King of Cups – The perfect ally for this season

For this new moon I drew the King of Cups from the Morgan Greer tarot in the Embrace position. 

I am not a huge fan of the King cards in general but for me this one is the most easy to relate to. He is kind and wise, he is compassionate and tolerant and he is intuitive and artistic. So what is not to like about this King. Since he has come up in the embrace position I want to emphasize his  positive traits over his more challenging ones. What I love most about him is his emotional stability and great involvement  in the lives of his people and the way he offers them advice and guidance in times of need. He also teaches me not only to give advice but also to be open to receive advice from others. Ask M, because she knows how difficult it can be to tell me to slow down and rest more.

He is also a peacemaker which can be quite a useful  energy to identify with during the holidays. Together with his other aspects he is the perfect one to have around this season. And maybe this stretches a bit too far for some of us but he does remind me a bit of  Jesus himself.

So what could be a good way to manifest his energy today! and I got the (don’t laugh) the King of Swords. This card will remind me to keep a balance between my heart and my head. Embodying the king of Cups could perhaps lead to improvident actions. I supposes the clear mindedness of the King of Swords will protect me from becoming overly involved or too compassionate and he will make sure that my personal boundaries are guarded at all times. I am sure these two kings will have a lot to talk about.

King of Cups – Three roads to compassion and understanding

Today’s card is the King of Cups from the Morgan Greer Tarot. In combination with the Five of Cups, my Card of the Week, this King is all about compassion and understanding for people in desperate and challenging situations. 

He is the master of the emotional realm. He has lived through the entire suit of Cups and knows perfectly well that emotional setbacks can be so detrimental  for  your well being. This is why he is determined to guide others who are going through similar things he has experienced. And he will do so in a very gentle and caring way.

For today this King can represent someone who is really there for you when you need him the most; someone who will listen without judging. Someone who will give advice when asked for and who is able to be still and just sit with you when needed

The king of Cups can also represent  a book,  a movie, a deck of cards, or even your dog. Any  trigger which will give you guidance and insight in what you’re going through and how to move forward on your healing journey.

Last but not least the King of Cups can represent yourself; the gentle kindness for yourself when nobody else can give you this; the inner voice that urges you to take a  walk or a nap, to  paint, to journal or to just sit and be with what is, without fighting or wanting it to be something else.

Naturally when we are feeling up to it, we can be the King of Cups for somebody else.  Often when you have been dealing with some heavy stuff it is easier to relate to others who are having a hard time too. This is when we've come full circle.

Six of Wands – Beginning is winning

Today’s card is the Six of Wands from the Morgan Greer Tarot. This is the card of success, victory and accomplishments. At first I thought it to be more a card for after my 40 Day Challenge. How could I be sure if I would stick to it to the end. But then I realized that beginning this challenge is a victory in itself. I had overcome my fear of failure and I've set out on this journey with confidence  and good intentions. Yesterday I wrote that I wanted to take it day by day, step by step. No use aiming for the finish line while forgetting to enjoy yourself along the way. And that is what I am about to focus on: joy. I want to find joy and fulfillment in the present moment and I want to be proud of every little thing I achieve

In other versions of this card, you see the crowd cheering him on, holding the other wands up high. I suppose in this card they are standing behind him, knowing the main focus should be on the victor. In these five wands I see my supportive tribe like family and friends all over the world. 

Chloe commented the following this morning on yesterday’s post:” If you want to do it, I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it. And if you don't, then that will also be a learning for you :)

So whatever happens there is always a reason to bake a cake!

The Moon – Follow the yellow brick road

Today’s card is The Moon from the Morgan Greer Tarot.  Coincidentally the next card in the Major Arcana after the Star. This tells me that after the cleansing and rejuvenating pause from The Star, there are still some challenges ahead of us. When I pulled The Moon card this morning;“follow the yellow brick road” was the first thing that came to mind. As of tomorrow I am going on a “journey” myself, not knowing what my destination will be. To be honest, the commitment to a challenge of  40 days scares me a lot and at the same time I am so excited about it (the dog and the wolf in me).  I am also curious about the wisdom, hidden in my subconscious, the purple lobster will bring me. It must be something quite important because purple isn't  used frequently in this deck.

Anyhow guided by the light of the full moon (and my Star) I am going to follow this path day by day, trying not to look ahead too much but staying in the present moment and enjoying the journey.

(It is funny because there will be a New Moon tomorrow. I am very happy with it, because its energy might reinforce the change which I hope to achieve.

The Star - Hope and Renewal

My daily draw for  today is The Star from the Morgan Greer tarot. Just two days away from the beginning of my new challenge: "Making room in 40 days", this is a great card to receive. The Star is all about vulnerability, hope, inspiration, healing, clarity and starting over (after The Tower) following your hearts desire and feeling balanced.  Notice how she is pouring water out of her jugs. She feels no apprehension to empty both of them at the same time. There is more than enough water in the world. The star teaches us to let go of what we don’t need at this point in our life; to let go of the idea we can control everything. She has been through the experience of The Tower which has taught her what really matters in life.

She will be my guide on this journey and show me how to let go of time consuming activities  and how to focus on that which fulfills my soul.

She can also be my inspiration, my muse for the writing prompts and other  assignments I might get.

The first thing we were asked to do was to find a picture or an object which would represent this journey for us. I couldn't think of anything at the time but this card is definitely it! 

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."

William Penn

Creating a Tarot Mandala around the Seven of Cups

This morning, when I was driving home after visiting my husband, I was thinking about this reoccurring theme in my daily draws: “Dream, dream,  dream….”

I thought it might be a good idea to play around with this theme and see what would come up. First I started to write down everything I wanted in life. And I wrote quickly without censoring. Next I grouped similar wants and needs together, making small clusters. For  the more abstract dreams I added some practical implementations:  For instance living a creative life will require some practice and dedication on my side.

Then the fun part came: Creating the mandala. I used the Morgan Greer Tarot for its beautiful simplicity, bright colors and up close imagery. (You can imagine what this mandala would have looked like if I had used the Joie de Vivre tarot  J)

I flipped through the deck several times, pulled out a few cards out, put others back again and so on. And all this while putting them in some kind of layout. I deliberately choose the Four Queens  with their Aces for the corners of my Mandela as an indication of my strive to become a more balanced woman. The rest of the cards are my hopes, my dreams and my challenges.... 

The Three Blessings

It sounds like the title of a fairy tale but in fact it is the subject of a three card tarot reading which Carla from Rowan Tarot came up with. Kerry from Neopagan Priestess has tried it too.

I liked it so much and thought it was such an uplifting spread, that I would like to try it for myself. I've used the Morgan Greer tarot and after shuffling my deck I asked: “What are my three blessings for this phase in my life?”

And I've got:

The Eight of Wands:

Things are speeding up and going my way. Actions of the past are setting things in motion for today. My eight wands are sprouting, so lots of my creative ideas are full of possibilities. I can pick the one which I feel most passionate about without letting myself get overwhelmed by the other seven (The Eight of wand is my todo list card J)

The Eight of Swords:

No more bondage by limiting thoughts. I am able to take of my blindfold and remove the ropes around my body. I can enter the castle behind me and go to my art room to play because playing is sacred, making mistakes is a must, and trying is a gift to myself.

Three of Pentacles :

And the first two blessings are coming to fruition in the last one: Creating with pleasure, inspiration and fulfillment. This card is one of the most supportive cards in the deck for me. The Empress may be all about creativity but here we see a craftsman doing the work en enjoying himself. Improving your skills day by day is a gift not a chore.

The Three of Cups needs Strength

Today’s card is the Three of Cups from the Morgan Greer Tarot. Three women standing together; enjoying each other company. Its seems like they are wearing the garlands from Yesterday’s card. This card is for me the “Me me and my girls” card. We love each other dearly and we like to spend time together. Just hanging out; laughing and talking, or watching a movie together. Just regular stuff but sometimes enjoying those little things together is making a relationship so special

I wondered what more I could write about this card so I pulled another one to find a more specific meaning. (an idea I found on Tiferet tarot) 

I pulled the lion. Wow! That made a lot of sense. After the (now resolved) difficulties between M and S, it is a good advice to keep a lid on our primal reactions toward each other. Not every thought has to be shared. Not every feeling has to be put into words.

“I teach you that the greatest strength is strength of spirit, and that all challenges are conquered if they are met with tolerance, forgiveness, forbearance and compassion”.

Before we speak we can try to figure out, if what we want to say is beneficial, necessary and kind. Look how tender and gentle this woman is treating her lion. Somehow it makes me wonder if we are kind to others we are also kind to ourselves at the same time. This kindness must somehow reflect back on our own well being.

Affirmation: Today I will treat others with kindness and I will weigh my words before I speak.

Five of pentacles - Sticking together

For today I've drawn the Five of Pentacles from the Morgan Greer Tarot and I wanted to try to answer the question which has been popping up lately on various tarot blogs( including my own):

“What can I do right now in this moment that will bring me pleasure and also positively impact my future?”

I can think of easier cards to answer this question with, but I will give it a try. The key is to not to focus on what is lacking in this card; which is a lot but instead focus on what it still there.

When we have lost a lot: finance, security, health and other Pentacle aspects, it is good to focus on friends and loved ones. The two people in the card hold on to each other and find comfort together. They give each other the strength to keep going  and perhaps even endure more hardships. In my opinion the emotional bond of love and friendship is often strengthened in a Five of Pentacles situation. In times of need you know who will be there for you (and who won’t) Together you often can overcome the most stressful situations.

So for today I will be grateful for what we do have (love, friendship, togetherness) instead of complaining about what we don’t have. This will impact us positively for the future because we will grow more closely together and we will appreciate each other even more.

Cups, cups, cups: A three card spread for my Daily draw

For today I've pulled a lot of cups from my Morgan Greer Tarot deck. It is becoming a bit of a theme these days.  It seems to me my cards like to communicate a certain message to me:

Morgan Greer Tarot

Seven of Cups – It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the innumerous amount of choices we are presented with these days. Some are healthy and bring about spiritual growth and some are more shallow. Some are very tempting and even addictive. How do we find our way in this enticing labyrinth?

Temperance – This card is teaching us to practice patience and maintain a sense of balance. Sometimes it is wise to take a step back and carefully consider your options, think whether you really need and want what you wish for.

Ace of Cups -  Our reward, our ultimate Cup, overflowing with love in whatever form. This is the card of receptivity, creativity, openness, spirituality and intuition. It is the holy grail of the seeker. The Cup which stands out from all the other cups in the first card.

To wrap this up, I think it is so important not to be tempted by all sorts of glamorous possibilities but to really weigh your choices and to go for the most fulfilling option.
"An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit". – Pliny the Younger

Blessed by The Hierophant

Morgan Greer Tarot

For today again a card which is not one of my favorites: The Hierophant from The Morgan Greer Tarot. The first thing that comes to mind is: “Boring!”. I must say I am happy to see the two acolytes aren't present in this depiction. They radiate both submissiveness and uncritical thinking to me. Now it looks like this priest is blessing me. And when I put my first reluctance aside, I wonder: Who doesn't want to be blessed.

This High Priest is the archetypal symbol of teaching and giving spiritual meaning to life. He helps us to find our purpose. As with other archetypes he can be found in our self as in other people or experiences. How often do we read a book and find inspiration/guidance or hear someone say just the thing we needed to hear. And sometimes we find meaning just by writing a blogpost about the Hierophant card.J 

We don’t have to invent our spiritual practice and beliefs all by ourselves. Most often we borrow from other spiritual systems and religions to blend it all together to our own liking. Who would have guessed a few months ago I would chant during my meditation. Not me.

There is a Buddhist saying: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”

I knew chanting existed, but I had decided it wasn't for me. After learning from Eowyn what Sanskrit really was I was willing to try it and I liked it

Perhaps this Hierophant card isn't as boring after all.

Three of swords: take care of your heart

Morgan Greer Tarot

This  daily draw from the Morgan Greer Tarot is at first glance not such a happy card to get, but it might be not so bad as it seems.

First of all the depiction is gorgeous. Just a simple heart with three swords pierced through it, but how vivid it gets because of the colors and the hatched shading.

Now let’s take a look at the meaning. Usually the Three of Swords is connected to heartbreak, grief and utter sadness and when you use the card for prediction that can be rather frightening. But what if we instead think of the lesson to be learned, the direction to be taken, when we draw this card?

For me the Three of Swords is all about a disconnection between heart and mind. It is not so much about how others hurt us to our core, but how we let them hurt us, because we are so vulnerable and insecure at heart level. And perhaps even worse; what do you think of our own swords we clash on a daily base into our hearts. Everybody has some negative self talk that can make our heart bleed. We are often too afraid of the  feelings our heart wants to express. Ever so quickly we stab it and try do act if nothing has happened; if nothing is wrong. So instead of pointing our finger at others perhaps it is time to get some emotional bandage and patch up our own hearts.

Isn't the beginning of spring not a lovely time to begin to allow ourselves to feel without being cut off by (ir)rational reasons? 

Imbolc Tarot Spread: Brid’s Wheel

This spread for Imbolc, I have found in Christine Jette’s book “Tarot for all Seasons”. I've bought this book to accompany me on my journey around the wheel of the year with the Wildwood Tarot, I've started out last Yule

For this spread I've used my brand new Morgan Greer tarot.

Brid's Wheel from "Tarot of All Seasons" by Christine Jette with The Morgan Greer Tarot

1.    Strength.  This card shows where you are strong. 

*    The Queen of Rods: she is a strong, outgoing and creatively inspired. She is always warmed by her inner fire. She is confident and resilient. It pleases me to see her as my strength card

2.    Heart’s Desire.  You deepest desire.  What do you really want? 

*    King of Cups: How lovely it would be if I could master my emotional ups and downs and become more balanced. I want to be able to reach out to others and help them without getting emotionally drained

3.    Healer. What needs to be healed if you are to be strong?  Note whether or not there is a relationship between position one (strength) and this card. 

*    The Chariot: I have to acknowledge I am my own person, live my own life and I can set out my own direction and try to keep my insecurity and anxiety under control.

4.   Creative Inspiration.  When healing energy is released, creative inspiration is the result.  What are you inspired to do?  What creative activity fires you up?

*    Six of swords: That was a difficult card for me. But then I drew the sun as clarifier. I think I can interpret this as a creative spark in my communication abilities. The six of swords is about sorting out idea’s, looking for new ways of thinking and communicating; leaving behind idea’s which, although comfortable,  aren’t helpful anymore; or sometimes it could mean a spiritual journey or a quest.  In this sun card two people are coming together in the light of the sun which brightens and reveals everything. So I will use my creativity to communicate my thoughts clearly (writing?). Perhaps it is also a hint to put some effort in my Dutch blog.

5.   Making Plans.  Based on the creative information of position four, what plans can you now make? 

*    Nine of Pentacles. I always love this card.It is so easy to identify with this woman. It strikes me this nine of pentacles is very purple unlike many other cards in this deck. I can interpret this to use my inner wisdom in my spoken and written words. I’ve pulled the eight of swords as clarifier and it tells me to be aware of my limiting beliefs. So I see the Nine of Pentacles also as an advice to look after myself and be aware of maintaining my self-worth; Try to relax and be confident and believe in myself. This woman likes to be alone and that is okay too. In her so loved solitude she can find the peace and quiet to listen to her own thoughts and put them in writing

6.   New Growth.  What is the promise of spring that lies just beneath the snow? 

*    Nine of rods. Another nine. This card is all about vigilance. I am going to watch out for distracting influences (like procrastination!!!) which might make me forget my creative goal. (it happened before J) I will go on even when I get insecure. This card will be my defense against my inner critic.

My Morgan Greer Tarot has arrived!

A week ago I've ordered this deck from Book Depository and I didn't expect it until next week, so I was pleasantly surprised to have found it in my mailbox  yesterday; like a Imbolc gift for myself.

Morgan Greer Tarot

 Now I have this deck I cannot imagine why I've never felt the urge before to buy it. The cardstock is smooth and of good quality  and it shuffles like a charm. But most important are of course the magnificent vibrant colors of the borderless cards. The color palette transports you immediately back to the seventies Perhaps it is funny to say but they make me feel young. Listening to music from those days can also provoke feelings like that.

The imagery is mostly Rider Waite based but it is like the camera has zoomed in, so you are very up close to the characters, which gives this deck an intimate feel. I expect it will read particularly good with larger spreads because you can easily get an overview of the situation thanks to the clarity of the images of this deck.

I am looking forward to read with it. Tonight I will “officially” use it for the first time for my Imbolc reading (Of course I've played with it and tried it out already. But then who wouldn't? J)