Daily Dose #5: Tarot as Medicine: Three of Wands

"The Tarot can change and become new every time we pick it up. This is because we can shuffle it. We can take the cards, with all their intense symbols, mix them, and lay them out as a new work."
 ~Rachel Pollack~

The Three of Wands encourages vision & revision. It is a reminder that we simply need to look at things in a different way than what we've been doing. Refocusing. New insights. Sometimes, it means leaving security behind in search of new possibilities.

When a card like this comes up for me, I know that I need to see past the distractions and clear my line of vision for the things that truly matter. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutia and the immediate fears and worries I have without seeing the bigger picture. Right now, the truth is, I don't know how it all will work out yet. This card tells me to take a more wide-view of what may yet be. What things truly matter to me? What dreams have I not pursued as much as I should? How willing am I to commit to the process--the journey--as an adventure and not as a chore?

I like to know how things will go. I worry when I don't have all of the answers. The Three of Wands reminds me that the fear is just a guardian I need to push myself past. Yes, maybe my heart will break. Yes, maybe I'll fall short of the goal. Yes, maybe the new territory will be overwhelming. But, courage is a catalyst and I have that in abundance.

Dare. Take risks. Stay determined. Today's card calls me to be focused and to trust in whatever comes. Evolution is in process. The cards are new every day...the story is new every day. My job is to continue to let go of fear. My job is to move on. 

Daily Dose #4: Tarot as Medicine: A Room of One's Own

It's hard for me to even articulate how my tarot life has evolved over the last year. It has gone from something private & insular to a deeply rewarding social experience. I know that, in many ways, this is because of finally having a tarot "home" of my own to devote to readings & meetings with clients. And, I know I have the Oddporium to thank for that. One Sunday a month, I have a chance to sit down with strangers to talk about their lives, their hopes & fears, their stories, their goals, & their emotions. I share what the imagery & mythology of their chosen cards says about their personal experiences. I tell them stories about what themes & advice the cards show. When they sit down at the table across from me, my only thought is that I hope they connect to the tarot in a meaningful way & that the answers they are seeking surface in front of them. A tarot reading with me is about communication & connection. I aim to strip out the fear & myths around the cards & to help facilitate healing & confirmation.  

This act of reading tarot for people has become one of my favorite ways to spend my time with others right now. It allows me, a sensitive introvert who loves meaningful conversations, to get beyond the small-talk I am often awkward with right to the heart of genuine human interaction. I woke this past Sunday & had two cups of tea while I shuffled three decks of cards, deciding which ones would be used at the reading. I ended up with two decks, as always...my Rider Waite standbys & a new Mermaid Tarot by Dame Darcy. The tarot spread I created was intended to bring light to a situation or to important points to consider in the new season. Readings for Spring Equinox...and then snow started to fall. 

The people who arrived were full of their own light, though. Warm-hearted. Generous. I am thankful for every single one of them. I am thankful for every person who has ever sat across the table from me or booked me for an event. Though I have been reading cards more than half of my life, this deepening public tarot journey has come as a surprise to me--but, it is a welcome one. I am writing the tarot, living the tarot, reading the tarot, wearing the tarot under my skin, seeing the elements & messages of the tarot out in the world beyond the cards. A mystery. A gift.  

Curiosity #12: Aganetha Dyck

See the amazing work Aganetha Dyck & her bees: HERE.

Daily Dose #3: Tarot as Medicine: Ace of Swords

"Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. No weapon will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones."

~Tahereh Mafi~

The Ace of Swords is a card that speaks to this--the idea of cutting through to the heart of the matter and seeking the truth. There is a need to use the head and not the heart if we are truly to see things clearly in the rocky terrain we suddenly find ourselves on. Swords deal with communication--the double-edged sword of trying to express ourselves and our way of seeing things, while running the risk of being misunderstood. 

This card today is exactly where I am. Anyone who knows me well knows that it isn't terribly easy to know me well. My sword is drawn to keep me safe and to guard against hurt in friendships & relationships. I would much rather hear all about you. Your life. Your love. Your disappointments. Your stories. This is easy for me. Much easier than me trying to express my own fears & needs or truths & stories. These, I frequently hold back until I can't hold back any more. Then, when I say what I need to say, it is often clumsy & whoever I'm speaking to doesn't get what I'm saying anyway--sometimes with terrible results.

Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. Indeed. Seeing the Ace of Swords today shows me that I need to be strong & to focus on what I know to be true. I know that I am imperfect. I have a big, roaring, oceanic heart. I am easily wounded, but willing to forgive. I am a writer who is utterly inarticulate when it comes to herself. I am stronger than I'm given credit for. I am clear on what I need, and what I need isn't too much. I am not too much, either. Ace of Swords cuts away all of the self-doubt & confusion & leaves me with the basic message:

Love. Be brave. Pay attention.

Daily Dose #2: Tarot as Medicine: Queen of Pentacles

Tonight, under this strong Virgo Full Moon, I'll be thankful for the Queen of Pentacles, my daily dose. She reminds me to build my own security. To focus on home and things that make me feel taken care of and loved. The Queen of Pentacles has built a life for herself. She is the Earth Goddess, the home-provider, the woman who is secure. Some things have been thrown at me lately that are testing my abilities to stand on my own and trust that I am not others' negative perceptions of me. I am solid/steady and I am allowed to express my thoughts.

So often, women give the reins to everyone else. "I will let my kids lead me." "I will do what my partner wants." "If so & so says this about me, then it must be true." "When this person likes & accepts me, then I'll be worth something." "When I get noticed at work." "When I lose 40lbs." "When I earn X per year." The Queen of Pentacles serves as a reminder that we can all celebrate ourselves, in our imperfect, flawed radiance--right now. We make our own security when we take care of ourselves. Go home, wherever home is for you. Think about all of the ways you support yourself & nurture yourself. Appreciate all that you do to bring love & beauty into your life. You deserve to celebrate your own potential. You are a Queen. Never forget it.