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.

What does royalty have to say about workouts?

Now Autumn has finally begun this year, it is time to hit the gym again. To be honest, during this heat wave I wasn’t really up to it. When I haven’t exercised in a while,it is always a bit hard for me to pick it up again and to keep at it. Excuses seem to pop up from everywhere: too hot, too tired, too busy, or I just don’t feel like it, but eventually I went. While I was walking on the tread mill, I was thinking about what the Tarot might have to say about exercising. Immediately I saw four young Pages running around the gym, trying out the equipment. They didn't pay me any attention, let alone have the time to talk to me. So I directed my thoughts to the Queens and asked them why I should work out regularly, even if I don’t really feel like it:

Queen of Wands: "Girl, it is the perfect way to keep your energy levels up and set you ablaze. Feel how your heart is pumping the red blood through your veins! You will be fired up to seize the day!"

Queen of Cups: "Ah my dear, working out will most definitely reduce your stress levels and make you feel so much more calm and relaxed. Breath in and out and produce those endorphins!"

Queen of Swords: "My dear lady, nothing is more effective to clear your mind from worrying and depressing thoughts than to work up a sweat. The most ingenious ideas will come to you when you are physically active."

Queen of Pentacles: "Oh sweetie, what can I add  to  this sincere advice. Exercising is a gift to your body, which is just as precious as your spirit, your soul and your mind. Treat it well and it will serve you accordingly and don’t forget to eat healthy too."

Well that settles it: Working out will be an priority on my weekly to-do list!

And then... and then.. and then…..

Storytelling with tarot is something I really love to do. Mostly when my card of the day is not quite what I expected or hoped for, I start asking questions and drawing more cards until the story unfolds and the message becomes clear to me.

Today I started out with the Eight of Cups from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. Usually I love pulling this card. It gives me permission to leave everything behind and to spend some quality alone time but today it felt a bit challenging so soon after all the shadow work I have been doing last month. My initial reactions was: "Oh no, not again!"  So I pulled the Four of Cups, where a man is longing for the cup in the sky and doesn’t see the beautiful ones in the grass. This card tells me how I felt in the beginning of October. I had all those grand ideas of how I would spiritually grow and  although I did grow/change,  it was so entirely different than I expected it to be. And the Three of Coins is showing me how different it all was. I found my creative fire again and the courage to do something with it. Up until now the cards haven’t told me anything new. It all feels like a big intro to the main plot: the Six of Swords. This card is all about a journey again. I think it is about taking all the ideas of how finding creativity has been my “salvation” under consideration and asking myself questions like: “Why do want to create? How do I feel when I create? What part of me do I share with others when I create? Etc. Making a painting is not the destination of the journey it is the beginning of a new journey. And then I pulled the last card: Judgment which is to me the call to an authentic life; when we step out of the box of who we thought we were and  to sing the song of our soul of who we really are. 

Two of Wands – Choices, choices, choices.

For today I have drawn the Two of Wands from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot and it is pretty obvious what this card is all about: we have to make a choice in order to move forward. In the picture we see two beautifully adorned wands and also two locked boxes in mid air and one key floating between them. There is no way of telling which of the two boxes is holding something  of value for us or if the key only fits on one lock. Do we have only one chance to try to open a box  or perhaps maybe  two ? How can we be sure? Should we wait for more information or just try? All these questions and possibilities can cause you to freeze instead of making the choice. Because how on earth can we be sure we will make the right choice. Maybe both options are right. Our mind keeps working on high speed but it is like we are running in circles and there is no way out.

I often feel like this. I find it hard to make decisions. When there is really a pressing situation which has to be dealt with, I am  more determined and unwavering then when it is about the small things in life: What will we have fro dinner? What shall I wear? Do I need new shoes and  when and where shall I buy them? What movie will we watch? What will I draw? What book will I read next?

There are numerous choices to be made on a daily basis and I think it is a miracle we are not all hiding our head under the pillows. Luckily we can rely on previous decisions: I don’t have to consider all the brands of detergent anymore: I chose my own familiar brand. Still there are enough choices left for me today: “what deck will I choose” was the most recent.

The King of Coins and fox – Sometimes you just want to run off

Today’s card is the King of Coins from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti. This is the king who is practical and reliable, sure of himself and sometimes a bit conservative. He is a great manager and  his focus is always on the welfare of everyone he is responsible for. He yearns for sensual pleasure and is sometimes a bit self-indulgent.

When you have so much responsibility, you have to make time for the good things in life. And most of the time the king doesn't feel guilty in doing so. But he never crosses boundaries because he knows the eyes of his people are always upon him. Look at him standing there on the balcony with his Pentacle in his hands. What is he thinking? What does he want?

For some additional information I pulled one card from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand: the Fox. Oops. There is something sneaky going on here. Although the fox wants to get into the henhouse, I've got the feeling the king wants to run off and  leave his Pentacle behind for a while. I guess everybody can relate to this feeling. We all have our responsibilities but o, how wonderful it would be, if we could just play truant for a while and run off to do whatever we want and maybe even misbehave just for a tiny little bit… Or maybe we have to manipulate others to have some time to ourselves. Is it so bad to feign  a headache when you want to be on your own for a while…..

I think there a lots of ways to “sneak out” if we need to. Maybe not all totally legit but certainly very understandable. 

Knight of Wands – Setting my priorities straight

Today’s cards are the Knight of Wands from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot and the man card from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand. Both decks are by Ciro Marchetti. This Knight of Wands is as fiery as it is possible. Red and Yellow and every hue in between is used to create this image. Two dragons are battling one another with fire, while unaware of the damage they are causing to their surroundings. They are passionate and reckless, strong and vital. But maybe lately a bit over the top with all their plans, projects and challenges. This knight can sometimes give us  the idea of  “I can do everything if I really want it”. So we plunge in enthusiastically with passion and good intentions and only to feel afterwards the blisters on our soul. Then we have to admit we've acted like the dragons in this card: a bit over the top and somewhat impetuous.

But then I pulled the Man card. Today I read this card as being  the Knight of Wands, without his armor. He is tired of fighting his inner and outer battles. There too many options, too many battlefields. In his hand he is holding one rose and he is silently waiting until he knows for sure which challenge is worth his sole focus and all his energy.

I do relate to these cards very well. For five days now I am trying to change my behavior and routines on several fronts and I am coming to the conclusion that it might be a bit too much ad once. Because I do want this challenge to be a success, I have to set my priorities  straight. What do I want to  focus on? What is it that I want to change the most? One rose…. one priority ….

Ten of Cups - There is a lot to be grateful for

Today’s card is the Ten of Cups from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti. At first I intended to pick a card myself which would represent my latest obsession with the “Midori travelers Notebook”. Besides being overly fond of tarot and Oracles decks, stationery, planners and journals etc  is something I am getting more and more addicted to. But since this blog is mainly about my love for tarot I decide to  just pull a card and see what the tarot had in store for me today. Well isn't this a lovely picture. I see both Tara and our new puppy in this card. Tara in dog’s heaven near a cozy fire place completely  healthy and happy, where cats are friends instead of mortal enemies J. On the other hand this might be our near future. In a few hours we are going to visit our puppy for the second time. We are so looking forward to this and we are counting the days until we can take him home with us.

Finally I see myself in this card, so happy and content with my finished leather project. I am going to finish it tomorrow and although excited to make my own version of the Midori, I am also a bit anxious to ruin the leather. Maybe this card is a good omen, so I pulled a card from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand: Bouquet! I see this one as the gift card and I suppose everything I’ve written  about in this post can be considered as gifts to be grateful for.

Combining Tarot and Lenormand in one reading

Inspired by Chloe and Siddaleah  I've been practicing again with my Lenormand cards for several days now. And I have to say it hasn't been easy. There has been times the cards only spoke jibber jabber to me and I felt like throwing them into the trash can. Could it be possible I'm not cut out  for this? Since I am a stubborn woman (Taurus) I didn't want to be defeated by 36 pieces of cardboard so I kept practicing.

And gradually the fog was lifting and the cards started to make sense to me again. It was helpful for me me not to search for generic meanings but to ask a question first. Was it about love, money or health? But how many questions can you come up with while practicing on  your own. So I included my tarot cards in the reading. I picked a tarot card which would be the topic of my reading and then I drew a line of three lennies about this topic.

The topic for this reading was the Ten of Swords from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot : How can I let go of all my self defeating thoughts and move on?

Then I pulled three cards from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand (both decks are by Ciro Marchetti):

7 Snake +15 Bear + 5 Tree

Biting thoughts (suspicions and self loathing) can be conquered by confidence and inner strength which will improve your physical (health) and mental (wisdom) well being.

I liked how the bear was swimming away from the snake and towards the tree; moving on from one situation to another.

Building confidence is certainly helpful for me while practicing with these cards. Whining about how I will never, ever be able to read them won't help me to improve my skills.J

Practicing like this is so much fun and very encouraging for my confidence in reading the Lenormand.

Six of Cups and Mountain - Tarot and Lenormand playing together

For today I have drawn two cards from two different systems and both cards have been made by the same artist: Ciro Marchetti. From the Legacy of the Divine Tarot I’ve got the Six of Cups and from the Gilded Reverie Lenormand I've pulled the mountain.

First I drew the tarot card to represent the overall feeling/energy of the day;

This cards depicts a girl lying in the grass and she is recalling some good times when she was playing with her friend. It is very easy for me to identify with this girl. Life used to be so easy. There were less difficult choices to make. Of course it wasn't always sunshine and roses  but at least my husband was there to stand beside me. And nowadays it is just me who has to make all the decisions. But I am very glad  I can cherish a lot of good and loving memories. So why does this card affect me more than usual?

For a modification of this tarot card I drew Mountain. This card is about blockages, difficulties and frustration. When we are confronted with our mountain it is only natural we are inclined to look back to the green meadows of the past and to imagine them greener than they really were. How tempting it might be to idolize and dwell in these pastures, it is better to get your backpack and lace up your shoes and start climbing the mountain.

It is obvious how the Lenormand card emphasizes for me the danger of living in the past and can be seen as an encouragement to face my problems. I think any other Lenormand card would have highlighted a different aspect of The Six of Cups. The Tarot card represents for me the psychological side of the matter and the Lenormand card the more mundane and active side. Although Tarot and Lenormand are  two different systems, I think they can work very well together

Ps. don’t get me wrong; There is nothing as comforting as a stroll down memory lane J

We can have it all, if we dare to dream

Yesterday, after an exchange of thoughts with Sycamore about her last post: “Where the Heart is” , I started thinking about how hard it is for many of us to discover what we really want deep down inside. My wishes are most of the time the “good girl” wishes  and I wonder if that is all there is. Could it be I am afraid of my own buried desires? Or perhaps  of my undiscovered “greatness” J. Sometimes we put our light under the basket instead of on a stand mostly out of a false sense of modesty. That’s how a lot of us were brought up.

And what have the cards to say about this? Well they couldn't be more clear today. I drew these three cards without set positions just to read them as a story-line:

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

The Four of Cups tells us how hard it is to find that one cup that gives us the most pleasure; our true passion. Some cups are just fine but mostly they contain convenient and dull wishes, which keep us satisfied in our day to day lives

The Knight of Cups challenges us to follow our intuition and to pick up that one cup that truly belongs to us, to channel all our creativity and passion into it and go for..

The World. This is how we all can feel if we treasure our dreams and follow through on them.

Gilded Reverie Lenormand

How we bring this wonderful idea into practice? That is when the Lenormand comes in play

Scythe+ mountain+ Child

For me it is becoming very obvious: We have to cut away inner blockages and let our inner child play. I am certain that trough playing and experimenting we are all able to find what really makes our soul truly sing. 

Recipe for emotional resilience: Let go and let Love

Today I asked the cards: When I am following The Hermit into my inner Wildwood what will I find or who will I meet and which little faery will come to my support?  

I placed The Hermit card from yesterday in the middle and I drew first the Five of Stones – Endurance from the Wildwood Tarot. Immediately I felt mixture of pity and envy. On the one hand she is all alone in the wilderness, but on the other hand she is all alone in the wilderness and no this is not a typing error. How many times have I longed to be all alone  I how many times have I feared to be left all alone. The book that came to mind when I was looking at this card was part two of the series “Earth’s Children” by Jean Auel: “The valley of the horses”, where Ayla lives alone for three years in cave and sustains herself and has the strength to endure the hardship she comes across.

The guidebook speaks  about a time of protecting ourselves perhaps by withdrawal to build up  emotional resilience. For me this girl has been through a whole lot and although she is tough she isn't there yet.

So who will help us to find this resilience? The singer of Healing from The Faeries’ Oracle. Again a singer and I like that. This card teaches us that healing is an active process which requires our best efforts. It is not something we can receive and then expect to be healed. “Through the song of healing, we may be restored and renewed, but only if the wounded one is prepared to forgive and let go, returning to love and compassion…We need only to let go of things that are hurting us and nurture ourselves with the things that benefit us. So simple, so difficult.”

Soon it will be Christmas. This is a time my emotional resilience will be tested for sure. I want to give everybody that warm cozy holiday feeling but not at my own expense so it will be a balancing act. I want to focus on the love I can give to my family and not on the chaos and stress around these days (cooking shopping, baking decorating, quarreling etc)

Anyway, I am hopeful that my meditation and gratitude practice will help me to open up for the healing energy of Divine J

Following my own path and staying on track

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

I had mixed feelings and wasn't sure what to do. Yesterday I had planned a little detour with my tarot cards. It seemed fun to me to explore if I could do predictive readings. I have been talking with some of you about the possibilities of predicting and I even invented a new word for hindsight interpretation which is a very common manner to fit a prediction: Afterdiction (© lol)

Talking with you made me realize I didn't want to go through with this experiment at all.  The way I work with cards is just fine with me. And I respect and encourage everyone to do what he/she does best and feel comfortable with. But I am positive predicting is not for me, in anyway not now

But I wouldn't be me if I felt a great pressure to accomplish this experiment because I said so.

Gilded Reverie Lenormand

So this morning I drew three lennies for this week: stars + scythe +ring. These three cards could mean a number of things: A divorce from a celebrity. Hopefully a contract will be ended.

For me they just cried out: Follow your bliss and don’t fulfill this commitment!!!

So here I am writing this post. I asked the tarot for a guidance card: The Hermit from the Legacy of the Divine came to the rescue.  Well I’m sure he can guide me through my inner landscapes, encourage me to read my map and help me to stick with who I am and what I want and not to get distracted so easily. I've already picked up my daily meditation and gratitude practice  to reconnect to the Divine but it will be also very helpful to stay focused and on track

Four of Cups – Living in the present moment

Legacy of the Divine Tarot

For today I've drawn my daily card from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti. It’s the four of cups. This card is slightly different than other four of cups'  in different decks. Instead of not looking at the presented fourth cup, this man is gazing at the cup as if there was nothing else to look at. In his perception this is the most beautiful cup in the whole world. So instead of interpreting this card as boredom and a lethargic feeling, I would see it more as never be satisfied with what you have and always looking for the next quick fix or rush. This goes beyond buying  more and more decks.J  It can be a way of thinking about every aspect of your life. Material stuff, job, relationship and so forth.

The most obvious solution to this problem is also the most difficult: It is living in the Now; moment, by moment, by moment ….

I get easily distracted by media, advertising and longing for more than I have/am now. But when I am aware of where and when I am, I'm totally content and satisfied and so grateful for my life and who I have become. There is no desire to change this, just to go forth moment by moment  by moment and change will present itself in its own time

Reading: What I'm grateful for and how it does affect me.

As a follow up for this morning’s post I thought let’s do a reading with both oracle and tarot cards. For the main theme I drew from the  Oracle of the Shapeshifters:

Bats in the belfry: This card speaks to me about gratitude for how far you've come on my life’s journey. Despite what everybody else was thinking, I did it, thanks to looking at things in a different perspective and daring  to fly blind, trusting on other instincts then usual (bats). Well that card did ring a bell for me J. Then I drew three cards form the Legacy of the divine Tarot:

The Hanged man: That’s again one of those hits. Because this card also talks about looking at things from another point a view ,staying put for a while, to be in the moment and to think about the next move/direction.

The five of cups: I Know I've come to this point to keep my focus on the two filled cups. Although there was grief, there was also much to be thankful for. And I will keep those cups filled. Perhaps I’ll even get some new ones.

Seven of wands: Now  I’m strong enough to take care of myself, to stand up for my convictions. To defend my place in life.

I feel I am in sort of a limbo, a resting place. So I can gather my strength to make the next choices for myself and then I'll move forward in life again.

Fly away

October 20: Maple seeds are hanging in pairs on the tree. They look like propellers. As they mature they split and are carried away by the wind. Where do I want the wind to take me?

Legacy of the Divine tarot

Yes! That’s a nice question for me: Let’s fly away! What do the cards have to say about that. I need Strength from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. In this card the woman is a sensual as the cats in her company. Not an innocent maiden dressed in white. The cats as well as the woman are all a part of me. I identify the great beautiful cats as my inner turmoil; my selfish passions and desires, my shadow. The woman is my higher self, who has become one with her inner cat. She has touched each beast on its forehead and gives them a spark of enlightenment. And that settles it for me: No flying away today. I will fly away in my mind, in my creativity, in my writing, in my books but not physically. I have to control my urge to fly free because I want to take my responsibilities serious. Don’t get me wrong; I know I am where I’m supposed to be and I love with whom I am and where I am. But there's always that dreamy longing…. Perhaps another time or another life but not now, not yet.

Today I am going to do some serious journal writing in Dutch. Being rather absorbed by this blogging thing, I've neglected this passion of mine far too long. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in English J So I let the winds of my imagination carry me to where ever that will be ...

Steady as she goes

October 6: When the Rowan berries go red, summer has come to an end. These berries are said to have protective properties. Put some in a vase in your home and ask yourself: What needs protection in my life?

 Unfortunately I was not in the opportunity to pick some Rowan berries, but I have this picture on my desktop right now. It’s all about the intent!

Legacy of the Divine tarot

My card for this beautiful Sunday in October is the Six of Swords from the Legacy of the Divine tarot. I prefer this Six of Swords above the Rider Waite version. In this card the woman is standing tall and looking ahead, her heart filled with anticipation. All around her are swords: rising up out of the deep waters and dangling over her head. She seems unafraid of what is lying ahead. In full trust of her  ferry man who is proficient in navigating their boat. I know that I am both the woman and the ferry man.  I see the dark area they’re in as my own inner being. I am searching, for a place with no dangerous swords to be cautious for. I need  a place to rest now. But although I am perceived as being in control an independent, I think I need to give my animus, my male side more freedom to take over and be determent and in charge so that I can rest for a while and give my always busy head some peace of mind. So today will not be about feeling guilty that I couldn't visit my husband but…. about reading, blogging, drinking coffee and enjoying the sunshine.