Nine of Cups –Sharing our gratitude

Today’s card is the Nine of Cups from the Druidcraft Tarot. This card is my theme card for this year. We see a man sitting at his table with his cup raised. He is content and has done well for himself. But especially in this depiction, it feels like something is missing. He has laid the table for his guests to drink some of his exquisite wine and eat from a fresh cooked salmon. Yet, nobody else is there. Perhaps it is still too early; otherwise, he wouldn’t be smiling and sitting there all pleased and feeling good about himself.

This is the card of dreams come true, wishes fulfilled and all things good in life. It invites us to ponder about what we have filled our nine cups with and what wisdom we have gained (salmon) There so much to be grateful for and to be proud of. This harvest season is particularly suited to express our gratitude for everything life has offered us. And yes I do mean everything because often our challenges are carrying our most precious gifts.

So for today, I will ponder on the content of my nine cups and especially about what this beautiful salmon has taught me in the last few months. But... I will also share my findings with my loved ones and then I will be stepping from the solitude of the Nine of Cups into the warm embrace of the Ten of Cups...

The Devil – Please wake me up!

Today’s card is Cernunnos, The Devil, from the Druidcraft Tarot. The two figures from The Lovers are in a deep sleep, probably dreaming of their sensual encounter in that card. 

Cernunnos, The God of the wild hunt and the underworld, is watching them, curious, if or when they will wake up. He is not evil or holding them captive against their will. He is just observing if those two can manage to embrace the material aspects of life without becoming addicted to them. As everything and always in life, this is a fine line to walk:  too much will often lead to addiction and obsession but too little can bring about disgust for everything physical. Both excesses are prone to cause a lot of damage to ourselves. The challenge of the card is to wake up and continue our journey even if that leads us to the next card: The Tower.

So who what energy can wake us up? The Queen of Wands, the good with of the deck. She has a pointy magic wand in her hand and when I look at those two naked bodies in the other card, it is not difficult to imagine what she will do with her wand…

Sometimes we need a bit of external encouragement when we can’t find it within ourselves. This could be a new project or hobby, a conversation with a friend or reading an inspiring book, as long as it sparks our inner fire and puts us on our feet again.

Today, for me, the Queen of Wands represents my excitement to join two IG challenges for the month of October: One about shadow work and the other one about connecting to the Feminine Divine. Will I finish them?  I don’t know, but I do love the thrill and the creative boost of starting these two challenges.

Ten of Wands – It’s okay to say No

Today’s card is the Ten of Wands from the Druidcraft Tarot.  It is a card of feeling obligated and overburdened.  An old man is carrying his ten wands uphill. His destination is not yet in sight, so we don’t know how far he has yet to travel before he can lay down his heavy wands.

When we often feel like this it can be a sign that we need to change our behavior and/or our attitude towards the need to do it all by ourselves. This is easy to write down but so much harder to establish in real life.

Lately, since I’ve started my journey towards more spiritual freedom,  I find my wands to be so much lighter and easier to carry. Also, my wands don't  hurt my back as much as they used to. And when I do feel tired, I don’t mind tossing them on the ground and take a nap on the side of the road. Life isn’t all about work and fulfilling (often self-imposed ) obligations and expectations. If only we were taught that play and having fun are just as important as doing our job and,…. most importantly, that it is okay to say NO once in while.

Seven of Cups - Fretting over first world problems

Today’s card is the Seven of Cups from the Druidcraft Tarot. This card represents being held captive by too many options and the inability to choose one and to get on with our lives. The guy is dressed in vibrant red and is sitting on a rock covered with soft green moss. He is staring at a vision of six beautiful cups, completely unaware of the real cup standing next to him. For me, this symbolizes the conflict between his more primal desires and that, what he truly loves. Often we want it all although deep down we know what makes us really happy and these two are most of the time not exactly the same. As long we have this inner conflict, we can keep sulking and lingering in the hope we can have it all. Yes, sometimes we can still act like our inner two-year-old, screaming for candy in a mall. 

The issues this card addresses are often first world problems. They hardly ever have anything to do with food. shelter, clothing etc. So what does this card trigger for me today? Since we are rapidly approaching October there are popping up several Shadow work challenges on IG. One even more promising than the other. Now you all know I am great at starting challenges but sadly not so good at finishing them. But none the less, I am tempted to join several of them. And the next issue is which decks to use? One or a few for each challenge or just pick them intuitively? Mind you, sticking with one deck for more than a few days is also quite challenging for me. Should I combine Oracle cards with Tarot and if so, which Oracle decks are suited for shadow work? Which journal should I use: a new one or just my regular tarot journal? These are only a few examples of what is keeping my mind occupied and also keeping me from making an actual decision, preparing myself,  and looking forward to the experience of doing this kind of challenge together with a part of the IG Community.

So for today, I am going to make up my mind about all of this and I will challenge myself to stick to my decision in order to clear my head and enjoy these last few days of September, instead of fretting over October challenges… J

Eight of Cups - Leaving is not always the best option

Today’s card is the Eight of Cups from The Wild Unknown Tarot. Eight shattered cups are laying on the ground in the shadow of a high and steep mountain. 

Our cups are empty and apparently beyond repair. Al the things which once fulfilled us and made us happy are gone and it seems the only way forward is to leave the remnants behind, climb the mountain and take a chance with what’s on the other side…

So what can we expect on the other side? And I pulled the Five of Swords, which depicts a worm, cut in two pieces. This is one of the most gruesome cards of the deck. I think this card is telling me life sucks one either side of the mountain and it is up to us to bloom where we are planted. So maybe it’s better to pick up what can be salvaged and for the remaining shards, I will have to find a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess. I do hope have learned enough from my mistakes and successes to build something new and fresh right here, where I belong.

For today I will try to look at my life from a fresh point a view and if I discover a broken cup, then first I will try to glue it together but is it is broken beyond repair, I’ll throw in the bin and find a new one.

The Devil – Babysteps towards freedom

Today’s card is The Devil from The Wild Unknown Tarot.  He is the personification of temptation and indulgence.  He is all about satisfying the primal needs of our ego. Numbing us and tempting us to distract our mind from whatever needs our attention is his number one goal. Of course, he is not some evil mythical creature. No, he is an undeniable part of who we are. 

It often feels like he wants to keep me from exploring my inner shadows; from dealing with my issues so I won’t grow and change. The Devil is not keen on change; he wants to keep everything the way it is now. Safety and comfort are his favorite disguises to keep us in bondage.

So what to do if we do want to change and move forward in life and I pulled the Ace of Pentacles. Immediately my eyes were drawn to the fiery parts in each card: The devils burning feet and the glowing center of the trunk. It feels as if we can redirect the energy we give to our inner Devil towards a new beginning, an opportunity to change however small it might be.

My main numbing strategy is screen time.  Not the time I am blogging or reading other people’s blogs, posting pictures on IG and enjoying other people’s posts. No, it is the mindless clicking, the checking en rechecking for updates or new emails. It is watching too many YouTube videos and last but definitely, not least it is binge-watching crime series. This habit consumes so much of my precious time and energy.

So starting from today I am going to finish the two knitting projects I have been neglecting lately. Hopefully, this will help me to find some inner peace and keep me more present and aware of what’s going on in the here and now.

New Moon in September

For this new moon, I have pulled one card from the Original Rider Waite Tarot as to what energy I should embrace during this next cycle of the Moon and I got the Six of Wands. This was quite surprising, because it is the exact same card as I pulled for the previous New Moon.

Honestly ,my good intentions to establish a free-flowing routine have  completely fallen by the wayside.  I became more and more reluctant towards building a daily routine. I just wanted to be free, to chose what I wanted to do and also when and where I wanted to do it. My whole life has been about maintaining a routine: School, work, raising children, and then work again. I realized that my freedom was more important to me than ticking of boxes from my to-do lists. The upside of this “failure” is that I now feel more in touch with myself than ever before. I have to check in regularly with myself  to discover what it is that I want and need at this very moment; what it is that will make me happy and content.

So over to the Six of wands for this lunation. I got the distinct feeling that even though I “failed” to accomplish my goal, I gained something very valuable too. But the six of wands is not a stagnant card. It urges me to move forward after recognizing and celebrating my victories. It is so easy to keep dwelling in a pleasant state of mind but life is also about  moving onward toward the next challenge (Seven of wands)

So for the coming lunation I will definitely be celebrating my new found sense of freedom but also focusing myself on how to become more and more the woman  I am supposed to be.   

Son of Pentacles – Try to love what you have to do

Today’s card is the Son of Pentacles from The Wild Unknown Tarot.

He is the most responsible Son of the deck: Doing his duty and sticking to the job until it’s finished.  Yes this is the Son you can depend on under all circumstances. He will never let you down. But what about him? Is he enjoying himself? Is he feeling proud of his accomplishments? Does his eyes lit up when he hears the compliments others might give him?

When you look at this card I suppose not. He is feeling rather down and depleted by his constant effort to do a good job. His heart isn’t in it anymore, so he is running on empty. Perhaps if he would allow himself to lie down and rest for a while, his muddled mind would clear up and he might realize that if you don’t do what you love then try to love what you do. In every job there will be things you dislike but being able to find what you do like, can make all the difference

Today I have to do some household chores: cleaning the toilet, mopping the floor, doing groceries… I think you’ll know what I aiming at …J

Father of Swords – Don’t get too emotional too soon

Today’s card is the Father of Swords from The Wild Unknown Tarot.  Father Owl looks stern and strict but his standoff demeanor is softened by the beautiful colors of his sword. 

This sword tell us he has seen it all, experienced  a lot and all of this has made him a wise and knowledgeable father. One you can go to in times of need or trouble. You can talk with him about anything. Pick a color and he will tell you tales you never heard before and give you advice, gladly and sincerely.

I wonder why he has showed up today and I pulled Death. This is a card a of transformation, closure and letting go. Whenever we are confronted with the Death card it is so easy to shift  in full emotional mode but Father of Swords reminds us stay clearheaded and  to remember other Death occasions which weren’t all together as bad as we feared they would be.  Death is what it is, unbiased and a part of everyone’s life whether we like it or not. Death is the only certainty we have in life. Maybe Father of Swords’ gift of perception and looking at a situation from all angles can be very helpful for us to learn to accept this undeniable fact of life.

Page of Wands - Don’t forget to fuel your fire

Today’s card is the Page of Wands from the Raven’s Prophecy Tarot and instead of a childlike page with a wand in his hand, it depicts a burning match, symbolizing “the raw spark of an idea”. The Page of Wands is all about confidence, curiosity and wanting to experience it all. However, the problem with a single match is that it often burns out before it can start a real fire. We tend to get enthralled by this tiny little flame and forget to give it fuel to make it burn brighter and stronger. This often results in burned fingers and a feeling of disappointment and missed chances. The question we need to ask ourselves is if we want to use this fire to fuel our passion and desire to create, or if want to let it go to waste and wait for the next match to lit up.

We all have those days when great ideas pop up and fly away again but sometimes we need to try to take hold of that spark of inspiration, fuel it and start a fire.

Today I am going to rearrange my altar for this season and I want to try to keep it simple but meaningful.

What are you going to create today?

The Hierophant - I want to be free!

Today’s card is the Hierophant from the Ravens Prophecy Tarot. This card is the worldly, physical manifestation of spirituality, which is for me almost an oxymoron. 

In this version of the Hierophant, we see a candle burning in a lantern. It’s true that the lantern protects the light of the candle, even magnifies it with its glass but even though all these advantages, the light of this candle is contained and has lost its freedom to dance in the wind.

Lately, I find it difficult to relate to any organized form of religion or philosophy or even parts of it. I feel that my main reason to do so in the first place was my fear of being wrong and I perhaps felt there was safety in numbers. With the beginning of this new season, the only thing which feels spiritual to me is Nature itself in all Her abundance and Autumnal decay, the magic I see and feel in all of this, and of course my cards.

I do believe in the Divine, in Spirit, but for now, I experience it more as a loving Energy than as a specific deity.

All this feels fresh, free and playful. Without any tasks or structured practices, I am more “spiritual” than I used to be. There is no more pressure, just listening to myself and finding out what makes me happy and what connects me to Spirit

NB I do recognize the wisdom of all the wonderful teachings we have. I just don’t want to be limited by them anymore or exclude others who think differently.

King of Cups – Caution: Risk Of Explosion

Today’s card is the King of Cups from The Raven's Prophecy Tarot. In this depiction we see a glass which  contains just one feather. The king of Cups is known to be a very good listener. He truly can hold space for how you feel deep down and for what you need to unburden. Only after you have told him everything, he will give you great advice on how to move forward without any pressure to see his way as the only way.

But who really knows what is going on with him:  Always smiling, always nodding , always  calm. Who knows what this feather is all about? He will not share, without being pushed quite a bit. His feelings are buried deep beneath his responsibility as king.  But beware, these build up emotions can explode unexpectedly and then he feels exposed, ashamed and crownless.

So what advice could we give this King and I got the Hanged Man: this card encourages him to take some time  to explore how he feels about being the archetypal counselor and perhaps even more importantly to explore how he feels….

Often taking a step back will give us a more clear perspective  on a lot of things; even on what we didn’t know troubled us in the first place.

I know all too well how it feels to be a King of Cups and when build up emotions become a hazard for my family and myself.

So for today will try to be more open about how I feel, if only to myself in my journal, in order to prevent my glass to break into pieces once again. And yes, taking a few good deep breaths or a time out after “King of Cups duty” is a very sound advice indeed! 

Undressing of a salad - Keeping our balance at all cost?

Today’s card is “Undressing the Salad” of The Faeries' Oracle and it features a bluish young faerie juggling his balls with a little help from the crouching faerie on the head of large gnome who is looking in two directions at once. A strange name for a strange card but for today I will focus on whether or not it is possible to always maintain our balance, in every moment, whatever it may bring. I think not. In my humble opinion balance is something we can strive for, experience it for a while and eventually, we fall out of balance again. This cycle will keep repeating itself as long as we keep striving for balance. Maybe this cycle is also a sort of balance or perhaps even more a rhythm of life with its ups and downs; of breathing in and breathing out. It definitely sounds more natural to me than maintaining our balance at all cost, all the time.

So for today I will take it easy because the last few days were quite busy.  For me a perfect  way to live a balanced life J

Ehwaz and The Faun – Come dance with me

While shuffling The Faeries’ Oracle for my daily draw, I suddenly felt the urge to pull a rune first. The rune I got was Ehwaz, the rune of movement, progress, and change.  I didn’t have the faintest idea what this rune would mean for me today, so I shuffled my deck again and drew: The Faun, an ethereal and translucent creature. Its keywords are "Natural wisdom" and "Natural magic". Still no clue. Then I read the guidebook and my eyes fell on the cursive phrase: “Come dance with me” and it all came together.

Since Autumn has begun I feel I pull towards a more magical inclined way of living but I don’t really know how to make that happen and so I, as good Queen of Swords befits, I hit the internet and my books and lost myself in other people’s findings and experiences, which have nothing to do with who  I am: I don’t need spells and potions etc, I just want to feel the magic moving around me, in me, through me etc and maybe I even want to direct it intentionally towards something I feel strongly about as a blessing of sorts. I think my understanding of magic has a lot to do with being mindful but perhaps spiced up with a bit more “woo woo”.  And that’s where the energy of this Faun comes into play: put away the books and go outside, commune with nature and with your own inner wisdom. Move, change, play, dance, be merry and open yourself up to the healing and nurturing energy of the trees, the wind, the sun and let your magic flow freely with the currents of life.

P.S So after writing all of this, I went out for a walk and I was amazed how magical it was. I even met a little frog (or toad?) who was sitting just there, where wanted to put my card for an IG picture! He was so perfectly camouflaged I had hardly noticed him but thanks to The Faun I did J

Singer of Courage – Be brave, be free

Today’s card is the Singer of Courage from the Faeries’ Oracle. This card is all about the courage to face our fears and transform the energy we invest in those fears into action; in moving forward and living our lives as bravely as possible. 

Mind you this is not a call to play the hero. Our day to day life is fearsome enough to need our courageous actions. Every moment when fear starts to act up, it is up to us to look in the eye and decide if it is a true fear or a veil over a deeper rooted issue. Often our most primal are fears are buried deep under many layers in the dark borrows of our mind.

Fear has been for most people a lifelong companion and it presents itself in many forms. When we start to address the less dreadful fears, we will eventually learn how to transform our deeper more ingrained fears.

And so I asked what energy might be helpful on this journey? And I pulled Myk the Myomancer. When you look closely you see all kind of little creatures hidden in the foliage of the forest. But Myk knows they are there; he is attentive to every little detail around him...

So be mindful of the seemingly insignificant opportunities to show courage. This way we can strengthen and practice our bravery muscle and learn to have faith in our courage.  Little by little, we will break the bondage of fear and set ourselves free.

Temperance - From head to heart and back again

Today’s card is Temperance from the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. In this picture we see a young Fae woman pouring water from one cup into another and she is completely focused on her task. She is also very conscious of her body and her surroundings and her movements are as light and elegant as the dragonflies near her head.

It seems so easy when you look at this picture but the ease comes from lots of experience and practice. From being able to travel from her head to her heart and back again in a split second. Always checking in with herself has become totally natural for her. It allows her to blend her thoughts and feelings into a perfect mixture called living.

Finding this balance isn’t so hard for me but keeping it is much more challenging. I tend to forget consulting my heart when everything goes smoothly and I am in control. But when feelings come knocking unexpectedly, my structured life falls apart rather quickly and I have to pick up the pieces once again. I wonder why this happens over and over again. I mean, I am not daft, I get the message, but I don’t seem to be able to remember it when all is well again.

So for today I will travel this short distance regularly even though it might feel like a very long journey.

Ten of Cups – Blessing my loved ones

Today’s card is the Ten of Cups from the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. Traditionally we see a happy family in this card. A culmination of love in all its forms. Yet in this card we see an elderly Fae woman working her magic over a boiling cauldron. This card oozes good intent. With all her love, wisdom and experience she has gathered the herbs for her blessing spell and now when it starts to simmer, she feels the time is right to help the steam carry this loving energy towards her loved ones. Gently and gracefully she moves her hands and softly sings her blessing songs. 

This card reminds me I don’t need to be physically near my loved ones.  I can bless them and wish them well any time and any place.

So for today, I will make an extensive list with everyone dear to me so I can bless them and wish them well on the night of this full moon. A perfect time to work some magic and send my good wishes to all of you and many more…

Seven of Staves - Stop fighting and enjoy the sunshine

Today’s card is the Seven of Staves (Wands) from the Goddess Tarot. Look how this poor woman is struggling to fend off her opponents. For me this card sometimes represents my inner battles with all kinds of situations I think I am responsible for so I need to find a solution for them. But nothing is farther from the truth than this slightly presumptuous notion. Often difficult situations (mostly with family) mostly need time to be resolved and my tendency to “help” is rooted in a deep need for controlling and assuming my solution is the best option for everyone.

And today, looking at this card, I realize (again) it isn’t my responsibility to solve everything for everybody at all. Maybe I should turn around and enjoy the sunshine on this beautiful September day. A perfect day to ride my bike and look for Autumn colors in the trees. And while I will enjoy myself maybe some of those issues will resolve themselves a little bit on their own.

"Let go and let God/des"

Nine of Pentacles – Happy September!

For today I drew the Nine of Pentacles from the Goddess Tarot. This is a card of enjoying everything you’ve accomplished and of an abundance of material and spiritual wealth. This card is also about being enough for yourself and enjoying your own company. As I have probably mentioned before, this card is one of my favorite minors…

It is a beautiful card for the first day of September, the very beginning of Autumn. I see this card not so much as an indication of today’s energy but more as a general promise for the coming season. I mean look at those pumpkins! Yesterday M. counted 17 pumpkins in our little garden.

What really stands out today is her invitation to the white dove, which is for me the symbol of Spirit, to come sit on her hand. Their renewed connection is adding so much deep felt joy to the material riches around her. Without it the Pentacles are meaningless. She would feel lonely, abandoned and perhaps even scared to be outdoors on her own.  But there is no need for all that now. Because she and her little white dove always seem to be close.  The only thing she has to do is lift up her hand and She'll be there...