Card study: Princess (Page) Of Swords

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psThere is a lot going on in this card. A quick reminder that Pages often serve as Messengers. They also represent the beginning of a cycle towards mastery.
Let’s just break down the symbols themselves to start understanding this card.

Notice the way the sword is being held upright and is blossoming out of a Lotus. Lotuses represents beauty that comes from hard work and being willing to dig into the literal dirt. The upright sword represents focus. When we usually start an undertaking, we are focused and ready to go out there.

Notice that the sword is translucent. Whatever we’re about to undertake is not yet fully formed.We don’t have a plan quite yet because we’re still fantasizing about what we want. That is a really important part of any undertaking: Taking the time to sit and dream.

The sky is clear and the Sun is bright which indicates that now is a good time for this undertaking. We are not assured of success but we knew do know that signs point to yes. Notice the bird flying in front of the Sun. A bird flying up high represents having a big picture sense. So that’s where we’re being told to point are energies. Right now as we fantasize we need to try to also get a sense of the bigger picture. Birds flying also connect to our souls. While swords is the suit of our minds, this bird reminds us to remember the place of our soul in our undertakings.

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Card Study: Eight of Cups

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eight of cups.jpgAnother eight to study. Eights are when we have opportunity for stability, insight, pausing before climbing that last hill but with some valuable perspective to help guide us.

This is a call for healing attention. You are asked to see how clearly you can view situations, especially your role in them, and see how far you can move forward from where you are now. When I see this card lately, I feel that it is a call for healing attention. I use that word attention specifically. I no longer believe that we are Healed End of Story. Healing is a constant process. In our dominant culture, we want everything to have finality. We want gold stars and stamps of completion. But the reality is that life is an unfolding process. When we heal, we must know that we are committing to a lifelong process. Fortunately as we heal, we do make progress. This card is all about making progress in our healing.

So when you see this card, know something needs healing attention right now. Know that the work you’ve done for healing has made a difference. But the situation now needs new attention and new points of focus.

When using this card, I invite you to use that phrase: healing attention. That allows yourself or your client to know that this is a process. It is a journey and not necessarily a destination as much as we want it to be.

Card study: Eight of Wands

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eight of wands.jpgWhen we see this card we know that opportunity is in front of our nose and we must strike while the iron is hot. We also must be prepared to move at a speed that we might not feel accustomed to. And as we move quickly, we must stay laser-focused. So we’re being asked to do an awful lot using a lot of energy at once.

I love this rendition because it shows how much energy is contained in this card. And it shows the importance of staying focused and moving quickly through this opportunity. I love how the artist chose to portray the figure as a young person. This gives us hints as to the kind of energy we are going to need. (My toddler never stops moving.) It also tells us the attitude with which we should approach this. Youthful exuberance and faith that it will all work out is key.

Know that when your Eight of Wands time comes, the time will speed by. The Eight of Wands says: get some momentum going because there is still a hill to climb (Nine and Ten of Wands) ahead of you. As Granny Weatherwax wisely says, if you want something done ask a busy person to do it. This is Eight of Wands energy!

Thoughts on healing

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IMG_20190311_074608_570.jpgHealing is a path. It’s many paths on a lifelong journey. Sometimes we can see the path clearly and Forge ahead. Sometimes we choose to take a different path for a while. Sometimes the path is rambling with a beautiful view. Other times it’s intense, mud slogging, grueling. Do you know what path you’re on now? Spring’s coming signals a ripe opportunity to reconnect with your path. Spring’s promise is a time to make conscious choices about that path.

Why the Two of Wands here? This card asks us to take stock and notice scope. Where can we go? Where do we want to go? Can we align those through planning? We are about to take first steps and we must have a plan. We can detract from our plan, but we must have one to get us started and for focusing energy, time, and resources. My plan includes lots of good therapy, the Wild Soul Tarot school, chosen family and friends.

Card study: Ten of Cups

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When certain cards come up, we often jump to an initial interpretation. The Ten of Cups is one of those. We want to assure ourselves or our clients that all will be well when we see this card. It truly is a lovely card. The cups are overflowing and there is lush greenery. But we also see a few clues that give more nuance to this card.

IMG_20190314_081338_393.jpgThe figure here is alone and usually this card depicts groups, specifically nuclear families (because we all come from a normal one of those!). And when we see the look on her face, there’s complexity there. It’s not the pure joy we usually see depicted on groups of loving people. More on that in a bit.

We also see a mountain in the background. Mountains tend to signify journeys, obstacles, and adversity. This lets us know that we’ve gotten to the Ten of Cups through a hard journey. And that Journey might not be completely over. While we have overflowing cups, we still bear the scars of that journey and those will never go away.

We also have to ask ourselves how fulfilled we are in this card. The clue for that is looking at the expression on the figure pictured. This card shows us that much as well but not all is well. It reminds us that was with the sweet often comes the bitter. I don’t see that as depressing or disheartening. It’s realistic and it acknowledges the hard work that comes with being in a better, more fulfilling place in your life.