after Amnesty email, this journal no longer private-mode
Wednesday, October 05, 2005 at 7:53:04 AM
Spread: Life Cycle
1: Self-Undoing
Ask yourself what you think you gain by repeated delay.
When the Horseman of Wands falls in this position, it seems there is difficulty getting started. The outset is hampered by a tendency to find reasons to delay, hold back or be dissatisfied with preparations. That may be acceptable to a point: preparedness is crucial and good timing essential. But if a new beginning is repeatedly delayed, you may have to ask yourself what you may be afraid of that would cause you to go to such great lengths to stall or postpone its development. When that question is answered, you can begin to overcome your blocks and allow your energy to flow smoothly toward the goal again.
2: Recent Past
The company of inspired contenders provides a thrilling incentive to excel.
When the Seven of Wands is in this position you may have recently witnessed an astounding performance that has both inspired all participants and raised the stakes for all who follow. It’s thrilling to witness or take part in an event that brings so much courage, heroism and strength to its participants. Once your imagination has been stirred by contact with these inspired contenders, you begin to consider where in your life you can emulate this model. How can you encourage yourself and arouse your own heroic nature?
3: Roots
Reflect on an early role model whose love of life’s potential, pleasure and abundance could animate you.
The Queen of Coins in this position suggests that you grew up with or were exposed in your formative years to a role model of sensual abundance. This person knew how to find pleasure and delight in ordinary things, how to be in the world, how to live in an exuberantly full-bodied way. Recall that person’s earthy wisdom and you will enjoy yourself more, experience less stress and flow more comfortably with the ups and downs of life.
4: Higher Power
Give yourself permission to be both judge and jury in this situation.
When the King of Swords comes up in this position, it suggests that your natural wisdom is coming to the fore. You are discovering the sage within yourself. To follow this path requires letting go of habitual reactions. Your Higher Power wants you to realize that you must help raise the collective consciousness to a higher standard of balance and fairness. You can and should wield the Sword of Truth that separates exaggeration and self serving rationalizations from the truth.
5: Self
You are in command of the situation. You have the wisdom and authority to achieve your goals.
When the Emperor is in this position, you readily experience the strong, empowered side of yourself. Centered and grounded, you are aware of what it takes to achieve your will. At the moment, you possess everything you need to fulfill whatever plan or goal you have in mind. Nothing can be denied you. This is the time to move from idea to action. Set those things in motion that will please you and fulfill your desires for change and growth. You are the lord of the realm.
6: Situation
You must accommodate an entire spectrum of experience as you move among the privileged.
The Ten of Coins in this position speaks of people who have a high degree of privilege. Both the negative and positive sides of these highly achieved, highly endowed individuals are revealed, and daily contacts require that you find your level in this culture. You have something important to learn by witnessing this exclusive mode of living. To become a true world citizen, you need to be able to move among all kinds of people, and in this case, that involves learning to feel natural in situations of great luxury and comfort, among people who take it totally for granted.
7: Far Future
Assess whether you want to remain in a situation that doesn’t bode well.
Consider switching tracks. With the Eight of Cups in this position, there is potential for some form of manipulation or exploitation to repeat itself. You didn’t like it the first time, when you discovered the true nature of what you were dealing with. You were used, treated carelessly or heedlessly taken advantage of. Why are you sticking around for more? Nothing so far has reversed the trend. Reevaluate your participation in a situation characterized by an imbalance of power, with you on the bottom. Don’t let this dynamic continue; it has negative long term potential. Consider avoiding these kinds of situations or people in the future.
8: Near Future
Don’t defeat yourself by being hasty and jumping to conclusions.
Make sure others involved have contributed their insights too. The Horseman of Swords in this position indicates that factions in your new situation are rapidly polarizing. People are expecting you to take sides and do battle, but don’t let yourself be goaded into other peoples’ conflicts. Ask yourself if you care enough to go through with it. If you aren’t wholeheartedly committed to taking a position, you will regret spending precious energy on a cause for which you have little passion. If this is really your issue, however, prepare yourself well; don’t be reckless. Because the Knight of Swords has a reputation for not clearly examining his motives, he often becomes a victim of his own spontaneity. Don’t allow that to happen. Just because you are being pushed out in front of others doesn’t mean everything depends on you. If you have team members, brainstorm your options and seek solutions. Focus on being an effective team coordinator.
9: The Lesson
Help others selflessly for awhile; be generous and beneficent, especially to those who are needy.
The Six of Coins in this position asks you to align yourself with those in your situation who can’t stand up for themselves. You are called upon to set aside your own best interests long enough to take theirs into consideration. This is not a criticism against you; it’s simply what is appropriate at this time. If you don’t do it, nobody else will. If you don’t take the time to even consider it, then that is two counts against you. "]]]
8:10:30 AM
Question: I spent last night “cleaning up” my blogs and changed the Reconciliation Journal from Private-access to public. Today I want to use I Ching to do step 4 of AA, ’a fearless moral inventory’ to say I want to be the first to own up to perpetuating divisiveness with my lengthy and longstanding grudges against loved ones and good, if fallible, friends.
Tree of Life
1: Crown
A sacrifice mediates the situation and returns it to normal.
The Hanged Man represents the taking of a loss. He’s the sacrificial lamb, whether it’s accepted with grace or only because it’s been forced upon him. In either case, his ordeal serves to clear the air of general tension, denial and game playing. The Hanged Man’s predicament brings issues to a head, making it possible to clear the slate and allow everyone to start over. Whether it’s purely symbolic or has to do with real events, it clears the collective conscience and helps to break old patterns. It’s a good thing that it’s you playing this vulnerable role, and not someone else who may be broken by the situation. You are resilient and regenerative, someone who can view this experience as educational and not be totally victimized by it. This is the enlightened attitude. Your sacrifice will make a difference in the larger flow of events, even if it’s not fair and you don’t deserve it.
2: Contemplation
The past holds clues to your immediate situation. Evaluate past feelings and compare them to what you feel now.
When the Six of Cups is in this position, the immediate circumstance may be powerfully reminiscent of the past. Your mind and heart hearken back to long forgotten places, faces and feelings. Much information is stored within these memories, and something about the present circumstance is triggering them. It’s worthwhile to compare what you feel now to what you felt so long ago. We can never be sure what memory will bring back, but we can trust it to connect things through emotional resonance, not logic. Asking yourself what is familiar in this situation will help you evaluate and understand the significance of your immediate experience.
3: Activation
Learning the workings of the legacy you have received prevents you from being blinded to its possible dangers.
The Four of Coins in this position is a challenge to learn the workings of the system that you have inherited. Study its history, how it was built and how it has been sustained. Learn how it might take care of you. Natural good humor and optimism can blind you to the possible dangers of an inheritance of any type, whether intellectual, emotional or material. Until you fully understand how this blessing works, you don’t want to interfere with it.
4: Wisdom
You possess the certainty that there are choices available to you, and that knowledge is invaluable.
The Seven of Cups in this position suggests that you have learned from past experience that you have multiple options, that there are more than two choices. This knowledge allows you to trust the flow of events even when details remain uncertain. As a result, you operate within a natural field of abundance, expansiveness and optimism — a psychic safety net that not everyone is aware of. Tap into an inner confidence born of resourcefulness that give you a feeling of security — no matter how constricting the current situation may look. Deep within you know there is more than one way to work this out. That awareness is a prized possession that gives you faith and hope.
5: Discipline
Take a hard look at elements that repeat; they may divulge the answer you are seeking.
The Wheel of Fortune in this position suggests you have been spun so many times that you have had to detach from everything you thought was normal. Under the best conditions, this kind of experience can pop you loose from stuck spots and open your mind. In the worst it can strip you of security and leave you washed up on the other side of a wild ride, wondering how to start over. In either case, the key to resolving the confusion is to identify the repeating factors. Ask yourself what underlying themes seem to have a cyclical pattern. If you can answer that question, you can not only repair some of the damage but keep from getting so swept up next time.
6: Heart
Your inertia could use extra stimulation from your Higher Power.
The Four of Cups in this position says that your lack of conscious participation in your own unfolding destiny is impacting you spiritually. This card indicates that you are being offered some emergency motivation. This could be coming in the form of some accidental or serendipitous happening. On the other hand, it could be an act of your will, when you decide it’s time to shake off apathy and take charge of your life. If you can muster it, take the latter proactive approach. Choose to get fired up Expend some effort and make some changes. This is consistent with the symbolism of the cup of fire on most Four of Cups cards: you don’t have to passively wait for it to be handed to you. Your Higher Power is offering you the chance to seize the tiller before your raft goes over the falls.
7: Cycles
Sincere and idealistic enthusiasm received from an unexpected source indicates the goal is nearly reached. With the Knight of Cups in this position, you will be receiving a visitor, message or insight that will open the way to greater optimism, meaning and completion. Be prepared for fulfilling developments that are not only what you had hoped for but what promises to be good for everyone. A transition is at work that is allowing everyone involved to feel upbeat and optimistic. The prodigal son is returning home.
8: Waking Up
If you get over the reflex to resist change, you will flow right into your wiser and fullest self.
When Judgment appears in this position, you lack confidence in your infinite interior life. You seem to believe that everyone else’s being is divine and yours is not. That you lack belief in your own worth, rightness and immortality is the very last veil that keeps you from reunion with your greater self. You can pull this thin, transparent veil aside by choosing wholeness over fragmentation and obscurity. When the veil parts, you will feel it like a thunderclap, a trumpet blast. Your infinite being awaits your acceptance so it can bless you with all the powers and gifts you already naturally possess but may not be aware of.
9: Safety Net
If you give too much time to confusion, you will lose your primary ally.
The Lovers in this position suggests that you are receiving more than one attractive invitation. In this case, if you promise yourself to one, you’ll have to forego the other. This principle applies in romance, business or any other alliance. Sometimes we need to focus our attention on the highest priority, putting second and third considerations aside. Perhaps you are being distracted from a pivotal, important relationship by a possibility, promise or hope. Choose what is real over what is just a possibility. Work to up-level what is real to the level of ideal rather than letting go of it to grasp at the ideal. Your true ally is waiting for you to get over your flirtation with an attractive bit player.
10: Outcome
Your need to be free will eventually overcome your attachment to comfort.
The Nine of Swords in this position suggests that if you can respond to the promise of freedom within this arduous passage, you will be able to win your way out of a situation that is rapidly becoming too confining. This kind of situation can turn an ordinary person into a warrior. Compare it to the shock of immersion into the turbulent waters of a cold stream after soaking in a warm bathtub of predictability. Change may require the sudden pruning of entangling and unrewarding relationships. Although there is potential tragedy and pathos in your situation, when the old gratifications are no longer available, the nostalgia will eventually diminish too, leaving you open for new fulfillment. The coming time requires a new approach — one that is more self sufficient, self directed and self-willed, with less dependence on others.
8:28:48 AM
My old journals are peppered with mandates of what I wanted to accomplish but come up blank when it comes to reviewing my success-rate. In my Al-Anon days I was encouraged to do the Fourth Step of the 12-step program and now, after a couple of decades I finally have the nerve to put my spirit in the mirror without letting shame and defensiveness freeze me up. As the family “Fall Guy” I got away with blaming my family and friends for a life filled with raw deals – poor me. God bless anybody who alluded to my hyper-defensive approach to correction. If I made a mistake I made a public display of head-banging and a flurry off "Sorry’s" to blackmail the good-intentioned with my passive aggression they wouldn’t soon forget. And, perish the thought anybody really was mean to me. I have a list of grudges bitter enough to give my spirit cancer. It’s been years since I was in actual mortal danger and yes, I’ve come far in understanding my rage and putting it to rest. But when I’m vulnerable – sick, tired or lonely – I can fall into a paranoia that spells “E-N-E-M-Y” in my reptilian brain when I think of family, friends, God, even me.
OK, a little Drama Queen, but I went to get serious about soul-searching.
Tree of Life
1: Crown
Assess your situation with patience and self restraint.
The Two of Wands in this position indicates a need to stop and get your bearings. Your path has seemed erratic and unclear, necessitating new choices every few steps. Make no moves that will produce permanent consequences until you have worked your way through this period of confusion, insecurity and lack of clarity. Uncertainty will pass and you will see the bigger picture again. If you are patient and sincere, the right path will be revealed to you.
2: Contemplation
Someone must be sacrificed to relieve the situation of stress and unsettled feelings.
The Hanged Man in this position indicates that a scapegoat is needed. The situation will feel tense, difficult and blocked until someone is produced to absorb the blame. Scapegoating doesn’t require truth or justice. It is the result of the collective projection of guilt. Some situations are wired such that heads must roll. Those who subject themselves to such positions know the odds and must undergo their fate like a warrior, with composure and dignity. Show compassion for the victim, the sacrificial lamb. If it’s not you, there but for the grace of God go you. There is no moral stain on those who find themselves in this position. But there is one on those who not only judge themselves to be superior, but think they are immune to this fate.
3: Activation
Do your homework. Gain a thorough and deep understanding of your situation and devise a workable plan to see it through.
With the Horseman of Coins in this position, you are being asked to go to the roots of things. So, start from the beginning and gain some experience to match your intellectual grasp of the situation. Temper whatever power you possess with patience and sensitivity to detail. It would be wise to steep yourself in the traditions of your field of endeavor so you can tap the spirit and ideas of your predecessors as well as their source materials. In this way you will not stray far from the truth, the substantial reality which supports your vision, and your greater goal. Too many people have a big dream and move immediately into action with no research, understanding, game plan or skills. See to all of these things so that your ventures can be successful from the beginning.
4: Wisdom
Refrain from aggravating an old, deep wound; be gentle with yourself.
The Ten of Swords in this position points to a significant loss in your history, an old tragedy which still impacts you. It is occasionally re-stimulated, giving rise to emotional eruptions others cannot understand. As this old, deep, painful theme rumbles and rises within you again, you might wonder how to keep it from interfering with your life now. The answer may be to just be still, rather than reacting or trying to distract yourself in some way. Whatever you decide to do, do it with care, gentleness and compassion for yourself. Tread gently, staying aware of those old wounds. This is the time to focus on being a good parent to your wounded inner child; don’t wait until you are totally drained and desperate.
5: Discipline
Having gained some official approval, your chances for success have improved.
With the Hierophant in this position, your course of action or your goal has been acknowledged and supported by an institution that has significant social respect and clout. This may have required that you tempered some of your idiosyncrasies. The payoff is that your talents will be understood and assimilated by a broader audience. Be grateful that this opportunity has come to you and try not to be too restless under the yoke of tradition.
6: Heart
You have the potential to be propelled forward in an area of your life. You must persevere.
When the Three of Wands is in this position it indicates the brink of success whether it has to do with business, spiritual life or the unfolding of personal life goals. You have made an effort over time to say “yes” to life and now life is saying “yes” back. This is a rare and magical opening — a time when you can truly catch the wave. There is a potential to be the person you’ve been striving to become, even though the greatest tests are still in front of you. For one thing, you still have to demonstrate that you will persevere. You have engaged the support of your Higher Power and are practicing the art of right action in your life.
7: Cycles
When you see an opening, dive for your inner sanctum.
With the High Priestess in this position, you will soon have an opportunity to retreat into anonymity and privacy. You deserve the refreshment of slipping off your outer identity and diving into the cleansing waters of the soul. You don’t have to travel or spend money to escape your day to day identity. Make some personal time away from needless socializing and social expectations and recharge your intuitive batteries.
8: Waking Up
Defend your confidence and optimism from negative self talk and critical thoughts.
When the King of Wands falls in this position, internalized authority figures are bound and determined to diminish a performance, demean you, and create insecurity about accomplishments. Under the circumstances, when you become aware of those sabotaging monologues, turn down the volume or refuse to listen. Determination followed by action is needed, not emotional dawdling. Being decisive may feel unfamiliar at first, but action itself can be the cure for too much thinking. Failure to act when action is called for is definitely detrimental.
9: Safety Net
Great intelligence and insight are joining your cause.
In this position, the Queen of Swords suggests that a canny, articulate and mentally imposing person is joining your team. This queen represents the most intelligent personality of the Tarot’s Minor Arcana. This is someone who thinks holistically, does not over-personalize, understands the effects of time and penetrates deeply. This queen is traditionally thought of as the therapist of the Minors. You may be somewhat awed by this person — and rightly so, because this is a warrior of the mind, and he or she is now your ally! This gives you a tremendous opportunity not only to get some issues resolved but to observe a master at work. Watch closely to see if you can assimilate some of her style.
10: Outcome
Use the power of attraction, harmony and love to overcome negativity.
With the Ten of Cups in this position, you continue to attract more people to your personal philosophy, style and open-hearted inclusive orientation. What starts out as a small group will grow as your efforts touch more and more people. Those who were strangers will bond, creating a community. Sometimes you cannot win by fighting the negative, but you can turn the tide by strengthening the positive. Multiply what is good. Inject optimism, hope and an upbeat sense of confidence into the situation. You never know where things could lead from here. If you persist in using an optimistic and inclusive approach, your mission will be successful and popular over time.
8:52:26 AM
I’m ready to lay down my emotional weaponry or, like when you play tug-of-war, be first to drop the rope. Question is, can I reconcile with my past, ’fess up to my part of the ’’war’’ without playing the martyr or setting myself up as the “poor li’l me” Sacrificial Lamb when victim-consciousness is precisely my Achilles tendon as well as my Black & Decker tool for emotional blackmail?
Tree of Life
1: Crown
Give yourself credit for the quality work you are producing.
The Eight of Coins in this position reveals a gift or talent for design, engineering, or problem solving — the know-how necessary to combine utility with efficiency and beauty. This points to a master developing his or her craft. When a person becomes proficient at something, his or her good reputation can spread until the work is showcased in the loftiest venues. It is important for you to respect and appreciate the high quality of the works you are producing and the acclaim your achievements merit.
2: Contemplation
Your personal standards will undergo scrutiny and judgment.
When Justice is in this position, you are facing some sort of righteous judgment, and you can only submit. There is no way to enter a plea or counter motion. Your deeds, thoughts and words are on display and the truth is disclosed before all. Compassion is factored in only after full accountability has been determined. Hopefully you have lived up to a high standard and maintained your ethics and ideals. All attempts to dissemble or skew the issues or arguments are counted against you. Do your best to listen, learn, understand and discipline yourself. Examine your motives.
3: Activation
Accepting your role in a team effort stimulates personal growth and leads to reward.
The Four of Wands in this position supports a persistent effort to be reliable and responsible. Effective teamwork sometimes depends on successfully making up for each other’s missing skills, and you are being asked to hold up your end. You have been brought on board for your expertise. While others in the group are working on their specialties, you are expected to work on yours. This creative group effort will push you, stimulate you and demand that you give more and grow more than you would on your own. When you rise to the challenge with enthusiasm, you will be richly rewarded.
4: Wisdom
Confident enthusiasm learned in the past can create a foundation for success.
The Three of Wands in this position suggests that you have had innovative and industrious people in your past who were optimistic and forward-looking; they experienced setbacks as problems to be solved. Such a “Just do it!” attitude, worth its weight in gold, can be used to your advantage. It’s to your benefit to take time to remember the person or people who imprinted you with this kind of confidence. When you bring the information to consciousness it will provide a firm structure for success.
5: Discipline
You know that the positive feelings you have for others are reciprocated.
With the Three of Cups in this position, you have the security and enjoyment of knowing that the people you care about most, also care about you. This is a card of love returned — not in a sexual sense, but in a sisterly or brotherly, a close and friendly sense. Here there is no feeling of sibling rivalry. Instead, we have a chance for our needs to be met and our hearts and self esteem fulfilled. It’s such a blessing when times as uncomplicated as these happen for us. Even though the moment may be brief, cherish the memory and if you can, write it in your journal before it fades. You deserve to preserve this reminder and keep it available to you so you remember the times in your life when everything was working well.
6: Heart Card:
The Magician
Trust the expansive, curious, clever part of yourself and share it with others.
Stay open to the guidance and inspiration you are receiving. Follow that inner wisdom. You have what it takes to create something that will reverberate far into the future, in a positive and evolutionary way. Let the most idealistic and inventive parts of your nature come to the surface. Cooperate with your inspiration, and you will infect others with your enthusiasm. Let yourself shine!
7: Cycles
Relax knowing that abundance is yours.
With the Ten of Coins in this position, you will finally have the means to take care of your needs. Not everyone gets to be a millionaire in this lifetime, but you will be resting in the security of having enough. No one can promise that this will endure as a permanent condition, but with proper management and long term thinking, you can reasonably aim for an endowment that will continue blessing and bestowing advantage on those who come after.
8: Waking Up
Don’t procrastinate; express your heartfelt truth today.
When the Queen of Cups comes up in this position, you may be distracting yourself too much. If so, this will keep you from hearing the still, small voice of your intuition and its deep wisdom. It may seem easier to just deny the pain or distress in your life, but in the long run it only compounds things to your detriment. Be realistic about how long indulging in distraction can really work. At some point the emotional truth — the truth of the heart —will have to be reckoned with. Call up your courage so that the moment of truth might come sooner. Putting off for tomorrow what should be addressed today will only increase your overall distress.
9: Safety Net
When you receive recognition from higher-ups, accept it with confidence.
The Six of Wands in this position suggests that you have the wherewithal to be seen as a peer by those people you value as role models and leaders. They may even be enthusiastic about working with you or willing to lend their expertise and good name. This is not a time to be humbly in awe; hold your head up and join these new circles proudly. Acknowledge that you are accepted. Take time to learn what it means to join the ranks of those you used to admire as role models. This is a great time for you.
10: Outcome
A coming decision is crucial to your future; imagine where you would like to be and steer the process.
The Two of Wands in this position points out the crucial importance of a coming decision which will affect your life for years to come. It is now necessary to use your keenest insight and most compelling self examination, because you will live with this decision for a long time. Conceptualize your role in the unfolding; imagine where you want to end up and take action to stay on course. You’ve only just started on this journey but your intuition, which you must pay close attention to, already understands the potentials.
9:07:08 AM
After that commitment I made yesterday to Amnesty International, I realized I had listed blogs that connect to my other stuff so I went to do some emergency housecleaning. It was then I decided to take my ’confession’ blog out of privacy-mode as it spells out the theory of forgiveness. I want to put the Fourth Step Inventory there while being careful to keep others’ anonymity even as i’m forfeiting mine. It’s the best way of putting the rubber to the road...your advice, dear Spirit?
Horoscope Spread
Wild Card: The Four of Swords sends a strong message to take some time out, surrendering worldly concerns and retreating to a place of serenity sheltered from the hustle and bustle. The oldest images suggest a visit to "the sepulcher of your ancestors," to contemplate your mortality and breathe in the dust of those who brought you here. On a vision quest or pilgrimage to your own center, you can contemplate your roots, your values and your goals. Here you will see your own place in the flow of time and unfolding generations.
1: House of Identity
Past patterns that once confused you can be overcome; take action to change them.
When the Five of Cups is in this position, you are assessing mixed messages about relationships you received from your past, an emotional legacy of highs and lows which you may now be inclined to repeat. Every family creates an emotional climate that ultimately shapes the character and style of each child. Early confusion about whether you were loved or wanted colors how you react to and interpret people in your present life. The Five of Cups suggests that you may be agonizing over a pattern from the “bad old days” which is arising in your present life. Don’t let yourself simply sink into feeling miserable. Get up and try to make it right again.
2: House of Work
Resist the impulse to judge, assign blame or adopt an “us versus them” attitude. Be open to new information. With the Two of Swords in this position, people and circumstances around you are splitting into disputing camps, opposing each other and jumping to judgmental conclusions. This is not a trend that should be encouraged. Two can be a dangerous number because it divides a unity into opposition, it tends toward polarization. If you want to improve the situation, be sure to avoid taking sides.
3: House of Ideas
Stay focused on the common good rather than personal compensation.
When the Queen of Coins is in this position, the challenge is to keep your eye on the collective best interest and carefully de-emphasize personal reward. The depth of sensuality the Queen is capable of experiencing supports her incredible good sense and feel for nature. She instinctively knows what kind of action or response is appropriate. But it can also be very distracting when she is not attending to productivity and organization. She works hard, she plays hard, and sometimes on the weekend she spends all the profit she made during the week. It helps to have an environment that gently nudges her back to her concern for productivity, so she doesn’t get lost in how much fun she is having and how fully she can feel all the nuances of earthy life. The challenge is to stay focused on highest priorities.
4: House of the Family
Wisdom comes from careful and extensive study.
The Hermit in this position has had a chance to learn about the nature of reality. He or she has been given the tools to apply moral discrimination and prune away false expectations. Such an education empowers you to focus on what is essential to mental and spiritual health. Humbled, you discover your strengths in the school of hard knocks; and you know what you are made of. Your psyche’s foundation derives from ageless wisdom, as well as an abundance of profound guidance still available to you. Some people have to theorize about the right thing to do; the Hermit knows because he has transformed knowledge into experience.
5: House of Magic
Apply to your own life the examples of abundance and sovereignty manifested by a generous, openhanded person you know.
With the King of Coins in this position, an encounter with a big-hearted person has given your goals and intentions new energy and a larger dimension. You resonated with the feeling of abundance and command manifest in this personality. Before this memory fades, take some notes. Try to recall as clearly as possible what impressed you about the experience. Contemplate and assimilate the inspiration that it gives you. Try to imagine how you can get that feeling going in your own life. Become what you admire.
6: House of Apprenticeship
You have an opportunity to train yourself by testing your skills and strategies against a worthy adversary.
The Two of Wands in this position encourages you to test your ideas on someone competent and critical, before you lock yourself into a pattern or commit to a plan. These trial runs can help you refine your design and rediscover any blind spots you may have. Don’t expect to solve or finalize anything during these exchanges. Be humbly grateful for every shortcoming your advisors point out, or any missing pieces they help you identify.
7: House of Relationships
You are worthy of the abundant recognition you receive.
With the Nine of Cups in this position, you are about to receive a warm welcome from people whom you respect and admire. This will not be faint praise; this is very specific acknowledgment — a blessing you will cherish. You stand to be elevated by people who want to further you, who see your talent and gifts, what is special about you. They want to open doors for you, as well as invite you into their lives. Recognize the situation when it happens and consciously relax into the safety it provides. Your dignity will remain intact because you have earned this positive reaffirmation. The more you learn to be comfortable with a flow of support and love, the better you will be at whatever else you try to achieve.
8: House of Secrets
Your feelings for another may exist to attune you to your own longings and needs.
When the Two of Cups is in this position, the relationship doesn’t have to go anywhere for you to benefit. Even if it just exists for you to work it through your imagination, your artistic life, your dreams, it’s a good thing. Take a dispassionate view of the object of your affection. Regard this person as a symbol of your unfulfilled desires. Sometimes a person comes into your life not so you can “have” them but to stimulate exquisite feelings that better acquaint you with your heart’s desires. Talk to your unconscious; let the very awareness of love be like a tuning fork for your soul. These are healing, feelings. Unrequited love is not a bad thing; in fact, its effect can enrich other relationships in your life. Don’t cheapen such feelings or compromise your dignity by trying to possess an unavailable or unworthy person who evoked these emotions. You are bigger than that. Let go of the symbol for the sake of the essence.
9: House of Visions
An ally can test your mettle and teach you how to command respect.
The Five of Wands in this position suggests the presence of someone who can put you through a rigorous and challenging training to develop your will, physical stamina and endurance. This devil’s advocate will reveal your weaknesses and blind spots to you, hone your instincts and upgrade your strategy. Then you can prevail despite competition, prove the value of your ideas and command respect. This mentor or trainer might seem harsh, even a bit militaristic, challenging you to work past your fears and previous limits, but when you are through working with this ally, you will be a formidable contender.
10: House of Reputation
Accept the consequences of your decisions; go through it, get it over with, and free yourself for new pursuits.
The Hanged Man card in this position advises you to surrender illusions of control. Accept that you have been overcome by your own devices. You made your bed, now lie in it. This is not a punitive judgment call. It is simply that there are natural consequences for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since the consequences are not fatal but merely inconvenient or embarrassing, quit fighting it and let some time go by. Eventually, you will be released a little wiser and not much the worse for wear. At that point you will realize how you collaborated with the situation. The issues you were stuck on when you were first “hung up” have subsided and no longer concern you. You are free to take up new endeavors. You will ultimately feel refreshed and grateful that you were derailed from your old track.
11: House of the Future
Your spiritual journey will begin to feel more like a homecoming than a trek through foreign territory.
The High Priestess symbolizes the rock you will build your spiritual life upon. Attach yourself to it like a barnacle. Immerse yourself in the sense of security that comes from finding an inner point of stillness, around which everything in your life will rotate. A complete body of teachings and practices is awaiting your participation and enjoyment. Take your time. Enjoy the unfolding of the lifelong inspiration that is now beginning to emerge for you.
12: House of Surrender
You are called to the mothering role of nurturer and supporter.
The Empress in this position calls upon you to serve as a resource for spiritual or emotional nurturing. World weary souls may seek you out in their need for solace, care and support. The Empress is depended upon for all that it takes to grow up and become competent in the world. There are times in our lives when we are asked to serve in this way. This is not a punishment or a tax; it is a calling. If you give it your best when it is your turn to do so, the rewards will be great.
9:17:20 AM
For the record, after I put my “Reconciliation blog” to public access last night I checked my website mail address to find a rejection email from “Google AdSense” on the grounds of offensive language when I thought I had a confirmed ’Go’ for my blogs. I had a laugh because I knew for one thing, that I’d called myself a Bitch on that blog journal. I’d kept it a private self-work journal so it’s not pretty work.
Celtic Cross
1: Self
Forego being interested in trivial things.
The Hermit in this position describes an individual who has a relationship with the spirit world instead of society. The Hermit prefers to specialize in what is esoteric. He studies the inner sciences — yoga, tantra, self cultivation. The Hermit is involved with consciousness development that takes him beyond the limited human ego and puts him in touch with the vastness of cosmic creation. He or she may have very little time for ordinary human commerce and its various distractions. This card points to inner study. It’s about immersing yourself in the mysteries of natural law. The Hermit looks like an old man but in reality he is an eternal child full of wonder, gazing into the mysteries of the inner life.
2: Situation
A rising tide of opportunity is lifting everyone’s spirits.
When the Three of Wands is in this position a new spirit of excitement and innovation is emerging in your environment. Everyone around you feels the effects, even though it may be temporary. The winds are whipping up; adventure and creativity are in the air. Take advantage of this energy field of inspired optimism. 3: Challenges
Give a hand up to those who are willing to improve their situation, but don’t nurture dependence.
The Six of Coins in this position bids you to find a way to be helpful without creating dependence. It is a challenge to detach oneself enough from the outcome of one’s own efforts to promote self sufficiency and success among others. In some situations people need assistance or support, and it is good to help them. But if we spend our energy doing for those who can help themselves, we are actually performing a disservice. Your best contribution will not result from saving or rescuing others. Your best contribution lies in encouraging and challenging others to rise above their current limits. See if there is a way you can create incentives for higher performance.
4: Foundation Card:
The Magician
Your talent for recombining things makes you an educational and enjoyable person to be around.
You have witnessed or directly enjoyed the fruits of creative, associative thinking. It has become more natural for you to question assumptions, to move the pieces around and see if they can form a different pattern. You like to experiment with what is around you to see what you can create. Your talent stands you in good stead. You can inspire others to loosen up, flow and explore more too. Keep up the good work.
5: Recent Past
Another’s complaints about you may contain some truth. Take the opportunity to do some soul searching.
With the Page of Swords in this position, you recently felt stung by another person’s roster of grievances against you. Without your knowing it, this person has characterized you as an adversary. Because the Page of Swords tends to keep his own counsel and say only what is expeditious, you may not have realized how deep this vein of resentment actually goes. Now that the truth has been revealed, you understand better what you are contending with, freeing you to create more opportunities for communication. You may simply choose to dismiss this person as ignorant or eccentric, but it’s wiser to credit his or her complaints with at least a grain of truth. Use this experience to improve yourself. Don’t give this person even more reason to see you in a negative way.
6: Higher Power
Step into a leadership role with confidence; you are the right person for the job.
When the Emperor comes up in this position, you are being called to leadership. Put shyness and inhibitions aside, because there simply is no one else who can better organize others to accomplish an important task right now. The Emperor is interested in action and achievement. He wants to activate change; he wants to see results. You are being called upon to serve as an authority, a leader. Be assured that this is not a mistake — you are the right person at the right time. Accept this as fact, take up the reins of responsibility and get to work!
7: Near Future
You are entering a position of creative control.
The Ace of Coins in this position indicates that you are coming into an opportune time. Your bold and original ideas draw attractive opportunities, invitations and offers to you. From the very beginning, you have creative control. Trust that your natural instincts and good intuitions are working for you. Be confident. Success can be yours, and when it is, you will be blessed. It’s time to let yourself fly!
8: Blocks and Inhibitions
Because someone’s personal criteria are dominant, a relationship lacks balance and harmony.
When the Five of Coins falls in this position, you are experiencing inequity in relationship. Respect is not flowing freely in both directions. One person’s agenda may be dominating another’s. It’s important to examine this trend before the situation becomes more unbalanced. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or annoyed, prepare to question these relationships, both within yourself and with significant others.
9: Allies
Assemble a team of energetic visionaries; aim for brilliance and success.
The Queen of Wands in this position suggests that it’s time to go on a search for people like yourself, natural leaders with infectious enthusiasm and an iron will. A team of such self starters will extend your influence and speed results at this pivotal time. When you find these people, promote them and gather them around you; it will be astounding how quickly necessary developments unfold. This is a choice time to call to mind a role model your team can identify with, someone who can embody the image of successful achievement. Visualize such a leader and articulate that image to your team.
10: Advice
Exchanging ideas and proposals for addressing a universal need ensures approval and support.
The Four of Wands in this position supports your good, productive, evolutionary ideas. Concentrate on networking: use your charisma and power to attract like-minded souls so you can significantly increase your sphere of influence — the more people you can reach, the better. Your enthusiasm empowers your vision, which is pregnant with possibilities. As you share more freely what is on your mind and in your heart, others will see themselves in your vision, so you naturally receive approval, support, assistance and abundance. In your own way, you are addressing a universal need.
11: Long-Term Potential
Develop your skills in healing and mediation.
With the Knight of Cups in this position, there is a potential to become an effective mediator, one who can bring forth healing. This Knight heals the rift between generations and restores bonds between people whose communication has suffered. He mends the ripped fabric of family relations and missed connections. In his humility, he is the first to recognize his own mistakes, misunderstandings and self-involvement. You have the opportunity to serve well using the wisdom you have gained on your outward journeys. Be a warrior of the open heart and help others to own the strength of their love.
9:30:29 AM
All I know is, I have to get rid of all the ads, ASAP, before I can carry on with my “fearless moral inventory”.
Star of David
Wild card: The Eight of Coins is the card of works. We see here the successful artisan spending time at his bench, hammering out the commissions he has attracted because of his skill. His name is synonymous with "the best in its class." He is so popular that he can barely keep up with demand. Therefore, he is paid whatever he asks and accepts only the most prestigious requests.
If there is a problem in this card, it has to do with the trap of workaholism; the feeling of being so indispensable that you will not ask for help or delegate any part of a project. There is also the issue of becoming so identified as the creator of elegant objects, that the works themselves consumes the personal identity of the creator. The maker seldom gets to have a home life, time-off, friendships or the like. This card lobbies for a balanced perspective.
1: Deciding Moment
Your fading attachment to the past gives you an opportunity to mature.
With the Ten of Coins in this position, you are leaving behind family connections or traditional sources of support and coming into a certain maturity. Your perspective has changed as a result of this shift. You know more of what the wide world holds and you can assume a stronger stance. Your dependence upon the past is fading, and this bodes well for you.
2: Consequences
Biding your time gives you the opportunity to make intelligent guesses, adapt to probabilities and access your inner truth.
When the Two of Coins is in this position, it appears as if you are waiting out a roll of the dice. You can’t hurry it up, you can’t control circumstances and you are unable to gain an advantage through any known means to effect the outcome. An immature person often behaves badly in a situation like this. A mature person, on the other hand, will make intelligent guesses and adapt to probabilities while being prepared to accept whatever happens. What are your hunches telling you? This is a chance to see how uncomfortable uncertainty makes you. Use the energy you might otherwise spend trying to manipulate reality and apply it toward getting in touch with your inner sense of reality, your inner truth. No matter what happens, don’t get caught in black and white thinking. Do everything you can to think inclusively.
3: Will
A clear focus on your intentions will prevent you from getting carried away.
The Chariot in this position challenges you to be self disciplined in the face of considerable energy and abundant possibilities. You may be tempted to impulsively fling yourself into every attractive new prospect that comes along, without thinking about it until later. As difficult as it may seem right now, take your time and be more circumspect. Plot your course before you set out on your journey. Though the road will twist and turn, keep your mind on your ultimate destination. If there is a characteristic weakness of this card, it is lack of foresight combined with too much speed. Don’t undermine the opportunity you have before you now by allowing impulsiveness to dominate at this important time.
4: Relationships Card:
The Magician
The person needed to help untangle your situation is close at hand.
The Magus in this position suggests that you consult a mentor or expert in your environment who has mastered the things you are concerned with. Take time to look them up, ask for an hour of their time, and share your issues with them. It will be well worth whatever effort you make. Turn over every stone until you find the right person(s) and avail yourself of their skill.
5: Advice
Admit that you have sacrificed time and energy on a situation that simply doesn’t work.
The Nine of Swords in this position advises you to face your fear of being alone, and release the impediments that have held you back. Face the limits you have put on yourself in many different ways. In the name of being “safe,” you have held yourself to lower standards than you knew you could achieve, or you have resisted striking out on your own. Perhaps you have bargained away creativity and joy in order to avoid controversy. These kinds of tradeoffs never work. Cut your losses and recognize how much time and energy you have sacrificed to a way of being that’s not right for you. If you can do this you will look back at this time in your life as a turning point. This is an opportunity to heal as you shed a heavy burden that is weighing you down.
6: Conscience
You have the potential to be propelled forward in an area of your life.
You must persevere. When the Three of Wands is in this position it indicates the brink of success whether it has to do with business, spiritual life or the unfolding of personal life goals. You have made an effort over time to say “yes” to life and now life is saying “yes” back. This is a rare and magical opening — a time when you can truly catch the wave. There is a potential to be the person you’ve been striving to become, even though the greatest tests are still in front of you. For one thing, you still have to demonstrate that you will persevere. You have engaged the support of your Higher Power and are practicing the art of right action in your life.
9:42:50 AM
Question: I am already weakening, second-guessing if I sent the Amnesty email to people who might take it the wrong way. Your advice, Spirit?
Star of David
Wild Card: 16 The Tower
In all of images of the Tower card, disaster is striking or has just struck. The demons of madness and despair are released from ancient hiding places, and nature conspires with human failings to destabilize the people. A possible subtitle for this card would be "The Act of God," because the upheaval is collective, impersonal. Yet let us remember for whom these images were created -- educated nobles and clergy -- and you will realize just who will lose altitude fastest should the towers start to fall.
In that sense, the Lightening is a fitting karmic response to the guilt of those whose fortunes come from abuse of the land or its residents. A modern subtitle might be "Revolution from Below," indicating such drastic social change that a poor person has renewed hope of better times. Although The Tower comes to us as a classic crash-and-burn experience, the process does topple the hierarchy of the old order, providing all who survive with a fresh start on equal footing.
1: Deciding Moment
You have passed a test of self control and personal mastery. Now you can proceed with confidence.
You have seen yourself assuming the mantle of a lion tamer, a sublimator of instinct and impulsiveness. You’ve gained significant self esteem from the strong way you responded to pressure and necessity. You can be disciplined, focused and firm. This new knowledge of your capability helps you step into the present with more self assurance and confidence in your spiritual maturity. You have passed a test that stymies many. You deserve whatever recognition your efforts may have inspired.
2: Consequences
Stay alert to an imminent opportunity to advance quickly; keep your wits sharpened and your reflexes honed. The Seven of Wands in this position gives you a chance to leap ahead of others in your field of endeavor. In this case, it is not a competitive thing or a form of manipulation; you simply are the one in possession of the special skills necessary for the upcoming challenge. That combination of luck, preparedness and quick reflexes creates an opening you can jump through if you stay alert to the opportunity. It’s clear that the time has come for change, but in this situation you can only take with you those who, like yourself, are poised and ready for action. Persist despite the odds and trust your inspiration and instincts, for this is a significant opportunity to excel.
3: Will
Review your recent experiences in the light of who you are becoming; the process will give you fresh energy.
The Ten of Wands in this position requires you to re-evaluate your motivation for continuing to do what you have been doing, because your previous motivations have been exhausted. You took things as far as you could; now you are garnering wisdom from the experience. Try to determine the pattern behind the circumstances that brought you to this point. Examine the past for clues that can tell you what you are being prepared for. Your challenge and opportunity now is to see how your recent experiences will lead to fresh possibilities, new ambitions and an inspiring vision of even greater potential.
4: Relationships
Absorb good advice so you can refine your focus.
The Three of Wands in this position suggests the presence of a friend, advisor or mentor who can help you refine your focus and stay out of trouble. This person’s seasoned wisdom is ready to serve you. Individuals like this have a stock of learning experiences that could pave the way for you. Their good advice allows you to start where they left off. You will be spared a lot of struggle if you accept what your friend or mentor has to say and adjust your course accordingly.
5: Advice
Look upon the movements of change as positive, full of promise and adventure.
The Chariot in this position recommends that you be prepared for changes that might include a move, new venue or an opportunity to travel. The Charioteer travels light and stays open to fresh experiences that change with every valley or mountain pass. You may be asked to live out of a suitcase and consider every place your home for a while. Be receptive to new people who come into your life. Most especially, recognize and taste the joys of freedom. Become more fluid. The Charioteer is nothing if not self sufficient. Be prepared and self contained for the changes that will sweep in and carry you with them. Be ready, willing and able.
6: Conscience
Become a role model of higher learning and esoteric skill.
The Hierophant in this position says you are under the influence of a highly refined spirit. This Guide is attempting to help you organize and articulate a body of wisdom you may have accumulated over time. It may be related to teachings of your forebears. You are developing and refining the shamanic skill of awakening higher consciousness in others. In your way, you are a spiritual and intellectual catalyst and teacher. Accept this responsibility with grace.
Spread: Life Cycle
1: Self-Undoing
Ask yourself what you think you gain by repeated delay.
When the Horseman of Wands falls in this position, it seems there is difficulty getting started. The outset is hampered by a tendency to find reasons to delay, hold back or be dissatisfied with preparations. That may be acceptable to a point: preparedness is crucial and good timing essential. But if a new beginning is repeatedly delayed, you may have to ask yourself what you may be afraid of that would cause you to go to such great lengths to stall or postpone its development. When that question is answered, you can begin to overcome your blocks and allow your energy to flow smoothly toward the goal again.
2: Recent Past
The company of inspired contenders provides a thrilling incentive to excel.
When the Seven of Wands is in this position you may have recently witnessed an astounding performance that has both inspired all participants and raised the stakes for all who follow. It’s thrilling to witness or take part in an event that brings so much courage, heroism and strength to its participants. Once your imagination has been stirred by contact with these inspired contenders, you begin to consider where in your life you can emulate this model. How can you encourage yourself and arouse your own heroic nature?
3: Roots
Reflect on an early role model whose love of life’s potential, pleasure and abundance could animate you.
The Queen of Coins in this position suggests that you grew up with or were exposed in your formative years to a role model of sensual abundance. This person knew how to find pleasure and delight in ordinary things, how to be in the world, how to live in an exuberantly full-bodied way. Recall that person’s earthy wisdom and you will enjoy yourself more, experience less stress and flow more comfortably with the ups and downs of life.
4: Higher Power
Give yourself permission to be both judge and jury in this situation.
When the King of Swords comes up in this position, it suggests that your natural wisdom is coming to the fore. You are discovering the sage within yourself. To follow this path requires letting go of habitual reactions. Your Higher Power wants you to realize that you must help raise the collective consciousness to a higher standard of balance and fairness. You can and should wield the Sword of Truth that separates exaggeration and self serving rationalizations from the truth.
5: Self
You are in command of the situation. You have the wisdom and authority to achieve your goals.
When the Emperor is in this position, you readily experience the strong, empowered side of yourself. Centered and grounded, you are aware of what it takes to achieve your will. At the moment, you possess everything you need to fulfill whatever plan or goal you have in mind. Nothing can be denied you. This is the time to move from idea to action. Set those things in motion that will please you and fulfill your desires for change and growth. You are the lord of the realm.
6: Situation
You must accommodate an entire spectrum of experience as you move among the privileged.
The Ten of Coins in this position speaks of people who have a high degree of privilege. Both the negative and positive sides of these highly achieved, highly endowed individuals are revealed, and daily contacts require that you find your level in this culture. You have something important to learn by witnessing this exclusive mode of living. To become a true world citizen, you need to be able to move among all kinds of people, and in this case, that involves learning to feel natural in situations of great luxury and comfort, among people who take it totally for granted.
7: Far Future
Assess whether you want to remain in a situation that doesn’t bode well.
Consider switching tracks. With the Eight of Cups in this position, there is potential for some form of manipulation or exploitation to repeat itself. You didn’t like it the first time, when you discovered the true nature of what you were dealing with. You were used, treated carelessly or heedlessly taken advantage of. Why are you sticking around for more? Nothing so far has reversed the trend. Reevaluate your participation in a situation characterized by an imbalance of power, with you on the bottom. Don’t let this dynamic continue; it has negative long term potential. Consider avoiding these kinds of situations or people in the future.
8: Near Future
Don’t defeat yourself by being hasty and jumping to conclusions.
Make sure others involved have contributed their insights too. The Horseman of Swords in this position indicates that factions in your new situation are rapidly polarizing. People are expecting you to take sides and do battle, but don’t let yourself be goaded into other peoples’ conflicts. Ask yourself if you care enough to go through with it. If you aren’t wholeheartedly committed to taking a position, you will regret spending precious energy on a cause for which you have little passion. If this is really your issue, however, prepare yourself well; don’t be reckless. Because the Knight of Swords has a reputation for not clearly examining his motives, he often becomes a victim of his own spontaneity. Don’t allow that to happen. Just because you are being pushed out in front of others doesn’t mean everything depends on you. If you have team members, brainstorm your options and seek solutions. Focus on being an effective team coordinator.
9: The Lesson
Help others selflessly for awhile; be generous and beneficent, especially to those who are needy.
The Six of Coins in this position asks you to align yourself with those in your situation who can’t stand up for themselves. You are called upon to set aside your own best interests long enough to take theirs into consideration. This is not a criticism against you; it’s simply what is appropriate at this time. If you don’t do it, nobody else will. If you don’t take the time to even consider it, then that is two counts against you. "]]]
8:10:30 AM
Question: I spent last night “cleaning up” my blogs and changed the Reconciliation Journal from Private-access to public. Today I want to use I Ching to do step 4 of AA, ’a fearless moral inventory’ to say I want to be the first to own up to perpetuating divisiveness with my lengthy and longstanding grudges against loved ones and good, if fallible, friends.
Tree of Life
1: Crown
A sacrifice mediates the situation and returns it to normal.
The Hanged Man represents the taking of a loss. He’s the sacrificial lamb, whether it’s accepted with grace or only because it’s been forced upon him. In either case, his ordeal serves to clear the air of general tension, denial and game playing. The Hanged Man’s predicament brings issues to a head, making it possible to clear the slate and allow everyone to start over. Whether it’s purely symbolic or has to do with real events, it clears the collective conscience and helps to break old patterns. It’s a good thing that it’s you playing this vulnerable role, and not someone else who may be broken by the situation. You are resilient and regenerative, someone who can view this experience as educational and not be totally victimized by it. This is the enlightened attitude. Your sacrifice will make a difference in the larger flow of events, even if it’s not fair and you don’t deserve it.
2: Contemplation
The past holds clues to your immediate situation. Evaluate past feelings and compare them to what you feel now.
When the Six of Cups is in this position, the immediate circumstance may be powerfully reminiscent of the past. Your mind and heart hearken back to long forgotten places, faces and feelings. Much information is stored within these memories, and something about the present circumstance is triggering them. It’s worthwhile to compare what you feel now to what you felt so long ago. We can never be sure what memory will bring back, but we can trust it to connect things through emotional resonance, not logic. Asking yourself what is familiar in this situation will help you evaluate and understand the significance of your immediate experience.
3: Activation
Learning the workings of the legacy you have received prevents you from being blinded to its possible dangers.
The Four of Coins in this position is a challenge to learn the workings of the system that you have inherited. Study its history, how it was built and how it has been sustained. Learn how it might take care of you. Natural good humor and optimism can blind you to the possible dangers of an inheritance of any type, whether intellectual, emotional or material. Until you fully understand how this blessing works, you don’t want to interfere with it.
4: Wisdom
You possess the certainty that there are choices available to you, and that knowledge is invaluable.
The Seven of Cups in this position suggests that you have learned from past experience that you have multiple options, that there are more than two choices. This knowledge allows you to trust the flow of events even when details remain uncertain. As a result, you operate within a natural field of abundance, expansiveness and optimism — a psychic safety net that not everyone is aware of. Tap into an inner confidence born of resourcefulness that give you a feeling of security — no matter how constricting the current situation may look. Deep within you know there is more than one way to work this out. That awareness is a prized possession that gives you faith and hope.
5: Discipline
Take a hard look at elements that repeat; they may divulge the answer you are seeking.
The Wheel of Fortune in this position suggests you have been spun so many times that you have had to detach from everything you thought was normal. Under the best conditions, this kind of experience can pop you loose from stuck spots and open your mind. In the worst it can strip you of security and leave you washed up on the other side of a wild ride, wondering how to start over. In either case, the key to resolving the confusion is to identify the repeating factors. Ask yourself what underlying themes seem to have a cyclical pattern. If you can answer that question, you can not only repair some of the damage but keep from getting so swept up next time.
6: Heart
Your inertia could use extra stimulation from your Higher Power.
The Four of Cups in this position says that your lack of conscious participation in your own unfolding destiny is impacting you spiritually. This card indicates that you are being offered some emergency motivation. This could be coming in the form of some accidental or serendipitous happening. On the other hand, it could be an act of your will, when you decide it’s time to shake off apathy and take charge of your life. If you can muster it, take the latter proactive approach. Choose to get fired up Expend some effort and make some changes. This is consistent with the symbolism of the cup of fire on most Four of Cups cards: you don’t have to passively wait for it to be handed to you. Your Higher Power is offering you the chance to seize the tiller before your raft goes over the falls.
7: Cycles
Sincere and idealistic enthusiasm received from an unexpected source indicates the goal is nearly reached. With the Knight of Cups in this position, you will be receiving a visitor, message or insight that will open the way to greater optimism, meaning and completion. Be prepared for fulfilling developments that are not only what you had hoped for but what promises to be good for everyone. A transition is at work that is allowing everyone involved to feel upbeat and optimistic. The prodigal son is returning home.
8: Waking Up
If you get over the reflex to resist change, you will flow right into your wiser and fullest self.
When Judgment appears in this position, you lack confidence in your infinite interior life. You seem to believe that everyone else’s being is divine and yours is not. That you lack belief in your own worth, rightness and immortality is the very last veil that keeps you from reunion with your greater self. You can pull this thin, transparent veil aside by choosing wholeness over fragmentation and obscurity. When the veil parts, you will feel it like a thunderclap, a trumpet blast. Your infinite being awaits your acceptance so it can bless you with all the powers and gifts you already naturally possess but may not be aware of.
9: Safety Net
If you give too much time to confusion, you will lose your primary ally.
The Lovers in this position suggests that you are receiving more than one attractive invitation. In this case, if you promise yourself to one, you’ll have to forego the other. This principle applies in romance, business or any other alliance. Sometimes we need to focus our attention on the highest priority, putting second and third considerations aside. Perhaps you are being distracted from a pivotal, important relationship by a possibility, promise or hope. Choose what is real over what is just a possibility. Work to up-level what is real to the level of ideal rather than letting go of it to grasp at the ideal. Your true ally is waiting for you to get over your flirtation with an attractive bit player.
10: Outcome
Your need to be free will eventually overcome your attachment to comfort.
The Nine of Swords in this position suggests that if you can respond to the promise of freedom within this arduous passage, you will be able to win your way out of a situation that is rapidly becoming too confining. This kind of situation can turn an ordinary person into a warrior. Compare it to the shock of immersion into the turbulent waters of a cold stream after soaking in a warm bathtub of predictability. Change may require the sudden pruning of entangling and unrewarding relationships. Although there is potential tragedy and pathos in your situation, when the old gratifications are no longer available, the nostalgia will eventually diminish too, leaving you open for new fulfillment. The coming time requires a new approach — one that is more self sufficient, self directed and self-willed, with less dependence on others.
8:28:48 AM
My old journals are peppered with mandates of what I wanted to accomplish but come up blank when it comes to reviewing my success-rate. In my Al-Anon days I was encouraged to do the Fourth Step of the 12-step program and now, after a couple of decades I finally have the nerve to put my spirit in the mirror without letting shame and defensiveness freeze me up. As the family “Fall Guy” I got away with blaming my family and friends for a life filled with raw deals – poor me. God bless anybody who alluded to my hyper-defensive approach to correction. If I made a mistake I made a public display of head-banging and a flurry off "Sorry’s" to blackmail the good-intentioned with my passive aggression they wouldn’t soon forget. And, perish the thought anybody really was mean to me. I have a list of grudges bitter enough to give my spirit cancer. It’s been years since I was in actual mortal danger and yes, I’ve come far in understanding my rage and putting it to rest. But when I’m vulnerable – sick, tired or lonely – I can fall into a paranoia that spells “E-N-E-M-Y” in my reptilian brain when I think of family, friends, God, even me.
OK, a little Drama Queen, but I went to get serious about soul-searching.
Tree of Life
1: Crown
Assess your situation with patience and self restraint.
The Two of Wands in this position indicates a need to stop and get your bearings. Your path has seemed erratic and unclear, necessitating new choices every few steps. Make no moves that will produce permanent consequences until you have worked your way through this period of confusion, insecurity and lack of clarity. Uncertainty will pass and you will see the bigger picture again. If you are patient and sincere, the right path will be revealed to you.
2: Contemplation
Someone must be sacrificed to relieve the situation of stress and unsettled feelings.
The Hanged Man in this position indicates that a scapegoat is needed. The situation will feel tense, difficult and blocked until someone is produced to absorb the blame. Scapegoating doesn’t require truth or justice. It is the result of the collective projection of guilt. Some situations are wired such that heads must roll. Those who subject themselves to such positions know the odds and must undergo their fate like a warrior, with composure and dignity. Show compassion for the victim, the sacrificial lamb. If it’s not you, there but for the grace of God go you. There is no moral stain on those who find themselves in this position. But there is one on those who not only judge themselves to be superior, but think they are immune to this fate.
3: Activation
Do your homework. Gain a thorough and deep understanding of your situation and devise a workable plan to see it through.
With the Horseman of Coins in this position, you are being asked to go to the roots of things. So, start from the beginning and gain some experience to match your intellectual grasp of the situation. Temper whatever power you possess with patience and sensitivity to detail. It would be wise to steep yourself in the traditions of your field of endeavor so you can tap the spirit and ideas of your predecessors as well as their source materials. In this way you will not stray far from the truth, the substantial reality which supports your vision, and your greater goal. Too many people have a big dream and move immediately into action with no research, understanding, game plan or skills. See to all of these things so that your ventures can be successful from the beginning.
4: Wisdom
Refrain from aggravating an old, deep wound; be gentle with yourself.
The Ten of Swords in this position points to a significant loss in your history, an old tragedy which still impacts you. It is occasionally re-stimulated, giving rise to emotional eruptions others cannot understand. As this old, deep, painful theme rumbles and rises within you again, you might wonder how to keep it from interfering with your life now. The answer may be to just be still, rather than reacting or trying to distract yourself in some way. Whatever you decide to do, do it with care, gentleness and compassion for yourself. Tread gently, staying aware of those old wounds. This is the time to focus on being a good parent to your wounded inner child; don’t wait until you are totally drained and desperate.
5: Discipline
Having gained some official approval, your chances for success have improved.
With the Hierophant in this position, your course of action or your goal has been acknowledged and supported by an institution that has significant social respect and clout. This may have required that you tempered some of your idiosyncrasies. The payoff is that your talents will be understood and assimilated by a broader audience. Be grateful that this opportunity has come to you and try not to be too restless under the yoke of tradition.
6: Heart
You have the potential to be propelled forward in an area of your life. You must persevere.
When the Three of Wands is in this position it indicates the brink of success whether it has to do with business, spiritual life or the unfolding of personal life goals. You have made an effort over time to say “yes” to life and now life is saying “yes” back. This is a rare and magical opening — a time when you can truly catch the wave. There is a potential to be the person you’ve been striving to become, even though the greatest tests are still in front of you. For one thing, you still have to demonstrate that you will persevere. You have engaged the support of your Higher Power and are practicing the art of right action in your life.
7: Cycles
When you see an opening, dive for your inner sanctum.
With the High Priestess in this position, you will soon have an opportunity to retreat into anonymity and privacy. You deserve the refreshment of slipping off your outer identity and diving into the cleansing waters of the soul. You don’t have to travel or spend money to escape your day to day identity. Make some personal time away from needless socializing and social expectations and recharge your intuitive batteries.
8: Waking Up
Defend your confidence and optimism from negative self talk and critical thoughts.
When the King of Wands falls in this position, internalized authority figures are bound and determined to diminish a performance, demean you, and create insecurity about accomplishments. Under the circumstances, when you become aware of those sabotaging monologues, turn down the volume or refuse to listen. Determination followed by action is needed, not emotional dawdling. Being decisive may feel unfamiliar at first, but action itself can be the cure for too much thinking. Failure to act when action is called for is definitely detrimental.
9: Safety Net
Great intelligence and insight are joining your cause.
In this position, the Queen of Swords suggests that a canny, articulate and mentally imposing person is joining your team. This queen represents the most intelligent personality of the Tarot’s Minor Arcana. This is someone who thinks holistically, does not over-personalize, understands the effects of time and penetrates deeply. This queen is traditionally thought of as the therapist of the Minors. You may be somewhat awed by this person — and rightly so, because this is a warrior of the mind, and he or she is now your ally! This gives you a tremendous opportunity not only to get some issues resolved but to observe a master at work. Watch closely to see if you can assimilate some of her style.
10: Outcome
Use the power of attraction, harmony and love to overcome negativity.
With the Ten of Cups in this position, you continue to attract more people to your personal philosophy, style and open-hearted inclusive orientation. What starts out as a small group will grow as your efforts touch more and more people. Those who were strangers will bond, creating a community. Sometimes you cannot win by fighting the negative, but you can turn the tide by strengthening the positive. Multiply what is good. Inject optimism, hope and an upbeat sense of confidence into the situation. You never know where things could lead from here. If you persist in using an optimistic and inclusive approach, your mission will be successful and popular over time.
8:52:26 AM
I’m ready to lay down my emotional weaponry or, like when you play tug-of-war, be first to drop the rope. Question is, can I reconcile with my past, ’fess up to my part of the ’’war’’ without playing the martyr or setting myself up as the “poor li’l me” Sacrificial Lamb when victim-consciousness is precisely my Achilles tendon as well as my Black & Decker tool for emotional blackmail?
Tree of Life
1: Crown
Give yourself credit for the quality work you are producing.
The Eight of Coins in this position reveals a gift or talent for design, engineering, or problem solving — the know-how necessary to combine utility with efficiency and beauty. This points to a master developing his or her craft. When a person becomes proficient at something, his or her good reputation can spread until the work is showcased in the loftiest venues. It is important for you to respect and appreciate the high quality of the works you are producing and the acclaim your achievements merit.
2: Contemplation
Your personal standards will undergo scrutiny and judgment.
When Justice is in this position, you are facing some sort of righteous judgment, and you can only submit. There is no way to enter a plea or counter motion. Your deeds, thoughts and words are on display and the truth is disclosed before all. Compassion is factored in only after full accountability has been determined. Hopefully you have lived up to a high standard and maintained your ethics and ideals. All attempts to dissemble or skew the issues or arguments are counted against you. Do your best to listen, learn, understand and discipline yourself. Examine your motives.
3: Activation
Accepting your role in a team effort stimulates personal growth and leads to reward.
The Four of Wands in this position supports a persistent effort to be reliable and responsible. Effective teamwork sometimes depends on successfully making up for each other’s missing skills, and you are being asked to hold up your end. You have been brought on board for your expertise. While others in the group are working on their specialties, you are expected to work on yours. This creative group effort will push you, stimulate you and demand that you give more and grow more than you would on your own. When you rise to the challenge with enthusiasm, you will be richly rewarded.
4: Wisdom
Confident enthusiasm learned in the past can create a foundation for success.
The Three of Wands in this position suggests that you have had innovative and industrious people in your past who were optimistic and forward-looking; they experienced setbacks as problems to be solved. Such a “Just do it!” attitude, worth its weight in gold, can be used to your advantage. It’s to your benefit to take time to remember the person or people who imprinted you with this kind of confidence. When you bring the information to consciousness it will provide a firm structure for success.
5: Discipline
You know that the positive feelings you have for others are reciprocated.
With the Three of Cups in this position, you have the security and enjoyment of knowing that the people you care about most, also care about you. This is a card of love returned — not in a sexual sense, but in a sisterly or brotherly, a close and friendly sense. Here there is no feeling of sibling rivalry. Instead, we have a chance for our needs to be met and our hearts and self esteem fulfilled. It’s such a blessing when times as uncomplicated as these happen for us. Even though the moment may be brief, cherish the memory and if you can, write it in your journal before it fades. You deserve to preserve this reminder and keep it available to you so you remember the times in your life when everything was working well.
6: Heart Card:
The Magician
Trust the expansive, curious, clever part of yourself and share it with others.
Stay open to the guidance and inspiration you are receiving. Follow that inner wisdom. You have what it takes to create something that will reverberate far into the future, in a positive and evolutionary way. Let the most idealistic and inventive parts of your nature come to the surface. Cooperate with your inspiration, and you will infect others with your enthusiasm. Let yourself shine!
7: Cycles
Relax knowing that abundance is yours.
With the Ten of Coins in this position, you will finally have the means to take care of your needs. Not everyone gets to be a millionaire in this lifetime, but you will be resting in the security of having enough. No one can promise that this will endure as a permanent condition, but with proper management and long term thinking, you can reasonably aim for an endowment that will continue blessing and bestowing advantage on those who come after.
8: Waking Up
Don’t procrastinate; express your heartfelt truth today.
When the Queen of Cups comes up in this position, you may be distracting yourself too much. If so, this will keep you from hearing the still, small voice of your intuition and its deep wisdom. It may seem easier to just deny the pain or distress in your life, but in the long run it only compounds things to your detriment. Be realistic about how long indulging in distraction can really work. At some point the emotional truth — the truth of the heart —will have to be reckoned with. Call up your courage so that the moment of truth might come sooner. Putting off for tomorrow what should be addressed today will only increase your overall distress.
9: Safety Net
When you receive recognition from higher-ups, accept it with confidence.
The Six of Wands in this position suggests that you have the wherewithal to be seen as a peer by those people you value as role models and leaders. They may even be enthusiastic about working with you or willing to lend their expertise and good name. This is not a time to be humbly in awe; hold your head up and join these new circles proudly. Acknowledge that you are accepted. Take time to learn what it means to join the ranks of those you used to admire as role models. This is a great time for you.
10: Outcome
A coming decision is crucial to your future; imagine where you would like to be and steer the process.
The Two of Wands in this position points out the crucial importance of a coming decision which will affect your life for years to come. It is now necessary to use your keenest insight and most compelling self examination, because you will live with this decision for a long time. Conceptualize your role in the unfolding; imagine where you want to end up and take action to stay on course. You’ve only just started on this journey but your intuition, which you must pay close attention to, already understands the potentials.
9:07:08 AM
After that commitment I made yesterday to Amnesty International, I realized I had listed blogs that connect to my other stuff so I went to do some emergency housecleaning. It was then I decided to take my ’confession’ blog out of privacy-mode as it spells out the theory of forgiveness. I want to put the Fourth Step Inventory there while being careful to keep others’ anonymity even as i’m forfeiting mine. It’s the best way of putting the rubber to the road...your advice, dear Spirit?
Horoscope Spread
Wild Card: The Four of Swords sends a strong message to take some time out, surrendering worldly concerns and retreating to a place of serenity sheltered from the hustle and bustle. The oldest images suggest a visit to "the sepulcher of your ancestors," to contemplate your mortality and breathe in the dust of those who brought you here. On a vision quest or pilgrimage to your own center, you can contemplate your roots, your values and your goals. Here you will see your own place in the flow of time and unfolding generations.
1: House of Identity
Past patterns that once confused you can be overcome; take action to change them.
When the Five of Cups is in this position, you are assessing mixed messages about relationships you received from your past, an emotional legacy of highs and lows which you may now be inclined to repeat. Every family creates an emotional climate that ultimately shapes the character and style of each child. Early confusion about whether you were loved or wanted colors how you react to and interpret people in your present life. The Five of Cups suggests that you may be agonizing over a pattern from the “bad old days” which is arising in your present life. Don’t let yourself simply sink into feeling miserable. Get up and try to make it right again.
2: House of Work
Resist the impulse to judge, assign blame or adopt an “us versus them” attitude. Be open to new information. With the Two of Swords in this position, people and circumstances around you are splitting into disputing camps, opposing each other and jumping to judgmental conclusions. This is not a trend that should be encouraged. Two can be a dangerous number because it divides a unity into opposition, it tends toward polarization. If you want to improve the situation, be sure to avoid taking sides.
3: House of Ideas
Stay focused on the common good rather than personal compensation.
When the Queen of Coins is in this position, the challenge is to keep your eye on the collective best interest and carefully de-emphasize personal reward. The depth of sensuality the Queen is capable of experiencing supports her incredible good sense and feel for nature. She instinctively knows what kind of action or response is appropriate. But it can also be very distracting when she is not attending to productivity and organization. She works hard, she plays hard, and sometimes on the weekend she spends all the profit she made during the week. It helps to have an environment that gently nudges her back to her concern for productivity, so she doesn’t get lost in how much fun she is having and how fully she can feel all the nuances of earthy life. The challenge is to stay focused on highest priorities.
4: House of the Family
Wisdom comes from careful and extensive study.
The Hermit in this position has had a chance to learn about the nature of reality. He or she has been given the tools to apply moral discrimination and prune away false expectations. Such an education empowers you to focus on what is essential to mental and spiritual health. Humbled, you discover your strengths in the school of hard knocks; and you know what you are made of. Your psyche’s foundation derives from ageless wisdom, as well as an abundance of profound guidance still available to you. Some people have to theorize about the right thing to do; the Hermit knows because he has transformed knowledge into experience.
5: House of Magic
Apply to your own life the examples of abundance and sovereignty manifested by a generous, openhanded person you know.
With the King of Coins in this position, an encounter with a big-hearted person has given your goals and intentions new energy and a larger dimension. You resonated with the feeling of abundance and command manifest in this personality. Before this memory fades, take some notes. Try to recall as clearly as possible what impressed you about the experience. Contemplate and assimilate the inspiration that it gives you. Try to imagine how you can get that feeling going in your own life. Become what you admire.
6: House of Apprenticeship
You have an opportunity to train yourself by testing your skills and strategies against a worthy adversary.
The Two of Wands in this position encourages you to test your ideas on someone competent and critical, before you lock yourself into a pattern or commit to a plan. These trial runs can help you refine your design and rediscover any blind spots you may have. Don’t expect to solve or finalize anything during these exchanges. Be humbly grateful for every shortcoming your advisors point out, or any missing pieces they help you identify.
7: House of Relationships
You are worthy of the abundant recognition you receive.
With the Nine of Cups in this position, you are about to receive a warm welcome from people whom you respect and admire. This will not be faint praise; this is very specific acknowledgment — a blessing you will cherish. You stand to be elevated by people who want to further you, who see your talent and gifts, what is special about you. They want to open doors for you, as well as invite you into their lives. Recognize the situation when it happens and consciously relax into the safety it provides. Your dignity will remain intact because you have earned this positive reaffirmation. The more you learn to be comfortable with a flow of support and love, the better you will be at whatever else you try to achieve.
8: House of Secrets
Your feelings for another may exist to attune you to your own longings and needs.
When the Two of Cups is in this position, the relationship doesn’t have to go anywhere for you to benefit. Even if it just exists for you to work it through your imagination, your artistic life, your dreams, it’s a good thing. Take a dispassionate view of the object of your affection. Regard this person as a symbol of your unfulfilled desires. Sometimes a person comes into your life not so you can “have” them but to stimulate exquisite feelings that better acquaint you with your heart’s desires. Talk to your unconscious; let the very awareness of love be like a tuning fork for your soul. These are healing, feelings. Unrequited love is not a bad thing; in fact, its effect can enrich other relationships in your life. Don’t cheapen such feelings or compromise your dignity by trying to possess an unavailable or unworthy person who evoked these emotions. You are bigger than that. Let go of the symbol for the sake of the essence.
9: House of Visions
An ally can test your mettle and teach you how to command respect.
The Five of Wands in this position suggests the presence of someone who can put you through a rigorous and challenging training to develop your will, physical stamina and endurance. This devil’s advocate will reveal your weaknesses and blind spots to you, hone your instincts and upgrade your strategy. Then you can prevail despite competition, prove the value of your ideas and command respect. This mentor or trainer might seem harsh, even a bit militaristic, challenging you to work past your fears and previous limits, but when you are through working with this ally, you will be a formidable contender.
10: House of Reputation
Accept the consequences of your decisions; go through it, get it over with, and free yourself for new pursuits.
The Hanged Man card in this position advises you to surrender illusions of control. Accept that you have been overcome by your own devices. You made your bed, now lie in it. This is not a punitive judgment call. It is simply that there are natural consequences for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since the consequences are not fatal but merely inconvenient or embarrassing, quit fighting it and let some time go by. Eventually, you will be released a little wiser and not much the worse for wear. At that point you will realize how you collaborated with the situation. The issues you were stuck on when you were first “hung up” have subsided and no longer concern you. You are free to take up new endeavors. You will ultimately feel refreshed and grateful that you were derailed from your old track.
11: House of the Future
Your spiritual journey will begin to feel more like a homecoming than a trek through foreign territory.
The High Priestess symbolizes the rock you will build your spiritual life upon. Attach yourself to it like a barnacle. Immerse yourself in the sense of security that comes from finding an inner point of stillness, around which everything in your life will rotate. A complete body of teachings and practices is awaiting your participation and enjoyment. Take your time. Enjoy the unfolding of the lifelong inspiration that is now beginning to emerge for you.
12: House of Surrender
You are called to the mothering role of nurturer and supporter.
The Empress in this position calls upon you to serve as a resource for spiritual or emotional nurturing. World weary souls may seek you out in their need for solace, care and support. The Empress is depended upon for all that it takes to grow up and become competent in the world. There are times in our lives when we are asked to serve in this way. This is not a punishment or a tax; it is a calling. If you give it your best when it is your turn to do so, the rewards will be great.
9:17:20 AM
For the record, after I put my “Reconciliation blog” to public access last night I checked my website mail address to find a rejection email from “Google AdSense” on the grounds of offensive language when I thought I had a confirmed ’Go’ for my blogs. I had a laugh because I knew for one thing, that I’d called myself a Bitch on that blog journal. I’d kept it a private self-work journal so it’s not pretty work.
Celtic Cross
1: Self
Forego being interested in trivial things.
The Hermit in this position describes an individual who has a relationship with the spirit world instead of society. The Hermit prefers to specialize in what is esoteric. He studies the inner sciences — yoga, tantra, self cultivation. The Hermit is involved with consciousness development that takes him beyond the limited human ego and puts him in touch with the vastness of cosmic creation. He or she may have very little time for ordinary human commerce and its various distractions. This card points to inner study. It’s about immersing yourself in the mysteries of natural law. The Hermit looks like an old man but in reality he is an eternal child full of wonder, gazing into the mysteries of the inner life.
2: Situation
A rising tide of opportunity is lifting everyone’s spirits.
When the Three of Wands is in this position a new spirit of excitement and innovation is emerging in your environment. Everyone around you feels the effects, even though it may be temporary. The winds are whipping up; adventure and creativity are in the air. Take advantage of this energy field of inspired optimism. 3: Challenges
Give a hand up to those who are willing to improve their situation, but don’t nurture dependence.
The Six of Coins in this position bids you to find a way to be helpful without creating dependence. It is a challenge to detach oneself enough from the outcome of one’s own efforts to promote self sufficiency and success among others. In some situations people need assistance or support, and it is good to help them. But if we spend our energy doing for those who can help themselves, we are actually performing a disservice. Your best contribution will not result from saving or rescuing others. Your best contribution lies in encouraging and challenging others to rise above their current limits. See if there is a way you can create incentives for higher performance.
4: Foundation Card:
The Magician
Your talent for recombining things makes you an educational and enjoyable person to be around.
You have witnessed or directly enjoyed the fruits of creative, associative thinking. It has become more natural for you to question assumptions, to move the pieces around and see if they can form a different pattern. You like to experiment with what is around you to see what you can create. Your talent stands you in good stead. You can inspire others to loosen up, flow and explore more too. Keep up the good work.
5: Recent Past
Another’s complaints about you may contain some truth. Take the opportunity to do some soul searching.
With the Page of Swords in this position, you recently felt stung by another person’s roster of grievances against you. Without your knowing it, this person has characterized you as an adversary. Because the Page of Swords tends to keep his own counsel and say only what is expeditious, you may not have realized how deep this vein of resentment actually goes. Now that the truth has been revealed, you understand better what you are contending with, freeing you to create more opportunities for communication. You may simply choose to dismiss this person as ignorant or eccentric, but it’s wiser to credit his or her complaints with at least a grain of truth. Use this experience to improve yourself. Don’t give this person even more reason to see you in a negative way.
6: Higher Power
Step into a leadership role with confidence; you are the right person for the job.
When the Emperor comes up in this position, you are being called to leadership. Put shyness and inhibitions aside, because there simply is no one else who can better organize others to accomplish an important task right now. The Emperor is interested in action and achievement. He wants to activate change; he wants to see results. You are being called upon to serve as an authority, a leader. Be assured that this is not a mistake — you are the right person at the right time. Accept this as fact, take up the reins of responsibility and get to work!
7: Near Future
You are entering a position of creative control.
The Ace of Coins in this position indicates that you are coming into an opportune time. Your bold and original ideas draw attractive opportunities, invitations and offers to you. From the very beginning, you have creative control. Trust that your natural instincts and good intuitions are working for you. Be confident. Success can be yours, and when it is, you will be blessed. It’s time to let yourself fly!
8: Blocks and Inhibitions
Because someone’s personal criteria are dominant, a relationship lacks balance and harmony.
When the Five of Coins falls in this position, you are experiencing inequity in relationship. Respect is not flowing freely in both directions. One person’s agenda may be dominating another’s. It’s important to examine this trend before the situation becomes more unbalanced. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or annoyed, prepare to question these relationships, both within yourself and with significant others.
9: Allies
Assemble a team of energetic visionaries; aim for brilliance and success.
The Queen of Wands in this position suggests that it’s time to go on a search for people like yourself, natural leaders with infectious enthusiasm and an iron will. A team of such self starters will extend your influence and speed results at this pivotal time. When you find these people, promote them and gather them around you; it will be astounding how quickly necessary developments unfold. This is a choice time to call to mind a role model your team can identify with, someone who can embody the image of successful achievement. Visualize such a leader and articulate that image to your team.
10: Advice
Exchanging ideas and proposals for addressing a universal need ensures approval and support.
The Four of Wands in this position supports your good, productive, evolutionary ideas. Concentrate on networking: use your charisma and power to attract like-minded souls so you can significantly increase your sphere of influence — the more people you can reach, the better. Your enthusiasm empowers your vision, which is pregnant with possibilities. As you share more freely what is on your mind and in your heart, others will see themselves in your vision, so you naturally receive approval, support, assistance and abundance. In your own way, you are addressing a universal need.
11: Long-Term Potential
Develop your skills in healing and mediation.
With the Knight of Cups in this position, there is a potential to become an effective mediator, one who can bring forth healing. This Knight heals the rift between generations and restores bonds between people whose communication has suffered. He mends the ripped fabric of family relations and missed connections. In his humility, he is the first to recognize his own mistakes, misunderstandings and self-involvement. You have the opportunity to serve well using the wisdom you have gained on your outward journeys. Be a warrior of the open heart and help others to own the strength of their love.
9:30:29 AM
All I know is, I have to get rid of all the ads, ASAP, before I can carry on with my “fearless moral inventory”.
Star of David
Wild card: The Eight of Coins is the card of works. We see here the successful artisan spending time at his bench, hammering out the commissions he has attracted because of his skill. His name is synonymous with "the best in its class." He is so popular that he can barely keep up with demand. Therefore, he is paid whatever he asks and accepts only the most prestigious requests.
If there is a problem in this card, it has to do with the trap of workaholism; the feeling of being so indispensable that you will not ask for help or delegate any part of a project. There is also the issue of becoming so identified as the creator of elegant objects, that the works themselves consumes the personal identity of the creator. The maker seldom gets to have a home life, time-off, friendships or the like. This card lobbies for a balanced perspective.
1: Deciding Moment
Your fading attachment to the past gives you an opportunity to mature.
With the Ten of Coins in this position, you are leaving behind family connections or traditional sources of support and coming into a certain maturity. Your perspective has changed as a result of this shift. You know more of what the wide world holds and you can assume a stronger stance. Your dependence upon the past is fading, and this bodes well for you.
2: Consequences
Biding your time gives you the opportunity to make intelligent guesses, adapt to probabilities and access your inner truth.
When the Two of Coins is in this position, it appears as if you are waiting out a roll of the dice. You can’t hurry it up, you can’t control circumstances and you are unable to gain an advantage through any known means to effect the outcome. An immature person often behaves badly in a situation like this. A mature person, on the other hand, will make intelligent guesses and adapt to probabilities while being prepared to accept whatever happens. What are your hunches telling you? This is a chance to see how uncomfortable uncertainty makes you. Use the energy you might otherwise spend trying to manipulate reality and apply it toward getting in touch with your inner sense of reality, your inner truth. No matter what happens, don’t get caught in black and white thinking. Do everything you can to think inclusively.
3: Will
A clear focus on your intentions will prevent you from getting carried away.
The Chariot in this position challenges you to be self disciplined in the face of considerable energy and abundant possibilities. You may be tempted to impulsively fling yourself into every attractive new prospect that comes along, without thinking about it until later. As difficult as it may seem right now, take your time and be more circumspect. Plot your course before you set out on your journey. Though the road will twist and turn, keep your mind on your ultimate destination. If there is a characteristic weakness of this card, it is lack of foresight combined with too much speed. Don’t undermine the opportunity you have before you now by allowing impulsiveness to dominate at this important time.
4: Relationships Card:
The Magician
The person needed to help untangle your situation is close at hand.
The Magus in this position suggests that you consult a mentor or expert in your environment who has mastered the things you are concerned with. Take time to look them up, ask for an hour of their time, and share your issues with them. It will be well worth whatever effort you make. Turn over every stone until you find the right person(s) and avail yourself of their skill.
5: Advice
Admit that you have sacrificed time and energy on a situation that simply doesn’t work.
The Nine of Swords in this position advises you to face your fear of being alone, and release the impediments that have held you back. Face the limits you have put on yourself in many different ways. In the name of being “safe,” you have held yourself to lower standards than you knew you could achieve, or you have resisted striking out on your own. Perhaps you have bargained away creativity and joy in order to avoid controversy. These kinds of tradeoffs never work. Cut your losses and recognize how much time and energy you have sacrificed to a way of being that’s not right for you. If you can do this you will look back at this time in your life as a turning point. This is an opportunity to heal as you shed a heavy burden that is weighing you down.
6: Conscience
You have the potential to be propelled forward in an area of your life.
You must persevere. When the Three of Wands is in this position it indicates the brink of success whether it has to do with business, spiritual life or the unfolding of personal life goals. You have made an effort over time to say “yes” to life and now life is saying “yes” back. This is a rare and magical opening — a time when you can truly catch the wave. There is a potential to be the person you’ve been striving to become, even though the greatest tests are still in front of you. For one thing, you still have to demonstrate that you will persevere. You have engaged the support of your Higher Power and are practicing the art of right action in your life.
9:42:50 AM
Question: I am already weakening, second-guessing if I sent the Amnesty email to people who might take it the wrong way. Your advice, Spirit?
Star of David
Wild Card: 16 The Tower
In all of images of the Tower card, disaster is striking or has just struck. The demons of madness and despair are released from ancient hiding places, and nature conspires with human failings to destabilize the people. A possible subtitle for this card would be "The Act of God," because the upheaval is collective, impersonal. Yet let us remember for whom these images were created -- educated nobles and clergy -- and you will realize just who will lose altitude fastest should the towers start to fall.
In that sense, the Lightening is a fitting karmic response to the guilt of those whose fortunes come from abuse of the land or its residents. A modern subtitle might be "Revolution from Below," indicating such drastic social change that a poor person has renewed hope of better times. Although The Tower comes to us as a classic crash-and-burn experience, the process does topple the hierarchy of the old order, providing all who survive with a fresh start on equal footing.
1: Deciding Moment
You have passed a test of self control and personal mastery. Now you can proceed with confidence.
You have seen yourself assuming the mantle of a lion tamer, a sublimator of instinct and impulsiveness. You’ve gained significant self esteem from the strong way you responded to pressure and necessity. You can be disciplined, focused and firm. This new knowledge of your capability helps you step into the present with more self assurance and confidence in your spiritual maturity. You have passed a test that stymies many. You deserve whatever recognition your efforts may have inspired.
2: Consequences
Stay alert to an imminent opportunity to advance quickly; keep your wits sharpened and your reflexes honed. The Seven of Wands in this position gives you a chance to leap ahead of others in your field of endeavor. In this case, it is not a competitive thing or a form of manipulation; you simply are the one in possession of the special skills necessary for the upcoming challenge. That combination of luck, preparedness and quick reflexes creates an opening you can jump through if you stay alert to the opportunity. It’s clear that the time has come for change, but in this situation you can only take with you those who, like yourself, are poised and ready for action. Persist despite the odds and trust your inspiration and instincts, for this is a significant opportunity to excel.
3: Will
Review your recent experiences in the light of who you are becoming; the process will give you fresh energy.
The Ten of Wands in this position requires you to re-evaluate your motivation for continuing to do what you have been doing, because your previous motivations have been exhausted. You took things as far as you could; now you are garnering wisdom from the experience. Try to determine the pattern behind the circumstances that brought you to this point. Examine the past for clues that can tell you what you are being prepared for. Your challenge and opportunity now is to see how your recent experiences will lead to fresh possibilities, new ambitions and an inspiring vision of even greater potential.
4: Relationships
Absorb good advice so you can refine your focus.
The Three of Wands in this position suggests the presence of a friend, advisor or mentor who can help you refine your focus and stay out of trouble. This person’s seasoned wisdom is ready to serve you. Individuals like this have a stock of learning experiences that could pave the way for you. Their good advice allows you to start where they left off. You will be spared a lot of struggle if you accept what your friend or mentor has to say and adjust your course accordingly.
5: Advice
Look upon the movements of change as positive, full of promise and adventure.
The Chariot in this position recommends that you be prepared for changes that might include a move, new venue or an opportunity to travel. The Charioteer travels light and stays open to fresh experiences that change with every valley or mountain pass. You may be asked to live out of a suitcase and consider every place your home for a while. Be receptive to new people who come into your life. Most especially, recognize and taste the joys of freedom. Become more fluid. The Charioteer is nothing if not self sufficient. Be prepared and self contained for the changes that will sweep in and carry you with them. Be ready, willing and able.
6: Conscience
Become a role model of higher learning and esoteric skill.
The Hierophant in this position says you are under the influence of a highly refined spirit. This Guide is attempting to help you organize and articulate a body of wisdom you may have accumulated over time. It may be related to teachings of your forebears. You are developing and refining the shamanic skill of awakening higher consciousness in others. In your way, you are a spiritual and intellectual catalyst and teacher. Accept this responsibility with grace.
posted by amiCreative at 10/05/2005 10:02:00 PM
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