Lady in the Street, Freak in the Bed

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Sun, Queen of Cups, Tower

Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you and me.  Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be...

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Queen of Wands

Not so many days ago, I was thinking about the Queen of Wands as we played a Twitter game, #amtarot , #pmtarot hosted by Theresa Reed, also known as The Tarot Lady (follow her on Twitter, or me, or both of us), and the phrase I came up with was from Ludacris, as succinct a poet as I have ever heard- "We wants a lady in the street and a freak in the bed."  To my experience, that is probably a true thing for many people.

So many times I hear women feeling they are exploited in lyrics like this, and I am here today to present my point of view-  exploitation is in the perception.  Personally, I do not feel belittled by these kind of lyrics.  I feel empowered, and that is all about perception.  I perceive that I am sexy, strong and powerful, so I am.  It's very simple, but not always easy.

My question to the cards today- "What energies emerge when we are comfortable in our own skin, specifically with sexuality, to the point we can be both lady and freak?"

The Sun is a bright, optimistic card, one of fiery energy, so I divine that happiness comes from total integration.  The Sun is also Leo's card, practically singing with good feeling and high self esteem.  We feel damn fine about ourselves when we feel sexy, desirable, and powerful in those feelings.  This Sun in particular seems to be wearing a grin of assured satisfaction.

The Queen of Cups is a nurturing machine, and I see the baby in this image as a piece of ourselves that is nurtured by this good feeling.  She is soft and caring, her arms providing a cradle for the soft part of ourselves we leave exposed during intimate moments.  I think she is here to show us that love is a circle, and it grows with each act we perform in its' name, no matter how "freaky" it may be labelled.  As I look at this image, I think about the periodic uproars about women breastfeeding in public.  Some people are so bothered by it that it borders on near obsession, yet it is the most natural thing in the world.  Same deal with sex. Nothing is more natural, yet nothing is the source of more obsession or controversy.

The Tower card has lots of esoteric meanings, and like all cards, a whole range in the shadow spectrum, from light to dark.  Frankly though, in the context of this reading, I see mind blowing orgasm.  Being completely free with ourselves, and safe enough to be able to express that, leads to great sex, amazingly satisfying. The waves crash, the lightning strikes, the angels sing.  You know the deal, or at least I hope you are lucky enough to know the deal.  It also speaks of tearing down conventions, and not all Tower moments happen externally.  Sometimes we have beliefs that need replacement, and the Tower can do that for us.

Tarot of the Mystic Spiral- Nine of Cups

The Shadow Card today is the Nine of Cups.  Often, I understand this card as the "wish" card, a card of complete satisfaction.  This card is an assured "yes" and a breath of release as our dearest desires are made manifest.  It is my belief that this sexual freedom and uncompromising sense of self is something most people desire, in themselves, and in their partner.  The particular imagery of this card speaks to that wish and how it works with all parts of ourselves, illustrated in the chakra system of the seated figure, how being a whole person sexually is part of being a whole person in every way.

There are few subjects as volatile (Tower-esque) as sex, and I do not mean to imply that a sexual relationship with another person is mandatory.  The fact is, celibate whether by choice or circumstance, or with a new partner every day, wherever we may fall in the continuum, the most important love relationship any of us will ever have is with ourselves, and our own bodies.  Alone is a perfectly valid way of experiencing sexuality, and understanding ourselves as a sexual being is a large leap in understanding ourselves as a whole.





These cards are from Tarot of the Mystic Spiral by Giovanni Pelosini and Giuseppe Palumbo, published by Lo Scarabeo.