Cups Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

Digging Ditches

Sometimes we need to dig ditches to attract what we want

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#affirmation One of my long-time loves is China. Japan and other areas of Asia, too, but China seems to be a forgotten memory to me. As a child I read many of Pearl S. Buck‘s books. They made me feel as if I was rereading my own story. I can’t describe it any better than that.

The Good Earth trilogy, Pavilion of Women and my favorite, Imperial Woman: The Last Empress all transported me to a place that was so familiar. My mother told me she thought I should have been born Chinese. That was because my favorite food (for breakfast!) was rice with soy sauce.

Here is the lovely Ace of Cups from the Chinese Tarot. It’s recently been reprinted by U.S. Games. I love how she holds the bowl. It looks as if she is addressing it before she drinks it.

Perhaps she is engaging in a morning gratitude giving thanks for what she has.

And for what she is about to receive.

That line should be familiar to anyone with a Christian upbringing (and maybe other faiths as well?)

Are you in a habit of giving thanks for what you haven’t gotten yet? Seems silly to some, but think about it like this.

Giving thanks for what we are about to receive is opening up channels. We are actively engaging in digging ditches for joy, prosperity, and love to flow our way.

Today’s affirmation embraces that idea.

Today I give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. I am open to the infinite beauty that surrounds me. I dance along the path of abundance. I am available for joy. Loved and loving, I love each of you.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Ace of Cups, Chinese Tarot, U.S. Games

Managing What I Can’t Control

Notice how I did that? Manage what I can’t control. You may giggle now.

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Stress, it is a killer. Or so says Bartok in the animated “Anastasia” film. Right now I am working hard to manage some stress that I can’t control. Notice how I did that? Manage what I can’t control. You may giggle now.

But managing my reaction to that stress? That I can do. I’ve got some great tools that I’m not using. My Zentangles? I keep picking up my pens then realizing that this or that or this other thing need doing.

One thing I do have access to is the companionship of my pets. Or am I their pet? Sometimes it is hard to tell. I can’t sit down without having at least one of them near me. Right now I’m at my dining room table with my eldest cat curled up in the chair next to me. His sister is sleeping on the window sill. They’ve both had a very rough morning of bird watching. Tough life.

The dogs wait for me to sit on the couch. Then the Basenji wedges her butt against me while the Chiweenie worms his way between me and the arm of the couch. No matter if I am curled up in the corner. He will have his way.

Today’s card is from the charming Cat’s Eye Tarot by Deb Givin, DVM. Here two black and white cats wind around one another. It reminds me that even when I am tripping over my fifteen pound Maine Coon, I’m only doing that because he loves me so much.

We’ve all heard about pets being great stress relievers. They are. Even when I am whining that I don’t particularly WANT to go for a walk, I always feel better after that walk.

What pets do you have? I’d love to hear about them.

Today’s affirmation:

I am relaxed. I am calm. I manage my response to the stresses of my life. I breathe in. I breathe out. I am enough. I am a beautiful, strong, woman. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Two of Cups, Cat’s Eye Tarot, U.S. Games Systems Inc.

Don’t Call Me Sister, Sister

Then they call me sister. And that’s when my fur goes right up. Don’t call me sister, sister.

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Today’s blog challenge is about meeting spiritual people. I take that to mean people of a like mind. And I have a problem with that.

I often meet sweet, loving, well-intentioned people who are just beautiful souls. Then they call me sister. And that’s when my fur goes right up.

I understand they mean it on a spiritual, “we are all one” level, but it is a huge button for me. I have a sister. I have two in fact–one by blood and one by my mother’s marriage. They are the only people I call sister.

My best friend is my best friend. We are as close as sisters–closer actually if it comes down to it. But I don’t think of her when I think of my sisters. Her role in my life has been set since we were both sixteen years old. Best. Friend.

Forever, even.

I have had covensibs, but I called them my sibs not my brothers or my sisters. Siblings. Now don’t get me wrong. I totally get that that is just me playing at semantics.

This is MY hang up. My hard limit. My boundary line. In the Gaian Tarot’s Six of Water, Joanna uses the image of her Mermaid sisters in the water. They are joined hand-in-hand, heart-to-heart. I get that they are sisters.

Maybe it is the way I was raised. I have a huge family when it comes to cousins and other relations. We are tight for the most part. By tight, I mean we are all up in each others business.

When I meet another person who is on the same path as I am or a parallel path, I rejoice. I want to know them. I want to meet them. I want to stand in sacred space with them honoring our journeys.

I don’t want to call them brother or sister. For me to give that honorific to someone is to make them family on a level that surpasses spirituality for me.

So if I don’t call you sister or brother, don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that I don’t love you. It doesn’t mean that I don’t value your friendship, your path, your journey, you.

It just means that I have a different word for you. I want you to be my friend, my compatriot, my co-seeker. One day I may call you brother or sister, but that day will need to have many yesterdays in its wake. I hope you understand.

On another note, and a repetitive one for sure, I have a book coming out August 22. I need help getting the word out. Please go here and sign up to help out. It’s a ONE TIME thing.

Love the Gaian Tarot shown here? Get your own copy here. It’s my one of my favorite decks because of the artwork and the way it delivers.

Also, I have a few spots left if you want to test out the new spread.

Childish Things

I do love this card. The traditional meaning has always appealed to me. I think Joanna P. Colbert’s interpretation really soars. Most often you see children in the Six of Cups. This is because one primary meaning is reminiscing. So since childhood is often a thing we think on…the Six of Cups shows littles.

But in the Gaian Tarot, Joanna shows her Mermaid sisters gathered in the water. They hold hands becoming a circle of sisters and friends once again. They swim skyclad because when one is that close, clothes become useless.

I’ll be doing some reminiscing this week. You’ll see your Tarotscopes here tomorrow then a week’s worth of posts I’ve titled Revisiting. Each one is one of my recipe posts. I hope you enjoy them.

I’m off to say “I do” to a pretty fabulous man. He’s been my partner and my friend for three years now. We decided we might as well add husband to that mix. It’s been fun being texted as W2B. Makes my heart do one of those slow rolls.

I know we will make some memories this week. I hope you do as well. Remember to find the joy in life especially when it’s hard. Sometimes remembered joy is the only joy to be had but you can have it!

So…seek joy, y’all. Pass it on. I’ll be back next week. And I will catch up on all the three card readings. These are flying out the door. Are you ready to Create Your Amazing Year? If you are, download the workbook then let me know. I’ll set you up with your free three card reading too.

Six of Water, Gaian Tarot

Why I Don’t Do Resolutions Any More

There’s a reason I don’t do resolutions any more. see, I have a pet peeve. Well, I have a lot of them but there’s one in particular that just makes me snarly. And since I don’t like being snarly, I avoid people who break their promises.

The Two of Cups is a card that makes me think of kept promises but also the fragile future of a promise. So many things can come up. So many bumps that make us have to change our minds, break our promises.

A resolution, to me, is a promise I make to myself. When I inevitably break that promise, I get snarly with myself. Since I don’t like being snarly with myself, I don’t make resolutions.

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What I have learned is that if I create goals, I can see them in different ways. I set up specific steps to achieve them.

Are my goals resolutions?

Yes and no. Yes in that I am resolved to go them but no in that I don’t see them as promises to myself. I see them as things on my yearly to-do list.

So in a way I’m playing word games with my own head.

It works. I wasn’t doing resolutions for a long time nor was I doing goals. Then the happened and I got busy. Really really busy.

Dreaming.
Creating.
Goal setting.
Celebrating success.

Was it easy? Nah…I had to make time for the work. I had to do the work. Then I had to get out of my own way.

So yes, I’m very fond of the workbook. I’m as fond of it as some of you may be sick of hearing about it from me. LOL

Two of Cups, Dreaming Raven Tarot, Schiffer, 2013

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Parts, Love+Deep

Today’s card reminds me of sadness and being misunderstood. And that’s a rather unusual interpretation for this particular card. Normally this is the card of love and romance and partnership.

But the Lorelei, to me, is a sad creature. She only wants love to come to her. She sings for love. She attracts love. Sadly none of them want to stay and that love is destroyed. Often, so is the lover.

Per the Dark Goddess Tarot, she is a German spirit of unending desire. The phrase in the Little White Book (LWB) is “the deeper you go, the harder your heart beats”.

So perhaps the Lorelei can find love if only one person will go deep enough to understand her. Deep enough to see all her parts–both light and dark.

Isn’t that what we all want? Just someone to love all of us?

Journal prompt today: “Do I love all their parts?”

Two of Water, Dark Goddess Tarot, 2013

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Cupid, Dreams + Vajayjays

Dreams are a funny thing. We all have them. We all chase them. What happens when you catch them?

Today’s card is from yet another deck that I don’t own. I know. Shocker! But it’s hard to find and expensive when you do find it.

The Two of Cups from the Dali Tarot shows Cupid leaving Psyche’s bed–if I remember correctly. He’s the answer to her dreams. Or is he?

Dreams are a funny thing. We all have them. We all chase them. What happens when you catch them?

For me, I like dreams that are catchable, achievable. Dreams that are not going to be realized often annoy me. I do have “pie in the sky” dreams, but for the most part, I want realizable (is that even a word) dreams.

I love this quote by Marcia Wieder of DreamU. She says, “You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want.”

What do you want? What is your belief in yourself? You have the ability to change your beliefs so they empower you. What choices will you make today?

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We had a good time on last night’s You Never Know. You can see the archive here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1muFmYI2inU

Did she really say magical vajayjay?

Two of Cups, Dali Tarot

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Risky Fish + Authentic Lives

Today’s card is one of the scariest cards in the Tarot–to some. It used to terrify me. If I am being honest, it still does at times. But why? Should we live in fear of this card? I’ve pulled this card in readings so many times. And so many times, I’ve seen grown men and women pull back as if they were about to meet the Texas Chainsaw Massacre dude.

I’d laugh if I didn’t intimately understand their reaction. The message of this card is freaking scary, y’all.

Right. The Ace of Water. The erstwhile card of new love, deepening love. Love is what scares so many of us.

And why is that? Because risking your heart is scary. But that fingerling in the foreground? He or she knows that if a risk isn’t taken, growth won’t occur. Did you know that fish tend to grow to the size of their environment? So if that little fish doesn’t move out to the deep, scary unknown, it will never grow.

If we don’t take risks, we won’t grow. My friend Jay Pryor took an amazing risk in his 10/11 video. I’m here to tell you that my mouth fell open when I watched it. Talk about risky!

But one of the reasons I admire this man is his authenticity. He works at living an authentic life. And that ain’t easy kids. It just ain’t easy.

He talked this week about taking risks. I hope you will take two minutes and nineteen seconds to listen to his words –> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4JsF_Bzc4Q <--. Then take another set of minutes to journal with today's journal prompt. "What would I lose if I told someone that I loved them? How does avoiding risk limit my growth?" If you like, share with me in the comments what risk you will take. Ace of Water, Gaian Tarot (limited edition), Joanna Powell Colbert

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Masks, Tasks + Truths

Well, then it made so much sense. I mean we all wear masks, right? How many of us can say we show our true selves to all the world all the time?

Today’s card is from the Fradella Adventure Tarot. Once my primary reading deck and still a dear friend, this deck translates cups into masks. At first I wasn’t sure about that suit change but once I started reading with this deck?

Well, then it made so much sense. I mean we all wear masks, right? How many of us can say we show our true selves to all the world all the time?

Scary, right?

I know I don’t. I think, in a way, it’s the right thing to do. There are some things we only want to share with those we trust. Those we know won’t shatter our dreams. Those who understand how to kick us our ass when necessary but do it with love.

This Queen stands half in, half out of the waterfall. Is she taking that mask off as she retreats into her own safety zone? Is she putting that mask on as she heads out?

Journal prompt for today. “Who do I show my true self to? Who sees my true self?”

I am blessed to have more than one person in my life that can see my true self. Some of my exes who are still friends number among those people. I’m lucky that we have been able to reforge friendships and caring relationships after the rubble of the breakup cleared.

Today, I recognize that my masks are part of me for a reason. I accept that I wear many hats and many masks because I am a spiritual multi-tasker. And that’s a good thing.

Are you a spiritual multi-tasker? Want to focus in on what you can shore up or what you can let erode? Contact me today. Let’s set up a time for a Tarot conversation to help you plot your journey.

Queen of Masks, Fradella Adventure Tarot, US Games

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Stagnation Makes Me Giddy

Today’s card made me giggle. Then it made me snort. Then it made me laugh until tears rolled down my cheeks.

And you are looking at me with your head tilted thinking, “Arwen, have you lost your mind? There is nothing funny about stagnation.”

I might agree with you if you didn’t know what I know. The Universe is mocking me again.

You see Monday night I did a reading for a young friend. It was her birthday and she is officially a tween now. Her parental units requested it. I was happy to oblige. While I did that reading, her parents unloaded a closet for me.

Close your eyes. Imagine a typical closet with sliding doors. Now imagine it is packed floor to hanging bar with boxes. Now wedge more in. Now realize that you can’t even slide the doors shut because there’s so much SHIT in that closet.

Then walk away from the closet for two, no…let’s make it two and a half years.

Yeah, talk about stagnation, right?

But here’s the thing. That’s not an imaginary demon of a closet. It was very real. And my friends moved all the boxes out.

Now I have to go through and purge, purge and purge some more.

I live in a cute, little condo. I’ve lived in larger spaces. I still have allllll the chit from those larger spaces. So you see where I’m going?

A lot of what I have hung on to has sentimental value. I have a turban and a pair of glasses. Both were worn by my mama during her battle with, and subsequent loss to, cancer.

I have books that took me places once upon a time.

I have Tarot decks that I wanted SO BADLY once upon a time.

Everything in these boxes has been in these boxes for two and a half years. Thirty months, y’all.

Like the chipped and no longer functional bowls in this card from the Vision Quest Tarot, my stuff is clogging me up. My chi is not flowing.

In fact, I think I heard my chi running for the hills.

Operation: Declutter Arwen is on the table. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’m going to do this thing.

Do you have anything that you hang on to that you need to let go of?

I know my mother will be happy to know her glasses are heading off to the Lions to be put to better use.

Eight of Water, Vision Quest Tarot, 1999