Notes to Myself, by Hugh Prather

I read this book,  Notes to Myself by Hugh Prather, way back when.  But the book I read was actually the 20th anniversary addition and it had been published in 1970! 

I was reminded of it during a tarot reading recently when a client was describing a book she had written and her desire to get it into print. 

Hugh had written:

After I had written this book I told several friends.  Their reaction was polite and mild.  Later I was able to tell them that the book was going to be published.  Most of them responded with the words "I'm proud of you."  Proud of the results but not of the action. 

Everyone but I must look back on my behavior.  They can only see my acts coupled with their results.  But I must act now, without knowing the results. 

I think we often praise the results,  rather than the effort.  You won an Olympic medal, so much more impressive than just being in the Olympics and coming 20th. But that's 20th in the world!  That's absolutely amazing! 

It is easy to look at the results and decide whether it was worth the effort or not. But we will never know the results beforehand,  and have to decide whether to go ahead or not,  without any assurances.  

All new activities follow the Fool card,  walking into the future, with a song in our heart,  not knowing what will happen, only what may,  what we hope for.  And then finding the purpose of the path only after we have walked it, seeing what it taught us. 

So my encouragement for all of us,  is to start a path,  put in the action,  and let the results come to us. 

At the World's End...

The World (21)

The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, the end of the Fools journey. So it signifies completion - everything finally coming together, all your hard work paying off. It also signifies a shift, from student to master. You started this journey a ‘Fool’, but end it at the centre of your world, having gone through many trials and tribulations, meeting with devil, watching it all crumble, but then coming to the light at the end of the tunnel, walking into the sunshine, hearing the call for a new way of doing things and here you are… at the World.



I like the world in the eye as well, as it gives the sense that for a moment we see clearly, and it all makes sense, we see the pattern and the payoff.



I particularly love the Inner Child version of this card, that beautiful magical baby, floating in space. It gives you a sense of innocence and wonder, the completion of the gestation, and then birth – and a new journey commences - the Tarot is all about cycles. I often get this card when women are anxious about conceiving and we are both so happy to see it.

Stepping right out...

The first card of the Major Arcana is the Fool - the most common image is from the Rider Waite pack, and there are many variations on this theme:


but basically, it shows someone who doesn't know where they are going, head in the air, hope in their heart, unaware of the difficulties ahead. Often, that's the energy we need to start the journey, or we'd never leave the house!

I came across this cool dude version of the fool (whose imagery may speak more to you)


When you get this card in a reading, it's about the start of things. Sometimes it can mean that you should look more carefully at where you are going or what you expect to find. What I like about this card, unlike, let's say the 8 of cups, that this journey is all about movement, and it shows understanding that the journey is the destination. Sometimes we are so focused on where we want to be, that getting there is some negligible annoyance. But how we get to where we want to be, is actually what defines us (are we calm, flustered, organized, ruthless, corrupt or loving?) And the fool, although blithely stepping out, is also taking action.

In the second pack that I use, the inner child pack, the fool card looks like this:


and I like the warning of it - into the woods dangerous things can happen, but red riding hood is no fool, and she gets to save the day (depending on the version you choose) And sometimes you have to get through the woods to find your loved ones...