I’ve been looking for an Autumn image to repurpose for a casting sheet when I came across the face of a vintage 1898 game board known as the Game of the Spider’s Web by the McLoughlin Brothers.  The art on the board depicts warm fall colors at sunset and Nature’s scurry of activity that happens just before the change of seasons.  Acting as the board’s focal point is a large spider with three of her young.  The strategy behind this “roll and move” game is for players to spiral outward to avoid the spiders while escaping the web.  While most would play by these rules, I couldn’t help but see the web as an opportunity for a casting sheet. One that acts as a web that captures meaning.

Situated throughout the spider’s web I’ve added 39 starter sentences that gather or attract answers via charm casting.   Out of the 39 sentences, 36 borrow inspiration from the cards that make up a Lenormand deck.  By the way, the first of you to correctly identify and pair all 36 Lenormand cards with their matching starter sentence wins the latest edition of the Magpie Oracle.   Just print out the casting sheet and write the Lenormand card number directly onto the matching sentences.  Scan or take a photo of your sheet and email it to me.   The winner will be contacted and announced on my Facebook page next weekend. Here’s how it works:

Begin with a question that connects you with the season.  I suggest a question that gives focus to letting go in order to prepare for something new.  Cast your Magpie Oracle charms over the sheet paying close attention to where they land, or in this case, where they get caught in the spider’s web.  More than one charm may land on a single starter sentence. I view this as a charged area or an aspect in my life that is calling for my attention.  Take note at how each sentence interacts with your charms and ask what the combinations say about you or your situation and what you wish to achieve.  You may notice a theme surfacing.  Take the time to discover what the theme is trying to tell you.

The Autumnal equinox signals a time of winding down, releasing and aligning with what we are thankful for.  I usually view this time as an opportunity to energetically clear space in order to prepare for the remaining fall and winter months.  If you come to a section in the web that points to a misalignment, don’t allow it to stick to your shimmering web.  Instead, work it out by practicing the art of gathering wisdom in order to understand the reason for the misalignment.  Once understood, let it go.  This taking stock releases old stories and creates space for the true alignments to enter your web.  In other words, take the best and leave out the rest.