Picking Flowers

When I was a little girl I used to pick flowers around my neighborhood. I did this cautiously, as I knew I would get in trouble for doing it so recklessly. Now I am a grown adult with a child and a mortgage and I am doing the same thing, just with my own flowers (and some of my friends’ flowers as well). In comes my small business idea of making a potion shop. I loved the potion shops in videos games, specifically Zelda: Ocarina of time, and I thought, I can create a modern day version of this. So I have started my own business! It is in its infancy stages currently and while I do not have any potions up there that will eventually change. Right now my most unique item is my Lake Michigan in a bottle. I live in the Greater Lakes region of the US and I wanted something to capture the essence of this area. So, I have created a bottle/spell jar/diorama/ what have you that would be similar to if you were taking a stroll down a Lake Michigan beach and picking things up along the way.

On top of that item I have a protection jar, Love Jar#9 and a Springtime Flora bottle, that will also accompany 3 other bottles (eventually) that capture the different seasons. More things will be coming, but I am very much still the little girl in her yard smelling her mother’s roses and trying to see if I could gingerly pick one without my mother noticing. (She always did, lol)

lf you would like to know more or check out my wares here’s my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShayZsTrinkets?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

I am actively trying to get on this blog more. I hoping to get two blogs out a month minimum. Here’s to hoping with the baby that happens.

Thanks for reading!

Tarot Reading Services fully Available

So, I’ve done what I feel is the necessary amount of preparation for opening my tarot services. Since buckling down in May of 2021, after having previously dabbled on and off for 4 years, I completely researched and got intimately acquainted with my tarot decks and all of what the 78 cards have to offer. After my culminated experience of 5 years I have deemed it appropriate and time to do public readings.

https://linktr.ee/ShayZTarot or shay1318@gmail.com to book!

I am limiting myself at first to just a handful of services to see how things go, but I do sincerely hope someone takes me up on my Year Ahead spreads. A 12 card pull for every month of this coming year 2022. It’s something I have done yearly for family and friends and is something they come back for time and tie again.

To book services with me please DM me on my social medias or email me at shay1318@gmail.com

https://linktr.ee/ShayZTarot

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It’s been awhile….

So, who would have thought that this would still be gaining traction after all this time. I am super surprised by how much engagement this blog still gets! With this in mind let me catch you up.

At the end of when you all last saw me, I had just finished my tarot project. I bit off more than I could chew. I was exhausted from a creative perspective and I needed time to recoup. Fast forward a bit covid hits, and I managed to get pregnant. Needlesstosay, my hiatus was warranted. Besides the stress of being pregnant during covid, I left my job to keep myself safe. While I had extra time on my hands, creativity wasn’t in the cards for me.

Now, after a rather crazy birth, my daughter is here and I don’t have too much extra time on my hands. Full time mom, but I have felt the urge to share my talents and experiences with people. I’ve decided to open a shop of sorts. I will be using my background to give tarot readings publicly now, and I will also be providing witchy trinkets and potions for customers to buy.

Giving birth has given me a new perspective on things, and coming in to this mother phase of my spiritual journey I realize I have things to offer others. Counsel, readings, unique items are what I want to try and do going forward. We will have to see if there is any type of traction, but I decided I need to try.

So shameless plug time. I am giving tarot readings through fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/s2/8f9727ff3a

Unknown Wild Tarot Deck

I plan to be back and update whoever is on here, watching and reading. But for now that’s how you can reach me and test out my skills. Hopefully items for the shop will be up soon!

Thanks for reading!

SAD — Seasonal Affective Disorder

It hit me hard this winter season. For those of you unaware about SAD, it is quite literally a disorder where you are sad because you have not seen the sun. Where I am from in the Midwest, we lack the required amount of sunlight needed to produce the right kind of happy time chemicals in our body. In the winter time, this can be even more drastic. I personally have never had my Vitamin D levels checked, but I would venture to guess like everyone else mine would be on the low side.

Regardless of actual amount, SAD, or any diagnosis I have felt like crap most of January and February. February always sucks, but I am slowly getting out of my funk. I just wanted to hole up in my room and not come out. Doing anything extra curricular has been out of the question. I have no desire to shoot photos, make videos, or even practice my magicks. I just kinda sit around watching YouTube. Hell, I don’t even care to play video games anymore.

It got worse when I got the flu this season. I had it for seven straight days, and four of those days I was laid up in bed completely. No want or need to even leave. It was terrible. I have not been this sick since I was a kid. It just really put a wrench in any recovery I had made, if any, and made me become even more of a hermit.

Socially I am sometimes unreachable, I have been forcing myself to go out here and there in hopes I regaining some normalcy. It isn’t that I don’t want to spend time with my friends, it’s just that it can be exhausting at this point, especially considering what I am doing for a job, as well. My relationship suffered for a bit in there too. Nothing felt right or the same, but we are getting it back on track.

As the days progress, I am starting to take more and  more action in my every day to recover from this mind fog of sorts. I don’t consider myself a depressed person but we all go through things, right? We all have those times where we feel off, and wonder if we’ll come around. I am getting there, slowly but surely. I am seeing some friends I haven’t seen in ages here soon, and that is exciting. Also I got a bonus at work for being a good little worker bee so we will be taking that money and enjoying a few days to ourselves.

If you are struggling, whether it is just this wintry season, or you regularly struggle with depression it can and does get better. The only thing I have found that works for me is putting yourself in situations where you used to get excited before. It may seem like a monumental task, but when you make those plans follow through. Simply adhering to them makes me feel better. Also cleaning up your living space helps a lot too, at least it does for me.

With all this said, I hope to be on here a bit in 2020. Expect more photos, as I have been hired for my first ever photography job in May. Should be interesting to say the least. Well, there’s my update I am not dead, just kinda here and there for now.

Come on Spring…

Completed Tarot Project

Here is absolutely everything that I edited for the project. Some of the edits I like better than the ones I presented, but I decided to keep with my originals!

The Devil

So, this marks the start of revealing my labor of love for the past year. I have really enjoyed working on this project, and plan to work on it to build my photography portfolio. The idea behind the pictures was to take real life scenarios and equate them to the meaning of tarot cards. The following excerpts are a modern day take on each tarot card I picked to photograph.

Tarot is something I have gotten in to over the course of a couple of years and I thought it is great place of inspiration to start my photography journey. The imagery on most of the cards, depending on the deck is stunning. To attempt to recreate them on a non-existent budget, would not do them justice. So, I thought of the next best thing. We are always trying to find the modern day equivalence of astrology and zodiac signs, why not also do this with Tarot.

The next several posts will depict the card in question, its meaning and what that card means to me. Like anything else in life art is subjective, and so is tarot. Please take all meanings with a bit leniency. I wasn’t going for the absolute truth behind the cards, but more the truth behind the art and creativity of the photos taken.

The Devil is a card of negativity. Think addiction and giving in to that inner ‘devil’ that sometimes can get the best of you. In this set of photos I wanted to highlight temptation and so we have someone offering you that.

This was by far my favorite photo shoot. We were having a lot of fun ‘tempting’ the audience with different options. In the future I might release a blooper reel of some of the funnier photos I feel I captured.

And this concludes the little mini-series of ‘tarot in real life’. I plan to do more going forward but I don’t think I will do an entire blog dedicated to each card. I will more than likely highlight a few at a time. I hope you enjoyed this, I enjoyed creating and putting this together.

With all that said, if you are in the northwest Indiana area and are interested in something of this nature (or maybe something a bit more commercial like creating a Christmas card) let me know, I am for hire!

Thanks for all the love and support!

Lis

VI of Pentacles

So, this marks the start of revealing my labor of love for the past year. I have really enjoyed working on this project, and plan to work on it to build my photography portfolio. The idea behind the pictures was to take real life scenarios and equate them to the meaning of tarot cards. The following excerpts are a modern day take on each tarot card I picked to photograph.

Tarot is something I have gotten in to over the course of a couple of years and I thought it is great place of inspiration to start my photography journey. The imagery on most of the cards, depending on the deck is stunning. To attempt to recreate them on a non-existent budget, would not do them justice. So, I thought of the next best thing. We are always trying to find the modern day equivalence of astrology and zodiac signs, why not also do this with Tarot.

The next several posts will depict the card in question, its meaning and what that card means to me. Like anything else in life art is subjective, and so is tarot. Please take all meanings with a bit leniency. I wasn’t going for the absolute truth behind the cards, but more the truth behind the art and creativity of the photos taken.

The 6 of Pentacles is a card of generosity, either being given to you or something that you are giving away. The generosity does not have to be fiscal, as it can be a listening ear or spiritual. This card is a positive card, one that means things are generally going your way.

I am not sure if you are paying attention to the series as a whole, but you should see over time the development that has occurred. This is my favorite picture of the series and Angelicah Shaver was a great model to work with. She came in with a great attitude (even though the weather was less than ideal) and with what she gave me we achieved this awesome photograph. I cannot get over how beautiful it is, I am just in love with this one.

I sincerely hope you enjoy all the photos to come, I had a blast taking them, editing them, and now showcasing them. I will be posting an article on each piece every other day until I run out. Please like and share if you know the model and please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

-Lis

The Fool

So, this marks the start of revealing my labor of love for the past year. I have really enjoyed working on this project, and plan to work on it to build my photography portfolio. The idea behind the pictures was to take real life scenarios and equate them to the meaning of tarot cards. The following excerpts are a modern day take on each tarot card I picked to photograph.

Tarot is something I have gotten in to over the course of a couple of years and I thought it is great place of inspiration to start my photography journey. The imagery on most of the cards, depending on the deck is stunning. To attempt to recreate them on a non-existent budget, would not do them justice. So, I thought of the next best thing. We are always trying to find the modern day equivalence of astrology and zodiac signs, why not also do this with Tarot.

The next several posts will depict the card in question, its meaning and what that card means to me. Like anything else in life art is subjective, and so is tarot. Please take all meanings with a bit leniency. I wasn’t going for the absolute truth behind the cards, but more the truth behind the art and creativity of the photos taken.

The Fool is the start of the journey in the Major arcana. Similar to the minor arcana (the suits — cups, coins, pentacles, and swords) where they tell an over arching story, so too does the major arcana. The Fool is often depicted as a jester in many tarot decks and seen as someone that lacks common sense. That is a common misconception, the Fool is a card about beginnings. It points to the side of you that is spontaneous, excited, naive, and inexperienced.

Derek Dougherty is an old co-worker of mine and he has been very supportive of all of my artistic endeavors. He’s offered to model for me, and given me incentive to work on a big production project involving an interesting story of his. In his spare time he does his own artistic endeavors and even has a podcast you can check out the Dougherty Show here! New reboot to the show to come after the first of the year!

I sincerely hope you enjoy all the photos to come, I had a blast taking them, editing them, and now showcasing them. I will be posting an article on each piece every other day until I run out. Please like and share if you know the model and please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

-Lis

VIII of Swords

So, this marks the start of revealing my labor of love for the past year. I have really enjoyed working on this project, and plan to work on it to build my photography portfolio. The idea behind the pictures was to take real life scenarios and equate them to the meaning of tarot cards. The following excerpts are a modern day take on each tarot card I picked to photograph.

Tarot is something I have gotten in to over the course of a couple of years and I thought it is great place of inspiration to start my photography journey. The imagery on most of the cards, depending on the deck is stunning. To attempt to recreate them on a non-existent budget, would not do them justice. So, I thought of the next best thing. We are always trying to find the modern day equivalence of astrology and zodiac signs, why not also do this with Tarot.

The next several posts will depict the card in question, its meaning and what that card means to me. Like anything else in life art is subjective, and so is tarot. Please take all meanings with a bit leniency. I wasn’t going for the absolute truth behind the cards, but more the truth behind the art and creativity of the photos taken.

The VIII of Swords is a card on feeling trapped and powerless. If you have been following my portfolio series, you will remember that we explained the Swords suit in tarot and how these struggles that we face with these type of cards are often set in our mind. Your perceptions keep you from opening your wings and taking flight. What mental barrier holds you here?

 

Ryan Chronister helped me capture the VIII of Swords. I love what we pulled off here. The Swords entangling him, the focal point closing in on him with no attempt to leave his entrapment, and the background desolate and bleak paints one of my favorite pictures from the series.

Ryan is a long-time friend of mine and has been one of biggest cheerleaders and helpers in my artistic endeavors. Anytime I need help with anything he is totally down to help me out with a photo shoot, a video idea, or anything in between. I have so few people like him willing to give up their time like he does and I really appreciate all the help he has given me.

I sincerely hope you enjoy all the photos to come, I had a blast taking them, editing them, and now showcasing them. I will be posting an article on each piece every other day until I run out. Please like and share if you know the model and please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

-Lis

The Hermit

So, this marks the start of revealing my labor of love for the past year. I have really enjoyed working on this project, and plan to work on it to build my photography portfolio. The idea behind the pictures was to take real life scenarios and equate them to the meaning of tarot cards. The following excerpts are a modern day take on each tarot card I picked to photograph.

Tarot is something I have gotten in to over the course of a couple of years and I thought it is great place of inspiration to start my photography journey. The imagery on most of the card, depending on the deck is stunning. To attempt to recreate them on a non-existent budget, would not do them justice. So, I thought of the next best thing. We are always trying to find the modern day equivalence of astrology and zodiac signs, why not also do this with Tarot.

The next several posts will depict the card in question, its meaning and what that card means to me. Like anything else in life art is subjective and so is tarot. Please take all meanings with a bit leniency I wasn’t going for the absolute truth behind the cards, but more the truth behind the art and creativity of the photos taken.

The Hermit is the first Major Arcana in my series. These cards generally denote major life changes. The idea of being a hermit in modern day society is not always supported, however, in tarot hermits are highly sought after and celebrated beings. Through meditation, solitude, and stillness they bring wisdom to us all. The picture below captures the essence the Hermit snug in their domain.

Ashley Chronister volunteered her time to help me with this photo shoot. Never having done anything like this before she took to it well, and gave me one of my favorite images out of all of my photo shoots. It isn’t depicted here, but rather in my ‘runner up’ post that I did prefacing the tarot card portfolio reveal. Tarot Project – Photography If you take a look, I think you might be able to tell which one I’m talking about ;). Thanks Ashley so much for helping me out in my artistic endeavors!

I sincerely hope you enjoy all the photos to come, I had a blast taking them, editing them, and now showcasing them. I will be posting an article on each piece every other day until I run out. Please like and share if you know the model and please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

-Lis