Quitting Smoking; my Tarot Reading / Therapy Session

Giving myself this tarot card reading was like having a very intense Therapy session with my Spirit Guides and Healer Guides! It was very insightful and awakening, and I share it with you so you can join me on my journey of quitting smoking (whether by supporting me, or deciding to quit smoking yourself!) and to give you an example of how this tarot spread can be used to overcome any addiction!!!

As I write this blog post, I have been quit for 3 Days, 22 hours, 22 minutes and 6 seconds (3 days). I have saved $12.97 by not smoking 47 cigarettes. I have saved 3 hours and 55 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 11/14/2010 11:06 PM

Part 1; Cards 1 -7 - The Roots of the Addiction

Card 1 - The Root - 8 of Pentacles - The belief that life is hard and full of hard work. The desire to break away from the daily grind. The comfort of repetition and habit. Relief from daily stresses. Putting off productivity and progress. Affirmation - “I work patiently and persistently to achieve good results.”

Card 2 - Mind Root - Knight of Swords - Smoking is a time to think things through, gather my thoughts, make a plan. When I smoke I am being arrogant. Recklessly endangering myself and others. Retreating from reality. Being defensive, trying to fight a battle - be it the wrong way. Cutting off my emotions instead of facing them. Affirmation - “I defend the right of all to truth and justice”

Card 3 - Body Root- Queen of Wands - Spontaneous behavior. Seeking personal power. In response to an over bearing mother. Justified as a compensation for putting my own needs aside. I often associate this card with my mother (A Leo -manipulative Fire Sign). I think I originally started smoking as a way to secretly assert my power over my body in a way that my mother could not control. I am not a child anymore and I HAVE control over my body… without needing to rebel or assert myself over my mother’s control. Affirmation - “I recognize my self-potential and my ability to manifest my desires.”

Card 4 - Spirit Root - Justice - Smoking used as a way to suspend action until a decision is made. Taking time to deliberate on which action to make, or procrastinating on action. Punishing myself for past actions. Not believing I am worthy of health and happiness - giving myself a punishment. Trying to find balance… self medicating to compensate for lack of balance (ironically creating more imbalance) Indecision and Inaction. Rebelling against social standards. Affirmation; “I am willing to be true to myself in all my decisions.”

Card 5 - How Mind and Body feed into each other - The Queen of Cups (How the Knight of Swords and Queen of wands feed into each other) - Using my time smoking to try and channel my feelings and emotions, spending time outdoors. In truth the smoking has clouded my intuition and has been a block to my emotion. It has been a retreat into fantasy and addiction - self medicating the withdrawal from emotions. False feelings of satisfaction, delusions. Avoiding my own moods and emotions rather than dealing with them. Affirmation; “I recognize the depth of my emotions and my ability to attract and enchant those around me.” Knight of Swords vs. Queen of Wands - running away from dealing with my “mother issues” and refusing to face my own personal power. Afraid of embracing my personal power. Also, the Knight-Queen pair identifies the imbalance between being an adult and a teenager - I have been clinging to my youth and rebelling against “growing up”. Challenging establishment…. Seeking risk… imbalance between Caution and Adventure; stability vs. instability.

Card 6 - How Body and Spirit play into each other - 6 of Wands ( How the Queen of Wands and Justice feed into each other) The combination of rebelling against my mother and punishing myself for my past has created a false sense of victory. Short-lived gains and underlying feelings of treachery and betrayal. Bracing myself for a fall - smoking as a “smoke screen” and surrounding myself with other smokers who “understand” me. Attempting to “take charge” of my life by doing something that is out of the control of others. Flaunting my “independence”. Affirmation - “My confidence in my ability to achieve goals inspires others with whom I work.” Queen of Swords vs. Justice - desire to atone for my lack of confidence. Judging myself in the same way that my mother judges me. Seeing myself through her eyes rather than thinking about how *I* actually feel about myself and my choices… “What would my mother think?” syndrome.

Card 7 - How Spirit and Mind feed into each other - Ace of Pentacles (How the Knight of Swords and Justice feed into each other) I have used smoking as a way to Center and Ground my energy. Taking a time out. A “reward” for the fruits of my labor… I often smoke after a project or before starting a new project. Attempting to conserve or regenerate my energy. Giving myself a “transition” between actions, events, and decisions. Affirmation - “ I recognize this opportunity to materialize my ideas.” Knight of Swords vs. Justice - Choice vs. action. Balance vs. going to the extreme. Judging my own actions harshly. Cutting away emotions from my actions and decisions. Balancing the energy of the Knight of Swords (defensiveness) with Justice (balanced action)

Part 2; Healing the Addiction

Card 8 - How to Heal your Mind - The Moon (The Moon covers and Heals the Knight of Swords) - Facing my fears instead of running away from them. Listening to and trusting my intuition and instincts rather than arrogantly turning away from these emotions. Introspection and self-understanding. Working with psychic abilities and intuition; he realm of the subconscious, visions. Trusting my inner self Embracing the ebb and flow of events and the cycles of emotions in their natural form. Form new habits and cycles. Affirmation - “I am impelled to evolve beyond my fears and insecurities. I am willing to walk the path to self knowledge through the unknown inner realms of myself.”

Card 9 - How the Heal your Body - King of Cups ( The King of Cups covers and Heals the Queen of Wands) - Being in touch with my emotions but being in control of those emotions. Be Wise, Calm, Diplomatic, Caring, and Tolerant, especially when dealing with my mother or other oppressive ad judgmental people. Be in control of my emotions and treat myself and others with Love and Care at all times. Understand that “The only one who can make you feel inferior is yourself.” Control my emotions but don’t smother them… feel them, process them, and let them go. Affirmation; I acknowledge my inner values, feelings, and intuitions.”

Card 10 - How to Heal Your Spirit - The Fool (The Fool covers and heals Justice)- Experience life in the Here and Now. Don’t dwell on the past… but live in the present. Trust in my choices and trust in the Universe. Be carefree, spontaneous. Embrace my inner child and innocence. Be optimistic, don’t be a fatalist. Mistakes do not need punishment, only correction. Trust that balance will be found. Don’t procrastinate on making choices but take steps in faith and trust. Affirmation - “ All possibilities are open to me as I boundlessly experience the Here and Now.”

Card 11 - How to Heal your Root - Seven of Cups (7 of Cups covers and heals 8 of Pentacles) Embrace my dreams, intuition, and visions. See life as an abundance of choices on many levels rather than a series of hard tasks. Set priorities and avoid distraction, but be free spirited and open minded. Be open to new experiences. Be careful of temptations and indulgence. Be aware that I have an addictive personality and find ways to indulge myself that do not involve indulgence in drugs or destructive substances. Find creative expressions… write, draw, crafts, art, etc. Be more intuitive and work on trusting my intuition and developing my psychic powers.

Underlying Energy Card - What is the underlying message about Quitting Smoking - The card on the bottom of the deck - The High Priestess - I think that this card is telling me that not only do I have the power within me to overcome this addiction, but that once I have my system cleansed and this addiction cleared out of my system, I will open up my access to a higher power. I can already feel my vibration getting higher and my chakras becoming more balanced as I cleanse myself from smoking.

Sum of the Digits Card - Overall Advice / Supporting Card - The Emperor (Also my Soul Purpose Card) - I have the power to quit smoking for good. Nothing has power over me if I don't choose to let it have power over me. And from the other lessons within this reading I can see that this step of quitting smoking is just another step towards embracing my own empowerment and strength; something that I have put off doing for a long time. The presence of The Emperor is significant because this is my Soul Purpose card through numerology... so quitting smoking and overcoming addiction is probably one of my Soul's core lessons... shaking this off will do more for me that just physically free me from an unhealthy addiction... but help my Soul take steps forward in it's growth and path. I have a lot of thinking and healing to do....


For more on this spread, see my previous post; Healing An Addiction Tarot Spread. See also the Archangel Oracle Card reading I gave myself prior to quitting smoking; Angelic Guidance -Time To Quit!

Healing An Addiction Tarot Spread

Healing An Addiction Tarot Reading

Cards 1 - 7; The Root of the Addiction
1. The root
2. Mind Root
3. Body Root
4. Spirit Root
5. How Mind and body feed into each other (examine this card in relation with cards 2 and 3, and examine the relationship between cards 2 and 3 themselves - Orange arows)
6. How Body And Spirit play into each other (Examine this card in relation with cards 3 and 4, and examine the relationship between cards 3 and 4 - Purple Arrows)
7. How spirit and mind play into each other (examine this card in relation with cards 4 and 2, and examine the relationship between cards 4 and 2 themselves - Green Arrows)


Cards 8 - 11; Healing the Addiction
(The Following laid across another card)
8. How to heal your mind
9. How to heal your body
10. How to heal your spirit.
11. How to heal your root.



I originally found this reading at; Anja's Tarot. This spread is not my creation, it is Anja's. It is a very insightful spread and I owe Anja all the credit! (Though I did create the pictures here using my Paint program to help illustrate the card placements) Using this spread can be like an intense therapy session with your Spirit Guides and Healers to help you identify the roots of your addiction and help you take steps to overcome it. It is great as a Quit Smoking Spread! Thanks Anja!!

Angelic Guidance... time to quit!

It's been on my mind for awhile now, flitting around between my conscious thoughts, my dreams, and my subconscious. It keeps getting bumped to the foreground, and I keep bumping it back into that "I'll deal with it later" section of my brain.... Quitting Smoking.
I keep getting the Two of Swords in my readings. I got it again last night. When I was looking at it last night, I realized something. I have always seen the blindfold on the woman as a hindrance... an obstacle. She is obviously balancing on the edge of making a choice, poised for action.... but how can one make a choice when they can't see their options? It finally struck me last night; the blindfold is a tool. She has blocked her eyes so that she must focus inward; she needs to look inward. The choice that needs to be made has to do with the battle within herself, in her own mind and spirit... the blindfold is helping her keep herself focused on the inner conflict until it is resolved.
Once I felt this and saw this; the first thing that came to mind was "I need to quit smoking". Uh-oh.... deep breath... am I really gonna go there again? The concept of quitting smoking fills me with dread, memories of past failed attempts, feelings of inadequacy. But, the thought and desire has been here for quite some time, but I have just been putting it off. I don't know how many times I have told myself, "I'll quit next week", or "I'll quit tomorrow". But looking at that Two of Swords, I suddenly knew; this needs to happen now.
First thing I did was go to my Spirit Sisters... a group of wonderful online friends who I know will listen to me and support me. I told them I want to quit smoking and I told them of my plan to start by cutting back. I am going to start by just becoming aware of my triggers so I can avoid them. I'll post more on that later.
The second thing I did was give myself an Oracle Card reading. I hadn't used my Archangel cards in awhile, but I felt drawn to them. I just wanted to see what advice the Angels have to help me in this decision.

My Oracle Card Reading
10-24-10
using the deck; "Archangel Oracle Cards" by Doreen Virtue Ph.D.
3 card spread - Mind, Body, Spirit
As I shuffled, I asked the cards, "Which Angels are here to help me quit smoking, and what advice do they have for me?"

Card 1; Mind (The Angel's advice for my Mind)
Archangel Uriel; Brilliant Idea! "Yes, your idea is Divinely guided.... please take action to bring your idea to fruition."
....okay, if I needed any additional confirmation that I need to quit smoking, there it is. Uriel is telling me that I'm on the right track!

Card 2; Body (The Angel's advice for my Body)
Archangel Raphael; Breathe. "Take several deep breaths, and exhale slowly to awaken your energy and to release old patterns."
....once again... major confirmation. Not only are breathing exercises going to help me quit smoking, but this card is about releasing old patterns. Wow, I love these Angel cards!

Card 3; Spirit (The Angel's advice for my Spirit)
Archangel Metatron; Chakra Clearing. "Call upon me to clear and open your chakras, using sacred geometric shapes."
..... Chakra clearing and meditation are going to be key in this journey... I will have to balance and heal the rifts in my chakras that have been created by years of addiction to nicotine. But knowing I have Metatron's attention and help is very comforting!

I was looking at these cards that I had drawn, but I didn't feel like the reading was over yet. I had only planned on drawing three cards, but I just had a strong feeling to draw three more. So I did. I placed one additional card on top of the 3 that I had already drawn;

Card 1.2; Mind
Archangel Uriel; You Know What To Do. "Trust your inner knowledge, and act upon it without delay."
Uriel again! And in the same card position as the first time, Confirming again that I am on the right track, but also confirming that I CAN do this if I follow my heart... I know what to do, and as long as I follow through with each step I will be fine. I will have to remember to call upon Uriel when I am doubting myself....

Card 2.2; Body
Archangel Raphael; Healthy Lifestyle "Eat a healthful diet, get adequate sleep, and exercise regularly for optimal health."
Yep, Raphael again!! And in the same card position, again!! This deck contains 45 cards with 12 different Archangels... what are the odds?? And this specific card... well, as if I needed more confirmation at his point... but this is about my health. Not only is quitting smoking for my health, but drinking plenty of water, eating right, exercising and sleeping well are things that are going to help me quit smoking. I think maybe I did need additional confirmation... at this point I can't turn away from these incredibly clear messages!

Card 3.2; Spirit
Archangel Jophiel; Outdoors "Go outside, get some fresh air, and connect with nature to relive stress and gain new, creative ideas."
Jophiel often comes to me to inspire me and remind me to get back to basics. In this reading, here she is again, reminding me that Nature and being outdoors is a great healing energy and that I should take many opportunities to be outside while I quit smoking. She also reminded me that I will be able to enjoy my time outside more often once I'm not holding a cigarette every time I step outdoors :)

Libra Spread ~ I Balance ~

Libra Spread ~ I Balance ~

1) My power of decision making
2) My ability to bond in a relationship
3) My ability to connect in a professional collaboration
4 ) My aggression and my desire for peace (How do I fight?)
5) My will to forgive (How do I make peace? How vindictive am I?)
6) What do I give to my lover?
7) What kinds of feelings do I suppress?
8) How is my artistic feeling?
9) How superficial am I? (How moody am I?)

___________________________________________________

So, I decided to give myself a reading and use this spread. It seemed like a nice follow-up to my last reading, The Balance spread that I did for the Autumnal equinox. I have been working hard at finding the balance between my personal life, my professional life, and my priorities as a wife and mom, but this past week it seems like I've hit a wall. I lost all my motivation and drive, and could feel myself just wanting to give up on trying to find balance in my life. I've just been feeling like there is no way to balance it all; wife, mother, housekeeper, volunteer, waitress, tarot reader, ME! Often when I'm feeling "in a funk", a tarot reading will help give me the perspective I need, and give me the "jump start" that I'm looking for. I decided to use my newest deck, The Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr.

Here is my Tarot reading.

The first thing I noticed was that there is a lack of cups. Since this spread is about balance, I notice this and realize my Water energy is out of balance. My emotions have been out of whack. I have not done much of anything this week, because I "don't feel like it" and then I beat myself up and judge myself for not getting anything done, which just perpetuates the cycle of inactivity. *Makes a mental note-to-self to find a way to balance my water energy.
The suits that are present are Earth and Fire (Pentacles and Staves/Wands) In the Goddess tarot, the suit of Staves is related to The Path of Freyja - The Norse Goddess of creativity, fertility, and beauty. Procreative, wands channel energy to areas where growth can occur. The suit of Pentacles relates to The Path of Lakshmi - Hindu Goddess of fortune and prosperity. The riches contained within the Earth. The grand Harvest of life, and the bounty of the cycles, Lakshmi is the personification of fertile, prosperous, and feminine force. This Fire/Earth combo is a strong call to be creative and procreative in my life… rather than waiting for the balance to occur I should take creative steps and actions to create the balance I desire.

There is one Swords/Air card in the reading, and it's right smack in the middle of the spread - you can't ignore the big fat bleeding heart of the Three of Swords right there, can you? And that is where the reading begins, with card one;

1) My power of decision making - Three of Swords - relying too much on others to help me make choices, though sometimes this may create conflict. Self-destructive. Fear of pain and loss or sorrow effects my decision making. I keep waiting for my husband to kinda take the lead on certain things, but it just hasn't been happening. My non-action is the same as driving a sword into my own heart; it's self destructive and doesn't propell me further down my path but just leaves me tied to my old scars and fears.
2) My ability to bond in a relationship - Four of Pentacles - must feel stability in financial realm. Need to have control over finances in order to feel comfort that promotes bonding. If I am worried about money and stability, I close myself off. If I am feeling secure and in control, I am much more likely to open up and bond with others.
3) My ability to connect in a professional collaboration - Nine of Wands - I keep myself somewhat protected or separate from others, need to be able to pause and think things over before moving forward. Desire to prioritize and plan things out. Perhaps this wall that I have built has ceased being a protective boundary and has become a wall of limitation.
4 ) My aggression and my desire for peace (How do I fight?) Nine of Pentacles - I have a strong desire to enjoy the fruits of my labor. My desire for peace is strong, just want to enjoy beauty. Will fight for what I have worked for, or to protect the peace and beauty that I have built.
5) My will to forgive (How do I make peace? How vindictive am I?) 20 Judgment (Gwenhwyfar) - Forgives but does not forget. Will learn from the past, I won’t allow someone to get too close once they have wronged me or hurt me. I can be a harsh judge of others, and a harsh judge of myself.
6) What do I give to my lover? King of Pentacles - respect, the ability to rule the home and finances, stability. I can give him a stable home environment. There is somewhat of a conflict here though, since with card 2 (and what I already know of myself), I need to be somewhat in charge of the finances in order to bond in a relationship. I know my husband also desires this control, and I have given him that responsibility over finances, but this has caused me to have feelings of insecurity. This has given me reason to pause and think; I guess we will have to work on a compromise and middle ground in which I can let him feel like the King of Pentacles, yet I can still maintain a sense of control over finances and our security.
7) What kinds of feelings do I suppress? Four of Wands - putting down roots, commiting to a goal, my frustrations about home life and romance. I hold in my frustrations about home life and romance, it's true. I need to find my voice and not just internalize my frustrations...

8) How is my artistic feeling? Page of Wands - my artistic feelings and creativity come with waves of passion, a new thing or person will trigger a new spark of interest, but it will not always be lasting. Yes, that is an understatement. It's also called "I'm a Capricorn with ADD."
9) How superficial am I? (How moody am I?) 15 Temptation (The Devil) (Nyai Loro Kidul) My moods and goals are strongly effected by my innermost desires, but also by my addictions and temptations. I easily become a slave to my moods, and obsessed by my desires - or obsessed with things that are out of my control. I focus my energies in the wrong direction, avoiding the things that really need to be done, and that just gets me in more trouble. My drug of choice; Procrastination. I need to control my temptation to follow my moods and better listen to my Higher Self.

I added together the numbers of the cards to find my "Sum of The Digits" card, which is like an Overall Advice card to summarize the whole reading. Interestingly, the card I got is the card associated with Lakshmi, who was already "flagged" in this reading with the presence of her related suit; Pentacles.
Sum of the Digits - 10 - Fortune [The Wheel of Fortune] (Lakshmi)
Overall advice of the reading - Be open to the generosity of the Universe. Be open to abundance, have positive expectations. Be aware of Beauty and Love all around me.