Kindle

I've been an avid reader all my life.  I was a late adopter to ebooks,  because I like physical books so much.  But a lot of the weird genre books I read (sci fi, fantasy,  post apocalyptic) ,  don't always come out in paperbacks,  and the ebooks were so much cheaper. So in 2014 or so I leapt in and bought a Kindle.

I have not looked back.  They are great for travelling - literally half my carryon used to be books,  and now it all fits into one slim volume.  I assuage any anxiety by always having a book on me,  and with Kindle,  I have 30 plus books on me!  So much more relaxing! 

I like them for reading,  but I love them for rereading.  I've got highlights and notes and thoughts and it becomes like a diary.  I can see what impressed me then,  what impresses me now, it definitely improves the reread experience for me.

Recently,  I decided to reread a book I had in paperback,  and the font was just too small for me to comfortably read.  I actually rebought it in the kindle format (that's how much I love Lois McMaster Bujold!)

And I just reread Dune - having seen both movies last week - they are so beautiful and so well cast!  Highly recommend both films! - in paperback and it's hard to read in bed with no back light, and I missed make highlights.  So I guess I am a kindle convert now. 

Telling your truth

One thing I always recommend to people is to speak their truth.   You don't have to tell the whole truth to people,  but don't lie.  

If I am feeling depressed and anxious and sad,  and the checkout person at the supermarket asks "how are you?"  I say "tired."  Not the whole truth,  but a truth.  And often I would get a slip of the mask and a human looks back at me and they answer "God, me too!"  And even that bit of congruence makes me feel more real,  more connected.

So it's not that I have to tell all my secrets to the universe,  or be rude or even say things that make me feel over exposed.  It's just that I have to be congruent.  And that really does help. 

When I first came to NYC,  way back in 2002,  I had a really rough first year,  which is not uncommon for people coming to such a busy, humming place.   I felt lost and isolated.  In the middle of the worst of it,  I just began saying things that were true - even at parties.  How are you?  I'm feeling lost and overwhelmed, I would reply.  I can't tell you how many people said,  oh,  the first year is the worst,  and shared their experiences.  And it got better.  Me being real,  allowed others to be real and that helped ground me. 

So speak a truth,  doesn't have to be all of it,  but what ever you say has to be real,  even if it's "I don't have the bandwidth for that right now." which I have found myself saying from time to time. 

Being congruent helps.  

Sydney 2024 Gay Mardi Gras

Sydney had it's 46th Gay Mardi Gras this weekend,  and it went with a tarot theme.   How wonderful!

Love this version of The Star,  

And they had a great twist on the hanged man - 

whom they named,  the hanged person. I really liked their take on it - To receive The Acrobat in a reading is to know that you are in need of being flexible and open to change, you may indeed need to become an Acrobat.

Mama Medusa is a well-known Australian burlesque and cabaret performer, and is the creator of popular night-club event, Buxxxom Soiree, a night of sensual performances to celebrate all bodies.

Buxxxom was created in an effort to spread recognition of plus size performers that she says “are often not taken seriously” and bend pre-conceived rules of societies expectations and limitations. Mama also possesses the talent to suspend herself from silk rope whilst retaining her flawless expressions, a talent of which we knew we had to utilise in our campaign as we reimagined the hanged person, into The Acrobat.

A very fine way to look at the hanged person.

And their image of the High Priestess also just worked!

The Wisdom card is a sign of intuition, sacred knowledge and divine femininity, depicting a strong figure sitting between pillars marked B&J, for Boaz & Jachin, the two pillars that stood on the porch of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, with the black and white colour of the pillars symbolising the duality between masculine and feminine.

There's more on their site and what a lovely inclusive way they showed in their tarot.

Should she stay or should she go?

A while ago I had a reading with a woman who was in an okay enough job,  but close to friends and family.  She went looking for more engaging work and found it!  She got the job offer of her dreams - but it would involve a huge move. What to do?

One thing I often say to people is that if you flip a coin to decide, it's not the coin that makes the decision,  but rather seeing how you feel as the coin lands. Are you relieved or disappointed?  While the coin was in the air,  did a secret desire/hope show itself?

My client was lucky,  in that the cards were crystal clear - sometimes they are not! She drew the Fool/ Empress/ World.  Can't get better than that.  They loved the new job,  saw only good things ahead.  I said it was a risk but her energy clearly was on the move. She just didn't want to disappoint those she was leaving.   

She agreed. She really wanted the job,  but also the safe way to move on.  She was in her early 30's,  hadn't found her special someone,  was getting bogged down in her day to day life. The move, away from New York City,  felt like a necessary challenge. Even her love cards got better.   We laughed at that,  and she took the job.