Quirk Books Archives < Arwen, Professional Joy Seeker

Housecleaning Is The Goal???

Today’s card is a fun version from the Housewives Tarot. It makes me wrinkle my nose and think, “But I don’ wanna do it.” I mean I know there are those that enjoy cleaning house. I’m not one of them. 😀

But what catches my eye in this is not the feather duster, but the background. Do you see it? It may be too small in this picture. The background is a blueprint. You see the 10×15 kitchen, the 10×15 master and more. There’s even landscaping sketched in.

Ah yes, the perfect Ace of Wands reminder. What you do in the here and now should be geared towards what you want in the future.

And what do you want in the future? If your goals are limited to physical things/wants, I challenge you to broaden your search. Realize that your goals need to be less “lose 50 pounds and find a partner” and more “wake up happy every day.”

Because while one is completely doable, the other will make the first an afterthought. Once you can wake up happy every day, you will be on the right track.

Wow, Arwen. You really wake up happy every day?

Hell to the no.

I wake up in pain and wondering if I can call out at work.
I wake up, smack the snooze and go back to sleep.

😀 I’m human.

But I reset my mind. I write a daily affirmation. I hold on to that. Do I lose it? Sure, I do.

But the secret to being a professional joy seeker?

I keep the goal in mind.

I seek joy so I can be the person I believe myself to be.

Seek joy, y’all! Pass it on.

Ace of Wands, Housewives Tarot, Quirk Books, 2004 [aff]

Oh, Get Filled!

Today’s card reminds me that too often I look for others to fill me up. I forget that the best judge of what I need is usually me.

I say usually because there are times when certain people can ask me if I’ve lost my damned mine or if I just think career suicide is the way to go.

That’s generally right after I’ve told them how I plan to tell someone off at work. 😐

Yeah, not a good thing.

Luckily where I work now is, for the most part, a great place. Like all jobs, it has those things (and people) I’d rather not have to deal with.

But let’s get back to that cup.

Is it completely empty or is it ready to be filled up?

For me, the Ace of Cups is a sign that my client is ready for emotional fulfillment. Someone is waiting for them to give them the signal.

How often have you needed a refill at a restaurant? Wasn’t it just natural to hold your glass up so someone would recognize your need?

How hard is it to hold your metaphorical glass up? How hard is it to know that glass will be filled?

More…how hard is it not to fill that cup with bitter wine (whine works too) dwelling on what you don’t have and what you can’t get and what isn’t falling into place.

Imagine the Universe is standing by with a pitcher of joy.

A full cup can’t be filled.

Don’t fill your cup with bitterness and negativity.

Stay open to the idea that joy is not just coming.

It’s here.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Ace of Cups, Housewives Tarot, Quirk 2004 [aff]

Wanna Come To Crazyville?

Today’s card reminds me that I often do things I know I should not be doing. It’s not as if I don’t know better. It’s as if I think I’m bullet-proof or that I can get away with it for just this one time. Like eating ice cream when I’ve worked to eliminate fat from my diet. Or running with scissors as our young Page of Swords does here.

This is the quirky and totally fun Housewives Tarot. This card represents those mental thoughts that we don’t quite have a handle on. Sometimes they run wild and hurt us or others. We create drama where there was none to create.

But what about when you are in a situation where a trusted friend turns into the Page of Swords? When someone you have always thought the best of suddenly goes straight off the rails into “cuckoo for cocoa puffs” territory?

How do you deal with that?

You can certainly shake your finger and admonish them to “Stop that” or to “Behave”. But does that do you any good?

I think not. I think it just makes me more involved in their crazy. I have to step out of my hula hoop into theirs to make them stop. And really, can I make anyone but myself stop?

All I can do is step away and isolate my interactions with them. I can monitor how I deal with them on a daily basis–if at all. Sometimes you have to. If they are someone I work with, I can’t turn my back on them. I have to offer them the same level of service as others.

What I can do is limit my energy interaction. I can throttle back my openness and create boundaries for me. I can make sure that when my erstwhile friend or co-worker, I am making sure my hula hoop stays as free and clear of their erratic behaviour as possible.

Is it fun to see someone I care about go off the deep end? Not even a little. Still, the person I must protect first is me. And to do that, I have to make sure my boundaries are tight.

One place that has helped me immensely in learning about how to maintain my own hula hoop is Leonie Dawson’s Amazing Biz + Life Academy. [aff] Come join me!

Your 180 second challenge is a two parter. The first is easy. Just think about those in your life who are inviting you to play in their crazy.

Now for the true challenge. Ask yourself this.

“Why am I RSVPing yes?”

I give you permission to decline those invitations. I assure you it is okay to say no to one more round of drama llama ding dong. Do it for you.

Seek joy, y’all. Limit your trips to other people’s Crazyville.

Page of Swords, Housewives Tarot, Quirk Books, 2004[aff]

Uzis, Accessories & Will

And look out the window! The troops are coming. If she can just hold off the slathering horde, she’ll make it.

Today’s card is a reminder that sometimes you have to take the high ground even if you have to use force. This means that you can’t let your detractors drag you down. The force is best applied to your own strength of will unlike this fabulous Seven of Swords.

Of course, if your detractors include a horde of zombie party guests, I guess a high heel to the face could be deemed necessary. I don’t know about you, but I’m wondering where she picked up the neat little Uzi.

Still a girl must accessorize, right?

And look out the window! The troops are coming. If she can just hold off the slathering horde, she’ll make it.

So your thought for today is that when you take the high ground, others will come to your defense. Maintain position and never forget the most important lesson of this card.

Two shots. Straight to the head.

Okay, so maybe not in the real world, but you know what I mean. Be firm. Be direct. Don’t be wishy-washy when the 7 of Swords shows up.

Seek the high ground, y’all. Pass it on.

Grin.

Fine!

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

7 of Swords, The Zombie Tarot: An Oracle of the Undead with Deck and Instructions, Quirk Books 2012

P. to the S. I can’t recommend this deck highly enough. It’s packaged with an eye to highlight the zombie theme plus it really actually reads very well.

Whoosh, Plunging & Doom

Today’s card is a bit scary to me and many others. I mean really! Do they have any concept of what they are doing? Have they thought about it? Talk about crazy. Who is that said anyone with half a mind to get married has all the qualifications?

Then, I go back to yesterday’s card. OMG! I’m being a crow. All I can see is the plunge to doom. I can’t even hold on to the hope that the car is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang‘s granddaughter. I ignore the blissful happy faces. The hearts floating mean nothing to my crow mind.

Ever been that person? I know I have. This is my one big bump in life. I’ve been married. Twice to women and once in a perfectly acceptable male-female format. None of them panned out. Will I marry again? Hmmm, that remains to be seen, but most likely yes. 😀

This Lovers card is a reminder to me to not be a crow in my own life. I can’t seek joy if I’m enumerating all the ways this relationship could Titanic on me. Or Hiroshima. Or Pearl Harbor.

I have to lift my head up and enjoy the whooshing sound the wind makes as we take the plunge.

WHOOOSH, y’all! Whooshity whoosh whoosh.

Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.

Lovers, Housewives Tarot, Quirk Books, 2004

Stockpiling, Zombies & Joy

Today’s card makes me laugh even though I think it isn’t supposed to. A traditional meaning of this card is make a wish or getting one’s heart’s desire. I think this gal isn’t just hoping to get her desire. She’s planning on it.

Locked and loaded, the 9 of Coins from the Zombie Tarot by Paul Kepple and Stacey Graham (Quirk Books, 2012) shows a woman determined to stay alive. I think this is a fine example of how to put this card’s energy to good use.

I mean it’s grand to have a wish. It’s spectacular to know your heart’s desire. But what are you going to DO for it? Are you going to get active? Are you going to protect it from all comers (even brain-eating ones) once you have found it?

I don’t think our pretty woman is going anywhere. She’s got the radio to stay tuned to any broadcasts. Her back is to the sea. She’s got the pump action rifle in her hand. She’s wrapped up to stay warm. Now all she has to do is survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

What will you do to keep your heart’s desire? What actions can you take today to start stockpiling your own joys? Put some memories aside so when you have to hunker down for the hard part of this journey, you have some ammunition handy.

9 of Cups, Zombie Tarot, Quirk Books 2012

Seek joy, Y’all! Pass it on.