[Tweet “Whoa! Check out your TarotsCope this week. What did it say?”]
World Spirit Tarot
CARD OF THE WEEK: SAGE OF CUPS Hold on to your emotional control. Don’t let others rock you. Time to be your own captain, darlings!
AQUARIUS NINE OF PENTACLES Success! Take a moment to compare you now to you five years ago. Count your blessings. You may need a bigger sheet of paper.
PISCES JUDGMENT Level up. This is about understanding how you’ve grown. Open up to your new place on this spiral of life.
ARIES MAGICIAN What can you do? Why anything you set your will to, that’s what. Unusual tools make themselves known this week. Use them.
TAURUS DEVIL Sometimes you have to give in to the temptations to relax. Physical pleasures are okay but do not overindulge. That’s a bad habit.
GEMINI SIX OF PENTACLES Generosity can transform a life. Reach out to others to help them see how they can expand their life.
CANCER SEEKER OF SWORDS Careful. The battles you choose this week could turn into epic wars–long ones. Try to be less ready to fight.
LEO FOUR OF PENTACLES Money may not be as available this week. That’s okay. You know how to make a budget and stick to it. Please do that.
VIRGO SEVEN OF CUPS Let yourself do a little daydreaming. Look to the future you want to have. Start making choices to get yourself there.
LIBRA TEN OF SWORDS When you feel at your lowest, look to your friends to help out. One person may be trying to undermine you. Avoid them.
SCORPIO SIX OF CUPS Old friends renew ties. Memories may bring pain, but look for the best parts to ease that.
SAGITTARIUS EMPRESS Creativity blossoms for you. Take up a new craft or go back to one that brought you joy. Sink into self-care this week.
CAPRICORN SIBYL OF WANDS So much needs to be done this week. You need to remember one word to survive. DELEGATE Hire a personal assistant!
World Spirit Tarot, U.S. Games Systems Inc. (OOP)
NaNoWriMo with me! I’m TarotByArwen there. I’ll be using my own eCourse to succeed!
Taking on too much? Let the 10 of Wands affirmation help.
[Tweet “Check out today’s affirmation using the 10 of Wands.]
World Spirit Tarot#affirmation Some days I write peaceful, loving, uplifting #affirmations. Other days? Well other days sometimes come after working 13 hour days, getting 6 hrs of sleep because I chose to reread a bit of a favorite book, rolling out to walk all the dogs and then realizing…hmmmm, I didn’t write today’s affirmation.
So since it is looking like a Ten of Wands day for me, how about some time management tips from you! Tell me something you do to save time. Is it brushing your teeth while you shower? Eating your first meal as you drive to work?
Let’s hear them!
Today’s affirmation:
I get things done. I prioritize well. I focus on what’s in front of me. I clear my plate before moving to the next task. I gently decline any new tasks today. I am organized. I am alert. I am ready to get things done. Loved and loving, I love each of you.
So I decided I would share a recipe post. Luckily I have an index of them. I also have an index for my Tarot poetry project. This recipe has a lot of sentimental energy for me. Enjoy!
[Tweet “What should religion remind us of? Cabbage? Rain? Strength? #seekjoy”]
For today’s Magic Up Your Blog challenge, our leader, Amethyst, has asked us to recycle an old blog post. This was harder for me than you might think. I am pretty vain about my writing if the truth be told. Writing as Marilu Mann or writing as Arwen, I put a lot of work into things.
So I decided I would share a recipe post. Luckily I have an index of them. I also have an index for my Tarot poetry project. This recipe has a lot of sentimental energy for me. Enjoy!
“Our religion keeps reminding us that we aren’t just will and thoughts. We are also sand and wind and thunder. Rain. The seasons. You learn to respect everything because you are everything.” ~ William Least Heat Moon 1939-
Mama
I was blessed with a mother who wasn’t overly religious although she was a faithful woman. She grew up Catholic, then raised my sister and I in the Episcopal faith. She attended the Methodist church with her second husband while beginning her drift back to her childhood faith of Catholicism. She allowed me, albeit regretfully, to leave the Christian path without making it hard on me.
She didn’t like it. I know this. I also know that she wanted me to be happy and secure. So she didn’t make my religious choice a bone of contention. And she certainly could have. She was a strong woman from some very strong women. In my family, the matriarchs have always stood out.
Chrysalis Tarot
My Mama had a German-Scot Mama and a Scot-Irish Papa. While her mama, my Grannilu, was not someone I remember as a good cook, Mama said there were good cooks in her family. She passed her love of starchy potatoes and stinky cabbage on to me with this dish. It’s one she found later in life.
Like her, I’m a collector or recipes. I even cook some of them. 😀 She made this for me for one of my homecoming meals and I loved it then as I love it now. Even die-hard cabbage haters will fall for this treat!
Because it’s something I closely identify with Mama, I knew this one had to be a Queen (the Empress was already taken, sorry Mama!). The Queen of Cups might seem like the perfect choice but my Mama was a sharp edged Scorpio. She was funny–brilliantly so at times and almost always pointed and sharp insightful humor. I knew her as a widow most of my life (she remarried when I was in my early 20’s).
Her friends were classy, stylish women (when they weren’t being redneck haints). She was a a classy, stylish woman and I adored her. She wasn’t the cookie-baking, soccer mom but she was the take-you-to-the-library, defend-you-tooth-and-nail mom. I’m lucky to have had the time I did with her. So she is the Queen of Swords to me.
World Spirit Tarot
Queen of Swords Cabbage Au Gratin
1 head cabbage, shredded
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (divided)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1-1/2 cup grated cheese (divided)
1-1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound bacon
Brown bacon, set aside
Cook cabbage in water 10 minutes. Drain.
Beat egg, cream and seasonings together.
Layer cabbage in casserole pan with egg mixture and remaining ingredients,except bacon. Reserve some of the bread crumbs and cheese for topping.
Place chopped bacon on top of casserole, dot with butter and bake in a preheated 350° F. oven for 30 minutes.
6 servings
Arwen says: Mama didn’t do the bacon and I don’t either. Just a sodium overload!
I hope you will let me know if you try this. I think I’ll make some this week. If you are Catholic, maybe you’d like to light a candle at Mary’s altar for my mama. Her name was Marilu. I’ll light a candle on my own altar. Don’t let religion come between you and those you love. It’s really not worth it. Instead, share a meal and a blessing that you have friends and family who care about you enough to worry about you.
Here’s to all of us. We are blessed to have the ability to choose who we call family. “You learn to respect everything because you are everything.” Thanks to William Least Heat Moon for that.
Today’s affirmation:
Today I understand my self. I accept me for all of who I am, past, present and future. I celebrate the tears, the laughter, the good times, the bad times. I acknowledge how my family forged me. Loved and loving, I love each of you. Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Now put yourself in that chair in that same pose. Yes down to what she is and isn’t wearing. Do a run down on yourself.
Now put your most loved friend there.
Today’s card reminds me to celebrate my body in all of its flaws and glories. I put flaws first because when I do, I am reminded that sometimes seeking joy is hard. Sometimes it’s a helluva lot easier to see what’s wrong than to acknowledge what’s right.
Look at this Empress from the World Spirit Tarot. Her legs are so fat she’s got knee wrinkles. Her stomach has Dunlap’s disease (her belly dun lapped her belt). The only reason her nipples are perky is because she’s leaning back. Her eyes are too close together. Her hair looks like she used two and a half bottles of Aqua Net.
Ouch, right?
Here is a fine-assed woman lounging on her throne. She’s got so much good going on but I chose to focus on the bad.
Now put yourself in that chair in that same pose. Yes down to what she is and isn’t wearing. Do a run down on yourself.
Now put your most loved friend there. Betcha can’t do the same harsh inventory.
Why?
[Tweet “Well the truth is simple but it’s harsh. Are you sure you are ready for it?”]
You love her more.
I’ll wait while you process that one.
tick tock
tick tock
So yeah. About that? Here’s an image made by the fabulous Linda Ursin. Maybe you want to pin it for yourself or print it for your bathroom mirror.
Can you make me a promise that just for today you won’t be negative about yourself? Maybe tell a friend about the promise and have them help you honor it.
You are worth the work.
Journal prompt today is “What gift am I overlooking? How can I better celebrate my own worth?”
Today’s card reminds me that I can change my mind. I am not limited to or locked in by what I think. I don’t have to be blinded by my thoughts, you see. The Eight of wands in many decks shows someone blindfolded while walking through a field of swords. Dangerous, that. One really should watch where one is going when one is navigating a “mind”field of sharp pointy things. This is one of the reasons I’m always on about seeking joy, y’all. My personal “mind”field is full of negativity and harsh thoughts–about myself and others. I have to watch the people I allow into my world–too much negativity and they must be moved to an outer ring. That’s how I control my joy hula hoop. I don’t let them in if they are going to suck my joy dry.
Lately I’ve been moving to a focus on the outer me now that I’m happier with the inner me. I LOATHE dieting. I LOATHE the focus on dieting. However, I loathe more the fact that my back is in constant pain. A few things have happened recently that have brought this to the forefront for me. The first was seeing one of my cousins. Last time I saw her (nearly a year to the day), she was a stocky woman showing off our shared German heritage of stocky womanness. This time she was about 1/3 of herself. All she did was eliminate two things from her diet. Sugar and the much-maligned gluten. Yes, it completely changed how she eats but, damn, she looked so good. Not her weight loss. Her energy. Her smile. Same German heritage–just less of it.
Then my best friend told me, yet again, that she would be doing this challenge thing. She’s done it twice so far. So this time, I took the plunge. It’s a 24 Day Challenge where you drink their drinks and take their vitamins. I’m on day six today. It’s working. Period.
I’ve also been focused on walking 10,000 steps a day. I have hit that a time or two. What’s nice is that my weekly average has been going steadily up. Week before last I walked 21.1 miles for a personal best. Then last week (it runs Sunday to Saturday on my pedometer app on my phone) broke that record. The app I use is MOVES (may be iOS only…sorry Droid lovers) and it is free. It keeps me on track because I can see that at noon I’ve only walked 2200 steps so I need to …grin…step it up. But back to the personal best of 21.1 being broken.
You read me correctly. I broke my record. OH YES I DID. 22.5 miles walked. That’s 56,289 steps for 11:09 hours of walking. I’m averaging 8041.25 steps a day. And you know what? I’ve found that walking is something I really enjoy. I hear/see birds. I sometimes visit with other walkers. I love seeing if I can walk just one block more. I take pictures too. And then there are some other bonuses.
Some of those benefits I’ve learned (yes, I’ve read them but never believed them) are that I am far less cranky when I walk. The more I walk, the better I feel. My feet are hurting less (bonus) but it still takes me some doing to get motivated in the morning. I have some pretty impressive blisters too. Right now I’m back to walking in my Birks and switching to my tennis just so my feet have some changes. Oh. There is one other benefit.
I have lost five pounds doing this plus the Advocare 24 day challenge (started that on Wednesday). If you want to do it too, go here to get yours. It’s definitely challenging but it’s working so that’s a good point. The cleanse part isn’t so hard except I really miss dairy. LOL I had a tiny piece of farmer’s cheese that I put in this morning’s omelet. Had to make myself do that instead of the meal replacement shake. Those things are seriously tasty. I loved breakfast drinks as a kid. The chocolate mocha one tastes very similar to those.
One of the drawbacks is the fiber drink. OMG. Just drink it as fast as you can. It’s not NASSSSSSSSSSSTY but it is nasty. 😀 The Spark energy drink has truly done what it says. I am only doing one of those a day. It is tasty as well. I prefer the orange to the fruit punch.
It’s helping me change how I think about things. Food wise I’m eating more salads and focusing on more veggies at night. I’m lucky in that I adore things like cabbage which is very filling. All in all, the new healthy me is doing well. When I’m done with this challenge, I hope that I will have a new idea of how to eat better and control things like dairy and wheat. That’s really my goal. I don’t say diet because it’s not a diet per se. It’s more of a lifestyle/attitude adjustment for me. 😀 That’s why I picked the 8 of Swords. Sometimes thoughts are my worst enemies. I have to control them around food a lot. I have some “issues” around food.
A big one is an empty pantry. Anyone who knows me will tell you I hoard certain types of food. I can’t be without mustard, vinegar and pickles. Yes, I hear you laughing now but having them makes me feel secure. I could have no meat in the house and feel less anxious than when I know I’m down to my last bottle of mustard. It’s like a crisis for me. Same for Tabasco . Funny thing is, I don’t use any of them that much other than the vinegar. Right? Laugh all you want!
Do you have certain foods that have to be in your house? What are they? Or is that not one of your hangups? I think, for me, I will need to remove my blindfold in this particular “mind”field so I can examine it a bit more.
Still, feeling the loosening of clothes? Oh yeah…priceless. I don’t think I’d be seeing these results if I weren’t doing the walking of course. But I haven’t had anything to drink that hasn’t been water. The diet sodas, so I hear, actually work against a healthy life style. No sugar AT all. That’s been super hard. The strawberries with Stevia last night went a long way to helping that sweet tooth issue. Truly that’s my weakness. 😀 So I’m going to the store today to get more fruit. I’ve polished off the quarter watermelon I got on Tuesday. Strawberries are gone. So more fruit to curb Arwen’s sweet tooth. 😀
And more work on my thoughts around food and need. 😀
What do wings, tigers and bartending have to do with the Temperance card. Join Arwen as she does a comparative study of this angel of balance using some very different decks including the Gaian, the Mary-El and the Tarot of a Moon Garden.
I have been thinking about doing some articles on comparing cards. This morning, I picked up a deck to draw a card for the first comparison. Using the Cat’s Eye Tarot, I pulled Temperance.
