WDA – Jones Davy’s Locker

I am still unpacking the Lenormand event that was the subject of my last post (Reflection On: WDA Lenormand Summit 2023). But I couldn’t miss the WDA’s Charity DivinationPRIDE event this past weekend.

It was packed with 21 online sessions covering a multitude of methods and systems, including:

How Actor Warm-ups Can Improve Your Readings
La Loteria: A Brief History and Guide for Divination
LGBTQ+ In the Cards
Master Your Journey with Runes
Your Living Sigil
Get Comfortable with the Gypsy Card
Introduction to the Oracle Belline
Reversals: Looking at the Flip Side

The sessions are recorded, and if you pay a little extra, you have lifetime access (as long as FB/Teachable hosts them – some events are stored only on FB in a private group).

I mention they are recorded as I need to either watch a couple I skipped at the time due to the need for food/sleep or rewatch to add to my notes. And it’s good to know that if you join the weekend, you’ll have a chance to catch up and rewatch them if needed.

The event started with Toni Savory using The Siren’s Song: Diving the Depths (the deck set she co-created with Carrie Paris & Tina Hardt). It’s a combined Lenormand & Kipper Cards set.

Toni showed us how to create a relationship box spread by combining the Lenormand and Kipper cards. I’m keen to see how mixing the decks will work. I have The Siren’s Song on the way, but you could mix Ciro Marchetti’s Gilded Reverie Lenormand and his Fe De Siècele Kipper as they are the same size and contain a similar art style.

And mixing systems, either mashing them together or knowing more than one, became a tool for growth throughout the weekend.

We had run-throughs of how individuals work with runes, Oracle Belline and Gyspy* Cards. I ordered a copy of the Oracle Belline after María Alviz Hernando‘s session and booked myself onto her WDA’s Master the Oracle Belline with confidence and accuracy. The use of planets in that system fascinates me. She’s also selling her edition of the Oracle Belline (her lnkr.ee has the links to MPC and PrinterStudio). I admit I went for the classic Grimaud edition, which was quicker to obtain.

Being seen is a big part of Divination Pride, and Malkiel Dietrich shared how he makes it easy to add LGBTQ+ recognition to several card systems. I’d never thought about sitters with multiple love interests, but he had those covered for each system, with the Gypsy* Cards giving the most options for male partners.

Speaking of covered, Albert R Juarez’s, aka alstarot.com, presentation was called Your Living Sigil, and he provided a tool for personal empowerment.

It was joyous to see another presentation on Lenormand by Anthony Carter; you can find him on TikTok as @carterscartomancy

Tarot didn’t get forgotten with Stella Boheme, Joe Montele, Lisa Papez, Mitchell Osborn, Ben Tomlin and others refreshing the tarot tool kit.

One of the presentations I need to watch is The Art of Divination by Rana George. It was a 2-hour interactive session, but I’m sure it will be as influential on replay.

I have taken so much joy from this weekend; I have more to come as I catch up.

The card I pulled for the weekend was bang on.

My card pull represents my Divination Pride experience

I am grateful to all the speakers for sharing their knowledge, the WDA crew for making it look seamless, and my fellow attendees who made it such a fun experience.

When is the next one???

This year’s event charity was OutRight Action International with speakers donating their fees to them.

Outright International works with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTIQ movement. We document and amplify human rights violations and advocate for inclusion and equality.

*I am using the title Gypsy cards as their known name; if I could substitute it quickly, I would.

The WDA’s Lenormand Summit 2023 was sold as:

Level – up your Lenormand reads and devote a weekend to celebrating the very best of the system! Each speaker and session is designed to highlight the techniques and reading methods professionals use. Both traditional and modern readers unite to bring you every combination of technique available to you – learn tips and tricks from our international speakers to employ in your divination tool belt and most importantly … discover which reading styles work best for you! The World Divination Association has gathered the very best of the Lenormand community together for one weekend to slash all your Lenormand woes and to celebrate all things Lenormand!

I adore the World Divination Association‘s work and am incredibly grateful for their online summits. They certainly do highlight techniques and reading methods used by professionals, and I did explore more of what reading style best works for me.

I have attended four previously: WDA Lenormand Summit 2020, WDA Virtual Event 2020, WDA Virtual Event 2021 & WDA Big Bang Conference 2020.

The Virtual Events 2020/2021 and Big Bang Conference bought together a large cast of speakers sharing their insights into various subjects. The sessions discussed card reading in all its forms. But they also covered Spirituality in Real Terms, Intuition Versus Psychic Ability, Calling in Ancestors to Guide your Year! Quantum Affirmations, and so many other topics.

The previous Lenormand Summit in 2020 brought together a host of Lenormand experts to share techniques to read the cards. The 2023 gathering was no different. Everyone shared something insightful.

As part of the opening ceremony, Toni Savory asked us to pull three spreads which set me up to enjoy the weekend.

The questions, my cards and my thoughts on the three spreads are below:

What will I learn? (Lustrous Lenormand)

This is a very postive spread – I will be learning connections that will make me happy. I’m going to see some growth and positive changes. I’m going to talk about tricks and techniques. Those are going to make me happy. And I’m going to access a positivity that will lift my spirits.

And it did – my spirits are lifted and my confidence is built up.

Which male speaker will I enjoy the most? (Maybe Lenormand)

I didn’t have enough knowledge of the speakers to decide at the time, but I described them as:

They are to the point
They have gifts they’ll hide today
They don’t get flustered
They have depths that they draw from

I enjoyed all the speakers, but I think this fits AJ Grugen.

Which female speaker will I enjoy the most? (Rana George Lenormand)

Again, I didn’t have enough knowledge of the speakers to decide at the time, but I described them as:

They are invested in and protective of Lenormand
They hide their charming/seductive side
They are committed to teaching
They have a vast knowledge

I enjoyed all the speakers, but I think this fits Toni Savory best.

I’m not going to review every speaker’s talk as you really needed to be there to gain the benefit of their wisdom, but I will list some of the takeaways.

Some reminders:

My Lenormand is my lenormand. It’s not Rana George’s, Caitlín Matthew’s or Toni Savory’s Lenormand. It’s mine. My cards: my way.
Even if you’re reading for yourself, read out loud, but always look three times first to get your story straight before you speak.
Placement is important. Is the card above, below infront or behind?
Cards can breathe. You can pause and move on between cards. You don’t need to merge everything.
The cards that are absent in smaller cards are as important as what’s cards are present
Sit with the original instructions and think about what they mean to me as a reader

Techniques to try:

I was sold on the cross spread as a complete reading
I want to use the Game of Hope Technique and Houses within my GTs.
The Master Method is not the same as Houses but seems to work very well. Experimentation is needed.
The Houses are part of a House Party, differernt rooms with different vibes – the cards act accordingly.

It looks like a short list, but I gained more than I’ve shared; a lot of the benefits were gained seeing other readers explain their techniques and experiencing how unique they all were.

Once of the great things about these events is that everyone is so supportive. The speakers get to present from their own space, with volunteers supporting them with any IT issues, and it’s open to anyone to speak. The vibe is postive and relaxed. It’s great to see speakers you wouldn’t normally see share their experience.

And As I’ve mentioned, everyone shared something insightful – I have pages of notes to go back over.

I enjoyed myself so much I’ve signed up for Divination Pride at the end of this month (29+30 July 2023).

I can’t wait.

There is still time for you to get your virtual ticket and join me.