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Adventures In Woo Woo

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Hello, Good People of the Internet!

It's that time of year again when we start to celebrate the birthday of The Forty Servants.

 

For those who are unaware, The Forty Servants were "birthed" on Halloween Night 2016. Since then, we have celebrated their birthday every year. This year is no different, and I would appreciate your permission to send you a few more emails than usual during this time, as there is much going on that I believe subscribers to the newsletter will find interesting.

The big ritual is the yearly Patreon ritual. This year, Patrons at Level 2 and above can place their desires, wishes, or affirmations into the Black Box that houses the original versions of the Servants. These petitions will stay inside the box for an entire year before being removed and burned ceremonially. Consider it a form of Time Capsule Magick.

In addition, community rituals will be hosted on both The Forty Servants Facebook Group and the AIWW Discord. Stay tuned for emails containing all the necessary details later this month.

But wait -  there’s more!  Over the next few weeks, I will be releasing new Forty Servants Goodies. These items will be released incrementally rather than all at once, and I will send out an email update to notify you when each one becomes available.

Introducing:

  • The Forty Servants Safe For Work Edition: This is a new version of the deck, from which all nudity and tobacco references have been removed. I understand that in some situations, the nudity can be less than ideal, which is why I decided to offer a version of the deck without it.

  • The Fixer 2023 Limited Edition Print: This features completely new artwork for The Fixer, available as a signed, numbered, and laminated print. If you'd prefer a non-laminated version, please let me know.

  • The Forty Servants Birthday Box: This item has received an insane number of requests! It is a new special edition of the Forty Servants deck that will only be available during the week before and the week after the Forty Servants' Birthday at Halloween each year. It is an updated version of the 5th Anniversary Edition, featuring different versions of the cards, combined Servants artwork, and all versions of the Four Devils in a standard Tarot sized card.

  • The Forty Servants Dice: Designed for advanced users of the Forty Servants, this is a beautiful set of eight wooden dice. Each die has sigils representing the five classical elements—Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit—burnt into the sides.

  • The Forty Servants Digital Bundle: This includes printable, high-resolution files of various deck editions, as well as both editions of the Grimoire Of The Forty Servants in PDF and eBook format.

 

Forty Servants Reversals

To begin, I should clarify what a Reversal is. When you lay out the cards in a spread, sometimes the card comes out upside down. This is known as a Reversal, and with it, the meaning of the card reverses or changes.

I've said from the very start that there are no Reversals in the Forty Servants, but as I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I am really aiming to up my divination game, and this has led to me having a rethink about this position.

The primary reason behind the "No Reversals" rule was my belief that many cards in the deck already possess opposite counterparts, making Reversals seem redundant.

But, upon reflection,  I’ve come to understand that Reversals could embody more than just the opposite meaning of a card.

And so, I spent time contemplating useful Reversal meanings for the Forty Servants and identified three main perspectives on how Reversals could be effectively integrated into the system:

  1. A dysfunctional version of the card.
  2. Fear of what the card represents.
  3. Missing the point of the card.

The suggestions below are preliminary. I assume that when I use Reversal for a while in my readings, I will come to a better understanding of what they "feel" like. Nevertheless, I reckon the suggestions serve as an excellent starting point.

When the 10th Anniversary Editon of the Grimoire comes out in a few years, I'll have had enough time to refine all this and will add the final descriptions to the book.

And, of course, you don't have to use Reversals if you don't want. You can ignore them entirely or use them when it feels right. But try them out and see how they feel.

The Adventurer
Physical Recklessness. Aimless wandering. Putting yourself in harmful situations. Overcautiousness,  missing the joy of new experiences. Fear of the unknown.

The Balancer
Extremism, imbalance. Overcompensating, not recognising when balance has been achieved. Fear of equilibrium, a reluctance to find middle ground.

The Carnal
Overindulgence, lustful obsession. Denying or suppressing natural urges, not embracing one's human nature. Fear of physical desires, apprehension towards embracing one's own sensuality.

The Chaste

Self-neglect, extreme denial. Being overly puritanical, denying oneself without reason. Fear of abstaining or commitment, anxiety about missing out.

The Conductor

Chaos, lack of harmony. Trying to micromanage, not trusting the process or flow. Fear of letting go, trepidation about trusting life's rhythm.

The Contemplator

Overthinking, paralysis by analysis. Over-analysis to the point of paralysis and endless rumination. Fear of introspection, avoiding deeper self-reflection.

The Dancer

Lack of joy, feeling out of sync, being out of sync, trying to control rather than going with the rhythm. Control issues. Fear of joy and spontaneity, reluctance to acknowledge life's challenges.

The Dead

Being stuck in the past, inability to move on. Refusing to acknowledge lessons from the past, ignoring ancestral wisdom and tradition. Fear of the past, unease about confronting personal or family history.

The Depleted

Burnout, chronic fatigue. Persisting without rest, ignoring the signs of burnout. Fear of vulnerability, avoiding admitting fatigue or the need for rest.

The Desperate

Obsession, unhealthy attachment. Overlooking what one already has, constant dissatisfaction, fear of contentment, unease with the present, playing the victim. Feeling you always need the new shiny thing to be happy.

The Devil

Archetypical possession. Refusing to confront one's shadow, denial of personal flaws. Fear of the shadow self, avoiding confronting one's darker aspects.

The Explorer
Fear of opposing outlooks, staying in your intellectual comfort zone, fear of new ideas, not listening to other viewpoints, being trapped in a bubble, being in an echo chamber.

The Eye
Lack of connection to the divine. Seeing creation as being rudderless, feeling the universe is out to get you or is attacking you, and feeling that there is something fundamentally wrong with life and creation. Feeling that human life & experience is a mistake or a punishment. Feeling that there is no point to life or failing to see the bigger picture.

The Father
Tyranny, neglect. Being overly authoritarian, missing opportunities for gentle guidance. Fear of authority or being an authority, apprehensive about responsibility.

The Fixer

Meddling, causing more harm than good, over-correcting, trying to 'fix' what isn't broken, feeling that you will be punished if you get what you want, not accepting what is, not moving on, paying too high a price, or thinking there is a price to be paid when there isn't.

The Fortunate

Over-reliance on luck, entitlement. Not checking your privilege. Taking things for granted, missing the blessings in one's life. Fear of good fortune, perhaps feeling undeserving or anxious about losing it. Bad luck.

The Gatekeeper

Obstruction, unnecessary barriers, red tape, needless delays, unnecessary barriers, not recognising when to let things through. Fear of barriers, or alternatively, fear of opening up too much. Feeling every box is Pandora's box. Being closed down, being unapproachable, not being helpful. Throwing your weight around.

The Giver

People pleasing, giving mindlessly, not recognising when to hold back or receive. Selfish withholding. Being selfish or stingy, fear of generosity, perhaps due to a worry of depletion or lack.

The Guru

Misinformation, leading astray. Being trapped in dogma, not recognising the evolving nature of wisdom. Fear of wisdom. Apprehensive about embracing or imparting deeper insights. Not applying what you have learned. Imposter syndrome.

The Healer

Malpractice, causing harm. Not wanting to heal. Fear of healing or vulnerability, maybe due to past wounds. Letting illness define you. Hypochondria or faking sickness for attention.

The Idea

Stagnation, lack of innovation. Stuck in old patterns, not recognising innovative solutions. Fear of innovation or change, preferring the status quo. Doing things because "that's the way it's always been done." Copying other people's ideas. Imitation.

The Levitator

Being grounded to a fault, heaviness. Being aloof. Being on your high horse. Being in an ivory tower. Being too lost in the spiritual, missing the lessons of the earthly. Fear of transcendence, hesitating to rise above the mundane.

The Librarian

Information overload, analysis paralysis. Buying books but not actually reading them. Having access to information but ignoring it. Fear of knowledge or the unknown, apprehensive about learning more. Not wanting to know.

The Lovers

Dysfunctional relationships, dependence, missing the deeper connection. Fear of intimacy, emotional, or physical. Fear of commitment.

The Master

Arrogance, mastery without humility. Falling for the Dunning–Kruger effect. Being overly proud or egotistical, not recognising the constant need for growth. Fear of mastery or success, possibly feeling undeserving. Thinking you'll never be "good enough". Perfectionism.

The Media

Sensory overload, getting lost in noise. Over stimulated. Fear of communication or worry about misinterpretation. Afraid to put yourself "out there". Shyness. Feeling you aren't important.

The Messenger

Deliberate misinterpretation. Not listening. Not letting others speak or have their say. Blocking or closing down communication channels. The silent treatment or freezing people out. Fear of hearing the truth, hesitating to heed new information.

The Monk

Isolation to a detrimental extent. Running away. Separating yourself out of fear. Missing the value of community. Fear of solitude, apprehension about introspection. Feeling abandoned or abandoning someone else.

The Moon

Delusion, inability to distinguish reality. Being trapped in illusions, not recognising the reality. Fear of illusion or anxiety about what might be hidden. Not having hope. Not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. Mistaken a copy for the real thing.

The Mother

Smothering, Over-nurturing, not recognising when to let go or when tough love is needed. Fear of nurturing or being nurtured, perhaps due to past experiences. Not allowing yourself to be helped or looked after. Neglect.

The Opposer

Seeing someone innocent as an enemy. Blaming someone without evidence. Always seeing the worst in people. Misanthropy. Thinking everyone is out to get you. Blaming others for your failures. Fear of conflict or confrontation.

The Planet

Disconnection from the world, feeling alienated. Not recognising your sphere of influence. Feeling unwanted. Feeling alone. Feeling powerless. Feelings of not having any influence or sway. Fear of one's place in the wider universe or ecosystem, feeling insignificant.

The Protector

Overprotection. Being overly guarded, missing opportunities for vulnerability and connection. Fear of vulnerability, or alternatively, fear of being too shielded. Not taking the need for protection seriously. Not being protected.

The Protester

Rebelling without a cause, opposing without understanding, not recognising the root causes. Being self-righteous, not recognising one's own fallibilities. Feeling you are right about everything. Being a contrarian. Shouting people down. Fear of standing up, hesitating to voice out against injustice.

The Road Opener

Creating unnecessary obstacles, being a hindrance. Overlooking open paths, focusing solely on obstacles. Fear of new beginnings, preferring the familiar path. Always taking the road often taken. Not finishing things, constantly abandoning projects and starting new ones. Always looking for a way out. Escapism.

The Saint

Always asking for help even when you don't need it. Making others do things for you rather than doing it yourself. Not sharing your connections with other people. Bowing to expert authority and not trusting in your own ability. Seeing everything as a hierarchy. Feeling unable to help yourself. Feeling you need to plead to get what you want. Feeling that power belongs solely to other people.

The Seer

Misguidance, cloudy vision. Mistaking anxiety for an omen. Fear of visions or insights, worried about what the future might hold. Seeing only the good or bad in everything. Being too reliant on feelings.  
Not thinking enough. Ignoring the truth because you don't like how it makes you feel. Cognitive dissonance.

The Sun

Overexposure to something. Being blinded by the truth. Letting things dazzle you. Fear of power. Being overly energetic. Afraid of stepping into the light. Afraid of being seen. Preferring to stay in the shadows. Flying too close to the sun.

The Thinker

Paralysis by over-analysis, indecision. Over-relying on logic, not recognising the role of emotions. Over-thinking. Being a cynic. Being closedminded.

The Witch

Misuse of power, malevolent intentions. Getting lost in rituals, not recognising the innate magic within. Fear of magic, personal power, or the unknown. Seeing magic as evil or a sin. Being an "armchair magician"

Forty Servants Reversal Backing

Of course, there is one slight problem with using Reversals with the deck. The image on the back of the cards doesn't lend itself to Reversals, as you can see instantly when the cards are upside down.

So, to counter this, I've changed the backing on the Standard version of the deck to allow for "blind" Reversals. The icon shown above is now what will be on the back of the cards. Nothing else has been changed about the deck.

You can get the standard deck here: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/the-forty-servants. And you can use Reversals at checkout for 20% OFF!

THE MONTHLY FORTY SERVANTS READINGS.

Every month I do Forty Servant readings for my patrons as a thank you for their amazing and generous support. This is this month's batch!

RECENT NIDANA CARDS VIDEOS


There are some new new Nidana Videos, in which myself and Duncan Barford are going through each of the Nidana Cards and describing what they represent and how to use them in a divination setting.

WATCHING

Went to see The Creator last week. Overall, I really enjoyed it - there are parts of it that are truly top-class. Ultimately, it was badly let down by some really, really silly plot device issues towards the end.

The most disappointing bit about these issues is just how absolutely needless they were. For example, Why have a 10-minute countdown if you are going to ignore what's possible to do within that time completely? Just don't have the countdown or have a longer countdown. Some really, really clunky exposition, too.

That said, the effects are amazing, the world-building is perfect, and the characters are fantastic. This could have been one of the best Sci-fi movies ever, but instead is just a good sci-fi movie with dumb flaws that so easily could have been fixed.

It's still very much worth your time.

QUICK BOOK REVIEWS
I've been posting a number of Quick Book Reviews on social media recently. They're fun, and easy to do. You can check them out on YouTube with the links here, but they're available on all my social media.

Reality Transurfing by Vadim Zealand
The Sorcerer's Screed
Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallis
How to Become a Modern Magus by Don Webb
The Icelandic Book of Futhark
Daimonic Reality by Patrick Harpur
Plants of the Devil by Corinne Boyer
Jonathan Strange & Mt Norrell
The Magick of a Dark Song by Barford
Necronomicon by Simon
The Energy Cure by Bengston
Madame Blavatsky by Lachman
Strange Angel by Pendel
The Golden Sequence by Pollard
Ponder On This by Bailey
The Sleipnir Rune Cards
Last Call by Tim Powers

And that's it for another AIWW Newsletter, I hope you got something from it. If you'd like to chat about you can hit reply to this email or come find me over on Discord.

If you would like to support me in doing all the things I do, then feel free to join the PATREON, Buy me a BOOK, Buy a FORTY SERVANTS deck, Buy a NIDANA DECK, Get me something from my Amazon Wish List, or just send me some money via PAYPAL. It all really, really helps!

So, until next time,
MAY YOUR BEST DAYS BE AHEAD!

T


My name is Tommie Kelly, and I’m an Artist, Musician, Writer & Chaos Witch from Ireland. These periodic newsletters are about my creativity, spirituality, and magic adventures.

Check out Adventures In Woo Woo where you can read the archives and subscribe to future newsletters.

 

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Tommie Kelly
County Louth, Ireland.