventy-eight paintings/drawings are a challenge to complete. On top of that, the requirement to communicate 78 separate ideas plus 78 reversals is daunting. I also found the card I was working on tended to influence my experience of life, so that can be a little schizophrenic – and in the case of certain cards, somewhat dangerous – so beware of that.

I would also consider self-publishing, or at least presenting a publisher with a completed deck. Most of the things I am not happy with regarding Art Nouveau Tarot are things that were “art-directed” by the publisher rather than my own personal expression. And I certainly felt the pressure of the deadline which made some of the cards rushed and not well considered. My contract was also “work-for-hire” which means I surrendered the original art at the completion of the project. If I still retained the originals, I would be able to publish an “improved” deck independent of U.S. Games now that they have chosen not to reprint and the publishing rights have reverted to me. As it is, the lack of access to the paintings means the images in the deck remain as they are and I am content to let it pass.

What are you working on these days? Can we expect another deck from you in the future?

My artistic life took a pretty drastic about ten years ago and I have been working primarily as a Costume Designer. Before that, I had been working mostly for the hospitality industry, doing paintings and murals for restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, etc. I had always participated in theatre and the mural work transitioned into theatrical drops/sets and then into costume. Right now, I’ve begun to do Wearable Art which combines a lot of my interests and abilities. I had always thought my interests were too scattered, but now, all those talents that seemed to take me down different paths have all merged together. It’s been very gratifying.

Sometimes I consider doing another deck, one that is more mature with more depth and complexity. I’ve also considered using Tarot as a theme for Wearable Art. Will I actually do it? I honestly don’t know. It’s such a huge commitment.

How can we find out more about you and your artwork?

I’m currently working on a website for myself. It’s something I’ve know I should have done a long while ago – it would likely have made a difference to my artistic career. But as you might guess from someone who identifies with the Hermit, I have trouble making that outward effort a priority. Once it’s up, the website will be www.mattmyers.gallery. I don’t know if it will include any of my paintings or murals or even anything from Art Nouveau Tarot. Right now, it’s intended to be mostly Wearable Art and costumes, but it will be interesting to see where it goes.

The Art Nouveau is sadly out of print, but keep your eyes out around online and you may be able to find a deck of your own!

Thanks for hanging out Matt!

x

Winter Solstice Spread for Self Love and Self Care

K, so this is weird. 

Usually I'm in the northern hemisphere for Solstices and these sorts of things, but right now I'm in Australia.

I'm going to be flying back to the UK on the 21st, which is pretty much the Solstice, and so I'm kind of going to get more Winter Solstice than Summer Solstice, which is why I made a Winter Solstice spread in the middle of UK summer.

I always feel a bit meh during winter. Especially in the UK. There's no sun for months on end and so I think it's super important for us to be kind to ourselves with warm slippers and cups of cocoa. That's why this is a self love + self care spread.

Weirdly though, it's actually been sunnier and nicer in Melbourne than it has in the UK for the last few weeks.

So yeah, what's going on? It's winter, but it's sunny.

But anyway!

Here's a Winter Solstice spread for y'all to try, whether it's winter or not, who cares, it's a great spread for self love and self care on any cold day, or anytime of the year anyway.

1. Reward Yourself

This card will let you know what you've done awesomely that needs a reward. Like, what can you reward yourself for, and how can you do it?

I got the Fool reversed. Time to reward myself for all the times I got out of my comfort zone and said "screw it" and jumped. I trusted the universe, I could trust it more, that's true. But mostly I'm gonna reward myself for the adventures I've taken and probably reward myself by planning another jump.

2. Rest Here

They always say "don't rest on your laurels", but actually, this is exactly what you should do right now. What are your laurels to rest on?

I got Four of Swords reversed. Ha! This is like yes Vix, this means you too. Hahah.

3. Seeds to Sow

The Winter Solstice is more about sowing seeds than making stuff happen. What are some seeds for you to start sowing, or think about sowing?

I got the Eight of Cups. Time to sow some serious seeds for mindset shifts and work on some overwhelm issues!

4. Love Yourself

Everyone is always banging on about self love and loving yourself, but WTF does it even really mean? This card will give you some guidance on how to love yourself.

I got the Ten of Pentacles. A bit of a "it's OK to be successful and be looked after financially" message. Loving yourself is about accepting all the gifts the universe throws at you, not being a martyr. 

5. Your Inner Light

What's lighting you up? What's keeping you bright?

I got the Tower reversed. OMG this reading is killing me. Haha! OK, so actually, right now I'm being lit up by the idea of creating my life and my biz from the ground up. A lot of stuff had to go, but it's OK because actually, rebuilding stuff the way you really want it is super exciting.

6. Awesomeness Potential

Oh yeah baby! It might be cold (or not really if you're in parts of Aussie) and you might not feel like doing much right now, but babe, you will, and when you do, this is the cool stuff that may come up for you.

I got the Nine of Wands reversed. A great message about releasing some old junk here, especially "what others think of you" and generally letting down your guard. 

7. How to Stay Shiny

Sometimes when it's cold and dark it's hard to stay shiny. But this card will help you find a way to stay shiny, even in the dark. For more help with this check out my totally free e-book How to Stay Shiny!

I got the Four of Pentacles. I can stay shiny by letting go, surrendering and letting it happen rather than focusing on and forcing myself to be shiny at all times!

I hope this spread helps you, wherever you are, whatever the season or the weather.

You can come talk about your findings in the Tarot Nerds or Spiritual Journey Pitstop group and be sure to hashtag #newagehipster on Instagram so I can find you!

With so much love, light and warm winter solstices,

Vix

x

The Empath Spread

Being an Empath certainly has it's challenges. I dunno, I think we're all Empaths really, but some of us are hiding our Empath-ness under a bunch of other stuff and some of us aren't so much. If you're reading this, you're probably an Empath.

Empath in a nutshell: someone who picks up energies from other people, places, situations, whatever and is affected by them, OFTEN in a negative way.

E.g. if you hang out with grumpy people  you get grumpy. You can pick up all sorts of junk when you're an Empath,

but if you want to, you can totally clear it, protect yourself and use your Empath powers for good!

If you're somebody who's super sensitive to energies, this spread is for you!

Come hang out in Tarot Nerds if you wanna share or ask for help with your spreads or hashtag me #newagehipster on social media so I can find you!

Your Heart

This card is all about who you are without all the energies of everyone else, and everything else around you. What's really going on in that heart of yours? Where's your heart at? What's in your heart when you take away all the other hunks of energetic junk around you?

How to Ground

This card will give you some info around what's the haps with your grounding. Are you grounded? If not, what can you do about it? How can you get grounded? As an Empath you gotta get grounded babe. 

Who/What is affecting you

This is what is majorly affecting your energy right now. Could be what happened today at work, or on a bigger scale - like some big stuff going on that's been wearing you down for ages. This card should help you make sense of it.

How to Clear

When you're living life as a Empath clearing your energy is everything! This card will give you some insights into what/how to clear away that gunk!

How to Protect

Protecting yo pretty self from bad juju is imperative guys. Your protection bubble is your best friend here sweet pea, so check out what this card has to say about protecting your energy.

Moving Forward

So now that you know what's going on with your energy and what's affecting you, where do you go from here? What do you need to be aware of? What do you need to take action with? Being an Empath is no excuse for not living a freaking awesome life, so get out there and make it happen! Rarrr! This card should inspire you to do so, or at least give you some ideas on how to get there.

Now check out the video if you wanna see this spread in action! :D

With so much love, light and empath hugs!

Vix

x

PS - if you wanna share this spread around social media and your blog it's all good with a credit to New Age Hipster. x

An Interview with Josh LaFayette, creator of the Food Fortunes deck

Any New Age Hipster worth their weight in Amazonite has been eyeing up the Food Fortunes deck by Josh LaFayette.

When I first cracked this deck open I was like - OMG the art is freaking incredible! Then I was like - OMG it's pizza on a Tarot card! Then I was like OMG how do I read this thing, like does this actually relate to RWS (Rider-Waite Smith) symbolism or what the actual heck is going on with this deck? So I made a video about that, basically like "what are you doing with this deck, Josh LaFayette?" along with my awesome interpretations of the Knight of Sides card (it's about following your mashed potato dreams, obviously).

When Josh popped up in my inbox with some of the answers, I was like OMG Josh is like the coolest Tarot deck creator ever! And then I thought I should probably get him on the blog and share these answers with you because maybe you've also been sitting around trying to make your pizza match up with your Magician or your banana split with your Wheel of Fortune. 

But never fear Tarot Nerds! Josh is here to explain it all! 

Josh, all the New Age Hipsters are loving Food Fortunes, it's such a cool quirky and fresh new take on the Tarot, where did the idea come from?

Thank so much, Vix! I drew a version of “The Slice” back in 2013 as part of my Daily Drawing series. My original idea/concept was to take something deeply mystical and revered and strip it of all that by making it about food. Tumblr loved it lol. Katy Perry posted it on her Instagram account (with no credit obvi!) and that’s when I thought “dang, people might really be into a full deck?”

Are you actually into Tarot and woo woo stuff? Or was this more of an art project than a spiritual one? (Obviously art is spiritual, but you know what I mean)

I had to look up “woo woo” if that gives you any idea! :) I was raised in a New Religious Movement in the Southeastern U.S. that was an offshoot of a Christian sect called The Shepherding Movement (I abandoned it in my 20s). As a kid, I was shielded from all things even remotely related to occult practice/imagery or witchcraft or clairvoyance or anything. But, I was raised with a heavy emphasis on numerology and spirituality and meetings with prophets and stuff, so I guess I basically just got one end of the spectrum and was “sheltered” from the rest. I was always taught to look for symbolism in the things around me and to take meaning from things that most people might otherwise ignore (also I went to art school and that’s basically what they teach you lol). All that to say—once I set myself free to explore all mystical imagery (not just Christian), I really fell in love with the RWS deck around 2012/13.

How long did it take you to create the deck and how many of the cards are based on your actual dinners?

As I mentioned, I drew the first card in 2013. I drew about 10 more that year. All for my own pleasure. Then in 2014 I started grad school for an MFA in Illustration and I used those 10 illustrations (and the concept of a full deck) as the focus for my thesis. In late 2014 Chronicle Books in San Francisco reached out and developed an interest in publishing a full deck. I worked on the 78 proper Food Fortunes cards from about October 2014 to July 2015.

I definitely put a lot of my favorite foods in the deck! Also, I hid a lot of easter eggs in the cards based on my personal experiences—words in Arabic, Latin, Italian, Japanese, and Turkish, old hobo symbols, alchemical symbols, a drawing of my childhood home, and the name of my wife, Lou. I really had a lot of fun doing all of that!

We're all super interested in how the cards relate to the Rider Waite Smith symbolism, or like, if they don't? I've been clawing my eyes out trying to find the symbolism between pizza and the magician (pizza is magic?), please explain! 

Haha I love seeing you and all the New Age Hipsters striving to make the connections! So, Food Fortunes is only related to the RWS deck superficially through imagery. When I started working with Chronicle to make the deck a real thing, I studied the RWS like crazy. I fell in love with Pamela Coleman Smith’s illustrations and with the thought of A. E. Waite basically rethinking tarot and making it something he wanted it to be. Tarot is such an old tradition with so many lasting concepts and guidelines, that I knew I didn’t (and still don’t) understand it all. Instead of taking years to familiarize myself with the interworkings of tarot, I decided to make something new (this is why the word “tarot” never appears anywhere on the deck/box/booklet). But I didn’t want to completely leave RWS behind, so I borrowed/appropriated/referenced imagery from the deck. The meanings of the cards don’t overlap—not intentionally anyway. I have heard some good arguments for how they do coincide, though! Maybe the Universe had deeper plans than me :)

My main hope is that this deck will help “regular” people decide what to eat. But after hearing so much from the tarot community, I hope that Food Fortunes can help card readers sharpen their intuition and deepen their practice in a not-so-serious way. 

What deck/s did you check out while making your deck? Do you have a favourite tarot deck?

My main source of inspiration and study was the RWS—I bought that deck right away when I had the idea and I bought and read books about RWS to learn as much as I could. I’d have to say it’s my fav. I did look at a lot of other decks to familiarize myself with the tradition and make sure that I gave myself context before I started. I looked at a lot: The Épinal Tarot, The Marseille Tarot by Charles Cheminade, The Marseille Tarot by Jean Dodal, Oliver Mundy’s Tarot (which I believe is contemporary), Il Tarocchino Bolognese, Il Tarocchino Lombardo, The Aquarian Tarot (1970), The Black Power Tarot (a majors-only novelty deck), The Major Arcana by Oliver Hibert (another majors-only novelty deck); I also followed the creation of the art for the forthcoming Modern Spellcaster's Tarot by Melanie Marquis and illustrated by (my friend!) Scott Murphy, and the forthcoming Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake and illustrated by Elisabeth Alba (Scott Murphy’s partner).

Your art is pretty awesome. How did you get into it?

Thank you!! My mom would buy me sketchbooks and markers very frequently when I was a kid. I honestly didn’t grow up thinking that drawing was something unique to me—I thought everybody drew the same way everybody watches T.V. or eats or whatever. Art classes weren’t offered in the public schools I attended, but I went to college for a BFA in Graphic Design and really fell in love with expressing ideas through design. In 2012, I transitioned from design to illustration in my personal practice and now I’m magically an illustrator. In July 2016, I’ll have a big piece of paper that says I’m a MASTER of illustration and it’ll have a gold seal and everything on it so it’s super official, and that’s cool :)

Do you have any advice for people who might want to create art but think they suck at it? (I'm just asking for a friend)

I used to suck at art. It was nearly impossible for me to translate what was in my head onto the paper (this is even after I transitioned into calling myself “an illustrator”). I started a daily drawing project in 2011, so I’ve done over 1000 daily drawings and that is how I became “good at art.” If you want to be good at anything all you have to do is practice it over and over and over and over and talk to other people who are practicing the same kind of thing over and over. I think there are certain people who are born with a natural ability to do something and that’s great. But most normal people suck at everything and we just have to try and fail one million times until we’re good at it. I find no shame in that whatsoever!

What else do you do when you're not creating art? 

I’ve been writing/recording music and playing in bands since I was 16, and I think that’s something I’ll always do! Going to listen to bands, going to look at art, and playing with my son are some of my favs. I also love to eat (obviously!!)

Which card in this deck best describes you?

Ooo that’s a tough one! After much thought, I think I have to say for who and where I am right now it’s The Refried. It’s not my favorite card in the deck, but it feels so somber and introspective. There are two suns, which I find disorienting—and there is green grass beyond the sand/dirt landscape, but it’s upstream and there’s no clear path to get there. I’m juggling a lot right now in life and work and I find myself feeling confused frequently—but at least it’s bright outside and I’ve got plenty of water. Also I love beans :)

What's your favourite pizza topping?

I haven’t always felt this way, but after living in Italy with Lou for a while in 2009/10 I gotta say just gimme fresh mozzarella! Nothing beats a proper pizza margherita!

Do you actually keep your deck in the kitchen to help with meal planning? And can you provide us with a printable meal planner to go along with the deck? :D

Yes! Sometimes we use it to help decide which restaurant to visit and sometimes we use it as a list of ingredients for a meal to cook. It has actually been really helpful for us a number of times! Haha I already provided a meal planner—it’s called Food Fortunes! :D

Do you have any tips for vegans, vegos or pescatarians on how we can substitute some of the meatier cards?

Yes! So, my family and I are definitely omnivores, but we eat vegetarian/vegan often because, really, it’s better all-around for the earth and our bodies. I think when you’re in the veg mindset, you sort of develop an intuition that helps you quickly know what to substitute in for meat/eggs/dairy. For example, the King of Mains is a huge steak. But if I’m in the veg mindset and I pull that card, the first thing I think of is a big ol’ grilled portobello mushroom—yum! This is making me hungry. 

Do you have any plans to create another deck? If so, what themes are you considering?

I’m glad you asked these last two questions together because while I was drawing Food Fortunes I kept thinking that it would be so great to have a vegetarian or vegan version of the deck. I would personally love that. Sometimes planning a vegan diet is exhausting, and I forget what I’m able to eat and I just end up eating tons of sweet potatoes and lettuce. Having a handy deck of 78 vegan ingredients would be super helpful! We’ll see what the future holds—maybe I’ll have to sign up for a genuine New Age Hipster reading and find out whether that’s a good route to pursue! :)

Thanks Josh! It's been so awesome to chat with you and we're all eagerly awaiting the next deck! :D

And now you're going to wanna check out Josh in all these places:

website: joshlafayette.com 

collection of Food Fortunes promo images and links: joshlafayette.com/foodfortunes

@joshlafayette on twitter and instagram.

tumblr: joshlafayette.tumblr.com

facebook: facebook.com/joshlafayette.biz

And make sure you grab this deck for all your meal planning and culinary intuitive needs!

With love, light and dinners done,

Vix

x

Nashville Shadow Work Tarot Spread

Things I love: Nashville, Tarot + a bit of personal development.

Shadow work is not a term I use a lot. Not because I don't do it, but as a "lightworker" I kind of feel like my whole life is shadow work! Shadow work to me is really just looking at our own shit and sorting it out. If you wanna be a lightworker you're not going to get very far by just ignoring your human self stuff and your ego. Shadow work helps us to work with our ego rather than against it, or just ignoring it!

But sorting yourself out does not have to be boring right?! 

Nashville has some interesting characters, and you can't really watch it without thinking - OMG these guys so need to do some shadow work. 

You can use this spread with any kinds of cards although I find regular ole' Tarot the best for this kind of thing. 

You don't need to know the show to use this spread, but I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you're into cute cowboys and country music. I think it's a past life thing for me. Or maybe in a parallel incarnation I'm actually Taylor Swift before she went mainstream. Just a thought. 

Word of warning: shadow work is not for the faint of heart. It often kicks your butt and pisses you off before it sets you free. It shines light on all the places where you're being a dick and some people don't dig that kind of thing. Personally I find it quite liberating as long as I'm in the right frame of mind to be doing it.

Don't attempt shadow work on a day when you're feeling sorry for yourself or low vibe. 

image from www.metrolyrics.com

LAYLA - what dream always evades you?

Poor Layla. She wants to be a big, big star but there's always someone or something holding her back.

This card will shed some light on that big dream of yours that just never seems to get any traction. 

WILL - what part of yourself do you hide from the outside world?

Will has spent a lot of time hiding his sexuality from the world, fearing that people won't like him if they know the truth even though I'm pretty sure we all love a gay cowboy with a great voice who looks a hell of a lot like Luke from the OC. 

This card will show you what part of yourself you're hiding from the outside world. 

MADDIE - what big dream are you not quite ready for?

Maddie just really wants to have a recording contract and be the next big thing in Country, but her Mom says she's not ready. Boo!

This card will show you something you're not quite ready for. Doesn't mean it's not going to happen, just not just yet! 

REYNA - what are you trying to control?

I love Reyna so much. I mean, her hair right? But she is pretty much a control freak.

What are you trying to control in your life right now that you should probably loosen the reigns on a little?

DEACON - what are you addicted to?

Deacon does a damn good job of dealing with his addictions. How are you doing with yours?

Addictions can be big or small; coffee, Facebook, drama or hard drugs. What's your poison? 

JULIETTE - what illusions do you have about your life and your dreams?

Juliette is super famous, and being super famous sometimes gives you some pretty whack ideas about life.

This card will help you discover what illusions you have about  your own life. 

JEFF - where are your morals a little sketchy?

Jeff isn't really a bad guy, but he sure does make some pretty ruthless decisions sometimes. Hey, none of us are perfect. Hopefully you're not blackmailing anyone into letting minors sign with your label or getting the police to cover up your almost-lethal pool parties...

But if your morals are a little sketchy in some way, this card will let you know where. 

AVERY - what negative thought patterns are holding you back?

I honestly have a big ole' country crush on our boy Avery Barkley, but I don't think I could actually date him. I mean, he's just a bit too much of a brooding downer most of the time. Urgh. Like lighten up a little man! 

This card will let you know where you're negativity is holding you back. 

SCARLETT - what old dreams need reviving? 

One minute she's having a meltdown on stage while playing for a packed out arena, next episode she's singing at the Bluebird! You can always revive old dreams, no matter how stale they are, or how much you swore you'd never do it again!

This card will let you know what old dreams you have that can be revived if you want them!

GUNNAR - where are you wearing your rose coloured glasses?

Gunnar is totes adorbs. He falls in love with every girl he meets and still holds a flame for them all, jumping at the first chance to get back with his ex, or his other ex, or his ex's best friend. It never totally works out for him though. I wonder why hmmm?

This card will help you see where you're wearing those rose coloured glasses in your own life. 

So go get your Nashville boxset and a deck of cards and get your shadow work on country style!

If you wanna share your spread on Instagram be sure to use the hashtag #newagehipster so I can find you! Or come chat about your findings in the Facebook group! 

With love, light and vegan cowboy boots,

Vix

x

Throwing Light on The Three of Swords

What's a lightworker to do when faced with the Three of Swords in a reading? :O

It came up this week in the Weekly Reading and so I got to thinking about how it can make us a little freaked out.

Death, the Tower and this guy are probably the last cards I want to see in a reading, honestly.

But I do really think people freak out way more about the Three of Swords than they need to. 

I'll admit, three swords sticking through a heart does look pretty bad. But let's throw some light on this heart-breaker and have a look at what else this card can mean when it gets turned over in your reading. #NoMoreFreakOuts! x

Healing

One of my favourite ways to look at this card is that it's about healing.

I read reversals and so reversed it's even more healing - the swords are coming out! Wheee!

But even upright there is a lot of healing energy in this card.

You've been hurt, we can see that. But ask any human being on the planet if they've ever been hurt and guess what? We've all had a few (or more!) Three of Swords moments in our lives.

Not everyone opens up their heart to healing however, but you will, and you'll be back to yourself in no time because of it. 

Let your heart take some time for healing.

It's a great excuse to watch a lot of Adam Sandler rom coms and eat stupid amounts of ice-cream. See? Suddenly already not so bad!

Coping

You know how you read those stories about someone who got a metal pole stuck through their body, but they walked around for ages and seemed totally fine (OK, definitely not "fine", but you know, they were able to function) before they got it out?

Seeing the swords in there is almost like hey you, you're actually going through this incredibly difficult thing, but you're sitting here doing a reading, or getting your cards read.

You're totally coping, and that's pretty incredible.

Power + Strength

You've got swords in your heart and you're still getting on with your life.

Holy woah, you're a powerful and strong being!

Honestly, a lot of people are the Nine of Swords at this point.

You're stronger than you think you are you know.

The Three of Swords chic from the Starchild Tarot is totally rocking her own power! x

Feeling your feelings

My good friend Louise Androlia is always talking about how we need to feel our feelings. She's so totally right of course (because she always is).

When you pull the Three of Swords it's totally OK to flip out like - OMG I'm STABBED IN THE HEEEARRRRRT!

Ball your eyes out, throw stuff, get really drunk and do stupid dance moves and flirt with really inappropriate men (don't go  home with them though), go watch Heartland (honestly can't stop obsessing over Heartland #SorryNotSorry) and do whatever else you need to do.

Feel that shit. Really feel it and don't censor your feelings. 

You'll feel so much better when you do. 

Self Love + Self Care

Too often this card isn't about heartbreak at all, but about you not looking after yourself.

Stress, anxiety, guilt, it's not good for your heart honey.

When you see this card take it as a sign to look after yourself and your energy.

Ask yourself when you see it "what do I really need right now?" Make sure you follow the guidance you get. 

Remember treating yourself mean doesn't keep anyone keen. 

Remember what comes next

In numbers, four comes after three, and in Tarot the Four of Swords comes after the Three of Swords.

The Four of Swords is all about taking a rest and chilling out and making time for yourself.

Sleeping in, having a duvet day. Letting go of guilt and remembering you're awesome so it's OK to give yourself a break.

There's no reason at all why you can't start bringing that energy in right now!

This is my favourite Four of Swords AKA Duvet Day from the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg x

So next time the Three of Swords comes up, instead of freaking out, give yourself a great big hug. Remember you're awesome for getting through your stuff and then reach for the ice-cream, get comfy on the couch and do what you gotta do. 

With love, light and heart healing vibes!

Vix

x

Bummed Out Spread

Bum belongs to Bruce Springsteen. x

You know how sometimes you just feel bummed out or in a funk and you have no idea how it happened, why you feel that way or what to do about it?

Well bum about no longer kids, because I made you this tarot spread to help you work it all out, shed some light on your bummed-out-ness and help you find a way forward, onwards and upwards! 

As with all my spreads you can use any Tarot, Angel or Oracle cards you have lying about. I used both the Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel and the Angel Therapy deck by Doreen Virtue in the video below, but I'm just going to give you examples from the tarot in the write up.

 

Card one - Where you were

So this is basically where you were before you got bummed out. What the inciting incident was that led to you getting bummed out.

I got the Four of Swords here and I know it's because I was not getting enough rest or taking it easy when I should have been! That kind of not looking after yourself will always lead to feeling bummed out sooner or later.

Card two - What brought you down

This is what actually brought you down. The specifics of how you ended up in a funk. 'Cos sometimes you just don't know.

I got the Six of Cups reversed. For me that feels like it's about not being on the path, or stressing about not being on the right path. Focusing on the wrong things. 

Card three - Energies around you

This card represents what's going on around you - what energies you can draw from to help you, or what's around you that needs clearing. 

I got the King of Cups reversed. It got me thinking about how to practice self care with a masculine energy... There's some energy here about being depleted, but a message to refill in a more masculine way rather than just having bubble baths. 

What do you guys think about the whole self-care with a masculine vibe thing?!

Card four - What could keep you down

This card points you towards the things that you need to watch out for if you're going to try to pick yourself up. Whatever's going on in this card is something that's a challenge for you, something that can totally absorb your energy and keep your cup empty if you let it.

I got the Empress reversed. For me that's about creating a LOT of stuff, but not actually giving birth to it! Hmmmmm, interesting! 

Card Five - What will help

This card will give you a message of what to focus on to get out and stay out of this bummed out vibe.

I got Starseed reversed. A message for me here to balance my starseed/high vibe/hanging out with angels energy with being grounded and present in this life, in the here and now. 

I hope this spread helps lift you out of funks, brings you back up when you're feeling bummed out, down or generally blerg. 

Let me see your spreads on social media by using the hashtag #newagehipster or tagging me! :D

With love, light and funk free vibes!

Vix

x

Full Moon Releasing Spread

I've been on this spread creation binge for a while now and I thought I'd add in a little something for your Full Moon this month! How's about a Full Moon Releasing Spread?! :D 

While the New Moon is a great time for manifesting, the Full Moon is a perfect opportunity to release some of that stuff you've been dragging around. You can also use this spread any time you've got some releasing to do!

So grab your Tarot, Oracle, Angel or Uno cards and a nice big hot cup of tea and let's play!

I'm gonna double up on this one and use both the Cosmic Tarot and Doreen Virtue's Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards, because the Full Moon is a pretty awesome time to connect with some Goddess energy! 

Oh and check the video below to see it in action! x

1. You Are Here

This card is like your anchor. Where are you? Why are you here right now pulling these cards? What's going on for you in your life right now?

I pulled Sekhmet - Be Strong and the Devil Reversed. OK, so I know for me this spread is gonna be about releasing a bunch of old patterns and ways of thinking and being. Finally I'm letting the grip of this stuff go and it's a time for me to finally be able to stay in my power with this stuff! Rarrr!

2. Release

Pretty straight forward - this is the big thing to be releasing this Full Moon, or whenever you're doing this spread. Let this thing go, it no longer serves you babe.

I got Ishtar - Boundaries and Three of Wands. In the Cosmic Tarot I always see this chic on the Three of Wands as just being totally content, connected and happy doing what she's doing. It's like just chilling out with your inner peace while you wait for your abundance truck. The Ishtar card here is like - Vix, in order to keep staying in your peace place you've got to set better boundaries. Release the idea that you have to do everything for everyone and please everyone all the time. Totally!

3. Lessons

Releasing is all about looking back. Checking out what no longer serves you and what you can finally get rid of. It's like clearing out your closet, looking at each item, remembering those times you wore it and then deciding you're done with it. When we're looking back it's great to check out the Lessons and Blessings that this old stuff has brought you. Don't be like - urgh, this thing is shit! Take some time with these next two cards to see what awesome things you can take away from where you've been.

I got Cordelia - Go Otuside and the Five of Swords. This is a little bit like burnout energy here for me. It's true, I have been burning myself out and not giving myself enough time for my own Vix things. New Age Hipster is basically my life right now, but I know I have to avoid burnout by setting better boundaries, getting outside and chilling the eff out a bit more. I've definitely learnt this lesson though, so hoorah! Hey, it's still a work in progress, but I've come a long way!

4. Blessings

Blessings are often not seen as blessings at the time. Sometimes these are the things that only later appear to be blessings, but at the time really piss you off. You know, blessings in disguise and all that. This is the moment to look back now and see those obstacles for what they really were. 

I got Aeracura - Blossoming and Two of Pentacles. Sometimes not knowing WTF to do is a blessing. It creates space and time for the universe to do it's work and it helps you to cultivate plans, ideas, patience and peace. For me this is about not pushing things to happen, but rather being open to divine timing and letting things blossom when the time is right. Sometimes feeling stuck is a blessing. It stops you pursuing the wrong thing and taking you way too far down the wrong path. 

5. Dream

This is your dream! This is where you can potentially get to if you can get to this releasing party and really make the most of it. What do you really want? What does your heart and soul really want? 

I got Ostara - Fertility and The Star. Uh, OK so The Star is like - yeah, my dream is to be super shiny and to help other people be super shiny too! I just wanna spread starshine all over the place! Wheeee! Also for me, giving birth to my creative dreams is HUGE. 

6. Big Step

This is like the big thing that you need to do so you can reach your dreams! It's kind of like the long term stuff. The 12 month, or maybe longer, plan. 

I got Brigit - Don't Back Down and The Lovers Reversed. This for me is like keep trucking, keep following these dreams (for as long as you want to!) but also putting equal amounts of energy into my relationships and my love life! Don't be all work and no play Vix! Stop telling everyone else to have a great work/life balance if you can't. Be authentic, practice what you preach and all that stuff.

7. Next Step

This is the thing to focus on next. Well, after you've had this releasing party. Don't rush through the releasing stuff to get to the next step or you're going to wobble. Take some notes on this one, but don't stress out about it today. Focus on the release and start putting this into practice after a good night's sleep.

I got Mary Magdalene - Unconditional Love and King of Pentacles Reversed. Pretty obviously it's like focus on service and not on cash money. But also it feels like another message about boundaries (did you get any themes in your spread?!)! Love yourself first. Gah, that's a hard one isn't it? Fill your own cup first. 

Come say hi on Social Media, hashtag #newagehipster so I can find you and your spreads and let me know how you go with this one! I hope it helps you! 

If you want me to totally just do it all for you and check in with what you can be releasing this full moon or any time, check out my reading options!

With loads of love, light and full moon releasing vibes,

Vix

x

New Moon Manifesting Spread

Nothing is more fun than manifesting, especially when it works! Wheeee!

This spread is designed to help y'all with your manifesting on the New Moon, or you know, whenever you want really, but the new moon is super powerful for creating cool stuff! 

You can use this spread with whatever cards you have - Tarot, Angels, Oracles, whatevs! Or even double up and pull a couple of cards for each position! Crazy!

Here's  one I made earlier with the Robin Wood Tarot! x

1. YOU ARE HERE

This is where you're at right now, what's going on for you in this present moment. Recognise this energy and decide if it's useful for your manifesting stuff. Do you need to shift or change something?

I pulled the Emperor Reversed for this one this morning - I need to get organised in my physical space and get confident about my manifesting before I start!

2. MENTAL SHIFTS

This card will give you an idea of what mental shifts you could be making to help your manifestations come about, or new mental shifts you want to manifest!

I got Seven of Pents, time for me to shift up some of my thoughts about how hard I have to work in order to bring in enough money, and also to put out some intentions related to working hard enough to create abundance but not burning out. 

3. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

This is like a reminder of your gifts and abilities, your spiritual connection. It can also represent some new spiritual stuff to call into your life. 

I got Page of Cups which is like - use your creative powers to connect with your spirituality and to create more cool stuff (like this!) for New Age Hipster! 

4. CO-CREATE THIS

Here's something you can totally manifest this new moon with a bit of help from the universe. This can come about in the next few weeks! YAY!

I got Ace of Pentacles - double yay. I'm taking this to mean stress less about cash flow and manifest the shiz out of it!

5. ASK FOR HELP RECEIVING THIS

Basically you need help with this one. Ask people around you for a hand, or get connected with your spiritual team to really make this one happen. You can't do it alone, and you don't have to!

This could also be about a block you have with receiving this thing, so get that looked at. 

I got Ace of Cups - um triple yay! I probably need some help filling my cup up over the next few weeks, allow myself to take time off and just chill and fill (I suck at that so bad!). 

6. STAR POTENTIAL

This is like the long term potential of what you're manifesting this new moon. What's possible over the next few moons, or even further ahead!

I pulled 9 of Pents and like OMG quadruple yay on that. A message that yes, I can be totally sorted with my money stuff and I can have some rose bushes and pet bird if I really want one. Which I probably don't, because the cat might not like it. Also, birds beaks freak me out.

I'd love to know how you find this spread so come find me on Facebook or hashtag #NewAgeHipster on Instagram so I can find you!

With love, light and killer new moon manifesting vibes!

Vix

x