Santee Alley

I found a neat place today. I'm in downtown Los Angeles this week. I'm right next to the Bonaventure and about a mile or so from the Fabric District (was once known as the "Garment District". The publicity police decided "Fabric District" sounded friendlier.) Anyway, I was surfing through some websites on stuff to do in downtown L.A. and found out about "Santee Alley". Santee Alley's described as similar to a third world open air market. You haggle over everything and pretty much everything's for sale. I found it, but couldn't spend much time there. I can see how you could easily spend a day just perusing everything. Lots of blogs suggested not buying anything the first trip -- just try to get acclimated first! I've been to Arbot Street in Moscow -- it felt very similar to Santee Alley. Also, the Fabric District itself leading up to Santee Alley was a real treat. Again, a place where you'd have to spend a couple of days visiting all the small shops loaded with a wide variety of goods. Hope to do it sometime! By the way, I mentioned I was going to try and make a petal skirt for my daughter for Renaissance -- here's a quick peek at the first draft!

Oh -- I've also been having a lot of trouble with my email account -- I can generally receive emails, but I've been unable to send any responses. I apologize if I've been unable to respond -- but am hoping to get things resolved soon.

How about some a quick words from my sponsor, then on to the reading!

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We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Two of Cups (Reversed)

Seven of Pentacles

Out first card, the Two of Cups ususally suggests some sort of emotional bonding or a growing together between persons. This could be a romantic bond -- or it could simply a friendship. It even could be reestablishing ties with an ex-friend who you’ve had words with, or it could be a family growing closer together. Generally, a Two of Cups offers support -- since the participants provide emotional support to one another.

The reversal distorts this basic message -- for instance, it could suggest events are actually pulling members of a family apart rather than drawing them together. Our goal should be to examine what we can do to upright the reversal in order to enjoy the positive attributes of this card.

Our second card, the Seven of Pentacles offers suggestions on how we might proceed. We've seen the Seven of Pentacles a few times lately -- you may remember this card suggesting we pause and evaluate our situation. A true evaluation suggests honesty -- so we want to be open and honest with ourselves. Note that when we evaluate a situation, we may be satisfied with our progress -- in which we can comfortably commit ourselves to a course -- or we may be unsatisfied with out progress. In that case, we may look for possible changes or enhancements.

I believe the message here is that we need to be honest with ourselves. We may find that the reason for the blockage of the Two of Cups may be closer than we think -- it may be something internal to ourself. Perhaps we've been looking for our heart's desire -- and have never seen that it lies close to us. Perhaps we want to commit to something close and known -- or perhaps we decide that we need to drop the familiar and expand our search for our satisfaction. In any case, we probably won't make progress until we begin being totally honest with ourself.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with below -- they offer a free video chat, too! I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

Perhaps a Little Progress?

We've had a little hurricane excitement this week -- there wasn't a lot of wind, but there was a good bit of rain. Houston's already had our annual rainfall (We've had about 3 and a half feet of rain so far!), so the ground is pretty saturated -- it doesn't take that intense or that long a rain for things to start flooding.

We did have some flooding, but not a whole lot. I'm actually up in Dallas right now -- I was concerned about flying back yesterday because the access roads to and from the airport all flood. If there's a heavy rain in Houston, there's a good chance you'll get stranded at the airport!

Anyway, I stayed an extra night in Dallas -- I figured if the flooding hadn't died down by Friday, I could just drive the rental car back to Houston and turn it in there -- I'd be driving in from the west side (which doesn't flood). Things look pretty good, though, so I'll just fly in later today.

Gotta make a bookstore run first, though. Dallas is the home of Half-Price Books and I love to stop by as many of their stores as I can. The Half-Price mothership is huge!

How about some a quick words from my sponsor, then on to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Seven of Pentacles

Page of Pentacles

Curious -- we began with the Seven of Pentacles last week. Of course, it was reversed last week and is upright now -- perhaps a little progress during the week!

To repeat last week's introduction to the card, our Seven of Pentacles usually suggests pausing and taking stock -- or of assessing or evaluating a situation. Quite often, you'll find yourself satisfied with the assessment. Depending on the assessment, you might even find yourself able to recognize some rewards for your efforts. Now, whenever you evaluate a situation, you may determine to continue your present course – or to make changes. In that sense, this card might suggest considering changes.

Since the card is no longer reversed, we're probably in a better position to realize the positive attributes of the card. If you feel you've done well, then give yourself a pat on the back -- feel good about it!

Let's try our second card -- the Page of Pentacles. The Page of Pentacles often suggests the beginning phases of a new project or venture. This card is very practical – so it suggests we investigate the project, be realistic about what is needed in order to accomplish the necessary tasks, and begin planning. The Page doesn’t actually suggest starting the venture – simply the planning stage.

Since this card deals with the things necessary in starting a new project, it also suggests gaining the necessary focus to approach the task. At this point, the Page is still excited about the potential and is not really thinking about the effort involved in realizing that potential.

When we combine the two, perhaps we're finding that a satisfactory evaluation (good status report) might provide a little confidence and incentive to take a further step? Let each success along your path provide strength and balance for your next step!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html.

Back Again!

I'm so sorry for the long delay, but this thing with my daughter turned out to be a hellish, wearying, and expensive journey through the pits of our legal system.

She had her final court appearance yesterday and was released with some very minor probation. The whole thing started in June when she basically threw a temper tantrum when we took her cell phone away. She started throwing things around and breaking them, so we called the local constables to try and settle her down (she wasn't hearing anything we said).

Things settled down quickly, everything seemed fine, then the female officer who came by suggested "Look, I can write her a ticket, but you'll just have to pay a fine. Why don't you let me take her for a ride down to the station; she might get a wake-up call. You can come by and pick her up later." Made sense to us at the time -- but turned out to be a BIG MISTAKE!

Rather than taking her to the local station (which is what we understood they planned), they took her to the detention center in downtown Houston (30 miles away). They put her in cells with prostitues, drug dealers, and murderers! Rather than pick her up later, it took us over two weeks to get her out (I never knew that juveniles can't get bail).

To make it even worse, the police report -- which was written by an officer we never saw and never talked to -- was a complete piece of fiction. It had her stealing cars, frequently running away for weeks at a time and missing school (she had no unexcused absenses), poor school work (she's a B student), drug problems (?), and so on.

The DA tried to get her placed in state custody -- it cost us many thousands of dollars in legal fees plus loads of stress and worry, but we finally came out on top and she was released to us. This was a very, very scary introduction to the legal system.

The completely fabricated police report was what was really troubling -- there's no "checks and balances" to ensure the police write a correct report. You don't get to see and confirm what they write -- which would happen in any rational practice. Furthermore, what they write is assumed to be the complete and total truth.

We're relieved things have finally turned our way ... but are really disillusioned that it could happen. To top it off, the stress of the events has caused my Bell's Palsy to flare up again. I'm back on Lycene (which was the only thing that worked last time).

Anyway, with all the hoopla going on, I've been remiss in getting these readings out. I apologize -- I tried a couple of times, but just wasn't able to do anything meaningful; I couldn't really clear my mind enough to focus on things other than my personal situation.

Since things are brighter now, how about I get started again?

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Seven of Pentacles (Reversed)

Eight of Wands (Reversed)

(Just a side note -- the Eight of Wands is one of the two non-face suit cards in the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition that do not depict a person!)

Our Seven of Pentacles usually suggests pausing and taking stock -- or of assessing or evaluating a situation. Quite often, you'll find yourself satisfied with the assessment. Depending on the assessment, you might even find yourself able to recognize some rewards for your efforts. Now, whenever you evaluate a situation, you may determine to continue your present course – or to make changes. In that sense, this card might suggest considering changes. Since the card is reversed, we might consider what might keep us from realizing the positive attributes of this card -- and the most likely cause would be our assessment. It's difficult to objectively evaluate our own efforts -- we tend to be overly critical. We sometimes focus more on our shortcomings and mistakes and not enough on the postive things we have achieved.

Let's take a look at our second card and see if it helps us pin this down. The Eight of Wands is a card of change – perhaps something new and exciting may happen! Furthermore, when it does, it’s going to happen quickly. This could be something new coming into your life – or it could be a resolution of old hanging issues. When we put this with our previous card, we might focus more on the change aspects of the reading -- perhaps it is time we seriously consider what changes we can make to fine-tune our course.

Since change is difficult to accept -- and kinda scary to contemplate -- I'm not surprised we see the two reversals. I think what our reading is suggesting is that if we seriously considered things we might do in order to best achieve our goals, we'd probably find several things we could change that would help us do so. Change doesn't have to be major upheaval -- nothing like sell all your possessions and go live on a mountain top -- but instead usually works best when served in small doses. "As the twig is bent, so the tree shall grow" and other platitudes like that!

Look for potential minor adjustments -- and you'll likely find them. If they make sense to you and seem workable, then feel free to give them a try (you can always make further changes as you go). Our journey is a constant series of tweaks and adjustments -- don't be afraid to make corrections in your course as you feel the need!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html.

Things are Better Than You May Think!

I hope this week has been treating you well! Mine has been pretty much in the dumps -- lots and lots of major daughter problems. She's gotten herself in a bit of trouble and ... for the first time ... it's something we can't get her out of. She's having a really rude -- but well overdue -- introduction to the real world. All the little bits of trouble here and there, all the hanging around with the wrong people, all the don't want to listen to teachers, all the "I know more than anyone else" ... have all come crashing down on her all at once.

Probably the hardest thing she's realizing is that Mom and Dad were actually right all along -- I don't think she expected that!

It's really hard -- but it's better this than something much, much worse further down the road. We've got a plan to pull her through and it looks like she's going to cooperate this time. We've got our fingers crossed (but our eyes open) and are hoping for the best!

On the lighter side, my streak of never actually seeing a Houston sports team win a game in person is continuing. Now that the Astro's hitting and pitching are both working at the same time, we managed to pick the one game where they got blown out. On the plus side, we had really good seats for it!

Even worse, we had to miss the Clay Aiken concert (the hottest ticket in town -- and we had scored two) because of my daughter's problems. Oh well, maybe next time!

On to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Four of Cups

Knight of Wands (Reversed)

The Four of Cups suggests a state of ennui -- you're not feeling satisfied or fulfilled; in fact, nothing seems to fit or feel right. Depending on the situation, you may grow passive and expect others to somehow pull you out of this state. In actual fact, you really have the emotional resources available to you -- you just need to realize and acknowledge this. These resources may be the care and love of your family and friends -- and this is a powerful asset. Just a little bit can go a very long way -- but only if you acknowledge it.

Our second card suggests the danger of ignoring this. The reversed Knight of Wands suggests taking un-necessary and/or misguided action -- possibly in search of something satisfying. The reversal suggests this isn't going to be a successful search -- in fact, what you most need is likely already readily available to you.

Bottom line, if your heart feels like it's missing some vital piece, the odds are you won't have to look very far away to find that missing piece. It's likely very nearby -- but perhaps unrealized and unappreciated.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html.

Take a Break!

This week has completely gotten away from me! This was supposed to be a slow week -- I had very little scheduled and thought I'd have all this free time to finally catch up on stuff. Hah! I shoulda known better!

My past weekend was really nice -- we went to the Houston Highland Games for the first time ... it was really a treat. I married a Scot about 18 years ago -- and we discovered the clan had a booth at the games. I found out that I'm now recognized as part of the clan as well (a Cajun Scot?!?!) and can wear their tartan and all. The clan was (in olden times) a border clan, kind of an outlaw clan (They hid Robert the Bruce when he was hiding from the English.) That makes me an in-law outlaw!

Also heard a fantastic Celtic band from Canada. I've noticed that Canadian fiddlers seem to be among the most energetic Celtic fiddlers -- their step dancing style (Canadian) is pretty neat, too. Anyway, Searson is the name of the group -- it's a father and his three 20-ish daughters. They call their music style "Celtic Kick-Ass"; it is pretty snappy stuff. Their website is http://www.searson.org -- if you ever get a chance to see them, I think you'll find it a real treat!

While I'm giving plugs, I wanted to mention a little new age shop I found in my neighborhood -- I visited them the other day and had a real nice time. Cheyenne's a real nice lady and the proprietor; the shop is Phoenix Spirit All Faiths Gift Shoppe in Katy, Texas. We haven't had this on the west side of town for quite a while; I hope they do well. If you're in the area, give them a click to find directions and such -- they're not too far from Katy Junior High.

Finally, am getting ready to hop on the road to Baton Rouge -- my niece and nephew are both graduating from high school this weekend. Seems like just yesterday we were driving over curbs in Baton Rouge rush-hour traffic to try to get to the hospital in time for her birth. They grow up so darned fast!

On to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Nine of Wands

Queen of Wands (Reversed)

I think of the Nine of Wands as kind of a "catch your breath" card -- like you've just completed a tricky task and are stopping for a short breather. This is a nice spot to be in -- if you think of times you've been in this situation, you're not only enjoying the physical comfort of a quick well-deserved rest, but you're enjoying the mental comfort of a job well done. I almost always see this card as a reminder that we really should take the time to enjoy the moment!

So often we find ourselves rushing from one thing to the other -- and we sometimes fail to reserve a little time for ourselves. We not only wear ourselves out when this happens, we never recharge by taking time to enjoy our accomplishments. Note that you've got to take the time -- but it'll be worthwhile and you won't fall behind if you do so.

The idea is that just like we must eat to refuel and sleep to rest, we also need these short moments to feel good about what we have done. We spend a lot of time taking care of others; we need to reserve at least a little time to take care of ourselves.

Our second card helps reenforce this -- Wands are a suit of energy; the Queen is in a position to fully enjoy the position of having energy to accomplish what she undertakes. The reversal helps us see that we must have this energy available in order to enjoy it. The best way to attain this reserve is to let it build and flow from our own actions. When we take the time to feel good about our accomplishments, we make it that much easier to find the energy to approach the next challenge. Growing from past experiences help us face new encounters!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --

Look Up!

I hope this week's been treating you well. Mine began in an interesting way -- I was supposed to be in Canton, Ohio for Monday morning. It's hard to get to Canton from Houston, so I had to leave home at 8:30 Sunday morning to fly to Cleveland so I could drive to Canton and get there before dark. It's not that long a drive, but I had never been there before so I wanted to leave a few hours of "just in case" time!

Monday morning as I was eating breakfast, I get a phone call ... "Where are you? You should be here by now" I explained it was only 7:30 and I was almost ready to leave the hotel in Canton. "Canton!? No, you need to be in Cambridge, Massachusetts!" Hmmm ... they kind of left that part out and left in the part that said "Canton, Ohio".

Anyway, it was almost as hard to get to Boston from Cleveland as it was to get to Canton in the first place. Surprised me because Cleveland's a Continental hub and I expected it would be easier.

Anyway, it's always nice to visit Cambridge. My hotel is right across the street from M.I.T. You can watch the morning rowing teams in the Charleston from the hotel! Best of all, there's a Legal Seafood restaurant on the same block! Best clam chowder ever! That's all I've been eating all week!

On to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Eight of Pentacles (REVERSED)

The High Priestess (Reversed)

The Eight of Pentacles is one of my favorite cards -- it gives me a real "comfort" feeling. The picture shows a young apprentice hard at work. The key here is that the apprentice is completely and totally enjoying the experience -- he's not feeling that he's "working". He's having fun, he's being creative, he's learning, he's doing what he wants to do. Think of when you were young and your Mom or Dad let you "help" them with a task. You felt completely absorbed and productive (even if you were probably making a mess!)

Whenever we're in this sort of situation, we become so focused on our task that we may not notice other things around us. This can be a blessing -- because we're completely into the creative process -- but it is an imbalance. In general, we should strive for balance.

On the other hand, "balance" doesn't mean we have to straddle the middle all the time. We can swing one way, then swing the other direction. When you average the two, you're in balance! So -- it's okay to become involved in a task ... even almost to the exclusion of all else ... as long as we don't stay there forever!

Our second card -- the Reversed High Priestess -- emphasizes this point. This card is a patient and calm card -- it tends to see the big picture rather than being drawn in by one or two points. By seeing the big picture, we see things that other may miss.

The key here is the "rather than being drawn in -- or focused -- on one or two points" and the Reversal! This points out that we need to be wary of spending so much time focusing on something -- even if it enthralls us -- that we'll miss the big picture!

Focus, mental toughness, and discipline are great -- but don't let these assets get in your way of seeing the total picture! It's okay to closely watch something you find interesting -- as long as you occasionally pick your eyes up to see what's happening around you! If you don't, you may look at at some point to find out you've missed the bus completely!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

Change?

Hope things are going well for you -- I've been back in L.A. again, but am returning home in a few hours. The cooler weather's been a nice change -- although I understand Texas has been rather cool as well.

I don't know that I've ever been in L.A. when the weather was "bad" (not counting smog!). This area is blessed with wonderful weather and terrain ranging from beaches to snowy mountains -- and it's unblessed with about 50 zillion people all crammed in the same valley. Traffic is pretty bad -- and I find the highways are surprisingly rundown. People are all pretty nice, though. I think that all the potential weekend activities have them all in good moods!

Clay Aiken is coming to Houstin in July -- concert sold out quickly, but we were fortunate enough to score some tickets early. We have season tickets to the symphony and they offered tickets to us a few days before they went on sale to the public. Symphony tickets used to really be a good deal in Houston -- individual concerts went as low as $15 or so. A couple of years ago there was a changing of the guard -- the old symphony management went and the young folks took over. They more than tripled ticket prices and reduced the number of concerts and the number of guest artists. Perhaps it was needed for financial reasons, but it's no longer as good a deal as it used to be. We no longer buy season-long passes; we only purchase smaller "bundles" (which still count as season tickets).

One of my favorite performers (who hasn't returned since the management change) is a violinist named Kennedy (I believe his first name is Nigel). He's a "bad boy" violinist -- among his CD's are a "Kennedy plays Hendrix"! When he came out on stage, he wore a tuxedo top, sweat pants, and bowling shoes. Fabulous performance, though -- he's mainly a classical performer. I don't remember the main piece he played, but his encore was Vivaldi's "Spring" ... the entire hall was completely mesmerized.

I like violinists -- going to see Itzhak Perlman in a couple of weeks and am really looking forward to it.

On to the reading - we'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Nine of Swords (REVERSED)

Six of Swords

Two "Swords" this time -- Swords are typically suggest matters of the intellect ... things like "thought" or "analysis". Therefore, we're going to look at things that enrich -- or trouble -- the mind.

The Nine of Swords suggests "worry" to me. Look at the card -- have you ever been so troubled or worried about something that it kept you from sleeping? That's the sort of troubled worry we're looking at. Maybe not quite that intense -- but more than likely something with that potential to become all-encompassing (although it may be temporary).

The reversal can amplify the message here -- although it also suggests that we may actually not have as much reason to worry as we think we do. Let's take a peek at our second card to see if we can find some help ... The Six of Swords can suggest many things -- but change seems to be a common factor. If we put both cards together, we might consider what may happen if we find ourselves worrying about a potential change. What's curious is that the Six suggests that this change may be something we have sought out -- not something that is forced upon us. So ... if it's something that we have sought, why should it worry us?

Well, change is pretty much always unsettling -- because we're moving from the known to the unknown. No matter how unpleasant the known may have been and no matter how interesting the unknown may be, we're still moving to something new -- which can be troubling.

I think we've all had the experience of a lousy job at some point in our lives -- rotten hours, lousy tasks, moron boss, terrible hours ... that sort of thing. When you finally find something more appealing, it seems you always go through the "job changing blues" when you prepare to switch. It makes no sense at all -- you're moving from an unpleasant situation to a more appealing situation -- but the change still makes you feel uneasy!

I find an easy way to move past this is to look "through" the change and focus on the reasons for the change ... or focus on the goal at the end of the move. Perhaps concentrating on the more appealing aspects of the ultimate goal can help you through any uneasy feelings you may have about having to make a change.

Note that "making a change" may not be the actual item here -- we may be instead in a place where we're not even considering a change because of concern about the trouble of change. Look past the potential trouble -- it's only temporary, after all -- to try and determine if a change is what you really want. If that is your ultimate goal, then the price you pay may seem trivial in comparison.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

Slow Down; Relax!

I hope your week's begun well -- I'm back in Houston but am still trying to sleep off California time. Maybe one more day will do it. Got tons of errands to do, too.

My American Idol pool is already messed up -- I'm solidly lodged in last place (well, at least 15 other people are tied with me)! To make it worse, I'm even starting to like Sanjaya! I've still got Melinda to win it and Jordin coming in second -- my surprise pick is Lakisha going fifth (or did I pick fourth? I don't remember now)

I've been enjoying the last two days of baseball -- I think I was ready for some slower paced things. Wish the Astros could find a closer, though. Looks like their high-priced free agent acquisition (Carlos Lee) is going to perform the same way as last year's high-priced free agent acquisition (Preston Wilson) by leading the team in strikeouts. Meanwhile, they've got several 300-hitters sitting on the bench not getting any playing time.

On to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

The Ten of Cups (maybe reversed?)

Four of Swords

Our first card -- the Ten of Cups -- is curious this time. I'm not sure if it's reversed or not! I always follow a strict sequence when I draw a card and set it down -- but my finger slipped and the Ten of Cups fell reversed. However, if I hadn't dropped it, it would have been upright. Most readers pay attention to "accidental" card drops -- so I think I'm going to read this card as if it had been reversed from the beginning.

The Ten of Cups suggests complete familial comfort and happiness. All is well with you and the people you really care about. Since we're going to read this card as if it were reversed, we're going to deviate a bit from this meaning. I'm seeing this deviation as a delay -- as in you're not quite set to reach this state yet ... something needs to happen first.

Our second card, the Four of Swords, offers a clue. The Four of Swords suggests rest and recuperation -- which in itself suggests taking care of your own needs. This could be physical recuperation -- or perhaps mental rest might make more sense. In any case, take stock of yourself -- are there any areas where you feel particularly tired or stressed? The Four of Swords suggests taking the time and doing what's necessary to ease these strains. Once you do, you'll be prepared to move forward and realize the aspects of our first card.

Bottom line, in order to achieve peace with those you love, you have to start by preparing your body and mind to be a participant in that process. If you're pulled taut, you'll find it difficult to help create and enjoy the comfort that awaits you -- take time to put yourself first and take care of your needs!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

No, He Really Didn't Make You Do It!

hope your week's begun well -- I'm actually staying home this week! It's nice to catch up on Houston stuff -- and do things like errands, laundry, kid's school stuff, etc, etc.

Not a whole lot going on right now -- my American Idol pool is about to begin and I have no idea what to do. The way our pool works is that you have to pick positions 1,2,3,4,5 and 10 -- you get points for each one exactly correct. My first year (Carrie and Bo), I got 1, 2, and 5 correct and ended up in third place -- my big pick was picking Constantine to go before Scott. Got lucky there!

Last year, I didn't get any correct. Yep -- missed every single one. I had the correct top 5, just in the wrong order.

This year is going to be tricky -- here's how I see 'em. Melinda's looking good for the top spot; I think Lakisha is going to eventually do a Tamayra and mess up by picking the wrong song, Jordin's looking strong (maybe Melinda and Jordin top two?).

It's the guys that are confusing me -- I have no idea where the two Chris's and Blake will end up. Sanjaya? Can't figure that one out at all -- he could finish anywhere from tenth to second. These aren't necessarily my favorites, just the way I think they'll finish in the voting.

I've still got a week before my picks have to be in -- will have to puzzle it out by then. By the way -- when I was in L.A. last week I checked into American Idol tickets -- $1150 a show! Way, way, way, way out of my league!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

The Devil

Knight of Swords

Remember Flip Wilson and his Geraldine character? She had The Devil depicted perfectly when she said -- "The devil made me do it!" Of course, the devil doesn't make you do anything -- we all choose to do what we want to do. Sometimes we make stupid choices -- and rather than take responsibility for those choices, it's easy to say "The Devil made me do it!"

The Devil refers to that little bit of devil that's inside all of us -- the one that encourages us to made poor choices and do stupid things. It doesn't force us to do anything -- the choices remain ours to make; we are always in control! However, sometimes staying in control takes an effort we're not willing to make -- and a poor decision is the result.

The card depiction actually helps us understand this -- look at the two figures bound by chains in front of the Devil. Sure, they're bound -- but the chains are quite loose. It would be easy to free yourself -- just make the effort to lift off the chain.

Same way, it would be easy to make good decisions -- just don't do things that you know aren't smart. Well, at least, it should be easy ... but we all know that sometimes we don't make that effort. This card reminds us that freeing ourself is easy -- but it does take effort on our part.

Let's try and get an idea where this reading is heading by looking at our second card -- the Knight of Swords. I find it interesting that we had the Page of Swords last week -- and the Knight of Swords this week. In general, Pages like to dream and plan, but aren't so good at actually doing. Knights tend to be energetic at doing -- but aren't so hot at finishing.

I'm going to digress for just a second. There are several cards that, when I seem them, I immediately think of some catch phrase. When I see the Page of Swords, I think of "Hey, who let the kids play with the power tools!" When I see the Knight of Swords, I think of "Ready, Fire, Aim!"

This is because the Knight of Swords is always eager to jump right into something -- but doesn't really have a clear plan of how to actually accomplish what he's trying to do. He hasn't thought things through properly and probably doesn't have all that good an understanding of the major issues. Although he begins with lots of energy, this lack of planning suggests he'll flounder before too long.

Let's put these two cards together: The Devil suggests we may feel bound to something that's not so good an idea; the Knight of Swords suggests we may not have thought things all the way through.

When you find yourself in this situation, the way out seems clear -- why are we bound to a poor position? Because we haven't thought things all the way to the end -- we may not see the ultimate reason it's a poor choice. Or -- we may refuse to see it because we don't want to.

In either case, the way to free ourselves from the Devil's loose chain is to use our own abilities to think things through to see the correct course of action. Oh ... and then we have to actually do it -- and complete it!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --
v

Past Choices Affecting Future Possibilities?

I hope your week's gone well -- mine's been pretty busy; returned from vacation on Wednesday, then have been trying to catch up ever since.

Disneyland was really nice -- I've always thought Disneyland was much higher quality than Disneyworld although it was much smaller. However, I've also always felt that you felt much more of a Disney "experience" at Disneyworld over Disneyland. Things have changed a bit, though The area surrounding Disneyland now fits well and feeds into Disneyland very well. This helps you feel more surrounded by Disney -- much like you are when you're at Disneyworld. Plus, the new California Adventure park right across from Disneyland adds a number of nice rides and attractions. My daughter and her friend pretty much spent their entire time at California Adventure riding the roller coaster and the Tower of Terror. We old folks enjoyed finding the Muppet 3-D show and also really enjoyed the Soaring Over California attraction (you feel like you're hand-gliding over California).

We also enjoyed the Disney Village right next to the two parks. Little Richard was playing at the House of Blues in the Disney Village the day we arrived -- we weren't able to make the show, though. Darn!

We old folks spent most of our time in Disneyland. Rode "Small World" more than once, too. I just really enjoy the quality and attention to detail you find in Disneyland. The best ride may be the Indiana Jones ride (they don't have it at Disneyworld), but my all-time favorite is the Haunted Mansion. I've been spending a lot of time on the Doom Buggies site -- a tribute to the Haunted Mansion attraction -- have learned quite a few things, too! Oh -- they've also made "Captain Jack Sparrow" more of a player in the Pirates ride!

One big difference (other than size and quality) we found between Disneyland and Disneyworld is that Disneyworld is for smokers, Disneyland isn't. We never saw anyone smoking inside the parks themselves and only saw two or three smokers outside the park the entire trip. Disneyworld is a far different story -- it seems like almost everyone is smoking. The cigarette butts in the street (and on the rides!) really stack up by the end of the day.

All in all, it was a fine trip; if you have a chance to visit the Disney parks in Anaheim, I highly recommend you do so! I think you'll really enjoy them!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Ten of Wands (Reversed)

The Lovers

The Ten of Wands reminds us that we sometimes have to work really hard to get what we want -- or to get where we want. Another word for this is struggle! It's nothing to take personally -- but it is true that long and tough effort is often the asset most needed to accomplish our desires.

The problem with long and hard effort is that we can become discouraged -- we may feel we'll never reach the end. In fact, when we look forward it might seem all we see is more hard work waiting for us -- there's never an end!

When we face this sort of discouragement, I always suggest we ask ourselves two questions: First, can you honestly say you've really been trying? Second, if you feel you have made an honest effort, then have you made at least some small progress somewhere? If you can honestly say you've tried, and can recognize even a teensy bit of progress, then you know you will succeed eventually. Sure, it would be nice to finish everything all at once -- but the really important thing is that you will eventually win. It doesn't matter if it's long, time-consuming, or a grind -- the end result is what's important. Dont' be discouraged simply because something seems difficult -- the Ten of Swords reminds us not to quit when times seem tough -- and to be confident in your ability to reach your goal.

The reversal here likely suggests we may find ourselves concentrating on the "grind" portion of a task rather than the end result. Let's see how our next card can help.

The Lovers is really a choice card -- we have a chance to make a choice that will affect the outcome of our struggle. In fact, I often see The Lovers as suggesting a choice that we've either already made or a choice that we're leaning towards making.

When we put these cards together, can you see how choices you've made may affect your efficiency in meeting your goals? If you see choices that are affecting you adversely, remember that choices are not static -- you can change or alter them. You don't have to abandon them -- but they may need some tuning! When times seem tough, consider changes you may be able to make that will help you better face your challenges -- always look to strengthen and better yourself!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html.

Choose Wisely

hope your week's been going well -- this was supposed to be a slow week for me, but somehow I always end out having more to do in slow weeks. Don't know why that happens.

It's Spring Break time! We're taking my teenage daughter and one of her friends to do the Disney thing in Los Angeles for a few days. I grew up in Louisiana, so have done DisneyWorld a bit, but I always enjoy DisneyLand more. It's much, much smaller, but it just seems so much nicer. Everything seems higher quality and there's much more attention to detail. Crowds are not as bad, either -- plus the ticket prices are a lot better.

Houston's been a bit of fun lately; it's Rodeo time. Every spring, we have the Houston Rodeo. It's a three to four week event; there's big name country and popular music stars every night, plus livestock and traditional rodeo. I never thought a rodeo sounded that interesting -- but was really entranced when I went. The last time I went, the rodeo was held in the Astrodome; they've since moved to Reliant Stadium. ZZ Top closes out the last night -- unfortunately I'll miss 'em.

The Friday the Rodeo begins is known as "Go Texan" day. Everyone in town dresses up in cowboy and cowgirl gear -- that banker you saw yesterday in the three piece suit will come to work looking like Roy Rodgers. Many of the freeways in town are closed down because of thousands of trail riders coming into town.


We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Two of Swords

Page of Swords (Reversed)

The Two of Swords suggests decisions -- especially decisions that need to be made. When I look at the figure on this card, I'm reminded of the traditional figure of Justice -- as in a blindfolded Justice holding a set of scales.

That's fairly appropriate because you really need to implement many of the same skills in order to make a fair and good decision. Things like fairness, honesty, and objectivity. These aren't always the easiest skills to implement -- especially when it's a very personal or difficult decision. It's often hard to be objective if we're intimately involved with the decision.

When this is the case, what quite often happens is that we put off making the decision -- we do nothing. If you think about it, though, doing nothing is in itself making a decision -- because it commits us to a course of action. The downside is that the result of doing nothing is usually a course that we don't control. My personal feeling is that it's always better to do the hard work in order to make a fair decision so that we can control the course -- that's just me, though.

Tough decisions are hard -- that's what makes 'em tough. Let's look at our next card to see if we can find a little help.

In this case, the reversed Page of Swords suggests to me the result of not making the effort to make a decision. I think of this Page suggesting what happens when you commit to a position before you've done the proper thoughtwork. You'll have made a move you're not ready for yet.

I think the reversed Page of Swords suggests that we treat our decisions seriously -- and that we don't put them off because they're tough. If the matter is important, then it's worth our effort to do the necessary work to evaluate things fairly and honestly. Only in that way can we take control of matters -- rather than letting them control us.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html. I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com!

Woodsong --

Sometimes it IS worth the hassle!

Many thanks for all the feedback regarding the new layout -- I really, really like being able to show you the card images in the readings -- there're quite often several hidden treats when you look at the images! For instance, if you still have the last reading hanging around, go back and take a quick peek at The Ace of Cups and The Magician. If you don't have that email handy, the reading (and images) is still posted at my blog.

If you read the A.E. Waite card descriptions, he waxes enthusiastically about the four streams of water emerging from the Cup in the Ace of Cups. Take a closer look at the picture, though ... notice anything? Yep, there are five streams of water, not four! How about The Magician? Remember how I noted he is adept at using Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles? How can you know that? Well, look at what's sitting on the table right in front of him!

We can thank Pamela Coleman Smith (also known as Pixie Smith) who illustrated the cards per Waite's instructions. Smith not only illustrated the Major Arcana (the Trump cards), she also illustrated the suit cards with pictures or vignettes rather than simple pip counts as had always been done before. In doing so, she really transformed the art of reading Tarot.

Up till then, there was really only one style of Tarot cards -- I call them "Marseilles" after a popular French deck. Pixie Smith developed a whole new style pretty much by herself (Waite didn't really care what was on the suit cards -- he was more interested in the Trump cards). Some of the most popular decks today are variants of Pixie Smith's original concept. Since then, a third desk style has emerged ... but perhaps I'll talk more about the three styles next time!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Seven of Wands

Wheel of Fortune

The Seven of Wands suggests contention – strife, struggle, argument, debate, etc. This can actually be a positive message! For instance, it might suggest you assertively seek what you desire and be steadfast against those who oppose you.

When involved in a struggle, some of us question whether it’s worth it. It just seems too much trouble to go through the hassle. The Seven of Wands reminds you that if you are convinced in the rightness of your purpose, then you shouldn’t avoid the struggle simply because it may be difficult. Sometimes, the hassle really is worth it!

Our second card offers a little hope if that hassle seems just a little too tough. The Wheel of Fortune can help us when times seem tough by reminding us that things tend to go in cycles.

Like the song says: there are good times, and there are bad times. When times are good, don't sit back and become complacent ... because things can change! When times seem bad – don’t become too discouraged. If you think about it, when things seem their worst, that simply suggests that things can then only get better!

Furthermore, the Wheel suggests you shouldn’t simply stand still and accept what life hands you. You can take an active hand to try and remain on the upside of the Wheel. When things are down, instead of waiting and hoping for things to get better, you can work actively towards improving your situation, thereby speeding up the recovery process.

Finally, the Wheel can suggest not becoming discouraged when faced by adversity – adversity is a natural part of life and should be expected to happen. The fact that bad times happen shouldn’t worry you – accept them as natural and not necessarily indicative of problems. Instead, look for ways how you can face and conquer the adversity. If it cannot be addressed, then that might be taken as suggestion of a problem.

When we put these cards together, we see the concept that we may face a struggle whenever we strive for something we feel is worthwhile. The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that this struggle may be well worth our while! If we think we should avoid strife because things are pretty good, the Wheel reminds us that sitting tight doesn't guarantee that things will continue as they are. If the struggle seems too tough, the Wheel suggests that brighter days lie just ahead -- if we only take a hand in the matter rather than avoiding contention.

Bottom line, sometimes we have to work for what we want. And ... if it were always going to be fun, then they wouldn't call it "work", would they!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please check out some of the super readers I work with at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html.

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

Balance

Back to the week -- I hope your's has begun well. Don't know if you celebrated Mardi Gras yesterday or not -- I live in Houston now, but grew up in Louisiana so I know what the party can be like. We decided to have a traditional New Orleans meal to celebrate, but had problems agreeing on what was a typical New Orleans dish.

I lived in New Orleans for several years and my vote was for Red Beans and Rice. Red Beans are traditionally served on Mondays in New Orleans; the story goes that Monday was always laundry day in the old times. Back then, laundry took all day to do -- no modern machines around at all! So, housewives cooked a simple meal that could sit unattended on the stove all day while they took care of the laundry -- and that meal was Red Beans and Rice. For the traditional New Orleans flavor, you need to use some pickled pork in the beans. Southern Louisiana used sausage instead, so the New Orleans style was unique to the area.

On to the reading ... we'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Ace of Cups (Reversed)

The Magician

Aces of any suit typically suggest the beginning of something new; Cups particularly zone in on emotional areas. This might suggest a new beau, or perhaps a new friendship or even a new emotional attitude towards topics that interest you. Maybe it's a new interest in a favorite singer on American Idol (although I thought most of the guys were uninteresting last night)!

The reversal twists this message, though. Instead of a new beginning (or a renewal of a stale interest), it likely suggests some hindrance that's keeping you from being able to realize this aspect. Let's take a peek at out next card to get some things to think about that may help us move forward.

The Magician normally suggests the power of our individual will. We all vary in physical capabilities ... but the physically weakest of us all may have the strongest willpower. Our will may even be our most defining personal aspect. While this is normally the view of the Magician, I'm getting a different twist this time, though.

Another aspect of the Magician is that he is able to use all the aspects of the Tarot suits -- Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles -- when he enforces his will. There's a balance implied here -- no one suit is more important than any other, they're all equally important ... and all equally necessary. (In fact, I find balance or imbalance a recurring theme in many of the readings I do.)

I'm wondering if perhaps the Ace of Cup's reversal is because of an imbalance -- a tendancy to focus strongly on the emotional aspect while neglecting the other equally important aspects? In order to fully realize new emotional enjoyment, we also have to address our physical, mental, and spiritual (or energy) wellbeing. I'm really stretching the spiritual part here -- Wands really refer to the interest and energies we use to fuel ourselves -- but I guess you could term it spiritual well-being in a way.

Anyway, what I'm thinking is that we'll be best able to upright that pesky Ace if we also keep an our on other facets of our person. Keep balanced, and you'll find it easier to stride down the path!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week.

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong

---

Your Own Downtime

I hope your week's been going well. Detroit was completely frigid -- very cold and windy! A huge snowstorm hit the area on Tuesday -- we were watching the radar and it looked like a hurricane with a calm "eye" right in the middle on top of Detroit. While everyone around us was getting slammed, we still had clear weather. Finally, mid-afternoon the eye began to "close" and the snow moved in. I'm not sure how much we got (12 inches was predicted), but I think the wind blew much of it around. The airport was essentially closed on Wednesday -- main problem were the access highways were shut down.

I've learned from past trips that when I'm travelling up north in the winter, I always schedule a lot of lag time and never never never schedule the last flight out, so I wasn't affected. Many of the people I was with had cancelled flights on Wednesday (I didn't leave till Thursday) and had to scramble for alternates and hotel rooms.

My three winter travel lessons are "1) Always schedule slack time, 2) never take the last flight out, and 3) if you're connecting in Cleveland, plan on spending the night in Cleveland!"

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading!

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(Also, our good friends from Austin!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

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We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.


The cards are:

Four of Swords

Four of Wands

I like to think of the Four of Swords as suggesting a time to rest and recharge your energies. Not so much physically, but more mentally. Our physical selves are pretty good at demanding their own rest time -- we're simply so tired that we have to stop and rest. Our mental selves aren't quite as demanding -- although they're just as needy as our physical selves. We don't always recognize that stressed-out stretched feeling as suggesting we need to step away to relax and renew our minds -- we just try to keep on going ... which of course, stresses us out even more!

Be sure and schedule your own "lag time" -- reserve down time for yourself when you can mentally recharge. Whether that's a restful sleep, a relaxing book or movie, or sitting and staring at the fire for an hour -- you know what relaxes you ... reserve the time for yourself and do it!

The Four of Wands suggests what may await us if we do so -- it's a celebratory card. Things fall into place, pieces fit together smoothly, we may even gather recognition from others ... all these are available to us if we take care of ourselves -- both our physical selves AND our mental selves!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Balance

I hope your week's been going well; I'm in Salt Lake City right now (am returning home this afternoon) and am loving it! The temperature is great, there's snow in the mountains, and the people are really nice. Cool enough to wear a camel-hair coat, too. I'd love to come back here in ski season.

I really enjoyed my stay in New Mexico last week -- I think New Mexico just hits a chord in me. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I love the contrast between the desert, the high plains, and the alpine mountains. For some reason, the sky always looks more blue there.

We used to visit the Enchanted Circle area (Taos, Angel Fire, Red River) in northern New Mexico at least once a year. Great skiing, great shopping, and incredible scenery. Not too crowded (although there are lots of Texans there -- oh wait, I'm a Texan!) and priced very reasonably. Only problem is that you've pretty much got to drive to get there -- but that helps keep it from being too crowded.

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading!

------------------------

(Also, our good friends from Austin!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
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-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Queen of Cups (Reversed)

Three of Pentacles

The Queen of Cups suggest a loving and caring person. This tender-hearted and empathetic Queen feels strongly for others, but this is both her strength and her weakness - she can be easily taken advantage of since she is so trusting. Since this card is reversed, it suggests these attributes may somehow inhibit your ability to make a decision. You can really identify this happening when your mind tells you one thing, but your feelings or your heart tell you something else. When reversed, I'd be careful about relying too much on your feelings. Try to pay a little more attention to what your reason is suggesting.

The Three of Pentacles can help us here. This Three is grounded in the real world -- feelings don't come too much into play. This Three enjoys interacting with the real and physical world. It recognizes that this sort of interaction can yield it's own reward. For instance, dedicating yourself to a project and doing a job very well leaves you centered in the world, plus it gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

When we put the cards together, we get a warning that your feelings can occasionally lead you astray. If you're driven by your emotions, people can take advantage of you. Try to keep yourself balanced -- feelings are great, but work to keep at least one foot centered in the real world! It's the balance that makes you strong.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Focus on Your Goal -- But Not Tool Much!

Hi there!

I hope your week's been going well; I've been up in Boulder, Colorado this week. The town's a lot smaller and a lot flatter than I had expected -- it's right at the foot of the Rockies. The mountains rise up from the rear of the town, but the town itself is on a fairly flat plain.

I confess I drove by the Ramsey house -- it's a lot different from what I expected as well. It's about 4 or 5 blocks from the University of Colorado campus. The neighborhood is about what you would expect from a campus neighborhood; lots of smaller older houses for student housing and a handful of larger older ones for professors and university administrators. The yards aren't very large; it's certainly not the "mansion" described in the press.

Had to go into Denver yesterday for a "half hour" meeting with our sales folks. I hate meeting with sales folks -- they always take way to much time to do way too little. First off, they were 2 hours late to the meeting. Next, you couldn't have a conversation longer than 45 seconds before their cell phones would ring. Next, any slightest distraction would send them off on a half-hour tangent talking about golf and nights spent partying. We had about 15 minutes of of real work we needed to do. By 5:00 pm (I had been there since 10:00 am), we still hadn't finished up. They had planned a night of fancy restaurants and night clubs where we would finish -- I said "No thanks, see you later", and drove back up to Boulder (through Denver 5:00 rush hour traffic!) where I finished my part in about 5 minutes and then went to bed!

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading!

------------------------

(Also, our good friends from Austin!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Knight of Pentacles

Five of Cups

The Knight of Pentacles is a real-world card; he's steadfast and stubborn. He doesn't rely on fancy schemes or tricks to achieve his goal; he just plods straight ahead and works hard to get where he wants to be. I've always said that if he played football, he'd be a lineman, not a quarterback.

One thing to consider about this knight -- sometimes he tends to have blinders on. Because he's so focused on the goal in front of him, he may not notice other opportunities or quicker resolutions available to him. It's important not to let the extreme attributes of this card dominate your performance.

When we look at our second card, the Five of Cups, we get a slight hint that this might be our focus. The Five of Cups is often considered a "sad" card -- it usually refers to a sense of loss, or a sense of change - where you may long for what has passed. Along with the “sad” message is a “glad” message also - while you may no longer have some things, you still have other fine assets. Often, the tendency is to emphasize what is missing - when what you might try to do is emphasize what is remaining.

This tendancy to focus on what's unavailable makes it likely you'll miss what is available. Just as the Knight of Pentacles doesn't see resources around him, the Five of Cups also misses these available resources.

We might want to be wary of situations where we feel we just don't have the tools or assets we need to accomplish whatever task we're engaging. In these cases, take a moment to look around and reconsider your plan. It just may be that there are available resources that you've missed because you've been so focused on your goal.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Take a Fresh Look

I hope your week's begun well; things have been pretty hectic around here lately. I'm sorry I'm so late on the readings -- but things have finally settled down just a tiny bit!

The company I work for went through one of it's regular "re-invent the way we do things" recently. They so this every couple of years -- spend hundreds of thousands of dollars flying consultants and employees all over the place, giving us pep talks and seminars demonstrating the new way we're going to operate. Then ... everyone ignores all of it and does what we've always been doing. Big waste of time and money.

Anyway, in the bustle I ended up with a new supervisor. Instead of sending me out once a week on a trip, the new guy's been sending me out three or four times a week! Been having to leave home on Sunday, come home on Saturday. The main problem is packing for several different visits in a week. Not so bad now, but once winter gets here, it's tough to pack for both cold and warm weather! Also, since the toothpaste morons struck, airplane travel's been even more of a bear.

The routine's rough, but the readings have suffered the most. I'm going to try and adjust my travel so that I've always got a free half-day somewhere in the beginning of the week -- keep your fingers crossed!

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading!

------------------------

(Also, our good friends from Austin!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

The Hanged Man (Reversed)

Six of Wands

I like looking at the Hanged Man as suggesting we try and take a different perspective or read on a situation. Quite often, our "programming" kicks in and we don't even think about how we react -- we just go ahead and react in the way we're accustomed to doing. When I see the Hanged Man, I like to take a step back and pretend this is the very first time I've ever faced this sort of situation. Trying real hard not to let my normal orientations slip in, I'll look at all the factors as if it's the first time I've ever seen them. I'll spend time on factors that I'd normally ignore -- and normally will find that there are new considerations that I've never realized.

The reversal points out to us that this isn't easy to do -- we have a lifetime of experience that leads us to react to situations the way we do. The Hanged Man suggests we don't lean quite as heavily on this experience -- and we might find we'll learn something new.

Our second card helps us think of areas where we might try this new method of evaluation. The Six of Wands reminds us that life is a journey of many small steps. We often find obstacles we must overcome when we take these steps. Sometimes, just knowing there are many new obstacles we must yet face can make us discouraged.

The Six of Wands tells us we shouldn't concentrate on what's coming up -- but should instead take comfort because of the last step we overcame. Enjoy the encounters you succeed in -- you deserve to feel good about them. Knowing there are new encounters ahead of us should not change this -- we'll face those another day.

When we put these two cards together, we might wonder if the Hanged Man is suggesting the danger of feeling discouraged because of what we have yet to face instead of feeling good about what we have accomplished so far. If so, then take his advice and switch your perspective! Feel good about where you are and how you got there. Consider the fact that you've successfully reached this point suggests that you'll be successful in overcoming the next step you'll face -- and the next, and the next, and the next, ...

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Rest IS Important!

I hope your week's begun well; mine's started with a lot of activity, but not much progress! I'm up in Kansas City (but am heading to Springfield tonight) and both clients have cancelled, so I'm sitting around with nothing to do.

Had a terrible weekend -- teenage daughter problems! She and a friend snuck the "Two B's -- Beer and Boys" into their room Saturday night. Heard some noise around 1:30am and went and checked and found them. The girls weren't doing anything, but the boys were drinking heavily. I grabbed the two boys by the scruff of the neck and tossed them out the window -- that's not as bad as it sounds. That's the way the snuck in and we have a deck roof right outside the window. They thanked me by coming back later on and smashing my windows with beer bottles.

I'm probably not pressing charges -- I know I should, but my past experience with the local gendarmes suggests absolutely nothing will be done. After all, if they didn't do anything when we caught the person who's stolen thousands of dollars worth of guitars red-handed, why should I think they'll do anything for a couple of hundred dollars worth of windows?

Anyway, my daughter's always very pleasant and contrite after she gets caught doing something stupid -- so we're enjoying her right now. She'll be grounded at least until school starts in another few weeks, plus she'll lose her cell phone. We'll then see how things go from there -- she's starting High School and will be with a whole new group of people (although she knows a lot of them from an older school she went to).

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading! I've also found a I'm very grateful whenever you give them a click and check them out (it keeps this free reading going!)

------------------------

(I personally don't claim to be psychic -- but I do believe that ALL of us have the ability to be much more sensitive and perseptive than we are. Some call this being "psychic" -- I just call it listening to what is already there. All you need to do is practice listening.

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Just click over to http://www.woodsongtarot.com/develop.html to find out more.

------------------------

(Also, our good friends from Austin!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Four of Swords (Reversed)

Seven of Wands

These two cards make an interesting combination.

The Four of Swords suggests rest and recuperation to me. Not "let's go and party and relax" -- but more of a "let's take some time off, take it easy, and relax". Life tends to be pretty hectic -- we don't always make the necessary time to relax and recharge. This card suggests how important it is to MAKE the time to do this. The reversal suggests how difficult it is sometimes to make this happen.

The second card simply points out the importance of making it happen. The Seven of Wands suggests more hectic times are a-coming! Not necessarily anything particularly troublesome, but more likely just the continued "pulling in all directions" that life tends to slap on our plate.

This is normal -- happens all the time. The combination of the two cards, though, points out that we will suffer if we don't permit ourselves to rest and recharge to be able to face the continuing demands we'll face. Life can be hectic -- that's not the problem, though. The problem is not taking care of ourselves so that we're able to face these issues. We can't always control the hectic part -- but we can control the "resting" part.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Look Within To Make It Happen

Hi there!

I hope your week's been going well; I've had a glorious week so far! I'm in Provo, Utah right next to BYU and am bounded by these incredible mountains! Haven't had a chance yet to travel up in snow valleys, but hope to do that tonight.

I'm sorry I missed last week -- I had intended to do a reading, but was on the Alabama beaches (just a few miles from Florida, same sand and water, less crowd!) and couldn't find Internet access anywhere! It rained most of the week, but that was fine with me. I really go to the beach to relax and read and listen to the waves. I could sit on the porch of our condo and do that even when it was raining.

Also went to the Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, Alabama. Haven't ever been before and really enjoyed myself. They have an incredible facility in one of their parks that contains several stages. They even have a waterway "Avon" river! I was in Stratford-upon-Avon several years back and shared a train car with Ben Kingsley. He told me it was prounounced "Ay-vun", not "Ay-von" like the sales person.

We saw "Twelth Night" and it was a hoot. My daughter even enjoyed it. I really like Shakespeare's slapstick-like comedies.

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading! I'm very grateful whenever you give them a click and check them out (it keeps this free reading going!)

------------------------

(Our friends from Austin are back!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Death (Reversed)

Strength (Reversed)

Two Trump cards -- to me, that suggests this reading isn't just telling us something, it's shouting it out!

Death suggests the end of something ... and the beginning of something else. The reversal suggests it's something difficult to accomplish. This makes me think it's something we can control -- that we might want to consider eliminating. Perhaps a bad habit ... or harmful tendancies. Maybe it's something like driving a little safer, or quitting smoking. Consider things in your life where you would be better off if you eliminated them.

So, if it's so obvious to us that we should quit doing something that's not helping us, then why don't we just do it? Well, it's HARD, that's why! Habits are difficult to break, tendancies are hard to change.

Our second card points this out -- a reversed Strength. Strength doesn't refer to physical strength -- obviously, some people are physically stronger than others. Strength refers to inner strength -- where we can all be equally as strong ... or equally as weak.

It doesn't take physical strength to break a bad habit -- it takes inner strength. We all have the ability to change anything we want to in our lives -- but do we have the resolve to make it happen. That's where inner strength comes into play. If we find changes we need to make, we're going to have to draw upon that inner strength to see the changes through.

And, of course, the reversal simply points out that this may be very difficult to do. It can happen -- we have the power -- we only need to draw on our inner strength to make it so.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Reach for it!

I hope your week's begun well; the rain in Houston's finally stopped and the flood waters have drained away. I couldn't get to the airport last week because of the flooding -- I ended out heading west to fly out of San Antonio instead!

Had a revelation about gas mileage during the trip. I typically drive my truck -- which doesn't get great gas mileage. I decided to start driving my son's four cylinder Ford Focus instead; I figured I'd get much better gas mileage. When I checked after the first couple of tanks, I found out I was only getting about 17 miles per gallon -- that's not much better than my truck!

I have a bad habit of driving very hard -- the Focus is a stick shift and has a peppy engine. I don't really drive much faster than the speed limit -- but I get up there very quickly. I decided I'd try driving a little more restrained and see what kind of difference it might make.

So ... instead of flooring it and winding the gears out, I accelerate very slowly instead. I still drive at about the same speeds, I just get to that top speed much slower than I used to.

The result -- gas mileage jumped up to better than 27 miles per gallon! That really surprised me -- and I find that I'm now a convert to driving a little less peppy and a little more restrained!

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading! I'm very grateful whenever you give them a click and check them out (it keeps this free reading going!)

------------------------

(Our friends from Austin are back!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Four of Cups (Reversed)

Queen of Wands (Reversed)

With two reversals, we're likely looking at some sort of blockage -- we're unable to enjoy some benefit until we clear away whatever may be hindering us from realizing the positive message of the draw.

The Four of Cups is not an active card. It suggests a fairly enjoyable position -- of being able to enjoy certain blessings. However, it also suggests that we're unable to do so; if anything, the message could be not appreciating the things you do have. If we fixate on a desire to attain more and more -- we'll never be able to enjoy what we have already achieved. In extreme cases, this unsatisfied yearning can lead us to give up! We may become lethargic and uninterested in the abilities and assets available to us.

Our second card can help us break free of this sort of feeling. The Queen of Wands is an enthusiastic card -- the complete opposite of the Four of Cups. The reason this queen is enthusiastic is because she is confident -- she has been in this sort of position before and she knows she can find her way to the top. She is realistic -- while she accepts challenges, she does not set unrealistic and unattainable goals. By keeping the goals real, she knows she can succeed. She can help us break free of the unrealistic Four of Cups -- and help us enjoy the positions we've already attained.

To break out of the reversals -- just listen a little more to your Queen of Wands side and less to our Four of Cups. The Four of Cups suggests "Why bother, it's too much trouble"; the Queen of Wands says "This will be fun -- I can't wait to start!" Pick something you can reach -- and reach for it!

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com

Break Out

I hope your week's been going well -- I'm up in Pennsyvania right now, but am heading back to Houston in a few hours.

I'm actually in Bethlehem, PA -- it's been a while since I've been driving through the rural areas of Pennsylvania; I had forgotten how ... well, how "sylvan" it is! Really pretty!

The big news up here is Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident. I confess that I also rode motorcycles when I was younger -- and didn't wear a helmet either. Didn't do it too long, though -- I never got in a wreck, but I soon realized how risky it was. If there weren't any cars and trucks on the road, then maybe it might be different -- but the reality is that motorcycles are in the minority, they're really hard to see (if you're driving a car or a truck), too many motorcyclists take dumb risks, and a motorcycle will ALWAYS lose in a crash between a motorcycle and pretty much anything else.

Was driving along in the right hand lane yesterday; saw a restaurant coming up on my right, turned on my blinker, and began turning. As I glanced in my rear-view mirror, I saw a motorcycle coming up fast behind me and veering to pass me on the right (where there was no lane, not even a shoulder). I figured, "Well, I guess we'll find out how good his brakes are!"

He didn't hit me -- he was able to stop (and beep his little horn and give me a one-finger salute); but I suppose if he keeps riding his bike that way it's just a matter of time before his rashness catches up with him. That's called "evolution"!

How about some quick words from my sponsors, then on to the reading! I'm very grateful whenever you give them a click and check them out (it keeps this free reading going!)

------------------------

(Our friends from Austin are back!)

Why pay for those expensive psychic phone calls that cost at least $20 per call? Get FREE daily horoscope and Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings for 5 FULL DAYS. That's 120 hours of Unlimited LIVE Psychic Readings. It's only $1.99 for a 5-Day Trial for unlimited access to Psychic Web. That's less than $.40 per day!

Your 5-day trial or monthly membership includes:

-Unlimited Live Video Chat with Psychic
-Unlimited Live Psychic Readings
-Email Readings
-Daily/Weekly/Monthly Horoscopes
-Tarot, Rune, I-Ching, Numerology and Biorhythm Readings
-Astro-Match
-Passion Signs
-Lucky Numbers
-Astrology Charts
-Psychic Tests
-Discussion Boards
-Psychic Chat

Psychic Web is your key to unlocking your future. Prove us wrong and click on the link!

http://www.woodsongtarot.com/bestpsychics/c2473.html

------------------------

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

The cards are:

Four of Pentacles (Reversed)

Knight of Swords

We've seen the Four of Pentacles several times in the last year. It basically suggests times when you're fencing yourself in -- perhaps because you're feeling insecure, or perhaps because you may be trying to limit things so you can control them. This in itself isn't necessarily bad -- but it can be damaging if you do it to excess. When you fence yourself in, the world can pass you by. The reversal suggests you might take a harder look to see if this situation might exist.

The Knight of Swords suggests a solution -- take a risk! Not take a dumb risk like my motorcycle driver -- but reach out into a new area and try something that might not be a "sure" thing. Never risk more than you can afford to lose (either monetarily, physically, or emotionally), but this extra spice can help you push through any walls you may have erected around you. Even if your risk fails, the act itself and the experiences gained normally make it worthwhile.

And that's about it this week; I look forward to seeing you again next week. As always, if you're interested in a private reading, please try my sponsors above or my list of readers at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/readers.html . I also welcome your comments at http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com !

Woodsong --
visit Tarot by Woodsong at http://www.woodsongtarot.com