The Wheel of Fortune…

Cherish the moments when life feels like a delicious dream. You never know what is waiting on the horizon and while that can feel scary, it’s actually just the way of the universe. You have power over your fate, but only to a certain degree. The rest is influenced by ever changing, outside factors. I think we all have learned this over the past year or so?!? But, what you do have control of is your experience on this sometimes dizzying ride. Are you going to tighten up and fight it, or give in with wild abandon. In essence, will you cling to this ride with your eyes closed and your body bracing for impact or will you throw your arms up and trust that it will be thrilling - even the pieces that are completely unknown?!? There are so many ways to approach your current spin… The card on your left is an Art Nouveau interpretation of the Wheel - our beauty is gently gliding on that wheel blindfolded and blossoming. The card on your right is a rock interpretation with Steven Tyler commandeering the helm - “Dream On” friends! The choice is yours.

“Throw your hands up in the air and celebrate life.” - Steven Tyler

The Wheel of Fortune/Fate from Tarot Art Nouveau Deck by Lo Scarabeo and Kathy Zyduck’s Classic Rock Tarot Interpretation.

Page of Swords…

As we move into the weekend, think about all the gleeful ways you can work on who you want to be! Work can sometimes be play, depending on your mindset and work on self should always come with an element of fun. Cut through the chore of it and get to the playtime. Practice makes perfect, but what does “perfect” really mean to you? If you practice joyfully, how much faster might you advance toward your dreams? Whether you are focusing on a social skill, a work skill or a life skill, dedicate yourself with curious abandon and chuckle at your mistakes along the way. Beat away that shadow of doubt by just having more enjoyment in your endeavor. Life can feel like a circus, but if you are the sparkling sword thrower with sharp aim, no one will know what hit them when you flash your playful smile.

“Anyway, life makes you do all kinds of circus, juggling and acrobatics. If you are well prepared, you can do it joyfully.” -Sadhguru

The Page of Swords from 78 Tarot Carnival - Cirque du Tarot. Image by Kiri Ostergaard Leonard

The Seven of Wands…

I am working with an exhilarating new deck that has a Fairytale twist to it and I couldn’t be more excited to pull one of my favorite characters for our card of the day! Those of you who know me well know about my deep love affair with Peter Pan. Peter is an interestingly dark character and his tale is not so transparent. His story, while fun on the surface, is incredibly complex. He will fearlessly and ruthlessly fight to achieve his dreams, even to the detriment of himself and his true intentions. Yes, it’s important for us all to hold on to our personal hopes and wishes right now. It may feel like we have to fight to keep our dreams alive as the universe conspires against us in so many ways, but sometimes it’s okay for dreams to evolve. Transformation is not the enemy, though it was to Peter. Stand up for what you believe in and hold your loved ones close. Defend your true intentions, not the idea of what you once thought was the goal. Oh, Peter, I adore you, but it is called NEVER land.

“Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” - JM Barrie’s Peter Pan

The Seven of Wands from The Star Spinner Tarot by Trungles

The Seven of Swords…

It’s sort of an existential question, but ARE you being honest with yourself and with others? The universe is watching you and the truth will eventually find you. When you are withholding information or twisting the truth to suit your needs, you are doing yourself a disservice because this will eventually backfire. Also, if you don’t feel like you are being upfront and honest about your own personal capabilities or needs, you will never achieve the fulfillment you long for. Don’t cloud your life over with half-truths and deceit. That doubt will creep up on you when you least expect it. Even if you are unsure of things, bring it all into the light. You don’t have to have all of the answers all of the time, but if you pretend that you do and hide in the shadows you will never advance. Tell the truth, be authentic and come clean. I promise that unsure burden you carry with you will be lifted if you do.

“The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t going away.” - Elvis Presley

The Seven of Swords from The Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

The Knight of Wands (Reversed)…

You are fired up and feeling rebellious and defiant about something. What is it that has got you so agitated? Taking action right now feels like the only answer, but cool down first! Passion and outrage are great motivators, but only when they are connected to what you truly want and need. Take a step back - a pause and examine your true intentions first. There might be a better, more reasonable way to go about this. And, why would you want to complicate a situation that is more easily dealt with than you thought? Slow down, take a breath and take a moment to cool off. That passion might be better directed somewhere else!!!

“Whoever is able to anger you is able to control you.” - Lamine Pearlheart

The Knight of Wands (Reversed) from The International Icon Tarot by Robin Ator

The Four of Swords and Temperance…

Mondays can be very difficult! Do you already feel overwhelmed by what this week holds for you? It’s okay to take some time for yourself! In fact, I encourage you to set a relaxed tone for yourself by setting some guidelines and boundaries on your own behalf. If you want to maintain balance and wellness, sometimes you have to fight for it. Try taking a look at your week and scheduling in some nap time or reserving time with a loved one. Think of restorative activities you can plan for yourself - activities that will mindfully connect you to the things in life you love. Unplug that phone for an hour or two if you need to and shut down that computer. Whatever is pending can wait til you are ready. If you start each day with anxiety, you will never work to your full potential anyway - so make yourself a priority! If you want to take a FULL Mental Health Day - DO IT! You are allowed and you deserve it. Emotional balance and wellbeing is a right, not a luxury.

“It all begins with you. If you don’t care for yourself, you will not be strong enough to take care of anything in life.” - Leon Brown

The Four of Swords - Artist’s Rendering from Paje by Night and Temperance - The Star Spinner’s Tarot by Trungles

Knight of Cups (Reversed)…Five of Cups (Reversed)…Five of Pentacles…

Do you find yourself constantly feeling let down? Maybe you are even more than disappointed because you also feel left out, pushed aside, unseen and unheard?!? Time to shift your perspective, my friend. You can’t always expect others to be as open, honest and forthright as you are. The more you expect the best, the more you may find yourself feeling the worst. Also, look closer at the people in your life that you feel hold the most importance to you. They may not be capable of living up to your expectations. Everyone has their own way of operating and their own unique baggage. If they cannot fill your soul, it doesn’t mean they do not want to try. You get to decide if this makes them worth your time or not. BUT, maybe ease up a bit, before you cut them loose - recognize that your personal expectations of them might make it impossible for them to be for you who they truly mean to be. By allowing for human fallacy, you just might find some common ground.

“Accept the fact that some people didn’t intend to let you down. Their best is just less than you expected.” - Thema Davis

The Knight of Cups (Reversed) - The 5 of Cups (Reversed) - The 5 of Pentacles from The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne

The Ace of Cups…

How about a little love on a Saturday evening?!? If you are open to it, the opportunity is there for you to start something that will emotionally fulfill you. Could be meeting a new someone special. Could be rekindling an old flame. Could be that you are just connecting with your partner on a deeper level. If you open your heart without fear or doubt, and really commit yourself to that feeling of love, you will be rewarded with an outpouring of emotions that will fill your soul with goodness! See if you can be a little sweeter tonight. Ready yourself for the wellspring of admiration that you truly deserve.

“Let your love be overflowing from your heart…let it spill out from your heart and touch the floor of tears…Let it pave its way through all odds…Let love be a hashtag, not in social status, but through your life.” - Ananya Battacharjee

Ace of Cups from the Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy

The World…

Happy Day! Happy Night! But, truthfully, all day I’ve felt a little down. You see, this is the anniversary of the shut down of life as we had known it. All day I’ve been haunted by the memory of an initiation into a whole new way of living and the scary dark days that accompanied this great change. So, tonight I decided to ask the deck, “What next? What can we expect moving forward from this one year anniversary of the end of the world?!?” My answer from the deck - The World! There is no greater affirmation to the idea that we ARE starting a journey to move forward. Slowly we can begin to welcome back pieces of ourselves and each other that we have had to bury away for so long. And I can’t help but notice that the 21st card of the majors is coming to us in 2021 as a message of what we can now look forward to, at what I believe is the true start of our new year!!! Get vaccinated. Open your heart and mind, strip away all doubt and fear, embrace vulnerabilities and get ready to embrace each other. We are going to be reunited in a joyful dance under the stars and the sun this year!!! Say hello to our new world.

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” - Susan Sontag

A collection of World Cards by various incredible Artists and Designers!

Five of Cups…

Pull up your skirt and tear out your hair, but don’t you dare cry over spilled martinis. Yes, it’s disappointing and hard to accept that all of that deliciousness is gone in an instant, but you are making such a fuss that you are missing what is still there! Seriously, compose yourself and start the business of getting yourself unstuck. Open your eyes and savor what you DO have waiting for you…whether it’s vodka or gin. Don’t be blinded by focusing on the negative - grab those two glasses and double fist in style. Sometimes life doesn’t go exactly as you planned, but if you dwell in the disappointment, you miss out on all of the fun, so pull it together and start drinking. I’ll take mine extra dirty.

“It takes 44 facial muscles to frown, but only 3 to suck down a martini.” - Two Drunk Ladies

The Five of Cups from The Housewives Tarot by Jude Buffum and Paul Kepple

Queen of Pentacles (Reversed)…

Money eludes you. It’s nice to believe that if you had more of it, life would all come together just the way you want. But, it isn’t that simple. Sure, it’s soothing to be embraced by luxury, but do you actually need money to cultivate that feeling? And, if you had all of that money, would you be satisfied or would you feel like it was never enough? Maybe the first step to financial Freedom is showing gratitude for all of the things you DO have? Maybe it’s time to accept that more money might not solve all of your problems. In fact, it could complicate things in ways you hadn’t thought about. Be realistic and practical. Accept that your financial situation is manageable, if you change your perspective about it. You are more than what is in your wallet or savings account. Letting go of your need for money just might invite more money in.

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” - Norman Vincent Peale

The Queen of Pentacles (Reversed) from The Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans

The Star…

Feeling a little bit lost? Nothing more magical than pulling The Star Card as an answer to your listlessness. Traditionally, this card promises a moment of cleansing and restorative energy, but what more can be explored within the healing light of the Star? I have always loved the idea that you can use the stars to navigate - steering your personal vessel into port based on the guidance of the night sky can mean so many things. If you truly are feeling off-course, take a minute tonight to look to the sky. Ask the celestial energy of the universe to help guide you in a direction. Lasso your heart to a swirling beam of light and know that to be found you may need to look beyond the obvious and connect more to the ethereal. Sometimes the answers are not palpable. We are all made of stardust, after all.

“For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” - Vincent Van Goh

The Star Card from The Light Seer’s Tarot Deck by Chris-Anne

The Eight of Swords…

It’s International Women’s Day and I asked the cards what might be the best way to celebrate. Eight of Swords is an unusual card to pop up as a celebratory suggestion, but when you really think about what is being celebrated, it does make sense. Take a moment today to remember all the manners in which, we as women, have been tied down, held back, minimized, infantilized, fetishized and dismissed. Being a woman can often feel like a trap, but nevertheless, we persisted! Our mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and beyond have had to fight to be treated with equality and respect. They paved a path for us to tear off our blindfolds and untie the binds that threatened to hold us back. Achievements without obstacles are affirming , but overcoming bias, disrespect and disadvantages to achieve great things that’s downright transcendent. In celebration of women today, take a moment to honor your own rebellious spirit by thanking those warriors that came before you and the ones that still walk proudly along side you- defiant and strong.

“After all those years as a woman hearing, ‘not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not this enough, not that enough,’ almost overnight I woke up one morning and thought, ‘I am enough.’” –Anna Quindlen

“A girl should be two things: Who and what she wants.” –Coco Chanel

The Eight of Swords from Bad Girl Tarot by Katie Skelly

The Queen of Cups (Reversed)…

A dear friend was feeling a little anxious today and asked me to pull a card for suggestions on how to deal with that anxiety. I must admit, I have had a fair amount of nervous worry creeping in lately as well…so, I pulled this one with the hope that the deck would have the power to quell those disquiet jitters. We should not let our emotions overwhelm us. Dwelling on the feelings we have will prove to be overwhelming and harmful and, really, what is the point? Take action and if you feel like you cannot take action yet on that which is haunting your spirit, take a walk instead. Do something that will allow for you to disconnect from the internal spiral that only wants to drag you down. Launch an activity - something that will get you out of your head and heart and make you feel invigorated and alive. Take action now - don’t wait!

“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” - Walter Anderson

The Queen of Cups (Reversed) from The Lotus Tarot Deck by Angie

The Eight of Wands (Reversed)…

Where are you rushing off to? I know you feel like motion is action, but there are so many colors to experience where you are. Slow yourself and open your senses to what is available in the here and now and you may be surprised by the vividness of this experience that you were about to fly right past. You deserve to absorb some of what is being offered in the moment. In fact, the beauty and energy of the moment may serve to fuel your journey down the line. Take a breath, take your time and take what you need from this day - this hour - this minute - this second. The beauty of life swirls around you like a technicolor dream…with every heartbeat….right where you are.

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going to fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” - Eddie Cantor

The Eight of Wands (Reversed) rendering for The 78 Tarot by Aja Trier

Seven of Cups…

Sometimes decision making feels like a trap. With an overwhelming amount of options, how can you be sure you are making the right choice? Right now, you may feel a little like you are drowning in a sea of options. This isn’t a bad thing! In order to really begin the work of what needs to be done, you MUST select one - a direction, a path, an action to take. The emotional weight of this hovering decision is bearing down on you. But, what if you could remove that weight? Imagine you have a magic button that drains the sea of emotion which swells all around you. Now see those options for what they truly are - ways to advance and move forward in your life. Honestly, any of them will do, so long as you dedicate yourself to it. It’s not as difficult as you are making it… Just choose - you will figure out the rest as you go!

“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.” - Michelle Obama

The Seven of Cups from the Luna Sol Tarot Deck by Mike Medaglia

Seven of Wands…

You are on your way, but adversity is always close on your trail. Expect conflict. Walk directly into it, despite your fear and hesitation. I know it currently feels like you cannot see what is above you and the ground is incredibly far away, but you must keep climbing. This ladder you have built yourself feels rickety, but it’s constructed with passion and will lead you to possibilities you have yet to dream up. You have the determination and perseverance to deal with any conflict that creeps in, so don’t look down - just keep climbing. This is just a momentary patch of uncertainty. You will conquer this and find your way into the clouds. And when you get there, the view will be worth it.

“You can’t fall if you don’t climb, but there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground.” -Unknown

The Seven of Wands - Artist’s Rendering from The Slow Tarot by Lacey Bryant.

Queen of Swords (Reversed)…

You are someone who likes to feel in control. You prefer to take charge, think out a plan and stick to it, but maybe you need to let go in order to transform? Chaos and uncertainty can bring great clarity and force you to grow. Tonight, as you dream, dream not of flying but floating. Drifting slowly out of the sky like a a stray feather billowing in the wind. Free fall and allow the wind to take you on an unexpected journey. Sound scary to you? It’s only a dream and you may discover losing control is actually a really exciting feeling that you will crave in waking life. Step off your throne - be free. Let go and lighten up…

“She was like a feather. Strong enough to fall without breaking, light enough to fly and soft enough to tickle your spine.” - Isha Shelkey

Queen of Swords (Reversed) - Artist’s Rendering by Grace P. Fong for Hive Galleries

Five of Pentacles (Reversed)…

Open your eyes! That sun is rising…not setting! You are on your way to recovery. Follow that glowing light to the path that will lead you out of that darkness. This is a new dawn, so walk into it with hope and don’t look back or shield your eyes. Feel the warmth of those glorious rays on your face and ready yourself to receive the love of the universe. This is a path to recovery and recovery is rarely easy, so take it slow. But, the sun that is rising is rising within you. Welcome it. Do the work and you will achieve that recovery you need and desire. Shine true.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” - Confucious

The Five of Pentacles (Reversed) from The Druid Craft Tarot by Phillip Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington

The Ace of Wands…

Imagine that in your mind there is a forest. And, in this forest there is a cozy nook where possibility is just beginning to sprout up toward the sky. What tiny sprig do you have within, slowly pushing its way toward the sun? Recognize this stretching upward as an act of defiance against the larger trees trying to drown out the light. Notice how the universe sends help to guide this notion or new idea toward the sky. Tonight when you dream rest in this cozy nook beside your tiny new dream and surrounded by those woodland helpers. Feel the long blades of grass surround you in safety and be grateful for the possibility that grows within. Ask this sprouting prospect what kind of care it needs from you to blossom in your waking life. When you wake, it’s time to start nurturing all of the possibility that dwells within. Sweet dreams!

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” - Margaret Drabble

The Ace of Wands from The Oak Ash and Thorn Tarot Deck by Stephanie Burrows and Adam Oehlers