Measure Yourself

Hi -- Happy Daylight Savings Time!

I have to confess -- the only good thing I see about Daylight Savings Time is that now the clock in my car is correct again instead of being one hour off. 

I know the argument about "we'll have more daylight in the afternoon", but the truth is that the days get longer this part of the year anyway; we're going to have more daylight in the evenings naturally.  I don't mind daylight in the early evening; I don't like daylight at 9:00pm.

Oh well, turning rant off.  Hope you had a great weekend (although one hour shorter!).  I had a wonderful Saturday up at Sherwood Forest; had a lot of rain Sunday so I took the day off -- didn't want to risk the drive in the bad weather.

On to our reading ...

Our first card -- 10 of Wands

The 10 of Wands reminds us about hard work -- really putting in an effort to do a job well.  It may be tiring ... but it's also rewarding.  Because of that rewarding feeling, we're ready to tackle the next hard task.  Hard tasks don't daunt us -- because we know that's how we measure ourselves ... by our effectiveness at achieving goals.

The next card is one of the more perplexing cards in the deck -- the Six of Pentacles.

This card is puzzling because it has two totally different meanings at the same time.

Consider -- this card shows a fortunate person sharing his bounty with others.  Sounds like a nice thing to do, right?

The puzzling part comes in when you consider what recipients of this sharing are thinking -- are they happy?  Are they grateful?  Are they jealous?  Are they resentful?  Do they feel anger to the fortunate person? Do they feel it's unfair?  (this can get political really fast, so I'm going to quit now before I get into trouble!)

The story I get with these two cards is that even though you may put in a strong effort to achieve a goal, others may not be appreciative of your work.  They may not feel you worked hard enough -- or that you deserve the reward for achieving that goal.

The important thing to remember is that you can only measure yourself by your own expectations and standards -- not those of others.  If you know you've put in an honest effort and have rightfully earned rewards, then it doesn't really matter what other people may think.  Judge yourself by your own standards -- not those of others.

Have a great week!

Woodsong

Dummy post

Please ignore this post -- need to do it to take care of a technical issue.

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Take the Wheel!

Hello all!

Hope you had a great weekend!  I wish we had a day between the weekend and the workweek to rest up.  I know that's what you're supposed to do on the weekend, but it rarely seems to end up that way.

Spent the weekend at Sherwood Forest again -- it was freezy-breezy cold (also known as "frigorific" in Romanian) Saturday morning, but warmed up pleasantly as the day went on.

Didn't really have a chance to do anything neat -- just a busy weekend.  Got back in time Sunday night to watch the Rockets play Dallas and catch The Walking Dead.  I've read all The Walking Dead comics, so I kind of know what's going to happen ... although they stray from the comics from time to time.

Let's jump into the reading, shall we?

Our first card is:  Two of Swords

This card suggests facing difficult choices.  Whenever we face a tough choice, we usually stall -- we put off making the choice.  Quite often, this means events take over and the choice gets made for us.  Not always the best thing to happen!  It's usually best to take control and actively guide our own path.

Our second card reinforces this:  Six of Swords

This card can suggest a change ... and the way we may feel in the midst of that change.  When we put these two cards together, we have the suggestion that if change is inevitable, then we're better off being proactive and steering it ourselves.

If you're going to end up in the swimming pool anyway, is it better to be pushed in when you're not expecting it ... or getting ready and jumping in?

Once you've made the choice to act, the game's not over.  You now have to take an active hand and MAKE your choice the right one.  Again, don't let events take control -- take control of events instead!

Until later -- and have a great week!

Woodsong

Yep, You're Right!

Hi there!

Hope your week has gone well -- we've had wonderful weather here in Houston all week.  Looking forward to a clear (but cold -- well, at least cold for Houston) weekend.

Getting ready for another weekend at the Sherwood Forest Renaissance Faire.  This weekend will be the mid-point.  Attendance has been very nice so far for the faire as a whole -- although our area has suffered some.

We're at the top of a "circle" of booths.  One food merchant near the top added a bunch of picnic tables in front of his booth this year.  What now happens is that the people who used to "walk the circle" now see the picnic tables as a roadblock and detour around them.  This leaves a void or "dead space" for the three merchants at the top of the circle.

We've all complained to the faire management, but nothing's come of it.  I think we'll probably relocate for next year.

Oh well, enough of my tribulations -- let's get on to the reading!

We'll pull two cards -- the first will be some message, the second will help explain this message.

Our first card is:  The Queen of Swords:

I really like this card.  You're never going to put one past the Queen of Swords -- she's heard all the "dog ate my homework" stories and can see past excuses to find the truth.  The key message of the Queen of Swords is to trust your first impressions -- these are based on your past experience and are most likely going to be your most accurate reads.

Sometimes we don't trust ourselves, though.  We second-guess ourselves.  Ever been in a situation where you said "Oh, I KNEW that was going to happen -- I should have allowed for it!"   That's what happens when you ignore the Queen of Swords.

How can we best recognize the benefit of the Queen of Swords -- our next card gives us some tips -- The Sun.

The Sun suggests seeing things clearly.  Combined with this Queen, it's telling us to consider that our first impressions are likely to be correct.  So -- don't let yourself be talked into something you don't truly believe in!  Your own experience and  impressions are most likely to be the correct call!

Hope you have a great weekend!  See you next time!

Woodsong

Beausoleil!

Hiya -- hope you had a great weekend!  Mine wore me out completely -- I am SO tired today!

Wanted to share something with you that made me chuckle.  I just learned this Friday.  (It's a long story, but has a kicky ending)

I'm half Cajun (Lousiana bayou country) and half Sicilian.  My dad (the Cajun part) was very into geneology and was always tickled about one of our ancestors, Joseph Broussard.

The Acadian people (Cajuns) originally came from the Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island area -- even parts of northern Maine (Acadia).  They were French Canadians and considered themselves Frenchmen.

As a result of the Seven Years war in the mid 1700's, the British took ownership of what was French Canada.  This didn't sit very well with the citizens of the area -- especially the Acadians.

To say they resisted the British would be putting it very lightly -- they aggressively resisted the British ... and the British violently retaliated.

During a series of "wars" (really local skirmishes), the British would deport the Acadians they captured.  They also deported Acadians whose land they took.  This forced exodus of the Acadians was the basis for Henry Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" (perhaps the most popular American poem ever -- it's a hard read, but a real tear-jerker of a story).

One of the foremost Acadian leaders was Joseph Broussard -- also known as "Beausoleil" (or "Sunshine").  Think of the Mel Gibson character in "The Patriot" and you'll get an idea of what he was.  Broussard led guerilla battles against the British for several years -- ambushing troops, cutting supply lines, even privateering.  He was pretty much a pain in the rear and was Britain's "Public Enemy #1" in the area -- although the Acadians viewed him as a patriot, hero, and a protector.

Anyway, he was eventually captured -- spent a few years being imprisoned before he was deported to France.

After a few months in France, "Beausoleil" gathered other expelled Acadians and led an immigration to Louisiana where they settled in and around the Atchafalaya Basin area.  Many families in this French region of Louisiana claim Joseph Broussard as a direct ancestor.

Of course, some of these families moved to other parts of America.  In particular, one young lady who was a Broussard descendant with the last name of "Knowles" -- she met a young man, fell in love, they married, and moved to Houston where they had two lovely and talented daughters. 

In fact, one of these daughters became a multi-Grammy winning artist who was the featured half-time performer at the most recent Super Bowl.

Yep -- Beyonce' and I share a common ancestor! (and that's the kicky ending!)

On to the reading!

Sometimes we get involved readings -- but not this time.  This is a very direct and straightforward reading.

We being with "The World" (reversed).

The World is the ultimate happy outcome -- it's what everyone strives for.  It suggests that point where you accomplish and gain the things you most want in life.  The reversal suggests we'll have to wait to attain this position.

How to get there?  Our second card is "Temperance".

Temperance is following the safe and accepted path.  Temperance doesn't look for risky short-cuts -- it takes the long-term view and the long-term path.  It might take longer -- but it'll get you there.

So -- how to best assure yourself of attaining The World?  The safe and secure path is most certain.  Live right, save your money, don't rely on risky ventures -- and you'll gain what you want in the end!  It won't be quick -- but it is pretty certain!  "Slow and Steady Wins the Race!"

More readings later -- have a great week til then!

Woodsong

Maybe It's Time to Take a Stand?

It's "Go Texan" day here in Houston!  Everyone (well, most everyone) dresses up in Western garb (hats and boots especially) as they head off to work and other daily activities.

It's all to celebrate our annual Livestock Show and Rodeo -- which lasts about 3 weeks.  Loads of country music stars and concerts every night, outdoor rides and attractions, big-time rodeo stuff (I challenge you to watch the bull-riding and not be blown away!), shows for the kiddies.  Oh -- and trail riders.

The trail-riders have been coming in from hundreds of miles away -- on horseback, with chuck-wagons, they've been camping out as they come.  The final day (today), many of the highways in Houston are full of horseback trail-riders (which means you've got to plan your driving very carefully!) 

The whole arrangement is a lot of fun -- we used to do the concerts and shows, but never seem to have the time anymore.  Have a four-year old grand-daughter that we're going to try to bring to the animal petting zoos, though. 

She's all decked out in her western finery, too.  Her nursery school is having a "Go Texan" party.


There's something about wearing a hat and boots that just makes you feel ready to "cowboy up" and take on challenges!

So ... how about a reading for the upcoming weekend?

Again, we're pulling two cards.  The first card is some basic message; the second card further explains that message.

Our first card is:

The Seven of Cups

This card is a "dreaming/thinking" card.  It suggests the time we spend playing "what-if" games in our head.  It's a good card to exercise -- this mental advance-work helps us conceive/envision future paths we may wish to explore -- or paths we may wish to avoid!

Although generally a healthy card -- this card does have a "danger" side!  This danger comes when we spend too much time dreaming "what-if" and not spending enough time making things happen.

And that's kind of what our second card is suggesting:

The Tower

The Tower suggests an abrupt change -- if you've been dithering/dathering (is dathering a word?  If not, it ought to be!) thinking about options, then maybe this is a good time to take a stand, stop the dreaming, and put things in gear to try and achieve the position you've been thinking about?

Problems at work?  Stop thinking about it -- do something about it.  Issues not working in your personal life?  Stop thinking about it -- take action!  Wondering about personal or phyical improvement -- stop thinking about it -- do something!

The real message is that by taking action, you do advance yourself ... even if you don't achieve your goal.  You learn more in the process of taking action -- which makes you that much more likely to achieve your goal next time you get in gear!

That's the message here -- hope you can spot something useful!

Have a great weekend ...

and "Go Texan"!

Celtic Pyramid

Here's a varient on the Celtic Cross spread I like to use.

Rather than laying out the cards in a cross and upright bar, I lay them in a pyramid (I don't use a signifier card).

First, read cards 1 through 10 just like you would read them in a Celtic Cross spread -- but now comes the difference.

With the new layout, cards are surrounded by other cards that can be influencers.  For instance, card 5 is surrounded by 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9!  This gives you beaucoup opportunities to investigate dependencies.  You can look at these as weaknesses/strenghts, hold back/pull forward, fears/hopes -- whatever feels appropriate.

Once you've explored these, I like to look at shapes.

There are two "hook" shapes in the pyramid I like to use -- cards 1,2,4,5 form one hook (the pink one); cards 3,6,9,10 form the other (the blue one).

I like to read cards 1,2,4 and 5 as a group suggesting where the querant is coming from.  These cards could be a strong base for him to spring forward from -- or they could suggest problems that could be holding him back.

Cards 3,6,9, and 10 suggest what lies ahead for the querant -- what pulls him forward, his desires and ambitions.

Cards 7 and 8 suggest tools and assets he can use to acheive his forward movement or to resolve issues that may hold him back.

Don't forget about reading diagnonals, too -- especially if you find sequences of Majors in the diagonals.

The drawback of this spread is that the additional interrelationships take more time to explore -- but that's what makes this spread a good one to use for an in-depth, deep-dive reading.

Applying Tarot in a Business Setting

I used to work for a large software company as an "international technical specialist".  Sounds cool -- but all it meant was that I promised not to grumble when they'd tell me late Tuesday afternoon that I needed to be in Canada Wednesday morning!

My job was to go in to problem clients -- places where our software just wasn't working, tech support couldn't figure it out, and all our technical people were stumped.  Didn't mean that I was super-smart -- just meant that I tend to look at problems differently from most folks.

I enjoy the "thinking-outside-the-box" process -- but sometimes it became difficult to find new perspectives to a problem.  Remember, all the ordinary and obvious approaches had already been tried and failed.  Wouldn't do me any good to go there and try the normal stuff!

I had dabbled with Tarot for a while, but began to try and apply Tarot to my professional self.  Tarot helps you look at things in a new way, right?  Well the, that's exactly what I needed to be effective as a technical specialist!

I was surprised at how well Tarot and IT (Information Technology -- or computer stuff, if you prefer!) melded together.  Here's an example of what I mean:

One of my first gigs as a technical "firefighter" was for a client in England.  Their problem was that the software we sold them would crash every few days.  No one knew why and our tech support people were day-time only and in California.  That meant when the software crashed, our tech people were asleep.  When the tech folks were at work, the England customer was asleep.

I was sent to try and trouble-shoot the problem.  I didn't know much about the deep technical details of our product -- but what we wanted was a fresh pair of eyes looking at the problem in a different way.

I wanted to think of different ways of looking at the problem (again, all our tech folks had already approached the problem in the normal way -- and failed), so I drew several cards while on the plane to help me think.  One of them was the Four of Pentacles.



The Four of Pentacles (someone made me promise to always call him Mr. Grumpyhead whenever he appears!) suggests someone who has latched tightly onto a resource and keeps it tightly controlled.  He tends not to notice all the additional resources around him because he's focused inwards.

Hmmm -- how to apply this to IT?  Well, at the risk of getting technical, let me tell you about reserved memory.

It's quite common for software applications to reserve a small amount of memory that ONLY they can use.  The idea is that you'll have better performance if you rely on this reserved cache of memory than if you had to go and compete for available memory with all the other programs that are running.

Our application did reserve a small amount of memory -- usually, increasing this amount improved performance; decreasing it reduced performance.

I got to thinking about this reserved memory and the Four of Pentacles.  The Four of Pentacles thinks he's doing right by reserving his resources for himself -- but misses out on the big picture. 

Okay, so the first thing I did when I arrived at the client was to reconfigure the application to not reserve ANY memory at all.  I reduced the memory cache size to zero.

Guess what ... the application began working again -- and didn't fail!

Now, I have no idea why technically this should be the case (although I believe they eventually pinned it to a bug in IBM's operating system software)-- but the techical reasons didn't really matter.  Thinking "outside the box" -- looking at the problem in a new light courtesy of Mr. Grumpyhead -- led to a solution.

There are several books available that discuss using Tarot in professional (non-Tarot) settings -- like accounting, management, engineering, etc.  If you're interested, you might give them a look.

You can always benefit from looking at problems from a different perspective -- and that's something Tarot does very well!

Focus and Move Forward

Hope your weekend went swell! I had a wonderful weekend at Sherwood Forest Renaissance Faire -- good crowds, good shows, good company good food -- well, kind of.

Faire food tends to be your typical fried finger food stuff.  Sherwood actually has several food-vendors with atypical offerings -- problem is, everyone wants to eat there and they often run out of stuff before mid-afternoon.  I have to learn to get away earlier.

I do find good food on the way in, though.  A decent part of the hill country in Texas has a strong czechoslovakian influence (never thought of it before, but the Czech flag even looks a bit like the Texas state flag).  That means wonderful bakeries, pastries, and kolaches. 

A kolache is kind of a yeasty bread roll with a meat filling -- sausage, ham-and-cheese, bacon and eggs, etc, etc.

When I'm driving from Houston to the faire site (near Paige, Texas -- about 40 miles east of Austin), I pass a couple of fantastic bakeries.  There's a very popular one called Hruska's in Ellinger, Texas.  I don't usually stop there because it's so crowded, though.  There's a bakery I like better called Weikel's in LaGrange, Texas (if you're a ZZ Top fan, it IS that LaGrange of "Best Little Whorehouse" fame).  I'll grab a sack of either kolaches or pastries and bring them to share at the faire.  Great breakfast food!

Darn, now I'm hungry.  Oh well, better get on to the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- we'll use the first to find some positive attribute to ponder on today.  The second card will offer a tip on how we might achieve that positive attribute.

Our first card is -- the Page of Cups.

This Page suggests that fulfilling moment we feel when we find a new emotional attachment -- like a new friendship, a new cause, a new puppy, a sappy commercial or song.  Society often frowns on showing this sort of emotion -- but it's something we all feel and shouldn't be ashamed of.  It DOES tend to make you feel human and good.

The issue with pages is that they don't usually act on their feelings.  They're kind of skittery -- they move from one thought to another and never really spend the time to let that feeling grow and develop.  Not necessarily a problem -- but it does mean they may end out missing something.

Our second card suggests ways we can better this -- Strength. 

Strength is a Trump card (one of the Major Arcana) -- it doesn't suggest physical strength, but inner strength.  Strong character, positive beliefs, good moral basis -- that sort of thing.

This sort of Strength is patient, it believes in the good in all people.  It's also honest, so it knows that there's often some "not so good" in all people, too (there are always was all of us can improve)

In this case, we want to use this Strength to latch onto a special feeling identified by the Page of Cups.  Take time to develop and explore it, to think about it, to investigate it.  Often, by taking time to dig a little deeper, we uncover undiscovered treasures we might ordinally have not seen.

Hope your week goes well -- be sure and check out my Twitter feed at @WoodsongTarot!  I never know quite what I'm going to post there until it happens -- come check it out and we'll find out together!

Yay! A Weekly Reading Again!

Whew!  It's been quite awhile -- and I do apologize for the delay!

Sometimes life kind of gets in the way and you just can't devote the time you want to the things you want to do.  Yep -- it was my turn -- but things now look a little more settled and I think I can start the reading back up again.

Just like we used to, we'll draw two cards from the deck.

The first card will suggest some positive message for the day (or a negative message we want to avoid!).  The second card will suggest ways we might best attain the benefits of the first card.

Ready?

Our first card is the Seven of Wands (Reversed).  This card suggests struggle and contention -- but doing so with every confidence of success.  This card might actually enjoy the struggle!  If we looked at this in a business setting, it might suggest a hard or prolonged sales negotiation.

The reversal could suggest several things -- it could suggest a lack of confidence that might lead you to avoid conflict ... even if that conflict were necessary for success.  An example might be a phone call you need to make to a difficult customer; the call is necessary to resolve an issue, but you might tend to postpone the call simply because you want to avoid the tussle you know will happen over the phone.

It might also suggest where you actually enjoy the conflict part so much that you continue it was past the point where it's doing you any good.  You might drive a hard (but fair bargain) with a customer -- and then continue to hammer until you get even more concessions.  This might be a good deal for you in the short run -- but may result in a lost customer in the long run.

How to avoid issues with our Seven of Wands -- we'll consider our second card:  The Emperor.

This one is an easy fit -- the Emperor is concerned about the overall long-term good for everyone ... and he's willing to take on temporary inconveniences if they'll lead to that long-term good.

So -- if you go ahead and make that difficult phone call, the pay-off is that you'll have a happier customer and an overall better business situation.  If you stop haggling with a customer when you first arrive at fair terms, you may build good-will that will yield an additional pay-off down the road.

Bottom line -- while you may think of your own considerations at first, also consider the long-term implications for your whole overall infrastructure.  This could be your business, your friends, your family, your home.

Hope to keep these going -- things have settled down a bit for me and I can devote the time necessary for these readings.  Hope you enjoy them!

"Something Not Known" Spread

This is a "surprise" spread -- we'll use one of the cards to introduce something the querant doesn't know, but will learn before too long (that's the surprise).

I lay out the first four cards in kind of a "star" shape -- but leave the fifth spot empty at first.

I then read the four cards in this manner:

1) Where you are now
2) Strengths you have
3) Weaknesses to overcome
4) Strengths others see in you

I then lay a fifth card as "something you don't know yet" -- this is the "surprise" card.

If necessary, I'll then pull a sixth card and lay it in the middle as an "outcome" card.

My first season at the faire, I offered different ranges of readings ($2 quickies, $10 readings, $20 readings), I'd use this spread for the middle range.  I quit using it because it just didn't feel robust enough -- now only offer the high-end more complete readings.  I'll now use it as a "free" or bonus spread when appropriate.

For instance, if one person in a couple purchases a reading, I may offer his/her partner this spread as a freebie if they enjoyed the first reading.

Pages -- or, "Who let the kids play with the power tools!"

Here's the thing about Pages -- they're great on coming up with neat ideas ... but they're not very effective about doing the work to implement those ideas.  Not saying they're lazy; I suggest they get so excited thinking about the potential that they never quite get around to doing anything.

I know someone who is always gushing excitement about learning to speak new languages.  She'll go to the bookstore at least twice a month and come home back with books and audio tapes/disks.  She's been doing this at least 25 years -- and the number of languages she speaks so far is ... one.  Great about getting excited about new potential, but not so great at following through.

I'm not saying Pages are failures -- you NEED that sort of excitement about a project to give you the energy to actually realize the project!  We all need Pages ... to start ... but we need other attributes to follow through.

Relationship Spread

I use this one a lot -- it has two paths leading down to a common intersection.  One path is the querant, the other is the "relationship interest".  Spread offers ample opportunity to pull additional cards to further explore various points.

The Spread:

1  What you're looking for
2  What other is looking for
3  What you want from other
4  What other wants from you
5  Weaknesses you bring
6  Weaknesses other brings
7  Strengths you offer
8  Strengths other offers
9  Result

(optional -- you can draw as many of these as is necessary)
10  What hinders result
11  What helps result

Fill the Cross Spread

Well, it's been about a bazillion years since my last post -- things have been very hectic (screwy economy!), but I think they're about to settle down for me (but am keeping my fingers crossed!)

The fourth season of Sherwood Forest Faire starts up next weekend -- I'll once again be out there in the yellow vardo doing Tarot readings!  If you have a chance to pass by (we're 40 miles from Austin, just off 290), please come and say "Hi"!

Rather than post a reading this time, I wanted to share one of the spreads I like to use.  In fact, I use this spread more than half the time at Sherwood.

It's an original spread -- I call it "Fill the Cross".  When you lay the first eight cards out, they leave a little "plus sign" or "cross" in the middle.  After reading the first eight, I lay the ninth card down on top of this "cross".

The spread lends itself well to "General" and "Career" readings.  I can also draw additional cards (if necessary) and create "spurs" off the cards along the edges to dig further if I need to.

Here's how I read the cards:

Card 1: Where you are right now

Card 2: What holds you back

Card 3: What pulls you forward

Card 4: A weakness to be addressed

Card 5: A strength to be utilized

Card 6: How you might turn the weakness

Card 7: How you might apply the strength

Card 8: What you'll see along the way

- and finally -

Card 9: What you'll see at the end

The Spread:

Don't Build a Wall!

(Note: In my mailing, I accidentally put the wrong card in the post. It's the Four of Pentacles, not the Four of Cups! I read the Four of Pentacles in the reading, so that part's accurate.)

Hi -- hope this week's been good to you. Summer's about to hit here in Houston ... we had our first 90 degree day last Saturday (but then it cooled off on Sunday ... go figure). Temp's in the mid 80's all week. Winter and Spring don't last too long in South Texas.

I normally talk a little bit about what's been going lately -- but things have just been kind of busy. Haven't had too much time for much anything else. My 18 year old daughter's been a pain, but that's nothing new. I think I've said this before about kids ... "They never get better, they just get more expensive"

Don't even have much planned for the weekend -- I think this'll be a "work around the house" weekend. Have a lot of yard work and pruning that I've been putting off. Great, now that it's getting hot outside, I finally have time to do it!? Should have done this a month ago -- oh well.

I guess the most exciting thing I did this week was spread fertilizer and such in the front yard. That afternoon, the lawn folks came by unexpected and cut the grass -- sucking up all the stuff I had laid down! My luck!

Let's we get 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. Our cards this week are:

Ace of Wands (Reversed)

Four of Pentacles


I normally read these two card spreads as:

1) Something to try and achieve (or resist)
2) Ways we can try to do #1

This time, I'm picking up something a little different. Let's see how this goes.

The Ace of Wands, like all Aces, suggest a new beginning. Wands suggests excitement and enthusiasm about a new project; also suggests the burning energy we feel when we're really into a new idea.

Being reversed, the message is distorted a bit. It could suggest a delay, for instance, or it could suggest a twist -- rather than feeling energetic, we may feel tired and listless. Rather than being excited about something new, we may feel "the blah's" about our situation.

Okay -- typically at this point we'd look at our second card to see how to remedy this. This particular card, the Four of Pentacles, is very confusing in this position. This card suggests walling ourself in -- ignoring outside influences and experiences.

In fact, this card suggests exactly what I'd expect to see from a person who is feeling tired and discouraged -- they don't want to consider anything new ... it might make them even more tired! So ... they build little walls around themselves. That way things may not improve -- but they won't get worse, either!

The truth in this situation is that things do get worse, of course. By keeping the outside world at arm's length, you miss the experiences and influences you need to grow. You may think you're sitting still, but you're actually moving backwards.

So ... in this particular case, I don't think our second card is a recommendation, I think it's a warning. It's saying "You DON'T want to do this if you're feeling the effects of a reversed Ace of Wands!"

If you feel tired, if things seem too complicated, the last thing you want to do is drop out -- instead, the best way to turn yourself around is to join in with the changing world. Listen to and consider the new experiences and ideas swirling around you; this is the best way to get you excited about things again!

You're not alone

Hi -- sorry I missed the last couple of readings; time got really tight between the Renfest and regular work stuff (plus trying to find all the documentation for taxes!)

Things should ease up a bit now -- I've got a talk to do at a conference next week, but I've got most of the prep work done for that. The festival is over now so I get my weekends back -- although I miss it!

Doing readings at a renaissance festival was an interesting experience. I found out that I have a certain number of readings inside of me per day. Once I get to that number, I'm just drained and empty. Sometimes I'd close up shop a little before the end of the fair -- I figured it was like running out of inventory!

Don't know if you saw my final setup with the wagon and my table -- here's what it looked like:






Let's we get 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. Our cards this week are:





Four of Wands




The Empress (reversed)







Kind of curious -- seems like I saw this first card a lot during my festival run. The Four of Wands is a celebration card -- I always envision a group of people watching and approving of this couple. So -- it's not so much that it's a celebration ... it's that other folks recognize and acknowledge that you have reason to be happy.

And what in our lives should we look to in order to realize this happiness? The Empress suggests things around our home life -- our family, our living spaces, our place in the environment. Basically, being "part" of a greater whole.

The reversal could suggest that we're not really seeing this for the valuable asset it is. Sometimes, these are the types of things we take for granted. It's something we see every day so we don't always see it for the strength and support it can provide -- and also for the strength and support we can provide to others in our circle.

So -- what I'm thinking is that in order to always have something we can fall back and take pleasure from -- to feel like "celebrating", we want to be able to look to our family, our friends, and our place in the world. How can we make things better for the folks we care about -- and how can we take pleasure in their support. When we recognize these assets, we'll surely feel a reason for celebration.

Learn From Your Past

Hi! I hope your week's started off well! I am completely exhausted -- this past weekend was my first weekend reading at a brand new Renaissance Faire and I am totally whipped!

My gypsy vardo worked out very well -- I had half of it set up for doing private readings; I also set up a small table outside for quicker ones. It turned out that the weather was wonderful and everyone wanted to sit outside for the reading. The fair site is kind of wooded, so we had lots of shade and dappled sunlight; it was very pleasant.

The Faire as a whole did very well -- we had a full house Saturday (they had to turn people away from the parking lot!) and did almost as well on Sunday. I think they'll have an expanded parking lot for next week!


I was so busy that I forgot to take pictures -- I'll try and remember next weekend (I'll be there for five more weekends) and will post a couple of photos. Here's a photo I found that shows "part" of my wagon at least! (I'm the blue-and-yellow wagon at the top left)

How about we get 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. Our cards this week are:



Page of Wands






Queen of Wands







Interesting that we not only have two cards of the same suit, but they follow a progression (Page to Queen)!

The Page of Wands gets very excited about new ideas or concepts. This page will spend time and energy thinking and planning -- he becomes very envigorated over the idea. He tends to be creative -- this page likes to think "outside the box".

While this page is a great thinker and planner, he's not that great a "doer" -- mainly because he usually lacks confidence in his ideas. Let's peek at our next card and see what we can do to help out.

Well, this is certainly a "confidence" card! The Queen of Wands has earned her confidence -- by learning from her experience in prior endeavors. Doesn't mean everything always works successfully first time -- means that she's learned that obstacles can be overcome. Do this enough and you stop worrying about obstacles -- your experience begins to tell you that you did it before and you can do it again. Obstacles lose their ability to worry you -- which is where your confidence comes from.

A person who believes in themselves tends to influence those around her. If you are confident, others become so as well. That's one of the main strengths of this Queen -- she can influence others by her positive and confident outlook.

Let's put these two together -- our Page suggests you may find yourself in a situation where you're considering a new project or idea ... one that interests you. Although you may find the idea appealing, you may doubt your ability to succeed. If we let the Queen help us out here, we can let what we've learned in past experiences to help pull us through.

Have you had other endeavors in the past where you were able to work through issues? This suggests you'll be able to do the same in any future or planned project. Even projects that failed have lessons for you -- are you more capable to succeed because of past failures? Have you learned from them? Learned things to do? Learned things not to do? Frankly, the more you fail at things, the better positioned you are to succeed at your next venture! Those are lessons you cannot learn from a book -- experience IS the best teacher!

Aim First!

Hi! I hope your week's begun well ... and, speaking as an ex-New Orlean's person ... WHO DAT!!! Been waiting over 40 years to say that and really mean it -- that Super Bowl was really, really nice! Great game, too -- much closer than the score suggests. If one or two plays had gone the other way, the outcome would have been different.

I've had an interesting couple of weeks -- am just getting back from an unexpected trip to Tel Aviv! Really a nice place, nothing at all what I expected from watching US news.

Tel Aviv's a vibrant, modern, and clean city sitting right smack on the Mediterranean ... which means they've got a beach downtown! I felt safer walking around Tel Aviv than I do when I walk around many US cities! Looked and felt a lot like walking around a town in California. It was kind of hard with the time zone differences and the horrible jet lag (coming home, I left at 8:00am and got back home in Houston at 1:00am the next day!)

Delievered my gypsy wagon to the Renaissance Festival yesterday -- I'm amazed at the amount of contructon they have going on. The last time I saw the site, it was basically just woods -- now it looks almost like a Disney village (I mean that in a good way)! I'm not real good at towing a wagon and was crossing my fingers that I didn't find myself in a tight spot and having to back up to manuever. So ... of course I find part of the road blocked and have to do a whole bunch of tricky backing up to make a U-turn on a one-lane road. Not fun at all!

How about we get 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. Our cards this week are:




Knight of Swords



Judgement
(Reversed)







I'm sure I've said this before -- whenever I see the Knight of Swords, the phrase I think of is "Ready, Fire, Aim!"

This card is loaded with energy and is chomping at the bit to take on any issue. Energy is good, readiness is good, attitude is good -- but sometimes a little direction would help out. That's the weakness of this card -- without direction, a whole lot of action may take place ... but the issue may remain unresolved.

The trick of harnessing this Knight is to temper it with guidance and direction -- slow it down, have a plan, track progress. Try to change "Read, Fire, Aim" into "Ready, AIM, Fire"!

Let's see what suggestions our second card have for us. Judgement suggests compassion, open-mindedness, and fairness. Judgement is willing to look at all sides of a question and to try to honestly understand all involved viewpoints. It's only by carefully and fairly weighing these factors that a fair judgement is possible.

Being reversed, it's possible that we'll have troubles trying to fairly see all sides of an issue. Perhaps we're stuck to our own opinion and are closed to considering opposing viewpoints? Perhaps personality issues become involved and block us from considering fair alternatives? Perhaps we're attributing unreal reasons for competitors stands? Can you put yourself in your opponents position and see his position from his side? Maybe if you fairly try to do so, you'll see his reasons have value? Maybe he's not taking that stance because he's an argumentative blockhead! (well, okay, maybe he is ... but that doesn't mean his position isn't realistic!)

It's only after you view an issue from all sides that you can honestly say you understand the issue. And ... you really can't come up with a reasonable plan to address an issue without understanding it first. Try and do so -- and then you can turn loose that Knight of Swords!

Keep Plugging Away

Hi! I hope your week's been going well ... mine's been fine, except the power's out this morning. Transformer in back of our house blew, but they're fixing it right now. In the meantime, we get a candlelight Tarot reading!

I'm working off laptop battery and my Sprint air card -- am trying to type fast because I've only got about 45 minutes of battery left! Hope I can get it all in!

Also made great progress on my Gypsy Vardo this week -- here's a quick pic of what I have so far:


You can see more pictures and some of the construction story at Woodsong Vardo.

All the hard (ie, heavy-lifting that I got my son to do) part is done -- I just have some work to do on the inside. Hope to move it to the festival site in a couple of weekends (weather permitting).

How about we get on to that candlelight 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.

Our cards this week are:

Seven of Pentacles (Reversed)

Knight of Wands

Battery's running out quickly, so I'm going to type fast and keep this to a minimum (sorry -- I'll make it up next time!)

The Seven of Pentacles is that wonderful warm feeling we have when we've made good progress on a project -- we've reached an intermediate goal, all the pieces fell into place just like we need them to, etc. Since we're reversed, we have to look at the opposite side -- how do we feel when we haven't made the progress we'd hoped to? Do you feel like you've failed -- even though the project is only partially completed? Do you feel there's no use in continuing -- that the mistakes can't be fixed? Do you feel like folks have let you down? What do you do about it?!?!?!

Our second card is our "pick me up" -- the Knight of Wands. What do you do when times get tough -- you keep plugging away even harder. What do you do when times are going good -- you keep plugging away even harder. This Knight is all about energy -- he's not concerned about temporary problems, he's looking to blow past them to reach his goal.

And that's a message we can all use. Things are NOT going to go perfectly well all the time ... we're going to hit stumbling blocks. That's all they are, though ... stumbling blocks. They're not impassable barriers. Don't get discouraged when you hit a block -- keep working to find a way around it. I think that's a secret many successful people have -- they don't get discouraged by setbacks; they keep working away to reach their goal.

And ... we should do the same! Reaching the goal is what ultimately matters.

I'm going to cut it short right there -- battery is very low. No time for spell or sanity checking (so please accept my apologies in advance for my grammar and spelling woes!). Hope things go well for you till next time!

Your Choice -- Free or No?

Hi! I hope you and yours have had a wonderful holiday season so far -- and it's not over quite yet!

I buy a lot of fabric online from http://www.fabric.com -- and just received a very nice message from them (well, it wasn't just me; it was everyone on their mailing list!). Anyway, the sender expressed a wonderful end/beginning of the year wish and I'd like to pass it along:

"We end a year and a decade that has been tumultuous to say the very least. If you are one of those less fortunate, who have suffered personal, physical, or financial loss, our collective thoughts go out to you, with a prayer that the coming year will be uplifting, rewarding and peaceful. If you have been blessed with good fortune, as we have here, please join me in expressing appreciation for those blessings by tangibly reaching out to those less fortunate."

This has been a topsy-turvy couple of years given the financial and political climate -- I hope everyone is weathering events well and I hope things look up for all of you. Let's all look forward to making this a great New Year!

I misplaced my favorite deck of Tarot cards about 2 years ago -- my original Robin Wood deck. I purchased a replacement (actually, a couple of copies), but that original deck had travelled the world with me and had visited some very special places. Anyway, I was doing some clutter-clearing and found the missing deck! I'm glad to be using it for this week's reading! How about we get to it!

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. Our cards this week are:




Eight of Swords
(Reversed)






Two of Cups






We've seen this Eight before -- to understand it, just look at the card image.

We see a woman, bound and blindfolded. She's "trapped" inside a cage of swords. We feel for her as we can easily imagine all those times we feel trapped or controlled by circumstances -- when we're unable to implement our own choices and actions.

But -- if we look at the image a little closer, we see that the cords binding her are not tightly tied -- in fact, they look quite loose. A little bit of wriggling and shifting and those bounds will fall free. Furthermore, that "cage" of swords has some fairly large gaps in it -- once free, the woman can easily lift her blindfold, slip out, and walk away free. All it takes is a little effort. Some people will not make the effort -- they'll accept the entrapment; some people will make the effort.

The same way, if we look at those situations where we feel helpless a little more closely, we'll likely find that we're not as deeply trapped as we might think. There are things we can do -- choices we can make -- that can help us break free. We always (ALWAYS) have options -- it's up to us whether or not we wish to implement them.

Since this card is reversed, we might think of situations where we're not recognizing that we do have options. If you're thinking of something where you feel helpless, like you have no control, then that's likely exactly the situation you need to review. You do have control -- all you need to do is look at things a little closer.

Our second card, the Two of Cups, offers some thoughts to help us along. This Two suggests a new (or a renewal) emotional bond. This could be a new romance or friendship, it could be a renewal of family bonds, a growing sense of your self, or perhaps clearing up petty disagreements that stand in your way. Hmmm ... petty disagreements hindering a deeper friendship sound a lot like loose bonds and a loosely-built cage, don't they? They're easy to fix -- they just take a little bit of effort -- and the payoff is valuable.

Weigh the cost against the benefits gained -- you'll likely find the long-term benefits far outway any short-term costs. We always have choices and options to make things better -- it's up to us whether or not we use them!

Get a Jump on that resolution!

Hi! I hope things have been going well for you lately!

I have to apologize for missing the last couple of weeks -- my father-in-law passed away and things have really, really been hectic around here.

He lived a long, full, and active life -- he was almost 96 and was up on top of his house fixing his roof just a month or two ago! Couldn't slow that man down at all. He didn't get sick or anything -- he was just old and it was his time.

He lived in the same house he grew up in -- so it's got 90 plus years worth of stuff that we're trying to go through. It's also 6 hours away from us, so we've been spending a lot of time on the road ... the driving is really wearing me out!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:

Eight of Pentacles

Ace of Pentacles



Have you ever been working at a task or a project that just completely absorbed you? You really got involved; perhaps you were learning some new techniques or skills, maybe you were exercising some of your talents -- and maybe even didn't notice time passing?

That's always a nice feeling when it happens -- and that's what the Eight of Pentacles suggests to us. Working away at task -- enjoying it, learning it, building and employing new skills -- is often its own reward. I think of the Eight of Pentacles card as a Joy of work card.

Well, that's a nice start -- let's see where it's heading ...

And ... we have the Ace of Pentacles! Aces of any suit generally suggest it's a good time to consider beginning a new venture in that suit interest. Pentacles suggest fiscal or physical ventures -- perhaps a business project, an new exercise regimen, maybe some household fixin-up? Considering the new year's almost upon us, maybe this is a good time to think of some resolution-type projects?

And -- if you find an interesting project, the Eight of Pentacles suggests the way we should attack it. Jump into it with both feet and eyes wide open! Enjoy the participation, don't give it partial attention. Spend your time and attention on the project -- whether or not the project is ultimately successful, the participation will be a reward in itself!

The lights are NEVER all Green at the same time!

Hi -- hope your week's been going well! I am SO ready for allergy season to be over and done with!

Visited the Texas Renaissance Festival last weekend -- brought my almost one-year-old grand daughter who dressed up as a fairy (pink onesie, pink nylon netting wings and skirt). She had a ball -- it was one of those perfect weather weekends and the crowds all came out. I wasn't expecting that big a crowd -- Texas was playing Oklahoma in football and I figured that would keep a lot of people at home watching TV. Didn't happen!

Anyway, she really got a kick out of watching all the colorful hullaballoo (and there was plenty of it!). Discovered a new way to drive up there, too. About 70 miles of empty country roads -- really enjoyable and sight-scenic-worthy. Saved us an at least an hour in missed traffic jams!

My in-laws came up that weekend -- my niece brought her laptop which was displaying a white screen only when she turned it on. (Don't know why she thought I would know how to fix it!) Anyway, we Googled "Toshiba Laptop White Screen" and were astonished not only to find explanations of what caused the problem, but also step-by-step photo-diaries of how to fix it! Took about 15 minutes and a couple of jewelry-sized screwdrivers and everything was going again (it was just a loose cable). The internet is wonderful!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:




Knight of Pentacles





Eight of Swords






You know, it sure seems like we've been seeing a lot of Knights lately. This might suggest we consider our projects or wishes that are still in the formative state -- we know what we want, but we haven't quite gotten around to getting things in gear to make them happen yet.

Let's start with our Knight of Pentacles. This is a very strong opinioned card -- he has a position and isn't that open to changing it ... or even listening to alternatives. He probably walks around on his heels because he's digging them in all the time!

As you might expect, he's not a risk-taker. He's very cautious and is hesitant to make a move until every single loose end is addressed and resolved.

Well -- what would you think the end result would be? Do you think this card suggests someone who's ready to leap into action? Or someone who never seems to take that first step because conditions just aren't right yet?

There's a local radio commercial that asks "Are you one of those people who won't go on a drive until you know all the lights are green?" If you're waiting for that -- you'll never get out of the driveway ... because all the lights are NEVER green! You always will find obstacles and issues along your way. Waiting until they don't exist just ensures you never get started.

Let's look at our second card, the Eight of Swords for some additional information. I love Pamela Coleman-Smith's image for this card -- note the lady tied up; her eyes are bound and she's trapped inside a "cage" of swords! Sounds pretty dire, right?

Well, it does -- until you look again at the image. The cords that bind her are pretty loose -- she can easily work herself free and can then remove the mask from her eyes. The "cage" of swords is a pretty loose cage, too -- it's easy to walk between two of the swords and escape. In actuality, this woman is not trapped at all. She's only trapped if she gives up -- but can go free with just a little work on her part.

And that's the message of this card -- to consider whether the obstacle we feel may be blocking us is really that large an obstacle after all. Aren't there ways around it? Don't we always have alternatives? We only lose if we give up our will and our right to choose.

And maybe that's what this reading is suggesting -- perhaps our Knight is feeling blocked and won't move until he sees the road clear ahead of him. Since this will likely never happen, this is a trap of his own devise. If he wants to move ahead, then he should just begin. Difficulties will arise, but he can deal with them as they do. Movement doesn't guarantee success -- but no moving guarantees failure.

First things first ...

Hi -- hope your week's been going well! Another "cold" front passed through -- it's going down to the 70's this weekend! Heading off to the Texas Renaissance Festival this weekend -- taking our grand-daughter for her first time (she's not quite one yet). We've made her a little pink fairy costume with wings.

My grand-daugher's name is "Chloe" -- but my daughter (who's not the greatest speller) put "Chloey" on the birth certificate! One is pronounced "Chloe" -- the other is pronounced "What is that word?" I tend to use the "without Y" spelling, but I figure she'll choose what she wants when she's older.

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:





Knight of Wands (Reversed)






Five of Wands (Reversed)





Well, the Knight of Wands is one card I'm very familiar with -- if any card in the deck described me, this would be the one! I think I've used the expression "Ready - Fire - Aim" before -- that's pretty much the concept of this card. Lots of energy and excitement, but direction is lacking. The first part will get you off to a good start, the second part pretty much guarantees you'll get lost half-way through! Since we have a reversal here, I'd pay close attention to that second part. That's the weakness in this card and the most likely cause of the reversal.

Our second card, the Five of Wands offers some suggestions about the problem. This card suggests struggle -- like when you have so many issues demanding your attention that you never quite seem to get going. Since it's also reversed, I'd see this as strongly emphasizing that quality.

Put them together and we get something like this: "If there is a course of action or a project that excites you, strongly consider whether or not you have any loose ends that might hinder you once you've begun. Although you may find the prospect of beginning this new course of action energizing, you may be best served by spending some energy attending to any unresolved issues that may cause you trouble later on. Once you have these cleared away, you'll find the way open spend your full attention on those projects that most interest you."

Clear the way ...

Hi -- hope your week's been going well! We've got our first real "cold" front (as in it'll really lower the temperature a good bit) coming through this weekend. The rain and wind have begun already -- I love this kind of weather! I grew up in South Louisiana, so gloomy-overcast-rainy weather feels so comfortable to me! Thinking of rain, it's supposed to rain in Baton Rouge this weekend for the LSU-Florida game. I'm an LSU alum and LSU's going to need all the breaks they can get to do well in the game. Playing on a muddy field is NOT a good way to start, though!

The rain's been good for my chocolate plants, though. They're not real chocolate plants as in cacao. I have a lot of really shady areas in my yard and struggle to find things that will grow there. Saw the Mexican chocolate plants recommended -- they look like chocolate-flavored coleus. Haven't managed to kill them yet -- I have the complete opposite of a "green thumb"!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:




Eight of Wands (Reversed)






Knight of Cups






The Eight of Wands is one of the two Minor Arcana cards in a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck that don't have a person depicted on the image. Doesn't mean any special -- just a bit of trivia for you!

Typically, this card is associated with movement or action. Looking at the image, you can see why! In the Robin Wood deck (the one I use), the wands emit jets of fire -- like rockets in outer space -- just to make sure you understand what they're about! This card could suggest physical movement or relocation, but more often is associated with initiating action on some project close to you.

Being reversed, this suggests this is a topic that you've been delaying action on. Perhaps you're not ready to take on this challenge, perhaps you're unsure how you want to act. Perhaps you're not sure what choice to make -- just remember that doing nothing is the same as making a choice!

Let's look to our second card for some hints -- the Knight of Cups.

Like all Knights, this card suggests energy wanting to be released. Like all Knights, this card is unsure about the direction in which it should release the energy! If anything, this particular Knight tends to look inwards more than outwards -- and if you're always looking inwards, you tend to miss the things that are happening all around you.

So -- perhaps this could suggest that we're unable to exercise the movement of the Eight of Wands because we're dwelling on internal issues. It's okay to ponder issues that are special to you -- but there has to be an end sometime! If you find yourself hashing and rehashing the same concerns over and over again, realize that you have to let them loose. If you can't resolve them, then just leave them behind you. Consider the active movement available in the Eight of Wands -- by applying that movement, you're able to leave vexing issues behind you. Once you can view them from a distance rather than up close, you may find they weren't as significant as you thought they were!

Could be a good time to ...

Hi -- hope your week's been going well! It's full-blown allergy season in Houston; as usual, it's slammed me pretty hard. I'm staying in the house as much as I can -- even a short trip outside has me sneezing for an hour.

On the related topic of things that grow seasonally, I have an wonderful information source that might interest you. Susan Wittig Albert, a Texas author who writes some really neat detective mysteries, also publishes a wonderful free newsletter on herbs. It's called "All About Thyme" and is a weekly calendar of "Times & Seasonings ... Celebrating the Mysteries, Magic, and Myths of Herbs". You can find this posted on the web at http://www.abouthyme.com/dayletters/; you can also sign up at that URL to receive the postings via email. It's a lot of fun and she posts lots of great information.

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:






Knight of Wands







Ten of Pentacles






I really identify with the Knights in a Tarot deck. Not because I'm noble and gallant or anything -- but because I'm more of a "Ready - Fire - Aim" kind of person. I tend to jump into a project before I plan it all out. Has me doing some backtracking from time to time to fix things I should have forseen (but didn't), but it works for me.

The Knight of Wands is the most "Ready - Fire - Aim" of the group -- not only is he excited about a project, he comes provided with loads of energy to see him through. His is the type of energy that's contagious -- folks around him can feel his passion and become inspired. He's not hesitant because of potential problems -- even if he doesn't know how he'll solve them, he'll still plow ahead confident that he'll be able to overcome any obstacles he comes across.

Will he be successful? Well, our next card, the Ten of Pentacles surely suggests yes! This ten suggests achieving a highly desired outcome -- particularly the outcome of a quest related to finances or physical well-being.

When we put them together, we get a fairly simple message. Don't let fear of failure keep you from trying to achieve what you want -- if you drive forward, you'll be able to resolve any difficulties in order to reach your goal.

So -- this might be a good time to look at losing a few pounds, perhaps start a walking regimen, or maybe preparing more interesting and healthy meals. This might also be a good time to explore professional projects -- maybe take a more active part in projects at work. Not saying you won't run into stumbling blocks (ie: "healthy" and "interesting"? How do you do that!?!) -- you likely will! But ... draw on the energy provided by the Knight of Wands to keep you from becoming discouraged; if the door appears closed, keep banging on it and you will pop it open!

Count Your Blessings!

Hi -- hope your week's been going well! School's started up again over here -- hooray! It's my daughter's Senior year in high school. She has some extra credits, so only has to attend for half a day. They didn't do that back when I was in high school ... 'course, they had black-and-white TV's back then as well!

Have begun getting my costume together for the Renaissance Festival in the spring where I'll be doing readings. Going after the "Gypsy" look -- lots of color, lots of "stuff". Don't know whether it'll be cold or not (February in Texas -- who knows?), so I'll add a wool cloak to the ensemble.

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:




Six of Cups






Nine of Cups






Very pleasant cards this time around! Both are Cups, so this reading likely is concerned with your emotional world.

The Six of Cups is an easy one to understand. Think of when you were a child -- you didn't have to worry about jobs, or car payments, or doctor bills, or issues at work, or ... well, or any grown-up problems! You may have been aware of such things, but those were things for grown-ups to take care of.

A child's main desire is for security -- they want to feel safe, loved, and comfortable. When a baby is crying, what do you do? You pick it up and hug it gently while patting it's back and saying "That's okay, it's alright!" You're making it feel warm and secure.

So, the Six of Cups most often suggests this sort of desire -- the wish to feel safe and secure. Again, we're thinking more of the emotional part of security here.

How to attain this? Let's look at our second card, the Nine of Cups. This card is actually sitting in a place where it's attained emotional security -- all the pieces have fit into place and it's able to enjoy being emotional fulfilled.

How to apply this? Let's try and realize those emotional assets we do have -- and take comfort in them! This is more commonly called "Count Your Blessings"! You're not alone, you're not without strengths and assets -- think about them, recognize them, and draw comfort from them. Sure ... you may want more assurances ... but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the assets you already have. Draw comfort from these -- and your emotional stockpile will surely grow!

Prioritize!

Hi -- hope your week's started off well. We're "almost" getting rain out here west of Houston -- we can hear the thunder and see the lightning and dark clouds -- but not so many raindrops! Sigh! Still have our fingers crossed, though -- our turn has to come eventually.

Started working with a new company this week -- will be training all week. My eyeballs are rolling from reading manuals all week. The product is very similar to one that I used to support, so I understand the market well. It's almost like slipping on an old pair of comfortable shoes!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:



Queen of Pentacles







Knight of Cups
(Reversed)






These Pentacles sure are getting familiar -- we've been seeing them a lot lately!

We've seen the Queen of Pentacles before -- she's like a sweet and caring grandmother. She has a big heart and sincerely cares about everyone's welfare. When times are tough, she's always there with a smile for you. She's always ready to lend a hand, too. Not too proud to get her hands dirty if need be!

These are all wonderful attributes -- patience, compassion, and willingness to get the task done without putting on any airs. Our second card is reversed, but I think we'll find it very easy to upright him and realize these positive attributes.

This second card, the Knight of Cups, tends to get sidetracked by his emotions. Queens are experienced -- they've been through the mill and know how to ignore distractions. Knights, unfortunately, are still learning and need a little help to stay on task. Being a Knight of Cups, our second card has to watch out for getting a little too "dreamy" and maybe a little too "introspective". If this Knight were building a house, he'd never get started because he never could make up his mind about what color to paint the inside! His emotions would distract him from his true task -- get the house built!

While it's nice to be aware of what's inside you, you still need to take care of the mundane matters surrounding you first. Once you've taken care of your physical house, you'll have some leisure time to think about the "furnishings"!

So -- prioritize! Note what things are most important and most need attention -- and take care of them first! You'll find this let's you realize the good side of the Knight of Cups by putting things in their proper order!

Get Started!

Hi -- hope you had a fine weekend! We had a dear friend up from Baton Rouge and had a full weekend shopping, visiting, and sight-seeing. Trying to get the "back to school" shopping out of the way early. Texas does this thing where they waive all sales taxes on clothes and school supplies for a weekend right before school starting back up. You really want to avoid the stores that weekend -- they're a pure madhouse!

Was glad to see the "experts" down-grading their hurricane predictions for this season -- I'm still pretty hurricane-shy after last year's Ike. Not that it means they'll be right -- just that we won't have to hear weather "conspirary theorists" spouting off for a while. That's always a relief!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:



Three of Pentacles






Knight of Pentacles
(Reversed)






The Three of Pentacles is one of my favorites cards -- I think of it as a "Joy of work" card!

Have you ever been involved in an activity -- so involved that you don't really notice time passing? You're completely absorbed by the tasks, completely engaged by the challenges. It's a really nice feeling -- when you finally do look up and realize "Wow, where did the time go?", you probably feel like you've accomplished a bit. You've extended and expressed yourself and your skills ... and you don't feel put-upon at all. You've really enjoyed the process.

That's what this card suggests -- performing a task so dilligently that you and the task become one for that short period of time. The work defines you -- and you define the work.

This card simply acknowledges that performing a job well can be it's own reward. I don't think you have to be particularly skilled in order to enjoy this feeling -- I can spend hours playing my guitar (and torturing my family and neighbors in the process!) and I'll feel wonderful at the end ... even though I'm not particularly any good. Those rare times when I get a "cleaning urge" and spend an afternoon fixing up a cluttered room fill me with great satisfaction -- and I end up more relaxed than if I'd have spent that time taking a nap! Doing something well -- or at least being totally involved in doing something -- can give you much more energy than you might have spent in the process!

This is a pretty positive card for us -- it's suggesting there are tasks we can undertake where the results will greatly reward us. So ... what's the hangup?

Well, our second card, the Knight of Pentacles is actually very supportive of this activity. This knight is a plodder -- he stays on task, he stays on focus, and he sees things through to the end. He's not flashy, he's not fancy -- but he gets things done! But ... he's reversed!

In this case, the reversal likely signifies some reluctance to actually get started. Perhaps an ennui, perhaps it's just too darn hot to get started on something, perhaps we just don't feel like we have the energy to devote to a task, perhaps we don't see the point ... could be lots of reasons. The thing to remember is that regardless of whether or not we can see it from right here, we know from the Three of Pentacles that, once we get involved in a task, we'll reap the rewards. It's as sure as night following day -- we KNOW this will happen!

So ... if you feel it's necessary, give your inner Knight of Pentacles just a tiny nudge. It might take a little effort to start a heavy ball rolling ... but once it starts going, it doesn't take much to keep it going. The sturdiness of the Knight and the enthusiasm of the Three suggest this might be a great time to consider tasks or projects -- and that you'll be very successful in those you choose.

Let Loose and Move Forward!

Hope you've been havingt a good one! Things have been pretty hot and dry in Houston -- heat index near 110 degrees and no rain anywhere! Can't wait for summer to break!

Other than that, not much going on. I've been doing a little sewing lately -- am making some cloaks (forty of them!) for that Austin-area Renaissance Faire that's starting up next spring (and I'll be reading at!). You can see some pictures of what they look like here, here, and here. I had to coax two of my daughter's friends into modelling ... they were reluctant until I suggested they could use swords and bows as props. That sealed the deal!

How about we get onto that 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. Our cards this week are:




Judgement






Two of Cups







Hooray -- no reversals! Maybe we're out of those woods!

Actually, reversals aren't necessarily a negative thing. Reversals suggest progress -- in the sense that once you address issues rather than ignoring them, you should expect some positive movement. Everyone has problems -- but not everyone works to resolve them. It's not the problems you have that defines you -- it's what you do to take care of them that does.

Okay, I'll get off the soapbox now! Let's take a look at the cards we've drawn. Judgement really suggests positive movement. Quite often we hit spots in our life where we must make decisions in order to move forward. Judgement reminds us to be fair and honest when making those decisions -- if we are, we're better assured of making the "right" decision.

Even more than that, Judgement urges us to make the decision, not to avoid it!

Think of those times when you've felt an issue is weighing you down -- when you finally make a choice that lets you move past (or overcome) the issue, you feel like a great weight's been lifted. You feel refreshed and rejuvenated. You'll probably find the path you're now able to follow is a reward for your decision.

What kind of decision may you face? That obviously can vary -- but more often than not it'll be a decision requiring some type of forgiveness or acceptance. These are the types of hurtful things that can hold us back -- and they're also the types of things that can make us feel most relieved once we can put them in our past.

Our next card, the Two of Cups, suggests where we might look to answer this question. The Two of Cups suggests establishing or strengthening an emotional relationship. This doesn't necessarily mean a romantic tie -- but it could refer to a friendship or an emotional committment to a particular project or event. These sorts of emotional ties tend to reward us -- we receive in return way more than we lay out.

It might even be that we're unable to enjoy a new emotional attachment until we complete the course suggested by Judgement. No need to let things in the past drag us down -- let's embrace the lessons (we probably paid dearly for them), learn from them, close them ... and move on to better things!

And that's it for this week! Hope things go well for you till next time!