WDA member, author and card reader!
Hello all my divining cartomancer friends! And thanks to Toni's invitation, I’m excited to share a little of my cartomancy journey with you today.
I suppose the biggest secret to reveal is I am a closet cartomancer … yes–true, who also writes contemporary Women’s Fiction. While my family express universal questions cached in structured religion and good deeds—my search, while respectful of their sincere values, has taken on a larger metaphysical spectrum. You could call it “Why?” on steroids fully unleashed and unconstrained. It’s like realizing the man-made clock that rules our lives, segmenting/ordering life spans, is a concept we’ve totally adopted without reflection that places our lives into servitude.
How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.—Annie Dillard
Most of us drawn to writing are attracted to journals, notebooks, writing paraphernalia all of which cast a relentless spell that forever wraps us in its strong hold. Writers are readers. Captured by a clever narrative twist, we are inspired by how we might replicate such a story. We easily travel the springboard into another world of our own creation, a world very similar to reading the cards.
Lisa asked about my writing process. Writing is a portable craft … inside, outside, fire or beach-side, in the garden as well as in a dedicated “room of my own” office situation. I write about thoughtful heroines traveling their journey. Themes include archaeology, ancestry, alternate health remedies, nature, native folklore, diversity, family life, travel, astrology and the metaphysical. A spiritual line is a common thread for these heroines. To date I have five published novels, a novella, and another manuscript in progress, that would be the final story in the three-book Loving Vintage series.
Why vintage? Vintage takes on history, remembrances, and beginnings now enmeshed in time. There’s great interest today in collecting anything vintage: playing cards; classic architecture; movies; beliefs; cars; and clothing styles. Vintage reveals how we lived years ago, and reflects commonly held beliefs of the time. Can you even imagine women getting into a car with a long, bustled dress and carrying some type of water container to go to a “job” that may or may not even have appropriate restroom facilities?
The Vintage Telepath is my current favorite. The heroine, a telepathic clothing authenticator, works in an upscale vintage clothing consignment shop. She has only to touch a garment or article of clothing to get a full blowback of its original purchase, its manufacture, as well as the lives of the consigners. Her mother is— a cartomancer—and the heroine’s cross is carrying the burden of her own telepathy along with her mother’s cartomantic activities and reputation. She is vastly ashamed of her family’s gifts.
My writing is not so much a spiritual practice as I write for publication, but more of a goal to present spiritual education in these stories to the outside world, and how it operates organically. Spirituality doesn’t quite register in a busy, work-oriented, stressed world. Understanding and appreciation and benefit come from thoughtful reflection, meditation, yoga. My heroines are all involved in the workplace and find their serenity and highest good in unfolding the lotus layers to self. That’s pretty much my message in each story.
As an innovative use for card reading, I freely use my cards for plot and scene creation. I’ve used Tarot spreads, Kipper Grand Tableau’s (GT) and nine-card boxes in my novels and just pulled a Sibilla Settenaria for my current manuscript. In addition to partnering with my cards for story inspiration, I would like to quietly help behind-the-scenes with real life searches for missing children especially, and missing companion pets.
Publishing my first book brought acute realization that acceptance of a story is made on a business plan of profit/loss. Scintillating, borderline tawdry novels sell well, regardless of the loose storylines the words are woven into. I write what I like to read. I have to rely on the universe to generate a nod of acceptance from the reading public.
My initial metaphysical thirst was fed with astrological study at Papyrus, a little metaphysical bookshop in Westport, Connecticut. Incorporating dream interpretation, I read charts professionally, and created an astrological newsletter, Symbols. Relocating from New York to North Carolina, I found another bookshop, Dancing Moon and read charts for their sponsored psychic fairs. I studied Tarot and Reiki. All of these healing arts cobbled nicely with Registered Nurse clinical experience and technical writing for a healthcare computer software solutions corporation and Unix System administrator certification— all experiences which I add into my novels.
In early 2015 or so, I discovered the amazing Toni Puhle, card reading, Lenormand, and the WLA. Lenormand was a metaphysical code. It grabbed me. I searched out books for help and discovered Caitlin Matthews’s The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook. I took every Lenormand class the WLA, now WDA, offered. I sought early endorsement in Lenormand and moved on to the exciting study of Kipper! And Toni had written this fab book, The Card Geek’s Guide to Kipper! And created a deck, The Card Geek’s Kipper deck! The rest my cartomancer friends, is history.
Right now, the universe has led me to La Vera Sibilla card reading system and I have to say I’m genuinely hooked. The LVS deck speaking to me these days is the Every Day Sibilla Oracle by Lo Scarabeo, followed by the pleasingly colorful Sibilla ‘800 by Dal Negro. For Kipper, I love Toni Puhle’s Card Geek’s Kipper, hands down. For Lenormand, I like a straightforward unfussy deck with simple symbols like the Wanderwust Lenormand deck, which includes pip inserts.
Card reading is the ultimate therapeutic puzzle challenge! The potential is there once skills and craft are learned, to help querents with life challenges. There are also genuine forensic contributions to be made in locating missing children and serving the community.
Our WDA offers the best courses and best teachers. Remarkable offerings are everything Toni Puhle presents and includes all levels of Lenormand; Game of Hope Lenormand; Kipper; all Grand Tableau techniques; as well as Pendulum and symbol healing; Ruth Gistelinck’s Grand Jeu Lenormand and Etteilla; Birgit Kiemes-Windmill’s Horary Astrology course and most recently, J David Arcuri’s beautifully mentored La Vera Sibilla level courses. What a treasure source of Divination opportunity we have with our WDA. I’m excited to form friendships with an international tribe of card enthusiasts in Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, US, Australia, Sweden, Brazil, Portugal and more. We speak with each other almost every day!
Beginning card readers, be encouraged that practice and good, authentic instruction such as what is available through WDA is key to interpretation skills and success. Like any language or code there comes a point of mastery when the cards speak to you, and you can take their deciphered message to answer your querent’s questions as well as your own. Take advantage of weekly Buddy Reads, and now for newer cartomancers, Nervous Buddy Reads. It’s a great opportunity to practice and grow your skills in a safe, closed, group. Invest in classes and Mentored Endorsement system programs. I am currently working towards Silver Level, La Vera Sibilla Endorsement.
The joy I feel when I’m with my cards and card reading tribe is authentic and worthwhile every day. I wish you all the very same happiness and well-being from this practice!
Fb ID - Nancy LaPonzina Women’s Fiction Author Website – https://nancylaponzina.com/ Instagram ID – nancy laponzina Books - https://nancylaponzina.com/nardipoint/
Check out Nancy's card love, La Vera Sibilla, level 1 and 2 available for self-paced home study, with wonderful teacher J David Arcuri
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