A Few of My Favorite Things Spread

Yesterday I found a lovely tarot spread on IG, created by Magpietarot and it's called: “A few of my favorite things spread". I thought it would be fun to try it out here and I chose the Crystal Visions Tarot to do this. You have to separate the Minor Arcana into suits. Than shuffle your little stacks and pull one card from each suit to answer the questions below. I also pulled one card from the Majors because I didn’t want them to feel left out.

From the Wands: Where does my confidence shine?  Eight of Wands – Wnen I am on a roll and everything is going my way.  I don’t mind doing a lot as long as all the horses are running in the same direction. Then I feel like I am the queen of the world
From the Cups: What brings me joy? Queen of Cups.  Very simple but not so easy: To love and be loved and feel connected to  God(dess)

From the Swords: Where do I feel wise? Four of Swords – Haha, that is a good one! When I take a time out when I need it and not when it is already long overdue.

From the Pentacles: What makes me feel safe & secure? Eight of Pentacles – When I do the work and stay in the moment. Whether it is painting a picture or doing the dishes. 

From the Majors: Which underlying energy will make it all possible? The Hanged Man. To let go of all ideas about what I think I should do and try to live more in the here and now, where I might see things from a fresh point a view.

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.

My cards for the Autumn Equinox

For this year’s Autumn spread I’ve used the Ravens Prophecy Tarot. This deck is quite the opposite of the Tarot of the Hidden Realm because while that deck is mostly about people and faces, this deck is all about symbolism. I was surprised by the amount of Court cards I got in this reading but fortunately it was easy to relate  to them.

By the way, getting reacquainted with my  Autumnal decks after so long, makes me very happy! It feels like coming home: warm, cozy,  familiar but also completely new. 

What have I sown? The World:

The potential to become and achieve whatever I want and cope with whatever comes my way

What have I reaped? The Queen of Wands:

I feel so much more confident to express myself in words and images and I’ve learned that art is not only something I like to do but maybe even more a way of taking care of myself. It feeds and fulfills my soul. I always feel so much better after I’ve created something.

What should I be thankful for? The Queen of Coins

I am grateful for taking better care of my body and I am also grateful to be able to be a caring mother not only for my family but most of the time for myself as well. 

Where do I still need to focus my efforts? The King of Cups

I would like to try to really listen what others have to say; at least give them a chance to let them finish their sentence. Also I think it is important to  become more aware of my own emotional currents.  

How can I achieve balance? The page of Swords

I need to find clarity in all aspects of my life especially about my emotional well being and for me the best way to do this is journal, journal, journal!

Moving from Summer to Fall with The Sun in my heart

By know, I suppose you all know I am not fan of Summer. In the beginning of this week it looked like Summer was finally over. Temperatures had dropped quite significantly and it was pouring all day long. Love it!! Drinking coffee, knitting socks and listening to the falling rain… I don’t need much to make me happy.

But nothing is as unpredictable than the weather and since Wednesday it is sweltering hot again. And so I asked how to overcome my disappointment about this and I pulled three cards:

1 How does this weather make me feel? – Ten of Swords.

Now that is exactly how I feel: defeated, self pitying , complaining about how hot it is, not being able to do anything physically active, depressed, you name it, I feel it.  I want to stop this so badly because it is preventing me from enjoying my day. So let’s see what I can look forward to, which might cheer me up a bit

2 What will Autumn bring me? – The Ace of Cups

And that I exactly how I feel about Autumn! An abundance of feelings of happiness, gratitude and Love is flowing from this beautiful Cup. Autumn is indeed a gift from God(dess), a time to enjoy the bounty of the harvest.

3 How do I move forward until the wheel turns to my favorite season? – The Sun

O my Goodness! There he is: the Sun, blistering hot but with a smile on his face. “Come outside and play” he seems to call to me. The Sun stands for joy, happiness and a for zest for life. I could use some of that for sure. So I think I have to stand up, get rid of those swords in my back and walk towards the rising sun in the Ten of Swords. No more complaining today. I want to finish this blogpost and that will be the beginning of a joyful day because I choose it to be so. 

“The Beauty of Letting go” tarot spread

A few days ago I came across a small but powerful tarot spread on IG. It is called “The Beauty of Letting go” tarot spread (from Arcane Mysteries) and yesterday I tried it for myself, using the Original Rider Waite tarot:

1 What must I let of? Queen of Swords. 

Now that was a major disappointment to begin with. How could I release the Queen I identify the most with but then I realized she is can also be the embodiment of my less positive traits:

I see her sitting on her throne, all high and mighty. She is been through a lot and it only has made her stronger and more willed to survive. She will make sure her people won’t have to go through any of her own ordeals so she is determined to advise them and guide them even push them into the “right” direction.

Yes I can relate to that: The hovering mother, the meddling mother, the know it all mother. At least I can acknowledge these parts of me and that will be the first step of letting them go

2 What will I gain and accomplish as result of this release? Ten of Wands

No, I don’t think I will get overburdened by this. Rather I feel this card means that I can lay down all these self imposed responsibilities and lift up my head to see the beauty of the clear blue sky and enjoy life as is comes without the burden of having to control everything and everybody. So I will lay down these ten wands and stroll leisurely to that lovely little house in the distance. There I will pour myself a cup of freshly brewed coffee and dwell some more on the liberated feeling of letting go.

Seven of Pentacles - Permission to take a step back

Yesterday I asked for my daily draw: “what do I give myself permission for?” and I got the Seven of Pentacles. What a welcome card it was. I am not feeling too well lately and I this card is telling me not to get worked up about the things I think I need to do but rather take a step back and see how far I’ve come already; to really appreciate what I have accomplished. Also this card grants me permission to think about how to move forward

Since the Seven of Pentacles really hit home for me, I decided to make it a part of the three card spread:

Where do I come from? The four of Pentacles. No wonder I am so tired lately. Clinging to what energy, time and resources I have left is energetically draining me. This is a card of fear for scarcity, the inability to let go of controlling everything and the lack of trust that the Universe will provide what I need the most.

Where am I now? the Seven of Pentacles. A perfect card for after the Four of Pentacles, because we all know what will happen when the Four of Pentacles becomes a Five of Pentacles !!! So taking a step back during whatever you are doing, to find out how your are doing is always smart thing to do.

Where am I going? The six of Pentacles. The flow of resources. It is not important what our position is in this flow as long as the resources are flowing from one to the other. Sometimes we are giving freely and sometimes we have to ask  for help. Maybe that is a good thing to consider too when we are taking that step back; do we need help in any way? So hard to ask but such a gift to our loved ones because how will they know what we need if we don’t speak up? And how will we know what we need if we don’t take a moment to find out?

These pentacles are giving me a lot to think about but not without wishing all my American readers a happy Fourth of July!

Different Cards; Same Message

Sometimes I think when my decks had actual voices, they would cry out this message even before I could pull a card. Today’s three card spread has given me a message I have got so many times before already. Honestly I do think I make a serious effort to respond to this message as well as I can but for today the Original Rider Waite Tarot thought I needed to see it laid out before me with yet another combination of cards:

Energy/ focus of today : the Ace of Pentacles. 

Since I’m almost continuously searching for a balance between expressing myself creatively and feeling safe enough to create without fear of failure this card feel like a gift of God(dess). And it is depicted as such in this deck too. This is the card of abundance and of small seeds coming to fruition. It is the beginning of something tangible and new. So here I am again encouraged to pick up my supplies and express myself  in whatever way  I feel is right for me today.

Challenge : King of Cups. The king of Cups is a wise and benevolent King but he is also detached from his own feelings. Always busy helping and understanding everybody else so he won’t have to put his feet into his own dark undercurrents. It is obvious that when everybody needs him, he doesn’t have the time to be introspective, let alone be creative at all.  I  will be on the lookout for this tendency of mine to put off my own needs so I can use all my energy for others (What a clever coping skill by the way)

Gift: The Magician: 

This is the card of confidence, capability, initiative and the courage to do whatever we really want to. His confidence is the perfect antidote for the deep rooted fear of the King of Cups. Just as the King is shying away from his Cup, the Magician will pick it up and use whatever it contains to his advantage and to manifest his deepest desire.

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear. “

Tarot spread: Vasalisa the Wise

This week on Instagram I came across a  lovely little three card spread, created by Joanna from @thebookishfox  and based on the story of Vasalisa the Wise (the Frog princess) a Russian fairy tale. A common theme in the stories about Vasalisa and Baba Yaga is the importance of trusting your intuition

These are the three questions this spread will try to answer.

1. What shadow needs exposing in my life?

2. What has the Wild Hag got to teach me?

3. How can I connect more deeply with my intuition?

I was very intrigued by this spread, so I picked up my Vision Quest Tarot and gave it a try  for myself:

1 Hermit – Since this card is in the shadow position, I’ve interpreted it as a challenging card. In this spread it warns me of the danger of isolation and self absorption. It is so tempting to hide from the world and to use the need for seclusion as a way to disconnect from life itself. The Hermit in this depiction is hiding his face from the outside world, afraid to show who he really is. The bear in the background is walking away from him and so gradually the inner strength of the Hermit is fading away and little by little both fear and insecurity will take its place.

2 Ace of Fire – From a moonlit night to the exuberance of a sun drenched day. The Ace of Fire in the advice position feels like a spiritual wake-up call. This card represents the creative drive and the desire to broaden our horizon. It is the essence, the spark of life itself. So be brave enough to live life as it presents itself to you day by day and try to find opportunities to experience sheer bliss!

3 Ten of Water – today, for me, the Ten of Water stands for the practice of gratitude for the abundance in our life. Not so much about the stuff we have but  more about what we experience. Love and happiness are flowing, like a myriad of cascades into the lake, into our life. We only have to be  willing to receive and be grateful for what comes to us.  This attitude will help me to be more present and receptive for the beauty of life and to be more open to the messages of my intuition.

New Moon in May

For this New Moon I've drawn two cards as usual. The first one for the energy I am going to release and the second one for the energy which is beneficial for me to embrace. From the Wild Unknown Tarot I drew:

Release - Wheel of Fortune

This card is all about flowing with the ups and downs in life, while trying to maintain the center position of the wheel. Accepting of and adapting to every situation life throws at you and making the most of it. Being a very controlling person I imagine this card would be quite a challenge as an embrace card, so to see this card in the release position for me today, it tells me I need to let go of the urge to untie the knots of all these colored ropes and ribbons and sort them by color, length and material. The more I fiddle with them, the tighter the knots are going to get. I want to try to let go and to give life a chance to unfold on its own accord. Life doesn’t need me to hold the strings like a puppeteer. 

I could learn a lot from the owl in the left upper corner. She is sitting there so relaxed, observing how the wheel turns and not giving it too much thought. I think she is more curious to find out if I have it in me to show the same detachment as she does..

Embrace – The Moon

Lately I have noticed that I am quite adept in running from  difficult and confusing feelings and situations. I can bury myself in numerous distractions so I don’t have the time to deal with what matters most. Me!

The first stirring of discomfort became noticeable when I was working with the Five of Cups, which I dropped very soon after.  But just like everything in Spring, when something has budded, there is no stopping it anymore. I tried to cover things up for my birthday and now that has passed, the Moon card is calling out loudly and persistently. It’s time to get real with how and what I feel.  Just acknowledging my feelings can be a good start. Also I need to try to find out what is I love and dream of or fear and hide from. 

Like The wheel of Fortune, this card is also about cycles; times when I feel good and times when I feel less happy. I want to learn to accept this and not to berate myself when I am feeling down. I know these times will pass. Maybe if I learn to accept them when they arrive, perhaps they will pass sooner and I won’t lose so much energy fighting them.

"Within, Without, Advice" tarot spread – An excessive amount of Wands

For today I’ve used the the Wild Unknown Tarot for a "Within, Without, Advice"  tarot spread. I was surprised that all the cards came from the suit of Wands. Maybe beneath my gloomy mood of the last week, there is a lot of fiery energy going on, which I wasn’t aware of until now.

So let’s dive in:

Within – Two of Wands

This card is all about  potential. Everything is possible; so many options to choose from. Every color of the rainbow is used for this card. It is an exciting and promising energy; the moment before the choice. What am I going to do next?  What will make me happy and fulfilled? Honestly I am not quite sure yet and the fire which burns inside, urges me to chose. I know I need to and I want to chose but every color is as beautiful as the other. I have to watch out not to linger too long because otherwise the fire might die...

Without – Nine of Wands

In my daily life I have, like many of us a lot of responsibilities. They weigh me down sometimes but mostly  I just carry on and I climb my ladder one step at the time. I came from so far already. The moon is waning but I know I will reach it in time to be filled with her wisdom; my price for persevering.

Advice – Mother of Wands:

“Protect yourself my dear and everything you stand for. Warm en revitalize your passion and your desires and never stop believing in yourself.”

New moon in March

For this New Moon I've drawn two cards as usual. The first one for the energy I am going to release and the second one for the energy which is beneficial for me to embrace. From the Raven’s Prophecy Tarot I pulled:

Release – The High Priestess

In this depiction of the High priestess we see a hand holding  a mirror, which doesn’t reflect her face but a clouded sky. She holds her secrets within. She is all about the silent inner journey into the hidden parts of ourselves. But not for me this lunation. It is time to look at life itself; Spring has sprung, flowers are blooming and the sun is shining. Holding my mirror, I might forget there is so much to enjoy  in the outer world.

Embrace – The Knight of Cups

Mmm not the Knight I had expected, but I suspect we’ll get along just fine. The Knight of Cups is represented by feather adorned with ribbons. They will dance in every breeze they'll catch. Being present with my feelings is quite a challenge of me.  Making heartfelt decisions as well. Having been stalked by Swords for  a long time, the Knight of Cups feels as a soothing balm for my mind. He will inspire me to seek out beauty in the world around me and create colorful pages in my journals. He will inspire me to find the inner peace to enjoy music and novels. Yes, he and I are going on a quest for love, beauty and making dreams come true!

Three card daily spread with the Shadowscapes Tarot

For today I want do a three card daily spread with The Shadowscapes Tarot. This deck is currently almost the only tarot deck I work with. Each time I pull my cards from this deck, I am amazed by how the message it conveyed with such a gentle and kind energy. Even the more difficult subjects, although never avoided, are so cautiously approached.

For my spread the positions are as follows:

1 The general energy of the day

2 The challenge of the day

3 The gift of today

1 The energy of the day – Three of Cups.

Many of you know that this is the card which for me resembles me and my girls: How we interact, how we laugh and cry together and yes often quarrel together too. But we always return to our small circle of love. Each of us bringing a filled cup to the brim of our own special flavored drink and mixing it together to something quite delicious and extraordinary.

But  S doesn’t live here anymore. Of course I do think about her often but seeing this card made it a bit sour. And then this morning she called me to invite me to have coffee together at her place which was good and we talked and laughed as usual. Both my girls live in my heart so where ever I am we will always be the Three of Cups.

2 The challenge of the day – Nine of Wands

This cards challenges me to not to expect the worst. Of course there is nothing wrong to have some strength in reserve but for me today there is no need to be extra vigilant. And worrying about what might happen only drains me from the strength I do have.

3 Gift of today –Knight of Sword

My gift is to be able to speak my mind if necessary and to know when to be silent. Since he is my gift I interpret him more positively than usual. So no conflicts today!

What Matters Within Spread.

A few days ago I came across the What Matters Within spread on IG by @violetauraphoto

Originally this is a tarot spread but like most spreads, the type of cards you want to use is entirely up to you. After having taken a very long break from my Lenormand cards I decided to use my all-time favorite Lenormand deck: the Celtic Lenormand by Chloe McCracken and Will Worthington. For each position I picked two cards instead of one because Lenormand is generally read in pairs.

The positions are the following:

1 What’s behind me (taken from the bottom of the deck) man + woman.

Ouch, where is this going? This represent the loving and equal relationship I had; both of us working for our family; making a home for us; a safe haven. Notice these two cards actually create a house in the middle. Like these figures are two part of one painting, we were like two peas in pod 

2 What’s before me (taken from the top of the deck) stars + house

Following  my destiny, seeking guidance on how to rebuild my home again on all levels: spiritual emotional and physical, having a clear perception on how make the new foundation strong and reliable and maybe wish upon that star

3 What’s within me (taken from somewhere in the deck) anchor and burial mound

One of my words for this year is Letting Go. I feel this pair urges me to finally let go of that false outdated  sense of security and that it is time to acknowledge at heart level that I can and have to make it on my own. If I am able to do so, I will be more inclined to let Spirit guide me and confidently set sail to new shores

New Moon in December - Leaving my cave

For this New Moon I've drawn two cards as usual. The first one for the energy I am going to release and the second one for the energy which is beneficial for me to embrace. From the Druidcraft Tarot I pulled:

Release – Nine of Swords

Now that is a great card to draw for this position. Who wouldn’t want to release all their worries and think only happy thoughts?

As you might have read in my previous posts, there are a lot of changes occurring in my life right now. My first reaction to change is to try to control each and every one of them and when this isn’t possible (duh!!) then I worry about my lack of control. Also at night and in the early morning things always seem less positive and more difficult than during the day. In Dutch we have saying: “seeing a lot of bears on the road…”

Embrace – Ace of coins

Well look who is here: a bear! But I do get the distinct feeling that instead of me seeing the bear, this card is about me being the bear:

Slowly I am coming out of my cave, knowing my own worth and strength. It is not necessary I hide there any longer. I feel confident and at peace and I am entitled to claim my place in this new world full of opportunities and the promise of new beginnings (birches)

When a situation is somewhat difficult I often tend to retire to my room in to find peace and quiet. Chloe from Inner Whispers gave me the advice not only to seek shelter in my room (my cave), how lovely and cozy that might be, but also to create one in my mind so I can find peace within and take it with me wherever I go.

I suppose this strong brave bear has accomplished all this during the dark long winter nights in his cave. Yes, I think such a spiritual shelter cannot be made overnight but has to be build with multiply layers of courage, trust and faith…and most of all Love!

So for now I am going to fill a “Spiritual First Aid Box”: It will contain items which will help me to ground and center myself and to enter that place of peace and quiet within, not only when I am alone, but also when I am around other people.

Some of the items are:

My knitting and chrochet

My journal and pen

My art journal and pencil

My prayerbeads

Some crystals

A mandala coloring page with coloring pencils

A deck of tarot and/or oracle cards

More suggestions are always welcome!

”La Loba” Tarot Spread

Yesterday I stumbled upon a very interesting tarot spread made by Vickie from EternalAthena Tarot: the “La Loba Spread”. She was inspired to create this spread after reading the first chapter of  “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. In this chapter the story is told about La Loba; the Wolf Woman. The story tells us about how important it is to recover the lost “bones” of our inner Wild Woman and to become whole again. Since I love this book so much I was very excited to try this spread:

I’ve used the Raven’s Prophecy Tarot by  Maggie Stiefvater because the energy of this deck feels rather wild and primal and it speaks to the more concealed (wild) parts of me.

1 Who is the “Wild Woman” within? – The Two of Cups

This card is all about relationships with  lovers, friends and family and of course with myself and it tells me that my Wild Woman loves me enough to stay true to myself in any relationship. She urges me to cherish en love myself so much that I dare to love another as well without the fear of loving too much and losing myself or the other again.

My Inner Wild Woman wants to share her love and live from the heart

Where do I go to gather my bones? – The Six of Swords

By taking a step back and by reflecting on what went wrong. Taking the time to figure out which idea’s and feelings I can release and don’t need to cling on any longer. Just open my hands and let go… Then there will be room for new, more empowering ways of thinking about Love and Trust. Being a Swordy woman, reflecting and journaling about my thoughts is like to gathering bones to me

How can I express her? – The Ace of Swords

By taking the brightest and clearest idea about Truth and Love and pray it into existence.

Shadow Work Spread

Today I’ve done the Shadow Work Spread from the Shadow Work October Challenge by @Mnomquah on IG. For this spread I’ve used the Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza.

1 The Light – What you know and accept about yourself?

Queen of Cups. I know I am a loving an protective mother. Always listening to others and  trying to understand them and to feel what they need from me; to know how to help them. I also acknowledge my depression and I try to live with it as good as I possible can.

2 The Shadow – What is hidden from you about yourself?

The Knight of Wands. This is the same card as I’ve chosen for my “least favorite card of the deck”. Well now it is obvious why I picked this card. My Shadow wants to be heard loud and clearly. She wants to be adventurous and to try out new things. She knows no fear or at least she will not be held back by it.

3 Why do you fear you Shadow? What is preventing you from seeing and accepting you Shadow?

Six of Wands. I am afraid of the resistance of my loved ones. They don’t know that part of me. Accepting my shadow might cause conflicts and I don’t know if I am brave enough to face that.

4 Why should you embrace your Shadow? What are the positive sides of your Shadow that would benefit you?

Temperance. My personality would be so much more balanced if I could embrace my Shadow. It would be a very healing experience for me.

5 How to integrate the Shadow into the Light. What steps you should take in order to accept your Shadow?

Four of Swords. It is tempting to try to do Shadow Work only in your head. You have to feel and digest what you’ve learned too; really sit with is and let it sink in and take your time for it. This is the part when the real healing begins

6 The Outcome -The possibilities if you succeed in bringing the Shadow into the Light

The  Magician. I like this card in this position. The possibilities are endless, I can do anything I set m mind to, if I marry my Queen of Cups with my Knight of Wands. Yes so much energy will be set free if they live happily ever after

I am always a bit anxious when I am doing a large and very personal spread like this. Would the cards make sense? What if it is all abracadabra? A bit like stage fright perhaps. Anyway I loved how this spread worked out for me and the insights I got from it. Now I am going for a walk; some much needed Four of Swords time....

Id ,Ego and Superego Tarot spread

Today I did the assigned spread for the Shadow Work October challenge by @mnomquah 

I’ve used the Tarot of Vampyres by Ian Daniels for this one. We were advised only to use the Major Arcana but in no means we had to go against our intuition so I decided to pull a Minor to accompany each Minor in this spread.

The positions are:

1 Id - Primal desires – your “wild” child

Strength - My inner child is wilder and stronger then I realize. She is totally in sync with her wild side. She powerful, willful and resourceful. She is so eager to be heard and I love her!

+ Prince of Knives – This card emphasizes she can use her wits to get what she wants and she is not afraid to think out of the box

2 Ego – Your practical “grown up” self; reason and self control

High Priestess - Not so practical, this one. I have been doing the practical thing my whole adult life. Let people cross my boundaries. Put everyone problems  before my own. Now it is time to listen to my intuition. Take care of me first. This phase of my life has a very inward focus. Searching for what I really want, need, love; reclaiming bit by bit who I am supposed to be.

+ Nine of Scepters This was such a welcome card. It feels like my “wild” child is surfacing and she is helping me to protect my boundaries, while I am doing this inner work of bringing all parts of me back together again

3 Superego - Your philosophical and spiritual ideals, the "Quest for Perfection"

Justice – Always seeking for balance, finding my center, meaning and purpose. Trying to be fair and just to everyone and now also to myself. Finding  a spiritual path which will keep me balanced when challenges arise

+ Four of Skulls – I have to be mindful not to get caught up in other peoples rules and dogma’s. I have to be my own guide. It is easy to be tempted to follow a set path but I know I am too much of a Hermit to belong to any group or to endorse a religion.

It was a very illuminating reading for me especially about the part of the “wild” child and how she appears as the Nine of Scepters in my daily life. At the end of the reading it struck  me how the subdued energy of the High Priestess is surrounded by much more vibrant cards 

I guess there is a whole lot more going on under the surface then I realized. I do enjoy this Challenge so much! 

New moon in June

Yesterday I drew two cards for the New Moon of this month from the Shadowscapes Tarot and both hold some very sound and also summery advice for me:

        

Release – The eight of Cups

For me this card is all about soul searching, shadow work and seeking truth and answers in places you’ve never been before. A lonely and sometimes scary journey into the unknown, leaving behind who you once was and not knowing how you will emerge from this adventure. But now is not the time to dive deep, so I should let go of that tempting distant glimmer in the depths which is just out of reach. I’d better swim back to the surface and bask myself in the summer sun.

Embrace – The Hanged Man

Well  he sure is getting a tan. This card is always a real challenge for me: letting go of control, surrender to what is and while doing change my perspective and be open to new ways of thinking. A shift in consciousness is sometimes all we need to continue our journey peacefully. Often it is hard for me to do nothing because when my mind is unoccupied, unwelcome thoughts will creep in. So I read and  I write, I draw and I knit  to keep the worrying at bay. But when I look at this card even the little Fae  are quietly  waiting so perhaps when I try to let go of suppressing my darker thoughts they will stop wriggling and writhing too. Isn't it a fact that what we fight is always getting stronger?

And just now I noticed the Hanged Man has a beautiful  shining  ball of light in his hands, so we don’t always have to dive deep to find our treasure. When we hold still and surrender it might just magically appear…

Full Moon reading with the Crystal Visions Tarot

Yesterday the moon phase widget on my blog indicated there was a full moon. Yay for the widget, because the weather has been very cloudy for days, so the moon was nowhere be seen.

After my daily (yes, I am slowly getting into the habit again) meditation, I’ve pulled some cards from my Crystal Visions tarot by Jennifer Galasso, using the Full Moon Spread I’ve found on the Aeclectic Tarot forum.

The positions are the following:

0. Yourself in your current situation (from the base of the deck)- Queen of Pentacles

It seems this queen is very popular these days. She has been popping up on several blogs in various capacities and now she  has arrived here too. She is highlighting my effort to be more active, both physical and creatively and to get my nose out of the books and experiment with my new art supplies. I’ve also been working and playing with my Crystals a lot more. You can see in the depiction this queen is really loving them too. Also I would love to take my bike out for a ride but the heavy wind and the rain here are spoiling the fun. I feel I definitely take better care for myself lately

1. What can be seen with clarity, so bright that it can even blind you? - Ace of Pentacles

Since I feel a lot better than a month ago, it feels like I am much more capable  to bring my ideas into fruition. This ace is a symbol of abundance, wellbeing and manifesting your intent and for all these aspects I am truly grateful. E.g. I am more mindful of my diet, I make art, I want to revive my Dutch blog, I‘ve stopped biting my nails, I journal and meditate more regularly, so all and all I feel good about myself and the things I accomplish

2. What gets completed. What closes a cycle? - Four of wands

This feeling good is represented in the four of wands. Here we see a prince and his princess celebrating their union. They radiate joy and optimism for the future. I feel like they symbolize two parts of me who are now accepting and embracing each other: making me stronger and more resilient.

3. What begins to fade away, to darken, to abandon you... or what needs to be?- The unknown Card.  

This is the very first time I’ve pulled this card from the deck. This card is all about a hidden factor, an uncertainty. Since it is fading away I am not going to give it much thought. Perhaps it will reveal itself in my upcoming New moon spread. For now the crystal ball stay cloudy and unclear….

I like how this reading accentuates that I am feeling so much stronger than  a few weeks ago. For me the Full moon is all about celebrating your accomplishments of the last four weeks and expressing gratitude for what you have received . And I know I do have lot to celebrate and be grateful for.

Three card spread with the Anna K Tarot – Keep smiling

What a downhearted, sorrow full  bunch of cards this is.  I've pulled them from my Anna K tarot without any specific question. The Nine of Rods was my first card and it set the theme for this spread. This card is all about taking the time to regroup yourself after some serious battles. The man is obviously hurt, dead tired and on guard for the next attack.

I can relate to this card since we have a lot of things to work out around new social security rules for M and what the officials expect from her and if she able to meet those expectations. Since this isn't the first and certainly won't be the last time we have to deal with this kind of trouble, we are a bit inclined to expect the worst. So I asked the cards if there was a better way to approach such a situation and I got The Emperor and the Three of Swords.

At first glance it seemed like a dreary set of cards filled with grumpy characters and sadness and lots of greyish colors. But when I looked closer I could see some sound advise here. The Emperor will guide us through the maze of rules and regulations. He urges us to learn about them so we will be sufficiently prepared once we have to meet with the officials. Also he advises us to detach ourselves emotionally which is highlighted by the Three of Swords. There is no reason to get all sad and broken hearted yet. Most likely the officials aren't; set out to hurt us and we don’t always have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Maybe everything will work out fine just as usual. 

So although these cards look all sad and grey I am very pleased with them today and they’ve put a smile on my face