Articles

Mar 17 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Mar 17, 2014 — Nine of Lights

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Nine of Lights

This can be a rewarding and fulfilling day for you. The Nine of Lights provides you with opportunities to count your blessings, thank your lucky stars and be witness to miracles taking place all around you.

This card (referred to as the Nine of Cups in most decks) refers to abundance, prosperity, happiness and fulfillment. it’s a card of gratitude and wonder; it speaks of being present in the moment and willing to receive all that the Universe has to offer.

In this version of the card we see Dante (from the Divine Comedy’s Paradiso volume) ascending into the Eighth Heaven — the Sphere of Fixed Stars. We see him rising above the earth, through the clouds and sky, past the planets and constellations, and on into Heaven. His lifts up his arms — in wonder and gratitude — basking in the glory that surrounds him.

Here’s a simplified summary of this section, from the Schmoop.com website:

“Beatrice and Dante ascend to the Eighth Heaven, sphere of the Fixed Stars. Dante gazes down on Earth and realizes how small and petty it is. They witness the coronation and re-ascension of Mary and Christ into the Empyrean. St. Peter examines Dante on faith. Dante conveys his hope of returning to Florence one day to be crowned as a poet. St. James examines Dante on hope. Dante goes blind. St. John examines Dante on charity. Adam answers Dante’s four questions. St. Peter denounces corrupt popes.”

Mar 16 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Mar 16, 2014 — Fortitude

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Fortitude

Today’s card — Fortitude — refers to the inner reserves of strength, courage and discipline that are called for in moments of fear or uncertainty.

You may be feeling hesitant about something that threatens to disrupt your daily routine. Or you may be trying to put on a brave face and tackle something that scares you or takes you outside of your comfort zone.

Interviewing for a job. Making a presentation. Confronting an adversary. Expressing emotions. In other words, anything that’s been known to trigger fear or anxiety for you in the past.

This card is called “Strength” in most decks. It refers to the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of strength, such as willpower and self-restraint.

It’s about taking charge of your life and taking back your power — over your fears and compulsions and ultimately your destiny.

Look at the images in this card. Notice how gently the woman strokes the lion’s back and how he reciprocates by lapping at her hand.

This is the essence of the Strength card. It’s about taming the beast within while at the same time lauding its virtues.

Mar 14 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Mar 14, 2014 — Ten of Swords

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Ten of Swords

Today you may be called upon to surrender to the realization that something that means a lot to you must come to an end.

This card is called “Ruin” in some decks, and refers to damage that has been done which cannot be undone, such as a loss of a friendship, the end of a dream or a betrayal of trust.

In this version of the card we see a young fairy falling rapidly through the clouds. Perhaps like Icarus she’s flown too close to the Sun which has melted her wings. They’re still smoldering behind her as she tumbles toward the Earth.

She’s dropped her swords and they scatter around her — only a few are still intact. The clouds obscure the ground beneath her, making it unlikely that she could latch onto something and break her fall. Even if she could though, too much damage has been done.

Mar 05 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Mar 5, 2014 — Temperance

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Temperance

Today you will be called upon to integrate opposing areas of your life into one big calm, peaceful and harmonious medium.

The Temperance card speaks of searching within yourself for that wellspring of inner grace and finding a way to bring the good and bad, light and dark, happy and sad back in to balance.

The Temperance card is called “Art” in some decks. It speaks of the unique creative forces that each of us possess. It speaks of seeking out symmetry and harmony.

In what areas of your life are you too inflexible, too rigid and too unwilling to hear another’s point of view? Your challenge will be to overcome those impediments and to integrate the opposing forces in your life.

In this version of the card we see an angel standing in a field and pouring fluid from one vessel into another. The grass is green and abundant at her feet, the sky is clear and the Sun shines behind her. The rainbow that is usually seen in this card is actually a part of her in this version. In her gown, in her wings and in the landscape behind her.

Her demeanor is calm and peaceful — almost trance-like, as if she’s mesmerized by the process. This is the essence of this card: there’s a calm and graceful symmetry in taking one’s time, going with the flow, and becoming one with all that surrounds you.

Feb 17 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 17, 2014 — King of Cups

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

King of Cups

Today’s card — the King of Cups — is all about getting in touch with your emotions and learning to express them in a healthy mature manner.

The Kings — as with all of the court cards — will often describe an individual entering your life as a facilitator for an important lessons. In this case as it’s Cups (called “Chalices” in this deck) that lesson refers to the realm of feelings, emotions, instinct and intuition.

The King in this version is seated on a throne that rises of the ocean like a pedestal. His robes are ornate although somewhat weathered. His crown and his chalice are both gold. An elephant and a seahorse adorn his shield — a clear reference to his reign over land and sea.

Although this King is kind and compassionate, he’s nobody’s fool. He’s not easily persuaded or manipulated and he doesn’t get caught up in maudlin sentimentality. The seas around him may be turbulent, but he maintains his calm as he keeps a watchful eye on the horizon.

The King of Cups encourages you to be compassionate while still maintaining an air of authority. It speaks of developing a clear emotional radar without becoming wishy washy. And it speaks of getting a better understanding of your emotions without becoming overpowered by them.

Feb 16 2014

An Intuitive 5-Card Tarot Reading with Two Axes

Author: Charles Johnson • Discussion: 5 Comments

(nothing to do with choppers or tomahawks)

by Charles Johnson, guest blogger

Feeling a bit cheesed-off the other day after a Djembe drumming practice at which my drum teacher had failed to define for me just how my sense of timing/ tempo / accent did not come up to hers, after a few hours not exactly fuming but quite deeply bothered (because drumming has become pretty central to my life and my sense of well-being), I got out my favourite Tarot of the Origins deck in order to make sense of / get to the heart of the “problem.”

I hit upon a five-card spread: three cards laid out in a vertical line, representing (from bottom to top) what’s going on from the teacher’s point of view — its origin (card 1: the Four of Jewels); the heart of the situation (card 2 and the central card in the layout: The Mother); and its implication / outcome (card 3: the Five of Jewels).

Feb 07 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 7, 2014 — Four of Swords

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Four of Swords

Today you may be ready to get away from it all. You could be feeling the strains of mundane chores and responsibilities; or maybe you just long to escape from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

The Four of Swords encourages you to disengage from all the noise and distractions around you and to find your strength through recovery.

It could be as simple as getting out of town for the weekend to relax and recharge your batteries. And it could be as profound as going on a life-altering pilgrimage or spiritual retreat.

The figure in this card rests peacefully under a starry sky, He’s tucked in to his own personal sanctuary — a sumptuous tent, luscious blankets and pillow, his sword and helmet resting outside. The four swords also seem to cast a protective shield above him.

If you’re able to get away this weekend then by all means do it! But if you can’t there are other ways to restore your sanity. Meditation, breathwork, self-imposed silence, etc. — any one of these can help you to de-stress and to restore your equilibrium.

Feb 05 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 5, 2014 — Queen of Cups

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Queen of Cups

Today you may need to go inwards to look at a situation in a different way.

The Queen of Cups is intuitive, caring and kind and she may also be giving too much of her energy away in helping others.

There is only so much you can do for someone else and then they are on their own in working through their problems. If you keep giving and giving you will have no energy left to give to yourself.

Perhaps it is time to practice a little bit of self caring to your own self. There are 8 tentacles in this card similar to that of an octopus. Did you know that if an octopus severs a tentacle it will grow back?

This is an interesting analogy to think of with your emotions because even when you lose someone from your life someone else will come into your life to take that person’s place.

Be careful that you do not keep repeating the same emotional mistakes because although you have numerous chances to start over again your best course of action is to take care of yourself first and not lose part of yourself in the first place.

Feb 02 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 2, 2014 — Two of Pentacles

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Two of Pentacles

Today you may be reflecting on the changes that you need to make to bring your world back into balance.

The two of pentacles is all about finding a comfortable compromise between opposing forces. That could mean between work and play, head and heart, fantasy and reality or material vs. spiritual values.

In this version of the card, we see the Sun shining brightly in the sky and a flower-like disk reflected below. The two birds hovering in the upper corners of the card appear to be lifting the Sun, while two plants sprouting from the earth appear to be anchored to the flower.

The smiling face on the Sun is replaced by an inverted Venus symbol stamped on the flower’s face.

All this brings to mind the hermetic principles of “as above so below” that reflect the essence of the two of pentacles (or any of the “two” cards for that matter).

What’s apparent on the surface (the Sun in this case) is not literally reflected beneath the surface (the flower), but is instead a complementary force.

The Two of Pentacles is most often associated with money, but that’s only one small part. While Venus (the symbol we see inverted on the face of the flower) is associated with money, it also represents love, romance, aesthetics and personal values.

Jan 29 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Jan 29, 2014 — Queen of Swords

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: 2 Comments

Queen of Swords

You may have to make a decision today that is based on logic and principle rather than intuition.

The Queen of Swords is all about cutting through the confusion and uncertainty that separates wants from needs. It may be a matter of putting something you’ve wanted to rest — in the spirit of accepting that it’s just not good for you.

Or it could be as simple as speaking the truth, knowing that you’d only be hurting yourself otherwise.

In this deck we see a dark and somewhat sinister looking Queen. She stands before a marble throne, her loyal hand-maidens at her sides.

Her surroundings are minimal — aside from the throne we see only a gold crown that is painted on the wall. She doesn’t need to wear a crown: everyone know’s she’s Queen.

This Queen is pale, stoic and quite beautiful — perhaps dangerously beautiful. Look at the size of her sword! As swords stand for ideas, intellect and mental acuity, we can surmise that she’s highly intelligent.

She doesn’t mince words. When she speaks she chooses her words wisely and they may be biting. But she’s also fair, impartial and objective.

Jan 15 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Jan 15, 2014

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

The Moon

Today you may be struggling with feelings of anxiety over something that just doesn’t seem to be panning out they way you’d planned.

The Moon card represents our unconscious hopes and fears and is loaded with shadow material. This card tells us that things are uncertain, unsettled and unfinished and that the outcome is still very much up the air.

The Moon in this version is portrayed by Shakespeare’s Three Witches, who foretold MacBeth’s fate early on in the tragedy of the same name.

The “Weird Sisters,” (as they were also known) were mysterious, ambiguous and contradictory, much like the Moon in the night sky.

They were also dark, moody, elusive and ever-changing, and it was never quite clear whether they were real or were figments of MacBeth’s imagination, born of his deepest desires.

Jan 13 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Jan 13, 2014 — Four of Pentacles

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Four of Pentacles

Today you may need to look at ways in which you can both expand and relax your personal boundaries. The Four of Pentacles generally refers to holding onto something (or someone) too tightly– usually due to fear.

We worry that we don’t have enough money or that a loved one may leave us, and we respond to those fears by holding on for dear life — in the hopes that we can prevent it (or them) from slipping away.

In traditional tarot decks, the Four of Pentacles card depicts a man in royal garb with four golden coins. He wears one above his crown — representing his own wealth and status; stands on two of them — representing his position in society; and holds the last one tightly to his chest — representing his reluctance to give any of it away.

In this deck however, the imagery is quite different. We see a yogi in the “pyramid” or parsvottanasana pose before a colorful Yantra symbol.

This posture — which requires the clarity and purpose to both extend one’s body and relax one’s mind — is a powerful remedy for the rigidity that is normally so inherent in this card.

Ask yourself today in what ways you need to “stretch” — as in reaching further than you ever have before; and in what ways you need to relax — be it your purse-strings, your attitudes or your personal boundaries — so that you can achieve the sense of balance, harmony and grace that is depicted in this card.

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