Your Tarot Card by Astrological Sign for the Week of 8 December 2013

Sagittarius - November 23 - December 22

King of Wands ~ Theme for the week:  confidence & courage—refusing to settle, taking the leadership role, taking huge risks.

Capricorn - December 23 - January 20

The Empress ~ Theme for the week:  nurturing & abundance—giving of yourself, finding yourself lacking for nothing, finding a connection with nature.

Aquarius - January 21 - February 19

Knight of Swords ~ Theme for the week: expertise—speaking frankly and to the point, having all eyes on you, coming from a position of knowledge and authority.

Pisces - February 20- March 20

Four of Wands ~ Theme for the week:  excitement—feeling great joy, celebrating good fortune, breaking free from bonds.

Aries - March 21 - April 20

The Magician ~ Theme for the week:  achievement—doing what needs to be done, finding the motivation to make things happen, obtaining the power or position to make an affect.

Taurus - April 21 - May 21
Six of Swords ~ Theme for the week:  the blues—feeling down, starting over, leaving a familiar place.

Gemini - May 22 - June 21

Four of Cups ~ Theme for the week: apathy--feeling down, needing time alone, spending time recharging.

Cancer - June 22 - July 22

Eight of Cups ~ Theme for the week:  moving on—seeking answers from within, growing tired of the current situation, preparing to leave.

Leo - July 23 -August 21

Strength ~ Theme for the week:  inner strength—persevering in the face of adversity, approaching opposing views with tolerance, taking time and acting with patience.

Virgo - August 22 - September 23

Two of Wands ~ Theme for the week:  originality & boldness--thinking outside the box, looking for innovative solutions, going your own way.

Libra - September 24 - October 23

Four of Pentacles ~ Theme for the week:  controling—refusing to let go, micromanaging, refusing to allow for new ideas or ways.

Scorpio - October 24 - November 22

Eight of Pentacles ~ Theme for the week:  details—paying close attention to the finer points, taking up a new course or skill, working hard.

Your Tarot Card (by Astrological Sign) for the Week of 17 November 2013

Scorpio - October 24 - November 22
Ace of Swords ~ Theme for the week:  objectivity—being honest with yourself, approaching problems with logic instead of emotion, looking at all sides of an issue/problem.

Sagittarius - November 23 - December 22

King of Wands ~ Theme for the week:  confidence & courage—refusing to settle, taking the leadership role, taking huge risks.

Capricorn - December 23 - January 20
Two of Swords ~ Theme for the week:  denial—ignoring your true feelings, refusing to believe the truth, indecissive.

Aquarius - January 21 - February 19
The Magician ~ Theme for the week:  achievement—doing what needs to be done, finding the motivation to make things happen, obtaining the power or position to make an affect.

Pisces - February 20- March 20
Three of Swords ~ Theme for the week:  betrayal—being lied to by those you trust, suffering emotional pain, feeling alone.

Aries - March 21 - April 20

Five of Cups ~ Theme for the week:  loss—saying goodbye, longing for the past, regret over past mistakes.

Taurus - April 21 - May 21
Five of Swords ~ Theme for the week:  selfishness—looking out for number one, operating in a hostile environment, having a difficult time following the right path.

Gemini - May 22 - June 21

Knight of Wands ~ Theme for the week:  energy & life—having confidence, feeling great passion, daring to take on an adventure.

Cancer - June 22 - July 22

Seven of Cups ~ Theme for the week:  sloppiness—giving into procrastination, living in a mess, feeling overwhelmed by life.

Leo - July 23 -August 21
Seven of Swords ~ Theme for the week: irresponsibility—not fulfilling your obligations, running away, being deceitful.

Virgo - August 22 - September 23

Knight of Pentacles ~ Theme for the week:  diligence—working hard, approaching new situations with caution, being realistic.

Libra - September 24 - October 23

Four of Cups ~ Theme for the week: apathy--feeling down, needing time alone, spending time recharging.

Ace of Pentacles: Cautiously Optimisitic

I rarely read for myself.  People often come to the Tarot because the emotion of a situation is too much:  Tarot readers are no exception.  When I read for myself this emotion leaks into the reading and I often just find myself with a mirror of my own emotional state as opposed to actual guidance.  But I thought I'd try today, as it's been a trying week and this has been the first day where I felt that my emotional "leveler" has finally reached the point where the bubble has found its way to the middle.  So I sat down and with the baby babbling and blowing raspberries (an excellent way to clear the mind, let me tell you) in the background, I shuffled the deck and drew my card.  I pulled the Ace of Pentacles.

The Ace of Pentacles was an interesting choice.  The suite of Pentacles deals with money and material matters.  It was strangely relevant because I am feeling very directionless these days.  I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.  More importantly, like lots of people these days, I've found myself in the middle of a frustrating and fruitless job search.  It has been a serious blow to my ego because I've been continuously employed since I was 19.  I think I've been working and earning money so long, that it became an integral part of my identity.   As my search has dragged on, I've been the subject of so much "helpful" advice and "encouragement." There are people out there who will ply you with inspirational quotes, religious messages, etc when you find yourself in a difficult life situation, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes trying circumstances like these are lessons but just as likely they are sometimes just trying circumstances.  Crappy things happen to everyone. 

When you find yourself drawing an Ace Card in the Tarot, you can know certain things without even knowing it's meaning:  1) You are facing beginnings, seeds being planted, new things on the horizon, new possibilities.  2)  You should focus on the main theme of the suit as the Ace is often the epitome of these ideas.  Today's message is clear:  focus on the practical, the material.  The seeds have been planted--you just have to look for them.  If this is you and you too are going through an exhausting search for work, I encourage you to look for those seeds.  They are there.  Every crappy situation is NOT a lesson from the universe, but something can be learned from every crappy situation.  Blessings!

The Scariest Card of All

I was minding my own business, laying out the cards for a client when it appeared.......that pesky card that plagues Tarot card readers world over. 

Death..........my personal nemesis as a card reader. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the imagery of the Tarot, I love the symbolism, but it oftentimes comes off as far too melodramatic.  I cringed as I set the card down.  This reading, unfortunately, wasn't for a client in front of me, but rather some poor soul  who would be opening an email from me and see it staring at them in all of its melodramatic glory.  I wouldn't be there to reassure them, "It's not really Death!  I swear!"

But it is, (at least when it's you're reading) and all you can think about is: my future says death.  Guh.  Despite what Hollywood would have us believe, Tarot Card readers (at least legitimate ones) don't normally go around predicting their clients' deaths.  The card Death, like all cards in the deck, is symbolic.....it asks us to be ready for change.  Big change.  Life altering change.  Death, after all, is the greatest change a living person will ever go through.  When Death appears in your reading, the cards are giving you a heads up.....change is coming.....life as you know it will never be the same again.

In the case of my client,  Death was actually a very promising card.....her financially life had been really difficult up to this point.  The change that the Death card promised forecasted a promising financial future.  I can only hope she took my explanation to heart.  I cringe to think she stopped reading at the word death.

When the answer you get isn't the one you want

So I seem to keep running into the same situation. Client asks for a reading about the ex, someone they dated for a short time, or someone they're currently with who just isn't that into them and then is incredibly frustrated when the cards reveal that. I always do my best to give the bad news as gently as I can, but it still does nothing to help the client who didn't get the answer they had hoped for. It's hard as a reader to give someone bad news ( I want everyone to leave my presence happy and excited about the future that awaits) but it's also my job to be honest about what the cards reveal. What can you do if you don't get the answer you had hoped for?

1. Remember you have free will....but so does everyone else.
The Tarot is less predictive and more about what's going on now and what may lay ahead if the current path remains unchanged. It's not guaranteed. Don't like what the cards say? Change your path. You have the power. But remember, just as you have free will, so does everyone else in your life. You can affect you, but you can't always affect everyone else.

2. Try to see the cards point of view.
Sometimes we know the answers, but don't want to believe or deal with the truth. Some situations (matters of love especially) are really difficult to see objectively. Take notes of your reading (if they aren't provided for you by the reader) and review them later. Sometimes time and distance help us process information a little more objectively.

3. Ask a friend.
It's a lot easier for outsiders to be objective about your problems and issues, so ask a trusted friend or family member....was the reading right as they see it? Maybe they can see truth where you can't.

4. And there's always the possibility.......Maybe you just got a crappy reading.........
And yes, there is always the possibility that the reading is wrong. Maybe it's as simple as your reader had an off day, maybe he/she just picked up the cards yesterday, or maybe (because it does happen) he or she is just a quack after your money. Make sure you know what your reader provides for his/her fee....does she allow for followup questions? Rare is the reading full of doom and gloom. Be wary of the reader predicting doom and gloom that they can help you prevent with a spell or charm for a fee.

One final piece of advice......readers are just like any other personal service provider....sometimes it takes a few tries before you find someone that you click with. It may be that you and the reader just aren't connecting well enough to get a good reading. Look around, but be wary of those who are simply in the business to get your money.......making a living is one thing......running a con is a whole other kettle of fish.....