Tarotgirl’s Weblog

The Eight of Swords

The Eight of Swords usually provokes a gasp when I flip it. The last way we want to understand ourselves is as the figure on the Eight of Swords, bound, blindfolded, trapped. Yet, how we deceive ourselves at times. How easy is it to fool yourself into believing something is okay when really – it isn’t.

When you sell yourself short, you become the figure in the Eight of Swords. When you let other people define who you are, you become this figure. So, the looming question – how do you remove the binds?

If you are reading this, I’m guessing you are a pretty intuitive person. You can pinpoint one area in your life you need to bust out, break free. Does an old habit have you in its grips? Stuck in a job you loath? Dream of singing in Carnegie Hall but 20 years ago some miserable 8^th grade teacher told you had no talent?

Try this exercise. Look at the Eight of Swords for a moment then close your eyes. Consider your current situation and imagine you are the figure on the card. Feel the binds around your body, trapping you, confining you. Now, in your minds eye, envision yourself as you’d like to be. Free. Fabulous. Living life in true expression of who you are. Go back to the image of you bound and restricted. Begin to feel the binds loosening, dropping, falling away. The blindfold drifts off and you look out to the world. The colors are vibrant, intense, your reality transformed. You grab a sword and confidently move forward into your future.

 You have the ability to take a really tough Tarot card and make it work in your advantage!

But there is so much life – and it is wrong to waste it. Make the most of everything – even the bad stuff. This time, this day, will never come again.

            -Jeanette Winterson

The King Of Cups

Have you ever known a King of Cups? The King of Cups as a man is a dreamer, poet, artist. He’ll whisper Platonic philosophy in your ear late at night. He will paint you like Leo painted Kate in Titanic. He listens with rapt attention to every detail of your life story. He’ll compose a song in your honor while planning an elaborate dinner where each course is delicately prepared, your specific tastes in mind. The King of Cups feels your emotions before you do. Above all, The King of Cups understands who you are.

The King of Cups in you is imagination in flight. You are capable of inspired thoughts. Ideas, images, emotions, rush like water bursting through floodgates. You have the means and scope to look at the world and feel what’s going on for others.

King of Cups perspective comes only with maturity. Children are open and naturally creative –they express their feelings for expressions sake. It would not occur to a child to repress their imagination. The King of Cups energy occurs as an adult when you have regained this child’s perspective, sense of wonder and flow.

Picasso’s famous quote “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child” expresses this theme brilliantly.

Let the King of Cups guide you when seeking creative inspiration. Each morning, lying in bed with those precious moments between snooze buttons, think King of Cups. Tell yourself you will be inspired all day. Imagine just how large the world is. The infinite possibilities your day holds. Broaden your scope. Think bigger. Imagine larger. Dream.

Mother’s Day Spread

This spread is for of all the Moms, Mamas, Milfs and Mums out there. Hope you are having a fabulous day! You are amazing.

You can read this spread for yourself or your mother as a little Mother’s Day treat.

Arrange the cards in any manner that suits you.

1. Gifts your mother passed on to you.

2. Gifts you pass on to your children.

3. Wisest lessons you’ve learned as a Mom.

4. Greatest strength as a Mother.

5. You should be proud of yourself because . . .

6. Something you should treat yourself to today.

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

                                                -W.R. Wallace

More Tarot Inspired Drinks

I created the Tarot Theme Drinks for the 2008 Readers Studio. I’ve been asked to do drinks for the whole Major Arcana. Well, I don’t have ‘em all but here are five new ones. Enjoy!

The Fool

This drink is inspired by Juvinex, my favorite spa in NYC. They serve this with fresh fruit after you’ve been massaged, scrubbed and soaked. Talk about a fresh start! I can’t think of a better way to start anything and as we know, the Fool is all about beginnings.

Tall glass of purified water.

4 thin slices of English Seedless Cucumber

Combine and pour over ice.

The Magician

Who doesn’t enjoy pondering their Magician qualities first thing in the morning? Sip this delicious drink and think about how electric you’re going to be all day!

1-cup strong coffee

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon chocolate syrup

1 dash peppermint extract or crushed fresh mint

sugar to taste

Shake all ingredients in a martini shaker and pour over ice.

The High Priestess

They say Sage is carried for wisdom and I don’t know any Readers who don’t tap into the wisdom of the High Priestess.

Sage Tea

½ oz fresh sage leaves

1-teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ oz grated lemon rind

Juice of one lemon

1-quart water

Bring water to a simmer, and add the rest of the ingredients. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain and serve iced.

The Empress

If you don’t have proper Champagne flutes, go to Crate and Barrel and get some. The Empress wouldn’t dream of drinking out of anything less fabulous and neither should you.

1 glass Champagne (the good stuff because you deserve it)

Healthy splash Chambord raspberry liqueur

Combine and enjoy.

Hint – Morning juice served in Champagne flutes at breakfast make eggs and toast extra special!

The Emperor

There is something about Emperors and beer that seem to go together. . .

Black and Tan

1 can/bottle Guinness

1 can/bottle pale beer like Bass

With Emperor precision, hold your pint glass at an angle, and fill halfway with Bass. Slowly, very slowly, trickle the Guinness down the side of the glass, creating a layered effect like a cappuchino. Keep slowly pouring Guinness until full. Now, sit back in your throne and enjoy!

The Star

New Hope. Clarity. Inspiration.

Yesterday, I attended a matinee of The Little Mermaid on Broadway with my daughter. When I pulled The Star card, it reminded me of stars appearing on Broadway. Now, I am certain The Star tarot card was not created with stars of stage, film or music in mind. Yet, while gazing at the Star card, I thought of the role certain stars play in my life. The cathartic experience watching an inspired film, play or concert can give you.

I boogie out of a Madonna show with renewed energy and determination for life. I wander out of Nicole Kidman films imagining I’m as beautiful and delicate as she is. Watching Oprah reminds me I can make a difference in the lives of those around me. Reading Jeanette Winterson’s prose refreshes me with of the splendor and beauty of her language. Gazing at Lucian Freud in MOMA inspires me with the haunting stroke of his paintbrush.

The Star Tarot card reminds you that art is not a luxury. Art rejuvenates. Art inspires. Art is essential.

What stars in your pantheon offer you a fresh start, fresh hope? Are they actors, authors, musicians, painters? Think of the ways you act as the Star card for people in your life. I bet you inspire lots of people in ways you don’t even know about. Your life is a work of art too!

The Ace of Cups

My Ace of Cups appeared strangely today. It was a gorgeous afternoon, 77 degrees, not a hint of humidity. My four year old and I were enjoying lunch in a sidewalk café. She sat, dappled in sunlight eating her brick oven pizza, looking every bit the angel. I’m thinking how lucky am I? The next thing I knew, she fell right out of her chair, onto the cement. Although a tiny scrape, she saw the blood and fell to pieces. She was sobbing.  Ace of Cups, I thought. She’s the Ace of Cups right now!

I’d never considered the Ace of Cups as an emotional breakdown, hysterical crying. It works within the context of the Ace of Cups, representing a wellspring of emotion. She cried dramatically for about fifteen minutes before collapsing into a deep sleep. She awoke from her nap, crystal clear, happy as a clam, in a better mood than before lunch.

Last week, I lost it in yoga class. For no reason, in the middle of a stretch, I just broke down crying (trust me – you’d cry too if you tried to wrap your knee behind your shoulder). Although mortified my classmates may have noticed the sob fest - for the rest of the day, I felt fantastic!

So, when examining the Ace of Cups, we can look at the liquid as an outpouring of tears. An emotional deluge making way for clearer thinking, feeling. With your emotional slate wiped clean you emerge with freshness and clarity every bit evocative of Ace of Cups energy.

Go ahead, rent a sappy movie, listen to that special song, revisit a letter from a long lost love and turn on the waterworks. Let it go! Every now and then it is cathartic to have a good cry. Now, don’t you feel better?

The World

Give me the World Tarot card any day, in any reading and it will make me exceptionally happy. When first memorizing the tarot cards, my World mantra was “success, euphoria, completion, travel.” Sound good to any of you? Yeah, me too.

When the World appears as a Tarot card of the day, I am reminded I have everything I need at this very moment. If you stop and really consider this thought, it’s rather deep, chewy and worth mulling over. You have everything you need in this moment.

The World card represents the end of a cycle. Just think, everything you’ve accomplished, worked for, suffered through, laughed at, has brought you to this moment. You are, in fact, living the World card right now. When you live in the moment and find peace in the present, you live in unity with the universe. This is what many New Age philosophers state, including Eckart Tolle.

So, we can now understand that the World Tarot card can represent you. The World Tarot card can also represent something to strive for. Happy as I am typing this, there are still many things I wish to accomplish. You can examine your wishes, dreams and goals and view them through the kaleidoscope of the World card. How your hopes will manifest themselves and how rich, lovely and complete they will be.

The World card has a wonderful way of reminding you that the world itself makes everything available. Everything you need to be satisfied in your life. Take a minute to gaze at the World card and imagine you are the dancer. The universe is swirling around you with opportunity, laughter, richness, depth, love, adventure and infinite possibility. The World asks you to remove any blinders you may be wearing and step forward into the dance. 

The Moon

The Subconscious. Cycles. Strangeness.

The Moon in Tarot, as in life, has a mysterious, luminous quality about it. One thing I always remind myself of when the Moon appears as my Tarot of the day or in a reading is that the Moon card shares the cyclical nature of the real moon and its lunar cycles. Therefore, if you are experiencing something that feels off, uncomfortable or strange, rest assured, it will run its course and eventually disappear.

When I quit smoking, I was struck by mad, insane nicotine cravings, even though I’d been hypnotized to stop. One thing that really helped me was knowing the cravings were only temporary. That they would soon pass.

It is worth remembering that all emotions are just that – emotion. They will soon melt into something else. If you get swept up in a moment of anger, just breath, it will pass. Feeling green with envy? Stop yourself for a moment, it will disappear. Caught up in a moment of pure bliss? By all means, enjoy it!

If you look at The Moon card and notice you are feeling off, try to examine, understand and deal with your emotions it to the best of your ability. The moon swings back around to full and so will your issues if you don’t deal with them. My nicotine addiction was soon conquered but I was left with the emotional void that the cigarettes once filled.

Today is, coincidentally, the New Moon! The moon is dark, and it is the perfect day to be working with The Moon card in Tarot. I enjoy knowing which lunar phase is occurring and incorporating that energy into my life. For instance, since today is a New Moon, I look at this as blank slate energy. Monday – fresh start, new moon, new week, new opportunities. As the moon grows larger, or waxes, over the next two weeks towards a full moon, I imagine all of the things I want to bring into my life. As the moon grows, so does my bank account! When the moon is full, you can utilize its powerful energy in a myriad of ways. Imagine it illuminating you, use it for psychic or dream work or just bask in its glow. Then, as the moon begins to shrink back or wane, think about what you want to get rid of, make smaller in your life. Think about reducing negativity, weight loss, stress. I find working with lunar cycles can add a great power boost to your life and help you feel mysteriously witchy!

The Devil

Keeping your Devil in Check

The Devil, Mephistopheles, Lucifer, Right Wing Republicans. The Devil appears in many forms and by many names. In the tarot deck, the Devil makes no effort to conceal himself or trick you. What do you make of this spicy fellow when he appears in a reading or shows up as your card of the day?

The Devil in Tarot often represents power struggles and temptation. However, my favorite way to interpret the Devil in Tarot is how he grants you everything you crave. The Devil turns the volume way up! Think of Devil as portrayed in film. If its money you desire, the Devil gives you millions. Do you have a crush on someone? The Devil would strip the two of you naked and lock you in a closet for three days. Do you love to eat? The Devil will serve you a gluttonous Roman feast until you’re barfing. Crave travel? The Devil will deliver you to the tarmac of your private Lear jet in a stretch limo. Let’s face it; the Devil wants you to have FUN. Devilish fun.

Devil fun always reminds me of being sixteen. I don’t know about you but I don’t think I was ever more excitable, volatile or impulsive. The massive highs, the freedom I experienced just driving around with my friends, sneaking out of the house with my boyfriend at 1am is unrivaled. My blood has never beaten so fast, I’ve never been so thrilled with myself. The down side of these massive highs was the massive lows. Here lies the warning about the Devil. The Devil does not concern himself with moderation.

These days, when acting on Devilish impulses it means I’m resisting one more glass of wine signaling certain hangover. It means I’m ignoring junky reality TV shows. I forgo 30 minutes of delicious sleep to get to my yoga class and skip a second cotton candy at Coney Island.

From time to time I will indulge myself. I head to the Lower East Side and dance in my favorite club. It, thankfully, hasn’t changed one bit since the 80s when I first slipped inside its seductive darkness. Last time I exercised my demons on the dance floor, we clocked in 6 solid hours of straight dancing. I paid for it the next day but you know what? It was worth every single sweaty second. 

Five of Swords

Conflict. Mind. Intellect. Reasoning.

Assuming you pick daily Tarot cards, a practice I highly recommend, the big question is what to do and how to feel when a tough card appears. The Five of Swords is the perfect example of this. I, and most readers I know, have no problem assuming the qualities of The World, The Sun, The Three of Cups or any other upbeat card when pulled. There are tougher cards, however, I’d rather not carry with me through my day. The Five of Swords is one of them.  The Five of Swords suggests a situation where someone is being taken advantage of.  The fives in Tarot are notoriously tough, sort of the middle act of a three-act play, the moment everything is left hanging.

The Five of Swords appeared for me yesterday and I looked past the cruel image depicted on the card. I reminded myself that Swords in Tarot represent air, the mind, reasoning and the intellect. Fives also represent the midway point of a journey. I have been working like crazy this week, pushing my business and myself further. I let the Five of Swords remind me that I’m half way where I want to be. The card told me to keep working, thinking, and forging ahead.

Then, I took the lesson of the Five of Swords one step further. I have a fabulous four-year-old daughter. The scene depicted on the Five of Swords looks suspiciously like a situation that could easily appear on a playground or at school recess. The Five of Swords reminded me to have conversation with her about the importance of sharing, standing up for oneself and not putting others down in order to make yourself feel good.