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!

New moon in July : Theme - Four of Pentacles

For this new Moon I’ve only drawn one card for the theme of this lunation and it happens to be one of the same cards as in yesterday’s spread: the Four of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite Tarot.  Since it is a Theme for the month card I thought it would be wise to view this card from various angles, using my Daily draw exercise:

Some keywords are: Structure, greed, protection, hoarding, frugality

What is the gift ?Being grateful for the abundance of your belonging and resources

What is the challenge? Not to become over possessive of your stuff, which can easily turn in to greed and hoarding

What  are you grateful for? I am grateful for having enough resources to live without concerns for lack or scarcity.

Journaling prompt: In what ways am I aware of my own worth and how do I acknowledge this?

I remember a time when  I got my first piggy bank and how I cried when I wasn’t allowed to get my money back. I was a “big spender” when I was a kid.

Affirmation: “I use the abundance in my life wisely and compassionately” James Ricklef.

Quote: We make ourselves rich by making our wants few.” H.D. Thoreau

Naming the Goddess: She who bestows her blessings freely and without restraint.

What stands out the most and why? He only has four pentacles to guard. I think the more we have, the more energy it takes to take care of our possessions. This card today fits well in my longing for a more simple and decluttered lifestyle. Just this morning M and I have brought a carload of  stuff and rubbish to the dump. It felt so freeing to let go of it all and make our home more spacious. This card is also a warning not to replace this pile of junk with other stuff. Ah all those temptations… I know they won’t make me more happy in the long run.

Also I want to be more aware of my own fluctuating energy levels and not to feel so guilty if I keep some of my energy for myself when I need it. Saying "No" is still very difficult for me....(see journaling prompt)

All thing considered I think the Four of Pentacles will prove to be a great theme for the coming weeks.

Six of Cups – I remember a time when…..

Today’s card is the Six of Cups from the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. We see a woman bathing in the bay. This is where she can connect to her memories in a very soothing way. She feels them floating through her mind, just like the little waves are caressing her body. Some of those memories are kind and precious, some of them feel uncomfortable and sad but she tries to accept each one of them with gentle compassion. Often when something distressful has happened, it is not so easy to take a light-hearted stroll down memory lane again.  Personally I still find it very hard to revisit photo albums from more than a decade ago….

This card reminded me of an exercise I’ve read somewhere online once: 

Shuffle your deck, pull a card and finish the following sentence:

“I remember a time when…………

Whatever memory comes to mind when you look at your card, it's okay. It doesn’t matter if the meaning of the card has nothing to do with your memory.

Often memories are little snippets of a larger story. You can decide if you want to spent some more time there or if you want you can pull the next card. Don’t forget this exercise is supposed to be a pleasant experience. Try to embrace your memories with love and compassion. If a card disturbs you in any way feel free to pick another.

These four cards came up for me this morning:

.

Page of Wands: I remember a time when I got my first set of “real” watercolors and how amazed I was by the quality of its beautiful pigments.

Ace of Pentacles. I remember a time when I started my first job as a teacher and how thrilled I was that  I was the one who would teach these little persons how to read in less than a year

Seven of Pentacles: I remember two times when I shared my body with one of my girls. The waiting. The caring and attentive love of my husband. We became parents and I like to think we were good at it

Justice: I remember a time when I thought life wasn’t fair. Why did this have happen to us. But gradually over the years life taught me about balance and how time and new experiences fill the empty places

Maybe you would like to try this for yourself. You can journal about your memories or just sit with them for a while

"We don't remember days, we remember moments." Cesare Pavese

Tarot Exercise - Creating your own Wish list

For today I wanted to write about a little exercise I've created: Creating your own magical wish list

Sometimes we exactly know what we want and we  can wish for it. But other times our desires remain a bit foggy and cloudy. Deep down we know, we feel what we want, but it is difficult to put words to those feelings. Now isn't it handy  we have a deck of 78 cards which contains numerous words which pop up immediately when even we look at such a card. Yes, tarot can be our instant wish list. Similar to my Gift boxexercise this is a free association game, which is also a fun way to get acquainted with a new deck.

So this is how is goes:You sit quietly with you deck, shuffle it thoroughly, pick a card, say : “I wish…...”  and turn the card around. Then say whatever comes to mind and that will be your wish. You can repeat this as often as you want and wish and wish and wish…..

These are a few of my wishes, triggered by The Hidden Realm Tarot:

Life Renewed: I wish it was Autumn

Ten of Cups: I wish I was a more passionate cook

Feary stallion: I wish I could go horseback riding along the seashore

Nine of Swords: I wish could let go of fearful thoughts more easy

Five of Pentacles: I wish I could be more compassionate

You might want to put the most prominent and surprising wishes on you altar or a cabinet so you won’t forget what you've wished for.

When you want to take it one step further you could rephrase your wishes (passive) into affirmations (active): “I  wish I was a more passionate cook” versus “I am a talented cook who enjoys to cook a tasteful dinner for her family”

I hope you will enjoy this little exercise 

Combining Tarot and Lenormand in one reading (II)

Yesterday I liked doing this exercise so much, I thought let’s do this again. For today I've chosen the Original Rider Waite Tarot and the French Cathomancy cards. 

For the topic of the reading I pulled the Hermit. A card of seclusion and  meditation; of seeking inner wisdom and calm. The question this card seemed to ask me was; "How do I find the time for myself to meditate and reflect on a daily basis?". 

I often start out very enthusiastic with a new or rediscovered practice to forget all about it in a week or two, three. I've been meditating for some time now and I would love to maintain this practice for a bit longer than a few weeks.

And that’s when the Lenormand cards came into play and I drew a line of  three:

Bear + ring + whip

This immediately made sense to me (Yeah!!!)

For me these three card are telling me to develop my inner strength and resilience by committing myself over and over and over again.  When I've skipped my meditation yesterday, I can start again with my daily practice today. When I've skipped it for a week I can start with my daily practice today. Every day I can commit myself again to a daily practice. In this way there is no room for guilt and regret, only for the courage to start again!

My most favorite card from The Chrysalis Tarot

Instead of drawing a card of the day I've decided to flip through my deck and put aside every card that appealed to me in a special way. Then I picked up that pile and  repeated this until I had one card in my hand and it was…..

The Watcher - Queen of Mirrors (Cups)

Why did I pick her?  What appealed to me so much that she stood out from 78 cards?

It is an mixture of color, depiction and symbolism. I adore the blues of the nighttime combined with the soft purplish pink of her dress. The Watcher is beautifully portrayed. She radiates the wisdom and patience of a crone. Supported by her staff and accompanied by her owl she watches, learns and teaches us what she knows.

Her attributes are "contemplate and intuitive" and her role in this deck is of "the mystic". She will help you to tap into your intuition, to read the subtle signs around you in nature, and how to use this vast source of wisdom to guide others as well as yourself.

I've always imagined if I would grow old. (older than I am now J)  I would look like her. We have already our hair in common so that´s a start. I sometimes fantasies about me living in a little cabin in the forest with my books, my cards and a crackling hearth, An owl  is sitting in a nearby tree and a wolf is watching me from a distance. A young hare is jumping around in my garden. Only in my imagination I can be unafraid and completely relaxed while I'm alone in the woods watching the world go by.

So that’s why this card feels so special to me.

(To watch:

- to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens

- to look or wait attentively and expectantly

- to be careful or cautious.

- to keep awake, especially for a purpose; remain vigilant, as for protection or safekeeping:

- to keep vigil, as for devotional purposes.)

The gift box exercise

Today I want to share another exercise with you. I've came up with this one yesterday to pass the time in a positive way, while waiting to go with M to the hospital for her second ultrasound and  a biopsy.  I am happy to tell you things look positive but we still have to wait another week for the test results.

For now back to the exercise. When you think about it, a deck of tarot cards is like a gift box with 78 presents.

So what did I do: I picked up my Joie de Vivre Tarot and pulled a card which I interpreted like opening a present:

I am fully present in this moment to receive the gift of  (name of the card)……….. which is (gift)……………………

I've pulled  a lot of cards one after another and it felt like being showered with goodies and gifts from a group of very close friends. Sometimes when you do exercises like this you get to know your cards on a slightly different level. Which in turn can add another layer to you regular readings

A few examples:

* I am fully present in this moment to receive the gift of  Nine of Swords which is the strength to look upwards to see the hearts in the tree

* I am fully present in this moment to receive the gift of  Four of swords which is to go within and put my worries aside

* I am fully present in this moment to receive the gift of  Nine of Cups which is to wish for my heart’s desire

* I am fully present in this moment to receive the gift of  The Devil which is The awareness of having scissors to cut my cords

As you've noticed it doesn't matter if the cards are “good or bad”. Every card can be interpreted as a gift. Of course you can alter the sentence at your own discretion. It is the idea of receiving gifts that counts. For me it was an encouraging experience J

Daily draw exercise with the Six of Cups

As I've stated earlier, when times are stressful, reading the tarot isn't always the smartest thing to do. At least in my case it isn’t. So for today’s daily draw I’ve come up with a little exercise on how to explore a tarot card without diving in to deep, Of course this can be altered and extended to anyone’s taste

My card for today is The Six of Cups from the Original Rider Waite Tarot:

Some keywords are:

Innocence, memories, trust, friendship

What is the gift ?

To experience my day with a childlike open heart

What is the challenge?

To be aware of too much dreaming about a past when everything “used to be so much better”

What  are you grateful for?

For a happy childhood

Journaling prompt

Write about a time when you still thought anything was possible. What did you want the most out of life.

( In short: I was saving pennies for my own real  horse and stable )

I remember a time when……

I could play for hours and would lose track of time until my mother called me inside for dinner

Affirmation

I am aware of the needs of my inner child and I will cherish her with love

Quote

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.

Tom Stoppard

Naming the Goddess

She who stirs our happy memories so we can move forward with renewed strength and optimism

What stands out the most and why?

The feeling of safety of the little girl and the trust she has in her companion