Ace of Cups + Ten of Wands + Temperance + Queen of Pentacles (Reversed) + Seven of Swords (Reversed) + Three of Swords + Judgement (Reversed)

For sanity’s sake, I’ve decided to make these Tarot entries weekly.  Getting up and writing a Tarot article and a Taftkan Daily everyday was getting a little taxing.  Rhiannon and I are making such headway with our novel, the website is tapping some of my required energies for that project.

While we’re in the rough draft stages, it is going to be difficult for me to keep up with this blog as much as I’d like to.  I’ve got MILLIONS of ideas jotted down for you.  Finding the time to produce them is the tricky bit.

So, on with the reading.  I’ll be drawing seven cards every Monday morning.  The events don’t necessarily happen on the “day” the card represents, but the series of cards will discuss major themes of the week ahead.  Remember, it’s all about the connections between the cards.

Ace of Cups

Finally, the deep running Water energy of the past few weeks turn positive.  Most positive.  An internal connection is beginning to get stronger.  I’ve been consciously trying to connect with my subconscious thought processes lately.  Uncovering stuff with magic can be tricky business.  All the stuff I’ve forced myself to deal with these past few weeks is starting to show it’s benefits.  Intuition is strengthened accompanied with a near complete self knowing.

Ten of Wands

Many things here.  First off, there is the a dangerous potential in this combination.  Water and Fire energies tend to be explosive when near each other.  The Ten of Wands is the seat of knowledge through hard work.  This is, again, stating personal growth.  A new beginning is suggested by the numbers (10′s are the Fool’s cards, and the Fool begins the Tarot), and it’s good that the Ace of Cups is behind it…I’m going to need some nice steady energy.  The energy combination is still dangerous though.  Perhaps a warning to take care with my magic this week.

Temperance

Patience and balance will be learned this week.  Temperance guides actions by a connection between two elements, Earth and Water.  She grows the flowers of the field and wears them to heighten her magical strength.  The blooming flowers are the only signs of fire in this card…unless you count the rising sun in the Rider-Waite deck, but you know that’s not the deck I use.

Queen of Pentacles

Although this week will be a time of growth, it will not be the visible kind.  I have a feeling I’m being shown this as a sort of reassurance.  The last three cards told me about the growth I was to expect this week, and this card shows how strong the connection I have with myself is.  I know I’m liable to freak out if I go through the effort and have nothing to show for it.  I usually feel like a failure.  This card says, “Don’t count on tangible evidence of your growth this week.  I am not the element at work here.”

This card is also a sign of a person who will be a major player in my week.  Lynn.  It’s not surprising she play a major roll.  She’s been gone most of last week.  She comes home tomorrow, and Earth is her sign.  She’s been depressed lately.  I wonder if there is anything I can do to cheer her.  Then again, this card warns against that.  “Don’t count on tangible evidence…”  If there is growth for Lynn with me this week, I won’t be able to see it.

Seven of Swords

The winds of change blow again.  This is another dangerous elemental combination.  Earth and Air tend to have cyclone like reactions.  In these five cards Temperance holds the balance between all elements–both sets dangerously mixed!  In the first set we see a strong possibility for enormous growth.  In this second set we see Lynn feeling stressed, even though there is a relief around the corner.

The Seven of Swords reversed is overcoming an obstacle.  Yet, because of the dangerous combination of elements, there is no relief present.  I’ve been having some problems with Lynn at work.  I’ll be hanging on the whole week waiting for a decision to be made.  I (legally) can’t go into any more detail than that here.  I might when it’s over.  Temperance stands there showing me how to balance the two situations.

Three of Swords

Unrest.  Feelings of insurmountable pressure.  This is probably in reference to my writing.  I’ve felt under the gun lately, even though we are writing at our own “pace.”  The problem is, I keep setting unrealistic goals for myself THEN kick myself in the ass for not accomplishing them.  The thing is, I really do think I can do them…I KNOW I can do them.  That’s the problem.  I don’t think the goal setting is the problem.  I think that I’m just not motivated enough to get off my butt and hop to it.  Which is true.  I just sit here sometimes.  I might try scheduling my “free to do whatever time.”  That way I don’t feel like I have no time to relax.  But I also have to stick to my guns when I set aside time to write.

Judgement

As Temperance shows me how to balance my week, Judgement tells me how to attack my writing.  In the Three of Swords I see myself distraught over the details, and feeling unrest about the product.  Judgement reversed says “don’t judge.”  Rhiannon has been telling me for some time now–and I’ve tried to beat it into my own head–just write; don’t think.

This week looks like an adventure.  Let’s go do battle with it, shall we?

Four of Pentacles + The Magician (Reversed)

Four of Pentacles

The Magician

These two cards work well together, and give a complete message.  The Four of Pentacles is a card of searching for earthly knowledge.   The little girl in my card is holding a skull, and is flanked by owls.  She’s looking for occult information, and not without success.

However, The Magician reversed tells me that I’m not in control of any of these occult mysteries.  I’ve had a great day so far–and I’ve attributed a lot of it to the magic I’ve invited into my life.

What this tells me specifically is that, indeed, the works of magic I’ve been conducting lately are exposing me to the deeper mysteries of the occult, but I am not yet master of them.  I do have to comment that I’ve been getting closer.  I feel like I’ve come full circle and I’m where I was when I was 14.  Those summers my siblings and I uncovered a lot of magic in ourselves, only to have it thrust back into darkness.

Although these aren’t the the cards I want to see (I want to see cards describing me at my magical peak), these cards are encouraging.  It’s showing my magical growth.  Thank you Tarot for the progress report!

Two of Cups (Reversed) + Five of Wands

Two of Cups

Five of Wands

The Two of Cups reversed is a card of imbalance in the areas of self.  Second guessing, doubt, self-loathing.  So far, I’d say this isn’t true today.  Maybe this is subconscious?  I do want to lose weight (most people do)…and I WANT to take drastic action to attain this.  Finding the time for it, on the other hand.  That’s another story.  I suppose I do talk myself down when it comes to my weight, even vocally.  I like it when other people say I look good.  Such a very vain thing to do.

The Five of Wands shows a struggle, and for me it’s an ongoing struggle.  I know exactly what it’s referring to: smoking.  I’ve written about this struggle before…then again.  Maybe it’s not about smoking.

The reason I do these two card readings is so I can interrelate the cards to give them deeper meaning.  Treating them as one entity, maybe the Five of Wands is showing the struggle I am having with weight loss.  Wands are a high energy card, but the five makes them erratic energies.  The fight is going to be to stay in control today.  Not to over indulge and not to put off getting my exercise.  I often use writing as an excuse NOT to exercise.  I probably shouldn’t do that…no matter how much I need to write, I need to take care of myself.  I always write better when I feel good.  And no more “I’ll start it tomorrows”, Joseph!  If you want to get up early to do it, then do that tomorrow–but you STILL have to exercise today–and work doesn’t count, mister!

Nine of Pentacles (Reversed) + The Wheel of Fortune

Nine of Penatacles

Wheel of Fortune

The reason I didn’t post a reading yesterday is two fold.  One is referenced in this reading by the Nine of Pentacles reversed.  The Nine of Pentacles is a card of motherly growth.  Feelings of being grounded and connected come with this.  Last night, at work, I got rather sick.  I had a headache that was making me nauseous, and I was very tired.  I ended up coming home an hour early.  The presence of this card in today’s reading tells me that these feelings of being sick and stunted will continue today.

In case you’re wondering, I’m not sick in the sense of having a virus or anything.  I’ve recently taken Pepsi out of my diet.  This bore the brunt of my caffeine load, and I didn’t realize it was going to effect me so hardcore.  Rhiannon says it took her two weeks to get over the withdrawal from caffeine when she had to give it up.  I remember that.  It sounded like hell.  It sounded like last night.  However, I’d rather not have to feel that sick again.  These temporary feelings are only motivation for me to give up this habit.  I’m not planning on NEVER drinking soda again.  That would be impossible.  But having it at times other than family gatherings and as a rare treat is doable.

As for the Wheel of Fortune, this card is the other reason I didn’t write a Tarot entry yesterday.  I hadn’t (until this very moment) decided whether or not I was ever going to do these Daily Tarots on the site again.  We’ve been getting traffic to the site lately, and it has given us a lot of joy.  On closer examination, a lot of the traffic is going to these Tarot articles, and our articles on magic.

We originally intended to start this website as a way of bringing creativity into the world and sharing it with whoever wants to learn about it.  We are, in fact, still learning much of it.  When our magic articles started getting more attention than our book commentaries, thoughts on movies, music, and even our Taftkan Dailies…I got a little concerned.

Then, today, I see the Wheel of Fortune.  “You’ve not yet made the decision,” I heard.  “The Wheel still spins.”  I asked myself why this was so.  I answered myself by saying, “I’m worried people won’t take us seriously as writers.  All this magic stuff feels like it’s getting in the way of that.”  A valid concern.  Or was it?

One of the reasons we decided to talk about magic on this site was we wanted to show people how to stretch their imagination.  Show people that it can really bring you places, and that magic is real.  Maybe not in the way we all like to wish it was, but it’s realer than “reality t.v.”  Thoughts, if thought long enough, will inspire action.  It changes the way you feel about yourself, and it changes the way you are affected (and affect) the people around you.

Obviously, I’ve decided to continue on with these posts.  However, I will only do them Monday-Friday.  Maybe I’ll add a third card on Fridays for a peak at the entire weekend.  After thinking about all this, I am reminded of another reason why I have to continue these posts.  “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

Ten of Cups

Ten of Cups

A family stands at a table with the mother and father at the head (the father’s arm is around the mother’s), and the two children on either side. The mother looks awestruck at the dragons flying around their heads; the father looks sort of blank faced, maybe incredulous; the children look wary of, but interested in, the jar o’ dragons on the table. The cups on the table are being filled with rainbows.

I think I’m filled with the emotions of each of these people. Sometimes I’m awestruck by magic, sometimes I’m blank faced and full of disbelief, sometimes I’m wary, but interested in everything I’m learning.

But, hopefully, my cups will be full of lucky rainbows today!

Five of Pentacles

Five of Pentacles

The first thing I notice in the Five of Pents is a man walking away from a woman who is looking after him in a way that suggests she can’t decide if she wants to follow him or not. This represents many things in my life right now: I see Joey progressing in magic at a much faster pace than I am; I see a friend walking away and indecision about how I feel in this situation; I see fear of a lover walking away; and I see fear of walking away from my old self.

There are five pentacles lying on the floor, some of them broken. Pents sometimes stand for money, and I’ve definitely been feeling apprehensive about saving and spending. I bought a computer this weekend and now I have to tighten my belt to save up the money I spent.

There are astral dragons yelling messages at me that were not heard until a conversation with Joey this morning. They want me to stop spending so much time and money on a certain habit of mine that needs to be beaten into submission and moderation.

Lots of warnings for me to consider today. Time to start facing the darker side of things, methinks.

Nine of Swords + The Tower (Reversed)

Nine of Swords

The Tower

Today I’m being overcome by a struggle.  I’ve been hinting at it for the past couple of days.  Then a good friend told me I was being too ambiguous with these entries.  I’ve found a creative way of remedying that.  I’m inspired by the people in real life when I write my Taftkan Dailies; why not use the same inspiration in Tarot articles?

The struggle, by the way, is smoking.  I’m trying with all my might to quit.  The Nine of Swords show a man literally being over powered by his problems.

Yet, The Tower Reversed shows resolved issues.  The Tower (when it’s not reversed) is a sign of drastic catastrophy.  That would be me smoking more than ever.  When The Tower is reversed, it shows the last flickering embers of the fire storm, and the green vines begin to grow from the ash.  I had already planned to quit smoking today.  This is just reassurance that today will be hard, but I will win this battle.

Ace of Cups (Reversed) + Five of Wands (Reversed)

Ace of Cups

Five of Wands

These are two very difficult cards for me.  On the one hand I’m seeing what I want to see in them.  On the other hand I’m seeing what could actually be there…another message under the first initial impressions.

These were my initial impressions:  Ace of Cups reversed, this subdued water energy has been in a few readings lately.  Today is the strongest, because it’s the Ace.  My mental fatigue will be prevalent today.  Good thing it’s today, we have extra people (training) tonight at work.  The Five of Wands (reversed) suggests the ending of a struggle.  Maybe smoking?  Let’s hope smoking.

Then there is that underlying meaning I keep getting.  The Ace still means the same, but it flows into and amplifies the Five of Wands reversed.  This makes the Five not an ending to a battle, but a worsening.

If the Ace was not reversed, this would be a much more pleasant reading.  I plan to meditate on the Ace of Cups today.  Draw some positive energies toward me.  The transformation of yesterday is still underway, and it’s draining.

Six of Cups (Reversed) + Judgement

Six of Cups

Judgement

“Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one.”  There are two things I am working on in my little head lately.  The first one is the reason I quoted the above.  I think too much about what OTHER people think of me.  All the time.  More than I even realized.  The second is my doubts, but that is directly related.

These cards show a process in the works today.  Moving from the doubts and clouded sub-conscious of the Six of Cups to Judgement and rebirth.  Going to join it now.

Strength + Seven of Pentacles (Reversed)

Strength

Seven of Pentacles

Today is full of raw, uncontrolled energy.

I just have to say, doing these daily tarot has been a double edged sword.  On the one hand, my abilities have improved.  I trust my instinct a whole lot more.  On the other hand, it’s almost tedious.  There are a lot of sign posts in tarot.  This is why I used to recommend full readings only once every three weeks (tops).

Finding meaning in my daily readings hasn’t been a challenge up until yesterday.  I noticed how I twisted the interpretation into a half-positive…because that’s my nature.  So, let’s just go with pure meaning here.

Strength is a card of power…not necessarily creative power, but it’s a strong force.  I notice the beast in the image more than anything.  Maybe a symbol of a rash decision.  I just got the sense there was something outside the card I wasn’t seeing.  A person behind the tree.  Possibly someone else has a hand in where this power is directed today.

The Seven of Pentacles is a card of grounding, calm, and knowing.  Reversed it shows feelings of being lost or uprooted.  I see a mind going in twelve different directions (which is no unusual for me).