Can We Absorb Adversity?

The message I’m getting today is that adversity was overcome here. But overcome isn’t the right word. More like–absorbed. It’s as if the woman said, ….

Nine of Pentacles, Shadowscapes Tarot, Llewellyn
Shadowscapes Tarot

Today’s card takes me a bit far afield from the actual meaning. Traditionally this card is about success but more so enjoying that success. It’s about reviewing what you’ve done and what’s to come.

So it’s a perfect card for me today because I am working on my workbook (http://bit.ly/TbAIncred). I’m also working on a guest post that has me super excited. 😀 Still, I look at this card and I don’t think “enjoy your successes.”

Instead I think, “Wow…look at this. The piano has a tree growing right through it.” And then I think the woman is using a snail shell for her piano bench. Is that comfortable?

The message I’m getting today is that adversity was overcome here. But overcome isn’t the right word. More like–absorbed. It’s as if the woman said, “Okay, I see you. All you problems. All you worries. All you sorrows. I see you and I accept you. And I incorporate you into my daily life. I own you. And by owning you, I control you.”

Then the tree through the piano becomes a triumph of living one’s life as one wants rather than negotiating those that might stop us. The tree is now a part, heart and soul, of the thing that brings her joy.

And isn’t that an amazing gift to give ourselves? Check back through 2013 right now. What adversities did you absorb? Live through? Engage in? Make a part of your new self?

[Tweet “The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” -Charles Du Bos”]

Make a vow for 2014 to absorb all adversity. Make it part of your world so you can control it.

Nine of Pentacles, Shadowscapes Tarot, Llewellyn

How Many Unicorns?

Unicorn_9PentaclesToday’s card is from a deck that I own but don’t really work with. It’s a themed deck where the artist worked in the theme in just about every card. Don’t get me wrong! I’m as airy-fairy as the next sparkly pink princess, but at some point 78 unicorns is a few too many.

Still this card reminds me to stop and pet the unicorn–or at least smell the roses. I try to do that when I go for my walks. Now my walks have a purpose. Well they have two purposes. Okay, four really if you do the math. Two dogs who both have to…well, you know!

So I get to see my block at a lot of different times of the day. Early morning grey. Noon blazing sunlight. Late afternoon shade. Night time shadows. It’s nice to see it and know it’s my ‘hood, my turf, my place in the world. And I have to remember to love it even in the downpours, the 100+ heat and all. I have to celebrate the breeze when it hits my sweaty face. I have to celebrate the rain plastering my hair to my head.

It’s all part of my Joy Seeking life, darlings. I have to accept that it is all good.

The Nine of Pentacles is the traditional card of acknowledging success while looking ahead to the next effort. Do you do that often enough? Look yourself in the mirror to congratulate you on a job well done?

If not you, who?

You really must be your own publicist, darling. Toot your horn as much as you toot someone else’s. If someone tells you that you are awesome, say, “thank you.”

Here.

Let’s practice that.

You’re awesome!

You know what to do!

Nine of Pentacles, Unicorn Tarot [aff]

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Those Steps Are Too Hard!

WildUnknown_9Wands001Today’s card reminds me that everything is about perspective. Here we see what looks like a daunting climb up nine wands in the Wild Unknown Tarot. The moon sits all golden and waiting but wow…that’s a long-assed climb up some really pointy sticks.

Or is it? Pull back a bit. Stop focusing on all the stairs. There are so many, aren’t there?

No. There are not. If you are too close, all you see is all the tangles, the problems, the sticking points if you will pardon that pun.

When you pull back a bit, you see it’s a staircase. I will admit that the staircase still seems a bit hard, but you can see clear spaces where you can step. And then look to the next one. Another open spot.

If I focus on each step individually, I can find a way all the way to the top where I can touch that shining, waiting, glorious golden moon.

All I had to do was change my perspective.

What do you have in your life that could use some distance to give you a bit of perspective?

The Wild Unknown Tarot is on sale this month for pre-orders. Might want to jump on this one. It’s a deck that really lives up to the hype it’s been getting in the Tarot world.

Seek perspective, y’all. Don’t let seemingly tangled, hard steps stop you from getting what you want.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

9 of Wands, Wild Unknown Tarot, self-published.

How Do You Celebrate?

CH78_72Today’s card is a reminder to appreciate what I have while I work for what I want. Yes, want. Not need. I actually have what I need. Shelter, food, transportation, income. 😀 But there are things that I want (new Tarot decks for instance) that I need to work towards.

Do you set yourself easy or hard goals? For me, they have to be a mixture of easy, medium and hard. I can’t do all hard because then I get so discouraged. Instead I mix it up and celebrate all of them.

Yep, I celebrate the easy as happily as the hard. Another one of my Joy Seeker secrets. Make each moment count. So getting out of bed? WHOOOO HOOO. 😀

What’s your goal list look like? Do you keep one on paper? In your head? I need to revisit mine that I started in my [aff]. I also need to get back to that. LOL

Don’t worry if you haven’t hit those goals you set. Look at the steps to the goals and count them as successes. Life, for me, isn’t about beating myself up so much as cheering myself on.

Seek joy y’all! Pass it on.

9 of Coins, Chinese Tarot, U.S. Games (did you hear the good news? It’s going to be available again!)

Who Are You Interlocked With?

Saqqara_9CupsToday’s card reminds me that being known is a good thing. I think, on some level, we all want to be known. Here is the Nine of Cups from the Tarot of Saqqara. This is an Egyptian-based deck with many symbols to delve into.

What catches my eye is that central piece of the two interlocking not-quite-squares. Are they polyhedrons? Math is not my strong suit so I’m guessing here.

But look at how they connect and how they support the nine bowls (cups) around. I think the thing to remember is that if we want to be known—to gain public recognition, we must network with others. By doing that, we create a strong support system. Each one speaks highly of the other creating a greater sense of “look! she’s done a cool thing” than one person can.

I have to tell you that I find this deck extremely overwhelming in terms of information. Each card gives you so much. You really need to be up on your Egyptian as well.

I was given a review copy (and I’ll be doing a video review most likely) of this fascinating deck.

So for your 180 seconds today, why not give a shout out for someone else that you admire. That’s your challenge, my dears. Start building, improving, creating your own network for your own fabulous self.

9 of Cups, Tarot of Saqqara, 2012 copyright by Donald G. Beaman

Don’t forget to check out all the free things you can get from Leonie Dawson!

When Are Your Sacred Moments?

zentangle016Today’s card is a reminder to me to look at all that I have. I was reminded of this by my friend Cathie who is my Kansas self. She commented on this tangle that it reminded her of looking down on a garden.

The traditional Nine of Pentacles shows a woman in her garden admiring all that she has. She is wise enough to know that prosperity isn’t just money. Do you see the nine coins in this image? They are there. You just have to look for them.

Sometimes we just have to look for our wealth. We just have to know where it is. In Joanna Colbert’s newsletter today, she offers ways to make any journey into a pilgrimage. You should probably subscribe to her newsletter. They are one of my highlights when they arrive.

Joanna is preparing to kick off her next Seasonal Practices journey for Beltane. I can’t recommend this enough. She’s a marvelous teacher.

The Nine of Pentacles is, perhaps, a teacher as well. It teaches me that I am living a life I love. Are there places I might want to tweak a bit? Sure. But that’s not dissatisfaction so much as it is knowing I can move up another level. I can increase my joy that much more.

I am beginning to do this by acknowledging where I need to create space–where I need to make quiet sacred moments for myself.

So your challenge today is to create a quiet sacred moment for yourself. Just for 180 seconds, that’s all. Three minutes of intentional acknowledgement of that time.

Zentangle, Arwen, 2013

Seek Joy, Y’all. Pass it on!

She Had To Trust Herself

OracleTarot_8Coins003Today’s card reminds me that the best way to get to Carnegie Hall is practice, practice, practice. There’s another piece to that as well.

Believe, believe, believe.

How do you know when your talents and skills are good enough? When it is time to put on your party dress, doll up your hair and show off?

Hard to say, isn’t it?

Know why?

It’s because we may have practiced, but we don’t believe. We don’t trust.

We don’t trust.

That bears repeating because it’s part of the key to this card. She had to just finally let go and trust that she knew enough, was skilled enough, was enough.

She had to trust herself.

She had to realize that she was smart enough to know that talent alone isn’t enough. Dedication to your craft is the best way to honing your skill. Belief in your own power brings something amazing to that combination of skill and talent.

What do you know enough? What skill(s) are you holding back on simply because you don’t trust yourself?

  • Is it worth it to deny yourself that moment in the spotlight?
  • Is it worth it to hold back your own beautiful brilliance?

I don’t think so. I think it’s time for you to shine. Let the world see how amazing you are.

Today I celebrate my place in the sun. I am more than enough. I am loved and loving. I am a brilliant woman ready to show the world my stuff.

What about you?

For your 180 second challenge, write/sing/draw/pray an affirmation that celebrates your own shining self. Feel free to use the one above if you like. Then speak it out loud to yourself. I mean look yourself in the mirror and say this affirmation, darlings.

Make it a beautiful day. Shine. Your Carnegie Hall moment is here.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

9 of Coins, Oracle Tarot, Lucy Cavendish

Who Will You Stand Up To Today?

Here we see the character being tormented by the PuppetMaster. This is an age-old battle between these two. I can’t remember the kneeling figure’s name but his nemesis is controlling his mind. He’s lost in old memories, old worries, things he can’t control.

FradellaAdventure_9SwordsToday’s card is one of my favorite renditions of this card. For those new to my blog, I’m a bit of a collector of decks (understatement). Here is the agonizing, tail-chasing, nightmare-suffering poor poor me Nine of Swords.

From one of my favorite decks, the Frank Fradella Adventure Tarot (US Games, 1992) interprets this traditional card of worry in a slightly different way. Here we see the character being tormented by the PuppetMaster. This is an age-old battle between these two. I can’t remember the kneeling figure’s name but his nemesis is controlling his mind. He’s lost in old memories, old worries, things he can’t control.

If I were there, I’d whisper in his ear, “You don’t have to control it all. You don’t have to make retribution for all your mistakes. You are fine just as you are right now.”

I’d hold his hand and urge him to stand up. Not just to the PuppetMaster who has the power to manipulate dreams by turning them into nightmares. No, it isn’t enough to stand up to his nemesis here.

He has to stand up to himself. He has to look himself in the eye. He has to believe in his own power.

I’ve been here. Have you?

Pretty crappy place, eh? (Did I mention I was good at understatement?)

So what will it take for you to stand up to yourself?

What will you need to be able to look yourself in the eyes so you can see the amazing person that you are?

Who will you reach out to today to ask for that friendly hand squeeze, that heartfelt hug, that flash of a grin?

Will you stay on your knees allowing someone else to turn your dreams into nightmares?

No, I didn’t think so. Let’s kick our personal PuppetMasters to the curb, darlings.

Feel yourself wrapped up in a hug from me. Know that you are just fine as you are right this moment.

I don’t care if your hair isn’t brushed, your bank account is overdrawn, you suffer from any number of physical ailments. I don’t care.

What I do care is that your heart is open, your mind is free and that you understand the two rules to a joy-filled life.

1. Seek Joy, Y’all.
2. You can only control what’s in your hula hoop.

Know that I love you.

9 of Swords, Frank Fradella Adventure Tarot, US Games 2002

Seek Joy, Y’all. Pass it on.

P. to the S. If you are still thinking about , the contest is over on Thursday but it is NEVER too late to start your incredible year. 😀

Seeds, People + Growth

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

SimplyDeep_9CoinsToday’s card is about appreciating growth while you plan for the future. You need to stop every now and again to smell the roses, but you shouldn’t forget to germinate some seeds.

Seeds aren’t just green plants. Seeds are often the interactions between ourselves and the people around us.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

One of my favorite writers, Maya Angelou knows how to cut to the heart of a matter so beautifully.

Consider your own presence in the world. Do you try to make others feel good? Feel good about themselves and their world? Or do you tear them down. Worse, do you tear yourself down?

Focus on building others up. Focus on spreading joy into their world and watch how joy comes back to your own being. When you treat others as you would like to be treated, you are paying it forward. Even when you feel like someone you are communicating with is trying to bankrupt you, you will find that if you approach the situation with as much joy as you can muster, you will be enriched in the long run.

I know it’s difficult to stay positive in a job where the only reason someone wants to talk to us is because they are having a problem. What can you do to look in the mirror when this happens? What can you do to keep a joyful, positive attitude in the face of a nearly constant barrage of unhappiness?

Remember their frustration is not in your hula hoop. Fixing their problem is. Empathizing with their situation is. But being frustrated because they are frustrating only (wait for it….) frustrates you! And is it really worth it in the long run?

I didn’t think so! So make people feel as if you are listening to them. Make them feel as if you want to fix their problem. Make yourself feel better in the process.

What seeds are you planting today? What growth are you nurturing? How are you showing your friends how important they are to you?

Remember this. I love you.

Nine of Coins, Simply Deep Tarot, Schiffer Press, 2011

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Looking to focus on your own growth this year? Join me as I work through Leonie Dawson’s.

Suckies, Swords & Solutions

I sometimes beat myself up over reacting instead of acting. I do it a lot with close, personal relationships. More so, in fact, than with other types of relationships.

LeonieSuckiesToday’s card reminds me of a Tarot card fraught with anxiety and dread. When this one shows up, I tend to ask my client how much tail-chasing they’ve been doing.

Often we make our anxieties and worries far larger than they actually are. And it’s hard not to. But my sister sent me an email she gets. One of the things it said that really struck me was:

“We’re learning new ways to act and react and learning to listen is a good place to start.”

I sometimes beat myself up over reacting instead of acting. I do it a lot with close, personal relationships. More so, in fact, than with other types of relationships.

And a HUGE part of that is because I don’t listen. I’m often in my head SOLVING their problems. Oh that card? It’s the 9 of Swords.

Yeah.
Right.

This is a case of the Suckies striking for me. I get down on me. I feel bad about me. I shame myself for my reactions.

Leonie Dawson’s life planner had a page titled “What To Do When The Suckies Strike.” I laughed when I saw it, then immediately filled it out.

When my own anxieties and fears start taking on lives of their own, I’m going to refer to this list. I plan on making it my phone’s lock screen so that it is the first thing that I see when I access my phone. 😀

What are just two things you can do for when your own “life freakin’ SUCKS, y’all” moments hit you?

Write them down. Tuck them in your purse or your wallet or somewhere you can get to them easily.

THEN DO THEM.

There’s still time to get your copy of Leonie’s workbook. You can see my video review of the business version of this planner+workbook here.

Seek joy, y’all! Pass it on.