Hello there.
Just a quick hello to let you know that since December 27 I have started to post the card for the day on my Face Book page.
I hope you will check it out. The link is on my welcome page.
I am also on Instagram.
by Anna
Hello there.
Just a quick hello to let you know that since December 27 I have started to post the card for the day on my Face Book page.
I hope you will check it out. The link is on my welcome page.
I am also on Instagram.
by Anna
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.
by Anna
The Seven of Pentacles guides us through the week of September 2nd to 8th 2019.
Sevens often express an in between energy, a time to pause, dig deeper, reflect and contemplate options.
The suit of Pentacles is associated with the element of Earth.
Here we are rooted, practical, efficient. We work for what we want. We do what needs to be done. We also take good care of our body and take time to do what makes us happy. We appreciate beauty, comfort and stability. With Earth the focus is on health, work, finance, property and lineage.
As I look at this card I get a feeling of abundance.
The lady is well dressed, but she also wears an apron. She is relaxing with a book and a glass of wine, but she is also carefully inspecting the growing grapes.
The garden is lovingly cared for and producing grapes and pentacles.
Diligent work and persistence are producing great results.
This week will see you busy and productive.
Take pride from what you do and continue to do it well.
Work or study hard , but also take time to relax and have some fun. You earned it.
Keep up the good work, you are on the right track.
This week you may also be considering your options.
Are you happy where you are and with what you have?
Do you feel is time to challenge yourself a bit more?
How and where would you like to expand or grow?
Where would you like to invest your time and energy?
by Anna
The Page of Swords is back.
He guides us through the week of August 12 to 18 2019.
We saw him last at the end of July.
Click here to read what I wrote about him then https://wisdomandhealing.ca/page-of-swords/
What else can I add?
Words are powerful, use them wisely.
A contract could be signed this week. Word it or read it carefully.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Be alert and be ready to act.
by Anna
Hi everyone.
After a long vacation I am back and pulling a card for the week of July 15 to 21 2019.
The Emperor, Major Arcanum 4, is guiding us.
He often represents a dad or a father figure in your life.
Someone strong , reliable, decisive and capable of bringing structure to chaotic situations.
As we know, the number four stands for stability, order, structure and solid boundaries.
As you may have noticed, I am working with a new deck.
It is called Everyday Witch by Elisabeth Alba.
The figure in the card comes across as wealthy, powerful, wise, because he is at the top of a mountain.
He also appears caring and approachable, since he is petting a cat and the dog at his feet trusts him enough to sleep.
Nevertheless the power of the Emperor stands out.
He is prepared for everything.
He has a plan at his feet and he is wearing armour under his fancy clothes.
He is ready to fight if he needs to and you can feel he is an experienced warrior.
My suggestion for this week is to be well prepared.
Do your homework.
Plan ahead.
Pay attention to details.
Go for quality over quantity.
Think long-term.
Be approachable and reasonable.
Respect people’s boundaries and your own too.
Have clear expectations and rules of engagement.
Should someone not play by the rules, don’t let them get away with it.
Respect and enforce agreements ,because trust is built and maintained that way.
by Anna
The Four of Wands is the card guiding us through the week of March 25 to 31 2019.
The number 4 is about order, stability, organization , building something up on solid foundations.
Wands is Fire, which is about action, passion, confidence, motives, beliefs, vitality, creativity and intensity.
In the card we see kids at play. There is a sense of joy .
The Four of Wands is usually associated with festivities, celebrations, weddings, family reunions and milestones of all kinds.
It can represent the happy manifestation of our desires and previous effort.
Some examples are:
getting a promotion,
doing well in a sport competition,
a pregnancy, an engagement, a wedding, the birth of a child,
making an important connection, moving to a new place, buying a home,
finally being able to go on the trip or vacation we dreamt about.
Last, but not least, it can speak of getting out of a difficult situation.
All in all , welcome the energy of this card, because it is a great omen for success in all kinds of endeavours.
It also reminds us that family and friends are important and a source of strength. Spend more time with them.
by Anna
Knights speak of change, action and travel.
The knight of Swords is the fastest of them all.
I suspect this week will feel intense, fast paced and it will bring progress.
Swords are about communication, strategy, true intentions, pursuing knowledge and writing wrongs.
The knight of Swords has a strong sense of justice. He has strong beliefs.
He means well. He is brave and bold, but he is also impatient. He tends to act quickly.
This week be prepared for sudden developments.
Think before you act, but act fast.
Make sure you have all the facts before you pass judgement.
Use your words wisely. Be aware of your surroundings.
Be courageous, honest and ready to support those you love.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Be smart, but decisive if challenged.
Speak up if you witness an injustice.
Pursue your goals, take action.
Travel is a strong possibility.
by Anna
Here I am with the weekly card of guidance.
We have a tough one, the Tower, Major Arcanum 16.
The Tower brings an element of shock.
It breaks down our sense of security.
The Tower is associated with the element of Fire.
It usually strikes quickly and unexpectedly.
Let me give you a few examples of how the Tower could manifest for you this week.
Let’s start light.
Things break down. It could be an appliance or your car. It brings an unexpected expense and it messes with your plans.
A heated argument.
A blow to your ego.
Any kind of accident.
Mother Nature causing trouble.
Discovering that a relationship is not as strong or as happy as you believed it to be.
Being fired. Being dumped. Being evicted.
Is there a silver lining to this card?
Yes. The Tower often destroys something that is not solid or good for us anymore.
It often brings those changes we did not have the courage to make.
Put it this way. You keep fixing up a house that is built on the edge of an eroded hill. You know the hill can give away any day, yet you keep spending time and money fixing the house.
When the Tower shows up, the hill slides down and the house goes with it. The loss is hard to take, but it forces you to start building somewhere else. Hopefully on solid land.
May the Tower blow gently in our lives and may we have the strength and wisdom to deal with it.
by Anna
The Five of swords in the Spell Caster’s deck gives me the idea of a hit and run.
Okay, so let me think.
My intention was to get a card that would be helpful to anyone reading my post this week.
A card to ponder on.
An energy that would help.
I should mention that in the Spell Caster’s deck the element association for swords is fire.
Normally I see swords as air, but while working with this deck, I will follow the voice of the creator. The strong presence of fire and wolves in the suit of swords, makes it easy to remember.
The five of swords is a card of challenge.
Observing it I get a sense of speed .
The conflict is fast and furious, overpowering.
Grab what you can and leave.
I don’t get a sense of permanence.
If you are the one under attack, fight or flee.
Don’t think long term here. Focus on the here and now. It is about speed not stamina.
Make a show of force. Use the element of surprise. Go big or go home, but don’t linger.
Have your priorities clear and be prepared to pay a price.
by Anna
Position 1 What am I doing right?
Position 2 What am I doing wrong?
Position 3 Something I can do to solve the problem.
I was working with the full deck and I got three Major Arcana.
I have a lovely two and a half year old dog. Her name is Misty. She is sweet, she is playful, but training her is a challenge.
She is my second dog. I know what I am doing. I have read 3 books on training, I watch videos. We took her to obedience classes, she did not pass. We have done one on one classes with a dog trainer.
We won some battles, we lost many.
She is a friendly, good dog, but she mostly does what she wants and we cannot walk her without a leash.
She will chase cars, if none are available she will chase bikes, a runner will do, even a stroller.
When walking her we need to always be aware and see the cars before she does. We need to enforce the rules given to us by the trainer. We must give her treats when she lets the cars go by, to reinforce her good behaviour.
Frustrated as I am by the amount of work required and the small results , I turned to the cards for insight.
Originally I had 2 positions, but I struggled so much interpreting the Devil in position 1 that I came up with position 3.
I believe I was stuck on the Devil, because I failed to realize that it stood for something that I was doing fine, but that was not enough by itself to solve the issue. Strength reversed in position 2 is also a Major Arcanum .
What am I doing right in my attempts to train Misty?
The Devil suggests that I am at least aware of my luck of hope .
I do recognize that I am stuck. I accomplished something, but it is not enough.
Also very good is the fact that I keep her on a leash (bondage). I have a short one and I have a very long one, which I use to teach her recall and give her some freedom.
Keeping her on a leash is necessary for her own safety.
What am I doing wrong? Strength reversed.
Plenty I suppose. I am too soft. I am not the strong pack leader she needs, not consistently at least. In the Winter my daughter does most of the walks and she does not enforce the rules consistently. When the weather is decent I take her for very long walks and I see improvements.
I also think that I do not totally understand Misty. I was totally in tune with the dog I had before her. He would have followed me anywhere. Misty needs a treat. Which reinforce the Devil aspect. She is very materialistic (food motivated) and I have accepted that.
What can I do to train her better? Magician reversed.
I am not sure. I see several possibilities.
1) I need to keep my focus, which I admit I have not. I work diligently at it for a while and than burn out.
2)Do I need to change where I put my attention? I am fast to see what Misty does wrong, but it takes me a while to notice her improvements.
3) I believe I have the tools at my disposal to train her, but do I? Should I look again for a dog trainer to help me?
Feel free to share your interpretation of the cards.
by Anna
What do the Hanged Man and The Fool have in common?
How are they different?
I have not written in a while, so I asked Tarot for inspiration and I got the Hanged Man and the Fool.
Accidentally, the Fool also came up this morning in my personal daily Tarot reading, but I do not believe in coincidences. Coincidence? I think not.
Okay. At first glance I see someone stuck in the Hanged Man and one moving in the Fool.
I also know that the first one is water (passive), the other is air (active).
The Hanged Man is Arcanum 12.
One is about the individual, and tunnel vision.
Two is about choices, duality, diplomacy.
1+2 = 3 Expansion, exploration, group activity.
The element is water = emotions.
Water in not confrontational. Water likes to go along.
Therefore it is not surprising when the presence of the Hanged Man slows things down.
We have our own feelings and desires, but we are also aware of the wishes of others and we don’t like to rock the boat with our decisions. We are not rushing into anything.
The Fool is zero.
It is like a white canvass, everything is possible.
We are in the air element, active.
The guy is ready to take a leap of faith.
He has confidence in his dreams. He will do the unexpected. He is unconventional and he is not restricted by people’s expectations.
At first glance The Hanged Man and the Fool are clear opposites, but are they?
I would suggest that they are simply at different stages in their lives, but will often come out together in a reading.
Someone stuck in the Hanged Man, might be building the courage to act like the Fool.
As an example, let’s say John is no longer satisfied in a job he has done for a long time. He craves change. He has a secret dream to pursue a completely different career, but it would require new learning and losing the financial security he is accustomed to. John also knows that his wife would not be supportive of his dream. She would think it is too risky.
John now has two options. 1) He remains stuck in a situation that no longer fulfills him. He sacrifices his dreams for the sake of the plans he once made with his wife. 2) He acts like the Fool by doing the unexpected and pursuing his dream.
It is no coincidence the Hanged Man is hung the way he is. That is how traitors used to be hung. What is a traitor? Someone who changes his mind/position even when they affect plans he made with others.
Now let’s make another story.
Let’s say that John decides to be the Fool and pursue his dreams.
He shocks his wife by quitting the job he has had for many years.
She accuses him of betraying his promises to her, to put their common plans in jeopardy. John believes in his dreams and hopefully he is right, the standing feather on his hat suggests he is being guided by a higher source.
John soon finds out he has jumped from one aspect of the Hanged Man to the other. His new path requires new learning and training that will take time and sacrifice to bear the fruits he wants.
I hope you enjoyed this reflection with the cards as I did.
by Anna
I have not written in a while. Life has been busy.
I am going to update you here in words first and then using cards.
Telling stories using Tarot cards is not new and I have written about it in the past.
It is a fun process and one that can help anyone familiarize with the cards.
Here I am not spending much time deciding which cards to use. I am not spending time editing the story. I want to go free flow.
A quick mix of key words for the cards or the first impression from the images.
I am going to pace myself.
One update, one story, a sequence of cards.
The deck I am using is Gateway to the Divine Tarot by the very talented Ciro Marchetti.
For the past five weeks we have had a guest in the house. Stella is a beautiful five months old orange cat. The firemen got her out of her home just in time. Another cat in the building was not as lucky. The owner of the cat, a dear friend of my son, found himself suddenly homeless. After bouncing for a while from one place to the other he asked me to keep Stella until he found a permanent place.
I love cats, but I already had a ten year old cat, who at the time was busy adjusting to the new puppy we got in August. My cat, Lovie, is not a fan of other cats.
I said I was going to give it a try.
Well, Stella is a lot of fun, but she is also a trouble maker. She is full of energy, super curious, very agile, a risk taker and if there is a danger she will find it.
Stella is in many ways very similar to my puppy, Misty.
They both are always on the move. They are curious. They are fast. They pounce first and think later. A fun, but tricky combination. They like the same things and they have been stealing each other toys. Misty and Stella are fascinated with each other and want to play together, but I don’t want an injury on my watch and therefore I have been keeping them separate, or I have let them interact under very close supervision.
Stella also wants to play with my cat, by chasing her. Lovie is at least double her size and she hisses at Stella the moment she sees her.
I have been spending time in a room with Stella, on a floor with Lovie and Misty, or in another room supervising the kitten and the puppy.
It has been fun, insightful and time consuming. My attempt to juggle my time among them, keeping harmony in the home is expected to last another couple of weeks.
Now let’s use the cards to tell the story.
The Tower is the unexpected disruption caused by the fire.
The 5 of pentacles is my friend suddenly out of his home and seeking help.
I am the Queen of pentacle, friendly and reliable and able to help.
The Page of wands is Stella, young, curious and full of energy.
The 6 of coins (pentacles) is my attempt to distribute my attention and energy equally among the Page (Stella) and the 10 of cups ( my dog and my cat).
It is funny how the cat in the 10 of cups actually looks a lot like Stella.
The 5 of wands well represents the tension caused by all the animals competing for space, love and attention.
The Emperor is me attempting to set rules of engagement among the pets to keep harmony in the home, 4 of wands.
The Temperance is the way I try to balance fairly the love (ace of cups) and the discipline (9 of pentacles) I give out to help everyone get along and not feel left out or jealous.
The 2 of coins (pentacles) is the juggling, timing and flexibility required to tune in to the needs of all of the animals and keep them living happily with me (Strength).
I hope you enjoyed the process.
by Anna
Tarot is a mirror for human experiences.
Practically every joy, fear, hope and thought can be expressed through the cards.
I am a strong believer in taking responsibility for our lives.
I often say that the future is not set in stone, that our thoughts, words and actions have repercussions in our present and in our future.
That said, I also believe that we cannot control everything in our lives. It makes sense, since everyone around us also has freedom of choice and their actions also affect the situations they are dealing with.
Some cards more than others reminds us of how fragile we really are.
The Wheel of Fortune, Death, The Tower and The Hanged Man, come to mind.
When I see the Wheel of Fortune
I am reminded that sometimes fate touches our lives. All of us will, at some point in our lives, be in the right place at the right time…or in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Death card
reminds me of the impermanence of life. People and situations valuable and dear to us, will sooner or later exit from our lives, or us from theirs.
The Tower
slaps us hard from time to time. It reminds us that most of our securities are just illusions.
The Hanged Man
is the moment when we understand the three previously mentioned cards and we surrender to those forces that are bigger than us.
The Hanged Man experience can take many forms.
We may just stay still and absorb all that is going on.
We may curl up and pray or hope for the best.
We may raise our arms and surrender.
We may observe, absorb, change our perspective and later on, our direction.
The moment someone wins a huge lottery, or misses the plane that never makes it to the destination, are positive Wheel of Fortune moments.
The day we relocate to another city or another country, or end a relation that no longer nourishes us, we are experiencing the Death card..
When a natural disaster hits and drastically changes the lives of people, we see the Tower at work, as well as the shadow or extreme of the Wheel of Fortune card.
What is the point of all this writing?
A reminder to live in the present, because the future is not a given.
Let’s rephrase our questions to the cards.
What is today’s lesson? How am I affecting the present situation? What can I do to reach my goal?
I am thinking that is better to try to live fully in the present, rather than being overly concerned or dependent on the future.
The cards are from The Ancestral Path Tarot deck by Julie Cuccia – Watts.
by Anna
It is clear by looking at the card that experiencing the Tower is tough.
The energy of the Tower can take many forms. Being fired, loss of a home, nasty and abrupt ending of a relationship, failure, a big fight. All of them are accurate examples of the tower in action.
What do they have in common?
A sense of shock. Everyday life has been shaken at the foundation level. The very things that gave us confidence are gone.
Sadness and fear are the theme of the day.
“What does not kill you makes you stronger.”
Many people believe that. So, what can we learn from a Tower experience?
A lot, I think. First, the Tower is number 16, which reduces to 7, meaning introspection. When going through it, you have to accept it and not deny your part in it. Yes, it is an abrupt end that seems to come out on nowhere.
In reality the death card, number 13, comes first.
Something was not right. We had the chance to make changes to correct it, but for what ever reason we did not, so the universe did it for us.
Does knowing this make the experience less painful? No, it does not.
But, understanding that something at the foundation was broken should.
The Tower is often a humbling experience, where the ego takes a hit.
Perhaps we built things too fast. Perhaps we were arrogant and not open to other people’s ideas, or way of doing things. Perhaps we had become too comfortable and our achievements had become our jail, restricting us from learning and growing and doing new things. Maybe we were beating a dead horse.
The destruction brought up by the tower gives us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and/ or go in new directions.
The image is from the Sacred Rose Tarot deck by the very talented Johanna Gargiulo- Sherman.
by Anna
For this month’s reading I have used a three cards spread.
Gift, challenge and advice.
I have used the lovely Gilded deck of Ciro Marchetti.
Position 1) Temperance
Position 2) 8 of swords
Position 3) 9 of pentacles.
First thing I notice is the presence of a lady in each card. Two of them are turned away from the other cards.
The lady in the 9 of pentacles is facing the lady in the 8 of swords. Given that the 9 of pentacles is the advice card in this spread, while the 8 of swords is the challenge, I believe the card suggests I exercise self discipline (bird of prey).
The gift offered by the month is substantial (Major Arcana). It could indicate the possibility of personal growth through change. I may face challenging people or situations which will require an open mind, flexibility, confidence, moderation and the ability to compromise.
The challenge is frustration. With the 8 of swords I may feel unable to deal with problems the way I see fit. I may feel restricted in my choices of actions. What is required from me is a new way of thinking (8 + air). Unable to operate the way that comes natural and easy for me, I will have to develop a new strategy.
Advice. The 9 of pentacles here reassures me that I am more than capable to handle what is going to come up. I need to be resourceful, grounded, confident, open to transformation (butterflies) and disciplined.
All in all this is a good straight forward reading. As always, feel free to write your comments or suggestions.