1/8/11—Thinking First

Weekend Reading: King of Swords from the Crystal Tarot. Think things through before you act this weekend. But once you've thought things through, trust yourself. Other peoples' opinions are based on their own fears, prejudices and experiences. But they are not you. The choice you make will yield valuable lessons for your growth, regardless of the outcome.

1/7/11—Carrying On

Today's Draw: Five of Discs (Pentacles) from the Norse Tarot. Are you feeling a lull in your motivation? Do you feel like you have to struggle to move ahead? Or are you concerned with issues of social acceptance right now?

 

The Five of Pentacles is usually considered a card of personal loss. It generally depicts someone down and out, begging for money. But in the Norse Tarot, it shows a couple, braced against the driving snow, so focused on their plight that t...hey don't see the five gold coins before them.

So consider this...if you're unmotivated, look for reasons to carry on. If you're struggling, look for help. If you're feeling unaccepted, focus on the ones who care about you. Do what you need to do to resurrect your faith and motivation because this is merely the dark moment before a new dawn. The relief you need may be right in front of you and you may be missing it because you're so focused on your plight. Or, as in the next card in the tarot deck, someone may emerge to help you through.

I'm definitely having motivation issues in my life right now, which is probably why this card came today. And I suppose the things that used to motivate me don't anymore. So this card tells me I need to find new motivation. It also tells me that this is only a temporary state and a new solution will arrive soon. And that's what's really at the crux of those things that bring us down in life. They're just temporary states. There is always relief right around the corner. And knowing that takes a lot of pressure off the current moment.

1/6/11—Understanding Soul Mates

Today's Draw: Two of Cups from the Templar Tarot. How do you define "soul mate"? Do you have one (or more) in your life? What makes them different than other people in your life?

The Two of Cups from the Templar depicts two angels, sitting side-by-side. Each of them has one wing. So each needs the other to soar.

The phrase "soul mate" is charged with so much import. For some people, it's the one-and-only that you're... meant to be with for the rest of your life. But for me, it's anyone in your life that you feel a special connection with...someone you've traveled many lifetimes with. Therefore, it can be someone you don't even like very much. Or it can be someone that has left your life. Or someone in currently in it. Whoever they are, they are somehow intertwined with you in lessons that reach beyond just one lifetime. I have a brother I feel that way about. I think Katie is one. I've had other friends that are no longer my friends that have definitely been soul mates. And there are a couple of gentlemen that may be reading this that I feel a strong connection to...and they know who they are. :)

So many times I think we feel these connections and try to fit them into the molds of "this must be THE ONE". I try to keep an open mind where that is concerned. They may have been "the one" in another lifetime, but not in this one. And the reason I think of these people this way is because there's something "more" there. Something deep. One of my gentleman friends...we can't be in the same room together without "feeling each other", both physically and energetically. Other people see it, too. There is "something" going on between us. Yet our lifestyles are so vastly different that I think both of us know that we're not the right people in this lifetime. So we're friends and enjoy our special connection when we're in each other's presence. And we remain open to any lessons we might learn from each other. I think we must have been very dear to each other in another lifetime, perhaps a parent/child or sibling relationship, possibly even lovers.

Then there are those with whom we've been embroiled in what you might consider "negative" or "unfavorable" relationships...the arch enemy or thorn in your side. For me, everyone in your life is there for a reason. And possibly all have crossed your path in previous lifetimes. But in this one, certain ones stand out and have deeper meaning. In essence, there are certain people that you KNOW you were destined to meet and be with. People you are drawn to from the beginning like a magnet. Like I said, when it's the opposite sex, we try to force that into a mold of "lover". But that may be a mistake. Something to consider. So what's your experience with all of this?

1/5/11—Honoring Endings

Today's Draw: The World from Steele Wizard. What journey is "coming together" for you? What phase has reached a successful conclusion? And what's next?

 

You just really can't get a better card than The World. It means that a long journey has reached a successful conclusion. That something has come full circle. And that the stars are in alignment. If it hasn't happened for you yet, it's abou......t to. Trust in it and visualize it happening.

Traditionally the world is depicted as some sort of a circle or loop, representing the never-ending cycle of change in change in our lives. Each ending sprouts a new beginning. Each beginning has its ups and downs on the way to conclusion. And so it goes, in perpetual motion. But in addition to that, The World is about success, satisfaction and achievement.

Of course, it's not unusual to see The World at the beginning of a new year. Nor is it odd to see it after yesterday's card of rest. When all your ducks are in a row, you *can* rest.

For me, the World speaks to a phase in my diet and exercise plan, I think. I've made a lot of changes in my life over the past six months and now I eat much more of the green stuff I would never touch before. And the white stuff is pretty much out of my diet. So now that the "carb addiction" has been broken and I actually *want* green things, I can move from here. It surprised me the other day when I actually asked my nutritionist to put me back on my liver cleanse. So that was a victory. And now a new cycle begins. Where are you finding your victory today?

1/4/11—Retreating Within

Today's Draw: Four of Swords from the Hezicos Tarot. What do you do to quiet the noise inside your head? Or does that ever happen? Do you have activities—or inactivities—that remove you from mundane thoughts and bring you to a place that nourishes your soul? 

 

The Four of Swords is about rest, but at a deeper level, it's about gestation and renewal. It calls to us to be still, to retreat into our deeper selves, strip off all the baggage and just sit with our soul.

Yesterday we talked a lot about ...ADD, but that's not an excuse. One of my ADD friends does Tai Chi or other moving meditations. The movement helps him focus because he can't sit still. And if you've tried meditation before and it didn't work, I'll tell you it's a practice that takes time to build. I've been doing it regularly since college. At first I fell asleep or had monkey mind. Now I can wipe my head clean with little effort and go into nothingness. It's a state worth taking the time to achieve.

But meditation isn't the only answer. Certain activities, especially repetitive ones, help rest the mind and bring you into the zone. Or, for me, time in nature is a good way to get out of the mundane. I have a place I go and there are three trees I visit. It's in the woods, so there are a lot of trees, but three are my favorites. And just going there and communing with the trees refreshes my soul. I know a lot of people drink or take drugs to do this and, when I was younger, I did too. But as I've gotten older, my body can't tolerate that, nor can I continue to tolerate it for myself.

So with the New Year here, what can you think of doing differently this year to bring yourself repose? And bring yourself into that creative and inspirational void where you quiet the din, find peace and conjure solutions?

1/3/11—Focusing

Today's Draw: The Page of Swords from the Maroon. Does your mind tend to wander, taking your focus from the matter at hand? And does that keep you from focusing on where you're going? What more could you accomplish if you put your mind to your task and saved the daydreaming for later?

 

With the holidays ending and people going back to the grind, this is a fitting card. For me, however, holidays or not, it's always an issue. When I'm able to focus, nothing can distract me. But I'm not always able to focus, so distractions ...abound...daydreaming, Facebook, doggy snuggles, you name it. And it does affect my "moving forward" overall in my life. So it's an issue. My mind would generally like to be somewhere other than where it is.

On the downside, it can keep things from getting done. On the upside, the well attended imagination makes for a great idea person. So while I'm sometimes distracted at work, it is actually an essential part (for me) of what I get paid to do. Fortunately my clients don't care *how* I get from point A to point B, they just care that I do within a reasonable budget.

That, in a nutshell, is the Page of Swords. A daydreamer, yes. But one with a method to the madness. This is the person who, while cooking, is wondering how the stove works and how it can be improved. It doesn't mean that dinner gets burned. It just means that both dinner can be cooked and new ideas can flow at the same time. And if you forget to add salt, that can always be added at the end.