Ten of Water – Happiness is a verb

Today’s card is Ten of Water from the Dreams of Gaia Tarot and to me it feels like I am continuing with my theme of self realization.

In this card we see a woman who is totally content with and by herself. She has found an emotional balance and a way to keep her balance when waves of disruption and turmoil clash in on her. I suppose her turtle will carry her through the ebbs and flows of her life. This lady has freed herself from limiting emotions from her past like guilt, shame and regret and now she is enjoying this present moment like it was her last. And maybe it is because this moment will never return, so we’d better make the most of it. And that is the advice of this card too. Whatever your circumstances are, there is so much to be grateful for and to enjoy if you look closely: a smile, a ray of sunlight or my beloved cup of coffee in the morning.

So today, instead of feeling sorry for myself because my neck and my arm are hurting I am going to actively seek out joy and contentment and hopefully pass it along to others. A smile is so easy to give and so wonderful to receive…

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 March

Yesterday I've celebrated the new moon. After visualizing  my circle, I chanted to Durga and Lakshmi. After that, I sat down to meditate for a while,  trying to focus only on my breath, which is still so difficult. I wish I could turn down the volume of my inner chatter.

As usual I drew two cards from my Osho Zen Tarot. Both of them are mainly blue and both of them depict two dolphins. At first I didn't understand the Release card, Ten of Water (Ten of Cups), and it really puzzled me until M. gave me her point a view.

Osho Zen Tarot

Release: Ten of Water – Harmony

Why should anyone want to release such a beautiful state of mind. This is what the guidebook says:

"The experience of resting in the heart in meditation is not something that can be grasped or forced. It comes naturally, as we grow more and more in tune with the rhythms of our own inner silences. The figure on this card reflects the sweetness and delicacy of this experience. The dolphins that emerge from the heart and make an arc towards the third eye reflect the playfulness and intelligence that comes when we are able to connect with the heart and move into the world from there.”

I thought perhaps this card is telling me to let go of trying too hard to be successful in meditating and in bringing that state of mind into my daily life. But M said and with it she worded my first reaction to this card, it was more about letting go of trying to keep everybody happy without listening to my own needs (or inner voice J) Perhaps both options were equally valid but I feel the last is more urgent to let go.

Embrace: Inner Voice

The second card is more clear to me. It is the equivalent of the High Priestess in other Tarot decks which is all about intuition, the unconscious and wisdom.

"The Inner Voice speaks not in words but in the wordless language of the heart. It is like an oracle who only speaks the truth. If it had a face, it would be like the face at the center of this card--alert, watchful, and able to accept both the dark and the light, symbolized by the two hands holding the crystal. The Inner Voice can also be playful, as it dives deep into the emotions and emerges again to soar towards the sky, like two dolphins dancing in the waters of life."

My inner voice has been ignored too often and for too long. Even when reading my own cards,  M had to confirm my first intuitive interpretation (which wasn't all by the book), was right for me that day. I appear to be more confident than I really am.  Listening to my inner voice is something I will be glad to focus on for the coming lunar period. It seems so easy but I think the most difficult part is when you are finally able to hear that soft voice within, is to acknowledge what it is telling you. It might be a truth you don’t want to hear….

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want” Lao Tzu