Queen Of Swords (Reversed)…

Turn off your emotions today and get really clear in your mind. The feelings you have about your life may be clouding the reality of what you need and want. Also, the feelings of others about your personal wellbeing may not be serving you. Their intentions could be selfish, so cut through the compassion to the true core of it. Greater understanding of their purpose will help you make more reliable decisions for your own personal gain. Todays is about knowing, more than about feeling. Authentic knowledge will help you step into your power. Steel yourself for clarity.

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” -Albert Einstein

Card is The Queen of Swords (Reversed) - Artist Rendering by Rita Usacheva

Three of Pentacles (Reversed)…

You are up to something special - working on a new project that could be transformative and illuminating. I know you think you have all the answers and can take this on alone, but look around - there are others close by waiting and willing to help. More creative input should be welcomed! The thoughts and ideas of others can only increase the potency of your project. You do not have to be a lone wolf this time - you will still receive accolades for the work you have put in. Open your mind and heart to the possibilities of fresh input. Collaboration will make this venture soar!

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” - Henry Ford

Card is from the 78 Astral Tarot - Tarot in Space by Holly Broxson

Six of Pentacles (Reversed)

You are a generous spirit, but it may be time to scrutinize how much you are sharing of yourself. Take a moment today to celebrate how giving you are, but also take a look at what you are receiving in return. Balanced relationships contribute to a balanced spirit and a little self-love can go a long way. It’s time for you ask more of others - go after what you need and want. This isn’t selfish. If you have a harmonious heart that is full and not wanting, you will be able to give even more fully and in all the right ways.

“Make sure the Yes to someone else is not a No to yourself.”
Card is The Six of Pentacles - Illustrated by Kayleigh Fine

Ten of Wands (Reversed), Five of Swords, Four of Cups (Reversed)…

10 of Wands (Reversed), 5 of Swords, 4 of Cups (Reversed) from The Light Seer’s Deck

Feeling a little drained, lately? You are not alone. Maybe it’s post-holiday blues? Maybe it’s looking back on a year that felt, at times, like a journey to nowhere? Maybe you are experiencing a hard-stall in forward movement toward your goals? Maybe you’ve turned your back on your goals altogether? Let us examine our week ahead and, maybe, we can all start to feel closer to hopeful?!? This week, it’s important for us to be mindful of those moments when we internalize this energy in an unhealthy way. Hostility, guilt, anger, resentment will all surface, but are they useful? Hostility, anger and resentment can be redirected toward motivation and determination, but that guilt has to go. Most of what we are sifting through is circumstantial and does not reflect on who we are. Recognizing this, by the end of the week, we begin to see the hint of that rainbow we’ve been looking for and are starting to open up to the idea that we should welcome in all of those bright colors we’ve lost sight of. We notice the opportunities that have been there and new ones that will emerge and we will not push them aside, but entertain the promise of personal renewal. Wow, can’t wait for Friday!!!

The Hierophant (Reversed)…

The Hierophant (Reversed) from The Bad Bitches Tarot

Stop thinking you don’t have what you need to advance. Don’t underestimate your innate life knowledge and the skills that have brought you to this point. They have the potential to move you even further toward your goals. It’s always good to continue on a path of learning and gain more knowledge, but don’t put your own success on hold because you believe you aren’t ready. You are ready. You are your own teacher and have acquired skills and sass unique to who you are. You are a badass bitch - a fierce and powerful force to be reckoned with. Trust that you are enough and that you are maybe even more than you know. No more excuses. Own your bold, beautiful self.

Eight of Cups…

Eight of Cups from the Zombie Tarot Deck

Eight of Cups can be a little deceiving, but I picked this card from a particular deck to clarify it for you. You are walking away and I know you want to wax poetic about all that you are leaving behind, but what ARE you truly leaving in the dust? I think it’s time to look at this without your rose colored glasses. Pause for a moment and take a glance back at the truth of he situation. What you are running from is not all that magical. In fact, it’s pretty toxic. Let go of the demons that are rotting your spirit and get moving. Seriously, pick up the pace and don’t look back. It’s time to hightail it outta there and you know it. It will follow you - it will try to hunt you down and drag you back into the venomous remnants of what you have chosen to release. Yes, there are obvious lessons you can bring with you as you flee but, if you really see the situation clearly, it’s a big relief that you actually made it out alive! So, rejoice and keep running.

The Lovers (Reversed)…

The Lovers (Reversed) from the Crow Tarot by MJ Cullinane

If you are feeling a sudden rift in a relationship, it may be time to examine the situation a little deeper. The distance between you might not be as sudden as you think. Get a higher view of the whole scenario - step outside of yourself to widen your perspective. There may be external forces at play - pressures from the outside world that are distorting your perception and the perception of the one you love. Communicate - start a simple dialogue without blame or hurt to help each other recognize the truth of what is there. Be ready and willing to own up to your own part in this - yes, you may be partially responsible! All is not lost yet. It’s time to put in the hard work to repair what feels like a lost connection. Put your heads together and dig into the vulnerable pieces of who you are. You share one heart. You are meant to be together.

The Queen of Pentacles…

Queen of Pentacles from the Archangel Oracle Deck

Our Queen returns! In fact, she pretty much demands attention. I pulled this card and thought, ok, beautiful…but we’ve seen her as a message for the start of our year already - so, we got it! So, I put her back in the deck, reshuffled and pulled again. There she was! At moments like this, you just have to laugh at yourself and the universe. I think she’s definitely our guide for this year ahead and she wants us to know this. What does this mean for us? We can definitely expect regrowth, transformation and a flourishing of things that have withered. She will nurture us in loving ways, but she will expect a lot from us - focus on the balance in our lives, determination toward financial independence and security, effort toward harmony and motivation to move forward. If we accept her challenges, she will walk beside us and guide our every step with the most caring and generous support. Right now, she’s just watching over us…waiting to see what we will do. If you could do one thing today to honor her warm and caring spirit, what would you do? Try it - she longs to be acknowledged!

Three of Wands (Reversed)…

Three of Wands (Reversed) from The Monstarot Deck by Joanna Nelson

So far 2021 feels a little like, “one step forward - one step back”… It’s okay though, as we’ve only just begun, so what we are experiencing right now is just the day to day minutiae of a much larger picture. Today, you may find yourself feeling blocked or stuck - just let this be. It’s frustrating to be trapped in a moment, but it is just a moment. Allow yourself to play it safe. Protect the little monster inside that just wants everything right away. Reassure yourself that you are where you are meant to be and all things you have started working toward will come to fruition in their own time. Find stillness in the restlessness. Trust in the future by waiting for this one day.

The Four Of Wands…

The Four of Wands from the Druid Craft Tarot Deck

Your fire within is undeniable and it’s time to celebrate all of the passion and drive that you bring to the table! But, if you want continuous growth, you will need to fortify all of the ideas, feelings and creative energy that you have. Structure to a free spirit can feel like a sudden traffic jam on the highway, but the truth is, structure is what brings clarity to an artistic venture and assures growth. It’s time to find that balance and recognize the incredible freedom that foundation and guidelines can bring your way. Creating routine will open up new paths on which your dreams can travel. Celebrate your artistic abandon, by welcoming the opportunities that an organized system will allow for. Keep your fire alive by providing an orderly system in which it can thrive. I bet if you do, you’ll be surprised at the discovery of your own innovation.

The Magician…

The Magician from The Muse Tarot Deck

Powerful cards at the start of the New Year are very promising for what lies ahead, but also what lies within. Let me ask you something - If you could pick 4 secret superpowers to take with you into this year, with no limitation, what would those 4 superpowers be? Lightening speed, healing hands, invisibility, flying? Be even more specific - do you want to move mountains, bewitch others, have an unseen forcefield that protects you from harm? Do you want to love so deeply it shakes the world around you? Do you want to time travel and know things that no one else does? Oh, there are so many possibilities! Write them down - your four superpowers - and post them somewhere you can see them everyday. Tonight, as you drift off to sleep, imagine all of the ways in which you might embody your superpowers as you move into this year. You have greater power than you think, so dream up real potential for yourself. Potential that defies logic. This year, make it your ambition to step into your superpowers in small, but realistic, ways each day and see how that has an impact on who you are and who you will become. The fun part - it’s your own little secret! Though others may start to take notice of your shift in energy and your sparkling personal development, only you will know the true potency of the powers you are harnessing. Make magic.

Queen of Pentacles…

The Queen of Pentacles - Art by Cathy McClelland from The Star Tarot

Our queen keeps popping out of the deck, reassuring us that revitalization is on our horizon. However, I think we need to lay low and take it one step at a time. Luxuriate, but do it in a way that is restorative for you. Hibernation is encouraged, but how can you make the most of your internal retreat? In your solitude, do what makes you feel gorgeous and full. It may feel indulgent to withdraw in a way that fulfills you, but indulgence is recommended. Start small - a cup of hot chocolate, a warm bath with calming music, time alone to dream on your year ahead….maybe purchase a few new things for your home - if they are things that you feel like you “shouldn’t splurge on”, that is the sure sign it’s time to splurge! Treat yourself slowly to the joys you have most been missing - treat yourself like a queen. And know that she is watching over you - waiting for the right time to usher in a new period of growth, opulence and splendor. A renaissance is impending. You must be ready to accept the rewards that you have earned. You must embrace the abundance you harbor within. Hibernation is regeneration.

The Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune - Artist’s rendering by Kaylee Pinecone for Tales of Tarot Webcomic

New Year’s Day - we are sailing into 2021. Welcome a world of possibilities this year, but be ready for some waves and a little bit of stormy weather. Grab hold of that wheel - you are in control more than you think. Wrap your heart, mind and spirit around that wheel and prepare for the unknown of what is ahead. How will you choose to navigate through the ups and downs of this upcoming year? Steady your mind, so you have a clear picture of which storms you should steer into and which you should avoid. Study your map and plan your course with strong intention, but be ready to angle that rudder to change direction in an instant. Remember that what you put out into the world, usually comes back to you - wind, sun, rain. Maintain a strong reverence for the sea. You are your compass. You are at the helm. Wishing you safe, but thrilling, travels into your mysterious, undetermined future. “A good captain is not made from calm seas.”

Say goodbye to 2020 - Say hello to 2021!

Page of Pentacles (2020) into 8 of Wands (2021)

It’s New Year’s Eve and we are on the cusp of saying goodbye, so I took a moment to ask my deck - what will we release as we send off 2020 and what can we welcome as we say hello to 2021? In 2020 we all had to shift our perspective on finances, material gain and the things that matter most to us. While there was opportunity for great exploration in this new way of thinking, we have been lying in wait. Say goodbye to this gestation period, because in 2021 we will start to experience great movement. Expect directional shifts, quick bursts of movement and an energy that feels ALIVE! Using what you have experienced over the last year will help as we are all thrust into new experiences and quick changes. Growth is assured, but don’t hesitate this year! Tonight, after midnight or in the morning, when you awake to 2021, burn a little sage around your home. If you don’t have sage, a candle or incense will do. As you walk from room to room, watching that smoke drift up into the air and slowly disappear, imagine you are letting go of that which you do not wish to carry with you into the new year. Also imagine, all that planning, waiting and building of ideas releasing out into the universe. When you douse your stick, candle or incense take in the fragrance left behind - these are the things you should hold on to - the many things that will be useful as you move forward into 2021. When you start your first day on 2021 - leap out of bed in the morning with vigor. Find a way to welcome the day with movement and energy - stretching, a walk, a run, a work-out and impromptu dance party with music blaring! Really move into this year to let 2021 know you are ready! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Surprises in the New Year…

What good surprises await us in the New Year? Cards from my Sacred Rose Deck

Today, I felt compelled to check in with my Sacred Rose Deck to see what good surprises could materialize for us in this new year. Passion, drive, communication & thought are a few of the themes that popped up! Let’s place us in the center as the Queen of Pentacles - this year we will learn to use our worldly essences to nuture those around us in ways that bear great reverence. We may not currently feel “worldly”, but think of all of life’s lessons we have absorbed over the course of 2020…we are ready to luxuriate in who we have become and share the secrets of wellbeing with those around us in a meaningful and uplifting manner. Looks like new leadership will rise to the occasion and step in with swift and powerful decision making on our behalf! Finally! This clear and deliberate guidance will definitely help to ease our minds, but there is still a great deal we may stress about as we begin to reclaim our community. Stress is a given, but can also be a healthy motivator, depending on how we channel it. Death is leaving! Hurrah! I was nervous when I pulled this one, but that pesky death is the ONLY card that is facing away from us - beginning to make it’s way OUT of our picture. BYEEEEEE!!! Togetherness will happen in 2021. We will begin to rebuild our culture and communities with love and harmony as our biggest goals. New ideas emerge and are realized to great fanfare. This may even mean the reopening of shared cultural events (we can only hope at this point!) Overall, our drive to safely and securely refashion our existence is starting to grow. The fire within will start to clear out the hovering darkness. This will take time, but the biggest surprise of all - we are stronger individuals than we ever thought we could be and the realization of this will ensure we thrive! Here’s hoping all these predicted surprises materialize for us all!

Examining the challenges of 2021…

From The Dark Wood Tarot by Sasha Graham and Abigail Larson.
“Dare to enter the Dark Wood and discover your shadow self. How will you emerge?”

Leading up to New Years, I have decided to take a deep dive into the energy of 2021 for us all. Today, I longed to explore the challenges that we will face in this new year. Pulling from my dear friend’s deck, The Dark Wood Tarot, felt right. This deck illuminates the shadow self and guides your focus toward the murky and unseen pieces of the psyche. We may as well dive deep. Wow - powerful cards floated to the surface as I asked my question of the deck. Intense push and pull this year for us all. I know it seems like 2020 really forced us to examine the self in new ways, but 2021 is demanding you take it a step further. Movement vs seclusion - the desire to rush out and rush in will be tampered with periods of deep withdrawal, situationally and personally imposed. Harnessing stillness and retreat as a way to grow stronger will feel impossible, but is necessary. Moving forward is not as easy as we expect, even when life begins to reopen. Heavy new questions will weigh upon us and many of us will feel lost and forgotten to others. There is also the difficulty of sudden movement - changes that spring upon us, out of the blue, forcing us out of our comfort zones. It will be a wild and potent ride, but those that connect to their hidden reservoirs of strength and emotional adaptability will fair best in the darkest moments. Expect this year to be intense in it’s sudden shifts and life challenges, but also expect for it to deliver real change and power - things will start to improve. DON’T: Let anxiety about advancing overtake you, hold fiercely on to old habits that don’t serve you, refuse to connect with the world outside of you, deny your true feelings or act mindlessly. DO: Focus on achievable goals that are in alignment with your true nature, use the “downtime” to grow stronger and become internally clear about your personal strengths and weaknesses, understand that you may have to create a new reality and cleanse yourself of useless behavior and set clear intentions and be open and ready for anything.

Five of Pentacles into The Empress…

The Five of Pentacles into The Empress- Light Seer’s Tarot

This week, leading up to New Year’s Eve, I will be pulling cards from my decks to give us all a little insight into the approaching New Year. What can we expect from 2021? Our first two cards are highly encouraging, friends! Yes, we have been living in the Five of Pentacles - feeling isolated, struggling against adversity, out in the cold and wondering how and when will we be freed? 2021 brings us to The Empress with all of the nurturing energy of our planet and the universe shifting in a way that will help to guide us out of this darkness! It will take some time, but we will start to heal if we recognize that we have held the key to open the door to renewal this whole time. We will have to work together to change our own perspectives and guide our hearts and minds toward a more collaborative spirit, but we will be supported. Mother Earth is there to restore our lives and lift us up. This will be slow, but calming process, as we all heedfully step back out into the light. Remember as we move forward, collaboration is key. The time is now to start planning on how you will return the favor. What can you do for The Empress to show your deepest gratitude? How will you honor the loving guidance of our world?

The Ten of Swords…

The Ten of Swords - Tarot by Woody

Personal transformation isn’t always easy. Do you remember growth spurts when you were a child? Sometimes you could really feel the pull of your bones as they stretched underneath your skin and it wasn’t always pleasant. Growing Pains - ha! But growing pains are more than just the pulling of skin, muscle and bones. Do you remember that first real life lesson? Sharing was hard on the mind and the spirit in Kindergarten. Friendships weren’t always carefree, especially during recess in elementary school. Do you remember your first heartbreak? It was devastating and you probably didn’t see an end in sight to the hurt in your heart and the dark thoughts in your mind. But, all the while, you were just getting stronger - leveling up for what was on the horizon. Starting over is strange and scary, but necessary. Right now your thoughts are shifting in a big way to push you to a higher version of you. Welcome the transformation - don’t fight it. Let the light of change spark that new and exciting narrative that is waiting to emerge. Don’t lose sight of what you have learned along the way, but the time is now to let go. Hit the refresh button. You will feel taller.

The Ace of Wands…

The Ace of Wands from the Crystal Visions Tarot

We have entered that period of time that I like to call “the in-between” - those few days between the holidays and New Years Eve where you can lie still and ready yourself for a New Year! Though to most of us, the year we are leaving behind has felt like one long “in-between”, hasn’t it? Nevertheless, use these golden days to your advantage. Rest is good, but as you are relaxing, what do you sense bubbling up under the surface? This is the perfect, peaceful moment to connect to your inner fire and hatch a plan for growth moving into this upcoming cycle. Gestate, percolate and wrap yourself around the glowing intentions you hold within that are longing to be born. The biggest fires start as small embers. You will need a shimmering plan and all of the energy you can harness to fly out into the New Year with renewed spirit and sharp focus. Take this time to simmer. You are about to begin a blazing journey of growth and renewal.

The World…

The World from a Christmas Tarot Deck

The Holiday Season is a time of culmination, when we pause for time with friends and family to celebrate our successes and let go of our collective disappointments. Together we raise a glass to all that the World had to offer and muse over what is yet to come in this quiet time before launching into a brand new year. The World, this past year, has been an unusual place, though, truly testing and pushing us all. This year’s holiday celebration looks and feels very different for most. Though many of us cannot be together the way we wish and many more of us must find a way to just get through this day, the sentiment of the holidays hasn’t been lost. We have united together in the challenges that have been thrust upon us this year and it’s been overwhelmingly affirming to see our first responders, leaders, friends, neighbors and community rise to the occasion with bravery and hope. If you think about it, in some ways, this year has been a year FULL of Holiday Spirit. A new year is on the horizon, so let us raise a glass to what is yet to come. Our world is cyclical and we are destined to find balance, fulfillment, wholeness and harmony.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” written in 1943 for the Movie Musical, “Meet Me In St. Louis”. It has been covered and re-recorded hundreds, maybe thousands of times since its release. But, there is a lyric modification in most versions that has always struck me as strange and a bit lacking. It is really lovely to “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough”….but the original lyric is far more touching and meaningful. “Through the years, we all will be together, if the fate’s allow. Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow. So have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now.” Muddle through - and be as merry as you can be. A New World in a New Year is coming!