The Lovers

All you need is love.

I confess that today I picked this card out of the deck on purpose. How could I not; it's Valentine's Day! The focus for today is about the importance of love in our lives. Not only romantic love but familial love, friendship, loving oneself, a passion in your life for something. Where there is love, life seems sparkle. You feel invincible and there's nothing you can't do. There's a fullness that envelopes everything in a fuzzy, warm blanket and nothing can take the smile from your face.  So why shouldn't we try to keep ourselves wrapped up in it at all times? I have been finding love everywhere lately because I have been  specifically looking for it. (No, I'm not propositioning people on the streets.) What I mean is that several times a day I've been asking myself, "What's to love here?"  I always find some little thing to love no matter what the situation. When I can find something to love in having to pay over $8000 (!) in taxes this year (we live in an amazing country with incredible programs for our well being; how lucky are we!? It makes it easier to give up that amount.) I see the love in my every day life all the better. I believe it has changed my life profoundly. And as for that song "Looking for love in all the wrong places", there's no wrong places to find love. It's everywhere!

Tell me about your love. Who do you love, what do you love, where do you love being? What are you doing today to express the love in your life? Where did you unexpectly find love today?

Ace of Wands

Today could be the beginning of a powerful, creative burst of energy. 

A good day to start that new project!

Caylum, aged three, when he was at a big show at the Saddledome, said "Can you feel the fun in the air?" If I were asked to express what the Ace of Wands is about in one perfect sentence, that would be it. The excitement, the buzz, the jazzed up creative energy that seems to come from the air itself. It infuses you with such enthusiasm you feel like you can do anything. Approach your boss with that new idea you have, ask for that raise, take those belly-dancing classes, get that new haircut, eat something exotic, ask that cute guy (gal) down the hall to join you for a coffee. You can't go wrong today (even if you do, you won't care much) so just go for it. What have you been wanting to try but just needed the courage to do? If you try something and it goes wrong, what's the worst that could happen? How will your life change if it goes right? How much fun will you have trying?

Nine of Swords

The energy wasted on worrying about a loved one could be put to better use.

Worrying about a loved one is one of those activities that seems futile and yet we spend huge amounts of time doing it. We love them and want them to be happy. So we worry to the point where our own happiness is in jeopardy. Our time and energy could be put to better use if we first asked ourselves a few simple questions. I usually don't have to go further than this first one. Is it really my problem? Unless you are directly involved (and you probably aren't because then you'd be worried about yourself) then the answer will most likely be no. Is this person an adult making choices for themselves? Often the choices people make are not the choices we ourselves would make. Who are we to presume that the path we would take is the right path for someone else? What if, by our intervention, this loved one is not experiencing something challenging that would ultimately make their lives richer and wiser? Finally, is there anything we can really do to change the situation? The only thing we can probably do is be there to support whatever decisions your loved one makes and try to sever your emotional state from their life. I'm not suggesting that these few questions will free you from worry but they will perhaps put things into better perspective. After all, don't you have enough to think about in your own life without having to manage someone else's? 

Is there someone you are worried about and why? How does your worry help the situation? How does it make it worse? Does this person know you worry about them and how do they feel about it?

Queen of Wands

                 Being confident will reveal the creative, charming, beautiful person you have inside.

      As I meditated about this card I realized that confidence (this week's theme apparently) is quite powerful and people with an abundant supply of it are usually the most successful people we know. They also seem to be talented and quite attractive as well. How can we mere mortals ever compete with that? So we stand as wallflowers on the outskirts of life wishing we were more like those charmed creatures and less like ourselves. And in that wishing is precisely where we miss out on probably the most powerful tool we have access to. Have you ever seen that show "What Not to Wear"? They take ordinary people with no style and teach them how to dress, give them a makeover and magically, they are transformed into confident, beautiful people full of energy and potential (Queen of Wands). Can makeup and better clothes be the secret magical formula to great success? Um, no... but feeling good about ourselves is. It shows how we sabotage ourselves by wishing we didn't have pear shaped bodies, large ears, big feet, bad skin, long arms, etc. when there's no changing the fact that we do. They teach people to embrace themselves and see the beauty they already possess. Once these ladies see how beautiful they really are on the outside, they open up to the beauty on the inside and that is the magical transformation that takes place. Accepting that we are truly beautiful no matter how we are shaped and that beauty comes from within. Makeup and clothes give us that kick start but the Queen of Wands energy that is in everyone is what takes the baton and runs with it.

Nine of Pentacles

                                       Be confident, self-reliant and trust your decisions.

     I love the message of this card. It's about taking all that you have learned and experienced and applying it to your life in a way that makes the final product tailor-made for you. It's about trusting that you will make the right decisions for yourself because you have confidence in the wisdom that has probably been hard earned and well-deserved. It's about knowing who you are and loving that person enough to want the very best of what life has to offer and not settling for less. You've made sacrifices in your life to achieve your goals but in the end, it's all been worth it. So carry that confidence with you in all your endeavours, knowing that you have a most powerful person working just for you. Just look in the mirror.

King of Swords

                     Take the emotion out of your observations today and think before you speak.

     I am an emotional person. Most of the time, my first impressions are emotionally based and sometimes have mislead me into believing something that just wasn't true. How many times have I made a decision only to regret it later after careful thought? I'm embarrassed to say.  But for today, I will try to see the world objectively rather than subjectively. I confess that sometimes I pretend I'm in a movie or on the Holodeck on the Enterprise (giant nerd, I know; this amuses Stephanie very much) because if I imagine that I'm in a story then I can see a lot more of what is outside my head. Weird, right? But it works! By taking my emotional self out of the scene I can see what's going on for everyone else and then I feel like I can be a better judge of the situation. And that is what the King of Swords is about.
     Have you jumped to the wrong conclusions because you didn't see all aspects of the situation? Have you reacted to a moment in a way that you later regretted because you didn't think it through? Sharing sometimes makes it better, so let me know what faux pas you have committed by jumping the gun. What tricks do you have to keep yourself from making them again?

Two of Pentacles

                                          TGIF! Fill your day with laughter, fun and friends.

     We mostly learn or life lessons during challenging times but this card suggests there is also a lot to learn during fun times, if only we pay close attention. I don't normally take the time to think about what's going on when I'm enjoying myself, I'm too busy having fun! But I always look back on those times and think "Man, I wish I could feel like that all the time." Full of good humour, light of spirit, not a care in the world. There's no reason that I can't be like that in stressful times as well if only I can keep myself from switching into stress mode. Lately, during those challenging times, I have asked myself " What would Ricky do?" as in Ricky Gervais. In all the interviews I have seen him do, he always seems to be in such good spirits, seeing the world as one big, absurd comedy sketch. And when you come to think of it, it really kind of is.  I have, in the past, thought that if I was watching my life on a sitcom, I'd be laughing my ass off. It helped me put things into perspective and took the tension right of the situation. So, if you do nothing else today, just have a laugh at yourself. It'll do you good.

Death

           Stop hanging on to what is no longer working for you. Open yourself up to new possibilities.

    Ah, Death. I love this card. Everyone is always very freaked out to draw this card but for me it is one of the most positive cards in the deck. Death signals it is time to discard any systems that no longer resonate within your soul. It calls for deep inner probing, although for mostly everyone there is that one thing that will pop into their mind when I suggest there is something not working for them. The deep probing is to determine why they persist in hanging on to it. 99% of the time it is fear of what lies beyond because in Death, we don't know what lies beyond. (We humans are actually hardwired with to need to know. It's a scientific fact that if we can't find the reason for something our brains will make something up for us. Just think about that for a minute or two!) But there is something profoundly liberating by shedding the burden of negative energy that opens you up to possibilities that are often hidden by that heavy load. Opportunities suddenly seem to appear when you rid yourself of toxic people, situations and ideas.
      Start small, if you have to, by taking one negative thought you have about yourself and questioning it. Is it really true? Probably not. How has it harmed you or held you back? Who would you be, what could you accomplish if this idea was cast aside? Is there any reason for you to keep believing it?
      That was easy wasn't it? Now do it again. Work your way up to those seemingly hopeless situations and ask the same questions. You will be very surprised at what happens.
     I am very interested in hearing about any thoughts you have about my posts and happy to answer any questions.

Five of Pentacles

                              
                    Switch your focus from what you don't have to what you do have.

        This is a state of mind I have locked myself into many times as I'm sure mostly everyone has. We look at our lives and see what we lack in material goods and physical attributes. We moan and groan about having no money, being too fat, being stuck in a dead-end job, being bored and tired, having a nose that's too big... well, I could go on forever. People are always very open about all the things that are wrong about their lives and we empathize with them, sharing what's wrong with ours. What if we made a promise to ourselves that whenever we start this kind of talk, we switch focus and speak of all the great things we have and how much there is to love about our lives? What if, when we began the litany of lack, we stopped and began to list the abundance? I sat down with pen and paper to write down all the things that are wonderful in my life and have been astounded by fabulousness of it all. Seeing it there in front of me made me realize that what I believe is true and what is actually true are two different things.  How often does this happen? More than I care to admit and I am betting the same goes for you. Take a few minutes today and write down all the things that are wrong with your life and then all the things that are right. I'm going to keep my list and update it frequently and read it every time I start feeling like that person on the Five of Pentacles.
         Did you make your list today? How did you feel after you finished it? Are you astounded? Tell me about some of the amazing people and things in your life.

Seven of Wands

                                    Fight the good fight. Stand up for what you believe in.

     You know when someone or something stands in your way, tells you that you can't or won't and you get all "oh, bring it on, baby". That is the seven of wands. There a kind of perverse enjoyment in the energy of fighting for what you truly believe in and knowing that you can't lose. Often, for me anyway, that someone or something is that bitch who lives in my head. I'll get the notion to do something empowering and she'll try to talk me out of it. She'll get all whiny "but you're just a weak woman, you can't do that, why bother when its all going to hell anyway, you're too old, blah, blah, blah" I have decided that I'm going to give all those ideas a good go and I really don't give a crap anymore if they work out or not. I have finally clued in to the wisdom of "It's not the destination but the journey that's important." What you learn along the way, about yourself and your world, that's what's important. TO REALLY LIVE (I've hit the caps button by accident but it feels right so I'm leaving it that way). Yes, TO REALLY LIVE, to participate in life, to be engaged, to fight mediocrity with confidence and gusto. And sure, I'm a little bit scared but the alternative is to sit on my butt and slowly fade away. So, bring it on, baby and get out of my way!
 

Wheel of Fortune

          Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. That's life. Deal with it.    

     The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the ebb and flow of how life works. It represents the outside forces that act upon us that we have no control over. The only thing we do have control over is how we react to those outside happenings. You can plan something to the absolute tiniest detail and then something else comes along and throws it all out of whack. You could say f**k it, throw in the towel and go cry in a corner or you can say f**k it, factor in the change and revise the plan. The more often you can do this the more you grow in a very good way. But don't sweat it if you can't possibly revise the plan. There are times when the best thing you can do is retreat. I look at down times as a time to go inward to find out about myself. I believe the sudden lack of interest in usual activities and withdrawal from society (aka 'depression') as a necessary function of inner growth. It's kind of a hibernation where we can heal and revise ourselves and the way we see the world. We do that when we're physically injured, why not when we're psychically injured? So whether you're up or whether you're down, it's all good. The wheel keeps turning.
     So, where are you right now, up or down? What is going on internally, how are you using this time to grow? Is one part of your life up while another part down? Can you see how the wheel is turning? Let me know,  I'm interested in your stories.

High Priestess

                    Learning to listen to and trust your inner voice can enrich your life by
                                        allowing things inside to awaken.

     We are all blessed with intuition and a sense of knowing what is right for us. It's that gut feeling you have that you can't articulate but you just know. It's the most powerful knowing we have and sadly, we ignore it most of our lives.  We mostly disregard that little voice inside as fantasy or trivial or mental imbalance. We've been taught that the answers lay outside of ourselves and we spend an awful lot of time looking for what has always been there right inside of us. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to change that.  Just listen, really listen. Pretend you have an immensely wise being sending messages to you about every aspect of your life and really hear what she has to say. Acting on that advice will make you feel powerful in a way that you feel you can conquer the world. Just try it for an hour. Let me know how it works out for you.
     My problem is that I keep forgetting to listen so I'm going to figure out a way to remind myself all through the day, some token or totem. I'll just ask my High Priestess for the answer.

Knight of Cups

  
                 Let your imagination out into the world. Time to put your dreams into action.


     Now is the time to start putting those daydreams of the 7 of cups into a plan of action. This knight can be somewhat of a vague romantic lost in his imagination. So getting this card warns us of staying too long in the world of our dreams and of the need to put them into play if we want them to become part of our lives. I can honestly say that I am getting my dreams out there. My biggest dream was to have my own perfect little house by the beach and on March 1 the building begins! I've always wanted to draw really well, so Beth has started to give me lessons. I wanted to share my love and knowledge of tarot so I started this blog. I realized on my birthday that I am the only one who can make my dreams come true so if I want it I need to go out and get it. My biggest challenge was getting over the fear that I would fail. That kept me from starting in the first place. I have pursued lots of dreams that fizzled out and didn't want to go through that again. But you know what, it took the life right out of me, that defeatist attitude and I was bored to tears. So now I'm going for it and who cares if it doesn't work out. At least I tried.

Four of Pentacles

            
                 Too much emotional attachment to material things leads to hoarding. Time to purge!

     Just yesterday I was looking at all the clothes in my closet that I don't wear and thinking I really should do something about it. After watching a couple of shows on hoarding I realized that I have a touch of the craziness that grips a hoarder. All the lovely things that no longer fit me properly (but when I lose those pounds I can wear them again! rrriigghhttt...) I have stuff I haven't worn in years! And don't even get me started in my studio with my bins full of supplies (for all those unfinished projects I talked about yesterday). So I am making myself this promise, that I will get rid of all the crap I've been hanging on to. I've done this a few times in my life when downsizing my homes and it is surprisingly refreshing to let go of stuff. It feels good to make space, to get organized, to let go. If I look at the whole picture it can be overwhelming so I just do one closet at a time, one dresser, one bin. If I haven't seen it for a while then it can't be too important to me, right? So out it goes!
     What are you hanging on to that you should let go of? What would happen if you let it go? What's stopping you? And it doesn't always have to be some thing; it could be an idea, a situation, a person, a label, an attitude. Where are the garbage bags?

Four of Wands

                      Celebrate new beginnings! Start building a solid foundation for the future with love and laughter.

      What better way to begin anything than with celebration? The positive energy and optimism driving you onward and upward. Soon the Universe will be mine! But first, laying the foundation so it doesn't all fall down. Depending on what is beginning, the four wands could represent any combination of positive aspects that will provide a stable basis for the future. I'm thinking that it's a good idea to sit down and decide what these four cornerstones might be before starting anything. Sort of gives focus to the project. I want to lose a few pounds. So my wands might be diet, exercise, motivation and commitment. If any of these aspects aren't firmly established or maintained, I'm likely to keep those pounds. I could even break each of these wands down even further like so:
 diet - low fat, lots of water, no sugar, smaller portions
 exercise - 30 minutes dancing per day, walk after supper, 50 situps and 25 pushups, stretching session before bed
 motivation - have more energy, clothes fit better, have more confidence, be healthier
 commitment - ok this one has me stumped; any suggestions?
         Too often I've just declared my intentions without giving it much thought beyond "Hey, I've got an idea." Too often I have failed to see it through. I have so many unfinished projects...

    

Ace of Cups

              
                      Open your heart today for the possibility of a new passion coming into your life.

      Love is in the air and it doesn't necessarily mean romantic love. Our hearts can fill up with love and passion for many things, people and even ideas. I have to say that I am in love right at this moment with ;
    Murray, Caylum and Quinn, Lake Huron, learning to draw, dancing, the music of Sia ('Breathe Me' is a most beautiful song), learning, planning my new house.
    If I am feeling sad or upset I only have to think about one of these passions and I feel better. When I am talking to Murray or my boys I always feel loved. When I am dancing and listening to music I feel energized. When I am planning, learning or drawing I feel creative and powerful. When I am with my lake I am filled with serenity. I am trying to get to the point where everything I do is tapping into these same energies. If it doesn't fit the criteria I don't want to be doing it. But what about the times I have to be involved in something that doesn't make my heart sing? I think the trick is to make a little bit of room in there for the time being and find some little thing to love that makes each moment of the day something special. It gets easier all the time and the first step is to be open to the possibility of falling in love. With life.
What makes your heart sing? If you could be with or do anything in the universe what would it be? How can you change how you see something you currently are not too fond of?

Seven of Swords

                   How you live your life is your business and nobody else's.  Do what you've got to do.

     One of the meanings for this card is "Reject outside expectations for an individually fashioned lifestyle." I am drawn to this message at this time in my life. I have always preached to be true to yourself and I thought I was following my own advice but there were aspects of my life that were being directed by what people expected of me. Questions like "What's the matter with me? Why am I so emotional? Am I being too demanding? Do I need to be more flexible?" and so on to infinity, were normal for me. I pretty much questioned every emotional response I had as being unreasonable. I tried to conform to how I thought I should be at this point in my life. It suddenly dawned on me about a month ago that these emotions are trying to tell me something and I should be listening to them instead of explaining them away. I mean really listen to them; talk to them, feel them, allow them to be, hear what they were telling me. And holy shit, what a giant difference this tiny adjustment has made made. The first day I felt lighter than I had in years, I felt like I was let out of jail, I felt more like myself than I have ever felt. And I am shocked to realize that the expectations were not coming from outside but from what I thought people expected of me. I'm the outside influence.  My life hasn't changed so much from the outside looking in but I can't begin to explain how much it has changed from the inside looking out. Just by listening.
What are your emotions telling you? Are you listening? Are you honouring them? Share your stories with me. I really want to hear about them.

Page of Swords

                  Try out that new idea today, learn something, challenge your mind. Smart is beautiful.


          Exercising your brain is just as important as exercising your body. I usually start each day by doing a logic problem or cryptic crossword. You're thinking; what a giant nerd. See how I can read your mind? Brain exercise.
         I love learning. If I had the money I would be a perpetual university student. I love the knowing of things just for the hell of it. Do I want to dazzle people with my awesome intellect? A little Miss Know-It-All? Not so much. Here is how it works for me. Something happens that makes me think "I wonder why, how, when, etc...." Then I find out which almost always leads me to more wondering which I then find out about and so on and so on. So really there's no ego involved, contrary to what some may think.
         I try to learn something new every day. It gently expands my mind so when something comes at me that really blows my brain, my head doesn't explode. It gives me an awareness of the world around me that allows me to see things other people might not see. There's so much cool stuff out there.
       What have you learned lately?  What do you want to know about? What are you interested in? Tell me something I don't already know.

The Empress

    

          Oh, yes, Darlings! For today you may indulge any or all of your appetites without the guilt. Empress has spoken!


Sure, it's not like I deny myself those guilty pleasures. But I usually have that bitch in my head telling me that I'm going to pay for it. Kind of takes the fun right out of it. Today, I give myself permission to enjoy whatever indulgences I decide to partake. And here's the cool bit about that. You may find that when you allow yourself to give in to the sensations of appetite that you don't need very much to satisfy you. I don't enjoy furtively eating an entire Crunchie bar as quickly as possible so I don't get caught as much as I enjoy popping a square of Lindt dark chocolate, closing my eyes and feeling its silky sweetness melt on my tongue. Mmmm. Treating yourself to even the smallest something you enjoy should be an everyday part of your life. It makes you more relaxed, you feel special and loved which translates into self confidence and inner power and that gives you what you need to conquer your world. Try it and see if I'm wrong. Let me know what your favourite indulgences are, how you felt by giving yourself permission to enjoy and what you keep denying yourself. I'm off to my bubble bath!

'Seven of Cups'

          The future holds infinite possibilities. Take time today to daydream about  the things you've always wanted to do, no matter how farfetched. Then ask yourself "Why not?"

     Daydreaming is something I do a lot of , so this was relatively easy for me to do. I decided to make a list of my dreams and here is what I came up with;
- to have a home filled with music, good food, laughter, unique art
- to have my family live within 250 kilometers of me
- to be filled with serenity and joy at all times
- to meet Kate Bush, John Irving and Richard Dawkins and be articulate enough to have a conversation
- to travel to Europe for the castles, museums and galleries
- to make some money creating unique things
- to have a large circle of interesting and fun friends
- to learn another language or two

It occurred to me that all of these things are entirely possible for me to do easily (aside from meeting the famous people but you never know, it could happen). We sometimes think that our dreams are unattainable or unrealistic but I am finding out more and more lately that what we think and what is true are entirely different things. I am also interested in hearing what other people are dreaming of, how they plan to make it happen, what's holding them back. So, lay it on me!