There's No Place Like Home

Hi! Hope this week's been treating you well! I've been bouncing around between too many time zones -- am really ready to get home and settle down for a while!

Lots of really sad news from the entertainment world. I've heard a lot of comments about things happening in threes (McMahon, Fawcett, Jackson), but I think that sometimes things just happen. Was reading the USA Today and they talked about that MoTown special 25 or 30 years ago when Michael Jackson first introduced his moonwalk. I remember watching that and just being mesmerized. It really was a seminal entertainment moment.

I was excited about watching the Tigers win the College World Series. I'm an LSU alum -- but the neat thing was that they won the year my daughter was born ... and they also won the year my grand-daughter was born! But, enough of that -- let's get started with 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:

Six of Cups




Ten of Pentacles (Reversed)





The key things to think about to understand the Six of Cups are "home", "family", "innocence", "comfort", and "security". Think back to the days of being a kid ... you didn't really worry about world events. Business environments meant nothing. Your world -- while important to you -- was kind of small and uncomplicated. You main goal was to feel safe and secure -- and the surrounding of family and friends helped this happen. This wonderful, secure feeling becomes harder to hold on to as you age and become more involved in adult matters -- but I think we all still seek this warm feeling of security.

This is a great card in our first position -- it suggests we are able to feel secure. Our second card ... the reversed Ten of Pentacles offers a few things to consider though.

Tens of any suit suggest completion. Pentacles in particular refer to fiscal or physical matters. So, a Ten of Pentacles could suggest reaching a comfortable level of financial comfort. Doesn't have to mean you've won the lottery -- but it could mean you've got a plan for handling your bills and obligations that seems to work.

The reversed Ten in this position ... combined with the upright Six in the first position ... suggests that we pay a little attention to our health or financial position if we want to be able to fully enjoy the security of the Six. Are there things you could do to help ensure better health? Maybe lose those a few pounds or start taking short walks every day or so to get your heart rate under better control. Are you susceptible to any family health woes or weaknesses? If so, then you might start considering preventative tactics early rather than later.

Same thing with your financial situation. Do you have a financial plan? or, are you just going along from paycheck to credit card and not worrying about it. Things like this will eventually catch up with you -- and if you let them do so on their own, they're likely to slam you pretty hard. Start thinking of ways to get things under control -- maybe pay the credit cards down a little, maybe take some classes or training that can enhance your professional desirability. Take an active interest in your fiscal health -- have a plan. You don't have to achieve financial independence overnight (and you likely won't), but you can control things to put you in more control and in a better position over time.

Keep an active eye on your fiscal and physical health -- and you'll find it much easier to hold on to that comfortable feeling of security!

Learn and Love it!

Moan and groan!!! I finally got my dental work done late last week -- two bone grafts with implants to come! I apologize for missing the reading last week, but I was in no fit shape to participate in the human race for a couple of days.

I'm in the heavy achey stage right now -- not quite fit for society, but pretty close. It has been really nice to actually eat and chew something again, though.

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately -- there's a new Renaissance festival starting up next spring near Austin and I'm helping out on the costumes. I'm thinking of setting up a tent and doing tarot readings, too. I've always enjoyed going to Ren faires, but have never participated before. I think it would be fun!

How about 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:



Eight of Pentacles
(Reversed)







Ace of Cups





Usually, when I do a reading, I puzzle over the cards a bit. I'll test different meanings and interpretations before I settle in on what seems appropriate and meaningful. Sometimes takes a bit of time before it feels right.

And then sometimes, as soon as I see the cards the answer is obvious! This is one of those times.

The first card, the Eight of Pentacles, is something I think of as a "joy of learning" card. It suggests those times we're engaged in learning a new skill or task ... and we're really getting into it. Probably to the point where we don't really notice time passing -- we're completely absorbed by the task.

Since the card is reversed, it's suggested that we're not able to realize this level of absorbed participation ... so let's look at our next card for a tip on how to change this.

I could go on about the Ace of Cups -- but let's just cut to the chase. You want to enjoy something -- then do something you love! Do something that's fun -- something that excites and energizes you. If you're excited about the activity, then it's easy to get involved in the details.

We could extend this further -- if you're doing something that you don't love, why are you doing it? If you're not doing anything at all, then why not -- you're missing out on a wonderful part of life. Life is just a series of learning experiences; when you miss out on learning, you're not taking the next step (and may find yourself stuck in a dull routine!)

So -- bottom line -- learn and live. Take it as an action item -- find something fun to do and do it! The payoff will be much more than you think!

Here's a totally unrelated tidbit -- some Tarot trivia. When A. E. Waite wrote his tarot book nearly a hundred years ago, he described this particular picture of the Ace of Cups in great detail. He mentioned the four streams of water falling from the cup. Well, take a look and count them -- there are five streams, not 4! Meaningful? Hidden secrets? Possibly -- but more likely it suggests that Waite didn't do a good job of proof-reading!

Move Forward!

Hi! Hope this week's been treating you well! I'm just starting to wind down -- it's been pretty busy over here.

Was in Las Vegas for a couple of days. It's probably been 15 years since I've last been in Las Vegas -- I hardly recognized a thing. The strip seems about 10 times bigger than it used to be.

I didn't get a chance to go out any -- although there were loads of great shows that I'd love to see. The last Vegas show I saw many years ago was Sigfried and Roy; I feel fortunate that I got to see it before it shut down.

Would love to see Bette Midler's show. Flights into Vegas are pretty cheap; I might try to get down there again for a fun weekend. I'm not even going to comment about comparing last week's Newark with this week's Las Vegas! But, enough of that -- let's get started with 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:


The Fool (Reversed)







Two of Cups (Reversed)





Once again, we have another two reversed cards. Still don't see this as as anything negative -- just a suggestion that we consider areas where we may have issues that need to be addressed.

The Fool suggests open-minded innocence -- like times when you only see the potential for positive things and remain blissfully unaware of any pitfalls you may encounter. If you think too much of things that could go wrong -- why then, none of us would likely ever do anything! Sometimes you've got to move ahead and trust that you'll be able to handle whatever may come up.

Now, it's one thing to carefully weigh the risks and rewards and then make a move. The Fool doesn't quite do this -- he's not thinking of the risks at all! He may not even be thinking of the rewards -- I think most of the time he's in it simply for the journey! The nice thing about this is that he gets constant positive feedback every step along the way -- because every step is it's own reward. The Fool doesn't need to complete a project to feel fulfilled -- simply undertaking a project is the reward.

Being reversed, it's likely we're not quite ready to enjoy the positive aspects of this card. Perhaps we're too concerned about risks or potential bad news -- there sure is a lot of it on the news! If we want to wait till all the lights are green before we start, though ... we'll never get started at all!

Lets think of ways we can counter this. The Two of Cups is a curious card in this position. It usually suggests a new, growing, or renewed personal relationship -- perhaps with another person, perhaps even with yourself. In this case, the reversal might suggest this is the reason we may not enjoy the pleasantries of the upright Fool.

Are there any personal relationships that you find limiting or frustrating? Perhaps friendships that have gone awry because of misconceptions or miscommunications? Perhaps you're not enjoying the support and confidence you might get from a stronger relationship? What can you do to turn these around? Sometimes it's very easy to fall into a rut -- and sometimes it's just as easy to turn things around. A simple word or act could make the difference -- perhaps you might have to make the first move?

Turning things around and enjoying the fruits of a renewed friendship (or cutting the strings of a failed one -- something else suggested by the reversed Two of Cups) can be liberating and envigorating. Just the thing to give you the optimistic view of the world you can use to fully enjoy The Fool!

And that's about it for this week!

Timely Reading?

Hi! Hope your week's been good to you so far!

I've spent this past week at a convention in National Harbor, Maryland. It's a resort-type spot near Washington, D.C. and just across the Potomac River from Alexandria, VA. The setting is beautiful -- on a small bluff above the river.

Some really nice restaurants -- but I haven't been enjoying them due to this tooth problem. I managed to get into the oral surgeon next Tuesday and am hoping he can do something then. I'm ready to start chewing some real food again!

Did you follow American Idol? Are you surprised at the results? One downside of winning the show is that you have to sign with the producers and sing the songs they select -- which tend to be sappy ballads. Kris can do these well, but Adam Lambert would have been completely wasted -- he's now free to do the types of things he's best suited for. I think the results will end out being the best for both of the contestants.

Enough of that -- let's get started with 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:

Nine of Pentacles (Reversed)






Nine of Swords (Reversed)





Two reversed cards -- and both are Nine's. We don't get a Major this time, so I feel this reading is just passing along a message, not hollering it!

The Nine of Pentacles suggests the secure and comfortable feeling that comes with a certain amount of success and prosperity. Not that there aren't other paths to this same feeling -- for instance, you may feel particularly physically well and fit. This may help you feel comfortable and secure in your position.

Being reversed, we look for distortions of this message. Rather than a secure and safe feeling, we may think about situations where we don't feel so comfortable. This may be particulary appropriate given the current fiscal climate. Even if we're not directly affected, the uncertainty in the economy can trouble us all. Rather than feeling "safe", we may be apprehensive about our prospects.

Our next card presents a curious take on this. The "Nine of Swords" typically suggests something so worrying and troubling that it might wake you up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat! Some people refer to it as the "Night Terrors" card! Kind of a spooky card following the uncertainty of our first card -- until you remember that it's reversed!

And a reversal suggests some sort of distortion -- so, rather than suggesting something troubling, a reversed Nine of Swords can suggest there's reason for hope! If we look, we may see brighter prospects upcoming.

These two cards together are very similar to what we'd think of the "Wheel of Fortune" -- things work in cycles. Sometimes you're on top -- but you can quickly fall to the bottom. If you're on the bottom, don't despair because your circumstances can just as quickly change. The message is to not get distracted by your current situation. If it's not to your liking, keep plugging away to make it better ... and it will get better. If you throw up your hands and give up, you're not likely to see changes. So -- don't give up! You can control the direction in your life -- all you have to do is take an active part and do so!

Your Choice

I hope things have been going well -- I'm again in California this week ... but am off to D.C. next week. I'm pretty ready for a change!

I just deleted a coupla paragraphs about my broken tooth and trying to get to see a dentist -- when I realized no one wants to hear about my tooth and my dentist! I don't even want to think about my tooth and my dentist!

One thing she's started doing is taking my blood pressure when I'm sitting in the dentist's chair. It's usually pretty high -- and they fuss at me for it. I always tell them "Do you think the fact that I'm sitting in a dentist chair with all these shiny sharp objects all around me that you're going to poke me with just might have something to do with it?" They haven't figured that part out yet!

Let's get started with 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:

Eight of Wands (Reversed)



The Lovers








By the way, there are only two cards in a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck Minor Arcana that do not have people depicted on them. The Eight of Wands is one of them! Doesn't mean anything -- just thought I'd throw that in!

This Eight normally suggests some sort of movement -- some like to say it suggests travel. I generally see it suggesting some advancement from one state (or status) to another. I'm not talking like moving from Texas to Oklahoma type states, I'm talking more about current situational states. You might be troubled by some matter -- the Eight of Wands might suggest being able to putting that trouble behind you and moving forward.

Being reversed, the Eight could suggest some sort of difficulty in movement. If you think about it, being hindered in movement is another way of saying "being held back". In this sense, the reversed Eight of Wands could suggest feeling oppressed!

How can we address this? Let's take a look at The Lovers for some advice.

This card has a fairly rich set of meanings, but you're basically looking at choices you can make. You might be looking at the choice to remain with a comfortable and known (but limited) environment -- or to select an environment with more potential for advancement (but also more risk as well). Trying to select between the known and the unknown.

If you think about this a moment, it kind of makes sense that the "known" environment may feel limiting. After all, you "know" the environment; you know the boundaries already. A new environment may look inviting and limitless -- but you may find it equally limiting once you get there. Or -- you may find it exhilarating and fulfilling. You just don't know until you've tried it.

And that's the dilmena -- which is more important to you? The security of the known? Or, the potential of the unknown? This is a great simplification -- but that's pretty much the choice.

So how do these cards link together? Well, if you're feeling held back and oppressed -- but choose to remain in that environment because it is the one you know ... then you're not really being oppressed. You've CHOSEN this route -- which means you've taken control and have actively decided this is the course you prefer. If you're in control, then you're really doing what you want ... so there's no need to feel limited.

In this case, I'd look for situations where you may feel you have little control ... situations that might seem stagnant, situations that bother you. Then realize that it's completely your choice whether or not you remain in these situations. You always have control to leave the situation and look for change. If you weigh the risk of change versus your feelings about the situation and choose accordingly, then you no longer have to feel that you're not in control of things. You are in control -- because you've chosen the course you wish to take! Regardless of what that choice might be!

Take Time for Yourself First!

I hope your week's gone well; I'm back in San Mateo this week. I understand I'm missing the heat and humidity back in Houston while I'm just suffering with this wonderful California weather! I don't feel guilty -- I figure I'm way overdue for it!

I habitually make the rounds of used bookstores -- I quite often purchase books, then toss them in a "to read" stack so I can find them when I need them. I grabbed a handful of books at random before I left Houston. I finished the first (history about Charles II), then reached for the rest to pick one. First book -- well, what do you know? This one's about Charles II, too. Dont' want to read that. How about the next -- whoa, it's about Charles II also! Down to the third book -- and I'm afraid to look. Good reason, too -- it's also about Charles II!

I don't know how that happened! I like English and Scottish histories -- I must've found each book on separate days (or weeks, or months!), bought it, then forgot about it as they sat unread in the "to read" stack!

I was lucky on the last book -- it was about Henry VII!

Let's get started with 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:


The Empress






Seven of Cups








Our first card, The Empress, is a Trump card -- a Major Arcana card. These powerful cards generally suggest things very imporant to us. I always see The Empress as a family card -- as seen from the perspective of a loving and caring mother.

In this sense, it suggests the warm feeling of knowing that you are loved and cared for. It can also suggest the same warm feeling of loving and caring for those close to you. We might consider that this reading may reflect on our family.

How can we best enjoy and appreciate the aspects suggested by The Empress? How can we improve our familial situation?

Let's look at our next card, the Seven of Cups. I was reading a post on a Tarot website where readers talked about Tarot cards and music -- the premise was that people associated certain songs with particular cards. I always think of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables (or, if you prefer -- as sung by Susan Boyle!) when I see the Seven of Cups. The character in the Robin Wood version even looks like Fantine to me!

Some people see the Seven of Cups as a weak card -- because it refers to dreaming about things rather than making them happen. I don't agree with this -- I see it rather as a very important preparation card -- it helps us focus on things that can motivate us.

In fact, things move so quickly in our world today that we find ourselves reacting to things all the time -- as a result, it's difficult to really take the time to sit and think about ourselves and the things we appreciate. There's always something else demanding our attention -- making us guilty if we reserve a little bit of time for ourselves.

This is really a counter-productive attitude -- we should be our most important project! I mean, we spend time and money maintaining our car and doing maintenance on our homes ... why not spend quality time keeping ourselves operating well? We may be taking care of our physical selves, but our spiritual and mental self is equally important.

A little time reserved for communing with yourself, for evaluating situations and your feelings, and for planning your future activities, will pay off splendidly! And what kinds of things should we concentrate on?

Well, The Empress has a strong suggestion -- how about our families and friends? Why not spend a little time thinking of how we can improve things -- and there's always room for improvement! Don't just sit back and react to things as they come up -- spend a little time thinking and planning, then take control and make the right things happen!

Be Strong

I hope your week's been going well; ours was fine until this afternoon. Pooh Kitty (AKA Pooh Bear) didn't make it through the week. He really enjoyed eating baby food these last few days, but he finally was just ready to go.

We always called Pooh the Practically Perfect Kitty. He wasn't the best at purring, but he was second best. He wasn't best at remembering to use the litter box, but he was second best. He wasn't the best at grooming, but he was second best, etc, etc. On the whole, he outscored our other three cats (which is why he was Practically Perfect!)

Pooh had another endearing habit -- he was more like a dog than a cat. Just like a dog, he'd follow you around all over the house; he liked keeping you company. He always wanted to help -- if you were trying to cook, or do laundry, or type on the computer, he would jump into the middle of things to help (and of course, not helping at all!) Our other cats are all experts at hiding in various places, but we never had to search for Pooh. He was always sitting at our feet (or in our laps). If you didn't see him right away, all you had to do was shake a bag of kitty treats -- and he'd magically appear!

Enough for now -- Pooh will always be with us and the Wheel must keep on turning! Let's move 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:


Strength (Reversed)




Two of Pentacles







Once again we begin with a reversed card -- again suggesting some correction be considered in order to move forward!

This week, we begin with a reversed Strength -- another Major Arcana card. This card doesn't really refer to physical or fiscal strength -- the ability to force our will upon others. Instead, this card speaks of a more available and universal strength -- one that we can all call upon to influence matters.

This inner strength we all have -- but don't always recognize. The strength of will, the strength of conviction, the strength of good example, the strength of good character, the strength of love and caring ... we all have all of these and more. When I think of Strength, I think of my mother-in-law -- a tiny and not-physically-strong person, but who affected every person she met by her good nature and honest and considerate outlook. She cared about people -- and cared about their feelings; she cared about goodness and honesty. She could barely lift a brick, but I know strong men who would have run through a brick wall for her. She exercised her strength by influencing others to be better -- by making them want to better themselves.

This is the sort of strength we all have -- but don't alway exercise. Let's check our second card to see what we might consider to correct this.

I always think of the Two of Pentacles in this way -- suppose you're trying to fill out an important business form before the deadline. Suddenly the phone rings; it's someone demanding you take care of an issue for them. About then you glance in the parking lot and think you see smoke coming from your car! As you get up, your sleeve catches on the arm of the chair and rips -- and the receptionist calls up and says "The delivery man wants to know where to put the 500 dead chickens -- did you order dead chickens???"

You get the idea? Distraction upon distraction upon distraction -- many demanding tasks all at once and only one of you trying to juggle everything!

It happens to all of us (well, maybe not the dead chickens!) and about all you can do is hang on and hope it ends soon! Unfortunately, it's sometimes hard to get out of this distraction mode -- we keep anticipating the next crisis and forget to pay attention to other more imporant things. We sometimes spend so much time reacting to things that we lose our quiet composure -- we abandon our inner strength and instead waste attentions and energy by leaping from issue to issue to issue.

The way out of this dilemna is to quietly back off -- take time to center yourself. Call upon your inner strengths; let others see your composure and draw their own strength from your example. Don't try to snatch moments of time to do this -- make time to do so!

The paradox here is that by taking time to attach to your core, you end out having more time to address issues -- and perhaps prevent them from becoming issues in the first place!

And that's about it for this week! Hope things go well for you till next time! I'll be posting this reading to my blog at http://www.woodsongtarot.blogspot.com and welcome your comments there! Have a great week!

Woodsong -
visit Tarot by Woodsong

Size Doesn't Matter!

I hope your week's been going well -- I thought I was going to have time to get this out earlier this week, but the days just started filling up at the last minute. Seems to be happening a lot lately.

Am off to San Mateo next week -- looking forward to it! I've been having some allergy things goings on and am hoping the change of scenery will make a positive difference. That's not why I'm going, of course -- I'm just hoping it will be a pleasant side effect.

One of our cats (Pooh Bear) has been feeling sickly. He had some cysts that added about 4 pounds to his weight -- we had them surgically removed earlier in the year, but they came right back. This time, the vet just drained them in the office. We now have a skinny cat (4 pounds less!), but he won't eat even though he's always hungry. We're now trying blenderizing his cat food into a soup -- that seems to be working so far. Not quite the same morning aroma as a pot of coffee -- but it does wake you up!

Let's move on to 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:


The Sun
(Reversed)





The Emperor






Just a couple of quick thoughts -- first, these are both Trump cards (or Major Arcana). Whenever I see a majority of Trump cards in a reading, I always listen a little harder; I figure they're trying to suggest something really important.

Next, we again have a reversed first card. This might make some sense -- a reversed initial card suggests we need to take some action or corrective behavior in order to enjoy the positive aspects of the card. Maybe since we're starting off again, we have some backed up work we need to do!

I find The Sun to be one of the easiest to understand cards of all the Trumps. I think of it like this -- imagine you're sitting on top of a hill and dawn hasn't come yet. It's still dark -- you can't see all that much, even though you know there are things around you. Dawn starts to break -- you can now see glimpses of your surroundings -- you can tell you're on a hill and you can see there's a valley beneath you, but the morning mist clouds things and you can't really make out details. As the sun fully rises, it slowly burns away the fog and you can clearly see, identify, and understand everything ... and that's what The Sun suggests to me! When things are hidden from you -- when the situation is murky and you can't really see the proper path to take, you really need The Sun to fully rise and make things clear and apparent.

This is a really good thing! A nice card to have in our leading position -- but we need to set it upright in order to see our path clearly.

And this is where The Emperor can help us. Think of The Emperor as a truly benevolent ruler. He's not in it for the riches or the palaces, he's in it because he truly cares for the well-being of his people. In the deck I use (the The Robin Wood Tarot deck), the Emperor isn't even sitting in a fancy throne in a palace. He's sitting outside in an ordinary looking throne -- suggesting that his cares are the well-being of his lands and people.

He takes his duties to his people personally -- they are his responsibilities. In fact, that's what motivates and drives him -- his responsibilities. That's how he views the world and his path -- in terms of his responsibilities.

And that's what we should do in order to realize the upright benefits of The Sun ... let ourselves be motivated by our responsibilities! We all have duties -- to our schooling, to our work, our family, our friends, and to ourselves. If we view our daily path in terms of "How does this help my abilities to perform my responsibilities", our path becomes clearer. Rather than blindly doing the same thing every day, we now view ourselves as making progress along the paths we've chosen.

If we really commmit to our responsibilities -- not view them just as things we have to do, but view them as things we have to do well, then our path becomes even more clearer and fulfilling. We being to enjoy putting in the extra effort to excel -- because we gain postive feedback immediately ... since we see how it improves our ability to perform the things we're responsible for.

Remember, we're not talking about changing the world ... just our own little part of it. If we do that one little part well, we'll feel just as fulfilled as does The Emperor.

And that's it for this week! Hope things go well for you till next time! I'll be posting this reading to my blog at http://www.woodsongtarot.blogspot.com and welcome your comments there! Have a great week!

Batty?

I hope your week's been going well -- things have been hectic here (things are always hectic here). I started a new job about a month and a half ago and am really beginning to get busy.

I have to apologize for the format of the reading last week. I was testing the HTML code I use for the reading and began with a really messed up copy. I made changes until it looked much better -- and then accidentally used the messed up version instead when I mailed the reading! I hope this one comes out better!

Am really whipped -- had to drive back to Houston late last night from Austin. I was at a meeting till about 7:30 pm, then decided to wait and see if I could see the bats. Austin has the largest colony of urban bats in the United States -- around 2 million of them. They live underneath a downtown bridge and swarm out at dusk in a huge cloud that envelopes the sky. It's a really impressive view of nature in action and is a big tourist draw. Well worth the wait!

How about 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:

Eight of Pentacles(Reversed)


The Hermit











The Eight of Pentacles suggests some sort of professional or educational activity -- basically something at your vocation (or avocation) or your schooling. Something you're learning to do, something you do for pay, or something you do for fun. This is likely a task where you've really got to concentrate or commit yourself in order to do it right.

This isn't really a bad thing -- if you get totally involved in a project, it's usually quite enjoyable. If you do a job or learn a difficult lesson well, it's very satisfying. The hard part is usually getting "into" the task to begin.

Since the card is reversed, we might think about work, school, or hobby areas where you might have trouble getting started -- or maybe trouble in maintaining the level of effort and interest needed to do the task well.

This is pretty common -- most of us seem to need a little jump-start in order to get moving! Where can this come from?

Our second card suggests an answer -- The Hermit. The Hermit's wisdom comes from his experience; he's been through this process a zillion times before. He knows the rewards waiting for us once we commit to the task -- and therefore, so do we know those rewards.

Rather than pushing us into action, the Hermit suggests we let ourselves be pulled by the reward. Wisdom consists of seeing the total picture, not just the immediate surroundings. Getting started can be tough because of the immediate conditions -- it's too hectic, I have too much to do and no time to do it in, other tasks may suffer, I'm so stressed, etc, etc, etc.

The Hermit takes the bigger picture -- the immediate conditions are really just excuses, not reasons. Life is always hectic, we'll always have our attention drawn in different directions, time is always dear -- but those are not reasons to sit on the sidelines! The bigger picture looks at the rewards at the end of the project -- the sense of achievement, the physical or fiscal rewards of completing the task, the personal growth, etc. These are all desireable rewards that should pull us into action -- all we have to do is act.

By the way, notice the similarity between this week's reading and last week's? Both began with a Pentacle and ended with the Hermit.



And that's about it this week! Hope things go well for you till next time! I'll be posting this reading to my blog at http://www.woodsongtarot.blogspot.com and welcome your comments there! Have a great week!

I'm Baaaaccccckkkkk!

And ... it's really great to be back! You know how sometimes, no matter how you've planned and scheduled and arranged things ... life just butts in and says "No, I don't care what you think, we're going to do it THIS way!" and you don't have a whole lot of choice in the matter? Well, that's where I've been recently!

I've been worse places before -- but I've been plenty better places also! It's been hectic, frustrating, and irritating ... I don't like having to react to situations instead of controlling them. I'll tell you more later about it -- but it was essentially just family issues that had to be handled and ate up most of my time and all of my energy!

But we've all been there before -- and we'll all probably end out there again at some point. The Wheel does keep turning -- but it's nice to finally get to the upswing!

I hope things have been going well for you lately. I know these are rough times recently -- I got caught up in them, too (got downsized and pushed out the door). But, like they say, for every door that closes, another opens. Just gotta keep your eye open to recognize it!

Enough of this -- let's get on on to the reading!

Just like we used to, we'll 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



The Hermit












I always find face cards interesting in a reading. Many readers -- including some I really respect a lot -- claim that a face card ALWAYS refers to a person who will be involved. While I respect their opinion, I don't necessarily feel that way.

To me, a face card refers to a particular aspect or energy that we may exercise ourselves ... or that may affect us. Or ... maybe it does refer to a person we know!

In this case, we're going to look at the Queen of Pentacles. Like all Queens, we'll find this card really concentrates on emotions and feelings. This queen is very caring of others -- being a Pentacle, we're concentrating on fiscal and physical well-being. This suggests trust and belief in others. As you might suggest, this card is interested in helping folks in trouble.

Our second card, The Hermit, offers a good balance for the Queen. The Hermit offers experience and wisdom to help temper the enthusiasm of the Queen. For instance, an unbridled Queen might spend all of her resources assisting others; the Hermit helps her restrict herself to reasonable levels. By managing her resources carefully and wisely, the Queen can be more effective in the long run.

So what does this mean for us? Well, you might feel yourself drawn to assist folks in need -- or you might feel poorly because you cannot help out as much as you wish you could. Note that the "folk" in need may be yourself!

The Hermit reminds us to measure our success not by the amount of help required, but by the amount of help we can reasonably provide. If we do what we can -- even if it's only a small amount -- then we should feel good about ourselves.

In other spins, we might find ourselves sitting on the sidelines because we think "What can I do -- the problem is too large!" The answer is .. we don't have to solve the problem or complete the entire undertaking in order to be effective. We can be effective simply by being a small ... but helpful ... part of the solution. Every little bit helps. It helps those who need it -- and it helps those who offer it.

Whew! It's been a while since one of these -- and it feels kinda nice doing it! I'm looking forward to visiting you again next week with another reading. I'll be posting to my blog again soon (http://woodsongtarot.blogspot.com) and welcome your comments there! Have a great week!

Don't Let Them Pull You Down!

I had a cancellation this week, so spent the week in Houston playing catch up -- lots of doctor visits, taking care of things that have piled up around the house, projects that I've been putting off ... lots of things like that. I haven't finished everything (just realized my registration sticker on my truck is expiring!), but I'm at least getting within sight of the bottom of the pile.

My daughter (who's been giving me all kinds of trouble the last couple of years) is throwing me a new one -- she's actually behaving! She's doing well in school and is hanging around good kids. She actually smiles now and then and almost never grumbles about how much she can't stand living at home! I'm keeping my eyes open, but am certainly enjoying this new tactic of hers. It's working!

I'm off to the doctor's in a hour or so -- I've been having trouble with my right arm lately. My bones from the elbow through the wrist hurt whenever I rotate my forearm or try to grab or lift anything. I'm figuring arthritis, but have no idea who that would affect things other than the joints. Guess I'll learn more today -- wish me luck!

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:

Six of Pentacles (Reversed)

Ace of Pentacles (Reversed)

These two cards make an interesting combination -- because of the reversals. Here's why:

The Six of Pentacles is generally a positive card -- it suggests sharing and giving to others. Helping people -- pretty positive, right? In order to share, you have to care first. Sharing doesn't always mean giving money or fiscal help -- it could be any material or emotional support that you "spend" in helping other people. Taking time to do some volunteer work, for instance -- or offering a friendly ear to someone who needs to talk out a problem.

When someone is sharing, someone else is receiving. So ... this card could suggest being on either side of the equation. I actually think you participate on both sides when you help others -- because helping other people always makes you feel good too.

The reversal can be puzzling, though. I normally see reversals as suggesting some delay in enjoying the attributes of the card ... or even some sort of distortion of the message. For instance, how can sharing be viewed in a negative view? Well, jealousy can come into play -- even being resentful of those in a more fortunate position. Perhaps even thinking that folks aren't helping enough -- or being grateful enough.

I'm thinking perhaps this distorted view should be the way we see this card at this time -- because the next card is also reversed. The Ace of Pentacles, like all aces, suggests enjoying some sort of new beginning. Perhaps a new project or venture ... or any other sort of professional matter. It could also suggest new physical benefits -- like enjoying the good feeling you might get when you help other people! (You see where I'm heading here?)

The reversal suggests you may find yourself blocked from realizing these benefits -- and the likely reason for the blockage is the reversed Six of Pentacles! So ... let's rethink this Six.

Try to spot the negative and distorted views of the Six -- I'm not suggesting that you find yourself doing this ... but perhaps you may find yourself affected by others doing it. Where and how can doing charitable and helpful deeds backfire? Could motives be suspect? "Why are they helping me -- what do they want in return?" What about jealousies? What about resentment? What can you do to help people focus on the positive message?

Sometimes you just can't -- some people are in places where they only see negative signals. Some people just don't want to be happy -- they enjoy being grumpy more. In those situations, don't let them drag you down -- try to stay above it. If there is a problem, it's their problem, not yours. What really matters is the positive deeds you perform -- and you should take pleasure in taking part in these deeds. Doing so will free you to fully enjoy the fiscal or physical benefits of the Ace of Pentacles.

And that's about it this week; I hope your weekend goes well and 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 -- they offer a free video chat, too!

Don't Let Them Pull You Down!

I had a cancellation this week, so spent the week in Houston playing catch up -- lots of doctor visits, taking care of things that have piled up around the house, projects that I've been putting off ... lots of things like that. I haven't finished everything (just realized my registration sticker on my truck is expiring!), but I'm at least getting within sight of the bottom of the pile.

My daughter (who's been giving me all kinds of trouble the last couple of years) is throwing me a new one -- she's actually behaving! She's doing well in school and is hanging around good kids. She actually smiles now and then and almost never grumbles about how much she can't stand living at home! I'm keeping my eyes open, but am certainly enjoying this new tactic of hers. It's working!

I'm off to the doctor's in a hour or so -- I've been having trouble with my right arm lately. My bones from the elbow through the wrist hurt whenever I rotate my forearm or try to grab or lift anything. I'm figuring arthritis, but have no idea who that would affect things other than the joints. Guess I'll learn more today -- wish me luck!

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:

Six of Pentacles (Reversed)

Ace of Pentacles (Reversed)

These two cards make an interesting combination -- because of the reversals. Here's why:

The Six of Pentacles is generally a positive card -- it suggests sharing and giving to others. Helping people -- pretty positive, right? In order to share, you have to care first. Sharing doesn't always mean giving money or fiscal help -- it could be any material or emotional support that you "spend" in helping other people. Taking time to do some volunteer work, for instance -- or offering a friendly ear to someone who needs to talk out a problem.

When someone is sharing, someone else is receiving. So ... this card could suggest being on either side of the equation. I actually think you participate on both sides when you help others -- because helping other people always makes you feel good too.

The reversal can be puzzling, though. I normally see reversals as suggesting some delay in enjoying the attributes of the card ... or even some sort of distortion of the message. For instance, how can sharing be viewed in a negative view? Well, jealousy can come into play -- even being resentful of those in a more fortunate position. Perhaps even thinking that folks aren't helping enough -- or being grateful enough.

I'm thinking perhaps this distorted view should be the way we see this card at this time -- because the next card is also reversed. The Ace of Pentacles, like all aces, suggests enjoying some sort of new beginning. Perhaps a new project or venture ... or any other sort of professional matter. It could also suggest new physical benefits -- like enjoying the good feeling you might get when you help other people! (You see where I'm heading here?)

The reversal suggests you may find yourself blocked from realizing these benefits -- and the likely reason for the blockage is the reversed Six of Pentacles! So ... let's rethink this Six.

Try to spot the negative and distorted views of the Six -- I'm not suggesting that you find yourself doing this ... but perhaps you may find yourself affected by others doing it. Where and how can doing charitable and helpful deeds backfire? Could motives be suspect? "Why are they helping me -- what do they want in return?" What about jealousies? What about resentment? What can you do to help people focus on the positive message?

Sometimes you just can't -- some people are in places where they only see negative signals. Some people just don't want to be happy -- they enjoy being grumpy more. In those situations, don't let them drag you down -- try to stay above it. If there is a problem, it's their problem, not yours. What really matters is the positive deeds you perform -- and you should take pleasure in taking part in these deeds. Doing so will free you to fully enjoy the fiscal or physical benefits of the Ace of Pentacles.

And that's about it this week; I hope your weekend goes well and 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 -- they offer a free video chat, too!

You Can Do Both!

Hi again -- hope your week's started well! I've got a snow day today -- started off to the client's this morning and got a phone call saying "Well, even though we had 1827 phone calls with the client, they're not ready today and would like to start tomorrow instead". That's what I call a snow day! I've got a free day in San Jose, California. I probably should catch up on paperwork, but I'll most likely go sightseeing.

It's been a long time since I've been in this area -- I remember a cool used bookstore in downtown San Jose; will probably try to find it again. I'd head over to San Francisco but I don't want to risk the traffic.

We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival this weekend -- we had some really nice weather, too. Usually I worry about the heat when we go this early, but it was actually cool in the morning. We made and wore some new costumes this time -- had made a "pirate/cavalier" costume for my daughter who decided not to wear it at the last minute. Hope to get her in it later so I can take some pictures, though. Watched the LSU game that afternoon/night (our group were all alums) and ended up completely worn out after the three overtime loss to a really good Kentucky team.

I got spoiled last week in Salt Lake City enjoying the mountains all week -- it's nice to be able to do the same this week too!

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

Knight of Cups

You've heard of "comfort food"? I think of the Eight of Pentacles as a "comfort card". It suggests a peaceful and enjoyable time to me. It's not a "sit and relax" type of comfort -- it's the type of comfort you get from doing and accomplishing something. When you become involved in some enjoyable task, you really don't notice the time passing. You become completely absorbed by the project -- suggesting attentiveness and interest. Whether you're learning something new or applying something known, you're able to apply the type of drive and focus necessary to complete the task the right way -- and to check your efforts to cover all the important points. This card also suggests self-improvement -- since this type of activity certainly helps you improve yourself and your capabilities.

All good news, right? Well, there is a slight danger here -- and our second card helps to point this out. The Knight of Cups is normally an emotional card -- but it can also suggest someone who is focussed inwards too much. You see the connection with our first card? The Eight of Pentacles is having such a good time focusing on a project that he runs the danger of missing what is happening around him. The Knight of Cups is warning us that while it's good to focus on a task, we should not do it to the exclusion of all else. Another way of saying this might be "Apply yourself at work -- but don't neglect your life!" You really can have both. If you find you don't have time for yourself, it's because you're spending too much time elsewhere. Be sure and reserve time and space to nourish yourself.

You Know

Things over here are hectic -- we're babysitting a five-month old Pitt Bull puppy! We hadn't planned to, it just kind of came upon us. A girl in my daughter's class had to go with her entire family to her grandmother's funeral in Florida about three weeks ago. On the morning they left, their pitt bull puppy ran out the door and disappeared. They looked for him, but had no luck and finally had to leave to get to the funeral.

Two days later, my daughter found the puppy and brought him home to take care of him. She called the girl and their whole family was excited to know that Deuce (the puppy) was well. We said we'd take care of him till they got back.

Well, that was three weeks ago and they're still not back yet! I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm beginning to feel imposed upon. The puppy is sweet and cute -- but he chews everything and tinkles on the remains -- constantly!

He has changed my impression of Pitt Bulls, though. I always thought of them as mean, fighting dogs, but Deuce is the goofiest and sweetest thing you can imagine. He does have powerful jaw muscles, but is very good tempered (a lot easier to get along with than our Jack Russel terrier!). I realize now that dog fighters intentionally mistreat their dogs to teach them to be aggressive and to fight. I guess any dog would do so if mistreated enough.

Our dogs get along with Deuce okay -- but he's a puppy and wants to play ALL the time. They get tired after a bit and go off and hide. It's interesting how our cats are coping. Usually, a cat goes Ninja on a dog once or twice and the dog learns not to bother creatures armed with sharp objects. Deuce is too goofy to realize he's been cat-battered, though; he keeps wanting to play. Once the Ninja treatment doesn't work, our cats go ... well, catatonic; they then become dog chew-toys (or slobber-toys). We have to constantly remind Deuce "Don't eat the cats!

The cats pretty much live on top of their cat tree right now. It's been sweet -- but I'm hoping Deuce's family gets back soon!

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:

Five of Pentacles

King of Swords

Out first card, the Five of Pentacles ususally suggests some tough times or experiences. Normally, these are really troubled situations, not just perceived wounds. The interesting thing about a Five of Pentacles situation is that it also suggests that the solution to escape the situation is readily available. This really tells you that you have some strengths and resources you may not be aware of that you can bring into play.

What are these strengths? Well, let's ask our next card -- the King of Swords. We've seen him recently in a reading -- do you remember what he's going to say? "Don't ask stupid questions -- you already KNOW what your strengths are!" The King's not too subtle or tactful; he doesn't care about bruised feelings. He gets straight to the point and he's always correct. (It's good to be King!)

This is actually a very positive message -- should we find ourselves in a really problem spot, we don't have to despair. We already have everything we need to pull ourselves out of that sort of situation -- we just need to honestly look inside and find the positive tools and attributes ready for us to put into play. Each one of us is WAY stronger and more capable than we think!

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 -- they offer a free video chat, too!

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