A week with the Two-Penny Oracle

[Rachelcat]

It finally got here, so let’s spend a week with it! I’m usually not a fan of keywordy decks, but it has kind of a system, so of course, I’m intrigued. I chose the round version just because. (There is a regular rectangular card version.) There were also many options for edges, but I think I just took whatever was still available when I backed, which is matte copper.

The deck is based on the keywords of phrenology, the pseudoscience of reading the bumps on people’s heads to divine their personality. (There’s a very thoughtful disclaimer pointing out that phrenology and skull size and shape were used in the past to justify horrible (and absurd) racist ideas, but the deck simply uses the words, not the relationship of the words to heads.) The deck is full of odd old-fashioned terminology, which will be fun to play with. The design is quite similar to the 5-Cent Tarot, with Victorian-style animal illustrations and lots of keywords. Hmm, I think I’m going to have to use reversals because of the positive-negative keywords. I might experiment with the round, but then the backs are very upright or reversed, so we’ll see.

Enough introduction. The deck has 49 cards, enough to support a 6-card spread. So a regular interview it is!

Most important characteristic: Causality, reason
Even though the deck looks whimsical, with bats with hats and cravats, there is a method to its madness. And it grinds its information very fine. (That’s a cast iron meat grinder on the right. We used one when I was a kid to make cranberry sauce, not hamburgers.)

Strength: Conscientiousness, ethicality
This is the aforementioned disclaimer, along with the creator’s emphasis on “know thyself” and the benefits of an examined life. There’s a lion and dandelions, which work for strength, maybe strength of will in doing right and resisting temptation, but there are also the scales of Justice, appropriate for morality.

Weakness: Self Esteem reversed, egotism, arrogance
But the deck may depend a little too much on its correctness or helpfulness. Is it like an overdressed circus pony?

What can the deck teach me? Aquisitiveness reversed, avarice, profuseness
I’m sure it has a lot to teach me about my over-aquisitiveness of decks! I don’t need to be a magpie, but maybe I should be a squirrel. Squirrels bury so many nuts, they never know where they all are when they want them later, which means they end up planting a lot of trees! I can be like a squirrel and give some of my decks away so that they fall onto more fertile soil than my shelf!

How can I learn it? Circumspection reversed, hindsight, indiscretion
I need to use the benefit of hindsight to remember my previous collecting indiscretions!

Outcome of our work together: Adhesiveness reversed, estrangement, attachment
I don’t really see myself getting too attached to the deck, but maybe working with it for a week will be just too much! We’ll see!

I’ll be back to do my new moon reading shortly.

[Rachelcat]

New moon in Leo, Blessing Moon, Contentment

What is rising in my life? Individuality, observation
Those giraffes certainly are tall enough to do some observation! I’m not sure what observation has to do with individuality, unless it’s seeing things in your own way. I would like to increase my individuality in that way, having my own opinions and understanding. Sounds good.

How is the energy moving? Constructiveness, contrivance
So this is a literal use of the word constructive: not just positive, but making something. So I have to create, build, construct my individuality. It’s not an automatic thing. It takes plans, energy, and determination. I don’t know if spiders have plans, but they definitely have energy and determination. Every night they rebuild the webs across the walk to my trashcan, which I then walk through every morning. Sometimes not remembering to cover my face as I go!

What is being completed? Olfaction, sleuthing
And this is a figurative use of smelling, sniffing out something that’s not obvious. My ex always says if something happens in the woods, the deer hear it and the bears smell it. The research portion of my search for individuality is just about over. I need to go on from there on my own.

What is slowing down? Weight reversed, apportionment, instability
Heavy, man! Or rather heavy, whale. Slowing instability is good. I think less apportionment of blame is also good for me at this time.

What am I making room for? Self Esteem reversed, egotism, arrogance
This is a good balance to Individuality. That is a good project, but don’t go so far as to think that only my individuality and observations and opinions are good. Independence but not arrogance is the goal.

Well, that made almost too much sense! I hope you enjoyed it! See you tomorrow with more keywords! Have a happy Sunday!

[Rachelcat]

Oh dear! My Monday post disappeared. If it comes back, I'll delete this one! Here's a redo. I think the question was should I buy the two decks on Etsy?

What will happen if I do? Secretiveness, cunning
I will enjoy learning them and figuring them out.

What will happen if I don't? Alimentiveness, appetite
I'll just want to buy something else later anyway.

[Rachelcat]

Tuesday
Let’s hope this one stick around! To be fair, I most probably forgot to click Submit.
Am I going to retire, or am I going to work until I die?
I’m going to try the Head Space Spread from the booklet.

Unconscious: Ideality reversed, indulgence, extravagance
Maybe deep down I feel like I don’t deserve to have a well-funded retirement. Not working would be just an indulgence. A swan in a swan boat might be over the top!

Conscious: Marvelousness reversed, esotericism, skepticism
This are supposed to be the opposite of spirituality. I can’t have faith that all will turn out well. I don’t have an imaginary friend looking out for me. I have to look out for myself. With reason and logic. (I seem never to comment on the illustrations of cards that have insects. I guess if you don’t have anything nice to say . . .)

[Outside] Influence: Cautiousness, solicitude
I’m usually very cautious, so if someone is advising me to be cautious, I’ll probably listen. But maybe not to the point of playing possum.

Guidance [advice]: Adhesiveness, friendship
And this card is saying yes, listen to my friends on all of this. Which I think probably means my son. I’ll pretty much do whatever he says. Because he’s a know-it-all, but he really does know a lot! And I know he only wants what’s best for me!

Again, this makes almost too much sense, even for esoteric, skeptical me! Maybe all that proves is I’m a good reader that can make anything tell a story. Have a lovely Tuesday, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Wednesday
I feel like I need to take my brain out, rinse it thoroughly, and put it back. Everything is grungy and jumbled in there. So no question today, just an All-Purpose Spread.

Me: Olfaction reversed, nosiness, noseblindness
Noseblindness? Again the metaphorical meaning of sniffing out, this time reversed. I’m not being critical enough in the information I’m taking in. It’s hard for me to tell when it just doesn’t smell right. A bear would know if the food is rotten. I’m not sure I would.

Issue: Cautiousness reversed, cowardice, heedlessness
This is no doubt the idiotic covid deniers. They don’t care about anyone but themselves. And are cowardly sycophants to boot. And this is what I have to deal with. Not personally, but really we all do. I’m still just playing possum and lying low at home.

Outcome: Touch, sensitivity
These are manatees. According to the booklet, they can feel things through vibration in the water. No wonder they are afraid of motor boats. That and people hit them with boats because they’re so slow-moving. I’m going to continue to be sensitive to this issue because I’m just so worried about kids going back to school. Thank goodness I don’t have a kid. I feel so sorry for parents who have to make a choice between a health threat and education. Especially when idiots are trying to make the health threat worse.

Advice: Hearing, alertness
This goes with Olfaction reversed. I need to pay attention and be more discriminating about what I take in. According to the booklet, these are wax moths, who use their acute sense of hearing to avoid echo-locating bats. Good advice that I should use my alertness to avoid predatory propoganda!

This time I got 3 of the 6 senses, which are add-ons to the deck, not part of the phrenology scheme. Not sure what that means, maybe I’m due to think outside the box!

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Thursday
Should I pursue the tutoring opportunity?
Four Noble Truths Spread

Issue: Calculation reversed, manipulation, negligence
This isn’t a question of cost-benefit analysis. These children’s education is being neglected because of general societal conditions and covid. Millipedes and centipedes for numbers. Cute. But they’re not cute.

Cause: Cautiousness reversed, cowardice, heedlessness
I’m asking because I’m being too cautious. The answer should be yes! I shouldn’t play possum on this one.

Outcome: Hope, buoyancy
Well that looks like a big yes! Either I’ll be filled with hope about doing it, or the activity will bring hope. Both very good and important. These are the first swallows of spring.

Advice: Causality reversed, illogic, irrationality
Don’t overthink it. Or cost-benefit it. If I want to help people, this is an easy and proper way for me to do it. Even though the place might be difficult to get to and it might take too much of my time. What is my time for? Sitting home reading things that make me worry? Or helping kids? Still don’t know why the bat is wearing a top hat and tie, but I aspire to that level of irrationality! Right after I typed out the question, we got a reminder email for the organizing meeting next week. So I’ll be even more irrational and consider that a sign!

Have a lovely Thursday, folks!

[Rachelcat]

Friday
Lucky Friday the 13th spread: Something lucky for the four leaves of the clover.

Head: Calculation reversed, manipulation, negligence
I’m lucky in being able to identify and avoid manipulation. I can accept and thrive with negligence.

Heart: Benevolence reversed, selfishness, sycophancy
My luck is focusing on being kind to myself. Monkeys share their food.

Hands: Weight reversed, apportionment, instability
It’s lucky to allow myself to be destabilized. I would do better to not be so sure of my actions all the time.

Health: Philo-progenitiveness, parenthood
I’m lucky in my family, and I was a good-enough parent. Good enough for physical and mental health. A monkey mom and eggs.

Well, I don’t know if that really worked. I tried. I’m really not used to so many reversals.

Have a very happy and lucky Friday the 13th, everyone!

[Rachelcat]

Saturday, last day with the Two-Penny Oracle
They pushed back the date to return to the office to October 11. Should I try to go in sometimes before that? I don’t really want to. Or should I just wait and see at this point?
First part of the Celtic cross.

Me: Vitiativeness reversed, recklessness, nosophobia (fear of getting an illness)
After a quick google search, it appears vitiativeness is a specifically phrenology word. I assume it mean full of life. Whereas nosophobia, another word that’s new to me, is certainly appropriate for this reading! I don’t know if I’m really afraid of getting sick, though. It’s more that I’m sick of all we need to do to get rid of it, and I don’t want to be reckless, that is, put other people at risk, so I’d just rather stay at home until we know more. I think these are hummingbirds. They do seem to be full of life and energy!

Cover: Colour reversed, foofaraw (showy frills added unnecessarily), taradiddle (pretentious nonsense)
So color in the metaphorical sense of showing ones true colors. At this point, we’re just going through the motions of trying to keep up with the rules and keeping people safe. I’m not saying it’s not necessary, just that we’re tired of virtue signaling. Colorful parrots and fish, but the fish are unnecessarily in the wrong place.

Cross: Circumspection, balance
The only upright card. What’s going against me in all this is actual circumspection is needed, when I’m just pushing out quarantine fatigue. The right thing to do is walk that tightrope, but I’m more all or nothing.

Crown: Approbativeness (eagerness to become the subject of approval or praise) reversed, coquetry, vanity
My goal is really selfishness. I don’t want to do anything that’s not convenient for me. Yet I want people to approve of that. I never really thought of vanity like that before, but it’s as good a definition as any! Proud peacocks, showy fans and mirrors.

Beneath: Language reversed, silence, affectation
This really ties in with all that I’ve said about virtue signaling. The firm doesn’t want to do or say anything that can come back to bite them later, so they’ve been dragging their feet on saying anything definite. And then the circumstances changed, so we know even less! A parrot on the telephone is a good symbol of all that.

Behind: Firmness reversed, obstinacy, wilfulness
I had put forward a plan of going into the office at least once a week until September, but that has totally gone out the window. Maybe I should have been just as weaselly as the firm . . . Stubborn donkey--and kettlebells!?

Before: Discernment reversed, misjudgment, clairvoyance
And all the miscommunication will continue, at least for now. I can’t read their minds, so I’ll just do what I want to do. Not sure what an elephant has to do with discernment, unless they’re just really smart. I like the phrenology measuring device right next to the word deception!

All reversed but one. I never got the chance to figure out if I should use the old saw that says if all cards in a reading are reversed, you should turn them all upright. And there are lots of words I don’t know for the first time now on the last day. Interesting. Maybe this was my first real serious question.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the Two-Penny Oracle. I’m still not completely comfortable with reversals, but felt they are necessary for a deck like this. Luckily the elephants on the back made it easy to use reversals, even with round cards.

See you tomorrow for the beginning of the Tulku Oracle. (I’ve already started looking through it and researching some card concepts I’m not familiar with.) Have a great weekend!