Chrysalis Tarot Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

Tarotscopes 6/28-7/4, 2015

Chrysalis Tarot 2 Spirals — Chrysalis Tarot

Welcome to this week’s Tarotscopes. My goal is to help you find your joy and hang on to it. You can transform your existence by bringing joy back in on a regular basis. I’m here to be your joy guide.

[Tweet “Stop by to see what your horoscope for the week says. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.”]

Ready to get back on track to your joy-filled life? Want to ditch the negativity that’s been seeping in? Got fifteen minutes? Not sure? See what others are saying. “For those who may think it’s easy to make up an answer to a question asked, please know that I did not verbally ask my questions to Arwen.”

You know I love books, right? Here’s one that blew me away. Rachel Pollack takes personal experience then combines it with her years of Tarot knowledge to apply practical magic to every card in the deck. Honestly, this is one of my keepers in my Tarot collection. See for yourself.

Did you know you can hear your full monthly Tarotscope here? Check out June . July will be up on the first. Subscribe to my newsletter to be reminded. Get a free book too.

CARD OF THE WEEK: [inlinetweet prefix=”CARD OF THE WEEK” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What will you choose this week? Our card for the week is the [/inlinetweet]Two of Spirals. Here a wren has two nests to choose from. The choice is not clear as both look identical from the top. But if our little feathered friend will just looks a bit closer, he or she will see that one next doesn’t have the support the other does. It makes me realize that sometimes I choose based on “what the hell” rather than actually giving both options my undivided attention. Choose wisely this week, darlings. Seek joy, y’all.

AQUARIUS [inlinetweet prefix=”AQUARIUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]How foolish are you? How much do you dare to show when you feel [/inlinetweet]insecure but know you must move forward? I have a friend who showed up in shorts at a party. She had AMAZING legs but said she never wore shorts. She was surprised, I think, at the support she got from all of us. She felt foolish but wanted to show off a new tattoo. What can you do this week that makes you feel just a bit vulnerable but could gain you amazing rewards? Put yourself out there, Aquarians. Take the risk to reap the gains. It will be worth it. MERLIN THE HERO (FOOL)

PISCES [inlinetweet prefix=”PISCES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Can you truly let go of what needs to be relinquished? How tight do you[/inlinetweet] hold on to things that just don’t work for you any more? And people? What and who must be let go of now so that you can make that necessary transition? You are being offered a thread to follow into your own labyrinthine soul. Follow it where it leads. This journey must be made if you are going to ever move up to the next level. You do want to move up, right? ARIADNE DEATH

Chrysalis Tarot 7 Spirals — Chrysalis Tarot

ARIES [inlinetweet prefix=”ARIES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Where must you wander? What roads call you the most? This is a [/inlinetweet]great time for you to sing your own songs. Choose your truths and let them be the stones in your mouth that prevent you from lying to yourself. You are being called to rule with compassion. Reward those who are loyal to you. Eschew those who aren’t. By standing up for what you know to be right, you will make that name for yourself. You remember, right? That acknowledgement from your community of your own amazing success? THE MINISTREL KING OF STONES

TAURUS [inlinetweet prefix=”TAURUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Have you heard that clarion call? The one that says to stand up [/inlinetweet]for your self? That says you won’t be recognized unless you firmly, gently, relentlessly put yourself forward? That’s not easy at the best of times for you Bulls, but it’s got to be at the top of your weekly to-do list. I’d recommend putting it in at number 3, 5, 7 and 9 too. Just don’t back down easily. You don’t have to make it a battle royale, but you do have to let them know you won’t budge on this. SEVEN OF SPIRALS

GEMINI [inlinetweet prefix=”GEMINI” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What needs balancing in your world? Your card this week insists [/inlinetweet]that you seek, find and own your own sense of justice. Things aren’t balancing out so you must create equality in your life. Ma’at is the Goddess of the scales. Don’t put all your weight on one side. Walk that middle tightrope. Scary? Sure, but it’s the best path for you this week. Justice will prevail as long as you stay centered. MA’AT JUSTICE

CANCER [inlinetweet prefix=”CANCER” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]So you are being asked about the concept of sacrifice, Crabs. what [/inlinetweet]does that word mean to you? To me it is about what I must give up in order to get what I want. Here we see a sword piercing five scrolls. Does this mean none of them were the right choice? Or were they all possible right but another was chosen and these set aside? Examine your current situation. Ask yourself what you really want out of life. Then ask yourself what you must sacrifice in order to achieve that particular goal. FIVE OF SCROLLS

Chrysalis Tarot 5 Scrolls — Chrysalis Tarot

LEO [inlinetweet prefix=”LEO” tweeter=”@Tarotscopes” suffix=”..more #horoscope”]What must you let out, Leos? What is filling you up so much that you are [/inlinetweet]nearly drowning in? This emotional response needs to be releases do you can begin to heal that area. Look in your mirror. Look into your own eyes. Forgive yourself first. The key word for you this week is emote. Let your emotions free. You can do it in the safety of your own home but make a date with the person in the mirror. Feelings must be let out. ACE OF MIRRORS

VIRGO [inlinetweet prefix=”VIRGO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Who isn’t giving you what you need? Look to your family and friends. Ask [/inlinetweet]yourself if you give as much as they give and vice versa. Don’t let excuses stand betwee you and them. Open up. Tell them what you need. Explore how to rebuild those relationships. Give yourself permission to gently release those who aren’t holding up their end of the friendship bargain. Make gates more than fences. NINE OF STONES

Chrysalis Tarot 3 Mirrors — Chrysalis Tarot

LIBRA [inlinetweet prefix=”LIBRA” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]How kind are you to yourself? That’s the biggest [/inlinetweet]question for you right now. If you speak of yourself and to yourself in demeaning ways, I would ask you why? Do you think it builds yourself up to tear you down? You are so compassionate with others, Libra. Turn that kindness on yourself. Make yourself as important as you make others. Build yourself up. Then you are even stronger when you take on the immense task of helping the world. THREE OF MIRRORS

SCORPIO [inlinetweet prefix=”SCORPIO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]What are you going to create this week? If you had [/inlinetweet]infinite resources, what is the first thing you would start? Why are you letting anything hold you back from that? Your gift to the world is intensity. You have a passion that can not, and should not, be dimmed. Stop holding yourself back. Live like there is no tomorrow. Throw yourself into your creative passions. Show the world your beauty and strength. Create for those who can’t or won’t. Burn it up, Scorpio. THE ARTISTE QUEEN OF STONES

SAGITTARIUS [inlinetweet prefix=”SAGITTARIUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #horoscope”]Why do you let rejection hurt so much? Aren’t you [/inlinetweet]aware that it is their loss, not yours? Pick your head up. Shake yourself off. Turn away from the attachment to the past. You can’t move forward if you’ve tied a rock to your own tail. Cut that burden. Let go of that ridiculous need to wallow in self-pity. You are so much greater than that loss. You are worth so much more than that. Live. THREE OF SCROLLS

CAPRICORN [inlinetweet prefix=”CAPRICORN” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”… more #horoscope”]What do you need in order to make your life come true? It looks like [/inlinetweet]what you really need this week is some time to yourself. Immerse yourself in your natural world. Blend in to the trees and bushes. Hide your soul in water. Taking time for your own peace of mind will bring you some amazing results this week. Your project will all be the better for it. Release your need to do for others. Do for you this week. THREE OF SPIRALS

Remember to seek joy, y’all. Pass it on! I want to hear from you if you are ready to kick the negativity habit in the tender bits. Let’s get started today to create a plan for you that takes you from feeling alone to feeling alive.

Chrysalis Tarot 2015 COVR Best in Tarot Winner, U.S. Games Systems

Spring2015 Tarot Blog Hop

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It’s Tarot Blog Hop time again! Our wrangler is Ania. She’s dared us to throw caution to the winds and get creative. She asked us what cards we thought might need to be updated, removed or even added to reflect our modern society.

[Tweet “Come join in the #TarotBlogHop fun! Check out what changes we think #Tarot needs.”]

My first thought was “Nah, I’m good.” I’m not a huge fan of change (shocker!). I like things to just keep going as they go. But as I considered the topic, I realized that one of the reasons I love the Gaian Tarot is that the creator, Joanna P. Colbert, didn’t just rename the Court cards. She also assigned two male and two female characters to each.

Rather than all male knights (or even all female knights), we have the Explorers with Earth and Fire being women while Water and Air are men. The page category has two little girls for Water and Air while Earth and Fire are represented by boys. She didn’t even stick to the genders of the suits. And it works very well for me particularly since I have a large LGBTQI client base.

She also changed the names of the courts to Child, Explorer, Guardian and Elder. None of those are gender-biased. So my thing that I would update/change in Tarot is the propensity towards gender-bias in the Tarot. There is at least one card in the Gaian that is fairly gender-neutral for me. That’s the Teacher. Sometimes I see an old man. Other times it’s an old woman who stares out at me challenging me to learn the lesson of this card.

I think it might be fun to name the Court cards Seed, Root, Sapling, Tree. Then you could have the growth of the page, the seeking of the knight, the nurturing of the queen and the completion of the king. For me, I tend to translate the court cards in my head back to the attributes of page, knight, queen and king. No matter what they are named. So with decks like the Chrysalis, no matter the best intentions of the creators to move away from the traditional names, I still revert to them. Mentor, Muse, Mystic and Messenger are the courts in that deck. And it holds to the gender-bias. Even in the Fifth Tarot (which has a fifth suit) there is a tendency to have all males or all females.

So, the thing I would change about Tarot would be the need to lock ideas into gender-biased cages. Haven’t we proven that men make great nurturers and women are superb engineers? Do we really need to keep having this conversation?

Back to Tarot! Court cards should, for me, represent human types (maybe even stereotypes to some degree) but I think it’s important to remember that gender doesn’t own something. That’s why we can have female prime ministers, male nurses, etc. Here’s to living life as you are called to live it rather than as some societally-mandated role. And here’s to decks like the Gaian that don’t assign one gender to each court. Let’s have more!

And if you are looking for a way back to joy, I can help. Let’s do a Joy Recalibration together!

Ready to take it to the next level? Come join the . Hear Dr. Bernie Siegel, Heather McCloskey Beck, Dr. Martha Reed and more for free. I’ll be there as well to share how you can create affirmations to help you on your journey.

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Tarotscopes for February 22-28, 2015

[Tweet “I’m ready to seek joy, y’all. Just read my Tarotscope. What did yours say?”]

Ready to rock your life? Over all the negativity that surrounds us? Let’s work together to bring you back to the joy path. No time like the present to get started on your own joy seeker’s life. I’m ready to help. What’s holding you back?

I’ve been reading a book that has really been quite helpful. It’s The Mindfulness Habit by Kate Sciandra. She sets up a six week plan to help you create the habit of being present. This book is a game-changer for me. She understands our busy lives and gives you tools on how to work being mindful into that. It’s on my Kindle. Get it on yours! Or print is available too.

Check out February’s podcast. How close was I to your month? I do these every month to help you take an . If you were subscribed on iTunes, they won’t carry my podcast any more. Sorry!

CARD OF THE WEEK: GAIA THE EMPRESS [inlinetweet prefix=”CARD OF THE WEEK” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”]Whoa! Gotta love it when the energy of the week is[/inlinetweet] abundance and creativity. Time to dive into what makes you thrive! This could be cooking up a storm. Maybe reorganizing your kitchen? Do something that looks like work to others but makes your inner rockstar sing.

AQUARIUS SORCERESS THE HIGH PRIESTESS [inlinetweet prefix=”AQUARIUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Time to work a little magic by making sure[/inlinetweet] you don’t tell everybody everything. Make them work a bit for your words, your wisdom. This is about reinforcing your mystique (feminine or masculine.) Magic happens for you this week on quiet, internal planes. Be ready.

PISCES GREEN MAN THE EMPEROR [inlinetweet prefix=”PISCES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Compassion and boundaries can be[/inlinetweet] the same thing. By letting them know they are crossing your lines, you are encouraging them to respect your relationship. Your role as protector to the weak is going to be amped up so be ready.

ARIES SIX OF MIRRORS [inlinetweet prefix=”ARIES” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Sometimes looking back can help us look[/inlinetweet] forward. By examining those old selves, we can see who we are today. I encourage my clients to think about who they were 3,6,9 years ago. Think about who you thought you wanted to be. Think about who you are now. Celebrate the “mistakes” that brough you here. Now look to your self in 3,6,9 years. Who do you think you will be then?

TAURUS RAVENS THE MAGICIAN [inlinetweet prefix=”TAURUS” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] What needs to happen in your life for you to be more [/inlinetweet]mindful? This card suggests that being more playful will help. Loosen up the yoke you’ve placed on yourself (or allowed to be placed). Dance a few steps instead of walking. Put flowers on your desk and in your hair. Loosen up to let the magic flow this week.

GEMINI THE ARTISTE QUEEN OF STONES [inlinetweet prefix=”GEMINI” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] When is the last time you sat down to[/inlinetweet] create something that brought you joy? Just indulged in color, sound, words that moved you? Make room this week for practical creativity. Practical because you need it. It’s a necessity for you right now so make it so!

CANCER THE MINSTREL KING OF STONES [inlinetweet prefix=”CANCER” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] What is the song in your heart right now? Is[/inlinetweet] it one you want others to hear you sing? If not, change it. Pick a new tune. Try a new style. Wander a bit this week to hear how others are singing the same song.

LEO TEN OF SCROLLS [inlinetweet prefix=”LEO” tweeter=”@Tarotscopes” suffix=”..more #tarot”] Well, now. What keeps repeating in your life. Time to [/inlinetweet]understand why patterns are so important. Once you see the repetitions, you can take control. You can break those patterns. May feel a bit trapped this week but you can fix that. Change your stripes, darlings.

VIRGO EIGHT OF SCROLLS [inlinetweet prefix=”VIRGO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Focus is important but this week may[/inlinetweet] prove more challenging. Many ideas coming at you. Everyone seems to need a piece of your mind. Don’t let them take it. Set up some strong boundaries regarding your time and energy. Make them respect that energy.

LIBRA BELLA ROSA THE DEVIL[inlinetweet prefix=”Libra” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Time to let go. When you understand the power of[/inlinetweet] not caring about the unimportant, you grow. Set down the masks you wear. Time to let people see your true self. Beauty comes from living an authentic life. Don’t be tempted to be like the others. You are you for a reason.

SCORPIO TWO OF MIRRORS [inlinetweet prefix=”SCORPIO” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] In whose eyes is your heart reflected? Where[/inlinetweet] can you see yourself? Look to your family, your friends, your loves. See your true beauty looking back at you. Pretty is as pretty does will be your motto this week. Choose to be around those who reflect your good back at you.

SAGITTARIUS THE POET KING OF SCROLLS [inlinetweet prefix=”Sagittarius” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”…more #tarot”] Time to put pen to paper, my darling. Time to[/inlinetweet] express yourself. I challenge you to write yourself a love letter. I set a geas upon you to start the play of your own life. Let words be your vehicle as you uncover your inner poet.

CAPRICORN PAPA LEGBA STRENGTH [inlinetweet prefix=”Capricorn ” tweeter=”@tarotscopes” suffix=”… more #tarot”] Sometimes you have to surrender your own[/inlinetweet] ego in order to succeed. This card calls your need to be perfect into question. See yourself not only in the successful CEO but in the muddy child and the homeless man. Understand that all are just expressions of strength. When you push aside your need to be right, you can understand the lessons of the mistakes.

Chrysalis Tarot, U.S. Games Systems, images used with permission

Haunted Open House

Join me at Nancy Gideon’s Haunted Open House online. She’s giving things away.

First, I wanted to let y’all know about an interview I did. Author Nancy Gideon has an annual Haunted Open House blog that she does. She interviewed me for this. The results are up today…complete with a contest!

[Tweet “Interview about #Tarot + writing + #contest http://bit.ly/1szFIIg #amwriting #NaNoWriMo”]

http://hauntedopenhouse.blogspot.com/2014/10/its-in-cards-with-vip-guest-arwen-lynch.html

I talk about how I use Tarot for writing.

I hope you will stop by to say hello.

Today’s affirmation is:

I understand my unique heart and mind. I follow my honest self joyfully. I imagine all people filled with joy. I seek fellow dreamers who hold their lives in joy-filled hands and hearts. I define myself by my own definitions remembering that others have their own paths. Today is about living, loving and being joy-filled. Loved and loving, I love each of you.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Thanks so much for sharing this post! I’ll see you over at the Haunted Open House.

Empress, Chrysalis Tarot, U.S. Games Systems, INC

Cuckoos, Peacocks + NaNoWriMo

When is a cuckoo better than a peacock? Check out this great deck for using w/ #NaNoWriMo.

#affirmation Today’s card is from a deck that is making a bit of a stir due to the unorthodox suits and courts and Majors. I happen to really like this deck. Not sure about reading with it in public just yet but I do like the inspiration I get from it.

[Tweet “When is a cuckoo better than a peacock? Check out this great deck for using w/ #NaNoWriMo.”]

I think it would be an excellent deck to work with doing my . That’s because it has very evocative images.

Here is the Knight of swords re-imagined as the Visionary, the Knight of Scrolls. The pen may be mightier than the sword here in this Air suit. Our Knight is no young man on a moving animal. Instead, he is a mature man who sits on what looks like a cushion atop a stone pedestal. If I am not mistaken, that’s a cuckoo on his shoulder staring at the peacock feathers.

And it hits me. The cuckoo is not an attractive bird per se. The peacock is admired far and wide for its beauty. Could the cuckoo be longingly dreaming of being a peacock? Or maybe just seen as worthy by the peacock?

The Visionary sits in a position of readiness. You will see this particular pose in many portraits of rulers and leaders. It indicates that he can get up at any time. I think that feeds into the movement part of the Knights that I like.

So we have a man at the ready while he holds a symbol of beauty and a symbol of, what?, less-than?

I think the message that is loudest for me here is that the cuckoo needs to enjoy its own beauty. There is a simplicity to the snow white feathers that the peacock can never achieve. Perhaps we can also point out to the cuckoo that it is alive here while the peacock is only represented by feathers–removed or shed.

When we dream, when we envision our lives, maybe we need to focus on what we have rather than what we lack.

Today’s affirmation:

I have what I need. I am enough. I am beautiful and strong. I desire myself. I dream gorgeous dreams because I am the star of them. I breathe in joy. I exhale gratitude. Loved and loving, I love each of you.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Knight of Scrolls, Chrysalis Tarot , U.S. Games Systems, INC

Unicorns, Rosaries + Time-Outs

Time-outs or time-pouts? Which do you indulge in?

[Tweet “Time-outs or time-pouts? Which do you indulge in? #tarot #affirmation”]

#affirmation I know today is late and I apologize. 😀 It’s been a week today. You know what I mean? Where enough things have to get done that it should take a full week but you have to do them TODAY?

LOL! So that’s why this is late. And I pulled a card on my iPhone app for the Chrysalis Tarot. This deck is making some noise in the Tarot world. Folks either love it or are just not that into it. I’m one of the “love it” group.

Here we have the Two of Scrolls. I love that the scrolls are on top of one another with obvious stairs coming down. A flying unicorn, or is that a horned Pegasus, seems to be launching from the scrolls. Or is it trying to regain its balance?

For me, this card captures the indecision and the balance aspect of the twos of the Tarot. In this deck, Scrolls are Swords. Since this is the suit of Air, Scrolls are a perfect choice for me.

Decisions have to be made. Balance has to be maintained. Not as easy as it sounds some days. We need tools to maintain our equilibrium. Yoga, meditation, alcohol (no Arwen), exercise, all of those (most of those) help us get that equilibrium back.

I have a new tool coming to me. It is a rosary made by a dear friend. I’ll wait while you compute that.

Yes, a rosary.

It won’t be the Catholic version. Here’s a great article on the praying of the rosary: http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/rosary.html It will be my own version. I will share mine once I’ve finished it. I need the rosary so I can get to work on that.

I need to calm my mind. Yesterday I took a nap simply because my mind wouldn’t stop bouncing from thing to thing to thing. I needed to put myself in a time out. 😀 So I did!

Do you ever put yourself in time-outs? I’m hoping that with my rosary and meditation, I will have self-imposed time-outs every day. Not timed pouts–although I am sure that is what they were when I was three and put in a corner. ha!

Today’s affirmation:

My thoughts are focused. My intentions are well thought out. I am a child of the Universe. I am giving opportunities to seek joy and experience happiness. I am balanced and ready. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Two of Scrolls, Chrysalis Tarot, U.S. Games Systems Inc, 2014

What Should Religion Remind Us Of?

So I decided I would share a recipe post. Luckily I have an index of them. I also have an index for my Tarot poetry project. This recipe has a lot of sentimental energy for me. Enjoy!

[Tweet “What should religion remind us of? Cabbage? Rain? Strength? #seekjoy”]

For today’s Magic Up Your Blog challenge, our leader, Amethyst, has asked us to recycle an old blog post. This was harder for me than you might think. I am pretty vain about my writing if the truth be told. Writing as Marilu Mann or writing as Arwen, I put a lot of work into things.

So I decided I would share a recipe post. Luckily I have an index of them. I also have an index for my Tarot poetry project. This recipe has a lot of sentimental energy for me. Enjoy!

“Our religion keeps reminding us that we aren’t just will and thoughts. We are also sand and wind and thunder. Rain. The seasons. You learn to respect everything because you are everything.” ~ William Least Heat Moon 1939-

I was blessed with a mother who wasn’t overly religious although she was a faithful woman. She grew up Catholic, then raised my sister and I in the Episcopal faith. She attended the Methodist church with her second husband while beginning her drift back to her childhood faith of Catholicism. She allowed me, albeit regretfully, to leave the Christian path without making it hard on me.

She didn’t like it. I know this. I also know that she wanted me to be happy and secure. So she didn’t make my religious choice a bone of contention. And she certainly could have. She was a strong woman from some very strong women. In my family, the matriarchs have always stood out.

Chrysalis_13SwordsSpirals — Chrysalis Tarot

My Mama had a German-Scot Mama and a Scot-Irish Papa. While her mama, my Grannilu, was not someone I remember as a good cook, Mama said there were good cooks in her family. She passed her love of starchy potatoes and stinky cabbage on to me with this dish. It’s one she found later in life.

Like her, I’m a collector or recipes. I even cook some of them. 😀 She made this for me for one of my homecoming meals and I loved it then as I love it now. Even die-hard cabbage haters will fall for this treat!

Because it’s something I closely identify with Mama, I knew this one had to be a Queen (the Empress was already taken, sorry Mama!). The Queen of Cups might seem like the perfect choice but my Mama was a sharp edged Scorpio. She was funny–brilliantly so at times and almost always pointed and sharp insightful humor. I knew her as a widow most of my life (she remarried when I was in my early 20’s).

Her friends were classy, stylish women (when they weren’t being redneck haints). She was a a classy, stylish woman and I adored her. She wasn’t the cookie-baking, soccer mom but she was the take-you-to-the-library, defend-you-tooth-and-nail mom. I’m lucky to have had the time I did with her. So she is the Queen of Swords to me.

World Spirit Tarot Sibyl of Swords — World Spirit Tarot

Queen of Swords Cabbage Au Gratin

1 head cabbage, shredded
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (divided)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1-1/2 cup grated cheese (divided)
1-1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound bacon

Brown bacon, set aside

Cook cabbage in water 10 minutes. Drain.

Beat egg, cream and seasonings together.

Layer cabbage in casserole pan with egg mixture and remaining ingredients,except bacon. Reserve some of the bread crumbs and cheese for topping.

Place chopped bacon on top of casserole, dot with butter and bake in a preheated 350° F. oven for 30 minutes.

6 servings

Arwen says: Mama didn’t do the bacon and I don’t either. Just a sodium overload!

I hope you will let me know if you try this. I think I’ll make some this week. If you are Catholic, maybe you’d like to light a candle at Mary’s altar for my mama. Her name was Marilu. I’ll light a candle on my own altar. Don’t let religion come between you and those you love. It’s really not worth it. Instead, share a meal and a blessing that you have friends and family who care about you enough to worry about you.

Here’s to all of us. We are blessed to have the ability to choose who we call family. “You learn to respect everything because you are everything.” Thanks to William Least Heat Moon for that.

Today’s affirmation:

Today I understand my self. I accept me for all of who I am, past, present and future. I celebrate the tears, the laughter, the good times, the bad times. I acknowledge how my family forged me. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Decks used:

World Spirit Tarot (OOP) Llewellyn

Chrysalis Tarot, US Games Systems Inc.

Speaking of writing, my alter-ego Marilu Mann is launching a book 8/22. Want to help out? Check out how.

Dreamers Like Us

It is dreamers like us who created space for dreamers like him.

[Tweet “#affirmation It is dreamers like us who created space for dreamers like him.”]

#?affirmation? This Dreamer from the Chrysalis Tarot made me tear up a bit tonight (8/11 is the day I drew it). I drew it using my phone app. It immediately made me think of Robin Williams. As you may have heard, he passed away 8/11/2014.

He made me dream. He made me laugh. He made me think. I still use “Reality, what a concept” as a catchphrase learned from his HBO special in 1979.

Now he is gone. Along with many in the world, I am very saddened.

Then here we see the Dreamer, Knight of Mirrors. What a message for today. I like to think that Robin Williams would laugh at us all and remind us that we are all dreamers. It is dreamers like us who created space for dreamers like him.

Today I dream. I remember to leap forward. I remember to let fish fly and birds swim. I remember that I am reflected in the eyes of those that love me and those that don’t know me yet. I am connected. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Make today count. It’s the only one you have because by tomorrow this will be yesterday.

Knight of Mirrors, Chrysalis Tarot, U.S. Games