Category: Uncategorized

Weekly Tarot Card – Three of Cups

spiritedtarot

IMG_9974What better way to usher in the end of summer and beginning of fall than to PARTAY! Three lovely ladies (three graces, vestal virgins) raise their cups in a toast as they dance amongst the pumpkins. Is that mulled cider I smell in the cups? Let’s enjoy the company of friends, lift a glass and celebrate the joy of life. These moments of camaraderie are precious and when the spirit moves need to be lived fully.

Of course, three can be a crowd and trios can have their moments of odd man out. But for now let’s dance.

Weekly Tarot Card – Ten of Swords

spiritedtarot

IMG_9952

You might think it ironic that I place this optimistic proverb side by side next to the Ten of Swords where a man lies face down on the ground with ten swords stabbing him in his back. Is this not the sorriest sight ever, the ultimate betrayal, death knell, no holds barred of an ending. And then right next to it a hopeful homily forecasting a bright future. It is a visual oxymoron.

The way I see it is that when you have reached the end of the line and what’s done is done and truly over, there’s really only one direction to go after that and that’s up. Even though the man is lying face down in a pool of his own blood, his body limp in death, even though the night is pitch black, and a body of water and mountains loom in a desolate landscape, my eye goes to the band of yellow light which signifies a new day, a new beginning and all the hope that comes with that.

It’s time to accept the loss and move on. Good things are to come.

 

A Conversation with Susan Wands, author of “Magician and Fool”

spiritedtarot

In this conversation with Susan Wands, actress and author of “Magician and Fool,” we discuss Pamela Colman Smith, the Golden Dawn, tarot and how spirit and tarot connect.

Susan Wands is a graduate of the University of Washington and has written plays, adaptations, screenplays and sketches for theatre.

In 2018, she was a featured writer for Kindred Spirits magazine, a guest speaker for the New York Historical Novel Society and on Brigit Esselmont’s tarot podcast, ‘Biddy Tarot’. She has also appeared as a guest lecturer at Watkins Books in London for their Recorded Authors series. She has used Pamela’s tarot cards for guidance and inspiration for over twenty-five years.

Weekly Tarot Card – Six of Pentacles

spiritedtarot

IMG_9813

A man in wealthy garb holds a scale in one hand while he tosses coins to a beggar kneeling at his side from his other hand. Another beggar kneels at the man’s other side hoping for a handout. Six golden coins or pentacles dot a light blue sky as if to remind us that wealth can be heaven sent and as so is part of the universal exchange of abundance.

The scales seem to point to sharing resources judiciously. This week we grapple with questions of charity and the choices that come with the distribution of wealth. When do we give? How much do we give? To whom do we give? Pentacles in tarot refer to the element of earth so we are dealing with material things, wealth, finance. Sixes in tarot numerology have to do with the resolution of the conflict or change that has occurred in the previous five card. We might remember that the Five of Pentacles shows two beggars wandering desperately in a snowstorm oblivious to the golden light of the stained glass windows in a nearby church. The situation has changed for the better in the Six of Pentacles as the two beggars have met a generous man of means.

We are guided by an inner light to share resources of all kinds, not just coins. The exchange between giver and receiver creates a balance of energy flow. Whether beggar or wealthy man, it is important to remember that the universe’s source will never dry up. It is fed by our belief in abundance and actions of love. Seek the light.

 

How to handle negative feedback: A card reading

spiritedtarot

IMG_9811With up to seven planets in retrograde, mercury being just one of them, it is no wonder that my tarot readings of late have garnered mixed feedback. But why is it that the one slightly negative feedback overshadows the positive comments from all the others?

Recently I received some feedback which was disheartening. The querent thanked me for my time and appreciated the effort I had made. But she said that since she had not received answers to her questions she would not rely on tarot any more for providing them. That saddened me. I had a moment of self-doubt. What was I missing? What did I need in order to get to the next level in my readings? How to service the clients who want quick answers and are not so interested in self-development? I decided to do a reading for me and my tarot readings. I chose a three card spread answering the questions “What will help me?” “What will hinder me?” and What is my potential?” Then, concentrating carefully on my situation and channeling my energy, I shuffled the cards. I pulled the following Tarot cards from the top of the deck and laid them out. This is what the cards tell me.

Card #1 – What will help me? – The Devil – A fierce looking satyr with horns and bat wings looms in a black cave, his right hand saluting us, his left carrying a torch of fire. The Devil’s number is fifteen which becomes six which is the Lovers’ number. Here the Lovers are a horned and naked Adam and Eve chained to the Devil. The sign of an inverted pentagram signifying the occult and dark magic is above the Devil’s head. How’s all of this going to help me? This is the card of bondage and addictions and we might ask ourselves which comes first because the two are irrevocably entwined. We know that addictions come in many forms: alcoholism, drugs, shopping. When we feel fear or lack which are uncomfortable we tend to find a behavior/activity that will dull or mask the discomfort. Over time when we rely on that behavior to cover the pain we become attached to it and it becomes an addiction. The Devil card encourages us to look at our attachments and to see what negativity they may be masking. For me it is my negative thinking. I am prone to a saturnine disposition (Saturn being in my second house on my natal chart) and I am on a constant quest to turn that around. Critic be gone! Being a sensitive person I feel the sting of other people’s displeasure deeply. We think it would be better to acknowledge another’s perspective as separate from mine and remember that I am delivering a message but am not the message itself. I read the cards and share the message. How the querent receives it is their story, not mine.

Card #2 – What will hinder me? The Ace of Pentacles Reversed – A hand appears out of the clouds holding a beautiful golden coin. The landscape below is verdant and lush. Pentacles in tarot refer to the element of earth and signify material things, growth, finances, wealth, work, all that is tangible. Aces are new beginnings, fresh starts, inspirations, and here represent new opportunities. However, the card is pulled in reverse, i.e. upside down. Reversals in tarot can signify delays, postponements, blockages of energy. In this retrograde climate there is little doubt that a reversal would pop up in a reading. Here we feel there may be delays in business but that should not quench my fire. Or make me believe any less in the value of my ideas and the opportunities that will show up soon. I must keep believing in the abundance that is just around the corner and work to make that happen. Perhaps more tarot study, more practice, more experience will loosen up what’s blocking the acceptance of opportunity in my mind. My tarot reading skills are solid and developing. Clients will come…

Card #3 – What is my potential? The Star – A beautiful naked woman is pouring water through two pitchers in each hand. One into a pool of water, the other making a rivulet in a surrounding landscape dotted with flowers. A bright golden star shines in blue night sky along with seven smaller white stars. Each star has eight points and there are eight stars in the sky. In tarot the number eight refers to Strength card which pictures a woman taming a lion through gentle kindness. This represents inner strength and the Star’s message of hope and inspiration allies itself with the inner strength that results from total unconditional self-acceptance and self-love. If I can tame my negative thinking and stay positive, I can infuse this hope and inspiration into my tarot card readings. In the Major Arcana, a group of cards in the tarot deck having to do with great life lessons, the Star card appears after the Tower card of upheaval and disruption. It is like the phoenix rising from the flames. Full of wisdom and grace she encourages us to live in the waters of intuition and guide our actions by the light of the stars.

Summary: When it comes to managing negative feedback, it is important to take a good look at where the sting pierces and get past the defenses of attachment behavior. Although business may be slow that should not stop belief in skills and desire to contribute to the wellbeing of others. Use the slow times to prepare for the opportunities that will reveal themselves soon. And when they do it is a call to share the hope and inspiration that is the calling to be a candle.