Fairy Tale Spreads Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

Tarotscopes for April 13-April 19, 2014 + contest

Tarotscopes for April 13-April 19, 2014 + contest that runs from 4/13 through 4/14. You can win your choice of a reading or a class.

Hey y’all, welcome to this week’s Tarotscopes. I’m delighted that you’ve stopped by. I am running a contest 4/13 and 4/14. See details below if you would like to get in the drawing.

It’s been a busy week here in Austin and next week is already booked up too. How are you faring this April? I’m looking forward to the lunar eclipse of 4/15. Hoping I can stay up to watch AND hoping we have a clear night. My alter ego, Marilu Mann, is working on the second round of edits for the fourth book in the Lusting Wild series. This one has a really slimy villain who is giving me nightmares.

And if you love fairy tales, I hope you will check out my eBook which features ten spreads based on the archetypes of fairy tales.

AQUARIUS ILLUSION Don’t let doubts eat at you. Look for what’s real. Trust your gut. Smiles may hide knives. Stick to friends you know.
PISCES KNIGHT OF PENTACLES Get the work done. Slow, steady=race won. Tend to the growth. Honor self by working with a present attitude.
ARIES THE STAR Hopes can be fulfilled this week if you set your course now. Don’t wander. Focus on that dream. Emphasize the power of desire.
TAURUS FOUR OF PENTACLES Worrying about money won’t fix things. Understanding what wealth really works better. People not things. Love not coin.
GEMINI KING OF SWORDS Decisions must be made. No wavering. Ideas work when you do the work. Time to focus on what MUST be done. Stay fierce.
CANCER TWO OF PENTACLES Don’t waste time. There’s a lot that you can get done but you must start now. Not a good week to ignore work OR play. Balance.
LEO KING OF RODS Country living calling you? Be a leader. Go where you want to be led. Stop following. Their path isn’t yours. Walk your walk.
VIRGO MASTERY Do not be surprised if more than one door opens. Don’t take on more than you can chew but don’t underestimate your bite.
LIBRA THREE OF SWORDS Some things can’t be unsaid. Anxieties feed fear. Mind your tongue. Hearts are fragile. Don’t believe everything you fear.
SCORPIO THE CLOSE Time to put away relationships that no longer serve. Clear out that heartspace for what’s coming. A healthy heart is needed.
SAGITTARIUS THE HIGH PRIEST Who must you learn from? History is important. Kindness moves the hardest heart in your way. Students teach too.
CAPRICORN PAGE OF SWORDS Cautionary tales begin with “seemed so nice” Less trust + more street smarts gets you further. Pretty faces sour hearts.

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them. ~Buddha

Want to win your choice of a 3 card, 1 question reading or my 33 Days To Finish Your Book eCourse? Share this post on Tumbler, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. Leave a comment below letting me know where you shared it and the link. (NOTE: If you tweet the statement below, no need to share the link. Just leave a comment.) Contest ends 4/14/2014 at midnight Pacific time.

[Tweet “I read my 4/14-4/19 tarotscopes. @TarotbyArwen put me in the drawing!”]

Tarot of The Old Path, U.S. Games Systems Inc.

SPREAD: Chloe’s Heart’s Desire

She also created a spread based on the fairy tale. I had to try it! Beauty and the Beast is not one of the fairy tales that made it into my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads e-book.

Yesterday’s blog hop was, as per usual, chock-full of useful spreads and amazing posts. One of my favorite Tarot bloggers offered up the myth of Beauty and the Beast.

She also created a spread based on the fairy tale. I had to try it! Beauty and the Beast is not one of the fairy tales that made it into my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads e-book.

Chloe’s Heart’s Desire

1) What is my heart’s desire for this turn of the Wheel/at this time?
2) What price will I have to pay for it?
3) What lesson will I learn in the process?

Using Zaheroux’s stark Animalis Os Fortunas deck, here is my reading.

1) What is my heart’s desire for this turn of the Wheel/at this time?

Moon: I want to dive into my fantasy more. My fantasy being the ability to write fantasy. 😀 My writing partner and I have recently started producing again. We had a 2 year dry spell with some writing but nothing that drove towards finish. It’s an illusionary task, the business of writing.

I have to let the moon guide me which can be dark and scary at times because the path isn’t clearly lit.

2) What price will I have to pay for it?

Ace of Pentacles: I may have to give up other business opportunities. There may be growth that I have to avoid in order to focus on the writing.

Sorry. I have to say that this feels like a positive answer. I see it more as income helping me not have to pay for it. I will have opportunity for growth that will support. It may be that my price to pay will be my disbelief that I can ever be a truly successful writer.

Yep, I think I’m standing in my own way again.

3) What lesson will I learn in the process?

Emperor: That I am in charge of my own creativity. that I can take care of business by writing and producing. That the proof really is in the pudding, chickens.

This card is the one who takes care of his/her domain. He rules with a firm hand. I will learn how to keep myself on track. I will learn that small steps every day towards my goal will win the day.

Thanks to Chloe for this insightful spread!

What about you? What is your heart’s desire?

How about this spread as your own journal prompt?

Don’t have a tarot deck? Take advantage of my last week of 15 minute readings for $25 and we can do this one together. Remember that prices are going up 10/1.

Animalis Os Fortuna, Megan Weber aka Zarheroux, self-published

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Who Is Your Enemy?

Today’s card reminds me that the enemy is not in my mirror. The enemy is not in my head. The enemy is not in my heart.

The enemy is not me.

How often do we hear some version of “Oh don’t think that. The enemy is in your head.”

Well, here’s a thought. How about if we don’t call those negative thoughts “the enemy” or “bad things” or any version of that?

How about we agree that it’s just a difficult pattern we are working on?

A challenge we are in the process of reframing?

any other more positive way of saying, “Yeah I get it. I’m negative sometimes but you know what? I’m working on it so stop telling me I’m bad even when you are trying to build me up.”

Grin. It’s a process, darling dears. Once you realize you’ve made it, you too can say you were an overnight success–it only took me HOW MANY years? 😀

Yeah. Overnight.

Thousands of them. Literally.

Don’t worry if you slide. Please don’t measure yourself against anyone but yourself.

And even then measure the way they cut fabric.

GIVE YOURSELF ROOM FOR MISTAKES.

You know that’s why they are generous when they cut fabric right?

Yeah.

So aren’t you worth a few extra yards?

I think so!

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Oh, that picture? Yeah. That’s just one of the beautiful Lisa Hunt drawings in my Fairy Tale Spreads eBook.

April Monthly Tarotscopes

Whoa! How did it get be April already? Did you grab your copy of my ? Illustrated by Lisa Hunt, this 30 page book has already garnered a lot of attention. Bonnie Cehovet and Mary Nale have given it high marks.

So what did your sign get this month? Do you need to worry about legal issues or do you get a “play all month” pass? Let me know how last month was for you in the comments.

Afraid you can’t find joy? Worried your bliss has taken a permanent vacation? I can help. Let’s have a conversation using Tarot as a tool for personal development. Contact me.

This podcast is 17 minutes long. Thanks for sharing it on your Facebook page, via your Twitter account and your Pinterest as well as any others. I am truly grateful to you for doing that.

This month’s deck is my personal reading deck–the Gaian Tarot (aff).

Here’s where you will find my podcast if you don’t see it on the Podcast Player down below.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Early Cherry Tomatoes, Arwen, 2012

What Do You Seek In The Mirror?

Today’s card is not a card. It’s a drawing by Lisa Hunt. Lisa drew this as part of her illustrations for my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads book. The spread is my Mirror, Mirror spread which uses the theme of the self-identity. Read more…

In Snow White the mirror, to me, represents many things. Reflecting on ourselves. Looking at others through the mirror. Mirrors are popular divination tools as well as ways to scare ourselves (anyone ever play “Bloody Mary”?). And what about the ways our society tells us we should appear? If we are to believe the fashion industry, women need to be six feet tall, 110 pounds, and blonde. Men must be muscular and dark. But is this what you would spend your life fighting to be? What a fashion mogul sees? I didn’t think so.

So I decided to apply this lesson of the fairy tale to a Tarot spread. I wanted to find out how we look at ourselves. What reflection do we see? What do others see in our mirror of ourselves? And how can we break our obstacles that we set up for ourselves? I decided that the magical mirror of the stepmother would be the vehicle for this tarot spread.

This illustration really captures the energy of this spread for me. Lisa shows how we sometimes don’t see our real selves in the looking glass. And we have a choice to do that. We can set our intentions to see the beautiful soul or we can see what our old tapes insist we see. Fat. Ugly. Unkempt.

I know which I’d rather see, don’t you? I saw a quote today by Viktor E. Frankl that really spoke to me. It seems to capture this energy as well.

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

So for your 180 seconds today, will you commit to making sure you pay attention to the spaces? Before you react, pause. Think. Reflect. Let your choice be the positive one.

Want your own copy? Click below.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Can Spills Make You Happy?

I love this card. Each one has a symbol starting with the four elements on the bottom row. Water flows down to fill the top one. That fills up and spills out to fill up the next and so on with the last row spilling out to return to the source.

Today’s card reminds me of how fortunate I am to be able to draw breath. Even in the hard times, knowing I’m alive and breathing is a plus. I’m still a bit sad about D’s death on Friday, but the family attitude has been one of peace. That’s very helpful. I’ll see nearly all of them next week at the service. I am looking forward to that.

Here we have the Ten of Cups from Robert M. Place’s Sevenfold Mystery Tarot. This was a Kickstarter project that I supported. I do love having the finished product in my hand. Can’t wait to see the Stolen Child Tarot. Have you reserved your copy? It’s only $24 and if we don’t get enough folks, it just won’t happen. Don’t make the Arwen sad. Go pledge today! Only 11 days left so we need to push this.

Speaking of pledges, I pledged to have my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads eBook out before my birthday. I’ve done it! It’s here. It’s available. Read this month’s newsletter to find out how to order your copy. It’s an ebook/pdf file. You can print it if you prefer paper in hand. 😀

Pssst, I also announced who won the 1 hour reading with me on that link.

This card, for me (without having looked at the meanings at all) says that we are all connected to the Source. That we have the ability to not only be filled up but to fill others up. That connection is important.

Do you know that you fill me with joy? That every comment, every sharing, every one of you brings me such amazing joy? Thank you. The joy you bring me allows me to fill up and spill over back to you. We are connected. That connection sustains me.

For your 180 seconds today, think about who makes you happy and you make happy. Don’t dwell on those who don’t get it. They will. Today’s three minutes is simply for who you make happy and who makes you happy.

I do hope you will consider buying a copy of my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads eBook, darlings. Did I mention it’s 30 pages and it’s illustrated by Lisa Hunt?

If you got the book during my (AFF), remind me via email. I’ll get you your copy of the illustrated version.

10 of Cups, Sevenfold Mystery Tarot, Robert M. Place

Seek Joy, Y’all! Pass it on.

How Do You Talk To That Person?

Today’s card is not a card but an illustration by Lisa Hunt that she did for my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads eBook. It’s almost ready. This is one of my goals that has already happened because of working with Leonie Dawson. (NOTE: I no longer work with her but she’s a cool chick!)

This image is for the Mirror, Mirror spread which is about how we see ourselves. A lot of times when we gaze into a mirror we don’t see who we really are.

It’s hard to not be self-critical. It’s a challenge for me not to grind myself up piece by incorrect piece as I look in the mirror.

When I am stuck in negative mode, here is what I see. Ugly teeth, sagging huge boobs, frizzy hair, fat belly, gray hair. A woman who is so physically repulsive no one would want to be near me.

I can hear you now. WOW. Really?

Yes, I really am that harsh on myself WHEN I am STUCK in negative mode.

But I’m not there very often any more. It’s a dead-end situation.

Now I focus on being kind to my self. I see my hazel green eyes, my great smile, the kindness in my face. I see my hair attempting to take over the world by wild curls. I see a body Rubens would have loved to paint. I love myself because I am a system of flaws, perfections and everything in between.

We are generally our own worst enemies. We rarely let someone get a negative word in that we haven’t already applied to ourselves.

Why?

Maybe it’s self-defense. Maybe we want to take the sting out of the criticism we fear is coming.

What if…

What if you committed to 180 seconds of being nice to yourself. I mean setting a timer and facing yourself in the mirror. Then rattling off as many compliments as you can think of.

I look great in jewel tones.
My skin is fabulous today.
My hair is shiny.
I am nice to puppies.
I am a great cook.
I let that other driver cut in front of me.

Can you do that? Can you face your mirror self and tell her or him how much you love that person?

180 seconds is all I’m asking.

Seek Joy, Y’all. Pass it on.

P.to the S. I love you because of everything you are–not because of anything you aren’t.

P.P. To The S. Do you want to be the first to know when this book is ready? And my other books as well? Sign up here.

Tarotscopes for 2/3-29/2013

Arwen Lynch, professional joy seeker, shares this week’s horoscopes as seen through tarot cards.

Here are this week’s Tarotscopes. Enjoy! Feel free to share them with your friends and family.

And, the February in-depth Podcast is available. iTunes users click here. Don’t use iTunes? Go here to listen to this free podcast for your monthly Tarotscopes.

AQ ExAir How high will U have to climb? How thin will the branches be? Don’t worry. Explore to yr heart’s content this wk. Wander!
PIC HPS Mysteries reveal themselves when U ask the right questions. Go w/i to find lost personal meaning. Seek the truth of yr heart.
ARI Justice Stand for what is right. Protect those that need protecting. Don’t waste energy on those who can take care of themselves.
TAU Lightning Hold on tight. Inspiration striking soon. May shake U to foundation. Have plan B ready. Leave the drama for yr mama.
GEM 1Air Opening up in sweet surrender is the key to flying free. Escape yr self-imposed limits. Permission to fly not needed.
CAN 10Air Yearning? Searching? Find others of a like mind to travel w. All travel is not physical. Spiritual self needs nurturing.
LEO Teacher Learn to laugh at yrslf. Trick yrslf into having more fun this wk. Establish yr boundaries to include fun, please.
VIR 10Wtr Returning to yr source necessary to fill emotional well. Not failure if U understand how things cycle. It’s all a circle.
LIB Temperance Moderation in all things–including moderation? Changing yr energy/mindset necessary if U want to transform yr life.
SCO 9Wtr Open up. Fill up. Joy available. Heart’s desire here. What will U welcome into yr life this wk? Make it big, darlings.
SAG 1Fire Tango? Peaches? Sacred Sexuality? All means to a juicy, joy-filled life. Pick two and celebrate breathing this wk.
CAP 5Air Competition isn’t necessary. U are already above that fracas. Let go of those who live by bickering. They drag U down.

Want to take a peek at the illustrations for my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads eBook? . So excited!

What Will You Dream Today?

One of the things I have done with this (and I’m still working on it and will be because that’s how it works) it to write down goals. Then steps to those goals. And these goals are actually HUGE dreams.

Today’s card was intentionally picked. I wanted to share some of Lisa Hunt’s recent deck with you. This card really jumped out at me as I went through the deck. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First is the man’s face. He looks wise to me but also wary. There is a sense of wildness in him. The polar bear next to him seems to emerge from his fur hood. I instantly thought of the native peoples of the north–what many of us call Eskimos even though that’s not truly the tribal name. That’s like labeling all aboriginal Americans Indians. We know there are many tribes.

But I’m not here to lecture on names. I want to talk about generosity and community. When I first began reading Tarot, I was drawn to those who wrote books about it and those who created art with it. I wanted to do the former and was just blown away by the latter.

One of my lifelong goals has been to write a book about Tarot. I’m three spreads away from completing my Tarot for Writers book which thrills me. But there’s another smaller book that will be released very soon.

And it will be professionally illustrated by Lisa Hunt. I’m here to tell you I would have never thought to even ask her (or another much-loved artist) about working on my book even a year ago. But the workbook+planner I got changed that.

Step one of “get my book illustrated by a well known Tarot artist” was “ask.”

Simple, right? But so scary! Really. What if they laughed at me?

Now I am friendly with more than a few Tarot artists online. But I only asked two about this project. I have another project that I’ve asked someone else about–that’s on the back burner just now due to my writing projects. Grin. It’s going to be an incredible year!

Back to this dream though. This card is about community and generosity. Now this is a paid job but Lisa has been so generous with her work. I wanted pencil for this book because I love the look of it. So there’s no color like in this card.

I’m rambling, aren’t I? Forgive me. 😀 I just wanted to ask you about your dreams. What do you dream about when you see your prosperous life and generous community surrounding you? Take your three minutes today, those precious 180 seconds, and let your mind create that dream.

Then write it down. What would it take to get there? I believe you can do it. I see you living in abundance and joy.

Want to get a free copy of my Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads eBook? It’s yours when you .

The catch is that you have to get the workbook+planner by midnight tonight (1/31/2013) PST. Then contact me. I’ll send you the link.

6 of Pentacles, Ghosts And Spirits Tarot, US Games, 2011

Seek Joy, Y’all. Pass it on.

Image used with permission by U.S. Games Systems Inc

P. to the S. A little Lisa Hunt-shaped bird tells me that she may be featuring some of the work she’s been doing for my book on her blog today. Keep your eyes peeled.

Deck Review: The Fairytale Tarot

fairytale_mrp_10_coins The Fairytale Tarot: For a Happy Ever After
Karen Mahony & Alex Ukolov
Irena Triskova (Illustrator)
Publisher: Magic Realist Press; 1 edition (December 5, 2005)
ISBN-10: 095450075X

Here is a simply gorgeous deck. I ran across this one when I read something Karen Mahony said on Aeclectic Tarot. I viewed the images and feel in love. I have been an aficionado of fairy tales from a very young age. Continue reading “Deck Review: The Fairytale Tarot”