Author: innowen

Strength is one of my power cards. The number of the card, eight, represents August which is the month of my birth. Strength is one of those cards that has both a gentle and a hard meaning. Many cards depict a woman taming a wild beast, mostly a lion–usually by showing some compassionate gesture that soothes the savage beast. When this card comes up for my clients, I know that this person has a depth of strength that they probably did not know they have. This card shows us that we have the power to get through life, with a poise perfect for any situation. Like the person who puts their hand in front of an animal ready to bite, strength gives us the guts to know that the only danger we’re in is created in our minds.

Seeing this card today reminds me just how strong I am when I put my mind to it. I climbed Mt. St. Helens to her peak. I ride motorcycles. And I know that I can do whatever I want, as long as I have the belief in my abilities and my heart. We rode to the Pacific Ocean today. This is another source of strength. The strength of the Earth and the elements that come together to make the magic of the Pacific Northwest, my home. It’s this same strength that will help me find my balance at The Readers Studio, as well as get me across the nation and back home.

The Chariot is a card on the move. People who get the Chariot are going places. They’re movers and shakers and they know what they want. It’s all about getting things done and having the energy to move forward with plans and ideas.

For me, I feel like my life has become one big appointment after another. I’ve been moving so fast that all I want to do with my downtime is sleep and rest. Last night we were out talking to a realtor and didn’t get home until bedtime. I’m tired today and that’s why I didn’t get this post up. The Chariot is my reminder that when I’m at The Readers Studio, to try and find pockets of time where I don’t have to be go go go. It’s good to be busy and on the move, but when it comes down to it, rest and some time to myself is also required.

We’re T-14 days and counting until The Readers Studio bonanza starts. Which means we’re almost there! I find it strangely fitting that the last card of the Major Arcana is featured in the middle of this countdown. The World (known as Gaia in some decks) is a wonderful card. It’s got the maturity of having learned all the lessons of the earlier Majors but the spunk and glint of mischievousness that The Fool has. In The World, we have come full circle and can now experience life, lessons, and archetypes on a higher level. We have come home, and we recognize and have learned how to care for ourselves, those we love, and the planet that sustains us.

Last night, my Goddess Project group sat in attendance at a wonderful workshop put on by Gaia. In this workshop, we spoke more about the divine feminine and what it means to hold this space. I found that much of what we spoke about and shared with one another directly relates to the concepts of The World card in that it teaches us how to love and accept ourselves; and extends this outwards to loving and respecting others; and even further out to loving, respecting and honoring this planet. The World reminds us we’re alive and we need to celebrate this spirit! Now that I come to think about it, in a way, this is also how I view being a part of the Readers Studio experience.

The Tower is one of the more difficult cards to deal with. Conventionally known as the card that will turn your world upside down, this card bears some heavy hitting energy. In most certain circumstances, The Tower happens when things are at their worst. It’s a shocking jolt to the system and this energy can be hard to deal with. However, I tend to liken this as a reset button, where you can have a do-over day.

And that’s The Tower I see going on in my life. With the move I’m getting a chance to re-envision my lifestyle. Me and my hubby are moving to a new house, a new floor plan that fits our current life better. I’ll be in a new area to market my businesses to. When I go to the Readers Studio, I’ll feel like I have a whole 4 days of new material to learn and a whole new temporary autonomous zone to live and thrive in. It’s a bit overwhelming and scary but also exciting.

The Devil is probably one of the most potent majors of the tarot. He lures us in with lusty promises and tells us that it’s okay to give into those desires. He is, after all, temptation incarnate. While sometimes it’s good to give into urges occasionally, discipline is also needed. While we all think that it’s the Devil’s fault for pushing us and teasing us, remember, the chains around our necks are loose and we allow ourselves to be as trapped as we let him.

I gave into the Devil’s call today. Instead of going out and getting boxes to start packing items, I slept in and took a mental health day. It felt so good to stay in my pjs and just read books and do nothing. The lure, of “You don’t really NEED to spend all those hours working on stuff. You can sleep in. After all, you didn’t go to bed until after 3am last night,” was powerful. And while I know that it’s okay to have one day like this…it’s too easy for me to slide down and keep on doing nothing. I don’t want to give into his vices. I have big plans for my life and they require me to remove the collar and not give into the soothing voice of the Devil.