Clow Reading Circle: Exercise #1

The translation was a lot clearer!

But now there are three spreads....

Which one are we doing?

I'm sorry, I'm really slow on the uptake sometimes...

But I'm ready any time!

How about everyone do whatever spread pleases them???
Mix and match, do whatever you like.

And we'll just enjoy all the choices.

Sounds good to me!

For Lillie

New Deck Interview Spread
1. What is your most important characteristic.
2. How can Lillie best learn from and collaborate with you?
3. What do you bring to the table--what are you here to teach Lillie.

Click to expand...

1. Most important characteristic of the Clow deck.
The Mist
Very Interesting.
So mist is misty. Obviously. What I mean is that mist is so soft and almost invisible, but it is there. A gentle warm mistiness. Covers everything almost without seeming to. You don't get really wet right away, but you do get damp. All encompassing in a gentle way, there yet not there.

So the connection you weave with the Clow is that it will encompass you without you really noticing. So this is both cautionary and enlightening. It covers you completely wihtout your really getting totally absorbed or saturated with it. But you will not be immune to the touch of the Clow. It covers you, slowly, but still completely.

2. How to best learn and collaborate with the Clow.
The Dash
This card hasn't come up for me in readings yet...lol, I've only done one reading other than this one. So. The Dash.
How do you approach a cat you don't know, out in the wild?
Maybe you don't. Slowly, carefully. Depends what you want with it. Are you feeding it? Trying to catch it and tame it? Get it into a box and take it away?

I love the energy of the card. I like her springy-ness. Approach the Clow with caution but full of fun, ready for anything. Don't try to typecast the Clow. It wants to play with you, but it is every changing and ever moving. Unpredictable. Or maybe predictable the way a cat is predictable...so you must let it jump or lick its paws or scamper. Try to follow, laugh at the playfulness, but don't underestimate it.

3. What you are here to teach Lillie.
The Bubbles
Interesting there is something of The Mist in the The Bubbles tonight.
It still has to do with the playing part I think. that the cards want to teach Lillie to be fun, to let herself be a bit more spontaneous and light.
Both the Dash and the Bubbles have a lightness, even the Mist is light...so lightening up your energy and your load.
And I see you sort of letting your go curly and not fussing with it. You take a bubble bath. You get some kind of pretty sparkly and lightly colored scarf or outfit that is Light.
The Clow teach you about being lighter in the world. Not being so serious? Does that ring true?

Thanks Lillie. That was fun.

Thank you Satori.

I have had the Dash come up repeatedly recently.
Didn't have a clue what it was on about, but I guess now I know!

The Mist.
Yes, very light, hardly there, but there all the same.
And permeating everything, the way mist does.

The thing that I love best about the Clow is that the meanings arn't fixed, either by books or by centuries of tradition the way the tarot is.

I can let myself go with it in a way I have never been able to with anything else.
And I like that.
And you are right, it happened slowley, sort of creeping in like mist does.
It slowley dawned on me that I didn't have to have the meanings for these cards, I could just make them up!

So yeah, spot on with this one!

The Dash.
Yes, again, you are right.
With a cat you don't order it about like you do with a dog, it never is going to learn to sit on command (not that our dog does do that!), you don't control a cat, you just have to work with it's cat nature.
And yes, that is what I need to learn. For me the clow is so different from tarot, or more really that I interact with it so differently than I do with tarot, and I need to trust my intuition more completely than ever I would with tarot cards.
The Clow is very good for me in this way.

So, yes, spot on again, and thank you, you and this card have put it into words for me, I can see better now whats going on in my head.

The Bubbles.
It does ring true.
I have fun with the tarot, but it's a different kind of fun to the clow.
A lot of the time I do need to relax more, be less serious about stuff.
And the clow is very good for teaching me that.
Because although it's fun, it's stil true.
It still works.
I don't have to be serious for it to work.

Thank you Satori, the reading is very true and very right.
It has given me something to think about, and it has also told me that the way I relate tio the Clow is the right way for me.
It's ok to relax and have some fun, to not know the meanings and to make them up for myself.
And that is good to know.

Thank you.

Lilangel...
Is there a spread in particular you would like me to do for you?

Or shall I do the same spread for you?
It seems a good way to start, seeing how we all relate to this deck and what it has to teach us all.

Anyhow, let me know.

Sure, do the same spread .

1. What is your most important characteristic.
2. How can Lilangel best learn from and collaborate with you?
3. What do you bring to the table--what are you here to teach Lilangel?.

Click to expand...

Ok, here we go. The Dark, The Lock, The Libra. *slightly raised eyebrows*

1 What is your most important characteristic.
The Dark

I love this card, I think it's beautiful. It is, of course the opposite card to the light, and as the two pictures are so close to each other I feel that they were intended to be seen as a pair.
She crosses her hands and holds the moon and the star in quite an odd position. (her sister, The Light, holds the sun and a cloud.) These symbols, I believe, are emblematic of the light in the darkness, and the two card together symbolise not light and dark, but rather night and day.
This is not a bad darkness, It is more the darkness of the night, the darkness that will be relieved by the coming of the day. The darkness that is necessary in our lives to counterbalance the light.
To me she is saying that the most important aspect of the Clow, for you, is their mystery. These cards are the archetypes of dreams and fantasy, they speak to you on the same level that dreams do; too your deep unconcious mind. They explore and reveal those secret corners of the mind that come alive at night.
Lilangel. For you the Clow offers a new path of divination and exploration. One that will take you down the shadowed paths of your psyche, shedding the magickal moon and starlight upon your dreams, making them visible and making them real.
In other words, the clow will open your mind to the simple but deep archetypes represented by the cards, these are also the archetypes that live in dreams, and it is these that the Clow will best reveal to you.

2 How can Lilangel best learn from and collaborate with you
The Lock

The lock, arguably the most boring card in the pack. A little lock with little wings.
The wings are a reccuring theme through these cards, and it is interesting to look at which have wings and which don't, and to speculate on what this means. However that is probably a subject for another day...
Although the lock is shown in it's closed position it is also blessed with it's magickal little wings. Wings that can take it anywhere, and wings that (to me) suggest a sense of freedom, the ability to be opened.
There is no corresponding key card in the Clow, so I would think that this card does duty for both, for the lock and for the key. The closed and the open, or at least the ability to be opened.
So, I imagine that this card is saying that to best learn from and collaborate with the Clow you need to be willing to be 'unlocked'. You need to let go of the fears and concerns that are holding you down, preventing you from reading these cards to the best of your (and their) ability. You need to unfurl your little wings and prepare your heart to be unlocked so that you can fly.

3. What do you bring to the table, what are you here to teach Lilangel
The Libra

Balance.
And what a balance! The moon balanced against the sun (night against day).
And again the little wings are there, holding up the balance.
This card seems to sum up themes from the preceeding cards, the balance of night and day and the wings.
This card shows what The Clow has for you, what it will teach you.
And it will teach you how to harmonise, how to synthesise, how to balance all the different aspects and archetypes that make up the deck, it will reveal to you the symbols of night (the symbols of your dreams) and bring them forth into day (into the light of knowledge and conciousness).
It will take your little wings, all locked down on the last card, unlock them and show you how to fly, in balance and in harmony with your intuition.

All three cards come together rather well in this spread.
At first sight I wondered what they had to do with each other, but it came clear to me that they all worked together in an amazing way, through the repetition of symbols coming together on the last card.
As a whole it seems to be a spread of learning, learning not just how to use this deck, but how to gain understanding of all the archetypes and symbols that underlie our existance and which manifest in dreams and in memories.

Well...
I suppose that's that.

I hope it made som kind of sense.

Thanks for letting me read for you.
That was fun.

Feedback

Lillie said:

Ok, here we go. The Dark, The Lock, The Libra. *slightly raised eyebrows*

1 What is your most important characteristic.
The Dark

I love this card, I think it's beautiful. It is, of course the opposite card to the light, and as the two pictures are so close to each other I feel that they were intended to be seen as a pair.
She crosses her hands and holds the moon and the star in quite an odd position. (her sister, The Light, holds the sun and a cloud.) These symbols, I believe, are emblematic of the light in the darkness, and the two card together symbolise not light and dark, but rather night and day.
This is not a bad darkness, It is more the darkness of the night, the darkness that will be relieved by the coming of the day. The darkness that is necessary in our lives to counterbalance the light.
To me she is saying that the most important aspect of the Clow, for you, is their mystery. These cards are the archetypes of dreams and fantasy, they speak to you on the same level that dreams do; too your deep unconcious mind. They explore and reveal those secret corners of the mind that come alive at night.
Lilangel. For you the Clow offers a new path of divination and exploration. One that will take you down the shadowed paths of your psyche, shedding the magickal moon and starlight upon your dreams, making them visible and making them real.
In other words, the clow will open your mind to the simple but deep archetypes represented by the cards, these are also the archetypes that live in dreams, and it is these that the Clow will best reveal to you.

Click to expand...

That's funny, it's one of the cards I consider a guide . It is definitely a new path, it's the first oracle I've worked with. I can definitely see the Clow opening my mind.

Lillie said:

2 How can Lilangel best learn from and collaborate with you
The Lock

The lock, arguably the most boring card in the pack. A little lock with little wings.
The wings are a reccuring theme through these cards, and it is interesting to look at which have wings and which don't, and to speculate on what this means. However that is probably a subject for another day...
Although the lock is shown in it's closed position it is also blessed with it's magickal little wings. Wings that can take it anywhere, and wings that (to me) suggest a sense of freedom, the ability to be opened.
There is no corresponding key card in the Clow, so I would think that this card does duty for both, for the lock and for the key. The closed and the open, or at least the ability to be opened.
So, I imagine that this card is saying that to best learn from and collaborate with the Clow you need to be willing to be 'unlocked'. You need to let go of the fears and concerns that are holding you down, preventing you from reading these cards to the best of your (and their) ability. You need to unfurl your little wings and prepare your heart to be unlocked so that you can fly.

Click to expand...

I do need to let go a little bit and trust in what the cards have to say since sometimes I can't seem to make sense of them .

Lillie said:

3. What do you bring to the table, what are you here to teach Lilangel
The Libra

Balance.
And what a balance! The moon balanced against the sun (night against day).
And again the little wings are there, holding up the balance.
This card seems to sum up themes from the preceeding cards, the balance of night and day and the wings.
This card shows what The Clow has for you, what it will teach you.
And it will teach you how to harmonise, how to synthesise, how to balance all the different aspects and archetypes that make up the deck, it will reveal to you the symbols of night (the symbols of your dreams) and bring them forth into day (into the light of knowledge and conciousness).
It will take your little wings, all locked down on the last card, unlock them and show you how to fly, in balance and in harmony with your intuition.

All three cards come together rather well in this spread.
At first sight I wondered what they had to do with each other, but it came clear to me that they all worked together in an amazing way, through the repetition of symbols coming together on the last card.
As a whole it seems to be a spread of learning, learning not just how to use this deck, but how to gain understanding of all the archetypes and symbols that underlie our existance and which manifest in dreams and in memories.

Well...
I suppose that's that.

I hope it made som kind of sense.

Thanks for letting me read for you.
That was fun.

Click to expand...

That's a little odd, this card turned up in the "3-What the Clow expect from you in return." position in the reading Satori did for me. I really do need to balance myself, I keep going off the deep ends every few weeks! Perhaps, they will aide in the end to that cycle .

Thank you for the lovely reading, Lillie.

Heya Satori!

Just got home from a loooong week away, and I am now playing catch up (ketchup?) with computer stuff!

I looked at the spreads...and I really kinda like the first one, but I changed the wording slightly to make more sense to me...cool by you?

The Clow seem to like this, and it really makes me think of Spring!!!

Meanings are still essentially the same...I added one, however!

The TINY BUD...

(That which waits to manifest in your life.)

The SOLID GROUND...

(That which blocks the manifestation.)

The SPRING RAINS...

(what will help bring about the manifestation)

The WARMING EARTH...

(That which benefits from the manifestation.)

Ok...here goes...

The Tiny Bud...The CHANGE

Such a cute little spikey critter!
What's funny is that sometimes he looks like he's frowning, and at other times concentrating...in this case he looks really focused...gotta get out of that tiny little shell...and grow up to be a big change!
He's looking like he wants to sprout his little head out of the ground as soon as possible. I bet he would resemble some kind of spikey lettuce, pushing up throught he soil.
or maybe an artichoke.
I like that he has this chameleon thing going for himself too. Chameleon people are shapeshifters...easily adapting to whatever gets thrown their way!

you could blend into the scenery, or you could be the star of the show, your color changes with how you feel.

I think your manifestation...you little change... will grow to be a big one. And I do think it involves you...being the star, putting your needs first for a change.Dop what you need to do to make yourself the happiest and most joyous woman on your brilliant path to wisedom!

The Solid Ground...The GLOW

The still frozen earth, the ground that needs to warm up and give way for that little change to grow...is the glow. Maybe it means there needs ot be a little more sunshine to warm things up! (especially in your neck of the woods!) maybe it means patience, and timing...maybe it stands for something else...the little glow looks so young, and so sad. Maybe it's not sadness...maybe it's just a little melancholy ...thinking about the past, she looks like she doesn't want the change ...this tiny bud... to come up at all.

change is scary. She likes that things remain the way they are...even if thay aren't all that good. She is looking down...she doesn't want to see the bright light that she carries like a torch...she doesn't want to look up and see her fabulous glow that is reaching reaching for the sun!

This card actually reminds me of your two sweet little elf girls. Maybe they don't want you to change...even though you know you must. Or perhaps they don't want the changes that will come to them as they grow in age and wisdom too...

the Spring Rain...The SHOT

What is still necessary to bring about the little to big change? The rain that comes and nourishes the bud? The shot is interesting...because both rain and shot are release. Rain...a release of an emotion, sadness over the inevitable spring change......the Shot...almost like a release of anger!

Both sadness and anger are stages of grief, and I think grief almost goes hand in hand with changes...especially the big neccessary ones. At least...there should be a grieving period...to accept what will be left behind, what may be lost...to make way for the incredible new gains!
The Shot seems to suggest to me several ideas here...one...that anger should not be avoided or feared, as a natural release to the situation coming...and that the shot could also be a shot of adreniline...a kind of jazzing yourself and psyching yourself up to deal with thecchanges to come...or it could also be a big party or final shot...to do something you have always wanted to do, but never have before! Like a big blow out!

It's interesting that the shot, like the glow is also looking down. are all of the elements really concentrating hard on getting this bud to manifest?

The Warming Earth...The WOOD
What will benefit most from the tiny bud pushing through and growing?
I think the wood is you...and all your growth! (both literally and figuritively!)
Stretching, growing, changing, manifesting, budding all over with new shoots and lovely full rich greenery...i am reminded thta this change brings a more grounded, more abundant and more serene YOU!

Look at how she too is looking down. I wonder now, if all the looking dowward, eyes closed...isn't in some way a looking within? Although, really all the humanish figures are closed eyed in the Clow...but some have their faces up, or forward, other look away, or down...hmmmmm...

interesting that the Change...is going into things with eyes wide open!

I love the Wood, BTW...I think she is really so pretty...likke an angel made of earth! So I suppose the change brings a you that is even closer to Mother Earth, closer to environmental things, and all things that grow. maybe you are moving youself further into the woods s well...a place that holds mystery and enchantment, and more green growth than ever before!


ok...hope this makes sense. me and the Clow are in a good groove at the moment...but now I am completely exhausted!!!!
Hope you like the reading...it feels a little...scary, uncertain at first...and then hugely powerful and exciting and adventurous...and then culminates into feelings of bliss, serenity and abundance!!!

A nice little Spring manifestation, No? I see this really reaching into summer...like august feels right and proper for the changes to really start showing!

Hi Chronata!
I was missing you and wondered where you had gone.
So nice to get you back and find this lovely reading as well.

I'm loving these readings.

Feedback on its way...but overall the reading is just what I needed. I'm watching snow flurries right now and wondering if warmer air, blue sky and sun are ever coming.