Playing with a Full Deck -- Gypsy Magic 101 by Connie Vines #BWLAuthor # MFRWAuthor

My current release: Gumbo Ya Ya: an anthology for women who like romance Cajun Style, the final story in the novel, features a Gypsy heroine is named Enza.  Enza is also a Fortune Teller.

While I have no firsthand experience with such a gift, I have interviewed ‘fortune-tellers and astrologers’ with a reputation for the read-deal.

So, for fun, I thought I’d share what I learned.

While most prefer the Tarot Deck of Cards, a simple deck of cards will also suffice.

The Prediction Spread:

Use this spread when you want to ask a specific question as to whether something will come to pass and its outcome.

The querent shuffles the cards, concentrating on the question about his/her future. The querent then pulls 15 cards at random.

The reader takes these 15 cards and lays them out, face down, in the sequence indicated:

The Prediction Spread

Present Environment: Cards: 1, 2, 3: Ace of Cups, Eight of Wands, XXI The World.

Elements of Question: 4, 5, 6: Three of Wands, Nine of Swords (Reversed), Ace of Pentacles

Obstacles to be Surmounted: King of Cups, Seven of Pentacles, Queen of Swords (me).

What will come to the querent unbidden: Three of Swords, Eight of Pentacles, Knight of Swords

What the querent can expect to achieve: XIX The Sun, Queen of Cups, Ten of Pentacles

Cups - represent human emotions; spring; days.

Pentacles- represent money matters, psychic powers, and creative talents; winter; years.

Swords - represent conflicts and idealism; summer; months.

Wands - represent earthly matters and things; fall; weeks.

My Reading

The results of my reading:

Fulfillment, haste/speed/suddenest. Success through outer influences. (my current environment).

Enterprising nature, practical knowledge.  Separation through incompatibility (R) and Wealth, success, joy. (elements of my question.)

A professional person (male) will interact with me and a woman (also). resulting in character growth. And since I often get in my own way, I'm assuming I'm the obstacle.   (obstacles to surmount.)

Sorrow. Ability to use one's hands well. Strength skill and bravery (Knight of Swords.)

(to come unbidden.)

Success desires are achieved. Compassion, fairness.  Gains in family matters.

(what querent can expect to achieve.)

I'm happy to see there is only one reversed card. My question was simple and uncomplicated so the result was easy to read.

Result: my question will come true suddenly because of my enterprising nature and practical knowledge and character growth (isn't there ALWAYS painful character growth?). 

Separation through incompatibility? (I haven't a clue).

An interesting way to spend part of my evening, anyway.

Will my question come true?  

Only time will tell.

Or, perhaps...the answer can be found in the palm of my hand.

Pinterest photo no source noted

I hope you enjoyed my post.

Happy Reading,

Connie


Book Movie! I love book movies!!

My book trailer: Gumbo Ya Ya!

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New Release – ANGEL BRAVE – Azura Chronicles Book 3 – by Vijaya Schartz

Order ANGEL BRAVE now, to be delivered September 1, 2021 HERE 
Visit my page at BWL Publishing HERE

 
Keoke Mahoe, Zephyrian spy for the Resistance, slips through Azura’s impenetrable defenses to deliver a perilous message to their leader. But Lady Valoria fiercely protects her planet. Any intruder, especially one who kills animals for food, is promptly terminated.

Besides, what Keoke suggests is unthinkable... and punishable by death. Yet, Valoria enjoys his audacity, his noble heart, his ability to cheat death, and his smile… to the chagrin of Eris the Amazon, her best friend, bodyguard, and would-be lover.

But in the farthest confines of the galaxy, an old enemy is rising again. And this time, even Azura's Avenging Angels may not be able to stop the onslaught of darkness upon all civilized life.

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Angel Brave is the last book in the Azura Chronicles series, but don’t worry, my winged Avenging Angels will continue their fight against evil. As for Azura, it will probably make cameo appearances in my future novels. Yes, the Azura universe will go on…

In the meantime, you can read the Byzantium Space Station series set in the same universe, with a few angel characters from Azura.

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Next year, get ready for a spinoff sci-fi romance series named “Blue Phantom.” But this will be the topic of next month’s post…

Until then, keep reading.

Vijaya Schartz, author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Procrastination is a dirty word—Tricia McGill

Find links to this and all my other books here on my BWL author page

Never have I had so much time on my hands, and never have I wasted so much time by literally wasting time. I am now feeling ashamed that I have admitted that. In the past when people asked me if I ever got bored my immediate response was, “Never. There is always so much to do”. I guess you could say that I have a good excuse. Here in my home state as well as most of the other Australian states we are currently in lockdown for the—I’ve lost count—time. This brings on a state of lethargy unknown to me previously. I can go to the shops—if I have a valid reason for doing so. I can attend my doctor’s surgery, and walk with one friend for daily exercise, as long as it is within 5 kilometres of my home, but to add to our misery we are under curfew. I have not been out after dark for many moons, but now that I have been advised (read that as warned) not to do so for fear of incurring a massive fine, I have this sudden urge to do just that.

Deep down I know that there is another valid reason for this depressed state of lethargy. Last week I had the unenviable task of taking my beautiful foxie boy to the vet clinic for the last time. This morning I received a beautiful letter of sympathy from the clinic’s amazing staff about my gorgeous boy and their knowledge that he will be sorely missed. There are varying degrees of sorrow, and only other pet lovers will know just what I am going through right now. I was hoping he would go while sleeping out in the sunshine on a day like today, as Tiger the dog did in my latest book, but that was not to be. My remaining pet, my Shih Tzu girl is still looking for him, especially around meal times when he was prone to sneak up on her and pinch whatever food she had left. Being an adopted dog I have the knowledge that the last ten years of his life spent with me were the best by far.

The world is in such turmoil right now that I guess it is immoral of me to spare so much of my sorrow on one small dog, but as I say, there are degrees and my heart aches for all those now in dire circumstances, either through war or this vile disease sweeping the globe. It is time to do as my mother advised and pull my socks up and get on with it.

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Beguiling Begonias by A.M. Westerling

Begonias, both tuberous and fibrous, are one of our favourite flowering plants for the garden. If you’ve followed my earlier gardening posts, you’ll know I frequently say, “The secret to a successful garden is to find the plants that like the space you have.” We love begonias because begonias love us!

 

Our yard is a mixture of shade and sun and begonias thrive wherever we plant them. I’ve put them in the ground, in containers and hanging pots, making sure I use planter box mix for the containers and hanging pots. I fertilize immediately with root fertilizer then afterwards every two weeks with 20 20 20. I also dead head regularly to promote more blooms.

 

Begonias are originally from central and south America so in our northern climate, they’re annuals. However, they flower all summer long. The blooms on the tuberous begonias have a deep, vibrant colour, including red, orange, yellow, pink and white with large, lobed leaves. These come in two forms, either upright or trailing and can reach 3 feet or more in outdoor containers. We have a display of tuberous begonias on our patio, picture below.

  

Fibrous, or wax, begonias have waxy leaves in either pale green or dark green. They grow in mounds of 6 inches to twelve inches and have single or double flowers in red, pink or white. I'm really pleased the way this pot of fibrous begonias turned out this year. It's a sunny spot and as you can see, they're quite happy there. (Below) 

Another sunny spot is beside our bird bath. Fibrous begonias always do well in the front left spot. This was last year, and below that is this year's display. 

 

A few planting tips: Begonias prefer a location that’s partially shady or filtered sunlight. Don’t plant them too close together so they have good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew. Keep the soil moist but don’t overwater as this might lead to fungal diseases and stem rot. (I know whereof I speak, I overwater from time to time and next thing you know, one of the stems keels over at soil level. *smacks forehead*). Don’t get water on the leaves to avoid leaf spot (yes, I’ve done this too.) Also, don’t panic if you forget to water them, they don’t mind dry soil. I’ve never had a problem with pests but apparently they are susceptible to mites, thrips, whitefly and mealy bugs.

 

A warning to pet owners, they are toxic to pets, particularly the tubers. They are not toxic to humans although they may cause an allergic reaction. Begonias are deer resistant.

 

Begonias have a number of medicinal purposes. The entire plant can be used and it has a sweet, acrid flavour. You can make an infusion by soaking the flowers in hot water to eliminate headaches and rid the body of toxins. The crushed leaves and flowers can also be rubbed directly on the skin to heal sores or burns and to relieve pain. Apparently, begonias can be used to treat bronchitis, candidiasis, colds, digestive disorders, dysentery, liver problems, swelling, scrofula and menstrual disorders.

 

I visited the following websites for this post:  www/gardendesign.com and www.herbpathy.com

 

*****

You can find my Viking romance A Heart Enslaved and all my other books on the BWL Publishing website HERE. 

  

Friday the 13th by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

 https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/

Friday the Thirteenth

There is only one Friday the Thirteenth in 2021 and it fell in August. Here are some interesting facts about Friday, 13, and Friday the Thirteenth.

The Number Thirteen

     The fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia taken from the Greek words tris, for the number '3', kai meaning 'and', deka for the number '10' and phobos which means 'fear'.

     The number 13 has been much maligned over the centuries and maybe with good reason. In the Christian religion there were 13 guests at the Last Supper. Some believe that Judas was the thirteenth one to sit down, although it is not mentioned in the Bible. He betrayed Jesus and later took his own life. This led to the belief that if there are thirteen people at a table, one of them will die within a year.
     There used to be 13 steps up to the gallows.
     At one time a coven had 13 witches.
     In Tarot, the number 13 card is the death card.
Some superstitions around the number 13:
     In Ireland the first two digits on vehicle licence plates represents the year of registration such as 10 for 2010. In 2012, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry thought that for many people the prospect of having '13' on their licence plates might discourage them from buying new cars. The government introduced a system where vehicles bought in 2013 would have '131' on their plates instead of '13'.
     Very few buildings have 13th floor, the elevator going from twelve to fourteen. Strange, because we all know thirteen comes after twelve no matter what name you give it. Is there a thirteenth floor that the elevator passes?
     Most hotels don't have a room 13.
     If you book a table for thirteen people at the Savoy Hotel in London, England, it will be set for fourteen and a sculpture of a black cat called Kasper will occupy the fourteenth chair.
     Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a professional 14th guest.
     In Formula 1 car racing, there is no car with the number 13.
     It is believed that if you have 13 letters in your name you would have Devil's luck. Charles Manson and Theodore (Ted) Bundy are just a few.

Here are some examples in history where the number 13 has led to misadventures.

     Phillip II was king of Macedonia from 359BC to 336BC. He led many wars and eventually ruled over much of Greece. During a procession through a Greek town, Philip II placed his statue beside those of twelve Greek gods making his the thirteenth statue. In 336 he was the leader of the invading army against the Persian Empire. In October of that year his daughter was getting married in the Macedonian capital of Aegae. He was entering the town's theater when he was assassinated by his body guard.
     In Canada, the Seven Years War took place between Britain and France from 1756 and 1763. On September 12, 1759, British troops climbed a steep footpath from the St Lawrence River up to the unfortified Plains of Abraham, named after its original owner, Abraham Martin, who was a ship’s pilot in 1645. The plains were west of Quebec City and the path was guarded by three French militiamen.
     “Who goes there?” one asked.
     “We are a group of French relief soldiers,” an Englishmen answered in French.
     “Pass on by,” the militiaman said.
     And they stood back to let the British troops walk in pairs past them. By morning of September 13th four thousand British troops and their field artillery were assembled on the plains waiting for the French. The French mustered a combination of four thousand regular French militiamen and civilians and faced the British troops. The British had the advantage because their troops were all trained.
     The battle lasted about thirty minutes with the British winning.
     Apollo 13, which was launched from NASA on April 11, 1970 at 13:13 Central time, was halfway to the moon when an explosion disrupted some of its instruments on April 13. It did manage to make it back to earth.
     The Space Shuttle Columbia exploded on the 113th flight of the Space shuttle.
     Princess Diana's accident occurred at the 13th pillar of the Pont de l'Alma tunnel.

 Friday

     In pagan Rome Fridays were execution days. This was later called Hangman's Day in Britain because that was the day that public hangings took place.
     In some marine circles many sailors did not want to set sail on a Friday.
     In Biblical times the Great Flood, the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, and God tongue-tying the builders of the Tower of Babel supposedly happened on a Friday.

 Friday the Thirteenth

     The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia from the Greek word for Friday, or friggatriskaidkaphobia named after the Norse goddess, Frigg, from whom the English got the name Friday.
     Friday the 13th is the most widespread superstition in western countries. About eight percent of the people believe that Friday 13th is unlucky. Again this could goes back to the Bible where Eve ate the apple from the serpent on Friday 13th and Jesus died on the cross on Friday 13th.
     On Friday Oct 13th, 1307, Philip IV of France ordered the arrests and assassinations of the Knights Templar.
     In modern times Friday the 13th is called 'Black Friday'. One of the earliest examples of the name was used to refer to the collapse of the United States gold market on Friday, Sept 24, 1869.

 Some Friday the 13th superstitions are:

     Seeing a black cat on Friday 13th is a bad omen.
     If you leave your house by one door you should make sure you enter by that same door to avoid misfortune.
     Some people won't go to work on that day and others will not dine out.
     Many refuse to purchase a house, fly, or even act on a hot stock tip.
     A study in Britain showed that while many people stayed home on Friday 13th, of those who did go out, more people were hospitalized from accidents on that day than on the previous Friday.

      In the 1800s, in order to dispel the fears of superstitious sailors who would not sail on a Friday 13th, the British Navy commissioned a ship which was baptized the H.M.S. Friday. The crew members were picked on a Friday and it was launched on Friday 13th. Unfortunately, it was never seen or heard from again. Some call this a myth while others say that the navy wiped out all record of the voyage.

 The Flip Side:

     In some cultures Friday is considered a lucky day for sowing seeds and planting potatoes.
     The Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday.
     In the United States the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year. It has been given the term Black Friday because that is when retailers begin to see a profit.
     Most workers like Friday because it is the last work day of the week and signals the beginning of the weekend.
     Thirteen is a prime number, which means it cannot be divided by any number other than itself. Hence, it symbolizes qualities of incorruptible nature and purity.
     In ancient Greece, Zeus was considered  the thirteenth and most powerful god. He was associated with totality, completion, and attainment.
     In Hindu mythology, Maha Shivratri was celebrated on the thirteenth night of the Magha month, which is a very sacred and holy night for all Shiva followers.
     The Thai New Year (Songkran Day)  begins on April 13th. It is a time to wash away all the bad omens by splashing water on friends and relatives.
     This one can be taken either way: our children become teenagers on their 13th birthday.
     My name, Joan Donaldson, has 13 letters in it but, unlike Theodore Bundy, I haven't killed anyone except in my mystery novels.