Ten of Stones - Beware of possessive behavior

The Ten of Stones from the Chrysalis tarot is reminding me a bit of the Four of Pentacles. Look at this lovely, intensely satisfied figure with his beautiful crystals. He has so many of them. He is short of hands and he has to use both feet to hold on to the rest of his collection. Being so overly occupied with his prized possessions, he isn't able to go anywhere anymore. But he is chuckling to himself and is perfectly happy where he is. And I suppose he has been there for quite a while because his hair is entwined with the shrubs at either side of him and also with the Celtic decorations in the background.

The message of this card is quite clear: It is okay to be happy with your stuff, your physical routine, your work etc, as long as you stay aware of it's real value. Everything physical is here to please and support you but not to own you. Too much stuff can suffocate you. As can a too rigid health regime or the ambition for yet another promotion. We have to set our priorities straight and as long as we keep moving and changing, we can keep growing. And our hair shall blow freely in the wind J

"what you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else. but what you are will be yours forever. H.v.Dyke

Pathway spread about creative blocks

The day before yesterday I had very frustrating experience with  my painting. I knew I wanted to paint something, anything. I tried so hard but nothing worked and I felt like such a failure. I was so angry and disappointed with myself. Perhaps me beating myself up was even worse than making such an unsuccessful painting. After reading the post from Louise about her Pathway spread, I felt a lot better. The cards advised me to stay away from activities that cause frustration and to sit out my inner storm.

Since I have this deck myself I thought let’s do my own pathway spread. My question was: How can I work trough my creative blockages? 

The Wildwood Tarot

1 The issue : The Forest Lovers

This card was a nice surprise to get on Valentine’s Day but it also threw me of balance. What does the lovers card has to do with my question? But when I thought about some more, I knew it is a perfect card to draw since this card, beside addressing romantic love, also speaks about loving every part of yourself to become a whole person. After that union new things can be created, new sparks will ignite.

2 Action to avoid: Ten of Stones – Home

I’ve interpreted this card in this position as a warning not to hide in my house and behind the business of family life or perhaps worse: Pouting in my room

3 Action to take: Seven of stones – Healing

Instead I want to take the time to heal and to reunite with the parts of me that have been hiding in the shadows. It felt almost as if I was lying in a circle of calcified aspects of myself who are still able to protect me but who are also waiting to be acknowledged.

The first thing  I did was listing every aspect of me I could think of and that already had a surprising result. Besides: the good mother, the little girl and the perfectionist,  there were also the adventurer who was afraid of nothing at all and the one who says sorry all the time. The hardest thing is to keep writing and dig deeper. Forgotten parts don’t always have to be negative sides of yourself.

I know this process will take time but I think it will be very exciting and rewarding whatever the outcome will be.

Ten of Stones: Home is where the heart is

Wildwood Tarot

The Ten of Stones – Home, from the Wildwood Tarot made me immediately think of the title of this post. It does sound a little bit cheesy but nobody can deny  there is truth in this saying. But then perhaps it also means we have to “move” a lot in life. J

In the days when people lived in houses as depicted in this card (Iron Age) life was fairly simple. It was a society where everybody knew his place and did what was expected. The house was a refuge for cold and danger. There was a fire, food and a place to sleep. But the most important thing, what made this house a home was family. The togetherness of people who loved each other. A family gives care and emotional shelter; stability and traditions.

Nowadays life is much more complicated. Families are smaller and widespread and sometimes extended with or replaced by friends. Families are left behind to make place for new families More and more people are living alone and make a home for themselves. Security and stability have to be worked hard for. Sometimes it seems the home is literally where your heart is. In YOU. When you feel at home with yourself you can carry your fire and shelter anywhere you go. You can even invite and warm others by your crackling fire. It can be as simple as an idea of security within yourself or as detailed as a visualization of a house with everything you need to feel good and at peace or… everything in between. Does this mean I think the value of family is overrated? Not at all, but I've learned sadly enough that it is wise to have more irons in the fire: the cozy hearth in the middle of the longhouse where the family gathers and your own heart, where you are always warm and safe.