Tarot Magic for a more Healthy Lifestyle (Part I)

For today, instead of a daily draw, I want to show you the cards I’ve picked which motivate me and might be helpful for me to start living more healthy. I also want to include them in a not quite finished tarot spell.

Last weekend I was painfully aware of the fact that my physical well-being has been on the back burner for way too  many years. My diet is far from healthy and seriously out of balance and I hardly exercise at all.  I know I make up tons of excuses but  I feel without a doubt the aging of my body starting to hinder me to do the things I want to do.  I am well aware of the fact that some processes can’t be stopped but I do want to give it a go to slow them down a bit.

This notion is strongly influenced by having pulled the Mother of Pentacles two times in row. She is not only protecting her fawn but also encouraging him to grow up and be the strongest deer of the herd.

Over the years I have more than once tried to change my not so healthy lifestyle but never with long-term results.

So if the old way doesn’t work for me than I should try something new: Magic!!

First I’ve flipped through my deck to pull every card which reminded me of physical wellbeing and then I narrowed it down to four cards to create a bridge spell which I’ve learned from Chloe of Inner Whispers.

The cards I’ve chosen are:

Situation/ Issue - Ace of Pentacles

This card represents my potential to become a healthy strong woman. I love it how even though the tree is cut down to a stump, there is still a strong life energy burning in the center to bring forth new life and new beginnings on the physical plane, represented by the budding twigs and leaves.

Energy needed 1 – Two of Wands

This is for me a card which represents the choice, the intent to actually do job. And when I would slack,  I will pick up my two wands and make that same choice  over and over again as many times as needed. 

Energy needed 2– Eight of Pentacles

This spider is teaching me to do the work. To start each day with a positive intent to work on my web and make it strong and flexible.  Changing a lifestyle  is a long-term process and when challenges arise, like wind and rain for the spider,  I have to “hang there” in and keep going anyway.

Result – Six of Wands.

Look how gracious this butterfly has freed herself from the tangle of branches. She is strong and has moved from the darkness of self-defeating actions into the light where the sun shines over her to celebrate her success

These three cards will become the center part of my Tarot spell, which will be the topic of my next post!

I pulled one extra card to ask how I should proceed with this spell and I got the Mother of Swords, my favorite court card in any deck.  She is telling me today, that first I should choose the wording of my spell wisely and secondly I should approach this new intent with the same motherly advise I would give my girls: be gentle but truthful to yourself. Don’t  believe everything your inner resistance is going to tell you along the way but wield your sword of truth and awareness and be mindful to address yourself with encouragement and compassion. 

A Brat Bride Tarot spread

On the evening of January 31, the day before the Feast of Brigid, women in Ireland put a piece of cloth  on a shrub or hedge and left it  outside all night. This is the Brat Bride. The piece of cloth symbolized the mantle of Brigid, a Celtic goddess who brings healing and protection.

The dew and perhaps the snow that falls on the night of January 31, is Brigid’s and has healing properties  for body and soul. The cloth was kept throughout the year in a special place and came out when someone was sick as a tangible prayer for healing.

I’ve made my own version of the Brat Bride of a white handkerchief which I decorated with a little clover charm to give it a Celtic touch

I’ve done the following  three card tarot reading  with the Gaian tarot to put my intent into it before putting it outside this evening

1: What is my wish to imbed in my cloth?

The Gardener. What an apt card for this reading  since Brigid is the Goddess of creativity.  The wish I imprint in this cloth is to express my creativity freely and abundantly.

2: In what reoccurring situation, is it beneficial for me to call Brigid for help?

Whenever I feel insecure if I am on the right path, I can call on her for guidance and wisdom

3: How is Brigid’s healing dew offering me help and guidance during the year?

She will teach me to be patient and to see nature as a metaphor of the Divine. Nature is our most precious healer so it will be very beneficial to my health to go outside and find God(dess)

Dedicate the cloth with these words 

(they will transform your reading in a kind of tarot spell/intention):

I dedicate my Brat Bride to Creative Freedom. (name the wish, card 1).

I call on Brigid for help when I feel lost (the situation, card 2).

The healing dew Brigid offers me will help me by developing  patience and reconnecting with nature...... (card 3).

Tonight I will lay down my cloth on a shrub in our garden and be patient……

Source: Berthevan Soest

The full Harvest Moon of September – Tarot Spell

Yesterday, it was the night of the full Harvest moon and encouraged by Bev from By the Sycamore Tree I've decided to create a tarot spell/visual prayer in order to help me cope with and accept the coming changes in my family. (S will be moving out when her boyfriend finds a job) Also to help me see these changes in a positive light; perhaps even as a kind of personal harvest after years of mothering.

I've  learned this type of spell from Kerry from Neopagan Priestess. The tarot is a wonderful tool to visualize and focus on your desires, need for change and maybe even your gratitude before you have actually experienced the fulfilling of your desire or noticed a positive change.

Because I've been working with the Anna K Tarot lately, this deck was a natural choice to use for my spell.

First I've laid down yesterday’s card as the main theme. Then I flipped through the deck to find cards which resonated with me and/or were connected one way or another to this theme. This went very quickly and without a lot of thought. Finally I narrowed the little pile down to three cards to put around the theme card.
I've picked the following cards:

Ace of Pentacles for Me and M nourishing our roots, planting seeds, redefining our living together and for new exciting opportunities for both of us

The Sun as the symbol  for joy, a positive outcome, and self-confidence for all of us

The Three of Rods for S making plans and starting out on a new exciting journey 

I loved how these three cards were radiating their yellow sunlight over the darker Eight of Cups. Yellow and blue, a match made in heaven!

I've put it all on tray (thank you Kerry!) to put it wherever I want it to be. To focus on my intent I've come up with this little prayer. I tried to translate it as well as I could.

“May the sun shine its light over you and your journey and your choices yet to make and over us while we are keeping our home safe and enjoying the new opportunities this change will  bring us.”

Let's go for it!

26 September: Sometimes the sun warms the earth like it is still summer. Where do I need the autumn sun for, why is this warmth important to me?

For this question I’ve got the Magician from the Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso.

Crystal Visions Tarot - Jennifer Galasso

I’m not always so keen on getting the magician. He is urging me to manifest all those thoughts, dreams,  ideas, inspiration that I have circling around in my head. I love to have all those fantasies about things that I’m going to do, but I’m sometimes fearful of putting those ideas into action. Afraid of failure, you know. When my aspirations are swirling in my mind, they can still become masterpieces. But when I bring them into being they often look dull and less colorful than I have imagined them to be.

But there he is, my magician. With a drum roll he jumps out of my deck. “Let’s do something today! The sun is shining. Come play with me outside! Look at the warmth and the light radiating from my head. Look at the tools in my hands. Take up yours and let’s make it happen!”

Hesitant, I thought lets pull another clarifying card….. The sun… rest my case. The cards remind me of the warm feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment that I get when I have created something. So I need the autumn sun to warm up my intention, my drive to create and then… I will do it.

Today I will go outside and enjoy the autumn sun and think about how I can be creative today without hurting my neck :D

New Moon in September

After a meditation in my garden, I drew two cards for this new moon from my Osho Zen deck. (This is an idea from Neopaganpriestess).

What should I let go of: Conditioning

What should I welcome in my life: Playfulness

Osho Zen Tarot

 These cards gave me the goosebumps for they talk about attitudes I really want to try to let go and to develop.

The time is now right for me to shed my sheepskin and let my wild woman run free to play and enjoy herself. Perhaps first like a gentle fun-loving cat to rediscover my inner self. But I am certain my inner Lioness will emerge in due time.

I have combined this spread with a slight variation of the tarot spell from Monsoonmagick:

Pick three cards from your deck that represent your intentions for the next mooncycle and put them on your altar as a focus point;

One card for the waxing moon; for what you want to welcome in your life.

One card for the full moon; for your goal. What do you want to have accomplished  and is to be celebrated on the full moon.

And one card for the waning moon; for what you want to release or be careful for.

From my Crystal Visions Tarot I’ve picked the matching cards: The devil and Page of wands,

so for the waxing moon I've already got the page of wands. For the full moon I've picked the Strength (Yes, me and my lioness J) As my goal for the full moon is to embrace my inner lioness. For the waning moon I've picked the eight of swords. My all-time nemesis card.  I want to be strong enough to prevent myself from falling in to repetitive blocking and paralyzing thought patterns.

All four cards are now on my altar. During this waxing moon my page of wands is on top. I put some  carnelians around them to enhance the energy.

Crystal Visions Tarot - Jennifer Galasso

I am very excited to work with these three cards this monocycle and I will let you know how it went.