The King of Swords…

You know what is needed for a cohesive and enjoyable weekend. Trust your intellect and use it to set plans in motion. If someone in your inner circle tries to interject, dominate them with your ideas and they will bend to your will. Sound aggressive? It doesn’t have to be. Just having the knowledge and the determination to set that knowledge in motion is a powerful enough move at this point. You are cloaked in the support of the universe and have the natural ability to help others see things more clearly. So, step into your power with grace, but be unbending in your decision making. Later, all those who succumbed to your steadfastness will thank you for the brilliant and bold experiences they had because of your thoughtful planning. Invoke the spirit of the wind, and let all those thoughts swirl together into your own unique plan of action - then lead everyone in the direction of your vision!

“There are dreamers and there are planners. The planners make their dreams come true.” - Edwin Louis Cole

The King of Swords from The Robin Wood Tarot

The World - Reversed…

You are reaching the end of a full cycle and ready for a re-start! Yahoo! But, wait. Slow down. Stop. Pause. Rewind. You aren’t QUITE there yet (sorry). If you think of your life as a manuscript and you are the author who has been toiling away to spill all kinds of creativity and prose down on the page, then this is your moment to revise. Yes -you must take a look back over this story and refine. Edit, maybe, but rework definitely. You know - finishing touches and all of that. Now is your chance to review, rediscover and revamp before you turn that sucker in for validation. You want to feel proud of your work - don’t you? You want the world to look back on your endeavors with admiration and respect. So a few more days, weeks, even months will be worth it. THEN you can cash it in and start a whole new storyline! Listen, this could be award-winning - the greatest of all time, so take the time to end on a high note! You know what to do…

“Good writing is rewriting.” - Truman Capote

The World (Reversed) from the Curious Parrott Tarot Deck by Margaret and Thom Parrott

Justice - Reversed…

When things go wrong, do you put the blame on yourself? If you are anything like me, you do. It’s easy to run through all of the details in your mind about what happened, what action you took, what action you didn’t take and what you should have done differently and then distill it all down to, “It’s my fault”. Or, even worse, “I deserve this.” But, justice and injustice aren’t always that straight forward. Injustice sometimes just occurs and there is no way out of it - you can fight, you can protest, you can refuse, but it just won’t go your way. And no amount of “shoulda, woulda, coulda” will help you solve the problem. So, take a minute today when you start to spiral in a direction of self loathing and defeat to stop and regain control of your thoughts. You are not at fault this time. You don’t deserve what is happening. You’d be doing an injustice to self, if accepted took the burden of it all as your own. Release that inner voice of self judgement. Quite the mind.

“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.” - Maya Angelou

Justice (Reversed) from The Inspirational Tarot Deck by Rachel Farabough

Reversed Knight of Cups - Two of Cups - Reversed Page of Cups…

An emotional start to the day? Cups are raining down upon us! An emotional connection with a loved one is feeling very off base today. The intention is good, but there are external forces that will not let you come together in a cohesive manner. Perhaps you are both being a little childish in refusing to honor the other’s feelings. You can take your compassion in a different direction, but the experience will never sit right if you do. You will find yourself suspended in a bewildering and awkward state and no distraction will help you to right the wrong of it. Your bond is meant to heal, comfort and restore each other. So, take the step to redirect back in the direction of your loved one, no matter how difficult this feels. Choose compassion in this moment. Choose each other.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo Buscaglia

The Knight of Cups (Reversed) - The Two of Cups - The Page of Cups (Reversed) from the Rider/Waite/Smith Deck

The Hanged Man - Reversed…

Sorry for the scary clown on a Monday night, but life is sometimes a bit of a circus. Recognize that you might have to make a sacrifice of self in order to progress toward a greater sense of calm and wellbeing. But, I believe you already know that and know what it is that must be parted with to feel stable. In fact, you may have felt like a scary clown for the past few days or weeks. If that terrifying alter ego is ready to drop, let them. Either they will descend with purpose on your behalf or they will scurry away into the night. Imagine, this evening, you are untethering yourself from this energy and releasing something or someone you may think you need, but has gifted you with only freakish and bizarre feelings. Shift your perspective by imaging a life without this haunt - how do you feel in this freeing vision? It or them may be driving you to be something you are not. It may be time to figure out how to remove the makeup.

“Someone asked a clown, ‘why do you wear a mask?’ Clown replied, ‘Everyone wears it - mine is visible.’ - Anonymous

The Hanged Man (Reversed) from a deck I don’t know at all - any of you clowns know this deck?

Six of Swords - Strength - Four of Wands…

I have been feeling a burdensome chaos descending in life and the world around me. Lately, it seems that things are not aligning the way I hoped and sudden surprises are leaping out at every turn. I’m not sure if you are feeling the same, but I felt the need to do a deep draw to see what this week has in store and how we might master it. To do this, I pulled from the deepest and juiciest deck I own - my friend, Sasha Graham’s Dark Wood Tarot. Perhaps a journey deep into the Dark Wood of existence, is what we need and crave. Withdrawing in the direction of promised safety is an option this week, but how safe will we actually be from a threat that lies within? Our minds will travel with us, after all. Hiding and celebrating what we think we DO have always looks appealing. Gratitude is sometimes the answer that brings us the balance we long for, but happy thoughts will not be enough to ward off what lurks underneath it all. Instead, we may have to sit in the beautiful, but uncomfortable power of our own unrevealed potency. If we must fight, let us do it with all of the most vicious hidden reserve of persuasion that we can manifest. When we bring this to the surface, we will feel out of control, but we will win and simultaneously exorcise the wicked shadows that have been getting in our way. Our strength runs WAY deeper than we think.

“The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark.” - Sasha Graham

The Six of Swords - Strength - The Four of Wands from the Dark Wood Tarot by Sasha Graham & Abigail Larson

The High Priestess - Reversed…

Life can definitely get in the way of full connection to intuition. How can you trust your instincts about anything when you are constantly being bombarded with more obligations and commitments? Also, in this age of information, your brain is often on overdrive just trying to decipher and catalogue the constant communication that is thrown in your face. Today, you may think you are intuitively connected to a decision that needs to made, but this message from within needs to be further distilled. You are not reacting with clarity and authenticity today - you are surrounded by static. Take a moment to remove yourself from the onslaught of external forces. Quiet the mind and the heart just enough to hatch a plan on how you might best cut through the static to find your authentic truth. This will lead you to the right decision for self.

“A quiet mind is able to hear intuition over fear.” - Yvan Byeajee

The High Priestess (Reversed) from the Muse Tarot by Chris-Anne

Seven of Pentacles - Reversed…

Feeling a little uncertain as you head into the weekend? Perhaps you are unsure of many things in this moment - befuddled, disenchanted and just not ready to make any promises. You don’t have to commit, if it doesn’t feel right. Commit to a partner, commit to a plan of action, commit yourself to family or work…to any of these things it’s ok to avoid saying “yes”. Dwell in the ennui and allow your psyche to feel a little lost. Maybe, you need this uncomfortable unknowing. So don’t say yes - go for a walk under the night sky and let the stars speak to your disoriented spirit. They have a message for you - they whisper, “wondering is enough.” After all, life is one big mystery, never really revealing its secrets to anyone. Avoid yes - embrace ambiguity.

“I left the ending ambiguous because that is the way life is.” - Bernardo Bertolucci

The Seven of Pentacles (Reversed) from the 78 Tarot Astral Deck - Art by Natacha Chohra

Three of Cups…

Check in with your nearest and dearest today. That strange feeling of disconnection can be coming from you, but it also could be a hint that there is something brewing under the surface that needs to be addressed. You may be busy, but it could be that your absence has made someone feel neglected. Or, perhaps something you said or did wasn’t received the way you intended it to be. Don’t let this rift plunge you even further into the depths of muddled detachment. All you really have to do is reach out and say hello. Make yourself available to them. All will be revealed in a way that can allow clarity for all, if you do. Also, they may have important news or gossip to share that you don’t want to miss out on - something very juicy and exciting!. Make a call, send a text, drop them a silly message or set a date to meet up. You won’t regret it.

“True friends stay with you no matter the distance or time that separates you from them.” - Lance Reynald

The Three of Cups (Reversed) from The Mermaid Tarot by Leeza Robertson & Julie Dillon

The King of Pentacles - Reversed…

I was feeling a little bit of the Wednesday Woes as I started my day so, this morning I asked the deck, “What can we do today that will help us get through the week?” And the answer was, admittedly, hard to decipher. Could it be that we need to release ourselves from the rigidity of thinking that we have sustain a certain level of power? Should we take a step down from our metaphoric thrown? Do we really need the heaviness of the symbolic crown we have been carrying atop our heads? Let’s take one small step to check our egos by easing up on our stubbornness. Do one thing differently today - do one thing with silly, lightheartedness leading the way. Step outside of your comfort zone by giving yourself and others permission to be surprised. Let’s break away from our well protected routine and let’s set out to tarnish our jeweled crowns…

“As soon as you open your mind to doing things differently, the doors of opportunity practically fly off the hinges.” - Jay Abraham

The King of Pentacles (Reversed) by Sushila Burgess

Two of Pentacles - Reversed & The Chariot…

You are ready to stop climbing and to cease juggling. Why stress so much to keep up with what everyone else needs or wants? I mean, you did that really well and kept it all together, but now it’s time for you to take initiative by setting your own tone. You know exactly what direction you are headed in, so clear the path of delays and recalibrate the pace. You may feel sluggish when you start, but just decide you are going to take the reins and move ahead in a way that suits you best. All the people that threaten to slow you down or stand in your way, will just have to adjust to keep up or get out of your way! Focus and use all of your resources to support this internal shift in energy. Time to move forward, my friends, but do it at the pace of YOUR choosing!

“You have to set the tone and the pace, define objectives and strategies. Demonstrate through personal example what you might expect from others.” - Stanley C. Gault

Two of Pentacles (Reversed) into The Chariot from The Tarot of Mystical Moments by Catrin Welz-Stein

The Hermit…

Lucky day for all of the introverts out there - It’s a “Stay Quiet” Monday!!! That’s right, zip it. Retreat and withdraw, friends. Even if you do feel like you have something to contribute, keep it to yourself for right now. Why? You are regenerating, refocusing and clarifying so many things for yourself today - even those excellent ideas can be shaped by this moment of solitude. But, don’t just disappear in the darkness of your bedroom or stop talking without purpose. Fill your silence with reflection and inspiration. Use this time to your benefit to merge two versions of self as one. There is a self you show to the outside world which is very different from the self you harbor deep within. How can you bring these two versions of you together to light your heart with vision and true intention? Perhaps there is an activity you have been longing to do that slipped to the bottom of your priority list? Welp, move it to the top. Or maybe there’s an interest or hobby you have long forgotten that deserves to be revisited? Or just enlist silence and wait for the path to be revealed to you. Take a personal treat within to reveal a more meaningful existence this Monday!

“It is only alone, truly alone that one bursts apart, springs forth.” - Maria Isabel Barreno

The Hermit - Artist’s Rendering by Sandy Littel

The Nine of Pentacles…

Completion is the theme of our week ahead. Finishing, finalizing, ending - however you would like to phrase it - we will be experiencing completion. Perhaps we will enjoy the completion of a project or goal, or maybe just feel relief at the end of a long day or two. But, completion is more than just reaching the finish line. Completion is also defined as “having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full”. Now that sounds divine -”lacking nothing; whole…” In order to feel the full effects of our accomplishments, we MUST open enough space in our lives to savor the sweet delight of those moments. So, this week - take the time you need to celebrate all of the elements that came together in just the right way so that you might realize your achievements. Rejoice and indulge in your own success - no matter how big or small. You deserve to feel “whole” and revel in that personal glow of fulfillment. When you reach the finish line, claim your time to do it and do it with finesse!

“Completed. Tickled. Done. Finished.” - Claire Burge

The 9 of Pentacles from the 78 Tarot

Two of Wands…

When the sky turns grey, there is still juicy and enticing possibility on the horizon for you! In fact, you get to decide what you would like to do to counteract the mundane blahs that threaten to settle in. Are you going to sit pretty and let the dullness hover, or will you step outside of your comfort zone and take a chance on something poetic and abstract? Romance is all around you, so why not beckon for it to claim you? Tonight, imagine you are a flamboyant street musician who must orchestrate a new path for self - a magical busker of sorts. What does this song you play sound like? What colors and fragrances call to you and feed your music as you play? Who leans out of their windows as you emotionally belt out your tune? What street are you on as they clap and throw money and flowers in your direction? This vision may hold some clues for your great escape. Sift those puzzle pieces and construct your own delicious remedy to rescue you from everyday doldrums. You have a choice - there is always a choice. Boredom or audaciousness? Ennui or pleasure? Melancholy or romance? You decide.

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” - Anäis Nin

The Two of Wands - Art by Katelan Foisy

The Page of Pentacles - Reversed…

Are you feeling frustrated? Something you are aiming for and putting a great deal of work into is just not going your way? Stop. Yep - you heard me right. Stop doing. Walk away, take a break. You need a breather. If you continue in this venture right now, you will only wind up depleting your energy and feeling hopeless. So, time to set it down and find escape. Go for a beautiful walk…take a day trip that gets you out of your head…do something that has absolutely nothing to do with that project or situation. In fact, not just today - take the time you need to recover and restore without the nagging pressure of that obligation. I can feel your panic as I write this - “But, it has to get done. But, they can’t wait. But, there’s a deadline…” And I say this - “It will. They can. Set your own deadline when you are ready.” And how about this “but”, “But what about you and your own personal wellbeing?!?” Time to take a break. Just walk away. You will know when you are ready to return to it and you will return with a fresh outlook.

“Sometimes when we take a break, we may find that solutions then present themselves.” - Catherine Pulsifer

The Page of Pentacles - Reversed from Dame Darcy’s Mermaid Tarot

The Seven of Cups - Reversed…

This is not a “feel good” read - the cards are giving us straight up tarot tough love today. Get your head out of the clouds! I know you are feeling trapped by reality, but your current circumstance is limited in this moment, so you will have to sit tight for a bit. Don’t make any decisions today, as things are not what they seem. Even the possibilities that appear for you in this hold, will prove not to be viable. Emotions abound within and this internal turmoil won’t allow you to even process the truth of these opportunities. Your future projections are unreliable and everything being presented is not what it seems. Today is not a day for dreaming, but rather living in the truth and actuality you are so desperately trying to avoid. Confront the truth of your situation. Sometimes, we simply do not have choices until we look the truth square in the eye. So, come back to reality, my friends.

“You never find yourself until you face the truth.” - Pearl Bailey

The 7 of Cups (Reversed) - Just being honest - I don’t know what deck this image is from.

The King of Wands…

Monday throwing you an unnerving curve ball? Well, if you really want to take charge in a fiery way, it’s time to extend your vision beyond what is directly in front of you. There are so many ways to get this week back on track - so start by getting creative in your understanding of what is possible. Think long term - far reaching and big picture. Ok, enough of the buzz-words. But, really, imagining yourself pushing past what is possible and connecting with the feeling of great achievement and success first. And then, traveling back in time to envision the steps that got you there. This could inspire you to do things a little differently. A spark of inspiration is exactly what you need to stand your ground. Set the visionary in you free, by letting the originality of your own imagination ignite.

“It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau

The King of Wands from the Mystic Monday Tarot by Grace Duong

Temperance…

This week use your imagination to invite balance back into your own personal wonderland. Last week’s twists and turns have led you in a direction of reactiveness and over-indulgence which is not sustainable. You may not want to admit this, but it’s true. You’ve had an exhaustive swim in a river that proved to be more sour than sweet. Pull yourself out of the sludge, shake off the sticky residue and use all of your thoughtful eccentricity to find an easier way of reaching your destination. Meld everything you have already discovered while on this exciting, but tiresome journey and create the perfect composition of sweet and savory to share with those in your circle. This flow of tasty creative juices might change your course entirely, so be open and ready for anything - let yourself be fizzy-lifted to a a lighter atmosphere! You are not a bad egg, my friend, so welcome evenness into your life - it’s time to approach your goals with measured and magical style.

“So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.” - Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) by way of Roald Dahl

The Temperance Card - Artist’s Rendering on Santulli Illustration - Perry Santulli

The Wheel of Fate…

This card appeared for me twice this week - Upright and Reversed. Initially I didn’t post about it, but today with its second appearance, I knew I would have to confront it. Honestly, with the week it’s been, it makes sense this card has manifested in both directions. (BTW - you can always tell I’ve had a crazy week when every “card of the day” becomes a “card of the late night”.) So here’s a little symbolism dissertation courtesy of the internet noting the Wheel of Fate as a reflection of the Buddhist Wheel of Life : “The circle, the round shape of the wheel, represents the perfection of the dharma, the Buddha's teaching. The rim of the wheel represents meditative concentration and mindfulness, which hold practice together. The hub represents moral discipline.” Mindfulness…practice…concentration…all elements that were necessary to get through the twists and turns of the week! In the center, that moral discipline both guiding and observing as we proceed. The wheel can become a compass. When we lose our way, we only need to focus, practice and be mindful to activate our way toward greater understanding and connect with our moral center. But, to be honest…sometimes I just want to go to bed and start fresh in the morning! Good night!

“Life is like a wheel. Sooner or later it always comes around to where you started again.” - Stepen King

The Wheel of Fortune/Fate from the Elemental Tarot 78 (Artist Chris Anne)

Page of Cups…

Surprising day. Not easy, but surprising. Are you feeling the same way? When stress levels get high and emotions churn, it helps to greet each moment with the openness of a child. You don’t have to fully detach from your emotional life to function. You can simply be curious. Curiosity allows you to step outside of the experience and recognize the usefulness of all kinds of things. Laughter is a balm, anger can lead to knowledge and even tears can be advantageous when they are shared. So take that overwhelm, get inquisitive and grow yourself a gorgeous garden. Expect the best of those you give you and if they don’t join you in your mission to heighten toward the sun - if they threaten your own glorious extension - simply ask “why” with a smile. Hold on to that innocence they have long abandoned and no matter what feelings strike you, you will proliferate. Sweet dreams, my beautiful sunflowers!

“CURIOSITY WILL CONQUER FEAR EVEN MORE THAN BRAVERY WILL”. - James Stephens

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