Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Our New Home!

When we think about the big things that happen in life, buying a new home is right up there with the biggest.  We did not really intend to move just now, but opportunity has knocked and we have flung the door open.  We are onward to bigger and better, and I am excited, if not a little nervous for the logistics of a move while I am nearly incapacitated.

Like anyone, I am eager to know how we will fare in our new home, and I asked my cards to tell me the deal.  My previous readings when contemplating the move were all in favor, which surprised me as I would have thought they would argue for staying put as I heal, but I saw happiness, financial growth, and an ease of energy I was not expecting.  I do not make my decisions based on the cards alone, but they sure do offer clarity in times of confusion!
Tarot by Alexander Daniloff 2012- Five of Swords, The Fool, Two of Swords

The Five of Swords is related directly to the Shadow Card, which we will look at shortly, and also my  reading of yesterday, which talked about leaving some things behind, and doing so willingly or not, it is still going to happen.  Here I see a man who has made a stand.  He has dropped some Swords but is keeping some, and he is no longer running.  He stops here, and he looks boldly at us from his solid position.  That is indicative of my husband and myself.  We have compromised.  We have done what we were "supposed" to do, and here is where we find ourselves.  It doesn't matter, because we are triumphant, and in this card, there are no retreating figures, so there is no worry about being triumphant over a particular person or integrity issues in that triumph.  We just win in the situation, against the odds.  The housing market is in the toilet.  We feared being able to sell our home for what we paid for it, but we have managed not only to do that but even better and to find another home we can afford that will suit us even better than this one has.

In my three card free form Daily Draw readings I am inclined to give the central card the most weight, and The Fool as a Major Arcana would be the most important card in this reading by its' nature of being a Major Arcana.  A new home is a new journey!  The Sun in the upper right hand corner and the Moon just below show our optimism and our emotions are riding high right now and of course our pets, like the Fool's dog, will be going along with us.  This rendition of the Fool shows him crossing a bridge that I see as made of a Wand, symbolizing spirit and passion, to another cliff.  He is not simply walking off, and neither are we.  It would be nerve wracking to cross a chasm on a small log, but if you are confident and careful it is easily done.  It is nervous right now as we prepare for this move but it is good too.  We have a plan and as long as we stick to it we are gonna be just fine.  The owl at his head equals wisdom to me, so despite the name, he is not foolish, and neither are we.  It is exciting, and we are jovial, but our eyes our wide open as we make this move.

The Two of Swords specifically indicates me to me, and that has to do with the placement of the Moon symbolism, which I see as femininity and emotions, right there at the root chakra, having to do with sex, money, and power.  When I see the strong symbols for emotions in the Moon and the water in the background, this card really does hold it all, and the woman is bursting through into that.  I see this as my home to own, to shine in, to build upon, and I see it as a place where all aspects of ourselves are safe to express.  I am blindfolded, which reinforces the energy of The Fool, especially as they look in towards each other, because we can't know everything that will happen, but just have to have faith that we have all the tools to deal spectacularly with whatever may come.

I moved into this house with my husband, but it has never felt exactly like home to me, through no fault of my handsome man.  The new home, though, already feels like just that, home.  I can see that I have a lot of high hopes for this move to push some stuck energy, but I have to be honest with myself that while the move will help, it is not the solution to all my problems.
Daniloff Tarot- The Emperor

The Shadow Card is The Emperor, and I am so happy to see him appear.  Home is sacred, home deserves protection, and he shows up here in his commanding glory to remind us to place our boundaries strong, because good fences do make for good neighbors.  He is strong, and he reminds us to be strong and protective of the things that matter most in life, which for me are my family and their sense of who they are.

He also reminds me to be disciplined, an issue I have in every aspect of my life.  A little organization and thrust will go far towards making this home a great one, and if the chuckleheads need some firm reminders of what home means, I will have to be willing to give them.

So excited!





These cards are from Tarot by Alexander Daniloff 2012, self published by the artist.

Monday, April 22, 2013

On Mojo

I am a month out of spinal fusion surgery, and the time has both flown by and dragged on.  I am nowhere near 100%, but I am bored and itching to write and work.

I got sick of paying my lawyer to tell my stalker's lawyer to tell the client that they wouldn't see anything they didn't like if they did not insist on following me all over the Internet, so I laid low for a while, but you know what?  I am responsible for what I put out into the world, NOT how other people find it or interpret it (or in this case, pervert and malign it).

What I am looking for today is advice on getting my tarot biz mojo back as I heal, as I swim through the chaotic waters of moving and waging a custody battle.
Tarot by Alexander Daniloff 2012- Seven of Swords, Death, The Empress

I chuckled, which is one of my favorite reactions to a reading, when I saw these cards.  "You gotta let some shit go so you can take care of what matters most" is what echoed through my head.

(PS- How beautiful is this deck?  My anniversary present from my husband, bless his sweet heart.)

You'll hear me say this over and over and over again, but there are no bad cards.  In another circumstance, with another question (your question is sooo important as you craft a reading, either on your own or with a reader) the Seven of Swords and Death may be intimidating cards, but I am asking for advice, not predicting the future, which is always in flux anyway.

As advice, I see the Seven of Swords telling me to get the hell out of Dodge, and if I have to let some things go in order to do that, so be it.  I don't need all those Swords anyway.  Where many readers stumble is applying the imagery of the cards to practical solutions for living a life, so as a practical application I see that I have my head, since these are Swords dealing with thoughts and communications, full, and that is filling up my life in a way that making me crazy (hopefully just figuratively).  I see the figure fleeing from the circus, which for most of us may be a fun place to visit for a few hours, but would be a confusing place to live our lives.  At least it would be for me.  I thrive on order and structure, but my life recently feels very disordered and like I am reacting to instead of planning my life.  The imagery of this card calls back to the Chariot, its' Major Arcana root, in the movement and the light/dark juxtaposition.

As I move into Death, I take the energy of that Seven of Swords with me so that I can see that I need to let some of my big ideas of how things "should" be, what I "should" be accomplishing so that I can accept and make the most of the way things are.  This is a Major Arcana, and as such leaves little room to argue.  A lot of what I am doing just is not working, and I am in some unworkable situations and relationships.  With no prejudice to the people involved, they are sucking up my precious time and creating drama that distracts my focus, so they have to go.  This is not the fault of any person but myself, who allowed it to go this far.  I have no ideas to figuratively kill any of the relationships off, but rather to let the part of myself that craves them go.

Looking to The Empress, the idea of letting things go so that I have energy to focus on what matters most, my family and my work, becomes emphasized.  Like many women, I feel guilty if I cannot do it all (look back at that Seven of Swords) and I feel overwhelmed and stressed when I do try to do it all.  And, let's be honest, in my physical condition I cannot do it all.  Prioritization is a must.  I also see the need to focus on my home, my family, because The Empress is the mother, and in this house I am the mother.  She also rules over creativity and all my work is creative, but I have lost myself a bit in the day to day running, and lost a little of my spark for the rest as a result.  Maybe that is one of the things up for being eliminated- I focus on what I love to do, what I can nurture, and let the rest fall into place, because while business has to get taken care of, love and passion for what I do has to come first.

I also see in this card that a happy home, good food, love, laughter, good sex, self care, are all important to getting my mojo back.  I have been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, but I see that digging into is probably the answer for me, for now.

Daniloff Tarot- Ace of Pentacles
The Shadow Card pushes this reading even further into the zone.  The Ace of Pentacles shows my Taurean nature, my need to have stability, the fact that throughout my life I have always made my own money and taken care of myself, and how uncomfortable I am with letting the bulk of that fall on my husband right now.  It also shows how important financial growth is to me.  We have one kid in college, one about to be, and three hitting their teenage years, which is quite expensive in terms of extracurricular and school activities.  I want to give them everything.  I want to rebuild what has had to be taken out of our nest egg.  I want to have it all.  But I am reminded we can have it all.  Just not always all at once.




These cards are from Tarot by Alexander Daniloff 2012, which is self published by the artist.