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Happy Valentine’s Day! And a Lydia Restock

Madam Lydia Wilhelmina’s Tarot of Monsters, the Macabre and Autumn Scenes

Four boxes of black tins arrived a few months back to house Lydia decks. A couple of days ago I finally broke into the last box to find, much to my irritation, smaller tins were lurking within it. I contacted my wholesaler and we worked it out, but I was left with these slightly smaller black tins. So I found a way to use them as well as answer a request and the Lydia tarot birthed a bridge size version–perfectly sized between the standard and the mini. You can read the longer details to this strange birth on the deck’s listing page here. Basically, there is a new edition of the Lydia deck with a silly title that gave me a giggle. Available until decks run out, at a reduced rate until this coming Monday.

I’ve also restocked the shoppe with the other Lydia decks. (Although as I post this the few full packaging decks have already sold out.) Stop by the shoppe to order. I will be adding a few special sales throughout the day. (including art prints from my AHS fan deck!)

I also wanted to say just how humbled I’ve been with those of you who’ve reached out to me about my dad. It has meant so very much to me. She’ll be arriving here on Sunday with feline in tow. We’re still working on permanent housing with assistance. The feline Tucker will be coming to stay with us. Sometimes I feel like I sit upon the Wheel of Fortune card and wait to see what comes next when it finally settles. Now! All of you have a wonderful make a reason to get nice stuff holi- day. And eat lots of Valentine Reese for me!

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Update

I’m getting caught up on correspondence. I apologize for my being awol this past week. Friday evening my father was taken to the ER by ambulance. She was hysterical when I spoke to her and it took some time calm her down. She’s (just to say again, my dad is transgendered, still dad though) in Rhode Island living with a roommate and she wanted me out there like yesterday. She thought she was dying and didn’t want to be alone. She was moved to a nursing facility on Sunday.

She was in such bad shape when she was here. Her spondylitis (a form of arthritis along the spine) had fused her spine so she can’t turn her head any longer and has to bend at the waist. She was weak, in a great deal of pain, shaking terribly bad, and was having trouble carrying herself–her legs were really weak. It turns out she got pneumonia after coming down with the flu after she returned from her visit here. She had become bed ridden and her roommate was taking care of her. Her roommate phoned me and discussed with me how she can look after my dad for a little while longer but that she wasn’t going to be able to live in their shared apartment any longer.

So anyway, I’ve had to find an assisted living facility to move my dad from RI to here in Ohio, and how we’re going to do that, how we’ll afford everything. My dad will be 79 in June. The thing she values more than anything is her independence and she’s been quite frank about what will happen if she goes into nursing care. Though we’ve also discussed the fact that we can’t live together and she doesn’t want me having to care for her the way I did my mother and grandfather. It’s just, to be absolutely blunt, a frightening and fucked up turn of events my husband and I are trying to deal with. Sadly both my brothers have no contact with our dad so I don’t have them to turn to for help. Though my new sister-in-law, the angel that she is, sad she would help me where she could.

Campaign perks are still going out. I’m doubling down on getting everything out so I can put this campaign to rest. I’m also moving through cyber Monday sales. Thank you for being patient.

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Updates

I’m about halfway through my IGG campaign perks list. Mingling a hundred plus backers along with my regular shoppe customers has been hectic. Throw into that my new turn as a wholesaler and I am now officially looking to hire part time help to keep up. The biggest issue for me has been physically getting all my packages to the post office. But away at it I keep chipping. Please note that I create labels as I’m packaging. I ask people to give up to two days for their tracking to update. This is because I’m not always able to drop the packages off the same day I get them labeled/packed. Thank you for understanding.

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Burn Witch Burn

I’m taking a little break from working on Lydia stuffs to add to my AHS fan deck. Queenie, Zoe, and Myrtle all need their own cards, I’m just trying to figure out what will fit them best. Then I have Nan, the creepy butler, and the new VooDoo Queen… and let me not forget those warlocks! Gonna be a big, fan-centric, obnoxious deck. 😉 Other cards here.

ttic Cartomancy - American Horror Story Fan Tarot by Bethalynne Bajema Attic Cartomancy - American Horror Story Fan Tarot by Bethalynne Bajema
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Card of the Day: The Tarot’s Three of Coins

Attic Cartomancy - Card of the Day - Three of Coins - From the Lydia TarotI tried to keep my Lydia minors within my deck’s theme and still follow the Rider Waite Smith’s design. That was not easy for every card and I think it was the hardest with the three of coins. I went with the idea of two people working in perfect unison with one another–in this instance a dance.

The reeling figures pass on by / Like ghosts in some forgotten play / Beneath the black and empty sky / Music plays and figures dance / With partners chosen by chance / And still some times remember / The masquerade’s forever – Berlin, The Masquerade

This is from one of my favorite Berlin songs and really one of my favs in general. As a kid it painted a very strange and ethereal picture for me. I have to admit that I was thinking of this when I made my bird masked dancers, moving and working in perfect harmony with one another. More the feeling the music gives me than the lyrical content. Which, on a side note, I once read were about the approaching twilight years for aging actors who have never found their fame. That actually originally gave me the idea for the deck’s Empress card The Immortal Masquerade.

In general, this card is about working in unison with someone towards a common goal, or the success of that goal. The main idea being collaboration or teamwork. I’m still a little on the newbie side when it comes to reading this card when it comes up.

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Card of the Day: The Tarot’s Four of Cups

Attic Cartomancy - Card of the Day - Four of Cups - From the Lydia TarotHey! A new card of the day of post! This one is from my Lydia Tarot and one of my favorite cards from this deck.

In the major arcana I offer a few classic movie monsters in a more romantic light. I only added one not-so-classic movie monster –who I would say counts as a classic now since it’s from my young days– courtesy of one of my favorite authors Clive Barker. The four of cups card is titled Cenobite Tea Party and gives a tip of the hat to those clanking chain wielding creepy (and slightly naughty) looking chaps.

The sub header for this card states They came and went, crippled by the boy’s indifference. The horrible gift they offered, unnoticed. I thought it appropriate given the card’s suggestion of being apathetic or just plain eh shoulder shrug. When passion is lacking it can be hard to motivate yourself to something more. I know that feeling all too well. Thankfully not at the moment, but in the past it has been a bugbear for me.

In the subtext of my card’s artwork the boy stands there in his meh state ambivalent to the three cups ahead of him. What he doesn’t realize is that his curious here and gone visitors left him, among the dangling dolls and strangeness, a fourth cup with the possibility of him finding something to help draw him from his current stagnant state. It becomes the boy’s choice to decide what he sees in that cup and the potential it offers to him.

Just as a note–I seriously never thought the opportunity to pair anything Hellraiser in nature with a tea party and the tarot would present itself to me. I think those very things keep me from falling into that stagnant rut. And while I may be getting a little lighter of heart as I get older, that old horror movie/book loving goth is still in there. Complete with black pointy nails and ankle torturing witchy boots.

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Notes from the Coughing Zone

I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, though I might propel myself into space with my coughing. What I thought was a lingering flu turned out to be a rather aggressive lung and inner ear infection. By the time I found this out it had also spread through my lymph nodes and offered some fabulous swelling. So I’ve been on bed rest and a mountain of medication for the past few weeks. Just another lovely perk of having a weakened immune system. I still feel rather blah, but at least my bone rattling cough has gotten much better.

In happier news, my mini decks and tea tins arrived this week so I am officially fully stocked to cover my Lydia campaign perks and my cyber Monday sales. I will be able to begin shipping smaller perks hopefully as soon as next week. I hope to be back to my regular posting then too. Now I’m going to go start tucking minis into their boxes before my body tells me its time to take a break again. 🙂

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Recommended Shopping

I spend way too much of my time on instagram, I cannot lie. During my idle time there I have found some wonderful shops that I think would appeal to those who follow me there and my blog here. So here are a few links for this biggest shopping weekend of the year and I will be adding to it as more shops tip toe across my screen.

Tarot n Tea is just what is sounds like – lots of tarot and some lovely tea to sip as you read. Babbo offers a variety of different gift boxes that come themed for the season and full of lots of lovely things. I’m also a deck contributor so you will see some of my cards in those boxes and in readings. 🙂 Get your box here.

The Bee and the Snake offers neat handmade things, especially drawstring tarot bags! Betsy has an etsy shop of goodness found here.

Spookys Geek Boutique is a fun place for a lil spooky and a lil sweet. They have their own holiday weekend sale going on at their site here.

The 8th House Tarot is in the process of making a tarot deck of the same name. The artwork is simple and straight to the point. Annabel has started a pantheon page to help aid the process of see her deck realized.

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Lil Witch Thalia and the Lydia Tarot

Lil Thalia says “please visit AtticCartomancy.com this weekend for the last deckapalooza this year!” 😊🖤 Starting midnight after Thanksgiving, for four days all my decks will be available, I’ll even have a few special editions. There will also be a shopping page up for other wonderful deck shops.

Now to set my shop-keep hat to the side, I found some clearance Bratz dolls years ago. The first one I attempted to work over was a miserable disaster. I made another attempt and modeled her after my Lydia mask. It went way better this time. I named her after @theacidpoptart ‘s (seen in the last photo playing the part of my witchy Lydia deck maker) daughter, who is a modeling mini-me of her mom. And crazy adorable. I’m not sure I will ever outgrow playing doll dress-up. Deck featured is the mini Madam Lydia Wilhelmina’s Tarot of Monsters, the Macabre and Autumn Scenes. 😉🖤

Attic Cartomancy - Lydia Mini Tarot

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Lydia Perk Update

Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday evening.

I spent the day labeling deck tins and mini deck boxes. I also began packaging the mini decks. It’s going pretty smoothly -knock on wood- 😉 Reference books arrive on Monday. It was supposed to be today but UPS just let me know there’s a delay due to a minor address snafu. You know, one of those hiccups.

Still working away on the grimoire and getting closer to done.

That’s about all for now. Just wanted to let everyone know where things were at. Stay warm and have a lovely night! ~ Bethalynne

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Happy Halloween!

Attic Cartomancy - Fan Art - Fan Tarot - American Horror Story

And this year Halloween falls on AHS night.
Tonight’s fan card offering is the VooDoo Queen.

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This Week’s Fan Tarot Offering

What better way to enjoy a show when you’re a hyper obsessive card maker? Two more cards came to life as I was watching American Horror Story this week. 🙂

Attic Cartomancy - Fan Tarot - American Horror Story Attic Cartomancy - Fan Tarot - American Horror Story
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Card of the Day: The Tarot’s Five of Coins

Attic Cartmancy - Card of the Day - Five of Coins

This is one of those mornings where I pulled a card and immediately had the impulse to whistle nervously and tuck it back into the deck like I never pulled it out. At least I can say I pulled it in reverse. However, the last few days I’ve been having give me cause to read too deeply into it.

I drew the five of coins this morning. I think I whispered to my deck you better stop f’ing with me. This is a card I only briefly studied when I was doing the minors for the Isidore Tarot. I was still a novice back then. After working on the Lydia deck I think I’m finally at a point where I feel comfortable with what I’m looking at when I do a reading for myself. I also wanted to tie in the symbols of the cards with the way I created the collages. I wanted whatever dark scene you’re looking at to not only keep the theme of the deck and portray that card’s symbolism, I wanted there to be other things I could link to it for the pages in the deck’s grimoire. That means I’ve been getting really into these silly cards and I just didn’t want to pick this one upon waking.

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The Isidore Tarot Autumn Packaging

I’ve been offering the autumn edition of the deck for the past few years. It’s packaging and card back feature the original This King and Queen of the Pumpkin Ball collage artwork that the Empress and Chariot card artwork is based on. This year the deck will feature the third edition full bleed card artwork and it will also be the last year we offer this packaging. There are ten decks available this autumn and they only come in full packaging. Touch image below to read more or order.

The Isidore Tarot Autumn Packaging

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Reviews of the Lydia Tarot

I sent out a bundle of review decks for the lovely folks at Indie Deck Review a few weeks back and the reviews have started to roll in. 🙂 You can find a few of those reviews on their Instagram account, linked to below.

Indie Deck Review on Instagram

Indie Deck Review on Instagram

Or you can pop by their website for a lengthier review (linked below) as well as a whole assortment of wonderful indie decks that might not be on your radar as of yet. So many thanks to them for all the support!!

Indie Deck Review