The Devil and the Fool

There are times when the Tarot forces you to put on your reading glasses and look again. At things you may not want to acknowledge even to yourself. Like the lens of a magnifying glass, it brings certain things to focus, points out the fine print we may have ignored in the first glance. So I was a little taken aback when I asked my Anna K tarot deck for insight into the opportunities and challenges for the day and got two cards that sort of repeated the themes of yesterday's reading, nudging me to keep looking until the lesson is committed to mind.

The first card represents the opportunities that we can leverage today and this is..
tada! The Devil again. And I thought about the things we associated with the devil yesterday - the temptation, the bondage, the addictions, the unhealthy habits and patterns..so what next? The answer that came to my mind was a question - why? Why the devil? Today we move beyond recognizing the self created negative forces and dig deeper to know why we have created this bondage in the first place. The destructive actions we find ourselves repeating over and over again have to be a reaction to something that we are trying to hide, repress or come to terms with. Why have we given our power to our animal instincts instead of choosing to act with self awareness? What is it that needs to be known about this situation? And the situation may not be as awful really..you could be having pleasure, you could be enjoying the heady feeling of it but your inner self will have no doubts about the unhealthiness of this feeling. Today is an opportunity to look deep within yourself and find out the motive behind those actions that may be giving you momentary pleasure but are slowly eroding your self esteem and true joy. Today is the day to find out the missing link in your life which you could be substituting with ego gratifying actions.

The second card represents the challenges we need to overcome today. This is the Fool card and just like the Star card we got yesterday this is elementally Air energy. The Fool is all about freedom, spontaineity, boundless joy and trust. The guy shown in the image is a picture of innocence and happiness and unmindful of the danger ahead of him. He doesn't care about the risk, he doesn't carry a massive baggage, all he wants is a bit of fun in the sun and take a leap of faith. And this will be a challenge today.
You cannot go about believing only in the positive aspects of life. You will need to plan ahead for contingencies, consider the worst case scenarios and resist the urge to follow your instincts about someone or something. It will be better to think things through, logically and comprehensively, before taking action. Consider all options and choose the best, avoid unnecesary risks, think before you speak and look before you leap. The spontaineity of the Fool can lead to challenges today so be cautious and guarded and plan ahead.

Overall the cards seem to point at the need for going deeper and acting from a place of awareness. Do not keep reacting to events and thus lose your power of choice. Act with conscious intent and direct your actions towards positivity and light.
Have a great day!

The Star and the Devil

I've been reading all sorts of bizzare relationship stories in the papers lately and wondering why we find it so hard to practice what we know to be the right thing. Why the devil do we have to do the very thing that will sabotage our happiness and make us vulnerable to all kinds of negative energies? With some such thoughts in mind I went to my adorable Crystal Visions tarot today for some sound relationship advice.

The first card represents the qualities that would empower us vis a vis our relationships with others and this is the Star. The maiden shown in the card is a picture of deep serenity and self assurance. The water pours our freely from the two cups she holds in her hands into the lake of calm. My immediate feeling is one of peace and security, the knowingness that comes, not from logic or rationality, but from a deeper place in your heart that all is well. There is also a sense of freedom. Your love is a free choice not a compromise. There is no fear, no sense of division, no insecurities. You give of yourself, your love and trust to someone you care for freely and without expecting anything in return. This lack of expectation is what frees you. You know you can be generous with your love because there is so much more in your heart even after giving it all away.

Banish all fears from your mind today and express your love and affection in whatever way you can truthfully. Feel blessed that you have someone in your life who cares for you. It could be your spouse, a parent, a sibling, a child or a friend. The important thing to remember is that it is your generous, positive, giving attitude that gives you the power to attract and retain love in your life.

The second card represents qualities that take away from our power in relationships and it is the Devil. As evident from the image on the card, the devil is about temptation that leads to entrapment and misery. We instinctively recognize temptation when we see it, however, few of us truly trust in our own power to resist it or even use that power. Instead, we knowingly become a slave to self destructive habits and patterns. The first temptation is the thought itself, one negative current in our mind that leads to a chain of assumptions and ups our instinct for self preservation. Are you allowing negative emotions to block your power of reasoning or weaken your will? Are you finding fault with others, not seeing yourself reflected in the very things you are accusing them of? Have you shut your eyes to what is truly important and instead are blindly following materialistic goals set by social pressures?

Remember you have the choice, anytime you want, to break your self created patterns and free yourself from ego based judgements. As long as you are trapped by material aspirations love will feel like a constraint and relationships will feel binding. Ignore the selfish voice of your ego today and do something that your heart tells you to. Do something for the love of it, something that's simple, positive, life affirming and feels right, feels good.

The Star being Air elementally and the Devil being Earth energy there may be some conflicting tuggings in your heart today. You may want to do something for someone but hesitate due to practical or selfish reasons. Just remember your power of choice. Use it well today, choose the light and ignore the shadows lurking in your mind.
Have a fabulous Sunday!

Five of Pentacles and the Hermit

Duality is actually an illusion. Men vs women, light vs. dark, good vs. evil..we get so caught up in the  contradictions in these images that we often forget that it is one and the same thing, only viewed from a different lens.

So when I receive a card with negative overtones, in a positive position, it always makes me smile rather than cringe because it helps me realize the possibilities that are not immediately apparant and are hence so much more interesting and enlightening. The Five of Pentacles is the card that I got from my Anna K tarot deck to represent the opportunities of the day and if you look at this card you can immediately get a sense of bleakness about it. The card shows two figures huddled outside what looks like a Church, destitute and forlorn in a snowy night. Clearly they are not welcome inside the safe and cosy edifice. Besides, one of the figures seems physically challenged or injured. Opportunities? Hardly!

And yet, there is something very comforting about this dire situation. There is a companion and a trusted one, someone who is sticking by you even when the world has turned its back on you. Someone who loves you and would support you in all circumstances. Look around you and see if you can recognize this kind of support behind you today. It could be a person or some kind of physical asset you own or even your good health that gives you such a strong, stable foundation to fall back on when times are hard. We often take such blessings for granted but we forget that these are the very things that sustain us when we have lost the more transient trappings of social success. The sense of lack we may feel about our material and financial status can make us oblivious to our real purpose and happiness. Stop comparing your worth to others in terms of wealth and social standing, instead, focus on what you have and how you can retain it. 

Today is an opportnity to recognize and concentrate on the basics in your life, the foundation on which everything depends. Strengthen it and remember that no matter how bleak the day may be, it will pass and you still have a lot going for you.

The card representing the challenges for today is the Hermit and this one is about seeking solitude and more meaning in life. You may be thinking of spending a quiet, relaxing weekend with no responsibilities or stresses today but may find it hard to get out of the social hustle bustle of life. You may be forced into company, social events, parties with a very disinterested frame of mind and it may be annoying to have a constant buzz around you. Or you may have loads of fun and exiting times with friends and family but it might be followed by an inexplicable weariness and boredom.

You may be gripped by a feeling of having lost something but be unable to find it despite your frantic attempts to look for it. It will be a bit of a challenge to discover serenity and peace of mind within rather than outside. Do not attempt to run away from society today, it will only make you more anxious. Just keep going with the flow today without the pressure to 'search' for happiness and meaning. Basically, stop focusing on what's not there or what is missing, concentrate on what is.

Both the cards today represent the elemental energy of Earth and point to a need for more grounding. Keep up your familiar routines and the mundane chores that have to be done no matter how dispirited you may be feeling..sometimes, just doing things as if on auto pilot can recharge our batteries and energize us. Take care of the basic stuff today, your health, get adequate rest and remember that the most ordinary things in life have the potential to be most magical. Look for the mundane and you just might get a glimpse of the magical. Have a great day!

Page of Air and the Six of Earth

Attitude is everything. It's also a key to all our experiences and ultimately determines how we perceive the truth in our life. With that in mind I consulted my Angel Tarot deck today for insight into the energies of the day and the attitudes we need to embrace or shed in order to make the most of our experience.

The first card is the Page of Air and my attention is drawn instantly to the unicorn's horn that is sparkling against a backdrop of a misty, dark sky. All the figures on this card, human and animal, seem to be looking straight ahead with conviction and self assurance. This conviction stems not from actual knowing but from believing in your righteousness and from a certain naivety and innocence that values high ideals and honesty above everything else. Pages are about potential and opporunities for growth and this being the Air element there is an opportunity to use and develop your intellectual faculties and communication skills. You need to be actively observant, curious and expressive about life today as you keep an eye on such opportunities. Strike up a conversation with someone you've been meaning to know for a while. Speak your mind in your weekly team meeting. Voice your opinion about a cause. You may not know everything about the subject but by putting yourself out there you will learn and experience much more. It doesn't matter how many twists and turns you have to take to arrive at your truth but you will get there as your experience grows. Do not be afraid to think and speak for yourself.
The inscription on this card says: "Challenging information. Delays or changes to plans. Truth delivered without tact." And the attitudes it asks you to cultivate are to be: "Logical, Honest, Impulsive, Curious".

The other card is Six of Earth and this represents the attitude to shed. This card traditionally is the Six of Pentacles and it is all about giving and receiving some kind of assistance or gift. This help is usually in the realm of physical assets or tangible and intangible benefits like money, resources, time or knowledge. If you are the giver it would represent your charitable side and if you are receiving it asks you to receive with grace and gratitude. However, there may be undercurrents of dark impulses behind the seemingly benevolent nature of this card. Are you 'giving' unconditionally or are there strings attached? Are you keeping someone in the dark about the real motive behind your generosity? And if you are the receiver, are you sure you are not being trapped into an exploitative situation? These are some of the questions that can come up when this card shows up. As for the attitude that we need to shed, I believe this points to our habit of judging a book by its cover. Appearances are deceptive and if you base your judgement on them there is a likelihood of disappointment. So shed the tendency to take things on face value and use the sword of the Page of Air to cut through false illusions.

I feel the big lesson for today has to do with going deeper and discovering the truth. Be observant today and notice any inconsistencies in behaviour and words, yours or others' and use your cool rationality to get your mind back on the right track. Have a great day!

The Tower and the Hanged Man

My Morgan Greer Tarot deck has thrown some light into the strengths and weaknesses that would show up today.

The first card is The Tower and as shown in the picture seems like a pretty tumultuous and frightening possibility. But there is much learning in this card and today it reveals some of the strengths that we can leverage. The Tower is about breaking apart of the old structures and ways of living that are no longer serving to enhance our life experience. It means all that has ceased to serve its purpose must crumble so as to let life begin anew. We get so stuck in our ways at times, in our beliefs and habits that sometimes life has only this sudden, catastrophic way of making us see the truth. But it need not be something catastrophic, it could be something minor too, minor but deeply meaningful and impactful. The Tower is about being forced out of your comfort zone. It is also about a revelation that puts you face to face with the greatest truth of your life. You might have to confront old beliefs and patterns today or find yourself shaken by some truthful awareness of your own actions. Remember that this was inevitable and necessary. Remember also that it is for a purpose and for future growth. You just could not remain in the tower. Fire and lightening would have destroyed it before long. This shake-up was the only hope and so embrace the change that seems uncomfortable right now and leverage your innate ability to survive by learning from each experience and moving forward. That kind of strength will take you through the day with relative serenity.

The other card is the Hanged Man and it represents a weakness that you would need to overcome today. This card is about suspension of action and giving up control of your situation. Sometimes, giving up control is what you need to put things in the right perspective. But today is not a time for sacrificing your goals. Today is not the time to let up control but to take responsibility for your actions, learn from past mistakes and surge forward with greater understanding of life. Today is the day to recognize that some of your old beliefs and values are not serving your purpose and consciously changing them into more positive, more life affirming and relevant beliefs. It is the day to give up a habit that has been keeping you stuck in a rut. It's time to cut off the ties that have been keeping you suspended in false expectations and empower yourself with new ways of thinking.

This may be a day of some emotional conflict. The Tower astrologically represents Mars and is Fire energy whereas the Hanged Man represents Neptune and the water element. Fire and water are traditionally incompatible so you may feel some inner contradiction. However, both these energies are essential for sustaining life and need to be harnessed within ourselves so use them well and have a great day!

Harmony and Maturity

Today I am using the Osho Zen Tarot deck to get some insight into the light and shadow aspects of the day.

The first card I drew is Harmony and it represents the qualities we need in order to bring more Zen- like awareness into our lives. This is the Ten of Cups in a traditional tarot deck and a card of material and emotional contentment and joy. More than the state of 'having' that kind of happiness in our life it is about being aware of the joy around us and 'feeling' the joy in the little things, in whatever you have right now. So you may technically not have many things compared to others or have lots of  concern with regards to finances, health or relationships but that doesn't bother you. You are in the here and now and at the present moment you simply feel satiated and complete. This is what the experience of Zen is like and it is something you achieve when you allow yourself to remain firmly 'in the moment'. Past and Future is inconsequential, you cannot let a moment other than the present determine your state of mind. And in the present moment you consciously choose to focus on the abundance rather than on the lack in your life.

The other card I got is Maturity and this is a very positive card too. However, in the shadow position it represents the qualities that may disrupt the Zen like calm in our life today. The message I get here is that knowledge or our sense of 'knowingness' may cause some ripples of discontentment to arise in our mind today. Instead of simply observing our passage through the day we may get caught up in daily grind of our day to day mundane affairs and forget to experience the joy in little things. Another thing that may take away from contentment is comparison. The different shades of colour on this card denote the variety of our experience, hence the quality of maturity. Experience can enhance learning but it can also leave one cynical and judgemental at times leading to loss of harmony and peace within. Let your knowingness remember the flowers today and resist the urge to look at the thorns. Allow yourself to stay in the present moment and savour the goodness of life.

This promises to be a day of great inner peace and happiness. Do not try to grab at this happiness today or attempt to analyze it. Be inspired by the deep source of positivity inside your heart and spread the love and happiness around. Have a lovely day!

Four of Pentacles and the Magician

My Radiant Rider Waite Tarot deck is an old, trusty companion and I decided to turn to it to get some insight into the opportunities and challenges that may come up today.

The first card is the Four of Pentacles and it represents the opportunities. The figure on this card is seen holding on to his Pentacles, trying to keep them close and guarded. He is sitting on a high boundary wall separating him from the rest of the town. There are several meanings attached to this card and some of them tend towards the negative. It's always interesting to get a less positive card in a very positive position, really challenges you to look at things with a fresh perspective, like discovering hidden treasure in an unlikely place :-)
To me this card seems to be hinting at the opportunity to get yourself in a place of security and protection. This is a Pentacles card with the elemental energy of Earth and astrologically this is Sun in Capricorn so one of the earthiest card. This guy has his feet firmly planted on ground and all practical matters are of immense importance to him. Think money, finances, material possessions, health and people connections. Think long term stability that comes from building a sound reputation. Today is a good day to check on your investments and expenses. You could also be more vigilant about your health and get a check up if you feel the need. You may also want to keep your plans to yourself today and set some boundaries with regards to the people around you. The keyword that jumps at me is protection, of yourself, your assets and resources.

The second card is the Magician and this represents the challenges today. The Magician is all about action and manifestation of your strongest desire and I feel this is the area where you might run into some challenges today. You might want to consider your motives and strengths with clarity and make sure you are focused on the outcome. Do you have all the resources required to achieve your desired outcome? Are you motivated enough to go ahead with your chosen action? Lack of will and your power of concentration may become a hindrance today so make sure you are focused on your goal and avoid distractions. Astrologically the Magician represents Mercury and elementally this is Air energy. Air being representative of the intellect, thoughts and communication, you might also want to make sure that you are communicating effectively today and your words, thoughts and actions are all in harmony.

The overriding message that I am getting from these cards is that your ability to remain focused and stay on course will be very important today. Avoid wasting your resources and be safe and cautious today with regards to practical matters.
Have a great day!