The Magician

Today's card is the magician! I love this card!

This card is all about manifesting. What is it that you would like to see happen in your life? A new job? A new relationship? More time to travel or pursue other interests? This card appears when it is time to create something new in your life.

This card, the magician, contains elements of all the suits on the table in front of him. He is holding his magic wand up in the air, and there seems to be a halo around him in the background. The figure eight is portrayed above his head. There seems to be blooming life all around the edges of this card, representing the possibility that your life is about to burst forth into bloom.

I love to think about possibilities.

I was listening to a recording on manifesting once and the woman suggested that when faced with a challenge, instead of fretting, say to yourself or to the challenge, "What else is possible?"

I love that! Instead of looking at your circumstances and thinking of the worst that could happen, which is usually what worry entails, instead, think of the best that could happen. Play the scene out in your head. This person will do this, that person will do that, etc etc. Maybe you are going to a job interview. Imagine the interviewer asking you questions and you giving amazing responses. Imagine the look in the eyes of the interviewer as they admire your abilities or potential.

Maybe you are having personality conflicts. Instead of imagining the conflict ending badly.. "I will say this and they will say that.." instead, think of "what else is possible?"

I was recently confronted with a conflict. Instead of confronting the issue head on, I decided to spend a day or two just sending the person love. I did that popular meditation where I said, out loud or in my mind.. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." Over and over I said these simple sentences. When I laid down to bed at night I would go to sleep saying the words. Upon awakening I found the words to be the first thoughts that were going over and over in my head as I slept.

You guessed it. I didn't have to confront the issue. It resolved itself.

The magician card says that whatever you would like to create, you have the power to do it!

I was on the elliptical machine today, just lost in my own little world of electronica music and my own heart beating, when I remembered a story that a man once told of a time when he was living in a rundown motel building. He was on an upper floor, with a balcony that overlooked an old, rundown and nonworking swimming pool. He decided that every day he would go out on his balcony and imagine that he was sitting on a beautiful, new and lush balcony overlooking the ocean. He did this for a time, I don't remember how long. I bet you can guess the end of the story. Yes, now he lives in the place that he imagined for himself.

You can do it too!!

How do you start? First, you have to decide what kind of life you want for yourself. Imagine that life and what it will entail. Visualizing is not enough. You have to make a plan. How are you going to manifest that house on the beach, or that new job? What steps can you take today that will get you there. I am here to tell you that your house on the beach is not going to drop out of the sky. Yes, the magician card says you can manifest whatever you want, but you are the one who has to do the work! Make a plan. See yourself where you want to be, and then make a plan for getting you there!

Sometimes your fairy godmother will appear and wave her wand and give you your wishes. More often, you have to create your life yourself. Take a step today in the direction you want to go. The magician card appears today to say, "Today is the day!! You have the power to manifest your heart's desires. It is up to you to create that life you are dreaming of.."

Now go do it!!

The Ace of Swords

 I love the ace cards!!

I love them because to me the hand represents the hand of the Universe, or Source, or God.

To me, when I get an ace card, it means that I am about to receive a gift from the Universe. The individual ace card that I get will give me a clue as to what kind of gift I am about to receive!!

In the case of the sword, traditionally, swords represent words and communications. However, they can also represent conflict. If the latter is true, how can we consider the possibility that conflict may be a gift from the Universe!!

Yay!! I am about to tell you!!

You can learn from any conflict by considering that conflict to be a gift. Think of any conflict as containing within the issue something to be learned.  Get into your sacred place, maybe a quiet place of meditation or however you connect with your soul or the Universe, and ask the conflict ... "what gift are you offering me?" Many times it is a snippet into our own hidden world that many times we choose not to see, our shadow selves, many people call it. 

For example, do you and your hunnie bunnie fight about money? Could it be possible that there are some underlying issues relating to your feelings of self worth? Money is just a catalyst that inspires you to examine your own worth, or your perception of it. If you are constantly giving in to a partner who spends too much, then maybe you are not confident enough in your own self worth to stand up and say, no, this is not allowed.  Think about what issues you frequently find yourself in conflict over, either within yourself or with others. Ask yourself how you feel, deeply within yourself, about this subject. Do you feel your value is wrapped up inside of this issue? If it is, then the conflict itself is a gift from the Universe, saying... "hey, this is something you need to work on!"

The ace of swords does not necessarily mean there is going to be conflict. Words and communications are also highlighted. Maybe you are about to embark upon a new writing or speaking project. Maybe there is something you need to say. Maybe there is a letter that needs to be written, or a new job in the communications field opening up to you. This card is telling you that this is about to occur and that the Universe is offering you the opportunity to be successful in this venture!!

However the sword plays out in your life today, take that sword and go for it!!

Blue Moon

Last evening was a blue moon, which occurs when there are two full moons within the same zodiac sign, or within thirty days. From my reading from my favorite astrologers (no that is not my forte), whatever was the issue you may have been avoiding at the last full moon has come back to bite you in this one.  It was also suggested by this blog that issues from the past, undealt with, would be screaming for resolution this week, for the energies of the full moon usually last a few days.

So, yes, it was my experience that this was indeed the case. My issues had to do with whether or not my spiritual work had value or was appreciated by others. At one point I remarked to myself that it sure would be easier just to go back to full time at the Post Office and just keep  my mouth shut about anything else.  More than once I had said to myself, "I am just going to stop talking."

So in the previous aforementioned blog, Sarah Varcas had said that now was the time to deal with repressed memories. I had been trying to figure out which memories were repressed, and how they had to do with perhaps money and the perceived notion that when I let someone know who I am, I get myself in trouble, or the notion that when I am found out for who I am, it will cost me something.

So my emotions in a funk for two days, I ended up with a bit of a sore throat and sinus infection. Throat issues of course have to do with speaking.. which was obviously my issue, and sinus infections have to do with people who you are close to getting on your nerves. I have found these correlations to be true most of the time, but not always, but I am always self analyzing. So I had done some meditating on releasing resentment towards myself and others. I had thought about the whole issue I had with speaking and allowing people to know who I am, and I had thought about how, as a child, I was excruciatingly shy and would very seldom speak to anyone. I had an inkling this may have been some residue from a past life issue, but no links were directly being revealed.

So at this point my thought was that the best I could do for my full moon ritual yesterday, amidst my illness and desire for sleep, was to do a vow releasing exercise. Sometimes we make vows that carry over for a long time, even lifetimes. I was convinced that for some reason, I had made a vow in a previous lifetime having to do with speaking and allowing people to know who I am, and as a result I was having issues at this particular moment in time, as a catalyst to encourage me to deal with this vow and get rid of it.

I didn't know at this point what the vow was, but just to be sure I took care of it, I spoke out loud this vow releasing statement:

"I now release any vows of silence I may have made in this lifetime or in a previous lifetime, whether it was made by means of a religious practice or as a result of a traumatic experience. If this vow was repeated over multiple lifetimes, then I release any vows from any number of lifetimes having to do with speaking and how my speaking affected my life."

The reason I relate this experience is that if you are experiencing any issues this week, it may be something you may want to improvise to fit your particular scenario. Based on the information contained within Sarah's blog, this week is a great time to revisit some issues that have been haunting you. So whatever you have been dealing with this week, do a similar releasing statement out loud to the Universe, stating whatever it is that has been haunting you this week in particular. You don't have to remember making a vow or experiencing a perceived or real trauma. Just do it!

As a result, my illness is much improved, and I am in better spirits. My perceived issue which instigated the whole self analysis has resolved itself, and my guides, just this morning, allowed me to read another blog which spelled out for me in so many letters exactly what my issue was. You can check out the second blog here. The particular sentence which screamed at me from this second blog was this:

 For those of you having difficulties realizing this is the next logical step in your transition process, realize that being less than, not allowing others to see your growth and new skill level is to give credence to the Old Age philosophy of, “I must hide who I am so I will not be punished for being a god or goddess.”

Here is my "aha" moment.

I am always hiding who I am based upon who I am with. My husband for  years did not know I could give messages from Spirit. I have some friends and family members from my former life as a born again Christian who still do not know what I do (at least I don't think they do.) I was around a group of people over the weekend who, for reasons unknown to me, had not paid me, and my perception was that because I had revealed to them a little about myself, I had devalued myself in their eyes. (this was not the case, just my perception.) There is that old adage: Familiarity breeds contempt.

My purpose for telling you the whole story of my awakening process is this. Maybe you can relate! Maybe there is some old, unresolved belief about yourself that came up this week during this blue moon that is screaming at you to be dealt with!

Do you have issues with allowing people to know the real you?  Maybe you were punished at some time, either this life or a previous one, for revealing too much about yourself. You may want to use my vow releasing statement to let it go, once and for all.

Maybe it was another issue but you can use my ritual to release whatever issues jumped out at you this week! My aim is to help you move forward in your journey through this lifetime.

If you would like help with whatever faced you head on during this particularly powerful full moon, you can contact me through my website. We can decide what is most helpful for you at this time, and schedule a session that will meet your needs.

Once in a blue moon, we have one of those weeks that completely change us. Let this blue moon be the one!

P.S. Here is another link to a wonderful blog about the blue moon, how it relates to our mission in life, not completely unlike my experience with it this week, and how to allow laughter to aid us in our quest.

Justice

Today's card is the card of Justice, shown here:

I will be honest. I get this card a lot. This week as I have been drawing a card for a blog message every day, one day I asked the cards if the card I had drawn for the day was also for me or just for the blog? I felt like drawing another card, and I drew this one. Now I have seemed to have drawn it again. So I feel it definately has a personal message for me but also one from which you, my readers, may benefit.

 This is definitely not a lovey dovey card. I interpret the man in the picture to be some sort of judge. He is sitting upon a hard stone seat. He is sitting between two stone pillars. He has a sort of mean look on his face. In one hand he holds a sword and in the other a scale.

To me this card is all about achieving balance. It could mean that you will be rewarded or punished according to your deeds. It could represent being exonerated from a bad rap or the opposite, being found out for indiscretions. But ultimately, this card is about a balancing of the scales. The presence of the sword may indicate that when justice is handed out, it may not be pleasant. It just depends which side of justice you find yourself.

For me, the message seems to be about not being so hard on myself. I feel sometimes like the man sitting on the hard bench and holding up the sword as well as the scales. I am thinking, boy I bet his hand is getting tired. He has been holding that sword for hundreds of years!

Years ago I used to sometimes think, I must have really screwed up in my previous lives because this one sure is hard sometimes.Then one day I realized that the only reason it was hard was because I was allowing it to be! I was the one creating that hard bench I was sitting on and I was the one holding up the sword and trying to balance the scales, all by myself!

Then one day everything changed. Well, okay, it didn't happen in one day. But sometimes I look back and it seems that way. Yes, I still have my days (or weeks) when I find myself sitting on that hard bench again.

This year I turned fifty. I guess around April or so I had gone to an event and I was giving a woman a reading who happened to be more adept at astrology than I am and she told me that when a woman turns fifty, everything that she has not dealt with up until now will come back to haunt her.  This seems an appropriate interpretation of this card, now that I think about it.

Whether or not you are turning fifty, this card may show up to tell you that it is time to deal with the stuff you have stuffed away! My husband is always telling me this. I am the queen of stuffing things away. I have drawers of old pictures, and old picture frames. I have closets with those gift bags that I just might have need of one day! Yes, from time to time I will clean out those old closets and drawers but sometimes there are things you don't want to throw away, but you are unsure what to do with the stuff! So you just stuff them back in the drawer. The justice card is saying, all those things you have stuffed away are now calling out for you to deal with them!

If you find yourself face to face with justice, maybe it is time to balance the scales. If you have been working too hard, maybe you need to take a holiday. If you have been too hard on yourself or someone you love, perhaps you need to give yourself a break or be kind to those to whom you have judged too harshly.  Know that justice is out there, and the scales will eventually balance themselves. I have noticed when someone is very outwardly judgemental of someone or even an ideal or a political or moral choice, usually it is mirroring something within themselves. Maybe the justice card is telling you to take a look at something or something you have judged and look at it with new eyes. Try to see things from someone else's perspective.

There are many possible interpretations of today's card. I have explored a number of possibilities. Only you know which one resonates with you. But the justice card is calling for you. What is it telling you?

Six of Wands

Today's card is the six of wands. This is a wonderful card to get and it is easy to see why.

In the picture there is a man atop an ornately decorated horse. He is holding a wand which is sporting a laurel wreath. The people in the background are also holding wands, as if in adoration of the man atop the horse. This is obviously a day of celebration, and the man atop the horse is being adulated.

This card obviously is indicating that some long coming praise is in order. Perhaps you have been working hard on a project of some sort. Spirit is indicating that it is time for some overdue appreciation. Others are going to notice your hard work and give you the rewards that are due to you!

Even the horse who is carrying the man seems to be in awe of the moment. To me it looks like the eyes of the horse are in complete adoration of his owner. Everyone seems to love this man.

Horses in the tarot often represent movement or travel. Sometimes this card may indicate that the adoration will be short lived. Remember the story of Jesus coming into town atop the donkey. Everyone was celebrating his presence as well, but a few days later, they were all calling for his execution. Be aware that the crowds are easily swayed one way or another. Never rely on the adoration of others.

It is wonderful to have a goal come to fruition, and for everyone to see it and adore you for it. It is wonderful to have the love of the masses. But be aware that in order to have anything of lasting value, it is important to believe in yourself. Have the fortitude within yourself to make a life for yourself that is lasting and genuine, and don't rely on the opinions of others to catapult you forward. In the end, your own opinion is the only one that matters.

Do you feel like a success within yourself? Remember that success has nothing to do with fame and fortune. If you can congratulate yourself for accomplishing a goal or overcoming a challenge, then the adoration of the masses will not move you. Many a celebrity has fallen to the wayside because they could not handle public opinion. One minute everyone loves you, the next minute everyone is waiting for you to fail. That is just the way of the masses. In the end, you must have strength and fortitude within yourself to achieve your goals and become the person you dream yourself to be.

Just for today, you may receive a pat on the back or a congratulatory award of some kind. But don't expect it to catapult you to the top. Have the strength within yourself to accept praise humbly and with grace, and realize that the only praise that matters is the knowledge that you have overcome a challenge and won. Within yourself you know your worth, and that is all that matters.

Three of Wands

Today's card is the three of wands.

As you can see, the image on this card is one of a man who is looking out into the distance, holding one wand, or staff, with two behind him. The future is out before him. He seems to be a man of at least some means, judging from the way he is being depicted. At this moment I am looking at his feet and I notice that his shoes or foot apparel appear to be purple in this particular depiction.

I like to use my intuition when getting a message from a card. Each card has a general or well accepted interpretation, but I like to look at the card and see what jumps out at me. This is how Spirit gives me messages regarding using the cards. 

Lately I have been a bit obsessed with the color purple. Purple has a well established meaning of being a very spiritual color. Evidently my spiritual side is really being called upon lately. Anything that is purple has been jumping out at me. So when I looked at this card, the first thing I noticed was that his feet appeared purple. Now in the cards that I have in my hand, his feet are red, but when I chose this image to put on the blog, the purple shoes really jumped.

What is this saying to me? Our feet represent our path in life, our direction, and our connection with the earth. Our feet take us to where we need to go. Obviously to me, Spirit is giving me the message through this card that it is time to embark upon a spiritual adventure. The unknown is out there, calling. 

This card can also represent premonitions, having spiritual foresight or accessing our intuition.

Has Spirit been calling out to you lately? Have you been having sparks of insight, premonitions, or a longing for a spiritual adventure? Today might be the day you experience something of an intuitive nature. You may have a longing to do some sort of spiritual ritual or spend some time in connecting with your Higher Power.  

We all have something we are born to do. There is a quest set out for each of us. Sometimes life gets in the way, or we just choose not to follow the path that our heart calls out for us to follow. Many times depression is a result of not following our true path, our heart yearnings. Our souls know the Highest path we are born to follow, and when we don't listen to our heart, sadness is the result. Of course I am not saying this is the ONLY cause of depression, no, not at all, but if you are feeling out of sorts or just not content, maybe it is a message from your heart saying... HEY.... listen to me!! 

What makes your heart sing for joy? What direction do you feel your feet going in or at least wanting to go in? Maybe it is time to take a moment and think about your feet and by doing so, accessing that place inside of you that leads you in the way you yearn to go.

Adventure is out there calling you!! There is a path that is set before you. Will you answer the call?

Two of Cups

Today's card is the two of cups, shown here:

I always love it when I get this card. This card represents an equal exchange. If you are in a love relationship, it means it is a good match. You are on the same page, so to speak. There is good communication, no one is at a disadvantage. If you are wondering about a business relationship, it looks like it is a good match. As you can see, the sky is blue and the grass is green. There is not a cloud in the sky.

It is always wonderful when you can say you are enjoying a relationship that is on equal terms. No one is lording it over anyone else. Communication is at its highest peak. Even the symbol above their heads looks like a merging of two figures: that of a lion and one of maybe an angel or other winged creature. Also the symbol of the two snakes intertwined speaks of a coming together of two. The snake symbol itself is often a symbol of healing.

This card represents what we all aspire to in a relationship. Maybe there is a checklist here you can go over to see if you and another are well matched:

• do you feel on equal terms with that person?
• are you able to communicate openly?
• are you able to be yourself, exchanging ideas and information on an even plane?
• do you feel that the other person is giving an equal share of themselves with you?
• does the relationship feel "healing" to you? 

Just for today, look for ways to be on a level playing field. Don't give too much of your own power away if the other people around you aren't doing the same. Expect equality in your relationships, whether they be business, romantic, or otherwise. Expect to communicate openly with others.

This is why I often charge a minimal fee for any work that I do for others. If the other person gets something which costs them nothing, will it really benefit them? Will I feel shortchanged, and will what I am offering have any lasting value to them?

Have thought as to what you are giving and receiving today. In this way you will enjoy the best day ever, exchanging ideas and sharing a piece of yourself with those around you.  And you will receive back exactly what you are giving out. Don't shortchange yourself or others by giving too much or expecting to be given to. Keep the playing field even.

Enjoy your day!