Katie Rose Pipkin Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

What’s Your Normal Flavor?

Today’s card reminds me that I need to figure out why I’m in this hand basket and where I am going sometimes. Here is the chariot from Katie Rose Pipkin’s black and white Efflorescent Tarot. Sorry kids but it’s OOP unless she finds a publisher. Or at least that’s what I heard.

But I digress. See! It really is about focus with this card.

I’m tired tonight. It’s 11:11 pm by my clock. I should have had this done and been in bed an hour ago. But it’s full moon energy so I’m wound more than normal.

And am I ever normal?

I saw a GREAT quote on Facebook that said, “The day I broke up with normal was the first day of my magical life.”

Awesome isn’t it

But sometimes I lose my focus. I get scattered. I let the magic dissipate. I let normal drive again.

I fear the quirky.
I shun the weird.
I eschew the unusual.

And I’m not very happy when I do.

In a weird way, my life has a normal, for me, rhythm to it that involves talking to dogs and trees, reading cards for a living, writing intensely erotic romance, and chatting with Themselves.

That’s my normal.

I have to rein in both sides of me though. I can’t let avant-garde Arwen outstrip stable Stephanie. Or is that analytical Arwen overpower sassy Stephanie? Either way, both sides have to be moving together to take me in my chariot where I want to go.

Oh how I ramble. Do you ever wonder how I start out at point A and end up at point WTF?

So here is the Chariot. Traditionally a card of mastering one’s life. I would say that the charioteer will never be happy until she is following her own lead. When she tries to be what someone else wants is when the problems start. That’s when she drops the reins and her two selves can squabble about who gets to lead.

Equally yoked. It’s all about keeping both sides equally yoked.

So what’s your normal look like? Take 180 seconds…just three minutes…to journal about that your normal is. The only ground rule is that you can’t compare your normal to anyone else’s.

Because it’s your normal!

Chariot, Efflorescent Tarot, Katie Rose Pipkin, self-published on Etsy

Seek joy, y’all! Pass it on.

Tarotscopes for June 23-29

Can you be selfish with me this week? It’s my goal to be very very very selfish. I’m going to spread joy to everyone because it brings me joy. See? SELFISH!

So, I declare the week of June 23-June 29 to be SELFISH JOY SEEKERS week. Are you in? Leave a comment if you are and share this post to let your friends know. We should probably warn them that we aren’t going to go easy on them.

This means JOY, y’all. Joy for all because it brings us joy. Go selfish joy seeker, go!

AQUARIUS King of Swords Let your ideas free you rather than box you in. Growth happens faster when you let your mind soar. Ruts are for those who follow others.
PISCES Empress Birth. Fertility. Abundance. Release expectations to increase. You can bring forth inner wealth by nurturing yourslf and others.
ARIES Four of Wands The work towards stability needs your focus. May seem a long way off. Pause to appreciate how far you’ve come. Then resume.
TAURUS Knight of Pentacles Can seem like a struggle, this being budget-wise. But you are building your own future. your garden grows when you work it.
GEMINI Two of Cups When you drink deeply from another’s cup, you learn. Strengthen emotional connections by letting them also drink from yours.
CANCER Ten of Swords When they all seem to be cutting away at you, remember you can step away. Trust only those who have proven themselves. Stand up.
LEO Eight of Wands Got a river that needs crossing? Try jumping instead of swimming. Unusual approaches get you over seeming obstacles. MOVE.
VIRGO Tower Bad news? BOOM! Good news? Emotional upheaval brings you to a new phase of building. Let it come down now so you can build.
LIBRA Knight of Wands Movement inevitable because your true passion calls. Follow your heart’s calling. Far horizons call. Stop waiting.
SCORPIO King of Wands Yes, you actually can believe it into being. Rule your energy if you would rule your world. Intense focus eliminates the unnecessary.
SAGITTARIUS Queen of Pentacles It can be lonely. Are you reaching out to the community you want? Don’t settle. Don’t allow weeds in your personal garden.
CAPRICORN Four of Pentacles Money spent for future growth is necessary. May be a pinch right now, but increase savings. Magic tricks wit money are your forte!

Oh! July newsletter is out next weekend. Remember that I pull one name from my newsletter readers. That person wins a Tarot conversation with me. It could be you–if you are signed up.

By the way? The Efflorescent Tarot is sold out in both the colored and b/w version.

Which Is Better?

Today’s card makes me a bit sad. It’s generally a card I like in decks, but here there is such a sense of despair. The giver holds a scale with such small bowls that you wonder if she or he can fit even one coin in. Both the receivers are blindfolded so they can’t see what they are getting.And look at the mouths on all three. Turned down.

I wonder if any of them will get anything out of this exchange. The giver almost looks as if it is a duty or a chore that he’s been sent to do. The claw like hands of the receivers seem almost grasping.

Have you ever been on either side of an exchange like this? Where giving to the less fortunate felt like an obligation? Where receiving wasn’t satisfying?

How would this story change if the blindfolds came off and the scales went away. How would all the characters here react then? If the giver could give as it pleased him and not as it balanced the scale. If the receivers could receive with joy rather than sad expectation.

I’ve been on both sides. I know that for me I give better than I receive. It’s easier because our society teaches us to be self-reliant. We chastise and rail against the less fortunate. We mock those who are perceived as less than us.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Until you’ve been in the shoes of the person who only has ill-fitting pants and a dirty shirt and just enough money to buy the cheapest foods at Wal-Mart, only then can you understand that feeling of helplessness–of deadened resignation to your place in the world.

Have I been there? No, I haven’t, but I’ve been close. But I have seen the death of hope in someone else’s face. The understanding that they can’t get out of where they are because others keep them there.

Yes, there are shelters. Yes, there are programs. But until we as a world look at one another with love and understanding and acceptance, we diminish ourselves.

I’m no better than most. There are times I am disgusted by the homeless I see. I wonder why they aren’t letting someone else take care of them.

And I’m wrenched back to that thought…that thing we are all taught.

Don’t take handouts.
Do it yourself.

I wonder how much we’ve wounded ourselves by not including other teachings.

Ask for help when you need it.
Receive with gratitude so you can give with joy.

How would our world be different then?

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Don’t forget that May Tarotscopes are out.

6 of Coins, Efflorescent Tarot, Katie Rose Pipkin

What Do You Not Like?

What is your Modus Operandi when faced with something you just know you won’t like? Have you ever thought that gut feeling might be fear? That maybe you have brought in your own prejudices into the mix?

Today’s card reminds me that sometimes I must try what I think I won’t like. I have to experience things firsthand. Parents have to do this all the time to their children. My mama was pretty strict in some areas. One of those was the “three bites” rule. I’ll bet many of you have been through that on both sides of the spoon.

Here we see a lion seeming to grimace or growl as a woman tenderly hugs him. He isn’t ready for this gentle touch. He wants to go rage and roar and rip things up. But he’s allowing her this intimacy because of trust. What we don’t know is how she built that relationship. I doubt it was instantaneous.

How do you build relationships? What is your Modus Operandi when faced with something you just know you won’t like? Have you ever thought that gut feeling might be fear? That maybe you have brought in your own prejudices into the mix?

I have. I just knew I wouldn’t like yoga. I knew it would hurt my back. I knew I would ache afterwards. I’d look stupid doing all those weird poses and people would laugh at me. But I bartered two readings for a private lesson anyway. I did that because I really liked the two guys I was reading for. Their partnership makes me smile.

Then I put off doing the yoga class until I realized my heel dragging was inconveniencing someone else. So I went.

Yeah, you know the end of this story, right? Loved it. Wanted to do it every week. Haven’t yet but that’s on my this year list. And you can still join me in creating your Incredible Year. It’s never too late.

So for your 180 seconds today, can you commit to trying or exploring something you are sure you don’t like just in case it’s just fear holding you back?

And for the record? I’ve tried lima beans and beets. It’s not fear. It’s really that I do not like them. 😀

Seek Joy, Y’all! Pass it on!

Strength, Efflorescent Tarot, Katie Rose Pipkin
(I own two of the black and white version)

Tarotscopes 1/13-1/19/2013

Here are this week’s Tarotscopes.

Do you love Tarot spreads? Want my eBook of Fairy Tale Tarot Spreads? Just purchase any of these workbooks — (solo is 9.97 and duo is $17.90) You can ignore the popup for the free blogging+biz thing if you like.

Once you have the workbook, let me know. I’ll send you the link to download my eBook. It is currently being illustrated by a well known Tarot artist and you will get that version free as well.

If you just want the eBook of spreads, you will have to wait until it is up for sale. I expect that to be in February.

Deck used today is the Efflorescent Tarot (black and white version).
——————————————————————

AQ World Feeling awkward? Naked? Don’t. U have so much power. People are in yr corner. Connect/network. Spread yr world view!
PIC Star Yr star ascends. Nurture what grows AND what seems to not grow. Both will prosper if you do. Sparkle, darling.
ARI 9Sw Turn yr face from the wall, Medea. Live, Agnes, LIVE! Huddling away won’t stop the nightmares. Let in some light, honey.
TAU 5S If they refuse to fill their mind w/ joy, then U must let them go. Hard, but it’s for yr own happiness. Walk on.
GEM 1Sw By cutting away the weeds in yr mind, U can achieve clarity. Do try to grab the handle & not the pointy end this time.
CAN 9C Make a wish, then act on it. Wishing is great, but steps to get there work. Set huge goals w/ achievable steps this week.
LEO 5C U are wasting time!. Stop worrying about what’s gone. Focus on what U have. Don’t let that evaporate while U aren’t looking.
VIR 1C What grows from yr loving heart? U are a vessel for joy. Catch it. Drink it. Share it. Allow this expansion. It’s good.
LIB Hermit Time to head into yr quiet spaces. Learning self is the key to everything. Follow yr own star. Not a great wk for company.
SCO Emperor Rule yrslf 1st. Rein in passion. Rethink aggression. Self-control is true leadership. Focus on yr family.
SAG 1W Focus on growth for exponential expansion. U really could take over the world if U get it in gear. Seize the day, darling.
CAP Sun Look up. Share the warmth. Surround yrslf w/ beauty. Find others who feel the same. Don’t waste time w/ negativity.

And if you are feeling completely disconnected from your true, beautiful self, consider taking ! Find your true purpose and reconnect with your soul.

Right, Wrong + Perspective

There’s so much to see in this image, isn’t there? Look at it for about two minutes without moving your head. Just let your eyes roam.

Today’s card is from a different perspective. Rather than the front of the cards, I’m sharing the back. You may know that I’m enamored by Zentangles. I do them myself as well as mandalas. This is a very new hobby for me but I just adore it.

This card back reminds me of tangling with its repetitions and use of black and white lines. It’s completely reversible as well. That’s one of my quirks. I like reversible decks but I don’t generally read reversals.

There’s so much to see in this image, isn’t there? Look at it for about two minutes without moving your head. Just let your eyes roam.

Now tilt your head. Change your perspective. Stare for another two minutes.

See how things change? See how what was important from one view gives way to something else?

That’s important in life as well. When you feel your heels digging in and your teeth clenching, try looking at it from another perspective. Allow yourself the opportunity to relinquish the death grip you have on “I’m right, dammit, and you’re wrong.”

I’m not saying see it from their perspective because really, can we? I’m just saying come at it from a different angle.

Give yourself the gift of perspective.

Efflorescent Tarot, Katie Rose Pipkin, Self-Published, Only 6 left of this charming black and white version.

About that workbook I love? Here’s a bit about the creatrix:

Leonie Dawson is a mentor to women wanting to create + grow massively successful and heart-centered creative + soulful businesses. She is also an author, retreat leader, visual artist, mama and guide for the tens of thousands who receive her free “SHINE IN YOUR LIFE + BIZ” ezine each week.

Seek Joy, y’all! Pass it on.