Rainbow Reading

I wanted to do a quick reading to get some extra input on my new website project. I used the Rainbow Spread (from the book, Power Tarot) as it seemed appropriate, since the rainbow from yesterday's Ten of Cups card really stood out to me.

Rainbow Spread

1. Rain: What is holding you back from attaining your heart's desire
2. Drizzle: First steps you can take toward achieving what you want
3. Clearing: Who or what helps you
4. Sunshine: Best you can hope for
5. Rainbow: Short-term advice
6. Pot of gold: Long-term outcome


1. Rain: The Magician
What is holding me back from attaining my heart's desire:
Myself! Nothing impedes my success outside of my own abilities and beliefs. I need only use my knowledge, skills and power of manifestation to make this happen. I don't have to worry about outside obstacles, I just need to get my own butt in gear.

2. Drizzle: Two of Cups
First steps I can take toward achieving what I want:
I need to make a stronger connection with my project. When I saw this card, I immediately felt a "click". That feeling you get when you snap something into place, and it sticks there for good. I need to make that distinct click with my idea, which I haven't done yet.

3. Clearing: Two of Pentacles
Who or what helps me:
My ability to juggle multiple projects will be a benefit to me. Also, walking on precarious ground isn't new to me, and I'm not afraid of going out on a limb and taking risks.

4. Sunshine: Nine of Pentacles
Best I can hope for:
Well, now that's just about the most perfect card for this position! Independent, financial success and the confidence that comes with having achieved a great goal on my own.

5. Rainbow: Eight of Swords
Short-term advice:
I need to become more aware, alert, empowered and pro-active. Release myself from the self-imposed restrictions and limitations and just go for it! (This was also one of my daily draw cards today and last week as well, so it's a message I'm apparently meant to hear loud and clear.)

6. Pot of gold: Six of Swords
Long-term outcome:
A physical and/or spiritual solo journey to greener pastures. I somehow have the feeling it will be both. This project will bring me to new places, whether emotionally, spiritually or physically (or all of the above). I may feel uncomfortable or apprehensive about leaving my comfort zone, but ultimately it will lead me to a better place and an improved situation.

This was an encouraging reading and has given me helpful insight into what is needed at this stage of my project.

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Eight of Swords and Four of Cups

Ugh. What a downer it was to turn over these cards today. Sort of made me want to crawl back under the covers and go back to sleep! I didn't want these cards to be indicative of my day ahead. But I looked at them more intently and let them speak to me.

This is one of my favorite Eight of Swords cards, I love the artwork in it. The woman thinks she's doomed... she doesn't know that she's standing on a clear, safe, dry path in the middle of all the water. The swords surrounding her are parted, clearing the way for the dry path ahead of her. But she doesn't see either of these things because of the blindfold.

The guy in the Four of Cups, on the other hand, has full ability of sight, but chooses not to see what's right in front of him. He has three cups, and another one magically floating in the air, trying to get his attention. He's not interested. He's taking for granted the sight and resources that the blindfolded woman wishes she had.

This reminds me of something I was talking with my kids about yesterday. They were growing weary on the way back from our long walk, so I asked them, "What's great about this?" They refused to come up with anything. Then a few moments later, my son said, "We have legs to walk with, and some people are in wheelchairs. They wish they could walk like us, and we're complaining about it. We should be grateful." He read my mind. That's exactly what I was thinking of when I posed the question.

If I find myself feeling like the guy in the Four of Cups today, I'll ask myself, "What's great about this? What can I be grateful for in this situation? What is present here that the woman in the Eight of Swords would give anything to have?"

I'm quite happy that what started out looking like a grim pair of cards turned out to be very inspiring!

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Four of Swords and Ten of Cups

This is the second time recently that I've drawn the Four of Swords after having a bad dream the night before. I generally look at this card as a time to "rest one's weary bones", but it keeps creeping up on me to remind me of unpleasant dreams. It's nice that it's followed by the Ten of Cups though, as if to remind me that I can put the dream behind me and be grateful that I get to wake up to a more picturesque reality. It sort of feels like these cards are consoling me, as I would with my child if he/she had woken from a nightmare.

These cards have also also made me rethink some of the things I worry about during the day. When comparing them to a bad dream, it really puts things in better perspective!

My kids and I had planned to take a long walk this morning, but it's raining. So we're waiting for it to clear up a little. I don't mind walking in a little rain, but a long hike in a downpour is a bit much. Maybe we'll see a rainbow today like the one featured in the Ten of Cups!

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Seven of Wands and Page of Cups

These cards very accurately describe what I'm going through today. For awhile now, I have been throwing around the idea of creating a new website , and over the past few days I've actually begun the process. The Seven of Wands would be me - fighting off my doubts and fears about the undertaking of such a large endeavor. The Page of Cups represents the project itself. I often see this card as the intuitive nature of children, and the focus of my website will be on raising intuitive and self-empowered kids.

These cards seem to be giving me a green light, letting me know that I am in an advantageous position where I can overpower my doubts and fears, and that this project is something I should pursue.

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Queen of Wands and The Fool

Well, The Fool's come back today. Or rather it seems he never left. But today when I saw him, I saw the Pied Piper. Playing the music that causes creatures to follow him as if in a trance. First the butterflies, then the dog... his music is so powerful that he's now conjured the Queen of Wands herself! I looked at this Queen differently than I've ever seen her before. This is really the first time I've actually looked at a Wand as a wand. As in a magic wand. This queen looks like a witch to me, like Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz. She reminds me of a female counterpart to the Magician.

I get the distinct feeling that these cards are telling me today that I have the power to conjure some magic in my life today. While I'm not a witch, and I don't practice magic in the usual sense of the word, I do believe in (and have often experienced) the power of deliberate creation and synchronicity. So I will definitely keep this feeling at the forefront of my mind today and see what magical event(s) I can come up with!

Update: I knew there was a reason the Queen of Wands reminded me of The Magician today, I just didn't know why! In this afternoon's mail, I received a replacement for my missing Magician card in my Robin Wood deck! Amazing!! Now my deck is complete. I just knew there was magic in the air today!

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Page of Pentacles and The Fool

Today I drew the Page of Pentacles and The Fool. What a fun pair this is! These kids are meeting each other in the fields for what looks like will be a fantastic day! The girl brings a book and a coin (knowledge and resources). The boy brings a flute and a full backpack (music and surprises). Both of these characters are eager to jump into new activities, so when they get together, it's going to be a good time!

The girls is barefoot, she's not afraid to get dirty and frolic in nature. The boy is dressed in bright colors and patterns, flowers in hair, ribbons streaming behind, butterflies fluttering around him...he is surrounded by whimsy.

Two young kids without a care in the world meeting on a beautiful spring day to share their love of life and childlike wonder with each other. What could be better than that? Those types of days are nothing short of magical. I actually woke up this morning feeling rather peppy and happy about the day for no particular reason. It'd certainly be a nice feeling to have last throughout the day.

These cards today remind me of an old passion of mine coming back into my life. Last night I started a new project that I'm really enjoying. It's actually an old project that I picked up again. Yesterday I crocheted a bag for one of my new tarot decks, and when I was looking through my stash of yarn, I came across an abandoned knitting project that I started four years ago. I haven't knitted anything in ages, so I re-familiarized myself with the pattern (Page of Pentacles), and started again (The Fool) where I left off years ago. It was such a great feeling to immerse myself in a hobby that I've let go by the wayside. I worked on it for awhile today too, and it makes me wonder why I've gone so long without it. It feels great to make a new start with an old passion!

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Daily Draw - Five of Swords and Six of Cups

This week I'm using the Robin Wood Tarot for my daily draws. Today I drew the Five of Swords again, and it also falls with another card that makes me think "Give and Take" when I see the two together. And like the Sakki-Sakki Knight of Cups did yesterday, the little boy is also offering flowers in a cup! That is really a pretty strange coincidence. The similarities between yesterday's draw and today's are striking.

Upon first look, the kid in the Five of Swords card appears to be pretty cocky, but in a way that makes me think that he didn't forcefully take the swords from the men in the background. It feels more like he has won them, perhaps in a game of wits, the swords representing the mind. It's two against one, so they could probably take their swords back easily enough. But this kid has won them fair and square. He seems pretty pleased with himself, to the point of gloating, which doesn't look very nice from the point of view we have here. But perhaps the two men first tried to take advantage of the boy, underestimating him, and he cleverly outwitted them, teaching them a lesson.

Meanwhile... Back in the village, a young romantic hands a little girl a cup of flowers. It's a very sweet and sunshiny card. When I look at it, it feels like it's giving me a closer peek into the life of the boy in the Five of Swords Card. The Six of Cups further confirms my feeling that this kid probably isn't the bad boy the Five of Swords would make him out to be. He has a sweet side. He's clever and sweet and doesn't let anyone take advantage of him. He uses his smarts when need be, and reveals his sensitivity easily as well.

This pair of cards reminds me that things aren't always what they seem. Judging a person or a situation without knowing the full story is very careless and unfair. I'll keep that in mind, in case such a situation should present itself to me today.

Deck: Robin Wood Tarot

Misadventures and a Message from Missing Magician and Master

Boy, was that a m-m-mouthful! I recently purchased the Robin Wood Tarot deck from a fellow tarot forum member. I wanted to get my hands on a really old, broken in, soft, well worn deck. It arrived just so, and pretty dirty, so I spent hours cleaning the front and back of each card with an eraser. Then I spent another couple of hours trimming the borders off and rounding the corners. And then I realized the deck was missing a card. Yep, probably should have counted them before spending hours devoted to their care.

What's bizarre is that the missing card just happened to be the one which had previously prevented me from purchasing this deck. The Magician. Usually one of my favorite cards to draw, the Magician in this deck is wearing a dead deer head on top of his own. As an animal lover, that repelled me every time I saw it. But still, there were so many other cards that I liked the look of, so I thought I'd give it a chance. So for the deck to come missing the one card that I was repulsed by was pretty strange.

Obviously, I can't do readings for anyone else using this deck, but I made a makeshift replacement card so I could use it for my own readings. (I needed a matte card, so I took the extra title card from my Dream Cards deck, and trimmed it to the same size.) This card will now represent the Magician when I draw it.

The woman who sold me the deck was gracious enough to send me another deck (Osho Zen), to replace the incomplete one. I jokingly asked her if all the cards were accounted for before she sent it. When I received the deck, I had to laugh, because there actually was a card missing from that deck as well! The Osho Zen deck comes with 79 cards, as there is an extra "Master" card to be used in readings with the deck. This is a card that a lot of people find creepy, and often decide to remove it from the deck before working with it. So it's not a huge deal, but I would have liked to have that decision to make for myself, and the option of keeping it in.

So what's the moral of this story? Both the Magician and the Master basically represent being master of your own life. Obviously the universe is sending me a very clear message, one that I was sure not to miss. There must be something I'm neglecting, something that is "missing" from my current status of being master of my fate. I will definitely have to do some meditating on this one. And then get my manifesting butt in gear and back on track!

Decks: Robin Wood Tarot and Osho Zen Tarot

Week in Review

Previous Week's Tally

(Monday May 19 - Sunday May 25):

Majors: 1 (The Emperor)
Courts: 3 (Queen of Rods, Page of Coins, Knight of Cups)
Minors: 10 (Ace, 2, 4, 5, 6 of Rods; 5 & 8 of Swords; 6 & 10 of Coins; 7 of Cups)

Cups: 2
Wands: 6
Swords: 2
Pentacles: 3

Well, last week I had a Major card appear every day of the week, and this week I only had one! Lots of Rods action happening this week. I also drew two cards for the first time on this blog, both 5's, which is interesting...The Five of Rods and the Five of Swords.

I loved working with the Sakki-Sakki again this week. It's going to be a hard deck to put away!

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Knight of Cups and Five of Swords

When I first looked at this pair of cards, side by side, the phrase that immediately came to mind was "Give and Take". The Knight of Cups is my "gift" card, the card I always get when I receive a surprise gift from someone. This Knight is generous and giving. The scary creature in the Five of Swords card is viciously taking swords away from the people in the background. He doesn't give two hoots about them, all he cares about is himself. But here comes the Knight, ready to give his cup of flowers to these people. He carries three flowers, one for each of the people in the other card. And flowers are much nicer than swords, so it seems they'll be just fine in the end. Maybe he'll also bring some of the bright and cheery colors from his world into their dark, drab existence.

Today I have a list a mile long of things I need to get done. It's a day full of give, give, give, and I don't know if I'll have a chance to take some time for myself. But it seems that when all I've given of myself today has been taken by others, when all is said and done, there just might be a "knight" who will deliver me a blessing. That makes the day a little brighter, having something nice to look forward to.

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Seven of Cups and The Emperor

What an odd duo this is. The Seven of Cups is more "me". Hemming and hawing over choices and possibilities, living in my own little fantasy world. I don't like the Emperor and his strict rules and regulations. It's boring and restrictive and I feel stifled just thinking about it.

But again, it's a pretty accurate pair of cards to describe my day. This morning I got up early and started making things happen Emperor-style. Rather than procrastinating doing my work until later in the day like I usually do, I had to get it out of the way earlier than usual because my daughter is sick, and I need to spend the day taking care of her and making sure she gets plenty of love. Because she is sick to her stomach, she needs to adhere to certain dietary regulations (there's the Emperor again!). She's laying in bed today, limited to her thoughts and imagination (Seven of Cups), rather than being active.

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Five of Rods and Eight of Swords

This morning I drew the Five of Rods and the Eight of Swords. Another draw that accurately describes the momentum of my day.

That's me in the Eight of Swords, thinking I'm limited, but really knowing it's all an illusion, and that I'm trapped only by the swords of my mind.

I see myself also in the Five of Rods as the largest figure holding the rod with arms out as if to say, "Well? What do I do with this thing?" I just don't know how to get started. The figure in the top left is saying, "Look! Over there!" pointing to the Eight of Swords. The Rods of Action are the tools to be used to free her. As long as she is sedentary, her thoughts will bind her in this stagnant place. The figure on the bottom left is holding her rod up high with conviction and direction shouting, "Charge!!!" The two figures on the bottom right are already warming up for the battle. From them I hear the karate sounds of, "Hiiii-Ya!!!"

These are all pieces of me, inner voices and cheerleaders telling me to take charge and break through the limitations that my mind is trying to impose on me, holding me back from my potential. I'm somewhat immobilized like the figure in the Eight of Swords, sitting doing nothing, not feeling motivated enough to be one of the proactive figures in the Five of Rods. But this morning I woke up with that extra oomph and desire to step out of my comfort zone and push through some of my self-imposed barriers. So this pair of cards paint a perfect picture of my day today. Action is the necessary call of the day.

What's funny is that when I later read through the accompanying book, the artist states that the larger figure in the Five of Rods represents the querent, and that's exactly how I saw her. A similar thing happened yesterday as well, when it looked to me like the Page of Coins didn't know what the heck to do with the Coin in his hand, and when I read the book later, the artist had said the same thing about him.

Side note: So far this week, I've drawn the Ace, 2, 4, 5, 6, and Queen of Rods. That's a lot of Rods, and so many in a row, only missing the 3!

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Page of Coins and Ten of Coins

Today I drew the Page of Coins and the Ten of Coins. It's funny, so far every day this week I've drawn either two of the same number card or two of the same suit. The cards are coming up in neat little pairs this week.

This Page of Coins looks like a cross between a Picasso figure and Sylvester Stallone. He doesn't look too bright. In fact, when I first turned this card over, I heard him say, "Duuuhhhhh...." He looks utterly confused about what to do with the huge coin in his hand, and looks like he might even be about to trip over his own feet. Being a messenger, he's headed straight for the get-together happening in the Ten of Coins. The family in that card is looking up at their tree, ripe and abundant with colorful coins. For them, money does grow on trees! And here comes the Page with yet another coin. Without even looking, they're attracting more money to them. But I think the Page is headed toward this family because he wants to ask them how they did it. He's got this one coin, and he doesn't have a clue how to make it multiply.

I woke up this morning with this very overwhelming urge to create another avenue of income. I just don't know what avenue to pursue. So I'm this Page, with this distinct desire, coupled with the ignorance of how to approach it. Absolutely perfect set of cards to illustrate what's going through my mind today! I'll probably draw a few more cards later today to see if I can get some ideas stirring.

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Guinea Pigs Needed for Reading Experiment!

I'm working on developing a system of reading, using playing cards and tarot cards in tandem. I'm still continuing to fine-tune my own meanings for the playing cards, so this is still in the experimental stages.

I'd like to do a few trial runs for others. The playing cards will be used to tell you what you are currently thinking, feeling, doing, and where you're headed. The tarot cards will then let you know what you should be thinking about, feeling, doing and heading toward. I'll lay out the cards and tell you what I see. I don't want any questions or specific areas of inquiry. You could be spending a lot of time thinking about one area of your life, but your actions may be doing something else entirely, so for this particular reading, it would be too limiting to narrow down the field. It's all open game.

The only requirement is that you agree to provide honest feedback for each of the areas I covered. The purpose of these readings is to see what works and what doesn't, which can only been discovered by hearing back from you.

I will email the readings, which will likely be very brief and to-the-point, based on the ones I've done so far. As I have my own system for using playing cards, I won't be disclosing what cards I've pulled, since it wouldn't make sense isolated that way. I'll just tell you what messages I have received from them.

If anyone's interested in helping me out by being a test subject, please email me at: tarotdame@gmail.com. Just include your name, but no other information. If I get any takers, I'll do the readings this weekend (or earlier, if I have the time). I now have all the test subjects I need for this weekend! Thank you to everyone who emailed me offering their guinea pig services! :)

Kiki

Daily Draw - Four of Rods and Queen of Rods

I love looking at these cards. The art design and unique and vibrant color combinations remind me of Dr. Seuss and Alice in Wonderland (other favorites of mine). This deck is full of funky and colorful designs that always make me smile. It's the deck I was wishing would exist when I first began reading tarot.

The Four of Rods features an eclectic castle, apparently the home of the Queen of Rods. The Four of Rods can indicate a celebration, and the Queen of Rods is definitely the life of the party. I am so not the Queen of Rods! I don't enjoy being the center of attention. I much prefer to sit back and watch those who do thrive in that role.

There isn't any celebration happening today, or even this week, so I'm guessing these cards are suggesting that I act as though there were. I woke up a little sluggish and lethargic today, so I think these cards are telling me to put a little more spring into my step. Have more fun, be more energetic and whimsical. Take an ordinary day, such as today, and celebrate like there was a party going on!

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Two of Rods and Ace of Rods

Yesterday I read the first half of the Sakki-Sakki book (Playing with Symbols: The Essential Companion Book to The Sakki-Sakki Tarot & to Your Creative Journey), including the introductions and all the Majors. I bookmarked my place between the two pages discussing the Ace and Two of Rods. Then I drew both of these cards today! It always makes my day to start the morning with a little synchronicity.

The book is so great, as the artist gives detailed explanations on the meanings of the art designs, symbols and coloring in each card. The Majors also each include the artist's "personal reflections" section, and it feels as though you are reading through parts of her personal diary. For me, those precious peeks into her mind and soul are alone worth the price of the book.

In the Two of Rods, there is a design in the background that I am drawn to, the pattern and coloring reminding me of a cheetah. The cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet. Since I was drawn to this aspect of the card more than any other, it made me feel that something is going to be happening really fast. In the foreground, there is a woman holding a rod in one hand and a globe in another. She looks a little surprised. Entering the card on the left side is the leg and arm of another woman, also holding a rod. I get the feeling that this woman entering has just given the globe to the woman in the card, which she wasn't expecting to receive. The fact that the second woman's identity isn't shown to us in the card further brings home the feeling that it was something the first woman couldn't have seen coming.

Here's where my mind went, in a quick visual flash, when I saw these two cards together. The woman entering the card hands the globe over to the other woman, who isn't quite sure what to do with it. It all happens so quickly (cheetah figure). The two rods come together and are magically fused as one, creating a much larger, more colorful, more beautiful, flowering rod that is seen in the Ace of Rods card. The flowering of this mutation lights up the sky and earth in celebratory colors and whimsical patterns. I saw the woman "off stage" disappear, while the one left holding the globe now has this new and improved rod. Everything happened so fast and so unexpectedly, and now she has this beautiful tool (rod) with which she can beautify her world (represented by globe in her hands).

That's what came to me. I didn't attempt to analyze these cards, the image just involuntarily flashed before my eyes like a movie. So if I were to apply this to my life, I'd guess that there will be something coming into my life very quickly and suddenly, perhaps even magically, definitely something I wasn't expecting, but it will be a beautiful thing that will enrich my life. ...Sounds good to me!

I also wanted to mention that this Ace of Rods is my favorite Ace of Rods/Wands of any deck. I love it so much that while I was awaiting this deck in the mail last year, I saved the image of this card onto my desktop to look at every day. When my deck/book set arrived, I was amazed to find that the artist had included a bookmark featuring the image on the Ace of Rods! That was a delightfully synchronous surprise!

Note: Playing with Symbols: Written and illustrated by Monicka Clio Sakki (with wordsmith Carol Anne Buckley).

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - Six of Rods and Six of Coins

This week I'll be using my Sakki-Sakki deck for my daily draws. This is one of my favorite decks. I love the funky artwork and vibrant colors!

Two sixes today. Sixes are about harmony and balance. The Six of Rods shows a vibrantly decorated woman walking down a colorfully patterned road. It reminds me of the Yellow Brick Road with pizazz. The accompanying book (which is excellent) likens it to the famous Red Carpet. This card is usually shown with people happily greeting the person arriving. I can't figure out whether the figures behind this woman look excited or upset. They remind me a little of paparazzi for some reason, calling out their inane questions to this woman. But she walks on, standing tall, going on with her life.

Arriving at a certain level of success puts you in the position to give to others, as shown in the Six of Coins. Perhaps the woman in the first card is on her way to a charity event. The figures on the ground in the Six of Coins look pretty despondent. They can't even sit up. They are in great need of help. There is a figure above them (who reminds me of Friar Tuck from Robin Hood) who is letting coins fall to the people in need. Relief is just seconds away for them, and even more help is on the way (from the woman in the Six of Rods card). Friar Tuck has two sets of hands. One set holds the coins, while the other two hands hold a scale. This gave me the impression that when you freely give to others, you will never be empty handed yourself.

These cards have inspired me to give of myself today to someone in greater need than myself, and to be very grateful if I happen to be on the receiving end of generosity.

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Quick Reading: Practical Advice for the Day

Wrapping up my use of the Morgan-Greer this week, I asked the deck for some quick farewell guidance on how I should spend my energies today. I used my Charlotte Mason spread.

1. Something to think about
Five of Swords - I should be mindful today that I don't treat anyone unfairly, or allow anyone else to take advantage of me. Don't let the sun set with any hard feelings or negative thoughts about anyone.

2. Something to do
9 of Cups - Be HAPPY and appreciate of all my blessings!

3. Something to love
The World - Love the freedom and beauty of the world around me, and feel great about my place in it.

The World was one of the cards in my daily draw today, and the Nine of Cups appeared in yesterday's draw! This deck is giving me big flashing lights letting me know that life is GOOD!!!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Charlotte Mason Spread

This spread is one of my favorites to do for quick, practical guidance. I named this spread after Charlotte Mason because it's inspired by her belief that children need three things every day: Something to think about, something to do and something to love. I love this advice, not only for my children but for myself as well, so I turned it into a tarot spread. I use it when I want a focused direction for my day or week ahead.

1---2---3

1. Something to think about
2. Something to do
3. Something to love


Click here to see readings I have done using this spread.


~Kiki

Week in Review

Previous Week's Tally

(Monday May 12 - Sunday May 18):

Majors: 9 (Devil, Tower, Chariot, Hermit (twice!), Moon, Magician, Wheel of Fortune, World)
Courts: 3 (Page of Pentacles (twice!), King of Cups)
Minors: 4 (5 Pentacles, Ace Cups, 9 Cups, 4 Swords)

Cups: 3
Wands: 0
Swords: 1
Pentacles: 3

I had at least one Major appear every day this week. It was a very interesting week with the cards, that's for sure!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - Four of Swords and The World

This morning I drew the Four of Swords and The World, which basically confirms the reading I did last night with the Sakki-Sakki Tarot.

While I've been snoozing my life away (Four of Swords), the World has been passing me by. My stagnant hibernation has blinded me to the realization that there is so much freedom and wonder available to me if I will just wake up to it. It's within me at all times, and I need to stop waiting for some external source to bring me the life I desire.

Last night I had a very long, drawn out nightmare. Like the knight in this card, laying beneath four swords directed at his head, my dream had me stuck in a place of terror for a very long time, awaiting the worst. But I eventually woke up, extremely relieved to realize it had been just a dream. This is another sign telling me to "wake up" and be more alive! I'm not supposed to just muddle through life... I want to dance through it!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

My Conversational Reading with the Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Me: Tell me what I need to know right now. Just tell me true.

(Shuffle...cut...deal out four cards)

Me: What's this all about? What's really underneath my question? (Flip over the deck to reveal the bottom card)

SS (Four of Cups): You're just laying there. You see those three cups? You're not willing to make the trek. It's too far away. Really? Okay then, Princess, here comes a gust of wind bringing one closer to you. Here. Here's your cup, floating in on a whimsical cloud. Is that better for you? Nope. Still not close enough. Not even gonna get up for that one either.

Me: I'm not making any effort to reach out and grab what I want. I'm just sitting around waiting for it to be delivered into my hands. This reading is about my lack of motivation, my inactivity, my feeling just uninspired and blah. Every day's the same, and nothing exciting is happening. This is all true.

SS (Sun): Do you see? The light originates within her and radiates out, not vice versa.

Me: I illuminate my world around me, not the other way around. I can't wait for my life to light me up, I have to shine my light onto everything in my life, changing my world from the inside out. It's up to me how my world appears and changes. I need to affect my circumstances, rather than continue to sit around and allow my circumstances to affect me. I need to shine. I need to be the source.

SS (Six of Swords): Things not workin' out for ya? Well, then leave this place and go somewhere else. You don't need to stay here, stuck and bored. Move on. Find another interesting place. Go make another place interesting. Go visit the Queen of Coins. Ask her how she came to the success she enjoys.

Me: How, Queen? How do you live such a luxurious lifestyle? I want what you have. How did you do it?

SS (Queen of Coins): Your way will differ from mine. Go see the Priestess. She showed me the way. She will tell you how.

Me... (Silenced and uncomfortably intimidated by the High Priestess who looks like Marilyn Manson...)

SS (High Priestess)...(Stares back at me, equally silent.)

Me...(to myself) What can I look at, let me find something else to look at so I can look away from this disturbing figure... Ah, pomegranates. I LOVE the red/pink color combo.

SS (High Priestess)...(communicating telepathically)... You are too easily distracted. You distract yourself when you don't want to face what you should face. You stare at pomegranates because I frighten you. This is not me. This is not my real face. What you are afraid of is an illusion. Underneath it, it is all okay. Everything is always okay. Don't shy away from life, looking for distractions. Live life. Live, feel, love, shine, grow, learn, celebrate, thrive, be. But don't hide. There's not enough time for hiding. Don't squander your precious time.

Me: Wow.

SS (High Priestess)...(suddenly not looking quite as scary.) Look at the pomegranates now. But look at them with purpose. For the sake of looking at them, rather than having them be a default target. Look at them because you want to see them. Feel their colors. Smell them. Taste the seeds. Feel them pop in your mouth, sharing their sweet juice with you. They are lovely and wonderful and you missed all that because you looked at them with avoidance on your mind. You looked at them but you didn't see them. Don't walk through life in a daze. That's not how it's meant to be. Live in every moment. Be. Fully be.

Me: (overwhelmed, I can't think of a single thing to say, except:) Thank you. For everything you just opened up within me. Thank you.

SS (High Priestess)...(Smiling, now looking beautiful and nothing like Marilyn Manson.) Don't forget.

Me: I hope I won't.


I hope I don't. I really hope I don't forget the gift I just received.

Deck: Sakki-Sakki Tarot

Daily Draw - King of Cups, Nine of Cups and The Hermit

Today I drew the King of Cups and the Nine of Cups. When I cut the cards, another card leaped down onto the other two. It was the Hermit. I put him above the other two cards... he's standing on a high rock looking down, and it looks like he's shining his light over the other two from above. I took this to mean that he is emphasizing the importance of these cards today. He really wants me to see and understand them.

The King of Cups lives true to his inner desires. He doesn't work at a job he hates, he's not out just to make a buck. He does what he loves, that is his life. The Nine of Cups is the wish card. The dreams-do-come-true card.

The King is staring off into the distance, lost in his thoughts, and it looks to me as though he's remembering back to a time when he was younger and just beginning to realize his dreams, his younger self in the Nine of Cups.



The King of Cups is my ultimate goal realized, living out my dreams every day. The Nine of Cups indicates that a wish of mine will come true, causing a landmark breakthrough on the path to become this King. I don't have the greatest memory, so if it's something that I will actually remember and reflect on later in life, then it's got to be something significant... a distinct turning point in my life.

On another note, this deck is amusing to me because it's full of characters who remind me of real people. The King of Cups reminds me so much of a boy I had a crush on in middle school. The long horse-like face, long jaw, squared chin, blue eyes... the boy looked just like this, even though he was only in 6th grade. The lad in the Nine of Cups reminds a bit of a young Oliver Platt.

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - The Magician, Ace of Cups and The Wheel of Fortune

Today as I made my cut, the part of the deck remaining in my hand divided in two, creating another cut. So I pulled my first two cards (The Magician and Ace of Cups) from my original cut, then added the third card (The Wheel of Fortune) which was trying to get my attention from the additional cut. This was a fun set of cards to read together today.

The Magician can do anything he sets his mind to. He's powerful and he knows it. One hand is pointing up to the spiritual world, while the other hand points down to the earth of the physical plane. These hands of his are featured in both of the following two cards, where we see magical, mysterious hands coming out of thin air, both arriving in a puff of clouds. The hand that is raised upward is in the Ace of Cups, representing spirit, and the hand that is pointing down is found in the Wheel card, representing the physical. I need to recognize my spiritual abundance (Ace of Cups) and physical good fortune (Wheel), and use this combination to attract, create and expect more magic in my life.

Another thing I saw was a cup in each of the cards. In the Magician card, the cup is filled with a deep red color, and the first thing I thought of was blood, which sustains life, and represents thriving on the physical plane. But as this isn't a vampire deck, I assumed it was supposed to be wine. The cup in the Ace of Cups is overflowing with water. This made me think of the biblical story of turning water into wine, but in this case, it's the other way around. The Magician has turned wine into water, and it continually overflows, creating the body of water below, providing more than enough for anyone who is thirsty. The cup in the Wheel card is held by a King who appears to be having a ball on top of the wheel of his fortune. (I'm assuming this water has been turned back into wine at this point, as he'd probably have to be a little drunk to be sitting in such a precarious place. He has no way of knowing in which direction the Magician's hand will turn the wheel next.) What I saw in these cups today is the feeling of vitality, abundance, magic, exhilaration and celebration, as well as being a nod to water signs, which my sign happens to be.

While writing this post, I just realized something amazing! Yesterday I wrote about how both my cards were Nines (and Majors). I noted that if I could get through the mystery, I would move onto 10's, naming the Wheel as one of those lucky Tens. And sure enough, the Wheel showed up today. And not only that, the Wheel reduces to the number 1, making all three of my cards today Ones! Wow! I see this as a very positive message. Ones represent the source of all energy and creation, where power, potential and beginnings are born. There's definitely magic in the air!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - The Hermit and The Moon

This morning I woke up feeling a heavy but completely mysterious sense of significance about the day ahead. The first thing I did after getting out of bed was grab my deck. I wanted my cards to reflect this feeling, so I felt the need to draw the cards while I was still experiencing it.

The Moon perfectly describes this mysterious feeling. The Hermit suggests the need to set aside some time to reflect if I want enlightenment on the subject.

Yesterday was filled with non-stop activity. It was one of those days where every minute was filled with something to do, leaving me no time to have a single thought to myself. Today it seems I am being called to return to spirit and thought.

The background behind the Hermit looks to me as though the dark background is dripping down the light area, just like paint dripping down a wall. I realize it's probably "supposed to" be seen as mountains in the background, against a dark backdrop, but today I see it differently. It looks like one of those psychological tests where you try to see the shapes the light makes against the dark, and then vice versa, creating completely different images. The darkness in the Hermit card (representing the blind unknown of the Moon) is spreading down upon me and needs illuminating, so the Hermit lifts his lantern up to it so he can see.

The darkness isn't a negative feeling, just one of not being able to see clearly. This reminds me of something that happened last night. My son is afraid to travel through the house at night, when it's completely dark. He needs a light or a companion. My daughter, who is two years younger than him, is completely fearless in the dark. Late last night, she and I went to get something together, and all the lights were out. I couldn't see a thing. My hands fumbled against the wall trying to find the light switch for several moments. When I finally found it and turned the light on, I looked ahead, and my daughter was halfway across the room, in the process of walking straight ahead, confidently and purposefully. The darkness hadn't deterred her mission for a single moment. I couldn't even see enough to find the light switch, and she was having no troubles finding her way in the complete darkness. She had an inner light of confidence, and I was impressed, because even I wouldn't have been able to walk through the dark that quickly... delayed not by fear, but by the simple uncertainty and potential of bumping into something.

Today I feel there is something I need to find my way through, but I can't yet put my finger on what that is.

Note: The Moon (18) is exactly twice that of the Hermit (9), and the Moon also reduces to the number 9. This suggests to me that when I figure it all out, and decipher the code that these two cards are alluding to, then I will have conquered the Nines, which will bring about a sense of completion or fulfillment. After the 9's come the 10's...the good fortune of The Wheel and the success and illumination of the Sun!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - Page of Pentacles and The Chariot

Today I drew the Page of Pentacles (again) and The Chariot. When I think of the Page of Pentacles, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a love of learning. The Chariot is making its way toward the Page. I feel this Charioteer will be bringing the Page something today, possibly gifts in the mail for my daughter's birthday, maybe delivering something educational, to fuel the Page's love of learning.

Update: The mailman drove up our driveway today (Chariot), delivering six packages for us, the majority of them being for my daughter's birthday. Three of the packages contained a combined total of over 20 books (Page of Pentacles)!

And on a sillier note, the Chariot can also be seen as the pizza delivery guy who is currently on his way here, while the Page's round pentacle represents the pizza. :)

Another update: WOW!! My daughter has been begging for my True Love Tarot deck for ages now. Today I handed it over to her to keep as her own. She just did a little shuffle and pulled two cards from the deck. She drew the Princess of Gems (Page of Pentacles) and The Chariot!!!!! The exact same cards I drew today...I literally sat there staring at her cards with dropped jaw. What are the odds? Unbelievable!! She's a little magician!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - Page of Pentacles and The Tower

Today was one of those amazing WOW readings with the cards. This morning I drew the Page of Pentacles and The Tower. These two cards refer to my eight year old son's prediction of the Florida wildfires. The Page can represent a child or a messenger. In this case it's both. The flames in the Tower card represent the message itself.

The other night, we were watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and right before the commercial, it was the part where Indiana Jones was in the snake pit holding a fire torch. When it cut to commercial, I started flipping channels. I landed on an old SNL episode where they were spoofing Oprah. One of her guests was a woman whose house was lost in a fire, and another cast member was seated next to her, playing John Travolta plugging his "fire" movie, Ladder 49.

A couple seconds later, my son heard a truck going by our house, and as it's a very quiet street, he was curious. He exclaimed that it was a fire truck, and wondered why it didn't have its sirens on. Then I flipped back to the Indiana Jones movie, and got there just in time to see a commercial featuring a foot with flames coming out of the toes.

I was completely oblivious to all of this until my son put it all together, announcing that we had just witnessed four things relating to fire within a couple of minutes. He said it must be a message that there would be wildfires here in Florida soon. I said maybe he was right (as I didn't want to negate any messages he felt he was receiving), but also didn't want him to worry or be afraid, so I told him that if there were wildfires, they would probably be more likely to occur in another part of the country (which I thought to be true).

These "fire messages" happened on Saturday night. Last night (Monday), I was flipping through the channels during a commercial (yes I always do this, I can't stand sitting through commercials). I flipped by a news channel... I never watch the news, but something caught my eye and made me stop. They were showing live footage of wildfires sweeping across Florida. I couldn't believe it! I'm not sure when the fires had originated, but lo and behold, my son had been right, and his message was confirmed less than two days later!

So the Page of Pentacles card (with its fiery red, orange and yellow colors) represents the messages my young son was receiving about the Florida wildfires (whose flames are clearly seen in the Tower card). The Page has his back to the Tower, so it doesn't look like he will be directly involved with the fires (hopefully indicating the area we live in won't be affected). The Tower being behind his head shows that it's something that he saw with his mind, rather than his eyes. What's interesting is that the Tower is in the water, with waves crashing up against it, and these fires are happening along the Atlantic coast of Florida, a peninsula state surrounded by the ocean.

What an amazing pair of cards to come up today. What surprised (and impressed) me was my son's reaction to it all. When I told him the news this morning, confirming the wildfires, and also about the tarot cards I drew this morning, he looked at me like, "Yeah, and...???" He wasn't phased by it because it didn't come as a surprise to him. He never doubted the message, and just assumed it would be true. So why shouldn't it be confirmed on TV and in my cards? He probably would have been more surprised if it hadn't. I love that!

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Daily Draw - The Devil and Five of Pentacles

This week I'll be using my Morgan-Greer Tarot for my daily draws. I've gone through all of my tarot decks on the blog now, and I'm looking for a way to keep things fresh so I'm going to start drawing two cards a day now.

Today I drew The Devil and the Five of Pentacles. What first drew my attention on the Devil card was the candlelight above the beast's head, illuminating the darkness. (Unfortunately the scans aren't very good...the flame in the actual card is very distinct.) It reminded me of the cartoons where you see a light bulb appear above someone's head, symbolizing a sudden idea. Having the Five of Pentacles appear after it made me think that a new idea is needed to approach my lack of abundant prosperity.

This won't be just any old idea though, since the idea comes from the Devil. But it doesn't have to be an evil, maniacal plot either. The Devil has raw, unbridled passion. I think an idea will come to me which may be all-encompassing... it won't be a fleeting thought. It will be something that will propel me to take bold action, and I'm likely to be so swept up in the idea that it will almost feel as though I don't have a choice in the matter but to follow through. This duo of cards has me very intrigued today.

Deck: Morgan-Greer Tarot

Mother's Day Oracle Reading

I did a Mother's Day reading for myself today using my Celtic Messages oracle deck. (I have trimmed this deck of its very busy borders.)

The layout of this spread was created and posted by an AT member here.

1. What I have inherited from my ancestral line (mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.)
2. What I am to learn from being a mother.
3. The legacy I will leave my child/children as a mother.


1. What I have inherited from my (maternal) ancestral line.

Blodeuwedd - (Keywords: Secrets, Solitude, Love)

We'll start with Secrets. I think my maternal grandmother harbored a pretty big secret, though it was more like one of those secrets that everyone knew but no one talked about. I didn't know about it until I was an adult, however, and she died when I was a teenager, so it never affected my relationship with her. As a Scorpio, I do have a secretive side of me. And it's not so much that I have secrets to keep, but more along the lines of liking my privacy. In fact, I don't think I have a single secret that I haven't told anyone. I'm really good at keeping other people's secrets, but not with my own. Even the most horrible deeds I've done, there's at least one person in whom I've confided.

Solitude. My mom isn't a social butterfly, and likes her quiet life. I have inherited this from her. I was an only child of a single working mother, so I grew up spending a lot of time alone. But even when my mother was home, I'd enjoy spending quiet time in my room reading. I was a book worm from an early age, another trait I picked up from my mom. To this day, I am comfortable in my own company and enjoy solitude. I never equated being alone with feeling lonely. Those are two distinctly different feelings.

Love. Well, of course, love. My grandmothers were both very loving with me and I always enjoyed spending time with them. I'm a very affectionate mother, though I have no idea who I inherited that from. I'm constantly hugging, kissing and snuggling with my kids. Though I was always loved growing up, I wasn't overly lavished with physical affection. I remember being envious of my cousins who, as teenagers, could plop down on their mother's lap and hang out there for awhile. That was something I would never feel comfortable doing with my mom. So perhaps I have inherited the desire to give my kids that physical comfort level with me. It makes sense when I analyze it that way, but to be honest, it's just something that I've always done instinctively with my children...it's like I'm magnetically drawn to them when I'm within a certain distance...they're irresistible to me! :)

The book that accompanies this deck says that Blodeuwedd was to wed the son of a goddess, but she loved someone else. She was transformed into an owl as punishment, and could never show her face to the light of day. She is a symbol of self-will and the determination to decide your own fate. This is something that I have inherited from my mother. She was always very independent. She left two marriages behind until she found the Right One. She took care of herself and raised me on her own. She taught me to be independent at a very early age. This was something I later resented, because I never felt comfortable depending on anyone. And sometimes you need to need other people. The independence she taught me does have its up side though, as I learned to live my life the way I wanted to, rather than how everyone else thought I should live it. My mother made a lot of choices that people didn't agree with, but she did what she felt was best for her. I have always done the same. Though we follow separate paths, the thing pushing us both is the conviction of self-will.


2. What I am to learn from being a mother.

The Swan - (Keywords: Grace, Serenity)

Grace. The book states this key phrase as Grace Under Pressure. Now if that doesn't apply to motherhood, I don't know what does! When I had my son, we had a very peaceful life together for two years. Then my daughter arrived and shook things up, making our world much louder and more zestful. Add another daughter to the mix, and I can no longer even hear myself think most days. The times when I need grace under pressure is when all three kids are talking to me at once, and I feel like my head is going to explode from sensory overload. I tell them repeatedly that I only have one set of ears, not three, which makes them laugh and agree to take turns. But it's a concept that doesn't seem to sink in for very long. Grace is when I faithfully reach for more patience when it seems there's none left to be had at the bottom of the barrel. Being a mother has made a world of difference in my patience level. Before I had kids, I was the world's most impatient person. Thankfully, attachment parenting changed so much of that within me.

Serenity. This word always reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where George's father yells "Serenity Now!!!" all throughout the show. And then there's that old bubble bath commercial, "Calgon take me away!" Yes, serenity is something I need a good dose of every night after spending all day with three young children. And I approach my evenings alone with grateful reverence. Meditating is also something I have incorporated into my life, as a way of adding serenity to my daily life. Being calm in the face of upset is something that I do naturally now. Being a mother has made me much more mellow than I was before I had kids. Ironically, when the chaos of children entered my life, I became more easy going and calm.


3. The legacy I will leave my child/children as a mother.

The Land - (Keywords: Awareness, Respect, Harmony)

Awareness. I hope to show my children, by example, the awareness of inner power. I'm a firm believer in the ability to create our own reality. The Law of Attraction is something that my children already take for granted, and it comes naturally to them. The awareness that well-being and happiness is self-empowered is something that I do hope they never lose sight of. When I was growing up, I was never taught these positive principles. My life would have been a lot easier (and so different) if I had this awareness about conscious living earlier on in life.

Respect. We live our lives different from the mainstream. I want my kids to be respectful of everyone's choices in life, however different they are. The choices we make aren't as important as the freedom to make them, and the respect we owe each other to make those choices for ourselves.

Harmony. As unschoolers, my kids are exposed to people of all different ages and walks of life. There are no cliques, so there's no need to try to "fit in" with a certain group of people, thereby making yourself not fit in with others. They have learned to naturally be comfortable with all types of people, and despite their differences, they are able to harmonize with most people they meet. The obvious exclusions we make are people who are mean-spirited or those who make us feel uncomfortable.

The Land card is about respecting the Earth, minimizing the harm we inflict on this planet, doing what we can to make things better, and encouraging others to do likewise. My children have been doing this from a very early age. They are all very concerned about the environment and animal rights. They are proud to be vegan, and they realize the impact the choices they make have on the planet. They are very conscious, very aware, and very active when it comes to taking care of our planet and fellow inhabitants.
______

This was a really great reading to do on Mother's Day, giving me a lot of food for thought about myself and my relationships with my children and my mother.

I did another set of quick readings with my kids today, using a different spread which was also designed for Mother's Day. They were really insightful too. If I have time soon, I might post those here as well.

Deck: Celtic Messages

Guest Blog: An Insight into The Chariot, from Sufi Lore (by Craig Conley)

Today I'm excited to welcome a guest blogger, Craig Conley (creator of the beautiful Tarot of Portmeirion). If you have any questions or comments for Craig, he'll be responding in the comments section below the post.

An Insight into The Chariot, from Sufi Lore

By guest blogger, Craig Conley.

There has been age-old speculation that the Tarot was handed down by wandering Middle Eastern mystics and alchemists. The speculation is well-founded, in that the imagery of Sufi lore is reflected in Tarot iconography. For thousands of years, Sufi masters have used dervish folktales as tools to unlock insights in would-be illuminates. Like the cards of the Tarot, esoteric dervish parables shine light upon hidden trends in the events of life, revealing the significance of seemingly unimportant details. The allegorical stories are meant to constructively affect the inner consciousness of the seeker, develop higher mental functions, raise awareness, and ultimately foster self realization.

One particular fragment of Sufi wisdom offers insights into the psychological meaning of The Chariot card. The fragment was recorded by scholar Idries Shah from the notebook of a Persian dervish. The fragment invites us to picture a charioteer, seated in a vehicle, propelled by a horse, and guided by himself. These three symbolic forces must work in tandem to attain their goal:

"Intellect is the ‘vehicle,’ the outward form within which we state where we think we are and what we have to do. The vehicle enables the horse and man to operate. This is what we call tashkil, outward shape or formulation. The horse, which is motive power, is the energy which is called ‘a state of emotion’ or other force. This is needed to propel the chariot. The man, in our illustration, is that which perceives, in a manner superior to the others, the purpose and possibilities of the situation, and who makes it possible for the chariot to move towards and to gain its objective."

The fragment notes that any one of the forces may be able to fulfill a function, “but the combined function which we call the movement of the chariot cannot take place unless all three are connected in the Right Way. Only the ‘man,’ the real Self, knows the relationship of the three elements, and their need of one another. Among the Sufis, the Great Work is the knowledge of combining the three elements. Too many men, too unsuitable a horse, too light or too heavy a chariot—and the result will not take place.”

The reference to the “Right Way” will be familiar to anyone versed in Taoist philosophy, just as the “Great Work” echoes the symbolism of Alchemy. Naturally, we also find parallels to Sufi wisdom in the metaphysical literature of Gnostic Christianity, Hasidic mysticism, Vedantic Hinduism, and indeed all of the Mystery schools.

In Tarot for Your Self, Mary K. Greer explores John Blakeley’s attempt to trace a Sufi origin of the Tarot. Parables of the Spanish Muslim mystic Ibn Al-‘Arabī are compared to imagery of the Marseilles Tarot in Islamic Sainthood in the Fullness of Time: Ibn Al-‘Arabī’s Book of the Fabulous Gryphon by Gerald Elmore. Any collection of Sufi allegories may indirectly yield insights on the meanings of Tarot cards. The fragment about The Chariot is featured in Tales of the Dervishes by Idries Shah.

About the guest blogger: Craig Conley is an independent scholar and author of Tarot of Portmeirion, One-Letter Words: A Dictionary (HarperCollins) and Magic Words: A Dictionary (Red Wheel). His website is MysteryArts.com. Free online spreads of the Portmeirion Tarot are available at http://www.mysteryarts.com/tarot.

Week in Review

Previous Week's Tally

(Monday May 5 - Sunday May 11):

Majors: 4 (High Priestess, Fool, Justice, Sun)
Courts: 3 (Knight of Cups, Queen of Swords, Page of Cups)
Minors: 4 (9 Pentacles, 10 Pentacles, Ace Pentacles, 6 Pentacles)

Cups: 2
Wands: 0
Swords: 1
Pentacles: 4

Again, I'm impressed with a deck that I put off using until the end. I have gone through all of my tarot decks on the blog now, and kept putting this one off until the last. I always find myself surprised to work well with a deck that I had low expectations of. I've got to stop doing that!

I pulled four really positive Majors this week and all the numbered Minors I drew were Happy Pentacles. The Page and Knight of Cups are, of course, always more than welcome in my life. And the Queen of Swords came up for me for the first time, waiting until it could represent me with a deck whose card would fit me!

As shown in the cards, it was a really great week for me. I'm also feeling the call to read the cards together as a whole, because I believe they are indicative of a greater sense of more wonderful things to come.

Deck: True Love Tarot

Daily Card - Queen of Wings and Princess of Shells

Today as I was nearing the end of my shuffling, two cards dropped out of the deck, one landing on my lap and the other fell to the ground. I set the deck aside and took it as a sign that these were intended to be my cards today. I drew a Queen and a Page, and as today is Mother's Day, I immediately saw this duo as representing me and my children.

The Queen of Wings (Swords) is a card I have not yet drawn on this blog. She's the queen I don't really identify with. But it just so happens that she's my favorite queen of this deck. I even put her in the sidebar this week to represent this deck. So it's very appropriate that she appeared for the first time this week. On her head is a beautiful butterfly, one of my favorite creatures. I love blue butterflies, and this one even has a bit of purple and green in it as well, which is my favorite color combination. The book says this about the butterfly: "The butterfly on her forehead signifies she has transformed her thought process in response to the events of her life." I love the way they used a butterfly on her head to portray thought transformation. Brilliant. It's true that my past experiences have changed the way I view life, but in a good way. The rough times have just made me more optimistic and inspired to follow my heart, rather than being jaded, as this queen can often be.

I tend to think of the Queen of Swords as a somewhat hardened (sometimes bitter) woman, not warm at all, thinking with her head rather than her heart... which is why I can't really relate to her. But the woman in this card has a softer look to her. Her demure slouch and vulnerable showing of skin shows a warmer side. (I would normally expect this queen to be standing up very straight and more conservatively dressed.) Her relaxed manner, combined with the butterfly, changes her appeal to me. I think she came up for me today, because the deck wanted a card to represent me, and this is the one that does the trick with this particular deck. Also, being a single mother on Mother's Day is something she can be pointing to as well, since she's a very independent (and often single) woman.

The Princess of Shells (Page of Cups) is the card I always relate to my sweet Pisces son, but today it encapsulates all of my children. While the Queen of Swords always follows her head, the Page of Cups is most certainly led by the heart. This morning, I got out of bed and went straight outside to breathe in the new day for a few minutes. When I walked back in, my three children were standing together, arms linked around each other's backs. In their free hands they held cards they had made for me. And as soon as I walked in, they sang, "Happy Mother's Day to You" in the tune of the Happy Birthday song. It was the sweetest thing, the most lovely Princess-of-Shells moment! They had made the cards a few days ago, but the song and stance was orchestrated during the few moments I was outside. It just made my heart smile in the biggest way. It was the perfect start to a beautiful day!

Deck: True Love Tarot

Daily Card - The Sun and Six of Gems

When I woke up this morning, I had this strange sense of feeling incredibly free. There was no reason for it, my dreams didn't have that element to them. It was just this bizarre feeling that swept over me when I woke up. The first thing I did was pull my card for the day. I half expected to see the Tower appear, because I was feeling all the good things about the Tower, that feeling of release and being suddenly free. But what came up was The Sun, which of course is also fitting. Oddly enough, below the sun is a man with wings, getting ready to fly...free as a bird. So that fit perfectly. But what still didn't make sense was the reason behind this feeling.

I looked at the keyword on the card: Support. That's not usually what I think of when I see the Sun card. So I wanted another card to show me what support I would be receiving. I turned the deck over and looked at the bottom card, the Six of Gems. No joke. Every day this week I have drawn either a positive Major, an abundant pentacle, or the Knight of Cups (my "gift" card). Looking at this week as a whole, there's definitely a sense that the universe is cooking up something good for me.

Drawing the Sun and the Six of Gems today indicates that I will receive warmth and support from someone's generosity, which will perhaps explain the reason behind my feeling so inexplicably free this morning.

Update: Today's cards amazingly came to life in three different ways today. Early in the day, my mother sent my daughter money for her upcoming birthday, and she also included extra money for me and my other children to get a little something for ourselves as well, which was such a pleasant surprise! Then a couple hours later, my landlord's son stopped by. I've never met him before, but he had brought for my kids a huge doll house and a bag full of toys that his grandchildren had grown out of. That was also completely out of the blue. Then this evening, I was relieved of a deadline that had me under pressure. The feeling I had this morning of sudden freedom was apparently precognitive of this deadline being lifted from me tonight. I felt the relief of it before I even knew it was coming, which is really pretty cool.

Deck: True Love Tarot