Page of Cups – Daily Draw
From my Daily Card Journal:
Who knows what surprises may arise from your heart?
Do you love yourself? Do you understand how important it is to do so?
Sometimes we are surprised by our own thoughts, actions or desires. What have you been keeping a secret from yourself lately?
Are you denying something inside – some deeply rooted need or idea – that you keep hidden because it doesn’t quite fit within your chosen ‘peer group’; because you fear being judged or laughed at? Are you worried about what others will think?
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Lately I have been trying to determine how much of my inner self is fit to share with others. I think we all go through this. We craft a personality to show the outside world, with varying degrees of honesty depending on how close someone is to you. From intimate friends and family, to close friends, to associates and the general world of potential friends and strangers. It’s not that we are faking anything, it’s that we may fear that what we hold deep inside might not be understood, and we may fear being judged or rejected by those who’s association we seek, and those with whom we must associate on a daily basis.
I believe that’s why these were the thoughts that surfaced today, when I first saw this card on my reading table. My immediate reaction was to give myself a hug and to feel loved and accepted. Then I thought about ways of releasing some of the ideas and feelings that I have been holding inside for some time. There are certainly constructive ways to reveal oneself to the rest of society without fear, and without alienating or angering others. You don’t need to blurt it out, you can just be yourself in the most positive manner available to you. But the important thing is to find ways to be true to yourself, both inside and on the outside. And to always find ways to continue to grow while staying true to who you truly are.
Page of Bats
I had to consult the Halloween Tarot book to learn that those are x-ray specs that she is holding in this artwork.
This one is a trooper. She is ready with her spy gear, her boots on and her scarf against the evening chill. She is on a journey of discovery.
Whenever I see this card in any deck, the illustration from the Robin Wood Tarot always springs to mind. There you see a young woman running fast, sword at the ready and spyglass on her hip. Her eyes fixed on the horizon, she is determined to get to the bottom of things and will let nothing stand in her way.
The Halloween art is not quite so dramatic. Still the message is clear. I should have been more attentive, and perhaps would not have wasted the day trying to force creativity in my workshop, and simply read the book that I have been trying to finish. Some days, you simply cannot compel yourself to do what you think you should be doing. I know I have a lot of work ahead to fill my jewelry store with new designs, and therefore sat myself down at my table and struggled. I accomplished nothing, and felt bitter afterward. Meanwhile, a wonderful book about magic that I have been reading was left on my night table for another day. When I went to bed I saw it there and regretted that I didn’t make time to read it. Sometimes the cards are telling us that we need to do something different than we had planned. I did not pull the Eight of Pentacles (or pumpkins in this case) to encourage me to work with my hands that day. I pulled a card that told me it was time to seek answers, to gather information and knowledge and let nothing stand in my way. A missed opportunity and a wasted energy.
Into the Flow
One day in the past week or so I drew for my morning reading the Four of Pentacles, the Page of Swords and the Seven of Pentacles.
I was not happy to see the Four of Pentacles. This is a very limiting and claustrophobic card for me. It gives me the sense of being tied down by material things or a stubborn sense of duty to the point of martydom. How can you fly free when you are held down by money worries, or a sense of “doing what is required of you”. You can see the bitter-looking old man here, hanging on to what he has. Unaware and uncaring about the open sky, the birds in flight, the breezes and the life going on outside his self-imposed walls. This card makes me think of stale air in a closed room.
Fortunately the next card gave me a deep breath of fresh air. The Page is outside of boundaries in the open air, running to a goal on which she has fixed her eyes. She’s almost flying. Her feet have wings on them, and are not touching the ground. She wears feathers and streamers in her hair to accentuate the illusion of flight. Nothing is holding her back. At her hip is the spyglass she no doubt used to find the point in the distance toward which she now runs. Her sword is held high. She is positive she has found what she seeks and will reach it without fail.
My circumstances have such that I have been worried about losing what little I have. Financial troubles have caused stress and have made me feel like the old man holding onto what he has. The problem with that sort of outlook is that this does not allow any energy to flow. You may keep what you have, but you also will not allow any more to flow to you.
The Page exhorts me to let go and run toward what I seek. By not clinging to what I have, I can then free my energies to do the work of bringing more into my life. Swords represent thoughts, and this seems to represent very positive thinking. The Page does not doubt her success and neither should I. Neither should anyone. I love the spyglass. It seems to represent farsightedness – keeping one’s attention fixed on the goals ahead, instead of getting mired in the troubles of the present moment.
The final card shows the result of working toward a goal. Reaping what we have sown. Rather than sitting in a fortress holding onto what little he might have, this gentleman has gone to some trouble to turn what he had into more. Only by planting tiny seeds and cultivating them, can we reap a bountiful harvest.
Both first and last cards are Pentacles, relating to material things. The center card is Swords relating to mental power, in this case the mental power needed to break out of the cycle of hanging on to things and stopping the flow. The reading is about my financial situation. The Page is telling me to let go and run toward my goals, rather than worry about whether or not I will succeed and lose everything. If I would not end up like the old man in the fortress, I will have to get out in the open and take chances. But also be confident that I will succeed. You do create your reality. I must stay positive and persist.
