Page of Swords - First card from my new Fountain Tarot Deck

Today I received my copy of the Fountain Tarot which I had won in a giveaway in September.  It is a stunning deck. It is even more beautiful  in reality than the pictures  I’ve seen online presumed. It feels like a whole year round, multipurpose deck.

After giving  it  thorough shuffle, the first card I drew was  the Page of Swords – bold curiosity.  A card about being open-minded to new ideas and situations. This page likes to try out new things and seek out new approaches to old concepts.  A perfect guide to dive into this modern looking mesmerizing deck.  But since the Page isn’t the studious type and has a rather short attention span, I asked what could help him to take the study of this deck more seriously and I pulled the Three of Wands – focused effort. Now this guy is holding on the his rope vigorously. He is not the kind to let go that easy when things get a bit more complicated. This is the  attitude I need for my tarot studies: dedication!   The guidebook talks about how he is alternating between energy puling inwards and energy pushing outwards. I love how this is depicted by act of rope twisting. In case of studying this deck this could be about reading and practicing versus contemplating and letting new information and experiences sink in

And last but not least like every Three of wands this cards also stands  for the promise of success !

The Veil and Seven of Fire – Divination or Exploration?

From the Halloween Oracle I got The Veil – Future, which represents the” thinning of the veil” around the Festival of Samhain or Halloween. 

It is said that during this season it is the perfect time for divination and all things magical. Although I hardly ever use my cards for giving me a peek into my future, for this one time I asked a little hesitant: “What do I need to know about my future?” Because I can’t get enough of The dreams of Gaia Tarot, I pulled the Seven of Fire, from this deck.

Seeing this card made me  laugh a littly bit. This card is all about divination and using your intuition and I think it might be the Minor Arcana counterpart of ‘Intuition” from the  Influence cards of the Major Arcana. Since this is a Minor Arcana card I think this card mostly about how to put our intuition into our daily practice and how to develop this highly influential part of ourselves.  According to the guidebook listening to our intuition can be a completely internal process; you just “know” something or it can be triggered by external stimuli (like our cards). But both ways do depend on a large amount of trust in ourselves.

Today this card is encouraging me to listen to and trust in my inner voice and also to be aware of those little things which happen during the day and which give me a that tingly feeling of a meaningful coincidence.

Or maybe I got it all wrong and this card is telling I  will to get into the card reading business any time soon now.

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…

Self - Who are you right now?

Today’s card is “Self” from the Dreams of Gaia Tarot and this card is all about self realization, discovering and accepting who you are and trying to live an authentic life.

Our idea of Self is (thank God/dess) ever changing and always evolving. For me this is beautifully represented by the roses in full bloom, the butterfly and the flying doves. We aren’t the  same as we were ten, five or one year ago and even not the same as we were last month, last week or yesterday. This might give us some insecurity about not knowing who we really are today but what we can be sure of  that we are the result of our past notions of Self.  Not only of our own previous perceptions of who we were but also who others told us we were (right or wrong) I “know” I am stubborn because my mother told me so frequently when I wanted to do things my own way.  Maybe if  she’d praised me for being determined, I would have had a slightly different idea of “Self”?

So this card encourages me to sit with “who am I right now?” and find out what is still true and what is outdated or hearsay . Only when we have established and accepted who we are today, we can choose intentionally who we want to become tomorrow.  

Visualizing our future self will give us some idea of who we want to become and when we are actively involved in becoming who we are meant to be, we will be able to unlock the door to our inner sanctuary called “Self” where we will find fulfillment and peace.

Four of Air – No time to waste

Today’s card is the Four of Air from the Dreams of Gaia Tarot. I didn’t have the  “sigh” reaction  I usually have when I pull the Four of Air/Swords from other decks.  This card is obviously not about taking a much needed time out.

The Four of Air in this deck is all about our need for structure and routine. Having a balanced daily routine will give us peace of mind. It is a kind of safety net which helps us to bring order into our daily life. Imagine how stressful our day would be if we had to think about everything we had to do: coffee or tea, bread or oatmeal. Where do I buy my groceries, by card or by bike  etc. Routine relieves us from numerous small decisions. But this  card is also about examining these routines: How many time wasting, slightly addictive activities have sneaked into them?

Today, it is for me a timely message to really look closely at the way I spend my days. Since about two weeks I have been plagued with a sore neck and a tingling in some fingers of my right hand. This is probable caused by a pinched nerve (again) and it prevents me from doing a lot of things I love: knitting, crochet, writing by hand, painting and drawing, and going to the gym.

Thanks to this card I am fully aware now that some of the gaps in my routine are filled with a lot less productive and creative activities which are mostly internet related. (Yesterday’s Devil?)

So now it is up to me to think of some new routines and ways to spend my time since this neck thing might last a bit longer than I would like.

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.

Three card daily spread with the Dreams of Gaia Tarot

For today I’ve done a three card spread with my already highly appreciated  Dreams of Gaia Tarot. Even though this deck is perfect for digging deep and really exploring unknown territories of your psyche, today’s message was crisp a clear and very concise.

The cards I drew were:

1 The general energy of the day – Faith

This is the last card of the Major Arcana in this deck and it represents primarily Faith in yourself, although Faith in a higher Power can be very beneficial  for your sense of self worth too. This Faith cards is all about confidence, self worth and a sense of being good enough. When we develop this kind of believe in ourselves it will support us and carry us safely through the ups and down of life.

2 The challenge of the day – Two of Water

This card is about sharing you deepest feelings with some one else; having the courage to be open and vulnerable in communication. It is about giving and receiving; about deep and sincere intimacy.

3 The gift of today – Six of Fire

Healing, negotiation and compromise are some of the key words for this card. Being aware and accepting of of other people's opinions and preferences and still being able to find a middle ground on which both parties can meet.

What I love about this reading it that it all starts with having Faith  myself and being aware that I am enough and worthy to be heard. When I feel secure enough to share my beliefs and point a views then, yes only then, I will have the courage to meet others halfway.

Affirmation : I am enough