Sometimes I do what I tell my students not to do. I use the Tarot to answer random questions that I probably already know the answer. A few days ago I was struggling with my desire to change my lifestyle. It’s been tough. I REALLY like sugary foods. I’ve dumped the “real” soda and am now working on letting go of all sodas. I am working on eating better (that’s Lifestyle Change #1). I turned to my cards to see what information the Universe might offer me. Would I be successful in making this conscious change?
First I had to change the question. I mean that’s a yes/no question, right? You all know that Arwen says the Tarot doesn’t do well with yes/no. You just don’t get enough information. I mean if you ask “Does he like me” and you get the 3 of Swords, that’s pretty much a big HELL NO from the Universe. Rephrase that to “What does the Universe want me to know about a potential relationship” and you get a 3 of Swords, then you have more information like maybe it is your fears of heartache that are holding you back. You get something to work on that way rather than a flat cold NOPE! Since I did not want a big fat NO, I revised my question. So I settled on this question after trying it a few ways.
What do I need to do to be successful at my lifestyle change. And this is about my weight and energy specifically.
I focused. I shuffled. I shuffled some more. I shuffled until the cards felt like they were pushing back at me. This idea of the cards are ready is something that has always happened for me. I know of other consultants who have a specified amount or some other way of knowing when to stop shuffling.
Then I cut the cards into three piles. I often will look at the bottom card as the Shadow card or what I may not want to know. For me, my Shadow card was the King of Pentacles. SUPER! Overindulgence and a sedentary lifestyle. PHHHBBBTTT to the cards and the Universe! I already knew that. Of course, that is also a huge part of the Shadow card for me. A 2×4 moment of “I told you so.”
Moving on to the top card, I flipped it over. (NOTE: I don’t read reversals at this time. It’s an ongoing experiment to see if I can get as much out of the cards without reversals.) I laughed when I saw the card.
The Tarot tells me that the 8 of wands is the answer to what I need to do to be successful. Of course. MOVE. ENERGY. The perfect answers to what I knew was missing from this change I’m working on.
I’ve been eating much better. I still need to work on portion control but overall I’ve done a great job at revamping how I eat. But I don’t move. I mean…enough. So I have been layering small things in such as parking as far away as I can at work. One morning I turned on my iPod and danced for thirty minutes. I am moving, Universe. I am.
And I am using crochet as a lifestyle change. I pick that up instead of food. It is working for me. Of course, I am also now a member of Ravelry where I have found all sorts of new temptations like patterns and people who can help me!
Sometimes the Universe uses the Tarot to BOP you over the head, doesn’t it? And that is the lesson I always tried to teach my students. What’s a lesson the Tarot has handed you lately?
I’ve had that happen quite a bit. I try not to read for myself because it tends to be cloudy; but my room mate and I traded readings for each other at New Years, and there were several ‘duh’ moments with that reading.
I’m confused and working through trauma, these things I know, it will be slow and should be taken thus. Things like that.
I also loved the day that another friend and I were trying to do a reading on something and the first card I turned over basically said, “You’re not going to like the answer are you sure you want to know?’ and the next one said, “Are you really sure?” and so on. I wound up re-shuffling and going, “Yes, tell me already!”
It was right too. I wasn’t fond of the answer. We were reading on past lives, and I had a sinking suspicion I wasn’t who I hoped I was in that life time, and I was write. I was not the tutor but the whiny student ;_; ah, well. Lessons to be learned from that also.
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Your post hit home for me, Arwyn.
I too am struggling with the health/weight/energy issue. Those also go hand in hand with another life issue that’s been plaguing me that I can’t seem to come to terms with: middle age.
I’d been sick this last week, so that subject wasn’t foremost on my mind a couple nights ago when I was so antsy and edgy I couldn’t sleep.
I picked up my cards (very new to this, mind you) and shuffled and shuffled and shuffling. The simple act started to calm me so I could focus.
What’s bothering me? Why am I so edgy? What’s wrong?
When I felt ready, I looked at the deck. The DEATH card popped into my head. I ignored the random thought, fanned the cards, chose one, then picked the one next to it and pulled: The DEATH card.
I guess you could say I had a 1/78 chance of pulling it or I had no other chances because it was the only right card.
I knew what it meant, roughly. I went to my book and looked it up and read more. Yes: I’m having a hard time with the transition from youth to … not so youthful. I’m leaving the first half of my life behind and embarking on the second half.
Like you said, sometimes you already know what’s wrong before you pull the card. In this case, my conscious wasn’t sure, but my subconscious was.
Enjoy your stories. Looking forward to your class offerings.
Heh. I rarely read for myself too, for pretty much the same reasons. Most of the time I find the cards either tell me what I already know, or chastise me for asking what I already know.
🙂
Very interesting post Arwen! Thanks!
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I used my Christmas gift money to get a Wii Fit, so I would exercise even when the weather is bad. My arms are sore, my calves are sore, even my butt is sore. And I’m having to be careful what Yoga exercises I do because my knees are so bad. (Downward facing dog is actually a pretty good one, except my arms are WEAK.) Anyway, yeah, the getting up to move can be hard to do. And it’s kinda spooky how the cards will tell you what you already know–but that’s because they’re working with your subconscious and your intuition. They play off each other, ya know.
That said, I want you to know I gave you an award on my blog yesterday, for being a great person! Do with it as you will–or have time to do. 🙂 Can’t wait till you come down this way. 🙂
I’m catching up a little, with blog-reading, and had to laugh: I was just thinking about this type of thing in the shower. 🙂
I tend to distract myself from my life, with the computer and my tarot cards (including asking questions that don’t really require a reading, for me to know the answer, and asking certain questions over and over – I’m really trying to not do that at the moment, when it’s really tempting to do so).\
I’ve also started to make green smoothies (greens mixed with fruit), and desperately need to start exercising again – I fell out of the habit a few years ago, when I wasn’t feeling well/kept getting sick. I almost did a reading on it, when I left the bathroom, but I thought, “I don’t NEED a reading! I just need to DO it! Make the commitment to try for a certain amount of time.” I can’t see myself going 100% raw, but I have felt good, when I’ve had the smoothies… they’re supposed to kill cravings, though (because of the greens), but they haven’t for me – I was in the kitchen eating cream cheese on crackers and a little Italian sausage (with ketchup), even though I really don’t like sausage.
I’m also dealing with the same thing as Joan Swan: I’ll be 35 in April, and the evidence of it on my face, as well as the birthday itself, has been bothering me since last Autumn. I wish that I could be more graceful in handling it, but I’m not – not yet, anyway. I think part of that comes from having lost a large portion of my “youth” to agoraphobia – I get my life back, but feel as though I’ve been left behind in ways, and missed out on certain things (the loss of frat parties doesn’t bother me, but life itself, does).