Lovely Cups

Every so often I come across a new deck/interpretation of a card which helps me deepen my understanding of the cards.  I always encourage people to google or pinterest an important card,  to see if they can find a version that speaks to them,  because each artist has something to contribute,  and sometimes one version just says it the most clearly to you.

I recently came across Phantomwise tarot on pinterest and really enjoyed how they envisioned the cups suite. They had such a cute 2 of cups,  that I just wanted to share it with you - the 2 of cups is a card of equal love,  of both of you putting the same amount/kind of energy into the relationship -  and these rabbits with their sweetness leaning towards each other just made me smile. 

And then their 10 of cups was equally bright and charming -  this is often the happy ever after family card,  and here are all the rabbits, a family together,  drinking tea... 

Magic of the Magician

After every reading, I write the cards you drew on a post card, so you can remember them and, if you wish,  you can look them up on this blog or elsewhere to explore them further. 

I did a reading recently where the girl brought last readings postcard with her.   She asked about her relationship and drew the Magician:- her boyfriend is a magician, a bit slippery but with some magic,  some sleight of hand and some misdirection, voila, he call pull the rabbit out of the hat. It’s a great card for someone wanting to succeed in New York. 

And then I glanced at her old card,  and saw that last September, she had drawn exactly the same card about him. 

That’s why I love the cards,  he was the magician then, he’s still the magician now,  it’s way beyond chance that she should keep drawing the same card to describe him…  (and she agreed with the description,  ‘it’s very him’ ) 

Thinking too loud…

I did a reading recently for a woman and ended with the 8 of cups, walking away with wisdom, and she told me she wanted to leave New York City and go somewhere else.  ‘Like Denver?’ I asked.  And she and her friend looked at me, spooked, and said, we were just talking Denver before we came to you.  And I laughed and said well you must have been thinking a bit too loudly and I picked it up.

I can’t read minds and I definitely can’t get readings off objects.  But occasionally, if you have just been talking/worrying about something, I happen to say it in the next sentence.  I know I do this because people often comment on it.   There is something about focusing on the cards, and on the person, which settles me and if you are broadcasting, I can pick it up; which is why I only do 3 readings a day – to keep the focus sharp. 

Sometimes the idea of ending is worse than the reality

Irina Charny,  Solititude 

I did a reading recently for one of my regulars, who has been going through a very difficult patch with her boyfriend.  He was treating her more and more badly as his parents’ disapproval of the relationship hardened.  She would often weep during readings, asking if it would all turn out okay.  The cards were not reassuring. 

I hadn’t seen her for about 6 months when she came again, and her cards were so much brighter this time,   she had found her Queen ofSwords and her outcome was the Knight of Cups, she is riding in the right direction. How had she turned the relationship around? 

Irina Charny,  Fortuna

The answer was that she hadn’t. She had finally broken up with him.  And as often turns out, the idea of breaking up with him was much more terrifying than the reality.  She had clung to a difficult and demoralizing relationship out of love but also fear.  And when she finally broke it off (after finding out he was seeing another girl at the same time!) she felt relieved and empowered.  And her cards were much more hopeful, the King of Pentacles hovering in the possible outcome.  

Irina Charny Journey

And isn't Irina Charny a genius?  I just love her artwork! 

Falling into the Vortex

I have had the most frustrating few weeks.  As I said to my friend, it’s only first world problems, but I live in the first world!

My internet has been intermittent or just plain down for the past 2 weeks, ditto my cell phone, I haven’t been able to reply to emails.  When my phone does work,  it drops out every second call.  Or I can hear them but they can’t hear me.  Most importantly,  my calendar, which is my entire work life, is wiped, and can’t fix it.   (the cloud ate it) 

Deep breath.  As I try to reenter my calendar,  piecing it together from old emails and texts,  I’m so discombobulated,  I’m making errors in reentry and completely confusing myself.  I have to stop and get a cup of tea and then start again.

How do I act under pressure? Well first I was in denial, hoping everything would just sort itself out with no agency from me.  Then when I acknowledged to myself how real it was, and I felt swamped and panicked, and couldn’t think clearly.  I had to take myself out, walk our new puppy, sit in the sun in the dog park, and calm down a bit.   Finally I rang some professionals and took steps to fix things and deal with fall out.   As of now, I am back on line, my phone more or less works, my email arrives and doesn’t disappear. My texts are sent, and arrive…    I’m back in the 21^st century again.

But as one of my friends said, I really did fall into the vortex there.   Funny how long two weeks can feel when you are struggling against every single day.   Sometimes the energy just turns against you and you have to wait it out,  treading water,  even getting dunked a few times,  till you can get back in the flow again.

So if you have been trying to get in contact with me these past two weeks and have found it difficult – now you know why… 

I’m on the other side of it now:  if you want a reading, drop me a line, send me a text and I’ll fit you into my sparkling new calendar…

Rules for Being Human

Following my ramblings on life lessons,  I thought this piece would work well.  I don't like the word 'Rules' - that can press my buttons,  but if I think of it as Truths,  Truths about being human,  I can take it all in.  I came across it when I was working as a therapist in an addiction clinic,  and it still holds true,  all these years later...

The Rules for Being Human

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works."

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive there are lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better than "here." When your "there" has become a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie inside you. The answer to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. This will often be forgotten, only to be remembered again.

(Cherie Carter-Scott)

I just love no. 10 - because it is forgotten but lingers,  and once you know it,  you can draw on it again.  Very nice piece,  glad to remind myself of it.

Preparedness and Luck II – Life Lessons

So I wrote about Preparedness and Luck and realized something was missing from it. Sometimes we decide we want or need something and life doesn't give it to us.  It can be the extreme – I want an Oscar and a movie star career – or completely ordinary – I want a baby.  Whatever it is, the desire is heartfelt and true, but the reality doesn't come. 

Now we have to ask ourselves, why are we not getting what we so desire? The baby is actually a better example than the Oscar and fame – actually very few people get Oscars and fame, but the vast majority can have babies, if they want.  So if that is your wish, why can’t you have it?  

Ariel Brearly,  Eve Interrupted

Then you have to ask the difficult questions – what is the life lesson I am expected to learn here?  I have preparedness but luck isn't coming to me, there is something I need to learn.  It will be a struggle to learn,  because most life lessons are.  But whether it is acceptance or dealing with control issues, or even that you are not with the right person, (this is not to imply by any means that this is your particular story, these are just random examples) or whatever lesson that you need to learn around this area, the issue will not resolve, the luck will not come, until the lesson is learnt.  

Shuranda Ann Kumara,  Compassion Hug

But it also means, once the lesson is learnt, that particular issue goes away, and your energy starts to flow the way you want it to again,  until the next life lesson emerges.