Revisiting: Remodeling Arwen

We talked about what it means to “choose love.” I think that this is a part of that. By choosing to cook good foods and to eat good foods, I am choosing love. more…

DarkGoddess_13CupsDay five of my wedding trip…it’s Friday and I’m a married woman.

I’m sharing some favorite posts from my Tarot & Food entries.

Revisiting: Remodeling Arwen

We talked about what it means to “choose love.” I think that this is a part of that. By choosing to cook good foods and to eat good foods, I am choosing love. more…

Get a free three card reading via email when you buy the download version of this . Offer expires 1/30/204. All readings must be claimed by 2/7/2014.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

How Will You Recharge Today?

What if we are afraid that in accepting help–much less asking for help–we are admitting to failure?

SirianStarSeed_13CupsToday’s card reminds me that we can only give so much. Sometimes we must stop and fill ourselves back up. I see caretakers and parents and teachers and so many others who do,do,do for others and rarely allow others to give back.

“No, that’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Oh I’d rather you gave that to the children, the animals, the planet.”
“Please don’t worry about me. I have it all under control.”

Then I read this quote from Lissa Coffey  in her daily Wisdom email.

“We put such expectations on ourselves! And look at the expectations we put on our children, our parents, and all the people in our lives. We are human. We are here to learn. We are going to make mistakes, it’s all part of the process. When we relax our expectations and just go with the flow – approach our challenges as lessons rather than failures – then our experiences in life are more meaningful.”

And I had to wonder if this doesn’t go hand-in-hand with giving and not receiving.

Stick with me…I’ve got a point.

What if we are afraid that in accepting help–much less asking for help–we are admitting to failure? Let’s explore that though, okay?

If I say to you, “I have a toothache, please send Reiki”, do you think, “Oh that Arwen. If she would just brush more/floss more/eat fewer sweets, she wouldn’t need Reiki.”?

Do you think I am a terrible person because I have a toothache?

Yeah. So! Why do you think I or anyone else who loves you would think you were a failure because you lost your job, had a house fire, overspent your bank account?

Sure, if it’s constant, then there is an issue but I don’t think that issue is that you are a failure. And that’s not what this post is about.

This is about learning to stop. Learning to fill yourself up. Learning to say, “I need some me time right now.”

The Sage of Chalices (Queen of Cups) from the Sirian Starseed gazes at an overflowing cup. She relaxes in water and is a part of that water. She knows that by taking time out of nurturing others she recharges herself to go back to that important work.

Important work needs people who know how to stop and refill.

How will you stop and refill this week? Put it on your list and don’t skip over it because of someone else’s crazy. That will wait. You will be of no use to those who REALLY need you if you don’t.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

A great tool I’m using to help me realize where I need to recharge and refill is this workbook+planner.

Or maybe you just want to get some of the free goodies she offers.

Sage of Cups, Sirian Starseed Tarot, North Atlantic Books 2012

Actions, Responses & Queens

Today’s card reminds me that I am the ruler of my own emotions. Other people don’t make me angry or happy or anything in-between. I control those responses. Yes, their actions can allow me to be more inclined to one type of emotion, but I get to pick which one.

If you don’t believe me, think of a time when you have been very very very sad or just down. When someone tried to cheer you up and it failed, why did it fail?

Because you chose not to change your emotional response. Same with anger or joy or any other of those fabulous things we call emotions.

So here the Queen of Cups (Old English Tarot) sits on her throne. She holds a large chalice but she holds it back a bit. Her hands are not in a giving position. They are more guarded to me. She’s learned to withhold the big emotional responses until she learns more. Unlike the Page or Knight of Cups, our Queen is reserved. She’s not unloving. She’s not unkind. She’s just reserved.

Today imagine that your emotional responses are safely tucked away where you can reach them as needed. Don’t squander them on little things like the driver in front of you not jumping on the green light fast enough for you. Or the 13 item person in the 10 item check-out lane.

Be the ruler of your own emotions and allow others to do what it is that they must do. It doesn’t concern you, my dears. It’s not in your hula hoop.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on!

Queen of Cups, Old English Tarot, US Games Systems Inc, 1997

Breasts, Cauldrons & Swords

Today’s card is one of the cards that I tend to look at when I am first reviewing a deck. I need to feel some connection to this particular regent in this suit. And this one is a great reminder of guarding my precious emotions.

Here lounges the Queen of Cups from Luis Royo’s Labyrinth Tarot (Fournier 2005, Lo Scarebo/Lwellelyn 2012). She has her hand on a cauldron while the other holds a sword. She is richly dressed but also bare-breasted. I see the bare breasts as her nurturing self but she’s definitely not going to make it easy–not this particular Queen of Cups.

Her message to me today is to not say things just to be kind. She would rather be cautious and reserved in matters of the heart for now. It serves her best to seem a bit daunting.

So I will allow real relationships that understand the need to have come guarded pieces of ourselves. That understands Queens (and Kings) don’t divulge all in the first two hours. Better to be the Queen of Cups of the Labryinth Tarot who doesn’t deny emotional relationships as long as they understand why she has to carry a sword to protect her nurturing heart.

Queen of Cups, Labyrinth Tarot,Fournier 2005 OOP. Re-released Lo Scarebo/Lwelleyn 2012

Ostara & The Court of Cups

In the Wiccan religion, many of us associate directions and elements and even tarot suits with certain times of the year. Ostara is a holiday of spring and life and joy. Its direction is East. Its element is Air. There is a sense of youth and fun and birth happening at Ostara.

In Tarot the suit of Cups points to the West. It’s about water. The time of year is Autumn. Here we have a season associated with aging and quiet introspection and death. It is the polar opposite of the rites of Spring. So what do the two have in common? Continue reading “Ostara & The Court of Cups”

Jezebel and the Queen of Cups

Today, I’m in a reversed Queen of Cups mood. 🙂 I am feeling creative, but a little (okay a lot) naughty. You could say I’m really identifying with that wicked Jezebel as played by the gorgeous Bette Davis.

I started a thread years ago on a site. This thread is called 9Words: A Poetry Challenge. I am still doing this albeit on another site now.

The game is that someone (anyone) lists nine words. Just nine words…no rhyme or reason necessary. Then those who are playing take the words and make a poem out of them.

For me, this plays strongly into my Continue reading “Jezebel and the Queen of Cups”