Your Tarot-Scope Winter 2011

Everyone knows what a horoscope is, most of you probably read your own horoscope every day, if not occasionally. A tarot-scope is different from a horoscope in that a horoscope is determined based on the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets in relation to one another for each of the 12 signs of the zodiac; whereas a tarot-scope is based on a random throw of a set of tarot-cards, called a reading, for each of the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Now gifted-reader Carolina Dean throws the cards in order to reveal, instruct, and prophesize YOUR winter tarot-scope exclusively for readers of Hoodoo and Conjure Quarterly.

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

Get your gris-gris on as the nights grow colder,  the days longer and romantic relationships have the potential to become more intimate. Marriage or a similar commitment could soon be in the cards.  If you are single, be careful not to become so involved in your job duties that you miss out on a possible love-connection at your place of work or business. Wear a violet leaf in your shoe to lead you to new love.

Taurus (April 21 – May 20)

Steady-work brings added stress on the job. Your experience and attention to detail will enable you to successfully meet deadlines in record time, however, be wary of a newcomer with something to prove. A female associate with good judgment becomes a powerful ally. Light a candle to Martha the Dominator.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

With the bitter cold setting in, there is a natural desire to stay warm at home. However, the opportunity to break through personal obstacles and open the way for greater spiritual growth presents itself when you join a cause or charity helping the less fortunate. Make a sacrifice of your time and energy and reap the rewards of the spirit of renewal. Rise before dawn and bathe is silence.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

With a new year around the corner, now is a great time to cut and clear un-healthy ties and form healthy ones, especially in the area of love, romance and friendship. There is a natural tendency to resolve to change outmoded behaviors. However, the cards suggest setting a few small realistic goals rather than several large ones in order for your works to be crowned with success. Build an altar to your own success.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Now is a great time to reconcile your gains and losses in the previous year and give yourself a pat on the back for all you have achieved. Begin your plans for greater success in the new year. A business partnership with a trusted friend could be in the offing. Lay your burden down, at the crossroads.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Romance blooms when a proactive love-interest won’t take no for an answer. Step out of your comfort zone, shy Virgo, and see how the other half lives. A shake-up in the power-structure at work brings drastic changes—- but relax, your job is secure. Light a candle for those less fortunate.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

A fresh coat of paint and new furniture is just what the doctor ordered as a financial windfall allows you to give your home a much needed facelift.  A letter brings unexpected news and major transformations shatter preconceived notions.  Ward your home with sage and salt.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Frustration sets in as you find you have more projects than you can shake a stick at and you aren’t getting anything done. Goals which seemed in sight before now seem out of reach. Don’t wear yourself to a frazzle— prioritize your projects in terms of short and long-term goals. Carry high john for strength.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Adventurous Sagittarius longs to travel, but responsibilities keep you close to home. Keep cabin-fever at bay by visiting friends or taking your romantic partner for a day trip in your down time. Carry comfrey root to avert disaster.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

This is a year that you would rather forget. Despite your hardships, however, you learned many valuable lessons which have afforded you new wisdom and a strength which you did not know you possessed. Now is a time for celebration before you face your next challenge. Bathe in hyssop to cast off evil.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 19)

Your outer strength belies your inner doubts and fears, despite which you are able to forge ahead with plans and achieve goals in a relatively short amount of time. With the past behind you, a new beginning and a fresh start is now possible on all fronts. To walk over evil, fear not…..

Pisces (February 20 – March 20)

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating your successes, but don’t forget about the ones who helped you get to where you are today. A mentor imparts a powerful lesson that causes you to reevaluate your present path. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Pay homage to the ancestors.

Carolina Dean is a Witch, a Rootworker, Magickal Craftsman, and Gifted-Reader born in the deep south. He is the Assistant Editor and a regular contributor to Hoodoo and Conjure Quarterly. Visit www.carolinaconjure.com for more information.

Southern Spirits: The Plate-Eye

The Plate-Eye is a type of disembodied spirit of one who have been murdered and which are known for its shape-shifting powers. They are characterized by their large glowing eyes which are said to be as “big as a plate and blood red.”  Another curious characteristic of a Plate-Eye is that there is usually something off or wrong about whatever form they assume. For example, a Plate-Eye taking the form of a dog may appear to have been run over by a vehicle.

Plate-Eyes were prevalent just after the Civil War, but their roots likely go back farther than that. Southern lore dictates that during the war, wealthy slave-owners, worried about losing their fortunes, buried their treasure in dark woods or marshy swamps. To protect their treasures until they could reclaim it, the vicious slave-owners would behead a slave (probably the one who dug the hole) and bury it as a warning to anyone who would attempt to steal their treasure. It was a common belief among many of the slaves that one’s spirit dwelt in the head, and so soon arose tales of a haint (ghost) that harassed people who came near the site of their death.

During the Great Depression, the United States Government commissioned the Federal Writer’s Project (FWP) in an effort to aid unemployed writers and fund their work. Over a period of two years from the mid 1930’s Genevieve W. Chandler, interviewed over 100 individuals in the South Carolina Low Country as part of the FWP. In May of 1936 Genevieve interviewed Addie Knox, a Gullah woman, who describes her encounter with a Plate-Eye. Similar to the Hyatt material, the story is written semi-phonetically and can be somewhat difficult to read.

Addie Knox describes how while walking home one evening around dusk she passes by a graveyard and enters into the dark woods nearby. At one point she comes upon a fallen cypress tree blocking her path on top of which a bull frog is sitting. Addie explains that she sees the frog turn into a series of animals that get progressively larger including a cooter (turtle), and a black cat. Addie strikes the Plate-Eye with a stick several times and runs away as the Plate-Eye chases after her getting bigger and bigger. She is finally able to get away from the dreaded spirit by showing no fear and trusting in God.

According to the Gullah, the Plate-Eye cannot abide foul odors (a trait that they also assign to the Boo-Hag) and so to ward against it people would often carry a mixture of equal parts gun-powder and sulfur in a small burlap sack with them to ward the Plate-Eye away.

So the next time you’re traveling down some lonely back road in the dark of the evening and see some poor animal in distress think twice before you draw too close because you might find yourself face to face with the dreaded Plate-Eye!

–Carolina Dean