Weekly Forecast: Oct 24-30
There’s some sneaky and shifty energy afoot this week that seems fitting since Halloween is nearly upon us. You may find yourself lingering around the edges of an issue, being overly evasive, or feeling defensive. You might not even know why. We’re often the best at hiding from ourselves.
To be wild is to be wily. Surviving means living in the moment with just the goal of getting by. But we can’t live in this state forever. We need to thrive. Eventually we must let our guard down and roll over to reveal our soft underbelly. Life is stagnant without tenderness and vulnerability.
Say you get close to one of these opportunities to open up and grow. It feels alarming to let go and show your soft side. You’ve been told all your life to be alert and watchful. You could get hurt, you could get rejected. These are not neutral associations! Your alarm bells go off. This is the deep-seated creature part of us. It does not speak in nuanced tones. Run! Get out! Fight back!
Some of us hear these alarm bells before the moment is directly in front of us. We can smell the danger far off. Someone is going to ask me to show up. I’m going to have to take a risk. I might need to ask for help. We learn to head off these situations by keeping our spines pointed outwards in all directions.
And let’s be real. Spines look cool. You might see someone particularly spiky and think, “Man, they really have it together. I mean, look at those solid boundaries!” They appear calm, cool, and collected, but that’s because they keep the world at spine’s length.
This is what I mean when I say that there’s a shifty, wily, maybe even naughty tendency highlighted for this week. Your spines are up. And I mean this with a lot of tenderness and affection.
I have a huge soft spot for the seven of swords. It depicts the self-satisfaction that comes with getting away with something. The thrill of escaping an unpleasant situation. The glee of knowing something that others don’t.
"No one can even get close to hurting me!" we boast. I can’t help but love the trickiness inherent in all of us.
The Wild Unknown’s version of this card also highlights the restlessness that comes with constantly having to guard what you have. In this case, a trove of swords that suggest you’re holding back what you really think in order to protect yourself.
The fox, a symbol of cunning, peeks out from behind its bushy tail with one eye open. You must be eternally vigilant to keep your true self hidden. You feel you must carry your anxiety with you like a talisman: "I must constantly worry about slipping up otherwise I won’t be protecting myself," you say. This is exhausting.
And what are we hiding behind these bushy tails? Our spines? This week’s reading gives us a beautiful answer: The Star.
The Star is as luminous, inspiring, and comforting as it seems. We look to the stars for inspiration and to sense our smallness. We are also reminded of our place in the universe. Though a black expanse of space separates us over an unfathomable distance, we are made of the same matter.
The ten of wands shows us that if we continue as is, ignoring our need to grow in vulnerability and express our true thoughts, we’ll get lost in the woods. We see the brambles and branches of the ten of wands looming ahead. They tangle over each other and the light behind them is dim. This is a card of losing sight of goals, of being lost in tasks and in details.
As a symbol of our own divinity, The Star points us back to our inherent magic and the gift that we have to give to the world. If the stars can shine across the darkness for millennia undaunted, we can muster the courage to let down our spines, peek out from behind our tails and let our true selves shine through.
7 Ways to Prepare for Your Tarot Reading
You’ve just booked your tarot reading. You might be feeling nervous, excited, and intrigued. As a someone who loves getting tarot readings, I know the feeling well.
Having your cards read is an intimate experience. You’re quite literally putting a part of yourself out there and hoping for clarity and guidance in return.
It’s exhilarating and out-of-the-ordinary and that’s the point! But there aren’t many resources for preparation and etiquette.
So here are my tips to ensure that your reading is as relaxing, helpful, and magical as you need it to be.
1. Formulate Your Question
This is worth taking some time with since it directs the entirety of your reading. Snuggle in and really give it some consideration. I find journaling especially helpful in getting all the information out onto the page. After writing for a bit, you may even find that your question is different than you thought. Good news! You can tweak it to your heart’s content before you tell your reader. Phrasing is key. Make sure your question focuses on the heart of your issue and leaves room for steps forward (for tips, see my post about phrasing questions here.) Your reader should be able to tell you if your question works well for your situation. I certainly encourage you to reach out if you’re lost or simply want feedback.
2. Address Questions or Concerns with your Reader
Your tarot reader is your ally. They want to facilitate this insightful and transformative experience for you and should be happy to address any concerns you have before the reading begins. Before you shoot off a long email of questions, however, take a peek at their code of ethics and terms and conditions pages. Most readers have this information readily available on their websites and it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with their policies and boundaries before the reading begins. If you have any personal preferences such as a deck you’d like to use or a certain topic you don’t feel comfortable addressing, let them know! They’ll be glad to have the extra information to make their reading the best it can be.
3. Center Yourself
Relax and center yourself before the reading takes place. This can be in any way that works best for you. Meditation, a nice walk, even a bath if you can wrangle it. It’s important to feel as grounded as possible (while leaving room for some giddiness, naturally!) Remember that this reading is for you. Tarot reading are meant to be illuminating and healing. Any reader worth their salt will not intentionally pressure you in any direction or make you uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are very few readers like this, and you’ve likely chosen someone who resonates with you and communicates well. So rest up and focus on yourself before the reading starts. It will better prepare you to absorb the information and get the most guidance from the cards.
4. Embrace the Unknown
You’re not going to a tarot reader because you know the answers already. In fact, you’re most likely looking to tarot because thinking through the issue wasn’t getting you anywhere. Tarot is an excellent way to access other channels of knowing like intuition. Open your mind to the information that will come your way and know that it won’t look like your usual approach. Embrace a sense of fun and exploration. You’re about to enter a world of symbols and magic, after all.
5. Recognize Your Ideal Outcome
If there’s a path you hope to take or an outcome you’d like to see, acknowledge it! If necessary, use the outcome to rephrase your question, as in, “what do I need to know for x,y,z to happen.” Having goals can be very helpful in directing your reading, or at the very least will show where your biases and blind spots may be.
6. Brainstorm Further Questions
You might find yourself full of questions before the reading and suddenly at a loss for words once things get going. There’s a lot happening during a tarot reading – those entrancing cards, your reader’s interpretations, your interpretations – and it’s easy to get lost. Write down a few follow up questions or issues you’d like to touch on and bring them with you. Be mindful of the time you have for your reading, of course. Two or three should do the trick.
7. Have Fun
And finally, enjoy yourself! You’ve set the appointment, made your payment, and formulated your question. Now you get to experience the wonders of a tarot reading. Relax, open your mind, and see what the cards have in store for you.
I hope these tips are helpful as you get ready for your next tarot experience. As always, sare any comments or questions below - I'd love to hear from you! Interested in purchasing a reading? Take a peek at my offerings here.
Lovely Links & Happenings
Fall in New England - is anything better?
It's been a majestic week in my world, and I hope it has been in yours as well! I went on a trip to New England to peep some leaves, so things were a little quiet on the blog front over here.
The gorgeous, gorgeous Circo Tarot
I did get my paws on a copy of the Circo Tarot and let me tell you, it's gorgeous and mysterious. There are some especially Halloween-y (Halloweenie?) cards in there that I can't get enough of. Stay tuned for a post on them soon.
In the meantime, here are the links that caught my eye this week:
A Twin Peaks tarot deck! Can't wait to get my hands on these damn fine cards...
More evidence the universe has no direction
Amazing Bauhaus halloween costumes.
Gorgeous photographs of Japanese fisherwomen.
Tell it like it is, Dolly! Dolly Parton's response to her homophobic fans.
Someone brought their service duck on an airplane, and now I'm going to be hoping I get to sit next to it on every flight I take!
Getting to Know Your First Tarot Deck
So you have your first ever tarot deck.
What a moment!
The wrapper is still on the box and you’re about to meet all 78 cards for the first time.
Now before you break open the little white book that comes with the cards, or grab a larger tome to introduce you to the meanings, wait just a moment. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could go back in time and meet my first deck with a completely open mind.
You have the rest of your life to pour through meanings and learn the history of each card. Hell, each symbol on each card!
But you only have this moment to look at a deck with fresh eyes and experience your own reactions, insights, and interpretations.
This is why I love reading for people who have no experience with tarot. Every time, they give me a priceless take on the cards completely unique to them. My understanding of the card is now so much richer thanks to their insight. They’re looking at the cards with a beginner’s mind and let their intuition run free without the restriction of predetermined meanings.
It’s a beautiful thing!
I urge you to savor the experience of getting to know your first deck (and all those after, of course.) Unbox the cards, feel them in your hands, and lay them out one at a time. As you look at each card, notice how it makes you feel. Does it remind you of anything? What images does it bring up in your mind? Does it bring up a specific emotion?
Write all these impressions down. In doing so, you’re creating a priceless resource that you can return to time and time again. Let your intuition do the talking. Once you’ve recorded these general impressions, consider what the card meaning might be. Have fun here. This is about finding your intuitive interpretations of the cards, not getting anything “right.”
I like to repeat this process with each card, starting with the major arcana. Once all the majors are laid out, look at the entire group. Again, consider the thoughts, memories, feelings, smells, etc. that the cards evoke as a whole.
Write it all down, and note what cards jump out to you, and which ones you find off-putting. Are there symbols you’re drawn to? Colors? Write that down, too.
Repeat with the minor arcana. You’ll soon have the whole deck laid out in front of you. I like to do this with each set of cards I add to my collection. It gives you a great “bird’s eye” view of the deck and helps to illuminate the larger patterns of the cards.
Soak it in, let the images percolate, and, when you’re ready, shuffle and begin experimenting with readings.
As you continue your tarot journey, look back on the meanings and impressions you’ve recorded here. They’re full of insight that’s completely unique to you and essential as you develop your own reading style. I can promise that you you’ll be impressed by the depth and wealth of information you came up with.
Weekly Forecast: Oct 17-23
Oh my. What a dose of energy these cards have! The reading for the week has us looking forward with burning passion in our eyes. What motivates us and aligns with our values? Find out and follow it, these cards say.
Internally, you’re finding a sweet spot: the place where your vision and vigor join hands. It feels right. It looks doable. It’s not just a mundane task. It might be… dare I say it… a calling.
Sometimes the frisson of intellect and emotion is too much. And sometimes it creates a delightful sense of excitement. Now is one of those times. All that soul-searching you’ve been doing has brought you into a place of action. Think of it like this: you were meticulously building the podium you’re about to give a speech from. It was hard work. Detail oriented and precise. But you’ve laid the ground for something magnificent.
So take that energy outward. Now is the time to step into the sunlight and get back into the scrappy act of “doing shit.” It’s nice out here, isn’t it? With the wind in your face and a sense of purpose, who wouldn’t feel invigorated. So feel it! Revel in the start of this new journey and don’t squander the “go get ‘em” gusto you’re brimming with right now.
There’s a sense of getting lost in the joy of work. Focus on the task at hand and certainly not the “over there.” After all, each accomplishment is made of thousands of small actions. Take things one step of the time.
Something to keep in mind: It doesn’t have to be perfect. I’m not talking about “using tweezers to place the herb garnish on your culinary masterpiece” work, here. More of the kind of work that reflects your vitality and humanity. And we all know being human is messy and delightful business. This week’s energy makes this kind of work invigorating and fulfilling, so get to it and enjoy all the things you’re capable of.
It looks like proceeding down this path will bring you all sorts of payoffs. If you remain true to your original motivation – the why instead of the what – you’ll soon reap the satisfaction of completing a project that truly expresses who you are and what you stand for.
You know the saying, “it’s not the journey, but the destination?” Of course you do. It’s been in yearbooks and on inspirational cat posters for millennia. There’s another part to this ancient wisdom besides the “stop to smell the flowers” message. That is, if you were magically teleported to your destination, nobody would get to see the steps it took you to get there.
Know that in remaining focused and creating your vision you have an audience of people who appreciate what you do. Your work does not go unnoticed. In fact, it is probably inspiring to others (people appreciate the integrity of those who are true to themselves. Authenticity resonates!) And is also why you’ll have a group of supporting folks to cheer for you when you succeed.
Peachy stuff, indeed.
Intrigued? Curious? Looking for a reading just for you?
Weekly Forecast: Oct 10-16
Sometimes I look around my house and feel intense frustration. There’s a pile of dishes in the sink already and dog hair all over the floor. Haven’t I been doing dishes all week already? Doesn’t this ever stop??
In times like this I get a wild and reckless feeling. I’d rather burn the house down, start from scratch than was another dish!
I’m tickled to see a flaming upside-down house in the five of pentacles from the Tarot del Fuego. It reminds me of the caginess that can pop up in our day-to-day lives. The illustration is unique: tears with flaming pentacles inside cascading down a cheek covered in thorns. Heavy stuff, indeed! And one of the reasons I love this deck.
Frustration. Tears spilled over material matters. You may be feeling cagey in your home, your routine, your financial situation. Things may be tight and tensions may be high. For whatever reason, what you have right now just doesn’t seem to be enough.
The eight of wands follows in this theme, this time in the realm of work and creativity. You’ve been a busy bee and have jumped into a new project and idea. Perhaps you’re so engaged with it because you can escape from the material frustrations at home. It’s something exciting that came to you in a flash of inspiration. You set the wheels in motion and now the plan has been set into motion.
That was fast! And you’ve done a lot of work already. We see a huge fortress, its towers wrapped with wands. Buried at its base is a heart and two flames. These signify the passion and love behind your project. That flash of inspiration? It came from a good place. What you’re doing resonates with you. It’s exciting and it’s worth following.
But those walls sure look bulky, don’t they? In fact, they dwarf the heart that remains hidden underneath. And that ominous cloud full of eyes and flashing lightening? Not looking so good.
It looks like the passion project has become burdened with unnecessary extras. The substance got lost in hubbub of all the action. There’s no need to build the biggest, tallest, strongest next best thing. Especially when you’re just starting out.
You can smother your inspiration by piling needless work and too many bells and whistles on top. You want a curated collection that reflects your vision, not a crowded knickknack shelf (though those are delightful in their own right.)
Wrapping ourselves in our achievements can be a way of masking our insecurities. Focus on the fire beneath you, not the fear. Fire needs oxygen to burn bright. Don’t choke it out, otherwise you’ll invite the ominous clouds to make adjustments for you.
And maybe some of the dissatisfaction you’re experiencing with your home and financial situation is weaseling its way into this undertaking. Know that the underlying spark behind it is just what you need to better your situation and shake off that restlessness. You just need to buckle in, do the work, and stay connected to your original goals.
Look towards the two of swords (it rhymes and it stays!) as you hone this new project. Now is a time to plan by reconnecting with your daydreams. That is, to harness the magical combination of your mind and intuition. Savor this time to yourself and limit confusing outside input, including comparisons with others.
You might be sensitive about people’s judgements and run the risk of shelving your project because of a bad reaction. Your tender dream doesn’t deserve that! Keep it close, feed and nurture it. Use this time to get to know yourself. Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing.
This card suggests a reconnection to the hidden parts of your personality. Maybe something you were passionate about as a child, some part of yourself that came naturally and gave you great amounts of joy. And this part may have been met with some resistance back then. Did you hide it away and now it’s waking up, telling you it might be ready to come out soon?
Revel in the magic that happens when a part of yourself is awakening. Look inward and be dazzled by the unfurling. Support it with your thoughts. Do you need to train yourself to be nicer, kinder to yourself? Have your thoughts get to know this new spark. They get to protect each other, and given the time, they can make a big change in your life.
Lovely Links & Happenings
Here are the tidbits that caught my eye this week. It's been busy and bustling over here. Pumpkin Spice Lattes seem to be everywhere (still haven't tried one yet, though I am tempted. It feels like a cultural experience of our times!) and I'm getting excited about Halloween and in the mood for horror movies.
On the blog, I shared some of my favorite ways to read card reversals. (No book required, just your tarot knowledge and trusty intuition.)
How was your week? What new things did you discover? And, most importantly, what are you going to be for Halloween???
Photographs of gorgeous libraries in the US.
Beautiful article about how trauma is stored in the body.
Tips for working at home.
A moving poem.
What do McMansions and haunted houses have in common?
Looking to absolve your sins? In Dakar, Senegal, just purchase a bird and set it free.
How God created animals according to twitter.
4 Ways to Interpret Reversed Tarot Cards
Pick up any tarot book and you’ll find two meanings for each card: upright and reversed. With 78 cards in the typical deck, that brings the tally up to 156 meanings to familiarize yourself with.
Worried you'll spend your readings with your nose buried in a book? Fear not - once you get to know the upright major and minor arcana meanings, you'll be able to put the book aside and experiment with reversals on your own. And, naturally, you can return to the written interpretations as you enrich and grow your tarot practice.
There are lots of ways to look at reversals and many are tied to the upright meaning of the card and/or intuition. That's to say, there is no one way to read reversals, and you certainly don't need to commit a definition to memory in order to gain proficiency.
The more you read, the more you practice, and the more techniques you try, the closer you get to mastery and discovering your own personal style.
Here are some ways to explore reversals as you get started:
1. Energy Coming In/Energy Receding
With the meaning of the card you’ve learned so far in your mind, look at the position. If upright, consider the energy coming into your/the querent’s life. If reversed, see it as receding in influence.
2. Strong/Weak Forces
Look at upright cards as traits, people, or factors that have a powerful sway on the situation at hand. Reversed, the card signifies something with a weak influence.
3. Stable Areas/Places to Improve
Consider upright cards as fully developed aspects of a situation, topic, or personality. Reversed cards indicate a facet of life or the personality that needs development.
4. Smooth Sailing/Sticky Spots
Upright cards tend to speak to the positive areas of life that are proceeding with little effort. Reversals can indicate troubled areas or challenging aspects.
Things to Keep in Mind When Looking at Reversals
The Topic: Reversals often act to clarify the situation at hand. For example, if you're doing a reading for self-improvement, consider interpreting reversals as places you need to work on or traits you need to encourage.
The Context: Look at the surrounding cards. What supports the card in question and what detracts from it?
The Position: Is the reversed card in a position that indicates the past or future? Or a quality to embrace? Use this information to guide your interpretation.
Suits: Is there a dominant suit in the reading? What might that say about the reversed card(s)?
What is your experience with reversals? How do they fit in with your tarot practice?
Share your experience in the comments below or hop over to the Incandescent Tarot Mighty Network to start a new conversation. Curious about my current stance on reversals? Check out my post Why I Don’t Read with Reversals. (Yes, I realize that title is quite the spoiler!)
Weekly Forecast: Oct 3-9
We start this week’s reading with a beautiful and serene image. The ten of coins shows us the courtyard of our lives. Sun filters in over a pyramid of coins – the fruits of our labor, the accomplishments we have worked so hard on. Green and riches abound, surrounded by smooth white walls.
As symbols, walls can go different ways. Are they rigid? Protecting from a dangerous force outside? Erected out of fear? Or are they stable, built from hard work, and peppered with windows and doors that let us come and go?
This card signifies arriving at place of peace about your prosperity and ability to live a full life. You’ve built a secure and vibrant place for yourself. What’s more, you don’t forget the importance of the everyday. In fact, it is there that your strength and inspiration lies.
The space pictured in the card is not completely enclosed. We look through the archways and see the lush greenery on the other side. This reminds us to stay connected to the outside world and open to change.
Cherish what you have and see it as a stable place from which you can start new ventures. Your accomplishments are not rigid and constraining. Rather, they are flexible like a diving board you can leap off with joy.
Light shows up in all three cards: illuminating the tools in the magician’s hands, glinting off the coins in the ten, and shining onto the face of the knight of coins in a JJ Abrams-style lens flare.
We all can choose how much light to let into our lives. After all, the sun is always shining. Do we block it out with walls and gloomy curtains? Or stare into it like a child on a dare?
The walls in the ten and the knight show the perfect balance. Used well, boundaries and safety help let the perfect amount of light shine into our lives.
Like spiritual sunglasses, it’s important to protect ourselves from the overwhelming brilliance of life and inspiration. Otherwise we can be blinded by the myriad possibilities and paths open to us at all times.
Consider the magician. He is focused, meeting our eyes with a level gaze while balancing the four symbols of the suits in his hand. They float, levitating from his willpower. The strain doesn’t show on his face – he has mastered the balance and can harness this power to create new possibilities for himself. Light plays off the objects and his face is illuminated. He in neither blinded nor lost in darkness.
This is the moment we find ourselves in. You’re about to start making things happen using all the tools at your disposal. The ten and knight of coins suggest using a recent accomplishment to catapult you to greater success and spiritual alignment.
The knight of pentacles strengthens the theme of the material world and the financial. He also signifies a time of enthusiastic action. Perhaps this next step is regarding our work, businesses, or earning potential. Either way, know that you have accomplished much and that more is possible.
Be sure to protect what you have while you strike out on this new venture. And find strength in the solidness of your situation. You are well-primed for something new and all signs suggest it will be successful if you remain grounded and dedicated to maintaining balance. So put your sunglasses on, enjoy the protection of what you’ve built, and embrace the magic of what can happen when all the parts of your lives are aligned.