Journey – Stop running and enjoy the scenery

Today’s card is "Journey" from the Magical Empowerment cards by Jody Bergsma. I needed a kind, gentle and uplifting message today, so I was very pleased this deck was still in my collection. It has been on my “decks to let go” list but somehow I find it very difficult to part with decks which have supported me throughout various phases of my life. So I keep them in a box for when I want to revisit with them again. And in that box, I found this deck …

The message of the card is to focus on how far we have come instead of how far we still have to go. Everything we have experienced up until this moment has brought us to where we are right now. Looking back on my life I consider this one h*ll of an accomplishment. But frankly, I never pay much attention to this feat.  I’d rather make to-do lists, research ways to improve myself, try to fix other people’s problems, run my daily life and move forward. But life has its own way of saying "enough!": Sometimes by sending you the flu or in my case dumping too much on my plate. 

So for today, I will keep myself from running towards the finish line and take some time to be proud of myself and to be in this moment, on this day and frankly, without expecting anything, it has become a good day, a very good day....

My personal review of the Spirit Within Tarot

A few days ago I have received the wonderful Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright from Schiffer Publishing in the mail. It comes in a sturdy box in the same size as the deck. The box has the famous Schiffer magnetic closure we all know so well. The deck comes with a little guidebook with pictures of the cards in full color. The cards are borderless and have a glossy lamination, and their size is 7,5 cm x 11,5 cm.

For each card, Steven Bright has written a descriptive paragraph, one with the meaning of the card and some keywords. What stands out the most for me is that for each card he begins with a paragraph in which the card shares its essence in a very personal way. These paragraphs make me want to pick up the guidebook time and again.

"I get a bad rap around here.

I am only doing my job,

but people fear me all the same.

Endings are natural.

If something is no longer effective,

you need to bring it to a close."

The artwork and the symbolism follow closely the RW system which makes this deck very suitable for beginners, but I was quite surprised how subtle the silhouettes in the cards are conveying their messages. The way they are postured in their contemporary background is very evocative and will spark your imagination. A silhouette can be anybody. It is genderless, ageless and it can become whoever you need it to be at one particular moment. The next day it can become somebody entirely different. This quality makes the deck also an excellent tool for the Bardic reading technique (storytelling) and also for writers who want to spice up their work.

The deck includes the 22 Majors which have various color schemes and the 4 suits of the Minors which have a color scheme according to their suit. So with one glance of your eye, you can get a clear overview of a large tarot spread. Personally, I can get a little bit overwhelmed by a spread of more than five cards but this deck will certainly encourage me to try out these larger spreads again.  

All in all, I am so pleased to have this deck in my collection. The deck has a neutral feel to it which will allow it to become a whole year round deck and a potential workhorse for anybody who likes to read with a more contemporary deck. It will come as no surprise that I highly recommended this deck!

(I've been given this deck for review purpose. All opinions are entirely my own.)

The Hermit – Coming home to yourself

For today I’ve received The Hermit from the Spirit within Tarot by Steven Bright.  Actually, I received it quite literally because it jumped out of the deck while I was shuffling. This deck seems to know me already quite well because it keeps giving me the cards I love the most.

The Hermit is one of the cards where we see the silhouette in the far distance which gives the card a very spacious feel. The Hermit is sitting on the top of a mountain. He carries no lantern but the light of the full moon is all he needs right now.

I identify with the Hermit on a very deep level. He is my guide and my shadow, so I feel he will be my teacher for a very long time.

Since I have been cutting down on my screen time you would think there would a lot of spare time for me to spend in Hermit mode but it is more complicated than it appears to be. Some restless, always need to be busy, part of me is frantically searching for other ways to occupy my mind. O my, how resourceful we are when it comes to undermining ourselves. Luckily for me, I have uncovered this “devious” plan so I am one step ahead of myself again. One thing I did manage was to pick up my meditation practice again which I am so grateful for. Each time I meditate it feels like coming home to myself.

Queen of Swords – Me and my journal

Today’s card is the Queen of Swords from the Spirit Within Tarot by Steven Bright. As you all know I identify highly with this queen and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how Steven has captured her in his deck.

We see a woman sitting at her desk in front of her laptop, scratching her head with a pencil. She is obviously pondering what to write next; how to formulate her words in a way they will describe her feelings and ideas as clearly as possible. It feels so natural to see myself in her place. It is almost as if the silhouettes are inviting us to put ourselves or others in the depictions of the deck.  

I like to journal, almost on a daily basis. It helps me to get my mind in order and to think in a more linear way, which can be a good thing when your mind sometimes resembles a merry go round. Also, I feel that writing things down makes them more real, more tangible. I’ve been journaling since I was ten years old so I can hardly imagine myself without a journal by my side.

And then I was wondering what she was journaling about and I got …the Nine of Pentacles. This is a favorite of mine in any deck. Although I don’t shy away from writing about sad and painful things, I do like to emphasize what is beautiful, magical and delightful in life. Focusing on the sad stuff comes naturally to many of us. It used to be that way for me too. So nowadays I’d like to push myself a bit further and try not to write only about the clouds but even more so about their silver linings. Like the lady in this card, I have so much to be grateful for.

Without- Within- Advice spread with the Mary El Tarot

For today I wanted to do a daily three card spread which I found it the guidebook of the Mary El tarot

Without - The world

It seems I have it all under control. I have a house, a steady income, good health, a loving family and I am able to cope with the ups and downs life will present me with. Life is good and I am content. My dreams are fulfilled and I have nothing to complain about.

Within – Six of Wands

This is the archangel Michael, slayer of demons and dragons. Yes, although life is good, I still have many demons to confront. The question this card is asking me is if I want to slay my demons or if I want to assimilate them to become a more complete person. I think the latter. My demons are my own, they are part of who I am, although perhaps they are a bit deformed and grown out of proportion over the years. Marie White states that in this card our higher self meets our shadow. I think that although this might be scary, it is a necessary encounter which we can’t escape forever.

Advice - Ace of Wands

Roar woman! Show your strength and think of a creative way to lure your demons into the light. Don’t be afraid of who you are because you are wonderful and one of kind. This card is the primordial spark of creation. It is the embodiment of courage and power; the seed of our creativity and our intent. What better card to call us to arms than this one.  It is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer us and we only have to reach out than grab it, because it is always and everywhere!

I feel that when I can harness the power of this ace and meet my demons with courage and confidence the energy of The World will become an intrinsic part of who I am.

Eight of Coins - Strengthening my Attention span

Today’s card is the Eight of Coins from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. We see a man studying the designs he has made for his coins. There is something not entirely right and he doesn’t seem to be able to pinpoint it as of yet.  He is however determined to create the perfect coins and he isn’t likely to give up.

I envy this craftsman’s perseverance, and ability to focus on a project for as long as he needs to bring it to perfection or at least to finish it. When I was younger my ability to concentrate was so much stronger. Nowadays my focus is much more fragmented. Reading for hours, studying a subject until I have discovered all the nitty-gritty details, seems to be qualities that I no longer possess.  And to be quite frank, I miss it. Oh, I do get things done and I am still able to learn new things but it feels different.  Somehow, I also believe this isn’t only caused by my aging but also by the diverting aspect of the internet. I mean the days when I went to the library to study are long gone. Reading a book from A to Z, because it was the only source of information you can find feels like ages ago.

Today this card encourages me to practice my ability to focus; to set small achievable goals as reading two chapters from my book instead of one and to diminish my screen time. Small steps….

Ten of Cups – Sweet dreams

Today’s card is the Ten of Cups from The Legacy of the Divine Tarot. Life is good. We have everything we have wished for in the Nine of Cups and most of all we have someone to share our good fortune with. 

Yes, we are home at last. We are safe, we are loved and we are emotionally fulfilled. Life is perfect just the way it is. It seems almost too good to be true.  

When we feel like this, often we try to hold on too tightly; afraid this feeling of contentment might slip away again. And I am sorry to say, it will slip away and it will make way for sadness, anxiety or frustration because everything always changes.

If there is one thing I have learned from our dog is to enjoy the good times and to try not to worry about what might come next.

Then I was wondering what the dog and the cat were dreaming about and I pulled the Star… Yes, they have lived a live filled with conflicts and quarrels and maybe even with hate and jealousy but they have left it all behind them, knowing there is always a change to start over and embrace love.