Happy Holidays, everyone! What a controversial phrase "Happy Holidays" has become! It seems like there always has to be a "hidden meaning" behind everything anymore. This phrase isn't new-- I remember seeing it on cards and people saying it throughout my entire life. It was an all-encompassing phrase to cover both Christmas and New Years. Now, thanks to the news media that doesn't have anything else to do, it is thought to be some sort of Christianity slam. Wouldn't it be nice, for the holidays, to honor those holidays by assuming best intentions rather than worst? I will continue to use "Happy Holidays" as a way of covering ALL the holidays that any of my friends celebrate, whether it is Christmas, Yule, Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, or something else, especially if I am saying it (or typing it) to a group. Each is equally important and special! I, for one, rejoice in the diversity of culture and beliefs and honor all throughout the year.
Speaking of the holidays, our contest winners are starting theirs early!
Congratulations, Elfgoddess of London, UK!
Elfgoddess won the Carl Jung Red Book with her correct guess of the Hierophant/Ancestor from the Wildwood Tarot by Mark Ryan, John Matthews and Will Worthington.
Congratulations, Nanette Furman of Boulder, Colorado, USA!
Nanette was selected randomly from the participants who took a stab at solving the puzzle Jeanne Fiorini provided in last month's issue. Here is the answer that Jeanne sent me:
Hello Tarotists— Thanks to Sheri for contributing a Tarot deck to the cause of encouraging responses to this Cryptoquip, great idea.
I must say, you all came up with much more intricate interpretations than my original thought for this puzzle! My intention was to come up with a word for each card, and then put together those words/thoughts to create a sentence. For instance, Empress/Nine of Cups might translate into “Being a Mom makes me happy.”
So here ‘s the “answer” to last month’s puzzle and again, thanks for playing along!
I believe it is possible to define any situation, emotional dynamic, or any other possible experience or circumstance by effectively bringing together the appropriate combination of Tarot cards. If you are successful in solving this puzzle, then you’ve proven my point!
May peace, good health and all that is joyous be with you all this season!