weekly card Archives - Page 2 of 12

Weekly Card The Captivating Fool

June 4, 2015 June 4, 2015

150604 0 The Fool Bellydancers — Tarot of the Bellydancers

We’ve all met 0 The Fool in our lives. And we’ve all been 0 The Fool at least once or twice. (One of my favourite expressions is, “Mama didn’t raise no small fool”.) And, with a little less embarrassment, we’ve met 0 The Fool here a couple of times.

So let’s finesse 0 The Fool with 3 different images.

First, from Tarot of the Bellydancers (yes, really!) we have this smiling beauty offering us a pure white lotus with the promise of a dance. The lotus – and her little dog – are pure, unsullied by the journey. Is this dancer at the start or end of her dance? Is the red bag waiting for gifts or full of the gifts from her performance? 0 The Fool is sometimes placed at the beginning of the cycle of the Majors and sometimes at the end. Does the unopened lotus necessarily mean this 0 The Fool can’t be at the end of the cycle?

The leaping 0 The Fool from the Yoga Tarot has a monkey face, the reflection of his chattering monkey mind. And the outside world is no help, with another monkey pulling at him. Here we have an unrefined 0 The Fool, pulled here and there by the multitude of distractions in life and in his mind. Any banana will do to entice him on his journey.

150604 0 The Fool Renaissance Williams — Brian Williams’ Renaissance Tarot

0 The Fool from Brian Williams’ Renaissance Tarot is a more serious contender. This Jester is dressed for court and ready to entertain the aristocracy. He alone can criticize the ruling class with impunity. With his staff of grapes, he brings Dionysian wildness with him. The skull of mortality tops the staff, acknowledging that the journey of life has an end. Live life while ye may . . . .

What if V The Heirophant meets our mysterious bellydancer 0 The Fool? Will the meeting be the same as with the monkeymind 0 The Fool? Or the Renaissance Jester 0 The Fool?

How about the rational King of Swords? How will the Sky Kitty get on with the bellydancer and her dog? With the monkey? Anyone else hearing a whole lot of yowling and scratched noses, so far? The Jester may have more of a place in the court of the King of Swords.

Or put the various aspects of 0 The Fool through a 3 of Cups experience. How do they colour the situation?

You can see that comparisons of multiple images can bring to light various points on the spectrum of a card’s energy. Do you relate more to one of the 0 The Fools that we’ve seen so far than to the others? How do you think of 0 The Fool? What can you add to provide depth to the character?

Get out there and dare to be a Big Fool this week!

Weekly Card The Tribal Conscience of V The Heirophant

May 28, 2015 May 28, 2015

150527 V The Heirophant Renaissance Lyle — The Renaissance Tarot

When was the last time you ran into someone wearing a woolly, horned headdress? It probably wasn’t at any of the places you’d imagine meeting V The Heirophant.

So what’s going on here, in Helen Jones and Jane Lyle’s Renaissance Tarot image?

For starters, it can be helpful to step outside of our culture to explore spiritual traditions from other times and places. Where there are groups of humans, it’s natural that structures grow up to addresse the non-visible aspects of our existence. This isn’t an element of “high civilization” or “asphalt world”.

The fur and horns bring to mind animals of the natural world. There’s our physical nature right up there at the top of V The Heirophant. So we’ve got spirituality in the natural world, not in some abstract or ideal construct. This is our guide to the non-visible within visible life. Those horns can operate as antenna for messages from the divine, direct to the natural self of our guide.

It also brings up some of the elements of life that will return again and again in our journey through the Major Arcana. We may have developed a spiritual approach within an existing tradition, or designed one of our own. But we’ve still got those parts of ourselves that are wild and unknown, out of control. We’ll get lots of opportunities to come to terms with our wild selves in any lifetime.

Recently, we looked at VII The Chariot. We saw another hint of internal conflict there. What if we bring this wild and woolly V The Heirophant into one of our VII The Chariot situations? How much impact do you think V The Heirophant has had on building our various societies?

What happens when V The Heirophant is in the room with the King of Swords? We’ve got earthly authority meeting spiritual authority. What is the ultimate authority in your life? Does it vary from situation to situation? What cultures have given V The Heirophant domination over the King of Swords?

How does V The Heirophant relate to the celebratory occasions of the 3 of Cups? What are some of the small-scale ceremonies and rituals in place in the celebrations and joyful social structures of your life? Is there room for the wildness of a woolly headdress?

This week, look for the ways your traditions and rituals honour your natural, untamed self.

Weekly Card The Rational King of Swords

May 21, 2015 May 19, 2015

150521 King of Swords Mystical Cat Sky King — Mystical Cat Tarot

We’ve got lots of information about the King of Swords from our last two posts.

So what do we see in the Mystical Cats Tarot Sky King, the equivalent of the King of Swords?

Let’s start with the name. Why Sky? Since Swords are the element of air, the very airy Sky makes sense.

And this is the cold, crystalline air of winter. There’s a stillness in winter that allows us to look at things closely. There’s a sparkle and clarity to the air that’s reflected in our majestic Sky King’s jeweled collar. If we look at snow as frozen water, and water as the element of emotions, creativity and connection with others, we’ve got a King who’s comfortable putting his emotions on hold to be coldly rational. He doesn’t need shelter; he’s able to be out in the world, no matter how isolated he is. And that’s what’s needed in rational authority: an ability to be disconnected from anything other than clear thought.

For the rest of us, that windchime is a wonderfully accessible symbol of the mind at work. It’s tinkling, it’s tinkling, and I’ve got an inkling. . . .

What happens if we look at the Sky King with a 3 of Cups situation? How involved will he be with the heart connections or emotionally-driven creativity? It’s likely that he’ll be found in an analytical position. As others are being creative, he might be the critic, assessing what’s happening, or the rational business manager, interested in keeping the theatrical company together. Rather than join in the celebrations with friends, he’s going to be on the outside, perhaps, as a master of words and communication, telling the story to others.

What if we see VII The Chariot in connection with the Sky King/King of Swords? We’ve got the progress of VII The Chariot working through the mind and authority of the Sky King. It gives us clues about what aspect of our personal make-up will help us move forward: the mental aspect. It can also let us know about the potential for the Sky King in our lives to be making progress in his or her journey. If that person is important in our decision-making process, we’ll be aware of the changes in store for him/her and can make a better informed decision. It could be that we can’t move forward ourselves without the say-so of an important authority in our lives.

As always, bring the Sky King into what’s happening in your life right now. Are you the Sky King? Is someone else in your life? Are you being called to develop your potential in the direction of mental mastery or authority?

And if you decide to get cozy with the Sky King kitty, show proper respect!

Weekly Card Celebrating the 3 of Cups

May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015

Wow! We’re getting the Tarot version of 2×4 between the eyes (anybody else have that dent there from calls to pay attention?). It’s been less than a month since we last saw the 3 of Cups.

So what does it mean when we repeatedly see the same message in the cards?

One possibility is that we’re being shown places where we’re stuck in a rut. I have to say, 3 of Cups isn’t such a bad rut to be in. Of course, we can get caught in celebrating heart connections (the dancing women in the Gilded Tarot) when we have practical things to do. Or we can be overly emotional (those overflowing cups in the Haindl image) when what’s called for are rational decisions. Or we’re putting our creative ventures on public display (Yoga Tarot) right when there’s a big media storm to blow our projects away.

150514 3 of Cups Haindl — The Haindl Tarot

Another is that we’re in a long-term process. We’re not in the habit of being highly sociable or expressive and creative or of letting our emotions flow. It can take time to un-make an habitual hermit or logical Spock or repressed artist.

And a third is that, although we’ve got 3 of Cups in our repertoire, we’re focusing elsewhere. It’s the “hey, over here!” attention call.

How many times have you put aside social connections because you’ve just got too much to do? Or decided that now is not the time to celebrate; your problems are way too big and pressing? Or shelved creativity in favour of the sure thing to please the boss? And we all know that emotional stifling is the order of almost any day in the life . . . .

Here the message is, despite the apparent strong demands in other directions, the useful action or useful focus is to choose creativity, to choose time with your heartfelt friendships, to choose joy.

So which is it for you: long-term process, an unrecognized rut, or a repeated call to re-focus? And, since life is a many-layered thing (why am I thinking “cake”?), it could be all the above.

Celebrate the loves in your life!

Weekly Card VII The Chariot

May 7, 2015 May 7, 2015

150423 VII Chariot Renaissance Williams — Brian Williams’ The Renaissance Tarot

It’s good to have some of the gaps in our tarot view filled in this past month. Since this is (mostly) a random draw, the past two years have seen repeated cards, so not all 78 have been covered yet.

Time to meet VII The Chariot.

150507 VII Chariot RWS — Rider Waite Smith Tarot

How do we relate to someone in a chariot? Especially someone armoured? Most of us have absolutely no experience of that in our lives.

Or do we?

When was the last time you were in commuter traffic?

Being in commuter traffic ties in with having a role in society, one of the indications of VII The Chariot. At that point in our developmental journey, we head out into the world with something to offer. The world receives us well, saying, “yeah, we can use what you’ve got; we’ll make sure you’re compensated for it.”

But things can still be black and white at the VII Chariot point (notice the light and dark horses or the black and white sphinxes). There can be conflicting forces to manage. They can add to the spirit of adventure that’s connected with VII The Chariot. We may have found a societal role that works, but the adventure’s just beginning.

We’ve still got those internal conflicts to work out. Stay tuned: the Majors will addresse those – it’s worth clicking the “Majors” tag to look at some of the places we’ll go from VII The Chariot.

And those conflicts keep us moving forward. That’s why travel is often associated with VII The Chariot.

So is “progress”. Sometimes it’s straight ahead progress, as we keep the light and dark forces balanced. Other times it’s a zigzag hopscotch between the two, struggling to keep both wheels on the ground.

And then there’s that armour. Like a crab shell, it keeps the soft stuff protected – that stuff where we’re vulnerable while we struggle with our personal black and white. Think about your public self. Mostly your public persona does that for you, doesn’t it? It’s a way of being guarded but mobile and functional.

So, this week, where are you moving forward? Where is the progress straight ahead? Where do there seem to be obstacles? How could your internal conflicts be creating the stuff out there that you have to go around?

Define your role in society and use it to make progress!

Yup, we can definitely lose control of our personal light and dark steeds. When that happens, tarot is a wonderful tool to help train the team to make progress. You know where to find me.

Weekly Card 3 of Swords

May 1, 2015 May 1, 2015

This post is part of a Tarot Blog Hop. You can find the previous blog here, the master list here, and the next blog here.

150501 3 of Swords RWS — Rider Waite Smith tarot

Oh, we so don’t love to see these kinds of cards . . . the “sad” ones, the “bad” ones. We’ve had a couple of encounters before, here and here.

And here, at the 3 of Swords, we’re encountering sorrow at a very personal level. How much more clear an illustration of heartache can we get? Since we can’t spit it out, how do we deal with this distasteful card?

Look back to the heartaches in your life. What brought them on? Loss of a love? Loss of social standing? Loss of a cherished pet? Loss all around, isn’t it? Nothing we would have asked for.

Then again, when have you heard yourself say “he certainly asked for that one”? We could look at any situation and see how the ending had its seeds in the beginning. Heartless as it is, I’ve had people tell me that I was just asking for trouble by living in an hurricane evacuation zone.

And there’s the opportunity in the 3 of Swords. We’re putting our mind – the mental world of the swords – into our hearts. Rather than dissociating our thoughts from our humanity, we come to a deeper understanding of why it’s worth making connections regardless of the inevitability of endings.

For a writer or an artist, this can be a brilliant opportunity, this meeting of intellect with emotion. What needs to be expressed? Is there a story to tell? Is there a sorrow to be danced, painted or composed?

For the rest of us, the lemonade out of lemons involves developing compassion. For ourselves. For others who’ve travelled a similar path. And that requires taking heart in the positive sense: courage. Courage to believe in a life that continues. Courage to look outside ourselves again.

150501 3 of Swords Baroque Bohemian Cats — Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot

150501 3 of Swords Haindl — Haindl Tarot

But how do we deal with the pain? You’ve got lots of clues in the multiple images for the 3 of Swords. The sad grey puss in the Baroque Bohemian Cat image finds the pain too difficult to take in. She has her angel holding the pierced heart. It’s still close at paw, but she’s got assistance. Who are your angels?

The Haindl Tarot image speaks to the isolation that pain can bring. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Time alone to mourn the loss, to replace what’s no longer there with tears, is a healing action. Recognize where your paradise has come to an end and grieve. It’s not necessarily fun, but healthy grief helps us move forward, back into life and connectedness.

150501 3 of Swords Gilded — Ciro Marchetti‘s Gilded Tarot

150501 3 of Swords Contemplative — Contemplative Tarot

By getting to the heart of our sorrow, by understanding what happened and who we’re becoming as a result of our loss, the Gilded Tarot image offers us the possibility of enlightenment. Our old way of thinking, our old way of expressing ourselves has cut us to the heart. As we recognize the old ways, we can move into the light of the new.

But not too quickly, says the Contemplative Tarot image. Life is possible, says the vine around the bleeding heart – and life with love, says the heart shape in the vine. It’s even going on around us. But so is the fish out of water, belly up in the cloudy sky. It speaks to the discomfort of no longer being the self we recognize. Allow the new life of connection to grow out of the wounded self, in its own time.

In your own life this week, what has pierced you right at the quick? How can you use your mind to get to the heart of the matter? And how can you express yourself about it all?

Let your mind and heart work together to keep compassion in the foreground this week.

This post is part of a Tarot Blog Hop. You can find the previous blog here, the master list here, and the next blog here.

Weekly Card The Queen of Swords is Not Amused

April 23, 2015 April 21, 2015

150416 Queen of Swords Golden Dawn Wang — Robert Wang’s Golden Dawn Tarot

EeeYIKES!

Who is this chick and how do we stay as far away from her as possible??!

Actually, we’ve met her before. Our last visit was much less severe than this image, from The Golden Dawn Tarot.

Look back at that visit for a moment (don’t worry, the link will open in a new tab/window).

So what the hell happened between then and now? How did we get from “brilliant mind” to “off with his head” and full body armour?

Here we’re dealing with the bias and symbolism that are elements as we move from deck to deck. Remember that each card has energy that runs on a spectrum from weak (and unbalanced) through balanced to over-used (and unbalanced). Some artists view the strong point of a particular card more toward one end of the spectrum than the centre.

Remember that the Queen is emotional, even though she’s Queen of Swords, dealing with the mind and rationality. So one end of the spectrum (actually two spectra working together) is going to be highly emotional with limited rationality. You can probably relate to times when you’d like to have taken someone’s head off.

At another unbalanced point, there’s severely limited ability to connect with others along with cold rationality. We’ve got lots of examples of the total lack of compassion with a logic that says, “we need to kill you to – fill in agenda here –“. Many of them fit into the headings of Crime or War.

Since we know this deck is based on the symbolism of the Golden Dawn, we can come up with another explanation if we do a little research. Here’s where study of the history and traditions of Tarot can be very useful. In this case, that severed head symbolizes our own egos (in the arrogant, ignorant, negative sense). The Queen of Swords uses her clear mind to cut through self-deception, “killing” the delusions that cloud our perception.

So which one is the “right” interpretation? All of them can be true in various circumstances. On a single card draw, I suggest going with your gut response to the image on the card. In a multiple card spread, note the influences of the other cards. Is the “Swordness” strengthened or weakened by the cards around the Queen of Swords? How about the emotionality and connectedness of the Queen (read her energy as Cups or water)?

At face value this week . . .

Watch your temper!

Weekly Card 3 of Cups

April 16, 2015 April 16, 2015

150409 3 of Cups Crystal — Crystal Tarot

What a beautiful card for a spring day (at least, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere – those of you in the South can lift a cup to spring days yet to come)!

3 of Cups is a social, cheerful card saying, Celebrate! And find your best friends to celebrate with you.

You’ll remember, from Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think, that 3s are expression and expansion, and Cups are emotions, relationships and creativity.

So how can you express your emotions? How can you expand your relationships? Your creativity?

Looking to the Crystal Tarot image, we’ve got the three Cups (or Chalices) enclosing an egg, symbol of fertility and creativity. This one is many layered and includes a design that makes me think of the beautiful pysanky from the Ukrainian Easter tradition. Floating above the stable triangle is the fluttering butterfly of transformation. We’ve no shortage of blooming flowers here, with lots of heart-based green and turquoise from the higher heart – that place where expression comes from the heart.

150416 3 of Cups RWS — Rider Waite Smith Tarot

For Tarot 2: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, let’s introduce 3 of Cups experiences to a couple of Court Cards. Start with the Knight of Cups. We’ve got the airy Knight stirring up the watery Cups in a situation of the same element. Remember, he keeps moving. As long as things are expansive, is he likely to stay? When we look at the stability of the 3, how is he likely to react? What happens when we’ve got too much water and it’s all being stirred up?

Bring the practical Page of Pentacles in. How do earth and water get along? Pretty neutral, aren’t they? But how long is this Page likely to stick around if the party just keeps going, particularly if it’s celebration for celebration’s sake? The Page may not have much impact on the situation, but the situation may not have much impact on the Page either.

If you were a Court Card, who would you be? And which Courts might best represent some of your friends? Now, which ones do you want to invite to the party?

Are you running out of patience and ready to be out creating and socializing? Have at it!

Celebrate!

You can sign up for Tarot 2: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore with the Berkeley County Adult Ed Program. The fun happens Friday, 1st May, from 6 to 8pm.

Weekly Card Riding with the Knight of Cups

April 2, 2015 April 1, 2015

150402 Knight of Cups Baroque Bohemian Cats — Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot

We’ve had a pretty thorough look at the Knight of Cups before (as one of his aliases: Prince of Cups). Since he follows his heart in and out of our lives, let’s take a look at a few more of his possible faces.

One of my favourites is his appearance as a white glamour puss on his proud black mount, from the Baroque Bohemian Cat deck. This Knight obviously loves the finer things in life. When he rides into town, it means you’d better put on the dog to have a chance with him. It’s nights at the theatre and five-star dining. The minute you want to run through the sprinkler in your undies or crash on the sofa, he’ll be back on his horse in search of his next peak experience.

150402 Knight of Cups Renaissance Williams — Brian Williams’ Renaissance Tarot

Brian Williams’ Knight of Cups from his Renaissance Tarot seems more accessible, perhaps even more interested in being of service. He’s awfully placid atop his feisty and substantial steed. This Knight promises growth and healing (his green garments and the corner reference to the Archangel Raphael) if we drink from the cup he offers. But his horse has all the ferocity and bite of the transient and truncated sexual encounters (Scorpio’s sting is in there, after all – the astrological correspondence for Knight of Cups) that the Knight of Cups is famous for.

150402 Prince of Cups Thoth — Aleister Crowley Frieda Harris Thoth Tarot

Finally, we have the Aleister Crowley- Frieda Harris Thoth Tarot (another Prince of Cups). Frankly, a whole lot more scary Scorpio and less hopeful romantic. His sights are still set firm on his desires (the serpent rising from the cup), but he wears and rides the eagle aspect of Scorpio (the “evolved” scorpion) and carries a lotus blossom. This Prince (Knight) may still tear through with romance, but he’s putting the transformative aspect right out front.

So, what kind of emotional mindset do you need to get on the horse – or eagle – with any of these Knights, even for a short ride? Can you visit the elite artistic heights with the Baroque Bohemian Cat? Are you seduced by the gentle healing promise of Williams’ Renaissance Knight, despite his high-spirited horse? Are you brave enough to join Crowley’s Knight for a transformative flight?

What about the transient romances in your own life? Have you been the “victim” of a Knight of Cups or two . . . or three or . . . ? Were you able to let go after the encounter to let it be healing? (Or did you, like many of us!, kick and scream in resistance to the ending?) Are you still lost in romantic fantasies of bygone desires and wishes?

Or have you been the Knight of Cups, highly creative and innovative, intimate with whomever you fancy? Commitment? Of course you’re committed: to love, to creativity, to beauty and truth. Are you guilty about your Knightly self or have you learnt transformative acceptance?

Be in touch with your desires this week and make a commitment to their source. Spontaneity and creativity are required in your ride . . . the scenery will change, after all. Above all . . .

Commit to the ride!

When the ride gets a little wild or confusing, a tarot session with a professional can help you find your course. And here‘s where you can find one.

Weekly Card VI The Lovers

March 26, 2015 March 26, 2015

150326 VI Lovers Thousand and One Nights — Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights

Can it be? In the 2 years we’ve been looking at a card each week, we’ve never seen VI The Lovers?

Finally, here it is!

Which is often the way people feel after encountering the choice they’ve been waiting for. The one they recognize as truly “theirs”.

Wait! “Choice”? Not “person?

Yah-hah.

150326 VI Lovers RWS — Rider Waite Smith Tarot

VI The Lovers can absolutely mean a soul-deep love when that’s what we’ve focused on. But it’s a much bigger energy than that. It’s about recognizing any element in your life as peculiarly germane to your singular journey. A career choice, an education choice, a geographical location choice: these can all fall into VI Lovers territory.

The thing you’ll recognize is that you feel there really is no choice at all. There’s something you have to do, someone you have to be, because of the calling of your soul.

The down side is that there’s usually something else to be left behind. In the case of relationship, we may not have the freedom we did when single. For an education choice, we may be leaving friends behind by choosing a faraway college. Any choice has its ramifications, doesn’t it?

Here in the Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights we have the choice of the Sultan to love Scheherazade. Quite a brave choice, even given the thousand and one nights of brilliant story-telling. All that story-telling doesn’t necessarily mean the Sultan won’t get hurt again. Scheherazade could be cunning enough for treachery if she’s clever enough to keep interest by story-telling. (Of course, I’ll put in a vote for the happy ending!)

VI Lovers isn’t our happy ending; it’s our meaningful beginning. There’s still the “ever after” part left to live.

So bring it down to the level of your own life: where do you have meaningful choices to make? How can you connect with your soul at the crossroads? Recognize that you’re at the very beginning of the paths you can choose between.

Choose soulfully and begin the adventure!

We all have times when we need help recognizing our options and hearing the voice of our soul. Tarot’s a wonderful tool for those times and I’m happy to help you use it. Get in touch with me whenever you need.