In keeping with the new theme of doing more tarot and blogging for 2018, I kicked off this new year with a New Year’s Eve spread. I chose to use, and modify, the NYE Spread from Beth of Little Red Tarot. This 10-card spread is designed to guide you in the transition from one year to the next. Ten cards is a lot, so I modified it by pulling fewer cards.
1. Center: What surrounds me right now? I pulled one card and got The High Priestess. Which is fitting because my word for 2018 is faith. Having this show up as my center for tonight’s energy seems auspicious. I welcome these energies and look forward to finding my center through it all.
2. Dusk: What am I leaving behind this year? I pulled one card and got the 5 of cups. 2017 had a lot of tears. I lost many friends and dealt with health issues. It’s time I leave all the tears and negativity behind, clearing my way forward. I cannot be held back by the pain and disappointment.
3. Horizon: What comes into my life this year? I pulled one card and have Justice. Justice IS the card of 2018 (adding all the numbers up, we get 11). Love this synchronicity. I’ve been through a lot in 2017 and I feel like I’ve been given a chance to start fresh this year. Things will return to balance this new year. I’m looking forward to it. And here’s to being back on track for my goals.
4. Focus: Where should I put my attention in 2018? I pulled two cards, the 4 of pentacles and the 4 of swords. Work and Health. I need to return to my words and to what matters to me and share my gifts more often. Hence, the need for blogging and writing. I also need to rest and find the balance in my mind. Perhaps it is time to give meditation a go again.
5. Tools: Resource to draw upon. I pulled one card and got the Queen of Wands. It’s time to let my leonine side out more often. I was made for the limelight and haven’t really allowed myself to go free. Let go of the dumpy, the boring, and paint the world once more with my perspective and colors. It’s time to be fearless and don’t look back.
In about 12 hours I’ll be on a plane heading from Portland, OR to Milwaukee, WI for my Soulful Proprietor Retreat. Spent most of today adding the final touches of packing, and getting the house clean (I like to come home to a clean house). It’s part of my pre-anxiety flight and trip planning. I love trips but I don’t like the anxiety it builds in me. I always feel like I may be left behind, even when people (like Theresa) have told me over and over again that I’ve been taken care of.
So, in preparation for the trip, I’ve gone to my tarot deck to answer the following questions:
1. What can I do to minimize the trip anxiety?
2. What should I focus on at the retreat?
3. What will the retreat give back to me?
And these are the three cards I pulled:
1. What can I do to minimize the trip anxiety?
5 of Pentacles from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
The Five of Pentacles. Ah, this card and I are close friends… usually it refers to my depression and how I normally feel. However, it reminds me to seek inner wisdom, to connect to my center and to my goddess and the spirituality I feel. This retreat is a combination between play, work, and relaxation. It’s going to help me move forward and blend the three of my life’s passions together to help me give back to those who need help.
2. What should I focus on at the retreat?
9 of Swords from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Nine of Swords. The first thing that strikes me about this card is to clear the clutter, push through my fears and know that I’m here to expose myself to new business practices that can really help me. Stop being afraid and just take the plunge.
3. What will the retreat give back to me?
5 of Wands from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Five of Wands. Normally, this card relates to the chaos and confusion that goes on when I have too many new ideas I’m also looking forward to the shake up in both my spiritual world and business life. However, I get a sense of playfulness when I see this card for this question. I’m going to be immersing myself with 24 wonderful women who also have a passion for what they do. I get to learn for each and every one of these ladies and share with them my thoughts. This retreat will energize me and hopefully, flood my head with new techniques, ideas, and a crew of ladies I can trust and go to for help and advice in the future.
More tomorrow when after I landed in Wisconsin, enjoy a hot chocolate, and get settled into the Retreat Center.
Getting a tarot reading is a lot of fun. There are a lot of readers out there (including me) and we’re all ready to help you. Before you go in for your first reading, look over these tips to find the right reader for you.
Knowledge. First and foremost, you may want to do some homework and research some of the other readers in your area. Online search engines and social media are a great start to finding readers around the world. Your local New age, or pagan, bookstores may host in-store readers for you to choose from and display many brochures and business cards from other readers. Collect all the information you can find. Do they seem to share your beliefs of what the cards can do for you? How long have they been working with the cards? Are they new to reading or have they read the cards for quite a while? Many Tarotists post a page of testimonials from past clients. This is useful to gleam information about a reader’s style of reading and what help they’ve provided to people in the past. There are many types of readers with many types of styles. You may want to understand a reader’s background and techniques to make sure you’re finding a person who’s compatible with your style of learning.
Cost. The next thing you’ll want to find out is the range the reader offers for their readers. In Portland, Oregon these rates can be as low as $20 for a half hour, or $40 for an hour. Some readers also offer sliding scales or discounts.
Expectations. Tarot Readers help people just like your health care professionals. As such, there will always be certain expectations from both you and your reader. The best way to get the most out of your reading session is to tell your reader what you expect to know or learn. Be upfront and forthright in this. If they cannot meet your expectations, they may offer to refer you to someone else who is better suited to address your concerns. Likewise, your reader may expect certain information or behavior out of you during your session. For example, before I meet with my clients, I always try and get their birthdate information so that I can understand what energies are going on around them and can try and tailor responses to their goals better. I also expect my clients to be truthful, open, and willing to try new things and ideas. Setting expectations and knowing what you are getting into can relieve fear and can pave the way for a wonderful relationship with a Tarot reader and the cards from the very start.
Psychic ability. Not all Tarot readers are mind readers. While we can read the cards for you and for ourselves, we may not understand how the information will relate to your life unless you help provide the context. A Tarot reading is a two way street, which involves a dialog between you and your reader who are discussing the symbolism and meanings of the cards. When I read for others, I allow you to speak and we interpret the cards with your language. After all, this is your reading. It’s important to me as your guide to use your own symbols, language, and patterns with the cards. Be ready to help your reader by giving them as much information they need to help you out. I do not consider myself a psychic. The information I give from the cards are given from the years that I have studied with them, worked with them, and the input I received from my clients. Sometimes, I get statements or thoughts in my head that seem like they come from somewhere else, but I do not get them all the time, and it doesn’t mean that I am a true psychic.
Finally, there is one more question that you need to prepare yourself for. Are you really ready to hear what is said? From my experience, not all Tarot readings go “as planned.” Something as a simple “who is my love?” can turn into a deep dark discussion about an event that happened in your family while you were a child. When these sorts of things come up, you need to mentally prepare yourself for it. Sometimes the Tarot doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, it tells you what you need to know.
When all is said and done, you should leave a good reading experience feeling like you have the answers, hope and some control over the issue or concern that bought you to seeking advice from a Tarot reader in the first place. You might not always leave with the answers you were hoping for but you should be able to use the information from the reading to lay out a road map for you to reach you goals.
A lot is going on about the Mayan and the end of their calendar. I’ve even had a few friends asking me what the Tarot thinks of it all. Here’s my response:
The Wheel of Fortune from the Shadowscapes Tarot
What should I be aware of for December 21st?
The Wheel of Fortune. The date, just like any other solstice, reminds us of another spinning of the wheel. This turn brings us from Autumn to Winter and the world, will continue passing from season to season.
What will come out of this?
9 of Cups from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
The Nine of Cups. People will make whatever they want out of it. Some people, those who are spiritually minded, look to this change as if it will bring some deeper change on a metaphysical level. Most will see it as just another day and continue their daily patterns.
Anything else we should know?
Ace of Cups from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Ace of Cups. No matter what happens on this date, the end of this calendar heralds a new emotional cycle. The Ace designates a beginning of a new cycle, and this is a new era.
The fact that there are two cups cards and one major arcana suggests that this date is an emotionally and somewhat spiritually charged. However, since there are no swords, wands, or coins… I’m confident that this isn’t the end of everything.
Happy Summer Solstice everyone! A special welcome to the visitors from John Marani’s website. I hope you find this post as warm and inviting as the others along the hop!
I can’t believe it’s Summer Solstice already. Living in the Pacific Northwest, you’d never guess it. We’ve had more rain than sun this season. I’m hoping that with the dawning of the sun today that it brings in more sun to our wet lands. As far as the Solstice is concerned, this is a time to celebrate the full power of the sun’s rays. It’s a time to get stuff done, and to honor the heat and warmth of Nature.
The topic for the Tarot Blog hop, run by Chloë McCracken was, “Celebrate the Sunrise.” And man, what a great topic! My mind instantly went to wanting to talk about how my impending move from Vancouver, WA to Portland, OR begins by packing all our possessions into a POD.
Unfortunately, it’s not very tarot related. So once again, I’ve pulled out my trusty Shadowscapes tarot to help me brainstorm ideas.
The Star from the Shadowscapes Tarot
Brainstorming with tarot is a fun idea. I’ve created stories from cards, names of groups, and even picked gifts just by looking at the cards. It’s very easy to do too. All you need to do is to select a card (or more) from your deck and then you allow the card’s name, number, image, symbols, meanings, etc. to help you create ideas.
The card I’ve drawn to help me Celebrate the Sunrise for this Summer Solstice is The Star. Now when I look at this card, the first thing that comes into my mind is how blue this card is. There’s a lot of blue and purples. So i think about our blue sky. This leads me into thinking about how I should wake up with the sunrise and look to the sky.
From there, I get the following list:
Bless the Eastern sky in the morning.
Wear light colored clothes, to keep my body cool while loading the POD (inspired by the white clothed person).
Count all the blessings that the Universe has given me (inspired by the meaning of the Star as being a card oh hopes and wishes).
Visit a pond that has fish in it (inspired by the water and the fish displayed in the card).
Learn more ways to tread lightly on the Earth (inspired the way the main figure walks).
Now I have a whole list of ways that I can celebrate the sunrise tomorrow and throughout the warmer weather (when it arrives). Celebrating the solstice, or any holiday for that matter, doesn’t need to be extravagant… sometimes the best celebrations are when you honor and enjoy the simple things in life. I hope you enjoyed this post and have a wonderfully inspired Summer Solstice.
