Wind of Change Tarot Spread

I found this wonderful tarot spread at Tarot By Arwen and thought it would go perfectly for our Air Element studies focusing on the Winds right now.  First I would suggest spending some time doing the Wind Observation / Meditation from my previous post.  Observe how the wind reacts to walls and fences.  Observe how it flows differently through windmills, pinwheels, windsocks, wind chimes, and trees.  As you observe the wind, think about or ask the tarot what kind of changes the wind is bringing to you, and how these changes would react if they hit a wall vs. a windmill.  Lay out the cards as indicated above, the first card, in the middle is the Wind (the change), card 2 on the left is the Wall (The Obstacle or resistance), and card 3 on the right is the Windmill (the way to transform with the change).  After you do the reading you can go back outside into the wind, observe it with your senses again, and think about card 2, the wall.... your obstacles.  Hold these obstacles in your hand, then lift them up to the sky and release them to the wind, and ask your guides and Higher Self to help you be the Windmill instead of the wall.  (Basically, just focusing the results of this reading on the Wind Meditation as described by Starhawk.)

Here is the result of my Wind of Change reading:

Card 1 - Winds of Change - Queen of Pentacles
Key Words; Down-To Earth, Practical, Resourceful, Trustworthy, Nurturing
My husband is preparing to leave on an out of state job for a couple of months.  When I saw the Queen of Pentacles in this position, I noticed her solitude... but also her strength and resolve.  I am going to be the one here in charge of the house, the bills, and caring for the children.  It's something I have done before, I know what is coming... but I know it involves a lot of strength on my part.  The coming months will require me to really buckle down as the "head of the household"; while the husband will be making the money... I will be the one managing it and everything else.

Card 2 - The Wall - 8 of Wands
Key Words; Taking Quick Action, Letting things go, watching to see how things pan out, rushing things
When I was sitting outside doing my wind meditation, I noticed how the wind reacts when it meets the wall or fence.  The wind isn't actually stopped... it's just diverted.  It goes somewhere else.  So if the wind of change is my opportunity to become the strong, dependable Queen of Pentacles, then if I react as a wall I do nothing but deflect the opportunities away from me.  Making quick, rash choices instead of thinking things through and carefully planning things out could hinder me.  It's not a time to be a wall and just watch the winds scatter things and see where they end up.

Card 3 - The Windmill - 6 of Pentacles
Key Words; Having / not having resources, having / not having power, giving and or receiving. 
Sometimes with this card you have to figure out who you are... the one in need or the one in a position to give.  I think with the Queen of Pentacles as my first card I am going to be in the position of giving, distributing, sharing, and nurturing.  If I take the changes that are coming and embrace them, like the windmill, and let those winds transform me and strengthen me, I will end up doing exactly what needs to be done to run the household efficiently, nurture my children in the ways they need, and "take care of business". I just have to be careful to not let things just slip past me like in the 8 of Wands... but to take charge, be present, and use what I have wisely.

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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!!

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.

Autumnal Equinox - Justice, The Emperor, and the Page of Cups

The Autumnal Equinox is approaching and the earth prepares to shift from Summer to Fall. On Mabon the day and night will be equal, and after that the days will begin to grow shorter and the nights longer. The weather will begin to cool as the Second Harvest is celebrated and we reflect upon what we have learned and how we have grown and expanded over the past cycle. This year Mabon also coincides with The Harvest Moon - the September esbat. Mabon and the Harvest moon are a good time to manifest balance, protection, prosperity, and harmony in your life. My friend Autumn wrote a wonderful blog about Mabon - an Autumn Festival.. check it out!

Some astronomical facts; The sun moves into Libra at 11:09 pm (EST) on September 22, followed by the moon entering Aries at 4:47 am (EST) on Thursday, Sept. 23; the day of the Equinox. The Harvest Moon will reach it's fullest at 5:17 am (EST) on the 23rd, and the actual point of Equinox will occur at 11:09 pm (EST) with the Full Moon brightly shining in the sky. This year there is also a beautifully visible Jupiter, in conjunction with the Harvest Moon.... it will be clearly visible and bright just to the left of the moon. (More....)

I was thinking about what type of meditation and self-discovery or journaling I could do for this coming Equinox, and of course with me; all roads lead to Tarot! So I have designed this very special Tarot mediation and Tarot Spread for your enjoyment and introspection. Using my beloved deck, The Celestial Tarot (Kay Steventon, Brian Clark, U.S. Games Systems) I found these three cards that perfectly coincide with the energies that will be present and active this Mabon. (*note - you can use these same cards with any deck you have!!)

Princess / Page of Cups ~ Autumn.
"Surrounded by the rich metaphoric colors of the autumnal equinox, the Princess of Cups contemplates the seasonal shift. The season of the zodiac turns to Libra, the quintessential sign of relationships, followed by Scorpio the phase of intimate union, then Sagittarius the distillation of knowledge. The Princess stands at the threshold of her own metamorphosis either through the process of emotional maturation in relationships or through her own imagination. In her hands is the urn, the alembic that symbolizes the birth of new feelings and attachments beginning with the feelings of self love and respect." ~ Brian Clark via the Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of the Page of Cups indicate the arrival or delivery of deep feelings, romance, spirituality, and self-love. In order to fully embrace the gifts of our relationships (including our relationship with Spirit) we need to allow ourselves to be emotional, intuitive, intimate, and loving. As we open ourselves up to self love and allow our emotions and intuitions to guide us we become more mature in our relationships and we can fully begin to harvest rewards that will lead us to greater emotional fulfillment and intuitive or spiritual guidance from within. (more Page of Cups)
As you contemplate the Page/Princess of Cups, ask yourself the following questions (and write them in your journal!)

* What is my intuition telling me, or what is my Spirit guiding me to do?
* What am I harvesting on an emotional level? (What emotional lessons and growth have occurred?)
* How can I serve others and be more loving in my relationships?
* Who is dependent upon me emotionally? Who am I dependent on emotionally? Are these relationships emotionally satisfying for all involved?

Affirmation; "I am willing to risk loving."

Justice ~ Libra (Sun in Libra)
"Libra reflects the evolution from instinctual life to culture, echoing the European trend away from primitive values toward the refined ones. At the midpoint of the Zodiacal round it represents the Northern Hemisphere autumnal equinox. Like Libra, Justice is at the midpoint of the Fool's Journey through the Major Arcana. At this crossroads are two orders of justice; one is the old instinctual order, which upholds familial and tribal values, while the other is the new rational order promoting reason and civil law. The card of Justice reflects the balance between the two modes of being." ~ Brain Clark via The Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of the Justice card include responsibility, cause and effect, fairness, ethics and equality, truth, and accountability. Libra energy encourages us to find balance in all areas of our life and urges us to make choices and decisions which will bring about balance. Under the influence of Libra energy the cause and effect of our past choices may come sharply into focus and we may be forced to recognize the Karma of our situation; assume responsibility, and then take steps to restore order and balance. (more on Justice)
As you contemplate Justice and Libra, ask yourself the following questions (and journal your thoughts!)

* What decisions am I currently weighing? What are the pros and cons?
* What consequences am I experiencing as the result of some previous action?
* What is the appropriate compensation/energy exchange needed to balance my life?
* What do I need to do to be true to myself?

Affirmation; "I am willing to be true to myself in all my decisions."

The Emperor ~ Aries (Full Moon in Aries)
"The Emperor personifies power, authority, and leadership. With this card we are given permission to have dominion over the current situation and are empowered to be in control. However, like the Arian temperament we may need to be more adventuresome and heroic, confronting and assertive to feel we are truly emperor of the situation." ~Brian Clark via The Celestial Tarot guidebook.
The classical meanings of The Emperor include authority, regulation, structure, and fatherly energy. The Harvest Moon in Aries will encourage us to take a leadership role in our own lives. The combination of this Aries energy with the Libra Sun and the Autumnal equinox asks us to bring our personal power into balance and restructure our energy. In simpler times the Harvest Moon was a time of restructuring; as the focus moved from cultivating the crops to harvesting and storing the food, preparing for the winter months that lie ahead. It is time for us to take the knowledge and lessons we are harvesting and begin applying them to our inner lives.... letting the metamorphosis of the Page of Cups and the balance of Justice begin to manifest. It is time to give shape and structure to our goals, and embrace our own personal power with confidence and ambition. (more on The Emperor)

As you contemplate The Emperor and the Harvest Moon in Aries, ask yourself and journal these questions;

* Where do my ambitions lie?
* What am I building, organizing, and restructuring in my life?
* Who has the power and authority in my life, and how is that power and authority being used?
* What kind of Emperor (leader) am I?

Affirmation; "I have the power and discipline to achieve my highest ambitions."

I would suggest laying these three cards out on your altar (or a safe place) where you can see them and meditate on them over the next few days. The energies of the Harvest Moon and the Autumnal Equinox are already beginning to manifest and will continue to be present for the rest of the week. If you want, you can journal and meditate on each card on a different day. Another option would be to shuffle the rest of your deck, and draw three more cards randomly; one for each card that was outlined above. The cards you draw will give you more clarity as to how these energies are currently present in your life on a personal level, and can be used to help you answer the questions above. You would lay the cards out like this;

Use these secondary cards and this tarot spread as your personal Autumn Equinox tarot reading, meditating and journaling on the questions posted above for each card and see what further insights and growth you can achieve this Mabon!

Many blessings of Balance and Power to you this Equinox!
Blessed Be!
Love, Lady Josephine

The Three Modes of Tarot (Reading)

This basic reading can help you identify some problem areas in your life and gives advice about what energy may be best expressed.
First, sort through your deck and divide it into three piles;
Court Cards
Numbered Cards
Major Arcana

Shuffle each deck with your question or problem in mind. Draw one card from each deck, respectively.

Card 1 - Court Card - You, the current role you are playing in this situation
Card 2 - Numbered Card - Your situation
Card 3 - Major Arcana - The archetypical energies that are being expressed... the root of your actions and situation, the advice card

If you wanted to, rather than randomly drawing the first card (the Court Card) you could choose one as a significator. Conciously choosing a card to represent yourself or the role you play may help you focus the reading in that direction. Not sure what card represents you in this current situation? Try Court Card Excersize 1 (previous post) and choose a card from the list you create.

Here is a format for anlyzing and interpreting the cards in your reading, from the book "Tarot For Yourself" by Mary K. Greer. Write the following sentence and fill in the blanks with the card meanings.

"I am acting like a ________________[Court Card], a ___________________________ __________________[describe the type of person you see in that card] in a _________________[Minor Arcana] situation in which ________________ ___________________________ __________________ [describe your situation using action verbs] because of ___________________ [Major Arcana], which describes my need to _____________________ __________________________[describe the archetypical energies in you that need to be expressed]."

EXAMPLE;
"I am acting like a Queen of Pentacles, a nurturing woman who obssesses over houswork in a Two of Wands situation in which I am searching for control and independence because of Justice, which describes my need to find harmony, balance and justice in my life."

Taking it further; How can I best deal with this situation?

"I can use the attributes of _________________ [Major Arcana] to _________________ ________________________ [describe the best qualities you see in this card] in order to deal with ________________ [Minor Arcana] , which expresses my desire for (to) _____ ________________ _________________ [ describe the situation you have drawn to yourself] experienced by my Inner ________________ [Court Card], the one who ___________ _____________________ ____________________ [describe that aspect of yourself that chose to experience the situation].

EXAMPLE;
"I can use the attributes of Justice to create balance and harmony in order to deal with Two of Wands, which expresses my desire to choose where and how I exert my personal power experienced by my Inner Queen of Pentacles, the one who is a nurturing, rescourceful Housewife but does not want to be tied down and restricted by housework and chores."

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As you can see, I used one of my own cards from the Court Card Roles excersize to give the examples posted above. I chose the Queen of Pentacles to describe my role as a houswife because I see myself as creative, loving, and nurturing. The Queen of Pentacles has a dark side though - she can become obsessed withh housework and caring for others, and forget to take care of herself. OR, she can become discouraged when she finds herself unnapreciated, taken for granted, or overworked. This card seemed to quite perfectly describe how I am in the role of Housewife. So I drew the two other cards and found this to be very insightful. The Two of Wands shows how even though I love taking care of my home and family, I am dreaming of bigger things, adventures and accomplishments. I grow resentful of the never-ending housework when I don't have time to commit to my dreaming, my intellect, and my spirituality. I long for Personal Power, control, independence, and freedom, and my Queen of Pentacles expresses these desires by trying to control the household. I make lists, schedules, routines, chore charts, etc.... in short, I obsess... trying to find that sense of control and freedom. The root of the situation comes from the Major Arcana card, Justice. Above all things, I seek Balance and Harmony. When I lose my sense of Balance and Inner Harmony, I begin to feel like "It's not fair!" I lose my sense of Nurturing and Creativity when I feel unnapreciated... or when I feel that all the hard work I am doing is not being justly rewarded. So I have to ask myself.... is this really where I want to focus my energy? Is the gain or reward equal to the energy that I put out in the process? If not, then how can I shift that balance? If I don't ask myself these questions first, I will more than likely find myself revisiting the Queen of Pentacles "less attractive" qualities; Obsessing and Controlling. But if I remind myself to seek balance and Justice, to reward myself, to only put forth energy into the things that I know will leave me with a sense of balance and justification; then my Queen of Pentacles energy will flow as it should - creatively!

Unblocking Your Intuition - Tarot Spread

The Unblocking Your Intuition Spread


Layout

..... 1 .....
2 ......... 3
4 ......... 5
..... 6 .....

1.) What is blocking me intuitively?

2.) What outside influences are effecting my intuition?

3.) What is inside me that is hindering my intuition?

4.) What can help me with my intuition?

5.) What do I need to change to help me with my intuition?

6.) What can I do to 'unblock' myself intuitively?

Don S.

Tarot Spread - Pisces ~ I Believe ~

The Pisces Spread
~ I BELIEVE ~

__-1-___ - 4 - __

-2- __-7- __-5-


__-3-___ -6-__

1) My Idealism
2) My willingness to sacrifice
3) my Spiritual Experience
4) my Addiction to.....
5) My Current Secret Enemies
6) My Prison (Where am I bound / stuck ?)
7) What will deliver me of my burdens?

This spread can be used for anyone, Pisces or not. It can help you explore your own individual Pisces energy; which focuses on your spirituality, the hidden aspects of yourself, your idealism, and what parts of life trap you or bind you. This spread can also be used to further explore the meanings of both The Moon card and The Hanged Man card in you life. You can read my previous posts about The Moon; Pisces And The Moon, Journaling with Pisces and The Moon, and Lunar Liberation , then use this spread as part of your meditation or journaling with this card. Alternatively, if you get either The Moon or The Hanged Man in a different tarot reading, this spread may help you clarify their meaning in your life at this time.

This spread ad illustration are from the book; "Illustrated Tarot Spreads" by H. Pielmeier and M. Schirner

The Aquarius Spread

I thought I'd share a tarot spread with you today, another of the Aquarius / The Star themed blogs to go along with our current astrological phase. This spread can be used any time, not just during an Aquarius sun or moon (though those times would be ideal) and can be used for anyone - whether you have Aquarius in your charts or not.

The Aquarius Spread
~ I Know ~

1) These are my current friends.
2) How is my desire for freedom?
3) Do I claim leadership in my life?
4) How do I oppose society?
5) How is my spontaneity?
6) This is my feeling of inferiority.
7) Do I overestimate myself?
8) How can I reach the star? (Can I live my dreams?)

This spread can go along well with the meditation and journaling exercises outlined at Journal Yourself Awake in this post - Journaling with Aquarius and The Star.

Enjoy, and many Blessings to you!

If you are interested in having this reading done for you by me, or any other reading, feel free to contact me by e-mail!

Credits; This reading is from "Illustrated Tarot Spreads" by Heidemarie Pielmeier & Marcus Schirner, pg. 91. The illustraton of the spread is using the background of The Star tarot card from the Renaissance Tarot Deck, U.S. Games Systems 1987