Category: Tarot

Forging the Blade, Second Edition

Posted C. LaVielle2 CommentsPosted in Publishing and Marketing, Tarot, Writing

I have always thought that the first edition of a book is special, the one to own if you’re going to buy the book. Maybe I somehow convinced myself of this because first editions are often quite expensive, due to the fact that they are no longer in print. However, I never bothered to follow this logic one step further. Usually, the first edition is no longer in print because the author/publisher has created a second edition and taken the first edition off the market. I know from first-hand experience that creating a second edition is a pain, and no one in their right mind would do this unless they firmly believed that there were major flaws in the first edition. And there was a major flaw in the first edition of Forging the Blade, not to mention a few niggling errors that we didn’t catch first time around. I have been told from the time I began studying tarot that the major arcana, when… Read More »

Fact and Fiction in Storytelling, or, How Do You Really Forge a Blade?

Posted C. LaVielle2 CommentsPosted in Forging the Blade, Major arcana, Tarot, Writing, Young Adult Fantasy

If you want to tell a story that keeps your readers turning pages, you must convince them that perhaps it could be true. Or, at the very least, convince them to suspend their disbelief for the duration of the story. This won’t happen if they spot even small errors in your work. It breaks the spell and they stop reading–something writers strive to discourage–and say “Wait! That’s not right.” And even if they then continue to read, they will be suspicious of everything else you tell them. In chapter 14, the Temperance chapter of Forging the Blade, the Damian goddess, Brigga, forges a magic sword for Molly, the main character. She uses Molly’s blood to bind her to the blade. As the sword is forged, Molly is also forged into a warrior. I figured that forging a blade would be a perfect metaphor for Temperance. This is a key chapter in the book, and to make it work, the reader must totally believe in the drama of a… Read More »

FORGING THE BLADE is now available in paperback from Amazon!

Posted C. LaVielle3 CommentsPosted in Forging the Blade, Getting Published, Tarot, Writing, Young Adult Fantasy

Yay!!! Happy dance. Yes Yes Yes.  Air punches. My baby is finally out in paperback. The cover was what was holding things up. Two months ago the first proof came back and the cover was too dark. The beautiful teal blue at the base was a murky blue grey. After two weeks and another round of proofs, CreateSpace’s phone consultants finally were kind enough to tell me that CreateSpace can’t/won’t make changes to my pdf file. I needed to make the changes. This is an important piece of info for anyone uploading their book to CreateSpace. They do not want responsibility for changing your files. All CreateSpace does, and all you are paying them to do, is create a book from the file that you give them. So I emailed my illustrator, Ture Ekroos, and asked if there was anything she could do. There was and she did it and sent the new file to my graphic designer, who built up the cover from the new… Read More »

FORGING THE BLADE is now available on Kindle!

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Forging the Blade, Getting Published, Tarot, Writing, Young Adult Fantasy

I’m so excited to have this out in time for a cozy holiday read or last minute gift. Enjoy.      The paperback version will be out soon on Amazon and at a Portland bookstore near you. I’ll let you know who has them when they’re actually in the store.

The Fool’s Journey through the Tarot Major Arcana: SunFest 2016: The World and the Fool

Posted C. LaVielle2 CommentsPosted in Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

So what did I tell you? All that wondering around looking for enlightenment and It was right under your nose the whole time. So was it worth it? Did you learn anything? The point is, you are all the cards. Each one of them lives and works inside each one of you. Understanding each card and the unique way it manifests in your life helps you solve your problems more effectively and with much less trauma and drama. *** The ritual closes with the major arcana cards appearing all together and doing a one card tarot reading for the Seekers.

The Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana: SunFest 2016: Judgement

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

Do you see It!? A sustained C natural played on a French horn sounds from a speaker hidden in the trees behind her. It’s everywhere. All around us. Inside us. Right here. Right now. And forever. Maybe you see a part of It? It will take lifetimes, but don’t stop until you can see It all. The note stops. The woman puts her palms together in front of her face and bows. Namaste! (Before the first seekers arrive we will ask The Tao, The Divine One, all the gods and goddesses, all the angels, saints and ascended masters, and all the spiritual teachers, guides, and power animals of every seeker to please be present, if appropriate; and to somehow reveal themselves to each seeker if and as appropriate. It is Judgement’s job to hold this sacred space for all the seekers. After the last group of seekers leaves we will thank everyone we invoked for their guidance, protection, blessings, and divine presence and bid them… Read More »

The Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana: SunFest 2016: The Sun

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

Behold! The Sun. It is the center of our solar system. Its light, composed of all the colors of the rainbow, and brings life to all creatures and plants on Earth. It is a symbol of wholeness and unity. And like The Sun, I am whole. My body and spirit, my conscious and not-conscious are one. All things are possible to me. I am the human that humanity is striving to become. You are all children of The Sun. Wholeness is within you. Never stop seeking it.

The Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana: SunFest 2016: The Moon

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Major arcana, Tarot, The Hero's Journey

Stop and attend. Seekers stop in front of two pillars, one black and one white. You have come far on your journey, but you will go no farther until you learn to let go of the physical world and enter the realm of The Moon. If you have truly learned the lessons of the first 17 cards, this will be a safe and fairly easy passage. This realm has many names: Psychiatrists call it the Right Brain, the Unconscious; The Golden Dawn calls it The Astral Plane; Qabalists call it Yesod; Australian Aborigines call it Dream Time; Carl Jung called it The Cosmic Unconscious; Peter Pan called it Never Never Land; and your soul calls it Home. All inspiration, magic, and divination, begin here. It is where you need to go to talk to a god, or an angel, or an ascended master. It is a place of amazing beauty and joy, and it is a place of great danger. Your darkest dreams and deepest… Read More »