Daily Draw: Shadowscapes Tarot, Four of Wands
Spring is here and the Kierun fly forth in a moment of celebration. Got me thinking...
Month three of the four year plan and we are still on target - Unicorn leap one
Got back into a joint research paper. It IS difficult but doing it is LESS stressful than not - Unicorn leap two
The house is looking a lot better than it did at the beginning of the year - Unicorn leap three
Unicorn four awaiting take off (the dreaded thesis) but could that be about to come up roses?
Another thing - almost three years experience as a lecturer now so a respectable career leap could be on the cards.
Could this fifth as yet invisible unicorn give unicorn four a kick up the bum?
Wishing all a happy leap into the weekend and the fourth month of the year...
Daily Draw: Shadowscapes Tarot, Page of Wands
Raising her bow the Page strikes a note of confidence and assurance which is irresistible to all who hear it. Three foxes raise their heads to the melody as other creatures of the forest draw near. Dressed in orange with gold and flame hair the girl resembles a spark or an ember. The red ribbon on her arm recalls the red ribbons worn by the fool (a red feather in the classic RWS). At the tip of her bow green leaves shoot out symbolising growth.
At the girl's feet two foxes remain sleeping - one in the open and the other covertly. Politely turned the other way (as they know no-one wants to be woken by a drum banging in their face) two nymphs take up their instruments and softly play. The gentle regular beat of the drum says 'awaken! take action!'
Where will your wand take you today?
Daily Draw: Shadowscapes Tarot, Ace of Cups
The Aces convey something new within their suit. So possibly new beginnings relating to emotions, family, or spiritual development. I've read that it can refer to a new home and especially so if it follows the Queen of Pentacles (yesterday's card).
The message is to remain open and receptive and perhaps also to continue curating my scared space this weekend.
A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.
Daily Draw: Margarete Petersen Tarot, Mother of Coins
This struck me as quite an arid queen of coins card or maybe it's gold and my perspective needs to change?
I learned about the exhaustion funnel today (although I already know it experientially). The top circle is us when we lead a balanced life (work, family, friends, hobbies, exercise, creative pursuits).
Then we get overloaded at work or a family member falls ill. Usually the first thing we drop is something non-essential that won't involve letting others down (like yoga practice, listening to music, seeing a friend). By the end of the week we feel more stressed because we didn't do one of the things that keeps us nourished. So we drop something else, further narrowing our lives and the next week feel even more depleted.
So on until we reach almost the bottom - a life that has been stripped down to merely doing what we have to do to stay alive - work, cleaning, food shopping. I shudder when I think of what comes next.
I spent time with a lovely group of ladies at my mindfulness class today. Women who have been or are really sick, and/or caring for relatives, or helping their families through bereavement. We were in agreement. You can't look after anyone else until you look after yourself first.
Picking up the things that we once enjoyed takes effort and we can make all kinds of excuses. I suppose it comes down to whether to remain a husk...
When mood is low, motivation follows action,
rather than the other way around. When you put the action
first, motivation follows.
unattrib.
Daily Draw: Margarete Petersen Tarot, Queen of Cups
Being water of water this queen represents fluidity and depth. This card reminds me there is more than one way to reveal a mood or express a feeling.
The heart may find its expression in a colour, a shape or a texture. The queen in her creative element is someone I am keen to know better.
Daily Draw: The Margarete Petersen Tarot, Four of Coins
I was thinking of our four year plan for a new set of walls when I drew this card which means occupying a space, solidity and structure.
In this deck the serpent appears as a lemniscate in the two of coins and looks outward in the Ace. Here the head is inward perhaps indicating the dangers of self-imprisonment. On the surface it appears there is more gold outside the boundary drawn by the snake's body than within it.
Yet as well as stillness the snake represents mobility and flex thereby overcoming the rigidity of holding on too tightly.
As Petersen explains this card offers four possibilities - a solid space, security ensuing from that, the power of boundaries and going beyond all limits.
A practical and earthy four of coins which speaks of the freedoms that come from structuring oneself and ones resources while hinting at the need to remain flexible.
Daily Draw: Margarete Petersen Tarot, Six of Coins
The Ammonite named after the Greek Ram-horned God Ammon has a positive earth energy. It may signify taking a spiritual spiral path to the centre.
Pathways can be experienced at once physically and spiritually. As Petersen writes walking on different terrains, sand, stone, moss, meadows forms an exchange with earth that refreshes body and mind. As the feet take in the hands give away.
One pair of feet two pairs of giving hands. Enough to convince me to get out walking in the sunshine today.
Now shall I walk or shall I ride?
'Ride,' Pleasure said;
'Walk,' Joy replied.”
W.H. Davies, 1871-1940
