Three Card Spread with The Goddess Tarot

Theme: Eight of Cups

With a waning moon and ebb tide, this card urges us to leave behind feelings and relationships which are no longer beneficial for us or perhaps they just have passed their expiration dates. It asks us to be true to ourselves and live an authentic life which is often not the easiest way to live.

Mentor: Tara – Beginnings

This card features the goddess Tara who has the power to grant all wishes and heal all sorrows. She is the perfect goddess to free us from mental blocks and help us to move forward in life. Notice how both the figures in the first two cards are looking over their shoulder and how Tara has no more reason to stay where she is now. The Cups are gone; no more regrets

Healer: King of Pentacles

Because most of the time life isn’t that easy, The king of Pentacles encourages us to enjoy the good things life has to offer us: coffee, sunshine, trees, chocolate, crystals…. So many things to cherish and to savor. And never forget time…there is always enough time to relax and take delight in what life has to offer us.

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.

King of Pentacles – Our Pater Familias came to the party

Today’s card is the King of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite Tarot, the Wild Unknown Tarot and the Wildwood Tarot. He is the patriarch, the provider and the defender of the family. He is strong, confident, skillful and  just. The perfect leader of his pack or herd.

For me not always an easy court card to interpret but for today it reminds me of my dad. “Family comes first” was his credo. He has worked his whole life hard to provide for us and after he had retired he could find joy in the simple pleasures of life: coffee, a walk, good book etc.  Yesterday it was M. her birthday and although he isn’t with us anymore in a way he was very present. Somehow it started when in the morning I gave M a kiss to congratulate her with her birthday. Suddenly I saw such a strong resemblance of my dad in her, which I’d never seen before because she is the spitting image of my mother and me. Throughout the day, when other family members arrived,  we kept seeing other family resemblances in one another. Some of us who were always compared to my mom suddenly also looked like my dad or vice versa but one way or another my dad was always part of the conversation. The King of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite Tarot is connected to the earth by an overgrowth of winding and binding vines. This symbolizes today for me my dad is always with us; connected to us through his Love for us and his  Dna in us. And if  miss him we only have to look in our heart for him or ...in the mirror

Five of Wands – I went to the Gym!

Today’s daily draw really made me laugh: I got the Five of Wands and the King of Pentacles from the Original Rider Waite tarot. Reading Carla’s blog "Rowan tarot" reminded of my most favorite tarot deck. Some call it your soul deck. It’s  the one you can always rely one in whatever  circumstances you are. It will never let you down and in my case it often makes me laugh because it can be so literal.

Anyway the Five of Wands came first and you have to believe me that today was the day I was going to the gym for the first time in years. A little bit anxious but also excited. This card was obviously representing the gym and all the people there, trying to get fit and maybe also trying to be more fit than the others.

M had given me the advice to pick one type of fitness equipment so It would be easy for me to determine afterwards if training on the equipment would cause me pain in my neck or knee. I chose the crosstrainer and I loved it. Just for 15 minutes with a very low resistance but it was enough for me and I felt so good about it. It didn’t matter at all to me that the woman next to me was very athletic and far more skilled then I was. My main focus was that this is beneficial for my well being.

I also pulled a card to tell me how I felt about it all and I got the King of Pentacles. Yes, I feel like the master of my own physical health again; feeling my body move, perspire (a little) feeling my muscles hurt (a bit) and trusting that this body will recover and become stronger and more flexible over time.

All in all a very motivating experience.

Getting reacquainted with the Tarot of the Hidden Realm

Sometimes without knowing a well beloved deck gets forgotten while other decks, especially newer ones get all the attention.  I saw in the archives of my blog that is was October last year since I've used the Tarot of the Hidden Realm.

lost and found drawer

Why? For no particularly reason. So this morning I went outside with a cup of coffee and flipped through the entire deck, naming one thing per card which stood out for me and get reacquainted with this beautiful Fae deck. Then I shuffled the deck and pulled three cards. No spread, no positions, no question and….no guidebook. The last one was the most scary part because this deck is somewhat difficult to read for me and such a long time has past since I worked with this deck

In the box of the Wild unknown Tarot there is a message printed which says: "You'll find no wrongs or rights inside this box, only mirrors for reflection. open your mind, draw a card, & have fun on your journey". This wisdom is of course valid for working with any deck.

 I think tapping into our intuition is the key for a balanced reading. Because without it our personal interpretation of the cards a reading would soon become lifeless and boring. Usually when I read for myself I will get flashes of insight of what a card means to me and sometimes this has nothing to do with the intended meaning of this card. Often I check if my ideas correlate with what the guidebook says but for today I just wanted to follow and acknowledge the messages of my intuition.

For today I've drawn:

King of Pentacles - Instead of identifying with this king it feels like I am the little Fae girl who is sitting on his lap and it feels so safe and warm, nurtured and cared for. This king represents my home, my family, my books etc. and lots of coffee. It feels like home to me but I have to be careful not to get to comfortable there because I do want to keep building on my self-reliance and self-confidence. But for the here and now it is a good place to be. Resting, enjoying his stories, and regaining my strength to get on with my life.

Six of Swords - This is quite another energy. This woman is following the eagles in the sky; higher and higher into the far away mountains. She is leaving everything known to her behind to find truth and clarity and a new way of looking at life. Often our minds are clouded with assumptions, so it is good to step away,breath in some fresh air, filled with new ideas and gain some broader perspectives.

Temperance - a great card to find between the previous two. Neither of both energies are meant to stay the same for a long time. This card promotes to dance through life harmoniously and take the lessons and joy from each and every situation. She seems to pour her fluids effortlessly, moving the energies, like the flow of the river behind her. But when we look closely to her face, we see her concentration because she doesn't want to spill one drop of it. So live life and choose joy!

Honestly, I loved doing this. It felt like free writing; Just going with the flow. Not at all as scary as I thought it would be.J

King of Pentacles - Enjoy the earthly delights

Today’s card, the King of Pentacles from the Druidcraft Tarot, has a whole different feel than the two previous cards from this Deck. They were both painted with a cooler color palette of mostly blues and greens. This card however, with a lot of red, yellow and orange, has a much warmer colour tone.

It is like this king is inviting us to join him for a glass of wine near his fireplace. The day is done and he is satisfied with his accomplishments in his earthly realm. He is barefoot, a symbol of his deep rooted connection with the element earth and all it's aspects like food, health and money. Don’t expect to have an in depth talk about your feelings with him, but he does make you feel comfortable and he is willing to share his practical expertise and his secret of how to enjoy the earthly delights without feeling guilty afterwards.

While conversing with this king I've learned I have a lot to be thankful for. My table is set for dinner every night. I have a warm and cozy house. The health of my family is good. We have a steady income. I am proud to say my household is organized sufficiently; no need for perfection here J. So in the Pentacles area no worries are insight.(Expect the annual checkup for our car) And realizing this I sit back and enjoy with a great sense of gratitude the life I've build for us right here and now. This calls for coffee and …….

King of Stones - wolf: marking you territory

Wildwood Tarot

The last card of the Wildwood Tarot deck is the king of material world: The King of Stones (pentacles) - Wolf. This wolf is confident and he knows his strength and the responsibility which comes with his position. His strength and character have put him there. He advises us to mark our territory,  knowing and respecting and defending our boundaries and to protect our pack. He also knows it is important to stay strong for the same reasons:  He takes the first pick of the food. No putting yourself last for this guy.

There are also wolves who live  alone by choice or by necessity.

I am still the leader of my pack (protective) but I am also in my core a lone wolf.(independent, hermit) I need time for myself alone as hard as I need breathing.

Sometimes these two wolf aspects are hard to combine but most of the time if I let my lone wolf howl at the full moon once in a while it is working out just fine. I have to remember to set boundaries for my pack as well as for myself.