Eight of Earth - Follow Through

Today’s cards are Eight of Earth from the Gaian Tarot and “Follow through” from the Sacred Creators Oracle.

I love how the father and his daughter are holding each other’s gaze while drumming the same rhythm. It’s hard to say who is leading and who is following. They probably take turns depending on what feels right in the moment. I sincerely believe that is what parenting is all about. Especially now, while I am entering the autumn of my life, I am still called upon as a parent to set the tempo and the rhythm for a while but also I have to be very mindful of the moment when I have to let my daughters take over again. It is hard but also very rewarding to follow their rhythm, because they both have become such talented drummers.  I know I will never stop drumming with them and I will always pay close attention if one of them is changing their beat...

The Tower – Raging fires

Yesterday I pulled the Nine of Wands from the Mary-El tarot as my card for the day. This card felt really significant since my inner Tiger has been dormant for quite some time now.  I know Tigers don’t hibernate but it sure does look like mine is a real sleepyhead.

Today I asked my deck of cards what I could do to wake up my Tiger and ignite my inner fire again. I pulled the Tower. Now, why does this not surprise me one bit? Really, I can’t think of a more suitable card to answer this question with. The Tower is the strongest wakeup call in the whole deck. Its energy crushes unfounded structures and old and outdated beliefs. It undermines the stories we tell about ourselves. It wrecks everything we thought was true and sacred. All these things and much more is as fuel for the raging fire we see in this card.

I believe we can release our Tiger and set our true self free if we are willing to sacrifice our illusion of safety and security, our preconceived notion of how life ought to be, and many more things that no longer are part of our reality but only hold us captive in our Tower. This doesn’t always mean we have to change our whole life: A new job, a new house, and a new husband etc. I think it is more often a radical change of our perspective and a new way of setting our goals and priorities. For me, it is mainly about getting Fear out of the driver’s seat and reclaiming my strength and confidence to chart my own course in life.

Father of Air - A perfect aid in legal matters

Today's card is Father of Air from the Vision Quest Tarot.
He comes across as a much easier going fellow than his Rider Waite counterpart. To me it feels as if he invites me to confide in him, to ask him what the right course of action is for me. He will help me to do the right thing, to make the right decisions.
Since the beginning of November, I have major water damage in my bedroom which is most likely caused by the adjacent bathroom of my neighbor. I am insured for this kind of damage but my neighbor refuses to find out what causes it. Before a cause is found and also fixed my damage can't be repaired. All this causes M and me a lot of stress but I am also confident that we will find a way to come to an agreement with our neighbor. Luckily I don't have to do it all by myself. There are a lot of skilled professionals who are giving me advice and practical assistance.
So yes, the decisiveness, intelligence and verbal skills of the Father of Air are very welcome to me.

Without- Within- Advice spread with the Mary El Tarot

For today I wanted to do a daily three card spread which I found it the guidebook of the Mary El tarot

Without - The world

It seems I have it all under control. I have a house, a steady income, good health, a loving family and I am able to cope with the ups and downs life will present me with. Life is good and I am content. My dreams are fulfilled and I have nothing to complain about.

Within – Six of Wands

This is the archangel Michael, slayer of demons and dragons. Yes, although life is good, I still have many demons to confront. The question this card is asking me is if I want to slay my demons or if I want to assimilate them to become a more complete person. I think the latter. My demons are my own, they are part of who I am, although perhaps they are a bit deformed and grown out of proportion over the years. Marie White states that in this card our higher self meets our shadow. I think that although this might be scary, it is a necessary encounter which we can’t escape forever.

Advice - Ace of Wands

Roar woman! Show your strength and think of a creative way to lure your demons into the light. Don’t be afraid of who you are because you are wonderful and one of kind. This card is the primordial spark of creation. It is the embodiment of courage and power; the seed of our creativity and our intent. What better card to call us to arms than this one.  It is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer us and we only have to reach out than grab it, because it is always and everywhere!

I feel that when I can harness the power of this ace and meet my demons with courage and confidence the energy of The World will become an intrinsic part of who I am.

The High Priestess – Uncovering and facing fears

Today’s card is The High Priestess from the Deviant Moon Tarot. I don’t pull her often. The last time was March 2016 and the time before was December 2014. But today she is here in a more grounded version of herself. The bare feet and the checkered floor both indicate to me that she is not at all an airy-fairy kind of Priestess but more the kind of woman who has gained her wisdom through the trials of her life. She guards her wisdom well and is not eager to share it with just anybody who comes along. Besides being known for her well-guarded wisdom she is also the keeper of secrets and she inspires us to tap into our intuition because facts and logic can only bring us so far.

In many ways, she reminds me of the Queen of Swords. Perhaps because her face isn’t as gentle as we are used to seeing in depictions of the High Priestess. She looks stricter and more aloof to me than others versions of this archetype

So why has she decided to come along today after being absent for so long? I feel she has guided me today to face one of my hidden and deep tucked away fears. After too many years, I have dug it up dealt with it and in the end, it wasn’t that scary and emotional as thought it would be. Facing these kinds of issues instead of avoiding them, releases energy which can be redirected into something fresh and new. 

After all of this, she looks so much softer and gentle than I thought she was. I hope she will pay me a visit more often.

The Moon – Dealing with shadows

Today’s card is The Moon from the Raven’s Prophecy Tarot. It appears that the raven is holding the moon in his beak but we all know this is only an illusion. At night in the silvery moonlight, everything seems to look different. Shadows could easily be monsters lurking behind a tree. The sound of falling acorns will startle us more at night than during the day when the sun illuminates our life with certainty and purpose. But at night is it easy to get lost in the dark; to take the wrong turn at the crossroads and to become scared and uncertain but it can also bring you unexpected sometimes magical discoveries…

October is traditionally the month of shadow-work challenges on IG and this year I am participating for the third time with #shadowworkoctober by @mnomquah.  Although it isn’t easy, I am proud to say I have been keeping up so far. Issues which I hadn’t expected are coming to the surface. And others which I was ready to deal with once and for all, seem to stay hidden this year. This is one of the reasons I like to use Tarot for the exploration of my shadow because you can’t decide up front what is going to happen during the process. For me, shadow work with Tarot is a leap of faith into the dark abyss of my soul. Yes, Tarot is making shadow work so much more exciting and sometimes even scary but always surprising and rewarding.  

Daughter of Scepters – Never too old

Today’s card is the Daughter of Scepters (Wands) from the Tarot of Vampyres. Some of the keywords I can easily relate to today are enthusiasm, excitement, curiosity, willpower and optimism. Others like: beguiling, bewitching delightful fanciful and exotic feel less suitable for me. Each Fall I pull this deck from the shelf hoping almost desperately to vibe with it. The guidebook is amazing. I love the artwork but somehow this deck and I won’t hit it off as I hoped we would.

Back to the card of today: It is October 1^st and I feel even more energized and alive than last month. M and I went to visit my husband and instead of taking the afternoon “off” we have been working in our garden, I have baked a loaf of bread and I have posted my first pictures of both my IG challenges for this month. And now I’m even writing a little blog post. All very much like the Daughter of Scepters.

Then I thought well this is it for today but still, there was something nagging me. There is a little voice that says I am too old for this deck because old ladies aren’t bewitching, enticing and delightful and I could never identify with the beautiful characters in the cards. Yet then again I wonder, why not? Who is that voice inside of me? Who determines if I am all those things or not? I may not look like the Daughter of Scepters anymore but maybe I can be a little more like her if I let myself. This young woman is still apart of me. It all has to do with how we feel about ourselves. The amount of self-esteem we have and whether or not we feel free to express ourselves instead of hiding in the shadows of our day to day life.

Lots to think about. Perhaps I will try my new lipstick on tomorrow.

Seven of Cups - Fretting over first world problems

Today’s card is the Seven of Cups from the Druidcraft Tarot. This card represents being held captive by too many options and the inability to choose one and to get on with our lives. The guy is dressed in vibrant red and is sitting on a rock covered with soft green moss. He is staring at a vision of six beautiful cups, completely unaware of the real cup standing next to him. For me, this symbolizes the conflict between his more primal desires and that, what he truly loves. Often we want it all although deep down we know what makes us really happy and these two are most of the time not exactly the same. As long we have this inner conflict, we can keep sulking and lingering in the hope we can have it all. Yes, sometimes we can still act like our inner two-year-old, screaming for candy in a mall. 

The issues this card addresses are often first world problems. They hardly ever have anything to do with food. shelter, clothing etc. So what does this card trigger for me today? Since we are rapidly approaching October there are popping up several Shadow work challenges on IG. One even more promising than the other. Now you all know I am great at starting challenges but sadly not so good at finishing them. But none the less, I am tempted to join several of them. And the next issue is which decks to use? One or a few for each challenge or just pick them intuitively? Mind you, sticking with one deck for more than a few days is also quite challenging for me. Should I combine Oracle cards with Tarot and if so, which Oracle decks are suited for shadow work? Which journal should I use: a new one or just my regular tarot journal? These are only a few examples of what is keeping my mind occupied and also keeping me from making an actual decision, preparing myself,  and looking forward to the experience of doing this kind of challenge together with a part of the IG Community.

So for today, I am going to make up my mind about all of this and I will challenge myself to stick to my decision in order to clear my head and enjoy these last few days of September, instead of fretting over October challenges… J

Eight of Cups - Leaving is not always the best option

Today’s card is the Eight of Cups from The Wild Unknown Tarot. Eight shattered cups are laying on the ground in the shadow of a high and steep mountain. 

Our cups are empty and apparently beyond repair. Al the things which once fulfilled us and made us happy are gone and it seems the only way forward is to leave the remnants behind, climb the mountain and take a chance with what’s on the other side…

So what can we expect on the other side? And I pulled the Five of Swords, which depicts a worm, cut in two pieces. This is one of the most gruesome cards of the deck. I think this card is telling me life sucks one either side of the mountain and it is up to us to bloom where we are planted. So maybe it’s better to pick up what can be salvaged and for the remaining shards, I will have to find a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess. I do hope have learned enough from my mistakes and successes to build something new and fresh right here, where I belong.

For today I will try to look at my life from a fresh point a view and if I discover a broken cup, then first I will try to glue it together but is it is broken beyond repair, I’ll throw in the bin and find a new one.

New Moon in September

For this new moon, I have pulled one card from the Original Rider Waite Tarot as to what energy I should embrace during this next cycle of the Moon and I got the Six of Wands. This was quite surprising, because it is the exact same card as I pulled for the previous New Moon.

Honestly ,my good intentions to establish a free-flowing routine have  completely fallen by the wayside.  I became more and more reluctant towards building a daily routine. I just wanted to be free, to chose what I wanted to do and also when and where I wanted to do it. My whole life has been about maintaining a routine: School, work, raising children, and then work again. I realized that my freedom was more important to me than ticking of boxes from my to-do lists. The upside of this “failure” is that I now feel more in touch with myself than ever before. I have to check in regularly with myself  to discover what it is that I want and need at this very moment; what it is that will make me happy and content.

So over to the Six of wands for this lunation. I got the distinct feeling that even though I “failed” to accomplish my goal, I gained something very valuable too. But the six of wands is not a stagnant card. It urges me to move forward after recognizing and celebrating my victories. It is so easy to keep dwelling in a pleasant state of mind but life is also about  moving onward toward the next challenge (Seven of wands)

So for the coming lunation I will definitely be celebrating my new found sense of freedom but also focusing myself on how to become more and more the woman  I am supposed to be.   

The Hierophant - I want to be free!

Today’s card is the Hierophant from the Ravens Prophecy Tarot. This card is the worldly, physical manifestation of spirituality, which is for me almost an oxymoron. 

In this version of the Hierophant, we see a candle burning in a lantern. It’s true that the lantern protects the light of the candle, even magnifies it with its glass but even though all these advantages, the light of this candle is contained and has lost its freedom to dance in the wind.

Lately, I find it difficult to relate to any organized form of religion or philosophy or even parts of it. I feel that my main reason to do so in the first place was my fear of being wrong and I perhaps felt there was safety in numbers. With the beginning of this new season, the only thing which feels spiritual to me is Nature itself in all Her abundance and Autumnal decay, the magic I see and feel in all of this, and of course my cards.

I do believe in the Divine, in Spirit, but for now, I experience it more as a loving Energy than as a specific deity.

All this feels fresh, free and playful. Without any tasks or structured practices, I am more “spiritual” than I used to be. There is no more pressure, just listening to myself and finding out what makes me happy and what connects me to Spirit

NB I do recognize the wisdom of all the wonderful teachings we have. I just don’t want to be limited by them anymore or exclude others who think differently.

Singer of Courage – Be brave, be free

Today’s card is the Singer of Courage from the Faeries’ Oracle. This card is all about the courage to face our fears and transform the energy we invest in those fears into action; in moving forward and living our lives as bravely as possible. 

Mind you this is not a call to play the hero. Our day to day life is fearsome enough to need our courageous actions. Every moment when fear starts to act up, it is up to us to look in the eye and decide if it is a true fear or a veil over a deeper rooted issue. Often our most primal are fears are buried deep under many layers in the dark borrows of our mind.

Fear has been for most people a lifelong companion and it presents itself in many forms. When we start to address the less dreadful fears, we will eventually learn how to transform our deeper more ingrained fears.

And so I asked what energy might be helpful on this journey? And I pulled Myk the Myomancer. When you look closely you see all kind of little creatures hidden in the foliage of the forest. But Myk knows they are there; he is attentive to every little detail around him...

So be mindful of the seemingly insignificant opportunities to show courage. This way we can strengthen and practice our bravery muscle and learn to have faith in our courage.  Little by little, we will break the bondage of fear and set ourselves free.

Ace of Air – Being honest with ourselves

This morning M. and I went shopping at a local metaphysical store and she gifted me a gorgeous piece of tumbled Sodalite. This stunning deep blue stone with white calcite veining is a stone of clarity, honesty, and truth. For me, it is a perfect stone to help to express myself more truthfully in my writing. The card I picked to go with this stone today is the Ace of Air from the Vision Quest Tarot. The feather in the depiction reminds me of a quill pen, so it fits wonderfully with my intention for this piece of Sodalite.

Although I am a fervent journaler and creative writer, it is sometimes hard for me to be really genuine and authentic in my writing.  Too often I am inclined to shy away when I touch upon painful subjects or I find myself smoothing over a difficult situation.

Yes, even in my journal, my safe place, my sacred space, I sometimes, mostly unwittingly, wear a mask instead of being true to myself.

I sincerely hope this stone will become a key for me to open the doors to my inner realms, to help me be confident enough to seek for the right words to write down what I find there and to bring me inner peace when I am done.

While writing this I realize it is a great stone for shadow work.

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Thomas Jefferson

Daughter of Air – fly boldly, fly freely

Today’s Card is Daughter of Air from the Vision Quest Tarot. In her hand, she is holding a feather. This feather is linking to her inner free flying eagle, who rises above her daily sometimes trivial problems to get a better view of the big picture and who will guide her into the right direction.

This card is all about self-liberation. To get out of our rut and turn into the freedom loving human being we are supposed to be. Staying where we are may seem the most secure and comforting thing to do but when we remind ourselves of our inner strength and innate power it isn’t strange we long for more. Remember we aren’t newly hatched chicks anymore;  we are full grown eagles ready to be bold and soar. 

"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud. Carl Sandburg

Eight of Wands - Keep your calm in a chaotic world

Today’s card is the Eight of Wands from the Llewellyn tarot. We see the familiar eight Wands in the air, although today it doesn’t feel like they are all going in the same direction. Some seem to go upwards and some seem to fall from the sky. What also stands out is the calmness of the grazing deer. Some are eating and some are watchful but they are all convinced there is no need to fight or run to a safer place.

Often when a lot of Wands are flying over our head we tend to jump up, decide, act, again and again until each Wand is taken care of. We don’t like to allow those Wands to pass freely without our interference and to watch how life unfolds. To be able to do this demands a great amount of trust and confidence in our inner strength and in our resilience when something isn’t going as we hoped it would.

There is a lot happening in my life but I have to take a step back from most things, instead of jumping in, to “help” and  “fix it all. This card teaches me perfectly how to live in a chaotic world.

Time for lunch J

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." Saint Francis de Sales

The Sun - Be your own hero

Today, on a warm August morning I drew The Sun from the Llewellyn Tarot. This card depicts the Sun God Llew, riding on his horse while feeling victorious after slaying his enemy.

So, I was wondering how the optimistic, youthful, and confident energy of this card could help slay my current, most vicious enemy: my anxiety and need to control every situation.

The light and warmth of The Sun will uncover and burn away the anxious feelings and the hurt this enemy is causing me. This does sound a bit like slaying my own dragon because both the characters of this story are parts of myself: my energetic confident ego as well as my slimy and deceitful anxiety.

So what weapons can I use again this ongoing thread? Together, Happiness and Joy will make a strong shield.  Being in the moment with a childlike innocence is the perfect attitude which will keep the darkness at bay. And whenever it does slip through my defences, I can throw an arrow dipped in a potion of trust, faith and self-confidence.

It is so self assuring to be able to be the hero of my own story instead of waiting for my knight in shining armor to come and rescue me.

Seven of Wands - True Colors

Today’s card is the Seven of Wands from the Joie de Vivre Tarot. This card is about courage, persistence and standing up for yourself. Instead of the defensive character of the Rider Waite version of this card, here we see the aftermath of the battle. Beam, beaming with confidence and joy, has stood up for his beliefs and dreams and has shown the townsfolk, who want everyone to be like them, that it is okay and quit rewarding to be who you truly are. To show your creative nature, your own uniqueness; your true colors. He has taken off his greyish coat and is brave enough to show the colorful outfit he is wearing underneath. Even though it was a bit scary at first, he is so happy he has come this far.    

I wonder what he will do next. Will he come down to live among the townsfolk again; Inspiring them to live a more authentic life or will he turn around and search for his own tribe?

"I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow"
(Cyndi Lauper)
 

Seven of Spirals and Seven of Scrolls – The power of imagination

Yesterday I drew the Seven of Spirals (Assertion) from the Chrysalis Tarot and which conveyed a strong inner “Yes” in me!  Since my “nurture” plans for Monday (due to all sorts of reasons) didn’t see the light of day, I figured I was entitled to a second chance to pamper myself.

But this card is not only about retreat and setting boundaries but also about going deep within (spirals) and finding your inner strength.  A strength which is so powerful that you will have to find the right balance to assert yourself. It pleases me the bear is sitting quietly in her cave and her gaze is more than enough to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Without growling or showing her claws she protects her sacred space. She knows her strength so she has no need to show it all the time. Only if needed she will react more fiercely. 

So this morning I asked what to do next and I got the Seven of Scrolls (indecision). This card feels very akin to the Two of Swords but it also highlights the need for creative imagination. As humans we are able to decide on so many levels: instinctive first reaction, logical reasoning, intuition, emotional response etc.

It is up to us which of these options we would use to make our decision but now and then it might be helpful not to pick our go-to problem-solving strategy. As a Queen of Swords person, this card tells me to let go of my reasoning abilities for a change and try to tap into my more creative imaginative side. That will help me to ponder what could be behind those two doors? Which one should I open? Where will it lead me? What does it bring me? So many questions, I think I might stay in my cave for another day also because it will be a very hot and humid day. 

Three of Coins and Two of Cups – Carefully moving closer …

I have been working with the Margarete Petersen Tarot for twelve days in a row now and I can’t seem to put it away and pick up another deck for my daily draws. I am utterly captivated by the beautiful artwork and clear and inspiring messages this deck has to offer.

So for today, I drew the Three of Coins. Where the Two of Coins showed us two balancing feet, in this card we only see one. That means one foot has been lifted and is about to be put forward into a new direction; leaving old familiar patterns behind. The card also features the Om sign, which for me resembles a short prayer, said just before this foot will touch the earth. A prayer of trust that this will be the right path to follow.

And where, I wondered, might this path lead me? And I got the Two of Cups: Opening myself up to others and myself on an emotional level. A sense of belonging is essential to all living beings. It feels when I really open up to myself and to God it is so much more easy to open up to others as well. This card is all about giving and receiving and about loving kindness without expectations. Quite a challenge for me but not one I want to shy away from.

I love that this card strongly relates to The Lovers, which is my card for this lunation.

Relax the hold of darkness and be at cause

My card for today is “Relax the hold of darkness and be at cause”  from the Sacred Rebels Oracle. We see a skyclad lady kneeling down on a huge tree stump. The forest is dark. She is all alone but she is completely convinced that this is the place she has to be because in her heart she knew to come here and wait. And while waiting she relaxes the darkness within her. Immediately the created vacuum wanted to be filled and a sparkling light surrounded her, lifting her up, illuminating every part of her being: body spirit and soul.  Moving from Fear to Love in a split second is in my belief a magical experience.

So what is “relaxing the darkness” and what does “darkness” mean in this context? In my opinion, darkness here stands for fear-based thinking which can result in doubt, procrastination, self-numbing, excessive worrying, overthinking etc: everything which keeps you from engaging with life and trusting Love.  The card is asking us to relax the hold this darkness has over us. Note: we are not asked to let go of it entirely, because the fear of not being able to, would be exactly what this darkness would like us to think. No, we are asked to relax and to breath and gradually we will open up,  ready to receive the energy we need to focus on what it is we really want and what is that would make us feel truly alive.

So for today I will relax my darkness and create that blissful emptiness, ready to be filled with loving and intuitive guidance.