The New Disney Princesses

I know this is completely off-topic, but I ABSOLUTELY HAVE GOT TO POST THIS!

Yes!  Disney released an all-new and *eherm* sparkly look of their Disney Princesses this year.  Let's take a look.

From left to right: we have Snow White, Mulan, Princess Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty), Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog), Rapunzel (from Tangled), Ariel (of Little Mermaid), Cinderella, Jasmine (of movie Aladdin), and Pocahontas. *whew*

It's not like they've made a total do-over, just minor revisions here and there. What struck me the most -- and for sure you ain't gonna miss it too -- are the shiny ensembles which almost blinded me. :P

Belle truly upholds her name of being such a regal beauty. I appreciate Disney for making her more stunning and drop-dead gorgeous. The improvements in Ariel's and Jasmine's outfits are impressive as well, I'd say I like their new looks better, too. On the other hand, I feel a bit disappointed on Mulan (who's my second fave DP by the way). Disney could've done better improvements on her (*sobs*). Nothing much to change on Tiana and Rapunzel -- understandably so -- as the new additions in our list of DPs. And thank God for Pocahontas' tamed guise. Scintillated outfit is unsuitable for a Powhatan Indian princess after all. Instead, her native dress is embellished with rhinestones and feathers that matched her necklace and earrings. You can also see noticeable changes in Cinderella and Princess Aurora. Glad to see Disney have updated their looks, especially their hairstyles, to fit this era's taste. Too bad I can't say the same for Snow White, though they've finally replaced that ridiculous old red headband where its ribbon is right on the center. 

Overall, the changes weren't so bad. But being a child of the 90's, there's that part of me that wished they'd just stay the same. They are, Disney classics after all.

Few Reminders...

Have I mentioned that I am no paranormal? Should have I left this one little detail behind, I honestly can't remember.  But yes, I am not a psychic nor am I a paranormal.  I don't see ghosts, I can't see the future, nor could I even travel the distant past.

Yet here I am, exploring the depths of esoteric.  Something that can't be seen by the naked eye magnetizes the altitudes of my curiosity.  I may not be one of them special beings, but there's just something about it that piques my interests quite deep.  Hence, I bought my oracle deck, The Oracle of Shadows and Light.

For those of you who follow me, you may have read about My First Reading.  I admit, I was excited to share my experiences as a greenhorn in the field (hence, the post).  But I'd like to induce a little of organization in this little realm of mine.  That's why I'd like to start with the basics and discuss some few important things before or when you're conducting a reading.

1. When consulting an oracle deck, remember that you're entering an oracular space.  In this sacred space, there is no past, present, or future --  there's only but pure energy that can be rewoven in the oracular moment.

2. Where is this sacred place you ask? You may create one.  Escape from realism by temporarily forgetting about all things material.  For instance, get away from the internet, keep your phone away, turn off the television, etc.

3. It would help if you can light up a candle.  Be also mindful about candle colors, choose the one that suits your intention.  I'll talk more about candle colors in a separate post.

4. Before you even begin shuffling the cards, close your eyes first and take three deep breaths.  Relax your body and calm your mind.

5. My oracle deck is quite of a social deck.  The more you interact with it, the more it's gonna trust you.  Therefore, it's very essential that you build a strong relationship with your deck.  You may take your deck anywhere you go, sleep beside it, or talk to it from time to time.  Sounds sissy?  Perhaps.  But I do that, and I felt more bonded with my cards.

6. Avoid being too hungry as card reading takes a lot of energy.

7. Take time in interpreting your readings.  Write them down in a journal to discover some helpful patterns.

Above all the things I mentioned, the most important advice I could give is that you weave your own fate. There is nobody else accounted for your own life but yourself.  The strands of your life ultimately depends on how you weave or reweave them.

Can Card Reading Drain Your Energy?

Yes, card reading can drain your energy regardless if you’re new to the practice or not.  Sometimes, it even causes headache.  It’s also worth to take note that the amount of energy drained from you is dependent on how serious your reading is.  The more serious and specific your reading is, the more energy will be taken away from you.

That’s why when you’re conducting a reading, there needs to be an exchange of energy.  Personally, I don’t bill my clients because I don’t feel comfortable being paid.  If it’s a light reading, I normally do it for free.  But if I’m using a more complex spread, I ask my clients to give me something they personally own or they have in their bags or purse, even a candy would do. :)  Of course it doesn’t fully revitalize you but it helps restore some of your energy.

This is something I've learned from watching xxxHolic which is both a manga and an anime series.  It's actually a good anime to watch if you're into divination.  I'd be lying if I say that series hadn't stimulated my interest in exploring the obscure and unknown.

On a side note, you're not supposed to pronounce the "xxx" in the title "xxxHolic" hence, you'd only pronounce it as "Holic". Just a small trivia. ;)

LiveJournal

I've recently signed up for a LiveJournal account.  If you have an account yourself, you may add me up.  My account is: sayukiakira.livejournal.com

My First Reading

Right after I bought my first oracle deck, I immediately wanted to try it.  However, there are somethings that need to be considered before conducting a card reading. For one, it requires a great amount of concentration thus, it is recommended to perform it in quiet areas (preferably with candles).  I was still in the mall at that time which isn't exactly the best place to conduct a reading.  But being as excited as I was with my newly-acquired item, I somehow disregarded that predicament.  And so, my feet took me to my favorite crepe shop, Cafe Breton, which in my opinion has the best crepe in town. *coughs.shamelessplug.coughs*.

Another thing to take into account for during card reading is, the reader should neither be starving nor bloated.  Just to be sure, I ordered something light to eat.  After the sumptuous meal and a little rest, I eagerly unwrapped my Oracle of Shadows and Light.

The very first thing that welcomes you when opening the box is a guidebook, underneath is the 45-card set.  Having little to no knowledge about card reading, it is only but wise to read through the guide first.  I learned that the book teaches variety of spreads though, eventually you can make a spread of your own.  I have a feeling that it’s still a long way for me to get to that level, so I’d rather stick to the guide for now.  On a side note, a spread is what you call the different card reading formations.

For starters, I wanted to start with some light reading, a beginner shouldn’t be too ambitious after all.  And guess what? It so happened that there was a perfect opportunity for me to consult my deck on that very same day.  You see, there’s this denim jacket that I’ve spotted while window shopping.  I was hesitant on buying it because of some constraints in the budget department.  This led me to seek -- for the very first time -- the advise of my oracle deck.  Lo and behold, here’s what the cards have told:

First Card (center)

The center card gives you more information on the problem/question.  My question was: Should I buy the denim jacket or not?  

The card I picked was the Mend-a-Broken-Heart Fairy Card.  This fairy comes along to tell you that whenever you feel down or brokenhearted — doesn’t have to necessarily be romantically —, don’t ever forget to treat yourself.  In a sense, that is exactly how I was feeling at that time.  It breaks my heart to be torn about buying that very nice piece of clothing.  And my problem was I wanted to “mend” that “broken heart” by giving myself a treat, a pretty little jacket.

Second Card (left)

The left card explains why am I facing such predicament.  

I picked the Storm Angel Card, it’s the very same angel you see on the guidebook cover.  This fierce-looking angel shows up whenever disorder arises.  It could be an argument with someone but in my case, it’s within myself.  The debate on whether to make the purchase or not is still on going.  But this angel wants me to speak the truth and the truth is that, I really want the jacket but it'll surely cost me an arm and a leg.

Third Card (right)

On the right hand side is the consequence card.  It tells you what could possible happen should I not heed the card’s advice. 

The Faceless Ghosts and the Haunted Girl appeared as the third card.  Maybe it’s telling me that if I don’t make the purchase at that time, it’ll come haunting me in the form of regret.  It could also mean that history could repeat itself when I postponed my buying of this beautiful pair of oxford shoes.  It was gone by the time I was finally decided on buying it to think that only hours had passed before I finally made up my mind.  That experience was heart-rendering and I still feel sorry about missing the opportunity of buying it  up until today.

Fourth Card (bottom)

Located at the bottom of the spread, the card that gives you a better insight helping you to decide will be the fourth card. 

The Carnivorous Flower Fairy Card warns that whatever it is that I want is very tempting but it comes with in a high price.  And yes, sadly, it does come with a high price… literally a high price.  The card literally tells me that nothing comes for free, especially when it’s as nice and pretty as a denim jacket.  Boy, these cards are cheeky indeed.

Fifth Card (top)

Finally, we reach the end result.  The fifth card on top talks about the action/decision that I should take/follow.

Ironically, the Candy Cane Angel Card showed up.  After warning me how expensive it’s gonna be, it’s now telling me to actually buy it.  Yes, when the Candy Cane Angel shows up, it tells you that there’s nothing wrong if you indulge yourself every now and then so long as you don’t go overboard.  Hence, I should pull the trigger and give myself a helluva treat.

…And damn sure I did~!