10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

Happy New Year! 

Each year my personal goal is to have every trace of clutter and holiday decor cleaned up, stored and out of sight to make way for the fresh clean slate that is the New Year. This year is no exception and once again I am proud to say that I have reached my goal.  (YAY!) 

I joke with my husband that the moment the last box is packed away feels like someone opened a release valve in my head...the practice of starting off fresh just seems to get the energy flowing again where it gets a little stagnant during the holidays.  

When you stop to think about it - Tarot's Fool card tells us that in newness there is absolute potential.  Remember the brand new school supplies each fall?  Sharp crayons, fresh clean notebook paper...the slow crinkle of the binding on hardcover textbooks that had never been opened before?   Maybe I'm weird but I adore that stuff.

To ring in 2011 I thought I'd pull a few cards and offer my interpretations for the coming year.  Bear in mind that these are UNIVERSAL forecasts.  If you'd like a personal reading I'd love to talk with you and am available to do so either by phone or in-person in Richmond IL.  Click Schedule an Appointment for more info on both. 

As a final curtain descends upon 2010 and we enter the shiny, unknown territory of 2011, I wish you peace, health and abundance and leave you with these wise words:  

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. We are a part of the Earth and it is part of us." ~  Chief Seattle   

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JANUARY
Hanged Man / 7 of Cups rx

In January, we'll be seeking clarity. This will be a period of  "suspended animation"  as we figure out our direction.  For many folks the path ahead will not be clear and they will have to look at things from another perspective to get a better handle on the 'big picture'.  Just remember that if we don't choose the path, the path is likely to choose us.    Step back, go within, get that new perspective this month and then empower yourself by CHOOSING a direction so that you aren't feeling like a victim of circumstance.

Affirmation:  I easily make decisions about my life path and align with circumstances that will benefit my Highest good.


FEBRUARY
Strength / The Lovers rx

February looks like a big month with major changes in store. We'll all be learning lessons about inner strength and owning our personal power in a calm, peaceful way.  The Lovers rx tells me that we may feel inclined to shed relationships and other personal/professional connections with others that no longer serve us.  This is ok!  In doing so, we open the door to invite NEW connections which will better align with our highest good.  

Affirmation:  I balance my life by releasing connections that no longer serve a positive purpose in my journey.  Through releasing what no longer serves I create space for happiness and abundance to flow.



MARCH
Queen of Swords / Page of Cups

Feels like for the first half of the month we continue to cut those cords in order to get better perspectives and clarity, and the reward comes in the form of playtime and major bursts of creativity in the second half :)  As the month draws to a close we'll be feeling a sense of childlike wonder and connecting with the "fun" side of ourselves...the inner child!  Don't be afraid to play in the new space you've created, you deserve it!  It's also a great time to hang out with children in general and see things through their eyes.  This is a very refreshing energy for us all.

Affirmation:  I allow my inner child to play, experiencing the wonders of the world around me.  I easily see opportunities to create and explore in a heart-centered way.



APRIL
4 of Wands, rx / 4 of Swords, rx

Things that make you go hmmmmmm....double 4 cards in the 4th month?  Interesting.  Here's where it gets very important to pay attention to the numerological aspects of the cards.  April will be a month of building solid foundations in our lives, particularly in terms of spirituality and thought processes.  Last month was about playing in the new space we created through releasing what no longer served...now the focus is on building something solid and lasting in its' place.   In April, we'll be called to get up, get out and get busy making responsible, practical choices. 

Affirmation:  I am building strong, stable structures in my life through which I will grow in the months to come.  



MAY
Ace of Pentacles,rx / Death,rx

Get ready for a metamorphosis!  May is going to be a month of planting seeds, and I'm not just talking about gardening.  The seeds we'll be planting during the month of May - on that firm foundation we built in April- will grow slowly yet steadily for us in the upcoming months.  As these seeds of new beginnings grow, we will experience a major transformation in our lives. Because  the Death card appears,  we will become the caterpillar entering the cocoon in May; changing, growing and ultimately emerging changed in a major way with no turning back. The focus this month is on finances, material gains and losses, and the way we spend our time.  It's a great time to scrutinize how we spend our time and money and eliminate the waste.  

Affirmation:  I spend my money and time on people and things that are important to me and save what I need for the future.



JUNE
Ace of Pentacles / Queen of Pentacles, rx

In June we are being handed opportunities to improve our financial outlook, grow effective business plans, balance books and budgets, and perhaps most importantly we have the means to reach our goals.  As the Ace of Pentacles turns upright, those seeds that were planted in May are on a roll...lots of growth this month.  And with all the work going on with this growth it will be important to remember to exercise self-care.  If you don't take care of yourself who will?  Do something for YOU this month...maybe a take a class or trip to the spa for some pampering...something that makes you feel cared for. 

Affirmation:  I stay balanced by caring for my body, mind and spirit and recognize that my body is the vehicle through which I experience the world.

JULY
3 of Cups / 9 of Cups, rx

Friendships and camaraderie figure very prominently this month.  Get out there and embrace life - however, be careful not to overdo it; the 9 of cups rx says that we need to be careful what we wish for as we are likely to get it! You may be feeling emotionally drained and oversensitive this month, and this energy may particularly show up where close friendships (especially with women) are concerned.  Remember that we are all likely to feel sensitive and avoid taking things personally.   

Affirmation:  I recognize that what other people say and do is a projection of their own reality, just as what I say and do is a projection of mine.  I allow myself and others room to experience these realities without judgement.


AUGUST
5 of Cups / 3 of Pentacles, rx

The focus of August is going to be teamwork.  If we can avoid taking emotional baggage with us from July and allow ourselves to focus on the positive changes we've made in our lives, there is an opportunity this month to teach others what we have learned within a team environment.  If not, we may end up feeling like others are teaming up against us, when in reality they are likely to be moving forward without us instead because of our actions (or inactions).  Don't sit in a corner pouting because you didn't get your way...instead embrace the fact that we don't always have the luxury of knowing why things happen the way they do, though in the grander scheme of things, it all makes sense eventually.

Affirmation:  I embrace positive change in my life and working with a team toward our mutual benefit.


SEPTEMBER
Queen of Wands, rx / The Moon

Well folks, September is feeling to me like a month of working with the Shadow...the part of our inner selves which we are usually unconscious of. This may cause some tension in relationships as things within us that we may not even be aware of are coming to the surface to be dealt with.  This means a lot of sorting things out for ourselves, and trusting our instincts and "gut" feelings now more than ever.  So, in a nutshell, TRUST is the key this month. Trust your instincts, your judgement, your gut.  Trust in yourself to make sound decisions.  

Affirmation:  I trust and honor my intuition and instincts, knowing that they come from a source of Divine love and light.


OCTOBER
8 of Wands, rx / Knight of Pentacles

Keep your eyes on the prize this month!  Slow and steady wins the race.  October seems to be about working toward long term goals, as opposed to "instant gratification".  We'll all be feeling more level-headed (and level tempered too!).  Where finances are concerned, most folks will want to save, save, save for a rainy day  and will avoid making unnecessary or major purchases without doing their homework first.  

Affirmation: I feed my goals with persistence, hard work and determination and allow them to manifest in my life over time.


NOVEMBER
Ace of Swords / Wheel of Fortune, rx

Times they are a-changing, and so often we are not the ones in control of those changes.  When we can learn to embrace change in our lives as part of the fabric of the quilt of existence, we also learn that by controlling our REACTIONS to those changes, we become empowered.  I see these cards as indicating some major news about the world as we know it.  No, I am not forecasting "doom and gloom" here, but rather I feel that some important knowledge will come out in the wash in a very public way.  Perhaps something about extraterrestrial life, or new life forms here on Earth may be discovered...but I feel that this development will alter the way we think about our existence and call attention to the long-term ramifications of the way we live today.  

Affirmation:  I trust in the process of life and willingly accept change in a healthy way.  


DECEMBER
The Chariot / King of Swords, rx

Some of those goals we've set in previous months are being achieved in December, so that's good news!  On a personal level, we'll be learning important lessons about the strength of our will and its' causal relationship with our individual reality.   Be aware that knowing our strength can lead to ego-based thinking so be careful to avoid this pitfall.         
 
Affirmation:  I own my personal power and allow myself to create positive change in my life. I easily and freely give and receive love from others.

While casually reading Facebook updates today I saw the following statement in response to one of the tarot apps and could not believe my eyes: 

                      "Tarot cards are the tools of the Devil".  

Seriously?  I thought we had gotten past all that.  It reminded me of many years ago when I found a pentacle necklace in a bathroom stall and was freaked out by it, thinking it was a pentagram, which scared me a little. My reaction to that fear was to Google it.  Education, my friends, is where fear ends and understanding begins.  

Religious beliefs aside, let's consider the fact that tarot is a form of divination.  Divination stems from the root word DIVINE, which means "of, related to or proceeding directly from God or a god, heavenly, godlike, directed to a deity, supremely good" (don't take my word for it, check out Merriam Webster here).  Nope, no devil here folks.  Just a system of divination used to connect with the energy of God in order to help us navigate our lives a little easier.  You can come out from under the bed now. It's safe!   

Maybe it's my natal Mercury in Taurus, but I have the uncanny ability to drive myself nuts at times by overthinking things.  It's a part of my own chemistry that I have come to know dearly and work with in this lifetime, as it leads to those occasional deep thoughts and personal revelations that give life meaning. 

This may come as a surprise...but my latest pondering has been centered around tarot.;)  I've been contemplating "why" myself or anyone else should read the cards.  Granted, they are such a unique tool through which we work with and develop the intuition and psychic 'muscles', but WHY?  What is the end goal?  

Well, folks, I can only speak for myself but here is the answer that I've come up with.  For you it may be different...but as for me, tarot is not an end.  It is a means.  Just as the Fool travels through the archetypal energies of the major arcana to eventually reach the culmination of the World...only to begin a whole new cycle again...this my friends is the very nature of the cards.  So as readers, we begin as the Fool:  not a clue what we are doing, pulling out books and memorizing common meanings.  Then we move on  to beginning to understand the nature of the cards, and developing our own unique language to go with each card.  Ultimately, if we continue on the great tarot journey, we achieve a deep understanding of  each card and their symbols and messages become engraved in our soul.  But what happens next? 

I believe that within each reader is Alice; and eventually we all wake up to realize that that beautiful, imaginative (yet confusing) world on the other side of the looking glass  was within US the whole time but to realize it we needed only to experience the dream.

I believe that within each reader is Dorothy; and we each need to walk down the yellow brick road  before we understand that that road begins..and ends..and begins AGAIN...within us.  

I believe that within each reader is an 8 year old child with skinned knees, determined to ride their bike without training wheels for the first time.  Finally learning  balance, the wind blows their hair back and they have achieved a skill that will never be forgotten.

So yes, tarot is a journey...a tool...a language that already exists within us which we have to relearn in this lifetime.  Once we understand and become one with the language of the cards, I feel that the actual cards at some point...though much enjoyed and greatly appreciated...are no longer necessary.  The journey continues with or without them.  

At some point, we each realize that the real magic is within US...where it has been all along...not the cards.  

  
“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”      ~T. Alan Armstrong


So many of my clients have recently come to me asking about career issues. The trend seems to be that they are just not happy, not fulfilled, by their current jobs.  So let me ask you an important  question:  Where is your passion? Are you living it?  

Here in the physical world, it's a fact that in order to feed, clothe and house ourselves and our families - unless we are born with a 'silver spoon' in our mouths - we have to earn a living.  This leads many of us to settle into jobs that pay the bills, but do not reflect or serve our soul's journey.  So how do we break that cycle of 'working to live' and start living to work?

Well, let's say that this is a 'perfect' world.  What would you do for work, even if you knew that you'd never make a dime at it, simply because you enjoy it to the core of your very being~because it fulfills you? There's your passion!  I believe that feeling passionate is a gift from Spirit that helps us align with our highest calling.  It lets us know where our path is and serves as a spiritual compass along the journey once we've found it.  It's been my experience that when we align with our passion, synchronicity seems to light the way. 

Here's a homework assignment:  Take 15 or 20 minutes of quiet alone time to get centered and meditate upon what inspires you. This may be floral design, working with animals, painting, complex mathematical equations, caring for the elderly...whatever is within your heart.  Focus on your breath and begin to see yourself  waking up in the morning and heading out to do what you love for a living.  Feel the passion and excitement of that moment, knowing that it is possible and that this moment is waiting for you to claim it. Stay with that feeling for as long as you feel necessary.  Once this meditation is complete, take out a pen and paper and write down a list of what you saw, getting as detailed as possible.   Feel that motivation?  Once again, there's your passion!  Through this exercise, you'll be aligning your personal vibration with the intention of bringing that vision you experienced during this meditation exercise into reality.   

Now for the most important question of all: what action will you take today toward making that vision a reality?