The Lovers - Reversed…

The true magic of love lies not in the romantic and idealized early moments of togetherness, but rather in the way you approach all of the challenging difficulties you face as a couple. Even when this card presents upright, it offers more questions than answers (much like love). So, if you are thinking that a relationship is the answer you are seeking or some kind of magical healing bond that you need and deserve, perhaps you are setting yourself up for the heartbreaks you will continue to encounter?!? I know - that’s so harsh….but if you feel disappointed, let down and deceived by love, it’s time to start asking yourself some very strong questions…”Who am I in a relationship?” “What can I bring into the world of another person that I adore?” “How hard am I willing to work when I find the person that fits best?” And, keep in mind - it’s not the “perfect” person, but rather the person that “fits best”. If you have ideas that you can change another to make them fit, return to the questions above. Love is hard work, but when it’s supported by the best of intentions, it’s pure magic.

“Love has nothing to do with what you expect to get, only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.” - Katherine Hepburn

The Lovers (Reversed) - Artist’s rendering

The Fool…

Here’s an odd question for you - did you stop just once today to notice your posture?! We often move through our daily routines and work challenges with an incredibly hunched bearing. I know it sounds very minor, but mindless slouching can alter how we are perceived by others AND change the way we feel ourselves. And, yet, we allow our chests to cave in and our shoulders to round upwards as we cast our gaze to the ground quite mindlessly. If you have been feeling a bit detached or defeated, the way to shift the energy you are experiencing might be as simple as realigning your carriage. Tonight, take a minute to meditate on this Fool Card - head up, arms open and leading with the heart. Sure…he may be terrifyingly close to the edge of a cliff, but unabashed confidence does benefit from a little danger. The concave posture is safe, but not serving you. Make a quick study of this card tonight and then see if you can let your physicality inhabit it tomorrow! If you truly want to experience the world through a dynamically colorful lens, it’s time to strike a new pose, my friends - one of joy, confidence, curiosity and purity of spirit. Give it a shot - you may be surprised at the reaction you get from others as well as the fullness of life you feel inside.

“A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.” - Morihei Ueshiba

The Fool - Artists Rendering of the tradition Rider/Waite/Smith depiction

The Six of Swords & The Star…

Feel like you need a getaway, but stuck in the hum-drum toiling of daily life?!? Tonight when you close your eyes, you may find yourself welcomed aboard a boat that will take you, safely, into another realm. Accept the ride. In fact, you may want to tuck a penny or dime under your pillow before you drift off, because this shipmaster might want something in exchange for the expedition they are waiting to take you on. It is a journey away from the boundaries of the mind and into a blissful and magical version of you. This dream form of who you are is open, willing and ready for any and all encounters - they are bathing themselves in a powerful level of vulnerability and the grand awakening of possibility. Sail away from your thoughts and step into the light of the universe. Sometimes you don’t have to travel anywhere to experience that kind of golden magic. Maybe you just need to allow your dreams to carry you away from the tangible and into your own incredible psyche. You are made of stardust, after all. Sweet dreams!

“You and I are made of stardust. We are the stuff of exploded stars. We are, therefore, at least one way that the universe knows itself. That, to me, is astonishing.” - Bill Nye

The Six of Swords into The Star from the Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman

The Five of Swords - Reversed…

This weekend I spent a fair amount of time untying knots - gnarls in necklaces that I hadn’t dealt with, tangles in cords on various appliances that I let sit, a few snags in the stitching of old sweaters and finally the mess that once was the string for my window blinds. It occurred to me that there might be a deeper metaphor at play and when I pulled this card this morning, there it was. The Monday after a holiday can be quite overwhelming, but it’s time to untangle our thoughts. I think we have been fixating, ruminating and exaggerating much of what we have at hand. The story in our minds can twist us up in a baffling and intimidating trap. You know better than to let your thoughts ensnare you like they have been. So, take it one tiny tangle at at time and begin to untie your mind. Today is the perfect Monday to free yourself!

“A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.” - Mae West

The Five of Swords (Reversed) from the Wheel of Change Tarot by Alexandra Genetti

The Wheel of Fate…

This week, life spins a little faster, my friends. We must be ready for our world to shift in a direction that we hadn’t anticipated. No matter how wild and disorienting this feels to you, it’s important that you ground yourself in the understanding that danger and protection go hand in hand. The universe will only hurl at you that which you can handle, so don’t throw your hands up in the air and declare defeat. It is imperative that you keep moving with the turmoil, no matter how dizzy you feel. Use your full strength to hang on and rely on your steadfast determination. Trust that you will land in the right place. In fact, someone will notice your efforts and you will be celebrated. Growth is assured, so stay on track. You got this!

“You can win a lot in life by just being the last one to give up.” - James Clear

The Wheel of Fate from The Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman

Three of Pentacles…

Looks like you have quite a journey ahead of you in order to make it to the summit of where it is you belong. But, you see your destination clearly and though the challenge is steep, your focus is keen and your spirit delights at the thought of the climb. One thing that is becoming clear to you is that you will need support. Who are your golden three? Who, in your life, are ready to step in and aid you on this endeavor? Today is the perfect day to identify them. You will need to some time really connecting to what is at stake for you, so you can better understand the needs you will have along the way. This knowledge will guide you to your perfect three. Once you have figured it out, reach out and enlist their guidance. You don’t have to do this alone. They are waiting for you to invite them into your expedition, so they can bolster your progress one step at a time. One day you will be poised and ready to return that favor. Perhaps by sending a rope down from way up high!

“Many of us are willing to lend a helping hand, but we’re very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves. It’s as if we’ve divided the world into “those who offer help” and “those who need help”. The truth is that we are both.” - Brene Brown

The Three of Pentacles from Aunty Flo Tarot

Six of Cups…

Funny that this card should spring up as the theme of our weekend, when the latter word in Thanksgiving - is giving. Also, Thanksgiving seems to herald a season full of giving…gifts, at least. But if you want to really embrace the spirit of giving, you must not be sucked into the black Friday sales and find yourself buried under a mound of wrapping paper, ribbons and trimmings. Log off of Amazon and log back into the moment. Though, you may find yourself drafting lists of what has been purchased and what you still have left to acquire - this weekend, make an alternate list…a list that sites how you might give of yourself in the here and now in a way that doesn’t involve your credit cards. A phone call, a heartfelt chat, a shared joke, a little bit of help with a loved one’s plans…there are so many small ways to give of yourself that are often overshadowed by the season. If you make this list, think not of yourself, but of the potential need of the others. Who in your circumference is calling out for a tiny gesture of thoughtfulness? How might you extend yourself in a way that will encourage the blossoming of all?

“We make a living by what we get, but make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

The Six of Cups from the Divine Diversity Tarot by Joe Phillips

Knight of Wands - Reversed & Eight of Cups - Reversed…

A late night “Two Card Tuesday” with a little bit of tarot tough love. When you walk away from something that is no longer working for you, you are not only walking away from the disappointment and dysfunction, but most often you are also walking away from a situation or person that made your heart dance. It’s time to realize, though, that you must in order to advance in a healthy way. Don’t resist the change because you have memories that are joyful. They are still just memories, after all. Pack up those memories - they will be magnificent to revisit when you are ready at a much later date. Tonight, before bed, take a moment and write down all the good stuff that you know you will have to leave behind - a letter to yourself of what you would like to remember. Take one last read and then hide that missive away - some place you know about, but is hard for you to access. Then dream of what is ahead of you - all the adventures that you are ready to embark on and the great possibilities of who you will become. Tomorrow, let’s pull a card signifying how you might get there. Sweet dreams!

“If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new Hello.” Paulo Coelho

The Knight of Wands (Reversed) and the 8 of Cups (Reversed) from The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne

The Magician (Reversed)…

Some may think, when they turn over a reversed Magician, that they don’t have what they need to advance or succeed. But, I don’t see it that way. The lemsiscate or infinity symbol on the card looks the same upright as it does reversed and that exudes an impressive message. You always have what you need at your disposal, even when you feel as if you don’t. The very base of your magic is…you! All elements of who you are align in a way that grants you the power to flourish. So, in this moment if you feel a bit “turned on your head”, see if you can get a sense of where that feeling is actually coming from. Likely there’s an outside influence clouding your personal sorcery. Who are what is threatening your livelihood?!? It’s time to figure it out and protect your magic. Stop blaming yourself for this disconnect - it’s a mirage created by another. You have what you need.

“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” - Brian Tracy

The Magician (Reversed) from the Sacred Isle Tarot by David Higgins

The Knight of Pentacles…

Security is a constant battle. Financial and foundational grounding must be chased and won. This week you should take the first step in a direction of future stability. It might not be what you thought you’d be striving toward on a holiday week, but at least this moment will allow you some breathing space to take stock of what you have and what is missing. Like a squirrel that steals acorns and nuts away for winter, what resources will you need to maintain solvency and certainty in the years ahead and which of those elude you? Pause to hatch your plan and embolden yourself to charge into the fray with determination and strategy to acquire exactly what you will need to thrive. You are at the start of this, so arm yourself with confidence and you will eventually achieve the reliable existence you long for. The journey starts now.

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” - Carol Burnett

The Knight of Pentacles from The Labyrinth Tarot by Luis Royo

The Four of Wands…

You don’t need a reason to throw a party tonight - celebrate existence! Seriously, there is so much to cherish, why wait for a “special” occasion. If you were to treat everyday as an event worth honoring, imagine the joyous festival your life would become! Start tonight - set the table lavishly or head out to a fancy spot and treat yourself like the King, Queen or something in-between that you are! Surround yourself with people who love you and that you adore. Indulge and you will start to see just how special every minute can be. Let your life be one big party starting tonight. Happy Saturday, you party animals!

“And in the end, it’s not the years in a life…it’s the life in the years.” - Abraham Lincoln

The Four of Wands from the Daniloff Tarot by Alexander Daniloff

The Sun…

During pandemic times I started a daily affirmation practice to boost my spirit. It proved to be so useful, that it has remained a vital part of my morning routine and it truly gets my day started right. Today, as I was crafting my affirmation for the day, I felt the sun beaming through the window and warming my cheeks and I thought, “I feel the sun on my face even when it’s cloudy.” Then for our card of the weekend, there it appeared, that glorious sun! And the day became incredibly overwhelming, but I continued to connect to the warmth of the sun through those swirling clouds! The truth is with this card, upright or reversed, the light is still undeniably there. So this weekend, no matter where you find yourself or what brand of chaos is hovering over you, take a minute to breathe and feel that sun. Let love and light blossom all around you with childlike glee- you deserve that beautiful brand of redemption. Happy Friyay!

“Even when it’s raining, the sunshine is still there.” - Clare Josa

“Here comes the sun…” - The Beatles

The Sun from the Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman

Page of Wands - Reversed…

There is a new and childlike passion smoldering underneath the surface for you! Oh, this feeling of readiness and excitement is urging you to release this fiery secret, but you must resist. I know you feel ready to liberate these smokey feelings or ideas, but the timing is not quite right. Keep it all to yourself for the moment. If you open yourself up to sharing these desires and fascinations too soon, you will feel quite vulnerable. That spark could be vanquished way too soon. So, hold it close to the chest. Study it and see if you can foster it’s potency so that when the time is right, you’ll be ready to set the world on fire!

“Keep a little fire burning no matter how small or how hidden.” - Anonymous

The Page of Wands (Reversed) - Don’t know what deck this is, but it’s fiery!

The Nine of Swords…

The Moon, The Tower and now this! The Nine of Swords can be a dose of darkness. We are off to quite a start this week. Perhaps the deep-dive into the subconscious is a little too cavernous for our mental well being? If you are spinning in your mind and finding it hard to sleep at night, don’t retreat even further inward. Raise your head and open those eyes - what you see in front of you will not be as overwhelming as it feels to you on the inside. In fact, this is the perfect moment for you to wake up and realize how you might utilize your own subconscious memories and experiences to master the dizzying thoughts you find hovering in the present. I mean, you made it through all that past terror, trauma and muckety muck, take a moment to recall how strong you were as you confronted it all and conquer this moment with ease. To start this process - just face it. The tangible truth is always less daunting than the imagined fiction. Slay your own dragons tonight.

“The real strength and the impelling part of the story isn’t the slaying of the dragon, it’s in the story of the main character’s development of the courage to try.” - Will Kalif

The Nine of Swords from The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson

The Moon…

It has been proven that the subconscious mind controls 95% of our lives. Meaning that the majority of our interactions, decisions and basic body functions are dominated by the instinctual brain activity that is not consciously aware to us. In this forgotten space of our individual spirits, we hold repressed memories, knowledge learned through experiences both positive and negative and desires we tuck away for fear of shameful discovery. Incredibly, the frequencies of the moon has the power to move your subconscious into the conscious. WHAT?! It’s true. This can be jarring, but if you know how to use this energy to your advantage, it can be incredibly illuminating. This week, be your own Moon and shed light on the deepest secrets that you possess. Notice your instinctual decision making as you move through your days and ask yourself, “where IS this coming from?” Take a cavernous journey into that place of discovery deep within and let your hidden content claw its way to the surface. You shouldn’t be afraid of the pieces of you that determine 95% of your life. Use each day this week to become acquainted with them - welcome them into your life and wear the power of the moon like a heavenly crown.

“If the moon smiled, she would resemble you. You leave the same impression Of something beautiful, but annihilating.” - Sylvia Plath

The Moon from The Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman

A Cluster for the Holiday Season Ahead…

I felt compelled to pull four cards today with the holiday season in mind. What do we need to know as we enter the mad-frenzy of this next couple of months?!? I couldn’t help but laugh as these cards appeared. Family….oh, the joys and deep disappointments that await when it comes to family this season will amaze and astound. The truth is we will always feel like the tiny, vulnerable child longing for love and approval and this season will bring all of that to the surface as it has done over and over again each year. However, it is important to know that the power which you feel they hold over your experience is actually a choice you are making on your own. Their love is strong and true, but will not bend to meet your every expectation. Despite all of the question and doubts that arise for you this season, you can be certain that you have inherited who you are from the teachings of your family. Keep in mind that learning what not to do or who not to be is just as valuable as being guided in the right direction for self. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of family values, inclusion is not far off if you can recognize the strength and power of what has been handed down and find a sense of gratitude for who you have become. You may feel like you don’t have choices, but you ultimately get to choose how you will feel this season...

“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” - Mary Karr

“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.” - George Bernard Shaw

The Page of Cups - The Emperor - The Empress - The Seven of Cups (Reversed) from The Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman

The Hierophant - Reversed…

Who needs tradition when you can do it your own way?!? The theme of this weekend is to defy conventional habits with your own colorful and unique approach. Don’t let anyone tell you how it should be done - invent your own way and declare that it is so. Sift through any delineated truth and you will find doubt. All prescribed guidelines must be challenged. Rules?!? Break them. If something existing in your path doesn’t make sense, question it and keep questioning it until you figure out what the alternative is. There is always an alternative. It’s time for you to reclaim your personal understanding of the world around you. Become your own authority this weekend and do it with unbridled flair.

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” -Katherine Hepburn

The Hierophant - Reversed. I don’t know what deck this is and I’m not following rules today, so it’s up to you to find it…

The Four of Swords - Reversed…

Wake up, sleepyhead. You may feel inclined to retreat into stillness today and remove yourself from what is at hand, but this is not the time to drift away from your responsibilities. Rouse yourself and take a hold of one specific thought that is ready for action. Grab onto that idea and let it jar you from the idle rest you have succumb to. Use this thought as a weapon against your own lethargy. It’s time to motivate yourself. True balance, in your case, calls out for decisive measures. Take initiative by forcing yourself to accept one challenge set in front of you. Before you know it, you will be taking on so much more with ease and confidence. If you want that solid foundation of thought, time to leap up and take control.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” - Zig Ziglar

The Four of Swords (Reversed) from the Deck that resides on Aunty Flo’s Website - still unidentified, but love the images

The Nine of Wands…

In what ways did you smolder on this Wednesday? What struck a fire in your soul so strong that you felt driven to self protection? If you had been feeling lost, let the glowing embers of your impassioned heart point you on the path of your true direction. If you know exactly where you stand, let the fierceness of your determination draw a line in the smokey sand creating the boundaries you need to hold your ground. Those who try to cross you or that boundary are to be pitied. They will shake in fear and be in shock when they encounter the zealousness you exude in defense of your authentic journey. Own this defiance - you have earned it and you will prevail. Let your blaze be a warning and if they choose to ignore it….burn it all down.

“The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” - Howard Zinn

The Nine of Wands from The Tarot De La Nuit - Artist Rendering on Deviant Art by Alexandra V. Bach

Two of Wands - Reversed & Ten of Pentacles…

Happy Tuesday! I’ve decided to work with my Sacred Rose Tarot Deck a lot more in my practice, so you will be seeing more of these cards. Why, you ask? I was drawn to buy this deck almost 20 years ago while I was in New Orleans, one of my most favorite magical places and I was excited to get to know it. Strangely, when I started to use it, it felt distant to me and indecipherable - so I set it aside. I am called to return to this deck because, I have learned over the years that even the most shy and aloof friends are longing to be understood. Usually, the messages they have to share are even more impactful than you might expect. So, here goes… Decisions are tough when it comes to forming a bond that will help you to build toward a more fulfilling future. If you are caught in a place of indecision today regarding something or someone that you feel incredibly passionate about - a personal sacrifice must be made. Purity and love don’t always meet eye to eye and you understand that you cannot hold on to this idea much longer. Give of yourself knowing that the atonement will inspire warmth and radiant promise in the years ahead. Though it may feel a bit out of alignment, do what you must do now to harvest spun gold and splendor in your future.

“Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.” - Mitch Albom

The 2 of Wands (Reversed) & the 10 of Pentacles from the Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman