
Tower Upside Down


At some point, even chaos turns a corner.
There is no way to predict what will come. I’ve been telling you for years…decades…that isn’t what intuition and Tarot does. Once again for the kids in the back row…Tarot doesn’t tell us what will happen in life. It helps us know what to do when life happens.
Chaos comes, but then it changes. That’s not just the nature of chaos itself, that is the nature of life itself. Chaos can come and go quickly, or it can put its feet up and camp on the sofa for a good long while. Even when chaos stays, our response to it can. Humans … you … are incredibly strong, resiliant, and adaptable.
The unpredictable and frightening parts of life will always be there. Unpredictable, dangerous and frightening times will always change for both the better and the worse. So can we.
“You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.”
– Alan Watts
*********
Left: Three of wands. This card appeared in yesterday’s cards too. Did you choose it then too? The three of cards really, really wants us all to stay on guard, continue to do the vigelent things we are doing. Keep staying home and keep an eye on the horizon for any potential storms. Meanwhile, trust 4th he preparations that you have made, and stand on guard for others who are doing critical work. Paying attention, being still, watching IS doing something important.
Center: King of Pentacles /Coins. King cards are not only leaders but also protectors. It is no surprise that coin cards keep turning up, since curating and managing ouf physical resources is top of mind – as it should be. It is time to settle in and DO what needs done. This is where we hit our long term stride and settle in to a marathon pace. The sprint to catch up and prepare is over. Make a plan, stick with it until you see if it is working or not. If not, adjust. If so…hang in there.
Right: Page of Pentacles / Coins. It’s been a steep learning curve for everyone, both in the literal nuts-and-bolts management in a society where things have changed in some way for everyone…and on the emotional / mental / spiritual side of things. We’ve learned our limits and our real needs in ways we never have before. Settle in and make friends with this new knowing.
Left: Nine of Wands. The feeling around this card is battle weary, battle hardened, keeping watch. Wands, as always, have to do with the inner realm, and the nine today has a feeling of baptism by fire. Fire, of course, is also appropriate for the suit of wands. We’ve survive so far, but there are battles to come. It is the darker side of keeping watch where where your own fatigue and pessimism is as much of an adversary as the threats you guard against. Rather than give up hope, use your experiences so far. You may be exhausted, but let that make you still, and listening. Settle into a still watching that lets your bones rest and your heart be still while you are cautiously prepared for what may come.
Center: Six of Pentacles. Coins once again bring us to the earth element and the physical realm. Energy has been dwelling with this, as it should. This is precisely where out attention should start. We have been called on to do practical things and this continues. There is a shift, a settling in. Now that we’ve had a couple of weeks of this, it is time to dig in for real, do what needs done for the long term, and that includes carving out spaces of generosity. It is time to see the new rhythms of supply and demand. Let go of what you don’t really need – it is ok to stop hoarding toilet paper and let the elderly in need have some. Act out of love and pragmatism in spite of the fear. There are real problems to deal with. Deal with them, yes, but do from a place of caring more than fear just as much as you can muster.
Right: Three of Wands. This is the lighter side of watching, the lighter side of being on guard. Keep an eye on the horizon. Conditions are right for a storm but one is not guaranteed. Watch, be on guard, but do so with confidence. You are battle hardened, just like the 9 of wands, but with greater resources. The danger here is overconfidence. Now is not a time for rose colored glasses any more than it is time for overly fearful ones. Temper your hard won preparedness with a tinge of caution and practicality. You are a hero…you can do this…but keep your wits about you and see reality as you do.
Pause the video to give yourself a chance to choose a card. You choose the pace. You can take a breath, relax and pick a card at your leasure, or just work from pure impulse and pick the first one that grabs your attention. The daily meditation style reading for each card is below.
Left: Four of Pentacles. Keep your eyes open for a pleasant surprise. Sometimes this card is associated with stinginess or is a reminder to mind your budget, but this has a much more playful energy today. Treat yourself a little. Today is a good day to enjoy any little sutprises that may cross your path. Keep an eye out for small treats on level of a favorite movie on tv, a song on the radio, finding a lost earring or something of that magnitude. You don’t have to win the lottery for something to brighten your day.
Center: Ace of Pentacles. The ace is the essence of the suit, in this case the physical realm and the element of earth. Today is about indulging the senses, like playing with putty, watching (or doing) acrylic pour art, light that scented candle. Today is a a good day to beautify your space and enjoy it.
Right: Two of Swords. This card is one of those that seems to have two tracks of meaning. One very classic interpretation has to do with a “this or that” or “of two minds” kind of decision. Of course, the boilerplate advice is to choose the path that offers the most balance over the long run. I tend to lean toward the other line of meaning, both for today and in general. Swords are associated with the element of air and the intellect. Two cards are in general concerned with balance, yes, but in this case it is the balance between thought and action, subtle and blunt, inner world and outer world, the spiritual and the physical. Today it feels strongly pointed toward the balance of our physical and spiritual being. Today is a good day to find the magic in the mundane.
Left: The Lovers. Know your real desires, and prioritize them. Some days living your dream and working toward long term goals is the place to put your energy. Other days, the priority is just to make it through the day. Not every day has to be spent chasing lofty goals. Some days are best spent on the basics like food and sleep. I helps to know what your heartfelt desires really are and where you are in the hierarchy of those desires.
Center: Ten of Coins. Even though coins / Pentacles are associated with the element of earth, and the practical physical realm…typically things like career and money / wealth….the ten reminds us that money can’t buy happiness. There a treasures beyond coins. Happiness is a treasure trove that can never be spent…the more you give, the more you have.
Right: Six of Swords. Go with the flow to see where obstacles really exist…and where they are illusions. Swords have to do with air, intellect and mind. Things that seem in front of us (like the swords stuck in the canoe) may not be as much of an obstruction as it seems. In astronomy and science they can infer information from other direct observations. Newton figured out gravity from seeing an apple fall from a tree. Astronomers can get proof of Einstein’s theory by observing the way starlight bends around the sun during an eclipse. They can discover other planets by observing the way other stars appear to dim and brighten. You can do the same. By watching the natural flow of life, you can see where there are really rocks in the stream ahead, and what is just something in your boat blocking your view. Remember Bruce Lee and “Be water my friend.”
Left: Ace of Pentacles. Take a factual inventory of your resources at hand. You might be better off than it feels. Think MacGyver reruns.
Center: Eight of Pentacles. Literally make something. That’s how the species has survived since time immemorial. Make something real with your full attention, and feel the survival instincts of your ancestors seep through. Think Joss Whedon quote “Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, saute it, whatever. Make.”
Right: Wheel of Fortune. Change is the one thing that doesn’t change. Things changed to get us from the way things used to be into how they are now. They will never change back to exactly the way things were…they may change into somethjng even better. If ‘what goes up must come down’, then what is down will eventually come up again.
Left: Nine of Pentacles. Stand up for your truth. Just do it six feet away from everyone else.
Center: The Devil. There are bad actors out there. Watch your back. Watch each other’s back. We are talking Jabba the Hutt sized corruption from the rich and powerful, like Jabba. Be careful. Stay safe.
Right: King of Pentacles. We’ve read this card together before. Shrewd, clever, cunning and above all pragmatic ways of thinking will be your friend. Like I’ve said before with this card, “Make friends with your current situation. Then you and your resources at and can begin to shape each other into what you dream of being.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.