How to journey from the Nine of Cups towards the Ten of Cups

Yesterday I pulled the Nine of Cups and Death from my Original Rider Waite Tarot and although I am sure I must have pulled the Nine of Cups more often this year, this time at the end of 2017, I remembered it was my card for this year paired up with the rune Perthro.

I was wondering what the Death card had to say about the Nine of Cups because it felt like these two cards were standing at the beginning of an unfinished story but when I tried to pull an outcome card it didn’t make any sense at all.

So next I wondered how Perthro could be tied to the death card. Perthro is the rune of mystery and it sometimes symbolizes the cauldron of transformation. So maybe this rune wasn’t meant to be the tenth cup as I thought in January but perhaps it was meant as a symbol for the cauldron in which we could transform our nine cups filled with our comfortable wishes and happy feelings into something more substantial and sustaining.

And then I asked myself again what the tenth cup could be and I looked at the Death card which suddenly reminded me of the Knight of Cups, who goes on a quest to find his soul’s purpose; his heart’s desire: He is searching the Holy Grail.

Mmm, I suppose this could be the Ace of Cups. So this knight leaves everything he holds dear behind to go on a quest for Love with a capital L. It is the kind of Love which is unconditional, compassionate and which multiplies the more you give it away.  And so we arrive at the Ten of Cups. Empty handed but with a heart filled with Love and we come home to ourselves and our loved ones and everything we hold dear. Yes, all the things which we were able to leave behind at the beginning of our journey are represented in this card only now we are able to enjoy it with such a deep contentment and Love in our hearts.  So sitting with our nine cups is great but if we want to experience them fully we have to let them go and leave our comfort zone to find out what Love is all about.

Nine of Pentacles - A little update on where I've been…

Today card is the Nine of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite tarot. This card shows perfectly well what I’ve been up to these last few weeks: Nothing spectacular except taking it easy and enjoying the peace and quiet of my own home. Life has presented me with some rather difficult “stuff” which took and still is going to take a lot of my energy, so blogging had to be moved to the back burner for a while. I don’t know how it is with you but when life is challenging my cards seem to grow quieter with the day, so there wasn’t much to blog about anyway. The lady in this card is enjoying herself in her garden and she is noticing the precious daily gifts of her life. Like the snail she moves gently and slowly through her day. She encourages me to follow my heart’s impulses and to do what brings me joy and happiness. Also she is a welcome reminder that there is so much to be grateful for even when life isn’t all together perfect.

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

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.

Raidho and The Hanged Man – The journey within

My rune for today is Raidho (wheel), the rune of traveling and movement. The question I like to ask this rune is: "Where do I go from here?" and I pulled The Hanged Man. 

So physically I am going nowhere but that doesn’t mean I am not going on a journey. The Hanged Man tells us it is time to take a pause and reflect on what we need to hold on to and nurture and what we need to let go off. What is bringing deep fulfillment and is contributing to our purpose in life? What is helping us to step into our authentic power?  How can we respond to life with Love instead of reacting in fear? So many questions, so many things to ponder about. To find the answer to all of this we only need to quiet down and listen. This can be done during meditation, or while taking a walk or just sitting in our garden and let the beauty of nature sink in.

The Hanged Man of the Rider Waite Tarot shows us the effect of this inner journey. Just look at the halo around the man’s head. In the Wild Unknown Tarot we see how  by hanging upside down the bat keeps his head in the light too and in the Vision Quest Tarot the Hanged man is replaced by a Native American who is indeed going on a Vision Quest, an inner journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth

All the cards, however, show in their own special way that what is unconscious and hidden deep within needs to be brought into the light. Not to get rid of it but to truly own it and transform it from something we fear into something we are able to love. 

Defeating The Devil with the Ace of Pentacles

Today’s card is The Devil from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. We see a horned beast sitting on a block of concrete. A man and a woman are loosely chained to this block. If they wanted to, they could free themselves but fear and insecurity have stifled them.

The Devil is that part of your mind that whispers that you can’t do it, that you aren’t worthy or good enough, that if you can't do it well you’d better not do it at all or that you are just too tired today to do anything at all.  All these limiting and oppressing thoughts will keep you from moving forward, from growing, from becoming who you are meant to be and simply from enjoying your life.

So what to do when The Devil pays you a visit and throws his chains over your head? The Ace of Pentacles encourages us to get up and do something: do the dishes, water the plants, gesso a page. Whatever comes to mind, however simple it may be, the first action after the initial thought will set you free from the Devils influence.

What could be your Ace of Pentacles today?

Four of Swords – Quiet down our Inner Critic

Today’s question is: "How can I let go of self doubt?" and I pulled the Four of Swords. As you know this is one of my “sigh” cards; my permission to let go and quiet down the mind from anxiety and those nagging critical inner voices.  After having completed my oracle challenge on IG, I am experiencing waves of self doubt again. Afraid of putting something on the page which is less “pretty“ than my DIY deck.  Even in my art journal, where I try to play more freely and experiment with my art supplies, I feel the urge to create something “beautiful” and with “beautiful” I mean worthy to show other people. This feeling  has made it crystal clear to me  my that  Inner Critic is holding the reins (again)

So this morning I decided to take up my habit of writing 750 Words a day, before doing anything else. This is the digital equivalent of writing morning pages. For me it is a perfect way to clear my mind and to get those creative juices flowing again. This way I will be able to create room to relax and to do whatever fills me with joy, without any result oriented expectations. This  could be just as simple as allowing myself to take a nap, a walk or perhaps filling up a (new) page in my art  journal just for the fun of it. And no, I am not obliged to finish the last page and make it more “pretty”. Maybe it is even better to fill up some loose leave pages first. Just putting a few collage elements, some paint and some scribbles on them to overcome my fear and to loosen up a bit. The only rule is to keep it abstract!

All and all a very timely question for me today.

Full Moon in April

For this full moon I have pulled three cards from my Original Rider Waite Tarot. Even though I have so many other beautiful decks, I seem to be in totally love with this deck all over again. Of course it has been my one of my favorite tarot decks all along but nowadays I read with no other deck than this one. Maybe it is only a springtime infatuation but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

I have asked my deck three questions:

What is crystal clear? Two of Wands – It is time to pick a Wand, to make a choice. Don’t feel pressured to go for the easy option. The options are many. The world is in the palm of our hands. So maybe it is also time to leave my comfort zone.

What am I grateful for? Queen of Wands – although it doesn’t  always show, I know that beneath my fear of failure and my insecurity lives a passionate and creative woman who is eager to get up from her throne and is ready for some action.

What do I need to let go of when the moon starts to wane? Nine of Pentacles – This is one of my favorite cards in the deck. And just like with The Hermit, I am too much attached to this secluded inward energy. But  there is no need to break down the wall. Perhaps I will look for the gate of her garden so I can (again) leave my comfort zone. I noticed she is looking to her bird instead of to the city in the back ground. And her bird doesn’t bring her much new from the outside world either because he is blindfolded.

Together the cards all seem to convey one clear message: leave you comfort zone and live a little! Easier said than done but the fact I read it in these cards is promising. I don’t have to jump from the castle tower. I can take also the stairs J

Ten of Swords - It can’t get any worse than this.

Today”s question from Willowseast to draw a card with is: "How can I move forward when I feel stuck?" 

I pulled the Ten of Swords from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. It can’t get anymore stuck than this. The figure in this card is pinned down by ten swords and he isn’t likely to go anywhere soon. Since Swords are all about the mind, we can be certain this guy is overwhelmed by his self defeating thoughts and a tremendous amount of anxiety. Nothing is more paralyzing than anxious thoughts racing around in our mind. But the end of his suffering is near. Because he has turned his head towards rising the morning sun in the east: The promise of new day. We don’t have to try to pull these swords out, for  that is literally impossible. By our twisting and turning they would only sink deeper and hurt us more. No the solution is so simple. Focus your mind on the rising sun and the swords will disappear. Breath in and out and then slowly get up and start walking. With every step your wounds will heal and with every breath you will ease you mind a bit more...

King of Pentacles – He makes my soul happy

Today’s card is the King of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite tarot. He stopped by to answer the question from Willows East for today: What is one thing that makes my soul truly happy?

I didn’t expect him at all. I had hoped for a more spiritual card but  he,…”the cards are never wrong”

Honestly I do enjoy my stuff and lots of other gifts the physical world has to offer me. I like my books, my deck, my home, good food and lots of coffee with chocolate on the side. Also the older I get the more kingly behavior I display; f.i. I’d rather enjoy my meals then have to cook then myself J

Another thing I seem  to appreciate more lately is my health and having time for myself.  I see both as a positive side effect of old age. Even though my physical health and flexibility is slowly declining I appreciate the things I still can do so much more than I used to and that encourages me to exercise and walk regularly.

Time for myself is one the greatest gifts. It almost feels like the more time I have the more I need. When I write this down, I suddenly wonder if it is possible that having spare time can become so addictive that we always need more…? 

Anyway these musings about the King of Pentacles have made it clear to me that his energy indeed makes my soul  happy.

The Hermit - Shine your light over me

There is this wonderful website, “Willows East”  created by Gretchen Pearl with a section called “First light”.

Each morning you can find there a question to use for your daily draw. This morning the question is: “what is one change I can make in my daily life?” And I got….. (drumroll)….. The Hermit from the Original Rider Waite Tarot! It always makes me so happy when he comes up. He has such a warm and kind energy and as you all know I find it very easy,  maybe sometimes too easy, to relate to this archetype.

He is all about taking time for  ourselves and  turning inward. And that is something entirely different than playing games on my tablet. Checking IG for new pictures, surfing the internet etc. No, the lantern of this Hermit is absolutely not a symbol for tablets and smart phones, how tempting it might be to think so. The Hermit asks us to really be with ourselves without any distractions. This can be difficult because often when we are silent and all alone, our inner voices begin to whisper things we rather not  hear. The Hermit asks  us to sit with what is and whatever comes up and to shine our gentle light of compassion over it.

King of Swords - He is not so bad after all

I really felt like blogging this morning so I picked up my trusted Original Rider Waite and pulled …oh no, not him… The King of Swords. My earlier enthusiasm dropped in an instant. What to do now? Pick another card? Chose another deck? Often when resistance towards a card is so strong it says more about us then about the card itself.

So what feeling is he stirring within me when he looks at me with piercing eyes, while sitting on this throne, holding his sword firmly in his hand?

The strict teacher, always being judged, never being good enough, a warning finger, criticism, he sometimes feels like a nightmare version of Santa.

Just yesterday I thought that a gentle reminder list could be more efficient for me than a todo list with boxes to tick off. But today it almost feels like he doesn’t  agree with this at all. But then I realized this king is a part of my personality: My inner critical Ellen. Always on the lookout to find something I messed up or failed to do.

Luckily like all tarot cards this King has also positive traits, So for today I am going to list as many as I can think of or find in my reference books:

The first few: Quick decision making, committed,  abiding by self imposed rules, has his way with words, writer, diplomatic, problem solver, unbiased,  ethical….. etc etc etc

Perhaps I was too quick to judge (neg. king again) and maybe he is not such a bad guy after all

Three of Pentacles and Ace of Wands – A gentle kick in the butt

As you all know, I haven’t been feeling so well lately. Also I have been considering to take a short hiatus from blogging and social media all together.  Some days it feels like I am just going through the motions and ticking of my daily boxes.  The last two days I have been pampering myself and it felt really good: listening to music, reading books, drinking coffee, nibbling on biscuits, taking long showers and so forth. But  even pampering gets boring, although I am still not there yet. So  I asked my cards for advice on where to go from here. 

The Three of Pentacles came up: Creativity shared with friends. No Hermit or Four of Swords, which are my go-to cards in a situation like this. The other card which came up was the Ace of Wands: A budding wand, filled with so much potential. But be careful not to nip all these juicy ideas in the bud. Choose one and cherish is like a new born child.  

So here I am again with another blog post thanks to my “cardboard therapist” and it actually feels good to write this; sharing how it is right now and not pretending to be something I am not. Feeling like this often fills me with shame and/or guilt, because how can I permit myself these feelings when so many live in much more dire circumstances than I do. But it is what it is and I know from experience I will get better, probable sooner than later, because I’ve learned to recognize the signs early on.

Feeling like this confronts me with difficult lesson in self love. It is so easy  to love and  embrace who we are when all is well and life is on the upside but this lesson is about the hardest part: loving ourselves when we are faced with parts of ourselves we don’t like at all and are often embarrassed about.

 “I will be gentle with myself and I will only go as fast as the slowest part of me feels safe to go” Karin Drucker

Nine of Cups - Time to do the dishes

Today’s card is the Nine of Cups from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. This is also my card for 2017, so when it comes up in a daily draw it feel especially significant. This is the traditional wish card but instead of filling my mind with unfulfilled wishes, it rather filled it with doubts and questions.  At first I thought, I have everything I ever wanted and I have nothing left to wish for, so I must be utterly content with my life as it is right now but honestly that’s not entirely true. This card is all about fulfilled dreams and wishes but the man in the card doesn’t even look them. That made me wonder if for having a emotional fulfilled life it is necessary to call to mind our past dreams and achievements?  And even more, do out past dreams and wishes still still hold true for today? Or is it possible they can even be an obstruction to pursue new goals and dreams?

So many questions, so much uncertainty. As you might have expected I am a little out of sorts lately. Not knowing what I want, wish or dream of, or what to belief in anymore.  Always when I am feeling like this I tend to turn around and look at my nine cups to remember what used to make me happy and satisfied. But today I wondered, what if I would stand up, pick up my cups and do the dishes. Then I will have nine clean cups to fill up with loads of beautiful new experiences and fragrant wishes. Yes it was a nice party but now the guests are gone it and it is time to clean my house. Today is a new day with lots of possibilities to feel happy and content about.

Five of Pentacles - Poor me!

Today’s card is the Five of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. This is the card of lack and poverty in whatever way we can imagine: Physical health, time, money, housing, stuff (more tarotdecks  J) etc. 

I often call this card: My “poor me” card, because even though sometimes I do feel like the Five of Pentacles, objectively I don’t have any reason to. I have a house, I have food on the table, I am healthy  and I have time enough to do the things I love. Conclusion: If I have the energy of this card hovering over me, it is usually because of the sad stories I tell myself: I am too tired, I am not fit enough, I am too busy, I don’t l have the money to buy myself those beautiful things other people have etc.

So  I asked my cards what to do next and I got the Four of Pentacles.  This was not at all what I expected. This card is often seen as the miser card, the card of thrift and greed. At first I thought I should be more grateful for what I do have instead of letting myself be put down by my own sense of lack. Of course this always a good thing to do but besides that, this card reminds me of clinging to the stories I tell myself over and over again. Even though scarcity is most often experienced in the physical world, I think it usually is the result of what we think. Imagine all the things the guy in the Four of Pentacles is telling himself. He is still such a long way from the sharing position of the Six of Pentacles. 

For today I will try to let go of the internal messages of lack, so the sun can come out to melt the snow in my card of the day.

Within -without -advice : Not all that glitters is gold

Today I pulled some cards from my Original Rider Waite tarot for a “Within - Without – Advice” reading and I got:

What immediately stands out is the bright yellow in the first and the last card. This tells me my reading will be about finding truth and becoming aware of something important.

Within - Nine of Cups

This guy is a very happy guy. He has all he ever wanted. Every cup is filled with something which fulfills  him and brings him joy. But I cannot help but wonder when it was the last time he has checked the content of his cups. Are they still fresh or are some of them stale or past their expiration date.  It is wise to discover what it is that really feeds your soul before you expose yourself  to….

Without - The Devil

Yes, The Devil wants you to believe everything he promises you. He deals in short time rushes and quick fixes. Often at first, they do feel good when we give in to them. And it is hard not to, when we are tempted with so much glitter and glamour. In a society which promotes consumerism, the temptations are many. The (Social)media bombards us with everything we seem to “need” and  “want”  and it is up to us to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Advice - Seven of Swords

And that is exactly what this guy is doing here. Besides being about  lies and deceit, for me this card is also about being the lone wolf who stands out from the crowd and who knows how to take care of his own needs. He chooses the swords which are right for him and leaves the rest behind. He is not easy influenced by smooth talk or advertising campaigns. He knows that short cuts are often dead ends and that not all that glitters is gold

In short, being aware of what truly fulfills us will armor us against the influences of consumerism and will help us to chose wisely from the broad range of choices we are presented with on a daily base.

Six of Swords – Running away doesn’t solve anything

Today's word to draw a card with is “Scarecrow” and it made me think about  how some birds keep coming back to feed on the crops even though there is a scarecrow defending the fields. So what is an obnoxious ever returning thought (bird) which undermines my physical and emotional well being (fields) and I drew the Six of Swords from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. 

This card often tempts me to mentally pick up my stuff and run: to ignore what has to be done, procrastinate and try to look the other way. Is this working for me? Of course not but flight is of my main reactions to stress. Yet, after I’ve sailed away from my problems, my worries or anxiety, I notice that I took my swords with me in the form of guilt, shame and regret. So there is no real escape from our own mind.

I wondered what stuffing my scarecrow would need to become a bigger threat  to this persistent bird and I drew the Two of Pentacles. Instead of running away this card advises me to accept the stormy waters; the emotional upheaval. In order not to drown in it the Two of Pentacles asks us to focus on our tasks at hand. Tasks that require a certain balance and attention, so our mind is free from worrying for a while. When you are busy in the here and now it is more than likely you will receive a fresh look on whatever is bothering you.

Bye bye birdy !

Temperance – The gentle approach

Today’s Card is Temperance from the Original Rider Waite Tarot and with this card we continue to explore how to find balance between opposites. In the background we see a road leading into the mountains. Because of this I like to assign this card also to Middle Way as it was taught by Buddha. He said that The Middle Way was a manner of living life in a balance, and avoiding extremes  and knowing our boundaries and limitations.

It is funny because while I drew this card I was wondering how I could better manage my online and other distractive screen activities. I was expecting something like the strict King of Swords or maybe even The Devil or The Tower but no, an angel came to me to encourage me to find inner peace and harmony so that I wouldn’t crave this digital refuge so much. Because that is what it is for me: escaping from the here and now, so I won’t have to deal with the scary stuff like writing, drawing, knitting, meditating, etc. When I spend my time behind a digital screen I can tell myself I don’t have time for anything else. The advice of Temperance so the opposite of how I would try to cut down my screen time myself. So no strict schedules or alarm bells are required. because by finding harmony I won’t crave it anymore but I can enjoy it and so I will find a natural balance in my activities. 

Three of Pentacles and Perthro - Creative soul searching

Today’s Rune is Perthro (cup) which  is all about mystery, the unknown, the womb and wisdom . So I asked for my daily draw: "How can I dig deeper into my subconscious to  illuminate my soul; to find wisdom there, which will guide  me on my path?" 

And I got the three of Pentacles. I had hoped I would pull The Hermit but no, no hiding for me in my room today. The Three of  Pentacles is my Creativity card. And what would be better to explore my soul than through some intuitive painting or free flow writing. I’ve just recently experienced how my art is able to unlock parts me without my initial intent. But this card is about more than locking myself away with my paint and journals. It is also about sharing my art and my writing with other people and be open to their opinions. Over the years  I’ve added  the insights from so many different people to my own magical cup of wisdom….

And just now I realize I’ve started this blog almost three years ago. I’ve learned so much from all of you! So to all my readers I want to say: 

Thank you for your wisdom, your encouragement, your kindness and your friendship. It means so much to me. 

Ehwaz and the Nine of Wands – Don’t let your past define you

Today’s rune is Ehwaz, which means horse and it stands for cooperation and loyalty, as well as for movement and progress or maybe even a combination of the these two aspects. For today I wanted to know how to  get going again after feeling a bit out of sorts due to the extreme heat and humidity here. I want to do so many things but it is so hard to really get anything done. 

To answer to this question I pulled the Nine of Wands. Often I see this guy as a defender and a warrior. Someone who doesn’t give up and will fight for the cause, although he might get hurt or overburdened in the process.  I’ve been there, done that and I’ve learned the hard way this isn’t always a  healthy attitude. I also notice he is turning his wounded head to the eight wands behind him his as if he is defined by his past experiences.  This might cause fear or recklessness or it might even render him immobile. 

The Deviant Moon card is highlighting the incapability to move. This figure is  sitting on the stairs with his head down and he is not even holding his ninth wand. A possible answer to this problem can be found in the Nine of Fire from the Gaian Tarot. In this card we are encouraged to stay in the here and now and  to acknowledge our past experiences but  not to  let ourselves be hindered by them in any way. By telling and retelling our story, our great deeds and challenges, we might color the present moment in ways that will prohibit to enfold our full potential. The Gaian tarot guidebook talks about the benefit of a spiritual practice which of course I fully agree with but which I am not putting into practice lately.

So for today I will begin (again) with a  daily meditation and gratitude practice. And I will not let my previous lack of success to maintain my practice taint this new beginning!

“Each morning we are born again.  What we do today is what matters most.” - Buddha