Wisdom & Healing Tarot Reiki Numerology in Guelph Ontario.

Anna Tasselli Kocher -Tarot Reiki Numerology

Loss through the eyes of Tarot.

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Loss through the eyes of Tarot.

This is my reflection on Loss through the eyes of Tarot.

In the course of the past two years I have experienced multiple losses.

An aunt of mine, who lived a floor above me, while I was growing up, and who was like a second mother for me, passed away suddenly almost a year ago.  A neighbour who had lived next door forever, also passed away a few months later. At the end of April of this year I lost my mom.

They were all old. They had lived full lives. Rationally I accept those losses, it is part of life, yet it hurts.

I have long debated in my head what is worse, a sudden death, or one that comes slowly and painfully. My dad passed away suddenly when I was nineteen years old. I know the shock that a life cut short unexpectedly leaves behind.

I have also witnessed loved ones who have lost their minds, and the control over their bodies, linger for way too long.

I have no answer, except that given the chance, I will gladly check out when my mind or body start failing me badly.

Bear with me as I try to sort out my thoughts with the help of Tarot.

Everything in life starts with the Aces and concludes with the Tens.

If we want to bring the Major Arcana into it, the path starts with the Fool and ends with the World.

What cards do I associate with Death and the grief that follows?

I know that I, as most of my fellow readers, when the Death card appears in a reading, rush to explain the many other meanings it has.  Death stands for a necessary ending. It represents a door opening to a different set of circumstances. It brings transformation, and new experiences. It speaks of the need of letting go of a situation we have outgrown. I could go on.

In my many years of reading Tarot, Death has indeed often spoken of those kind of situations. It has also spoken of the death of people and pets. The tell tale are the cards that accompany it.

No, it is not my goal to list them all here.

I am just going to use those that help me process the feeling of grief at this time.

The five of cups well speaks of the sadness and the sense of loss that follows a death.

The three of swords, is the broken heart, or in this deck, the grief expressed so well by the eyes, when words usually fail us.

The four of swords is the time standing still when the news sink in, and during the last good byes when we pay our respects.

The card also reminds us that you cannot rush through grief.

Two other cards I associate with death or the aftermath, are the Wheel and the Tower.

The Wheel of Fortune has long been associated with destiny, and those turn of events which are usually out of our control.

It stands for events in our lives where we feel at the top of the world, or at the bottom of it.

It also reminds us that the Wheel keeps spinning no matter what, inviting us to totally enjoy the great moments, and to keep going when things are tough.

The Tower represents those moments when life comes crashing down.

The Tower brings sudden endings and changes, and in the process we are forged into someone new.

I am in my early sixties. In April I flew back home for my mom’s funeral. I stayed at the family home, where I grew up. Upstairs used to live my grandma, uncle, aunt and cousin.

Through the years they all have gone, except for my generation. I look at the familiar home and it feels so different, so empty. Even the house next door, where five people used to live, three generations, now sits empty, waiting to be sold.

What I am trying to say is that with every passing I  lose a part of myself.

I was the daughter of, the granddaughter , the niece of. With every passing a piece of my history, and of my connections is gone.

Which brings me to the Judgement card. When is all said and done, can we die with a clear conscience, with no regrets? How did we spend our precious and limited time on earth?

Did we follow our dreams? How will we be remembered and for how long?

Which brings me to my final thought.

Whenever I think about someone I lost, what stands out for me is how they made me feel.

When I go down memory lane with the six of cups, I often think of homes (four of Wands), mine and those I used to love to visit. Warm joyful memories come to mind, like those expressed by the ten of cups. Who made me feel safe, warm, and cozy? Who shared important times with me?

After a loss, how do we move forward? Both the six of swords and the eight of cups come to mind. In both cards the mood is somber, yet the person is looking and moving ahead, because if we have learned anything at all from the Wheel, the Judgement and the Tower is that love and those we connected with in life are all that matter. Therefore I shall try to keep my heart open  (ace of cups) to new and old connections (two of cups).

Reading for oneself.

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Reading for oneself.

Reading for oneself.

I often hear that reading for oneself should be avoided.
I would like to know why.

If you are a dress maker should you not make your own clothes and alterations?

If you are a painter should you hire someone else to paint the walls in your house?

I personally don’t think so.

I read for myself all the time because I appreciate the wisdom I get from the cards.

Also, reading for myself regularly gives me accurate and reliable feed back.
By comparing the cards and my interpretation of them with what actually happened is extremely helpful.
It goes well beyond bolstering my confidence when I got it right, it helps me learn from my mistakes. There are times when in retrospect I can see how the cards were spot on, but their message was lost in translation.

Tarot readers know that each card has many meanings and that we have to find the one that correctly applies to the question, and in the contest of the surrounding cards. It is not an easy job.
Consider that what is taught about the cards is often very spiritual, but what we ask of them is often quite mundane.

It is by regular practice and feed back that we become more accurate at interpreting the everyday wisdom we seek.

I always encourage and appreciate clients feed back, but I cannot learn from it to the same degree. I am happy when I hear a client say that I helped them assess a situation wisely, but by then I have forgotten the cards, and the ideas and feelings that accompanied them.

There are times when I seek the advice of another reader.
When my questions are about situations that will affect me or my family in a profound way and for a long time, I book an appointment with someone who has no knowledge of my personal situation, and has no skin in the game. In other words, I look for someone who can be objective.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that in those situations reading for oneself is wrong. I simply suggest you seek a second opinion.

Mother’s day and the Queens.

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In honour of Mother’s day I am going to reflect on the personalities of the Queens.

They are first of all women.
As representations of human beings the queens are multi faceted, but here we will keep it simple.

Mother's day 2020

Celebrating Mother’s day with my kids.

Every woman contains traits of all the queens, but will identify more with one or two of them.
Since life is full of surprises we all end up playing many characters at different stages of our lives.

Let’s start with the Queen of Wands.
She is the most confident. She is the life of the party. She is very active and knows how to live intensely. She is ambitious, warm and affectionate. She is a born leader who goes after what she wants. She works hard but knows how to have fun.
As a mother she is a great role model. She will drive her kids to sport activities and tournaments. She may even be a coach or instructor. She will inspire her kids to dream big and work hard to make their dreams reality.
Her passion is her biggest asset, but she needs to keep it in check to avoid becoming an overbearing prima donna, too arrogant to consider her children’s own needs and desires.

The Queen of Cups is an extremely loving woman.
She likes to feel connected and at peace. She is a good listener and very observant. She likes beauty and harmony. She is creative, sensitive and intuitive. She wants to get along with everyone.
Conflicts drain her and she avoids them as much as possible. She is a very caring and sweet mom. Her kids feel loved and heard. She raises loving, sensitive and compassionate children.
Since she wears her heart on her sleeve and cares so deeply, she easily gets hurt and disillusioned.
By nature she is not likely to directly confront who has done her wrong. She is more likely to get depressed, moody, passive aggressive or manipulative.

The Queen of Pentacles is the most practical queen.
She enjoys simple pleasures. She will cook healthy and tasty meals. She will surround herself with things that look nice and make her life easier. Her home is her castle. It will look nice, warm and welcoming. She loves a full house. She will do her best to give her children love and a stable, comfortable life. Her door is always open to family, friends and pets. She is a beacon of light when life gets stormy. Her favourite sound is laughter.
She needs stability and security and therefore she appreciates a safety net. She will occasionally lose a good, but risky opportunity. She prefers to play it safe. She may appear stingy, too set in her ways, stubborn and reluctant to try new things. She will adapt when she needs to, because she is resilient, but she will fight it first.

Last but not least we have the Queen of Swords.
She is fiercely independent and extremely smart. She is curious, open minded, values logic and fairness. She knows how to communicate effectively. She is not afraid to ask the tough questions or make the difficult choices. She does not need to be a mother to feel fulfilled. She is very ambitious and driven and she can easily dedicate her life to a career she loves or a cause she believes in. As a mother she will raise kids that know how to think for themselves. Who will not be afraid to question authorities, or the way things are done. Human beings that will study hard and search for ways to improve life for everyone. People that know how to stand on their own two feet.
She may lack warmth and sometimes be a tad too harsh and critical.

In my opinion the world needs all these queens and all women should be free to express or try traits of all of them when they see fit.

Let’s celebrate all mothers, but also all the women in our lives.

In conclusion, I apologize for not writing the card of the week for quite some time. We are going through strange times and I find it too hard to guide many with just one card. I hope you understand.
Please stay safe and be well.

Nine of Swords

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Nine of Swords from Everyday Witch Tarot.

The Nine of Swords guides us through the week of April 6 to 12, 2020.

The image clearly reflects how many of us feel, and perhaps look right now.

During times of uncertainty it is harder to find the strength and motivation to begin another day.

It is easy to give up, let fears and sadness take over.

This week will most likely give us ample reasons to despair, especially if we keep the news on as background noise.

Let’s remember that the darkest time comes just before dawn.

So concentrate on the sunrise and if you can, soak up some sun in the back yard or on your deck.

Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and tidy up your environment. You will be surprised by how such little steps can lift your spirit.

This too shall pass.

Let’s be grateful for our health, our loved ones and even the time we now have to be present and talk to each other.

Something else we can be grateful for is the advance of technology, which is helping us in so many ways.

Many are able to work from home.
We can order what we need and have it delivered.
Thanks to Cable, WiFi, Netflix and so on hours can fly by.

Imagine how much harder the situation would have been with the technology we had in the 60’s.

So get going!
If you are one of those who can work from home, consider yourself very lucky.

To those who still go out to work everyday I say thank you!
You have good reasons to feel tired, scared and discouraged, but your actions help everyone.
So please be strong. Do everything you can to protect yourself and know that you are appreciated.
You are making a difference and don’t let a few idiots here and there make you think otherwise.

To those who have let fear overcome good judgement and compassion, I say “Wake Up!”
Fear is no excuse to stock pile and leave empty shelves to others.
There is no excuse to be rude to those still working with the public. None.

So let us be kind to ourselves and to others.

We are all a bit scared and confused, but if you are reading this it means you are alive, so let’s be grateful for that.

Call your loved ones, forgive and forget.
Express your affection.
Revisit your priorities.

May love prevail over fear and selfishness.
May the lucky ones find the strength to support and comfort the others.
Rise, get dressed and find reasons to smile throughout the day.
I will try to do the same.

The Sun

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The Sun from Druid Craft Tarot.

The card guiding us through the week of March 23rd to 29th 2020 is the Sun.

This is one of the best cards in the deck.
It speaks of hope, innocence, light, health, victory and progress.

Children are closely associated with this card.

In the next few days, some of you may conceive, others may give birth.

Many of us will be spending a lot more time with children than we are used to.

With schools and nurseries being closed we may have to take care of children, grandchildren, younger siblings and so on.

Try not to look at this as a chore, but rather as a gift. An opportunity to spend time with them, to see life through their innocent eyes.
Let them remind us of the beauty of life, where each day brings discovery. Let us appreciate everyday simple joys, be present and real.

Young minds believe that anything is possible. Life has not yet tamed their spirits or their enthusiasm. They still live in a world of fairy tales, where the good guys always beat the bad ones. Where love and courage against all odds can defy the most powerful evil.

Let’s defend our children and their dreams.

The arrival of the Sun shines light where there was darkness.
It brings knowledge and awareness, a great defence against blinding fear.

Hopefully the Sun will bring us a breakthrough to help us fight this virus and the chaos it brings wherever it goes.

The Sun invites us to:
be honest with ourselves and others,
be loving and caring,
bring joy, calm and peace.

It reminds us to do what we can to bring light, strength and sunshine to those around us..

Let’s try to lighten up the mood and not obsess with what is going on.

Let’s do what we can and let go of the rest.

We can read a good book, watch an uplifting movie, draw, paint, write, play music, dance.
How about watching some good comedy?
Let’s try to bring smiles and laughter into our homes and conversations, try yoga or anything else that can lift our spirits.

Joy is not a betrayal to those who are suffering, rather a way to stay strong and keep hope alive.

Last but not least, the Sun often brings clarity and new understanding.

Many of us have plenty of time right now to think and reflect, to communicate.

Our everyday routines have changed seemingly overnight. Freedom we took for granted is gone. We cannot travel where we want, we cannot gather as we like. Milestones are put on hold. We are asked to keep social distance.
Perhaps this experience will teach us the importance of so many things and people we took for granted. Maybe our priorities and values will shift long term. Perhaps we will forgive and forget and make peace with loved ones we had lost touch with.

Above all the card inspires us to live and love each day.

Six of Wands

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As I look at the Six of Wands, the card guiding us through the week of March 16 to 22 2020, I see strong leadership.

Cropped image of the Six of Wands from Druid Craft Tarot.

This is traditionally a card of movement and travel.

We are also at the beginning of March break, usually associated with travel and vacations.
Given the current times I truly hope people will be smart and stay home.

As I observe the image a few things jump up at me.

In the deck I am using, Druid Craft, we don’t see the usual happy crowd celebrating the guy on the horse.

We see a determined and disciplined person, in a position of power, leading forward the resigned people behind him.

How could the energy of the Six of Wands be expressed in the days ahead?

Strong leadership steering people with courage and discipline.

The need for each of us to carry our own burden and follow the rules for the benefit of the group.

Perhaps travel, but not of the fun kind.

People going home or to their country of origin following strict rules.

It can also be a warning to avoid arrogant , selfish behaviours.

In this particular deck the Six of Wands has a more sombre vibe than in others, but the card remains overall positive, carrying a message of success and progress through co-operation.

The Devil

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The Devil is the card for the week ahead, March 9 to 15 2020.

Cernunnos (Devil) in the Druid Craft Tarot

In this deck, The Druid Craft Tarot, we have a feeling of danger and perhaps a lack of awareness.
After all, the couple in the image is depicted naked and asleep, totally vulnerable to the huge horned figure approaching them.

The connection to the Corona Virus is easy to make.
Thing where I live, in Canada, are good so far, but not so much in many other countries.

I am from Italy and my family and friends live there. Everyone I know is good and healthy, but there is apprehension. The situation is constantly evolving and the restrictions to everyday life for everyone living there are increasing rapidly.

The Devil card represents situations that are unhealthy, where power is not distributed equally and where fear obscure judgement.

Let me give you an example of how the card could be expressed in your life in the next few days.

Under the negative effects of fear people often go to extremes.

You could behave badly and justify your greed, selfishness or rude behaviour as necessary, when in reality it is not.

On the opposite extreme, you may accept a bad situation out of fear of change.
Do you know the expression “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t”?

Under this thinking people stay in abusive or unhappy relationships, or in dead end jobs that suck the life out of them.

Wake up! If you live with the Devil, you need to come up with a good plan to move out as soon as possible.

There are bad lovers out there, but there are also a lot of nice human beings.
Other jobs are available with better pay, better hours or nicer bosses or colleagues.

To sum it up.
This week pay attention to your surroundings and to the people you deal with.
Be fair and don’t let others take advantage of you.
Check the fine print before signing any contract.

Also, face your fears and your dark secrets. Deal with what matters, do not procrastinate.

Queen of Swords

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With the Queen of Swords guiding us through March 3rd to 8th 2020, it is best to keep our thinking cap on.

Queen of Swords from Druid Craft Tarot

This queen has had her fair share of challenges and sorrow in life.
She has seen and experienced a lot, not much surprises her anymore.

She has become a good judge of character. She knows hot to cut through confusion as well as lies.

In this particular deck the Queen of Swords is barefoot, therefore well grounded with the Earth. She looks like she is ready to get up.

She faces challenges, represented by the wind, with an inner calm.

Her dress is purple, which to me means that she is quite spiritual. She is holding her sword with both hands. Her left one is holding the blade, a dangerous thing to do. A reminder perhaps that communicating honestly is tricky business, since the truth can still hurt.

Five of Swords

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With the Five of Swords guiding us through the week of February 24 to March 1st 2020 we can expect some turbulence.

Fives are about instability and unrest.

Swords (Air) is active and fast.

We may deal with aggressive people or intense situations.

We may be impatient, self centered and unwilling to compromise.

This week will see some people involved in altercations, heated arguments and nasty litigation.

For everyone’s sake let’s try to breathe, calm down and look for ways to deescalate conflicts.

The Five of Swords represents those times when people tend to fight dirty and forget human decency. Remember that a win at all costs often leaves a bitter after taste.

This card came up once before. You can follow the link here https://wisdomandhealing.ca/five-of-swords-is-the-tarot-card-for-the-week-of-sept-17-to-the-23-2018/

Notice that at the time I was new to the deck and I followed the creator’s element association for it. I have since decided to stick to my own, which is Air, not Fire.

Three of Wands

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The Three of Wands is the card guiding us through the week of February 17th to the 23rd 2020.

Three of Wands from Spell Caster’s Tarot

As I look at the image I cannot help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Three birds of prey are flying.
The first one looks to me like it has just been released by the lady. The other two are arriving. The closest one is carrying something.

The lady is standing up high, like she is seeking to look far into the distance.

I suspect this will be a week of important developments.

Some will receive important news and /or feed back.

We are approaching the next phase.

We see the first results of something started in the past.
We are waiting with trepidation to see how our efforts were received. Did we do well?

Will the results meet our expectations?

The lady in the card is alone. She ventured out of her comfort zone. She is a pioneer.

The Three of Wands invites us to be courageous and explore the world around us.

Try new approaches, launch your projects, expand, believe in your creative ideas, beliefs, and desires.

In the days ahead some will travel or even relocate.

Some will be applying for new jobs, others may land interviews or new positions.

What ever your situation is, the presence of this card invites you to expand your horizons.

Go after what you want, if you have already done that, take a big breath and welcome the wind of change.

Nine of Cups

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Nine of Cups, the wish card.The Nine of Cups is the card guiding us through the week of February 10th to 16th , 2020.

Let’s take a moment to rejoice at this site, since this card is a very good omen.

We can expect a socially busy week. There will be many opportunities to spend time with friends, family or loved ones.

We may finally accomplish something we have worked long and hard for.

There will be pleasure, joy and a bit of indulgence.

Many will be celebrating Valentine’s day on Friday or over the week end.
It will be a good time for many. The Nine of Cups invites us to be generous and to enjoy the senses.

Love making, good food and drinks, relaxation and doing what ever makes us happy are all expressions of the card.

For the singles out there this can also be a great week.

Pamper yourself instead of a partner. Spend time doing what you love most. Enjoy time with friends.

A word of caution for everyone.

In the deck I am using, Spell Caster’s Tarot, we see a genie come out of one of the nine cups.
It looks like he is waiting for us to express our wish that he will be compelled to grant.
Let’s take a moment to think about this and what we know from fairy tales.
The genie grants the wish but takes no responsibility for the outcome. Also, he takes no time to make sure he understands what we are wishing for. Misunderstandings often take place. What am I getting to with this?

By all means let’s have some fun and go for what makes us happy, but let’s be clear on what that truly is and that we can own and deal with the consequences anticipated or not.

Eight of Swords

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Eight of Swords from the Spell Caster’s tarot deck.

The Eight of Swords is the card expressing the energy of the week of February 3rd to 9th 2020.

This is an active week that will likely challenge us and keep us on our tippy toes.

We will be dealing with frustrations, restrictions and challenges.

The trick here is to be objective, look at the facts without letting our fears or insecurities distort our vision of the situation.

What or who is preventing us from moving freely and managing things the way we think is best?

Are the restrictions real or perceived?
Most likely some are real , while others we can easily overcome.

It is up to us to test those boundaries cautiously.

For a few of us the Eight of Swords could manifest literally with a real loss of freedom.

How?

Incarceration,

house arrest,

hospitalization,

rehab,

being bed ridden,

being grounded.

Ten of cups

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We have a beautiful card guiding us through the week of January 27 to February 2nd 2020.

Ten of cups from Anna K Tarot

The ten of cups speaks of harmony, being well grounded, love, peace and joy.

This week there could be family celebrations.

Estranged people reunite.

Relations grow as in engagements, weddings, welcoming pregnancies or births.

We work toward harmony and serenity and we often find it.

The ten of cups invites us to open our hearts, to love and appreciate who we are, recognize we are good people.

Once we are happy, loving and at peace with ourselves it becomes easy to extend the same feelings to others.

Take time to appreciate all that is good in your life.

Be grateful.

Queen of Pentacles

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Queen of Pentacles from Anna K. Tarot

With the Queen of Pentacles guiding us through the week of January 20 to the 26 I expect a productive time ahead.

Now we have the opportunity to put our experience and skills to work.

Our reliability, consistency and good planning pays off.
There could be a raise and or a promotion. We can afford more and splurge a bit.

Good times with family and friends are likely.

The Queen of Pentacles invites us to :

work diligently and efficiently,

stick to what we know, improvise as needed,

slow and steady wins the race,

work well with others, be helpful and generous,

know our worth, avoid selling ourselves short.

She reminds us that skills and steady effort deserve to be paid well and hard work needs to be balanced with a good social life and plenty of good times.

We should be grateful when life is good and share our abundance with others.
Open our hearts and homes, nurture and guide those who could benefit from our experience.

For some, the appearance of this queen could represent a pregnancy or the presence in their lives of a lady with the above mentioned qualities.

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