Tag: daily meditation

Todays Tarot: Every Little Thing

 

“We can “read” anything in our world as an answer to an issue or question. The answer is in our heart and the world reflects it back to us. If you asked a question and your eyes caught a spider web, this web would reflect the truth that was within and be an answer to your question.” – Joy Star

One contemporary way of understanding the four minor arcana suits in is terms of relationships: how we related to the physical realm, to our inner selves, to society at large and when it comes to cups, our relationship with relationships or our innermost circle of loves, friends and family. In a nutshell, all of the king cards symbolize leadership. Cups also relate to the alchemical element water. Water in general relates to intuition (think of the fish in a cup, mysteries from the depths of our psyche connotations from the Page of Cups card.)

Stir all of that together and it eventually boils down to intuition leading you, or leading through a deep trust in your intuition. One of my favorite interpretations for this card over the years is the king of cups as pointing to a spirit guide. A more literal spin is that of a mentor who guides your development in a specific area but in more connected, long term, developmental way than you would associate with a teacher or manager or organizer.

For now, I’d like to focus more on the spirit guide side of it. If you feel drawn to the mentoring side (either as mentor or mentee) I strongly suggest reading Chunliang Al Huang’s excellent book Mentoring: The Tao of Giving and Receiving Wisdom.

Spirit guides are a fascinating subject. Books could, and have been, written about them. My absolute go-to favorite is Ted Andrews’ How to Meet and Work With Spirit Guides. Some people think of them as something very separate from themselves like a patron saint sort of figure. Some see them closer, like a guardian angle or the one to one spirit guide described by Andrews, Bach and others. Still others see a “spirit guide” as a reflection of our spiritual side, our “higher selves.” This is the kind of guidance that Joy was hinting at when she wrote about the world reflecting our truth. Things like Tarot cards, planets, stars, runestones, I Ching lines….whatever it is…don’t give answers in and of themselves. They are the carrier signal, the pipeline, that lets the message come through. Oracles deliver the message from our inner wisdom and higher selves through the noise of everyday living to our everyday consciousness. The cool thing is every little thing can be an oracle. Remember that lyric from the song by the Police “every little thing she does is magic” ? It is just as true that every little thing is magic. Anything can be a tiny little validation, or an itsy nudge toward the way you should go. Every little thing is magic when you look with intuitive eyes.

Today’s Tarot: The Art of Art

The Knight of Cups is typically about chivalry, and romance, and that Arthurian kind of knight-in-shiney-armour kind of thing. It is sometimes related to art and artists.

As always these days, it is relatable to those of us staying at home. The art piece of this is getting my attention today. When we look back on the social media of these months, I hope everyone remembers the museum at home art challenge thing. I have no idea how it started. I think ultimately it came from museaums posting pictures of pieces from their collection (something MOMA, Musee D’Orsay and others do all the time anyway) on Instagram. When the shutdow happened, other museums became more visible, sharing famous works with the hash #museumfromhome. From there it evolved to people replicating famous artworks with whatever they have on hand during quarantine. It is nothing short of amazing. Please, please, please check it out. The ones that work in a roll of toilet paper or a few are my favorites because that was such a thing and a source of giggles early on in this.

Someone once said that art is something that exists only for its own sake. I don’t 100% agree. I’m fond of art that has usefulness. Tarot for example. It is ephemeral folk performance art of sorts, but has psychological, stress relieving, diversion and entertainment utility.

I define art as that which evokes emotion.

Other than that, no rules about aesthetics or utility. A hand knit sweater can be art because it evokes feeling of comfort, warmth, or associations with the person who created it if it was a gift and so on. The Dada movement appreciated art that was provokative, confronting unpleasant emotions. Even if your response is “eeeww” or “pfft – I could do that” it is still a response, it is still engaging with the artwork, and it is still art. True enough, not all emotion eliciting art has a practical use. If one of Bob Ross’ trees make you happy, then that is more than enough.

And there you have it folks…my college art minor put to good use.

Which brings us back to the Knight of Cups. It is a good reminder that not everything musst have a purpose, and that we can emotionally engage with anything.

Interestingly enough, this also reinforces the message from yesterday about simple pleasures. If you want to re-create a painting and post it online because it amuses you, then that is reason enough to do it. I you want to wear your rattiest old sweater because it makes you feel comfortable, that is reason enough. If you want to gaze out the window at a dandilion in the grass because it is so bright yellow in the sun and it takes your mind off other things for a split second…that is reason enough. That dandilion become art. Life is art and art is life, connected, engaged, and mindful.

********

Speaking of Instagram….I’m @ Taocraft.Tarot and that is the social media I’m most often on lately. Stop by and say hi if you want. Comments are closed on the website to prevent spam, trolls and unhealthy energy out of our little Tarot studio, but comments are open for converstatio on IG and Twitter (@TaoCraftTarot) See you there!

Today’s Tarot w/ Zombie Cat: A meeting of the minds

Braaaaiiiiiiinnss – they aren’t just for zombies anymore

It’s true that humans are social creatures. There is something primal about it that probably goes back to wolly mammoth BBQs. In modern times there is some other thread that ties us together other than pure group effort survival (altough some of that is needed nowadays too)

Wherever there is a meeting, there is a meeting of the minds. At a concert, it is the shared enjoyment of music. At a movie itvis the shared experience of images and stories. Pictures and stories don’t have to be called art and literature brain and emotion feeding kinds of things.

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you.” – Carl Sagan

Whether you are reading a book and communing with that unknown author, or chatting it up on facetime with grandma, it is still human interaction on a much needed mental and emotional level, if not the physical one.

During times when our physical beings are kept separate, it is all the more important to connect in a meeting of the minds.

Trust me on that one, because, you know, brains.

YouChoose Interactive Tarot: Hang in there, sky puppy.

Left: The Hanged Man. I was surprised to hear there had been social media backlash, even some racist comments made about a wildlife post featuring a bat on social media. There is a certain synchronicity and irony to having bat be the representative animal on the very first card we draw in one of these youtube videos. Fear and anger really do lead to the dark side of human nature. At the same time I think it goes to show that this deck is a good one for these times because it doesn’t pull any punches. Nature isn’t going to dance around our fragile little fee fees. As tragic, stressful and devestating as this pandemic is, it is also a gift from Nature. Bats are connected to not only the Hanged Man from the Tarot deck, but also transformation through isolation, the shaman’s journey. The pandemic is forcing us inside, literally and figuratively. It may well uncover the very worst of us. Only by facing the worst of ourselves can those things be transformed. Bats have, in that way, given us a gift and an opportunity. Besides, it isn’t the bat’s fault that human leader have failed so very miserably. So don’t hate on the sky puppies!

Center: Seven of Wands. I’ve been a die hard devotee of Ted Andrews’ work ever since Animal Speak was published around the time I started working with Tarot, ’93-ish if memory serves. Initially, I did not the connection between reptiles and wands and the element of fire and didn’t aesthetically appreciate it until Harry Potter came along with dragons, Hagrid and Norbert. But then, show could blame a cold blooded critter for wanting to cozy up to a fireplace, especially on a chilly rainy spring day like we are having (I looooove this kind of weather, by the way) Here again, as with the Hanged man, we are asked to turn inward, and to face our inner selves. In this particular case, Mr. Andrews associated Toad and the seven of wands with inner strength and inner resourcefulness. There is both the advice of staring yourself in the soul during these isolated times and getting friendly with the person you find…and the reassurance that the person you find is stronger than you might think.

Right: Three of Pentacles. Hello Pentacles. They are still here…the pandemic is still here. Keep doing what practically needs done to stay as safe and healthy as you possible can. Both here and in other decks the three of coins is connectied to skill and craftmanship. This card feels like pure advice. Do something productive today to help you keep on keeping on. Anything counts. Take a nap. Play a little. Let yourself stop worrying for five minutes. Change those 3 day pajamas. Anything. You don’t have to write King Lear or solve quantum physics. Otters are reknown for their playfulness and for attentiveness to their young. Play, take care of someone (including yourself) or try not to let homeschooling drive you too far up the wall.

Hang in there, sky puppy!

You Choose Tarot

Left: Justice. Take everything into consideration, but also take your place at the table. Give and demand respect in equal measure. A day to choose your battles, choose your words carefully for maximum impact.

Middle: The High Priest. Wisdom and experience can be used to forge new paths. A good day to explore new things if you have backup information. Don’t be afraid to “phone a friend” for advice.

Right: The Hanged Man. The upside is that well timed actions can have maximum benifits with minjmal effort. The downside is that you never gave any control over the timing. You can’t control how fast things unfold so just stay frosty, be patient, and watch for your opportunity, even when it a long time in the making.

You Choose Tarot

Please subscibe to the blog and/or subscribe to the TaoCraftTarot channel on YouTube so you don’t miss any of the (almost) daily “12 Second Tarot” or “You Coose on YouTube” free daily meditation style Tarot readings.

Left – Seven of Wands: Success after effort. It ain’t magic. Do the work, get the benefit.

Middle – Seven of Pentacles (Coins): Intention stands for something. What your heart gives comes back to you, one way or another

Right – Queen of Pentacles (Coins): A symbol of home, hearth, nurturing. Whether you give it or get it, a little home time and TLC is a good thing.

12 Second Tarot: Queen of Pentacles (8-17-19)

Domestic day! Where we live is an echo of our inner world, and also an influence on it. Make a positive feedback loop. A good clean can make you feel a little better, feeling a little better shows in a nicer space and so on. It’s not a material, fancy thing, it’s a self-care energy thing.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCerCOwA8PGdd_R5ZWdrhMqA

TaoCraft Tarot on Youtube: 12 Second Tarot

12 Second Tarot on our Youtube channel:

Watch Today’s Tarot Card draw….in 12 seconds, give or take a little

One card Tarot daily meditation style reading is in the video description

The Tao is about being in harmony with nature…not just rocks and trees (although doing our part to help slow and reverse climate change is very VERY important.)

It is also about being in harmony with the nature of our lives, and our own innate nature as well.

If the nature of your life is BUSY, then a Tarot reading in 12 seconds might be just the thing for you.