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.

Fehu and The Star – Gratitude for feeling good

Today’s Rune is Fehu (cattle or "vee" in Dutch),the first rune of the Elder Futhark. This rune stands for wealth, happiness, creativity and the physical manifestation of everything good. So in what area of my life might this energy of Fehu come into play? After giving my new edition of the Wild Unknown Tarot a thorough shuffle, I pulled The Star. This is one of the most  beautiful cards in any deck. It is the card of Hope and Renewal after the devastating  force of The Tower.  But what does this spiritual Card has to do with Fehu?  Then I remembered how I feel when I am standing outside, looking at a starlit winter night sky. The splendor of it all and the promise of hope and fulfilled wishes always give me that deep physical sense of well being. Yes feeling good isn’t always about material things, although you should have seen me yesterday when I got my new deck, but more often it is this deep rooted feeling of gratitude for what we already have and what is making us extremely more happy than anything still on our wishlist.

Different Cards - Same Message

Today’s card is the Three of Cups from the Druidcraft Tarot. A happy cheerful card, well suited for the Holiday season. Although in this deck the characters are male instead of female, I always identify it with my daughters and myself and of course for now also with my SIL. 

When I asked for advice on how to create such a loving and joyful atmosphere in my house, I got The Wheel: In this depiction we see a woman literally carving out space and time for herself. She is casting a circle with herself in the center of it. From there she can observe and respond mindfully to any given situation at hand without becoming overwhelmed by it. 

Finally I asked what the result would be if I would follow the advice of the Wheel? And then The Star jumped out of my deck. Hope an renewal, Cleansing and healing and wishes come true. When I trust enough that all will be well and I will be able let go of my Holiday anxiety, then I will find that inner peace and quiet: a well brimful of inspiration and loving guidance 

Hopeful Past-Present-Future reading

Usually I use tarot primarily for daily draws. That way the cards can empower me, guide me or help me to approach a situation with a new point view. I hardly never do actual readings for myself but today I felt like doing a Past Present Future spread. Just three cards nothing, more nothing less. And I got:

Past: Eight of Pentacles

This is me doing my daily “chores” ( meditating, gratitude journal, making art, etc:) ticking of boxes day in day out in the hope things will get better….

Present: Five of wands. 

A lot of inner conflict, knowing that just pointing out a winner isn’t the solution. Every part of me has to agree and make compromises. How can I shape and form my path in a way which will fulfill me completely?

Future: The Star

Yes, that is a hopeful card.  And so beautifully timed after my last post about the Tower. She is naked and vulnerable, brave and strong enough to expose herself to Love.

The Star - Opening to Grace

Today’s’ card is The Star from the Gaian Tarot. Again another Major Arcana card and this time a very tranquil and serene one. This is the card which follows after the storm and lightning of The Tower. A woman kneels near a sacred starlit spring. She drinks from the magical water to recuperate and to be filled with hope and inspiration  Above her stars are shining and watching over her.

This card represents a renewed connection with the Divine which is unearned and freely granted.

After a busy weekend, today will be a day of graceful calm and gratitude for the many blessings in my life. Also I want to be aware of my connection with God(dess) and with everything else in this beautiful abundant world.

“Now is a good time to begin the practice of gratitude, of giving thanks. When our hearts are full, it's easy to be thankful. If we begin the practice now, it will be easier to sustain when times are rough. Follow your star, for it will guide you home. “

It has been too long since I’ve opened my gratitude journal, so today will also be a good day to revive this practice.

I am grateful for: M cleaning and reorganizing closets - being home again – friends and family -the unconditional love of our dog - lots of rain - coffee with biscuits – hydrangea – tarot decks -  internet - and so much more

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

The Star – Rebuilding yourself

For today I've pulled The Star from the Crystal Visions Tarot and like any other Star card from each of my decks this one too gave me a feeling of peace and relaxation. This is the perfect card of the Major Arcana to follow after The Tower. It represents o.a. hope for the future. After a major Tower drama we can trust to always be able to regroup ourselves and to reevaluate our direction, our life purpose.

The woman in this depiction is fully dressed unlike other Star ladies. Still she seems vulnerable without her ego build walls and barriers. She is surrounded by eight stars which is the number of Strength, so she is strong enough to stand on her own two feet again.  But she is also strong enough to recognize her own imperfections and rebuild her self esteem in spite of them and to learn to love herself as a whole being.

Maybe it is the challenge of this card to really, honestly appreciate the beauty of your own imperfection. To see who we really are deep down and to love ourselves because of it . The woman in the Star is connected to both land and water, which means to me this challenge has to be met with both reason and  feelings; with both mind and heart We have to tip our toe into our inner wisdom (lake) to acknowledge our true self and to adore our uniqueness . 

The Star – Trust and Wonder

My card for today is the Star from the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. Just as many cards in this deck, this one doesn't have a traditional Rider Waite depiction. Here we see a child looking at a butterfly. His hands reach out instinctively  as children always want to touch when they see something new.  This young fey child has still a great feeling of wonder for the world around him. It keeps him grounded and fully aware of the present moment. When you are a child or feel like a child, every moment is full of surprises, adventure and marvel.

This card is the next Major Arcana after The Tower: Everything you’ve known to be true, every illusion of certainty has collapsed like a house of cards. It feels like you been shaken to your very core. Now you have to rebuild your sense of trust and reconsider where it is you want to go; what you want out of life. In fact you have to be to be like a child again: Seeing the world with new eyes. Waking up every morning with a sense of curiosity and excitement. Leaving behind the ruins of the Tower and starting over. This process is asking a lot of resilience from us. And who is more resilient than a child. See how he follows this butterfly  as if they were the only two creatures in the forest; every step bringing him closer to where he needs to be.

“The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now.” Robert G. Ingersoll

The Star - Never lose Hope

Mythic Tarot

A long time ago I have purchased the Mythic Tarot, second hand online. It is the old version which is now out of print. The main reason to buy it was because I thought I would like the theme and the artwork. But I didn't feel a click with this deck like I have with some of my other decks. So I have to admit it ended up in a back corner of my tarot drawer as a collector’s  item. Then I read Olivia’s post  about this deck, in which she can’t stop cheering it. So I got curious again.

For today my daily card it The Star. In my opinion you can’t go wrong with The Star card in any deck. This is a very different rendition of the Star compared with R.W. based decks. Yes the girl is naked but there stops the resemblance. This girl is called Pandora and she is the main character of the Greece Myth: “Pandora’s box” :

“ In classical Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on Earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her, so he did—using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many gifts: Athena clothed her, Aphrodite gave her beauty, and Hermes gave her speech.

When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother. With her, Pandora was given a beautiful jar – with instructions not to open it under any circumstance. Impelled by her curiosity (given to her by the gods), Pandora opened it, and all evil contained therein escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the container, but the whole contents had escaped, except for one thing that lay at the bottom – the Spirit of Hope. Pandora, deeply saddened by what she had done, feared she would have to face Zeus' wrath, since she had failed her duty; however, Zeus did not punish Pandora, because he knew this would happen.”(Wikipedia)

This story teaches us whatever may happen, we’re never left without Hope. This can refer to major trauma’s, but also to the minor daily struggles which can be rather overwhelming too. Don’t you just adore it how she keeps looking at the star without being distracted by the swarm of illness and disaster. For me personally it reminds me of how I, at my wits end, had enough  hope and inspiration to go to my room and defy my Inner Critic. 

This card has persuaded me to find a more obtainable place for this deck in my drawer.

The star; never lose hope

Druidcraft Tarot

A new day, a new start, new possibilities. For this day I’ve drawn a very appropriate and welcome card: The Star from the Druidcraft Tarot. What a feast for the eyes. Such a tranquility is emanating from this card. Just what I needed for today. It is no coincidence, The Tower is followed by this card. The depiction is more or less similar to the Rider Waite image of the Star: a naked woman pouring water from two jars on the rocks as well as in the water. She is has one foot in the pool and one knee on the rocks. Only the scenery is somewhat different. In this card there’s a stone circle in the distance. Which gives this picture a druid-like appearance.

After two rather stressful days. I feel tired and vulnerable (psychologically naked J) but I haven’t lost hope. The pouring of the water is for me a symbol to let go, to release the guilt, the anger, the fear and all the ego based negative thoughts. This is a card of healing which teaches us to trust in ourselves and in the Divine. Like the lady in the card we are invited to gentle touch the surface of our intuition and trust the guidance we find there. And at the same time we have the chance to get grounded in the here and now again. After this time of recuperation we can follow our path, rejuvenated, rested and full of hope and trust. We just have to follow our star