Card for June – 6 of Feathers – Margarete Petersen

This month’s card is the 6 feathers from the Margarete Pettersen deck.

I look at this card and see a sense of peace come through for this month – connections are being made between our various ideas and thoughts and a new stability in how we view the world. Our difficulties of last month are over and now we just process the events to come to new improved views on the world. It may be that we are involved in some formal learning, or it may be that we are just given insights as we go about our daily life as to why things are as they are and why they have had to be that way – Leaving us with a positive view on all that has been.

I see the card as a very gentle energy, yet also very structured. There is a calmness in how this insight comes to us and it may be worthwhile taking time out to be able to tune into our deeper nature. To have soft time where we allow information and inspiration to bubble up from within us as we connect different things we have experience and learned together and from this form new and creative understandings of the world within and without.

I can see a perfect circle on the card and from this feel the energy of perfection of the universe around us as we allow this month to unfold. I also see an eye shape which indicates the vision that comes to us through June. Vision of a new world, of how we may be a different person to what we thought.

The feathers all point to a single focus, this month it is worth focusing our thoughts and energies on things we true value. It may suggest a time of starting meditation, or some form of focus on our desires to bring them into reality. We ca see clearly to the root of situations around us and clearly communicate our vision to others.  Share what you see and what you know.  You have the ability now to get to the point very clearly.

Feathers are connected to the air and as such you are able to feel forces that are unseen, catch fleeting inspiration as it flows through you and ground it. There is a good deal of blue on the card which I associate with both clear communication and also healing.  It is a good month to allow yourself to receive the healing you need – whatever level it might be on; emotional, physical, mental or spiritual. Putting out the intention that you will receive any healing that comes your way will help attract to you the events and people you most need to repair yourself.

I love the look of the web beneath the main image and the sense of organic structure, the order is helpful, and not restrictive, it allows something of value to be caught, perhaps like a dream catcher – we catch our dreams and so can manifest them into our lives.

Enjoy this month and allow your inspirations a voice, record your dreams, and journal your insights. I feel the revelations you receive now will help you in practical ways and will be sent in a manner that is gentle and unfolding.

Have a wonderful month!

May – The Tower – Hudes Deck

I intended this month’s card would have messages for everyone who comes to read this blog or email. I was drawn to use the Hudes deck this month for the reading for you.

This month we have the Tower. Many people fear this card as it often talks of sudden change that we are unable to do much about – so it seems. However this card is a card of great breakthrough and healing. Though a change may come suddenly it is for the best in spiritual terms. This change leads us onwards to a more joyful path one that is more suited to our true nature – it challenges us to see the ‘gold’ in any situation that lies before us, and to learn all we can.

On the card we see flames burning and the top of the tower being struck by lightning, opening to reveal the burning fire within. It really feels on this card, that it is the passion from within us that is being set free from a prison but this sudden event – this flash of light out of the blue illuminating how we keep ourselves prisoner and also how we can be released if we just trust and let go of the old ways. healing ourselves and bringing more peace and joy into our lives.

The two people are flung from the town and though they have no control over this you can see they will be caught by the trees growing either side of the tower. So too when we meet sudden change this month remember we will be protected if we let go and trust. know that your true passion is being released from a self made prison, and that inspiration comes out of the blue to show us how we need to change our lives. When we let go we will be caught but something in our lives that has been growing a while, slowly in its own way, and that this will help us be more grounded and connected to the Earth, practical in our plans and actions.

I get the sense that once you have realised the changes that need to take place this month and do them swiftly you will find yourself more peaceful, more grounded, and what you build next in your life will be built organically; listening to your own intuition and inner desires rather than building it out of following the ‘normal course of things’ and ‘what is expected’ by others. Your new life will be more creative and individual, more in line with your truth rather than in line with external norms and expectations. With this more hapiness and joy is found in every moment.

So use this month to have a think about what is restricting you in your life and aim to change this – or allow it to change as it seems to of its own accord. As you do this see the blessing in every situation that occurs and look for the gold – there will be a great deal.  As you come to earth move slowly, listening to your deeper self for guidance every step of the way, it will not let you down. Know that what you have lost was build on unstable foundations and now you have a chance to really put roots down where they will nourish and fulfil you rather than wobble when you start to come into your true magnificence.

It may be you see relationships changing as you outgrow a way of being and change the people you have been around no longer fit with your energy. As you let go, know  you will find others who will continue to help you grow nearer and nearer to your potential. What is pruned in certain areas allows other areas to flourish, some friendships deepening and others being released.

Inner healing is taking place this month as those thoughts and beliefs that you have held as true come into question and you can let go of the ones that do not serve you. It is a good month to meditate on the soul and spirit of yourself – that which is eternal and never changing, as you rest your security with this so you can allow externally imposed changes to flow by you and through  you, knowing nothing can actually rock your security or touch you as there is only the spirit of you in truth all else is an illusion to use as part of your eternal growth. It is also a good time to allow feelings to come up and flow through you – as you face the feelings you would rather not have, so you keep yourself cleansed and in the moment; joy comes more quickly and healing is speedy.

May you have a transformative month and have the courage to let go of what is no longer needed knowing you never loose anything of true value.

I welcome any comments you may have on this card for you.. you can email me or respond on the blog post (where you can also view the card image)

8 Disks – Skill – Card for April

Card for April

I intended this months card would have messages for everyone who comes to read this blog or email. I decided to use the Sacred Circle deck again this month for the reading for you.

8 Disks – Skill

This card shows 2 rows of 4 disks each showing a labyrinth except the last one, the background is of a wild high moorland with valley and hills in the background.

8 Disks Sacred Circle deck by Anna Franklin http://www.merciangathering.com/

This month I feel it is about continuing with a project started a long while ago. Trust in the skills you have gained through your practice over the years and know that you are successful because of all the study and experience you have had. This can be in a work environment as well as in the home. Our experiences give us perspective and understanding of the whole picture. We understand ‘how the land lies’ and can respond to situations appropriately.

Its not time for dramatic innovative new beginnings but of capitalising on the things we have started and developed over the years. What is it you have been gathering over the last 5 years? 10 years? How can you continue to use these experiences to make your current life more stable and enjoyable?

Being a disks card I have a sense of great security here and financial investments continue to grow – perhaps slowly – but in the right direction. You can keep building on what you have.

The sky tells me that any troubles are now moving away from your situation and a clarity is coming into your life and perception. You have gained strength and ability through being persistent and determined and this is paying off – there is still some work to be done – but continue in the way you have been going and success is assured.

The labyrinth on each disk tells me you are used to the natural fluctuations of life and do not allow the highs and lows of day to day living to threaten your sense of security nor to distract you from the larger picture and plans you have. You are well used to the changes and have faith and confidence that the difficulties on a day to day basis soon give way to successes. This knowledge keeps you going and possibly shows the world around you your full skilful ability. Others recognise what it takes to be able to do what you do and reward you well.

I have the image of someone trying to do what looks effortless thinking ‘I can do that, anyone can do that’ and once they try they very quickly find out that the effortless ease you appear to achieve things with has actually come out of many years of inner and outer work, skill developed through challenges overcome. Very quickly those who doubt your ability turn round to recognise your efforts as they try your path on for themselves.

Affirmation for the month:  I trust my experience and skill in all areas of life.

7 Cups

Card for March

I intended this months card would have messages for everyone who comes to read this blog or email. I decided to use the Sacred Circle deck this month for the reading for you.

The card is 7 cups. This card often connected with illusions and things not being quite what they seem. On the card are 7 see-through cups which are there but not quite there, representing the idea that we might have some ideas forming but we can’t quite see whether they are going to work out or not. There is something missing to give them form. I feel there is an indication with this card that we need to allow what is unknown to make itself know, and very much in our own psyches this is the case when this card appears. It is time to look at the emotions and feelings we have that we would rather avoid – to look at our shadow. As we allow the unknown and repressed in us to come forward so we start to uncover the truth of a situation.

7 Cups – Delusion – Sacred Circle deck – by Anna Franklin available through Llewellyn

There are hops around this picture and these are the raw material for beer. This card can also mean excess of mind altering substances and has a message to beware of becoming addicted to something that gives you pleasure but is not based in truth. It takes something from you also and you need to be mindful of what this is and whether the trade off really is worth it. You might find there are too many parties on around now and you are over extending yourself and not taking enough time to recover before the next one. Alternatively you might feel as if you are compelled to drink every night whilst also feeling you need a night or two off.

The need to feel better is around most when there is an uncomfortable feeling we would like to avoid, drinking, over exercising, over working etc can all be ways we avoid what we are feeling – or even what we think we might feel if we stopped. This month offers you a chance to address this and to take some time for yourself to address your needs and your feelings. Honour yourself and know that the glimmer you see of what is beneath the surface will not be as bad as you think when you face it head on.

There is a sense of protection in the stone circle on the card – that if you choose to allow your feelings out in a safe boundaried space then they can be contained and will not overwhelm you as you might feel. This safe space might be your bedroom with the phones turned off for an hour – knowing when the hour ends you can go back to what you were doing before. The safe space could be with a trusted sympathetic friend who will listen to how you feel without judgement. It could be a therapist, it could be you feel safest out in nature with the elements natural world as your witness, aware from the many calls of usual life, or it may be that you feel safest in a sacred space of your own somewhere. Whatever it is for you – this month calls for you to spend some time there and rest, feel and reconnect with your deepest self.

On the mundane level you need to be aware of things offered to you this month – not everything is as it seems. If something looks too good to be true then probably it is. It may be that you feel confused in a relationship, allow there to be space for the unknown – perhaps you need to know a little more before you make sweeping decisions, perhaps your partner hasn’t quite shared the full story yet. Take time out and care for yourself and allow things to develop. Whilst in your time for yourself you may consider asking yourself how is what is my partner expressing mirrored in me – Can I accept this part of myself? This will help you clear and shadow projections that are going on and help you see the truth of things.

This is a card of things being a bit too much, too good to be true, too tiring, too expensive. So make sure you have shopped around a bit, before making a purchase, to find the best deal. You might even consider putting off buying something for now, a new model may come out in a really short time that it would be worth waiting for.

On the positive side hops help us herbally to sleep, rest and take things a little easier. It may well be the month for cutting back on your commitments and aiming to be a self nurturing as you can be. Bringing balance into your life. The light in the center of the circle shows me that there is a call from your spirit to pay more attention to it and allow yourself to be protected by going towards spiritual activities that help you release the pressure of others expectations and wishes for you. It is time to listen to yourself and not take on what others are feeling.

I am aware that the clouds in the sky seem to have a movement to them and see that this is indicating that this time is transitory and will not stay forever, the winds will come soon and blow the clouds away. However whilst the cloudy time is here use it to dig more deeply into yourself and find the unchanging core in you that is not rocked by external changes but is connected to a spiritual source that is unchanging and ever nourishing.

Stay aware and enjoy your month – awareness is the key to finding the balance possible in this card.

2 cups – Love – Mary El deck

This months card reading, where I pick a card with the intention that something in the card’s message will be what you need to focus on this month, is the 2 cups from the Mary El Deck. A very beautifully painted deck, I have been exploring this deck for a couple of months now and find it have a slightly different take on things in some situations.

2 cups from Mary El Deck http://www.mary-el.com

This card is often pictured depicting a relationship harmony in some way. Here we have two horse like animals one red and one white. The red seems like the life force of blood, passion, and also the possibility of pain from injury that is implied when we through ourselves into something with our whole heart and body. The white horse is representing purity and innocence. I am struck but the activity in the image of the red horse and the reflective stance of the white. Both have a single horn reminding me of unicorns which stand for innocence and in some way vulnerability as well as spiritual power. The background is green on my deck though more blue in this image. I see the green as the colour of growth and the colour of the heart chakra. We connect with others through this center and it forms the basis of relationship as this card shows by the background.

So to this month ahead, I see from this a month where we are harnessing out strength to love. As we remain in our innocence, doing what we feel is right and following our heart – trusting ourselves to be innocent in our action as we intend our highest path. There is as we do this the fear that we open ourselves out to be really seen in the world and that if we do so will we be judged or critised. However when we act from the deepest part of ourselves – from love – we find critism no long hurts us in the deep way we may have fear – it rather activates our compassion for those who are delivering the critism. So we remain in the sphere of love.

This month is a time to trust ourselves and to extend love to those around us. Many of you may find your closest relationships deepening, particularly through revealing more and more of your truth. This may mean revealing the way you are hurt, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable to those closest to you. Taking the risk that the rewards of us being undefended are great. Deeper feelings of connection with others and a greater sense of being part of a community or whole.

Internally I feel there is an acceptance we can come to that we have both active and passives parts to ourselves – both of equal importance and worthy of respect. That each of these parts of ourselves have a connection to the spiritual realms and that the active parts of ourselves is protective and creative in nature, the receptive sides of ourselves listening and transforming. Ask yourself do I need to bring one of these sides more into my life? Do I ‘do’ too much and ‘be’ too little? Or do I discount my ability to create what I want and value only the side of me that is able to ‘be’ and recieve? You may adjust this balance this month and you may find that it is those closest to you who demonstrate to you the side you are trying to develop. So take guidance from what you observe in those who are seemingly opposite to you.

Horses represent strength movement forward and power. They are also in service to us when they allow us to ride them and in the past help us with physical jobs. This card is very much about how can we serve. Once we have recognised our balance then how do we serve the world to make it a better place for all? We can work on inner planes and on the outer planes, both bring results. We can work with our relationships when they bring challenges and use all challenges to ultimately bring peace to ourselves, our partner and the world. When there is a background of love then many things can be achieved, conflicts overcome and resolutions found creatively based as often as possible on our common preferences.

When in conflict with someone, look at what the common wish is between you – whats the thread you agree on. There may be differences in how each thinks it needs to be expressed, shown or understood, however focusing on what is common between you gives you a foundation to work from and a platform creativity can spring from.

As a 2 card, this is a card of partnership, in love, business, and career. Joint ventures are positively highlighted for you this month and disagreements can be resolved as you come together with honestly, vulnerability and commonality is discovered. In every situation you meet ask “What would love do?”

You may also find old relationships come back into view this month – perhaps you see someone from your past, perhaps there is a reconnection with an old friend. Use all the old contacts that arise as ways to bring more love into your interactions. Something is possible to be resolved now. Difference can be accepted and respect and honour of each person possible. The feeling of joy spontaneously arises out of this.

I am looking forward to the month ahead – and see that much joy and love is possible even outside of the obvious romantic relationship arena. As we honour and love and respect another so we are showing this to ourselves and our own inner joy can be released. Our vulnerability can be our greatest strength. We need only own it, make it our response and not what another is ‘doing to us’ for us to find the power in it.

Have a wonderful month, and if you would like any insight into any of the relationships around for you this month, let me know… a quick look or full reading may help you gain perspective if things are cloudy.

I welcome any comments you may have on this card for you.. you can email me or respond on the blog post (where you can also view the card image)

I send you blessings for the month ahead.

 

This months single card reading – Princess of Disks – Thoth

Card for January

 

 

This months card reading, where I pick a card with the intention that something in the card’s message will be what you need to focus on this month, is the princess of Disks from the Thoth Deck. As many of you probably know this is my all time favourite deck.

The image on this card is of a pregnant woman – standing powerful and strong in command of herself and her surroundings. She holds a lance and a shield and though these are not held in an active position there is a sense that she is fully able to defend and protect herself if she needs to. The colours are earthy reflecting the disks nature of the card. This means this card is a very down to earth energy, practical and pragmatic and concerned with the material world.

So we have a practical start to the year and appropriately a beginning card. Make sure your plans are rooted in the practicalities. You can recreate yourself, your lifestyle and things around you but you will need to make sure you have worked through the practical details and allow the planning phase to take the time it takes. There is no need to rush you are protected and safe and sheilded from the big wild world out there and remain so until it is time to launch your ideas. So make plans, resolutions, and intentions for the year ahead and allow yourself to create something really new and more all emcompassing of your nature.

The woodland surrounding her emphsises her protection from the elements and her flexible strength; changes can be made easily as needed and yet the core of her goals remain unchanged.

She has a fur coat both indicative of her protection from the cold, as well as of her self nurturing ability – she is abundant in her ability to fill herself wth love and ensure her needs are met – even ones that could be considered luxurious. There is a feeling here of allowing yourself to manifest the luxuries you would like in your life and trusting your ability to create abundance in your life – not only in the financial sense but in the sense of the abundance of friends, love, space, joy, time etc. Appreciating what you already have in your life that is working is part of bring the full balanced abundance into your life. The warmth this coat suggests also shows her warm and sensual nature that is currently held close to her chest, but that in time will be offered to the world more freely as she gains confidence in herself in this aspect.

She is in touch with her higher nature as is represented by the horns on her headress, feeling her way forward from the impulses she recieves from the higher realms. She is not one to just dreamily wish her way forward in life – she has concrete and practical intuition to guide her to take the action she needs to when she needs to and to know when it is time to hold back, rest or wait until things are more favourable.

Once this phase of preparation and rebalancing oneself is over then the hard work begins as represented by the mountain in the distance, the challenging work is to come, but that need not be undertaken at this time. Just an awareness of its coming will help the preparation be done in the most effective way.

So what are your intentions for this year? what plans do you need to make? How can you nurture yourself more? What are you building in your life? She is a master builder and her projects are successful. What part of yourself are you about to give birth to and what do you need to allow yourself before the birth arises? Sometimes she does indicate the birth of a child in the literal sense too with the accompanying changes in life this brings.

Though she is a woman, her qualities can be found in all of us, male or female. Sometimes she can represent someone around us too – though here I have intended the reading and energy of any card picked is for you the reader and not indicative of your surroundings primarily. We do however tend to surround ourselves with people exhibiting the primary qualities we are experiencing or learning about so often both ways of looking apply.

Have a wonderful new year, put plans into place and allow yourself some personal time and space to become clear about who you are, now, at this time in your life. You may find there are some habits, routines or activities that no longer reflect the truth of you here and now and they can be let go of. You may find there are other aspects of yourself that need greater expression in your life in the year to come – time to book in some space for them in some way.

I welcome any comments you may have on this card for you.. you can email me or respond on the blog post (where you ca also view the card image)

I send you blessings for the month ahead

Have a wonderful month! Blessings to you all!

This Months Single Card Reading – Page of Cups

This months card reading, where I pick a card with the intention that something in the card’s message will be what you need to focus on this month, is the page of cups from the Mary-El tarot deck. A relatively new deck with influences from the major tarot deck styles, Thoth, Rider Waite Smith and Marsellies. I am finding it powerful working with the inner realms of ourselves.

The image on this card is of a young person turned away from the viewer, looking towards perhaps a boat as we can see sails, his or her back is bare with the image of a flying fish painted on it.

I am seeing a reflective quality in this card and a sense that this month is about reflection on inner feelings, how we really feel we are. Are we ourselves to ourselves? Do we listen to the depths? How much are we ourselves with others? What does the innocent, child-like, part of ourselves feel in situations? and perhaps how can we honour this part of ourselves more in the coming month?

As we answer these questions and send this side of ourselves love so we embrace the loving gentleness, the playfulness and the connection our inner child has with our spiritual selves.

The lack of hair and clothes on the page suggest to me a feeling of openness and vulnerability. It is easy to get caught up in protecting ourselves from what sometimes feels like a harsh world outside. This month however is more a time for being aware of our own center of feeling, our vulnerabilities and what we truly want , need and feel inside ourselves. It is time to take time to listen to ourselves in safe spaces and act as our own positive parenting force internally if there is need. We can see one ear here and this connects with the idea of listening being very important with this card, more so than seeing with our eyes, the eye is barely seen. Sometimes what we feel and hear are more accurate than what our eyes tells us. Listening deeply to our intuition, feelings and instincts can provide us with more understanding and knowledge than we can gain from our eyes alone.

With the awareness in ourselves of our feelings we can be more transparent and open in many situations, which paradoxically affords us more protection than when we are defended.

It also marks a time where we can extend great empathy for all people without taking on their problems we are able to be loving and giving, understanding with a smile, a light touch, or a knowing look. Action is not needed only the ability to be, to stand next to and witness another’s experience, as it is, without judgement.

On an external level this card represents children, particularly sensitive children, those who are very in touch with their feelings and able to be very empathic with others. As we approach Christmas we often are made aware of children’s joy, their suffering and our own inner child’s suffering. Loving children at this time helps us find the love we need ourselves for our own inner child, for the suffering we experienced as children and compassion for ourselves in the past where we felt overly sensitive and unheard or misunderstood. There is a sense of loving acceptance of ourselves and others at this time. Feeling the unconditional love from a young child warms our heart and enables us to rediscover our own innocent wonder.

 

The sails that catch the wind can be seen as the thoughts being caught by the emotional self, and causing movement. This connection shows us that we need to be mindful of our thoughts – both to ourselves and to others (who are reflections) putting energy into the thoughts that are in line with the life and world we want to create and casting out thoughts that are in opposition to our true path, out truth and our values. Meditation at this time helps us know we have control over what thoughts we listen to and act upon and which thoughts we merely observe impartially, without judgement. It is not that we control the stream of thoughts any more than we control the wind, but with skill we can manoeuvre ourselves using the energy of the wind, with it behind us or tacking into it. In the same way we do not need to try and stop any thoughts at all, merely allow our sails to be filled by the ones that will take us to our chosen destination.

This month activate your thoughts that are in line with your goals and ideals. Set the way forward by this, even if the pathway twists and turns gathering information and momentum, allow your heart to guide you in what thoughts will bring you to the destination you ultimately seek.

Pages are also connected with new beginnings – the starting out on a new journey, and the idea of the novice. Fresh energy and excitement, new ideas and positive expectations. As we have the page of cups here I feel it is a time of renewed, and completely new, friendships – a time to meet people with an open heart to find the common ground and see the differences as exciting richness rather than obstacles to connection. Extend love and acceptance to all you meet, every person is living their life to the best of their ability, and has talents and skills both active and developing that benefit the world as a whole.

I feel this month is a good time to use affirmations, simple rituals of intention and to send yourself, other people and the Earth good wishes, love and healing.

Extend unconditional love to yourself and to others, even if in some case physical boundaries need to be in place on the earth plane, know you can still extend spiritual love and compassion for others and care for yourself too.

Allow yourself to spend time enjoying simple pleasure of life and in becoming like a child, appreciating the magic of the snowflake, the crack in the pavement, the robin at the window.

I wish you all love and joy, peace and a connection with your deepest being this season of Solstice, Christmas and New Year. May any challenges quickly become gifts for you. Blessings…