In the world, not of this world

After my last post I have been thinking a lot about how to stay true to myself and today I wanted to ask this question to one of my decks. The sacred Rebels Oracle seemed to be a perfect fit for this question and it replied to me with: In the world, not of the world.

We see a woman with a shoal of fish. She jumps out of the water, clad in nothing but the locks of her hair. Although she used to be perfectly happy to be one of the shoal, lately it seems she has outgrown the mentality of the shoal and has started to make up her own mind about things. She knows this will make her extremely vulnerable so for now, although she is perfectly aware of her peculiarities and unique points a view, she still remains a part of the shoal. Perhaps for safety, community or just the need to belong to something more than herself.

This in between phase demands a lot of  courage and trust, in order to find a balance between being true to yourself and being part of this world; a constant weighing and questioning of when to swim with the shoal and when to jump out of the water,

As always balance is everything

Seven of Wands - True Colors

Today’s card is the Seven of Wands from the Joie de Vivre Tarot. This card is about courage, persistence and standing up for yourself. Instead of the defensive character of the Rider Waite version of this card, here we see the aftermath of the battle. Beam, beaming with confidence and joy, has stood up for his beliefs and dreams and has shown the townsfolk, who want everyone to be like them, that it is okay and quit rewarding to be who you truly are. To show your creative nature, your own uniqueness; your true colors. He has taken off his greyish coat and is brave enough to show the colorful outfit he is wearing underneath. Even though it was a bit scary at first, he is so happy he has come this far.    

I wonder what he will do next. Will he come down to live among the townsfolk again; Inspiring them to live a more authentic life or will he turn around and search for his own tribe?

"I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow"
(Cyndi Lauper)
 

Three Card Spread with the Tarot of The Hidden Realm

For today I will do a three card daily spread with The tarot of the Hidden Realm. The positions are as follows:

1 The general energy of the day

2 The challenge of the day

3 The gift of today

The cards I drew were:

1 The general energy of the day – Two of Wands

Two playful fairies are flying between the leafs and the blossom of a Rowan tree. They are young and their lives are filled with endless possibilities. While playing and experimenting they will learn what it is they truly want out of life and then they have two options: To keep fluttering from one tree to another or follow their passion, their hearts desire.

2 The challenge of the day – The Emperor

The next step is to bring structure into the mix and to form a plan. However, the challenge here is not to become too rigid, write endless to-do lists and squeeze every drop of the fun out of it. Instead, we might try turn to our inner adult for some fatherly advice.

3 The gift of today – Temperance

Yes, balance is all! The gift is a perfect mix between structure and play, between following  a plan and being flexible enough to adjust it and make room for trial and error

I am very pleased to see how these three cards have worked together to affirm my New Moon draw of the Six of Cups (inner child work). These cards highlight the need for play as well as for an adult approach to it.  

Lakshmi – All shall be well

Today I felt really drawn to pull a card from my first oracle deck ever, the Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards, which has been a birthday gift from my daughter M. Those first decks which have brought me so much pleasure and deep felt kindness are so easily buried under the great amount of newer and more trendy decks. Decks with more symbolism, gorgeous art, new systems and with such a rich and layered messages. I mean you have to be an awesome deck to compete with that. Somehow I do believe that every deck, every card can give us the message we need to hear, since it all comes from within ourselves or if you like from divine guidance.

So for today, I got Lakshmi - Bright Future:  "Stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine."  Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of abundance and is often depicted with the elephant god Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. Her message is not to worry about all the terrible things that might happen, to hush your fears and worries and trust that the Universe/God has your best interest at heart.

I don’t believe this aspect of the divine will shower us with money and other riches but more that She and her Companion will grant us the strength and whatever more we need to move through our challenges and reap the due rewards. Also, I believe that focusing on this benevolent energy we are more likely to notice what She has given us and to express our gratitude for the abundance of the little things we notice each and every day. This way we become more and more aware of the abundance she bestows and feel more prosperous day by day

                                                                                                                                                        

New Moon in July

This new moon I have decided to use the whole deck again instead of only the Majors and for this coming lunation I got the Six of Cups from The Original Rider Waite Tarot.

The Six of Cups is my inner child card and whenever it comes up, it encourages me to give my little me some genuine love and attention. I know she loves to play and go out and honestly the last weeks we haven’t had enough time to do so. Life gets in the way so easily.

Another thing is that while thinking about this card and my inner child, I suddenly realized everybody has such a little girl or boy inside and it then occurred to me that others too might find it difficult to satisfy their own child’s needs. So I thought maybe it would make some difference if I would try to beware of that child, whenever I would come in contact with somebody. We are so much more inclined to be patient, and gentle with a child than with an adult. Just like we sometimes try to see the divine in someone maybe we could just as easily try to see the child as well

Othala and Intuition – Your gut feeling will lead you home

Today’s rune is Othala, the last rune of the Futhark, the end of your journey. It is the rune of heritage, inner wealth, coming home and finding your purpose, your destiny,.

So I wondered what energy I could consider to be my guide, my road sign, towards my purpose in live. Maybe I would even pull a card which would reveal my purpose in life…..

So I stood before my shelf with most of my decks, wondering which deck would be the one to answer my question and I picked The dreams of Gaia Tarot. After some extensive shuffling I pulled “Intuition”. Maybe not a representation of my life’s purpose but definitely a gentle guide towards it. Listening to my intuition will keep me on the right track for sure.

Our intuition is the voice beneath all reason. The undercurrent of our conscious mind. It is the voice which words our deeper knowledge. Of course feelings, inklings, gentle nudges and pulls are also ways of our intuition to communicate with us. For me intuition is not only the voice of our unconscious but also of our higher consciousness or maybe even of our divine spark or God herself.

More than often we tend to downplay synchronistic events  and coincidences. How much more magical our life would be, if we would see them as little miracles. Maybe this way we would me more keen to heed our intuition, so we would practice and strengthen this innate quality. This way our signposts to guide us where we are supposed to be would be written in neon lights instead of being hidden in the shadows of our mind.

Gebo and Son of Swords – The gift of reason and equanimity

Today’s rune is Gebo (Gift) which is all about giving and receiving; about reciprocity. It symbolises friendship and cooperation. So what could be my gift for today and/or what would by my gift to others? To answer this question I pulled the Son of Swords from the Wild Unknown Tarot.  My first reaction was, how could this card be possible a gift? But in the light of recent events, it gradually made sense to me.  Today M and I had an important doctor appointment. The gift for me was to be able to let go of my overly aggressive protective demeanour while talking to our physician. (yes, I still  can act like a vicious mother bear sometimes) and to feel relaxed and confident about the positive outcome of our conversation. My gift to our physician was that I could formulate my thoughts more clearly now about the subject and thankfully the three of us came to a very satisfying solution.

This experience will remind me that some equanimity during a difficult conversation is often more effective than barging in, being totally convinced that my way of seeing things is the right one and the need to convince everybody of my point a view who thinks slightly different.

Seven of Spirals and Seven of Scrolls – The power of imagination

Yesterday I drew the Seven of Spirals (Assertion) from the Chrysalis Tarot and which conveyed a strong inner “Yes” in me!  Since my “nurture” plans for Monday (due to all sorts of reasons) didn’t see the light of day, I figured I was entitled to a second chance to pamper myself.

But this card is not only about retreat and setting boundaries but also about going deep within (spirals) and finding your inner strength.  A strength which is so powerful that you will have to find the right balance to assert yourself. It pleases me the bear is sitting quietly in her cave and her gaze is more than enough to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Without growling or showing her claws she protects her sacred space. She knows her strength so she has no need to show it all the time. Only if needed she will react more fiercely. 

So this morning I asked what to do next and I got the Seven of Scrolls (indecision). This card feels very akin to the Two of Swords but it also highlights the need for creative imagination. As humans we are able to decide on so many levels: instinctive first reaction, logical reasoning, intuition, emotional response etc.

It is up to us which of these options we would use to make our decision but now and then it might be helpful not to pick our go-to problem-solving strategy. As a Queen of Swords person, this card tells me to let go of my reasoning abilities for a change and try to tap into my more creative imaginative side. That will help me to ponder what could be behind those two doors? Which one should I open? Where will it lead me? What does it bring me? So many questions, I think I might stay in my cave for another day also because it will be a very hot and humid day. 

Six of Swords- breathing out

My card for today is the Six of Swords from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. After having taken a break from Tarot for a few days, because I have been visiting my mother, it feels only natural to jump back in again with my all time favourite deck. It feels like a baby blanket after some very busy days. I wasn’t surprised by this card at all. I see myself coming home, travelling from turbulent waters to a complete rippleless part of the lake. A perfect place to still my mind and put myself at ease. In the little child, I see my little me who needs some extra time and care right now. I am so grateful to be able to accept that expecting things only will lead to disappointment, so I’d better step up myself and mother her for while; listen to her, seeing her for who she really is and what she needs right now from me. I am positive that when we return from this safe haven we both will sit up straight again with a big smile on our face.

Three of Coins and Two of Cups – Carefully moving closer …

I have been working with the Margarete Petersen Tarot for twelve days in a row now and I can’t seem to put it away and pick up another deck for my daily draws. I am utterly captivated by the beautiful artwork and clear and inspiring messages this deck has to offer.

So for today, I drew the Three of Coins. Where the Two of Coins showed us two balancing feet, in this card we only see one. That means one foot has been lifted and is about to be put forward into a new direction; leaving old familiar patterns behind. The card also features the Om sign, which for me resembles a short prayer, said just before this foot will touch the earth. A prayer of trust that this will be the right path to follow.

And where, I wondered, might this path lead me? And I got the Two of Cups: Opening myself up to others and myself on an emotional level. A sense of belonging is essential to all living beings. It feels when I really open up to myself and to God it is so much more easy to open up to others as well. This card is all about giving and receiving and about loving kindness without expectations. Quite a challenge for me but not one I want to shy away from.

I love that this card strongly relates to The Lovers, which is my card for this lunation.

Four of Feathers and Ten of Cups - Finding Peace of mind

Today’s card is the Four of Feathers (Four of Swords) from the Margarete Petersen Tarot. I love to receive this card from any deck. This card reminds me to quiet down and find some peace of mind. Although I do love almost every other version of The Four of Swords, I must say that this card is rendering its meaning so beautifully. We see a person resting in the darkest shade of blue. He is lying in a protective bubble with a large feather on top.  In the distance, we see hills and mountains. But for now, he doesn’t need to worry about them. For now there are no problems, no questions, no to-do’s no nothing. He only needs to breath and to be. The whole vibe of the card is so soothing. You can almost feel the caress of the soft feather on your skin.

Then I wondered what could help me to find this peace of mind and I got the Ten of Cups: a calm ocean glittering in the sunlight. Breath in and out like the rolling of the waves and realize just how blessed and loved you are.

I hope you all can find some inner stillness today. Even if it is only for just a moment …..

Ace of Coins and Two of Flames - Some gardening tips

Today’s card is the Ace of Coins from the Margarete Petersen Tarot. In the center of the card, a snake is spiraling herself around a tiny seed. She feels protective because she knows how much potential this seed holds. It feels like she is waiting for the right moment to hand to over to me but first, she wants me to find out what it is  I need it for. Honestly, I don’t  know yet but I do know it holds the promise of abundance and growth of everything tangible in this world. Maybe I could plant it before I knew what it is I really want/need. This could be considered as a sign of trust. I wondered if she would give it to me under these conditions and then she pulled back…..

So I asked my deck what to do next with this little seed and I got the  Two of Flames. This card is affirming to me that we don’t need to know the outcome before we can plant our seed. We only have to give is warmth and love. We have to father and mother it. Sometimes it needs more active energy to grow and sometimes we have to let it rest. Both energies, passive and active are equally important for our seed to awaken and sprout. In the meantime, we can cherish this germinating period to ponder what wonderful gift we are about to receive. 

Five of Feathers - Just throw in the towel

Today’s card is Five of Feathers from the Margarete Petersen Tarot. Since I read my cards mostly for personal development, I interpret The Five of Feathers often as an internal struggle. With the Five of fire in a few posts earlier, this struggle was heated and aggressive and emotions were all over the place. With this card however the energy is much more manipulative and calculative. Our mind wants to lure us into believing all kinds of fabrications about how we shouldn’t do what we want because we are not good enough, strong enough, bright enough etc.. For me, those stories are predominately fear based. They try to prevent me from acting and playing and experimenting. Well let me rephrase that: I  try to prevent myself from doing what I love.

So this card is all about undermining ourselves and focusing our energy on winning this endless fight. The advice this card is giving us is to quit, to throw in the towel. This is a battle that can’t be won, even if you think you are strong enough and victory is within your grasp. Believe me, it is not. As long as we keep fighting ourselves, we will feed our mind with energy to uphold an strengthen these demeaning opinions over us. No, the only thing we can do, just like in the five of Fire, is taking a step back and withdraw ourselves from the fight.  This is the only way to quiet our mind and listen to the soft voice of our inner Truth. The one that says we are wonderful, we can do anything we want….. 

Year ahead spread July – Seven of Swords and Nauthiz

It has been a while since I’ve blogged about my rune and card for the month ahead but I wanted to pick it up again. Why now you might think; well perhaps because it is quite a challenging pair. The rune Nauthiz talks about need and necessity,  about being faced with obstacles and finding the courage to move forward despite the fear it might cause you. It is also a rune of shadow work, of receiving the opportunity to dive deeper into the uncharted territory of who we are.

When we combine this with the Seven of Swords from the Wild Unknown Tarot, it speaks about how this journey is a lonely one. Shadow work is an undertaking which we have to do all by ourselves and with ourselves. The fox (or “The lone wolf” as I often call this card) is protecting, hiding one of the seven swords. The other six are hanging over him. It is not that he only values this own sword but he is reluctant to share it with others. His findings are too fresh, too vulnerable. Sometimes we have to take the time to process what we have experienced, learned before we put it out in the world.

Perhaps this month I will be doing a lot of journaling,  meditating and walking to get a more clear perspective about what it is my soul wants to share with me. Perfect for the hotter days to come.

Two of Coins - Taking a step back

Today’s card is the Two of Coins from the Margarete Petersen tarot. In this card we see the soles of our feet while we are walking, carefully putting on foot before the other so we won’t step on the snake who has carefully wrapped herself in a lemniscate around our feet. She resembles the continuity of how we journey through life, of our ups and downs and of all our attempts to find balance again each and every time we seem to have lost it. This card also encourages us to walk (or whatever activity you want to engage in) more mindfully, to take a step back and become aware of what it is you are doing right now. Watch for a moment how you have been rushing and not being present with what you were doing and then do it differently; change the pattern

Today I was doing my grocery shopping and since this is not a hobby of mine I tend to do this as quickly as possible so I can go home and do something more to my liking. But today I slowed down and I was walking peacefully and mindfully from shop to shop and through the aisles, filling my shopping cart. It was a much more pleasant way of doing my shopping, also because I wasn’t so agitated and tired when I got home.

Five of Flames - Remove yourself from the fight

Today’s card is Five of Flames from the Margarete Petersen Tarot. This is a card of quarrel and rivalry, of trying to win at all cost because the only other option is to lose. This is something we definitely don’t want because we fear to be less than the other, to be put down and rejected. In the middle of the card, where the actual fight is going on, the red is fiery and vibrant. Here the little figures are battling with whoever stands in their way. It is each for themselves until the winner is declared. Often this struggle is mostly internal: heated discussions with our inner committee. 

But then I noticed the figure on the left side of the card with his hands on his head. He is slightly removing himself from the fight as if the aggression becomes too much for him. The moment when he will turn his head he will notice the yellows of this card. This is the place where he can find clarity about the situation they are all in. There he can question of the issue they are fighting about is really worth this display of this aggression.

Yes often if we take a step back and release the need to be on top of everything which is going on around us we also are able to release our need to be right and to be in control about what needs be done. I experience this most often when my two adult daughters are living their lives in their own way, making their own decisions and doing the best they can.  Taking a step back from my meddling nature I can observe more clearly so when they do need me I will be there.