New years resolutions?

So I know this post is a bit early but I have been itching to write all day.  Before I really get into the new year I have something else I want to talk about.  

Chai tea....

I LOVE chai tea, but what is the secret?  Thanks to a fellow blogger I now have this recipe to make homemade chai tea.  Until I am motivated to make it though I settled for store bought.  Now I did this once before and was extremely disappointed.  I will admit I usually head to the coffee shop for my chai tea fix. This time I went the Celestial brand as I really do like their Sleepy Time teas, have since I was a kid and my mom would make it for me when I was sick.  Again I am not that impressed though.  The tea is so weak.  So I guess my question was what do you guys suggest?  Should I put more of the tea bags in the cup besides one?  Or just man up and buy the stuff to make my own?  

Well enough on that.

Oh look what I got for christmas!

This was my gift from my Mom for Christmas.  Now this is not my first tarot deck.  Honestly I have avoided the Rider-Waite deck every time I have gone out with the intention of finding a deck.  Its not that it gave me a bad feeling or that I think poorly of it.  In fact I could always pick it out right away in the shelves of displayed decks.  But I always turned away from it convinced I would find something else that would speak to me more.  I have no idea why I did this since just about everyone has said it is a great deck to have when learning tarot.  I am also extremely picky.  

I only have four decks though I am always on the look out for one that may stand out to me.  I have the Rumi Tarot which is the green deck on the bottom left corner in the picture above.  I have to admit I loved this deck when I saw it.  The art spoke to me more than anything.  I find it extremely hard to work with though.  I can count on one hand how many times I have used this deck.  

I also have the Dream Enchantress deck which is the deck in the bottom right corner.  I love this deck I found it on a whim in a little gothic knick-knack store while in Downtown Silver City.  I have used it a lot.  It is a very feminine deck to be honest.  I think only two or three males are actually presented in the deck.  

The Universal Tarot deck was a gift from a new found friend.  She was setting up a booth in an antique store a few months ago when I met her, ironically during Lughnasadh.  I will be honest I think she read me right then and there as I walked up.  Because she started handing me things that she "thought" I would like without me really having to say anything.  Some of it I bought and other things she simply gave to me.  I was pleasantly surprised and felt a little guilty for the gifts.  So I invited her over for oatmeal cake. =)  I have yet to use the deck but I do plan to.

Well and you all know when the Radiant deck came from.

I don't do a whole lot of tarot reading.  I would like to don't get me wrong.  I think a major part of it is I need to trust myself more.  There is always the hesitation and doubt in the back of my mind.  Even when it is just me alone working with them.

So new years resolutions.  I have never really been one who actually practices this.  I guess I am in the boat that thinks that it is just something to set myself up for failure.  I usually just take some time to mediate and reflect on the past year and more importantly the present.  This year that is more true than ever.  For those of you who have read my recent posts I am sure you remember me mentioning that I had a feeling this new year would bring huge change into my life.  Well it certainly is.  I will talk more about it when things are set in motion.  Not too much for personal reason though which I know all of you can respect.  A lot has already changed some of it very good and some very bad.  Talk about all that another day as it will be a long post.

So one thing I am going to do for 2014 is make a reading list.  Some of you might think its a little cheesy but the thing is I have this nice stack of books of a metaphysical genre and have yet to read any of them in their entirety.  Some of these were gifts others I bought.  I would love to hear your opinions if any of you have read any of these.  Or if you have better suggestions I am all ears!  Some of these I wouldn't have picked out myself for example the bottom two but I will read them none the less.  

So I guess this is just one of the small things I have planned for the coming year.  Tarot sort of ties it self into this reading list I think.  =)

Well I guess that is all for now.  I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend.  

-Nadine

A list of the books and authors top to bottom for those who can't see the picture that well....

Celtic Magic part of Llewellyn's World Magic Series by D.J. Conway

How to Use Tarot Spreads, Answers to Ever Question by Sylvia Abraham

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Edward Waite

Guide to the Rumi Tarot by Nigel Jackson

The Magical Household, Spells and Rituals for the Home by Scott Cunningham and David Harrington

Natural Magick the Essential Witch's Grimoire by Sally Dubats

Old World Witchcraft, Ancient Was for Modern Days by Raven Grimassi

Tarot Get the Whole Story by James Ricklef

The Witch's Guide to Life by Kala Trobe

Grimoire for the Green Witch by Ann Moura