The Star

The Star is one of my favourite tarot cards. It is beautiful and very optimistic and always a pleasure to draw in a reading. For eons mankind has looked to the stars for inspiration, hope and guidance. The Star offers us sustenance and the hope of better things to come. Rather than an immediate change or the attainment of what you are looking for whether that be love, promotion at work or spiritual enlightenment etc the Star indicates a time of peace and healing. The Star promises that that the future we want can exist but we must work our own way towards it. This card also reminds us of the star that lives in each one of us, that vital spark that we can reach for even in our darkest times. As Aleister Crowley rightly said "Every man and woman is a star".

I often like to match up tarot cards with songs and at the moment am compiling a play list to match the whole tarot deck. I came across this song today and think it sums the Star card up beautifully.

There is nothing special about me
I am just a lil star
If it seems like I'm shining brightly
It's probably a reflection of something you already are
I forget about myself sometime
When there's so many other around
When deep inside you feels darkest
That is where I can always be found
That is where I can always be found
That is where I can always be found

Just keep trying and trying
It's just a matter of timing
Though the grinding is tiring
Don't let 'em stop you from smiling
Just keep trying and trying
Sooner or later you'll find it
It's surprising how inspiring
It is to see you shining
Cause in the dark of the night you're all i can see
and you sure look like a star to me

There is nothing special about me
I am just a lil star
If you try to reach out an touch me
you'll see I'm not really that far
I may not be the brightest nor am I the last one you’ll
But as long as you notice, that’s just fine with me
Everything’s just fine with me
Everything’s just fine with me

Just keep trying and trying
It's just a matter of timing
Though the grinding is tiring
Don't let 'em stop you from smiling
Just keep trying and trying
Sooner or later you'll find it
It's surprising how inspiring
It is to see you shining
Cause in the dark of the night you're all I can see
and you sure look like a star to me

234 Cats in one day!

My two Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot decks (a standard deck and a mini deck) arrived this week along with my Cats Eye Tarot. That's allot of cats!

I am over the moon with these delightful decks and cant wait to have a play with them this weekend. If you are a cat lover then I highly recommend these decks which can be found here:

Cats Eye Tarot by Debra Givin

Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot

Five of Swords and the Horse Whisperer

Having had a rather pensive weekend pondering a fight I witnessed on Friday I pulled a card from my Thoth deck. It was the Five of Swords – Defeat.

The etymological roots of the word ‘Defeat’ are "undo, destroy". The card seemed to have picked up on the conflict I had witnessed and the subsequent tension I was feeling as I tried to decide whether I should report it or not (it occurred at work).

On a deeper level the card reflected feelings I have been experiencing for the last week or so about defeat. Defeat is often perceived to be a bad thing, if you are defeated are you not also beaten? The answer is not always. Have you ever heard the saying that you must loose the battle to win the war? Sometimes defeat can be about letting something go and allowing something positive to emerge.

I recalled a scene from the film ‘The Horse Whisperer’ about a young girl who has an accident whilst riding her horse. They are both badly injured. She loses a leg and the horse almost dies. She learns to ride again but the horse seems to be ruined and beyond help. In one of the last scenes the Horse Whisperer brings the horse to its knees and then makes it lay down. He then makes the young girl stand on top of the horse. Sounds horrible doesn’t it? However it was for a purpose. It was to show the horse that he could still trust this girl, that he could let go of his fears and just be still and accepting. His fear in effect was ‘undone’. She spends only a minute standing on him and then she spends an age rubbing his legs, neck and body and the trust between them rebuilds. You could say that the horse was defeated and it would be true but in defeat both the horse and the girl were empowered and were richer and wiser for letting go of their fears together.

Thoth

I can’t believe that it is only two weeks until Christmas. Where has the time flown?

I have been busy with a new job and must confess to having neglected my tarot a little bit as time has been short. To make up for this I have decided to get to grips with my Thoth deck by enrolling on Emma Sunerton-Burls 'Initial Thoth Tarot Training' course. 

The course which can be found here http://www.tarot-training.co.uk/ has come very highly recommended and I am really looking forward to starting it in January. I have had this classic deck for some time but have yet to work with it in more detail.

Wish me luck!

Death

Death is card number 13 of the major Arcana and it is one that many people, often those new to the tarot, dread seeing come up in a reading. Death is arguably one of the biggest taboos of the Western world and is a topic that is often avoided. This death card (from the Tarot of Trees) would seem to echo this dark message. A tree lies forlornly on the ground having been felled. It is a dire image and can cause much initial sadness.

However, Death does not necessarily, or even usually, indicate physical death. In fact, in general, it is considered irresponsible for readers to predict physical death, as we are all creatures with free will, and such things are not written in stone. This card simply indicates transformation and change. This is definitely a time of deep transformation, likely to be both inner and outwardly in your life. Situations, things, and people that you have counted on or gotten used to may no longer be available to you in quite the same way as they once were, and this transition can be difficult for some people.

The more accepting you can be of change of all sorts during this time, and the less you try to "control" the better and the more comfortable this time will be for you. Often what you need to "let go of" is some sort of self-limiting belief or attitude. Sometimes we just can't see how our attitudes are hurting us, and when that is true, this time period can be a wake-up call. The energy of this time is not just change or destruction; it is change or destruction followed by renewal. Even though one door may have closed, another is opening. Will you have the courage to step through?

"What is death to a tree? A permanent change. Although the tree may no longer be growing outside, its wood is made into other objects that live on. Its existence altered, but not undone."

The Moon

The Moon indicates that things may seem somewhat confusing to you now. You may find it hard to understand where you are coming from, much less what others are thinking and feeling! You need to try to sit with the uncertainty, don't try to force things or people to do things before they are ready. This card is the "Pisces" of the tarot deck. You are definitely in a more psychic and intuitive phase than usual, so it will be important for you to trust your instincts and your impressions, even if you don't know where they are coming from. Also, not that you need to be mistrusting, but it will be helpful for you to realize that when this card appears, it's possible that all is not what it seems. If you feel you can't trust someone, then you probably can't. Go with your gut. If you are waiting on an answer from someone, it may, unfortunately, take longer than you would like for it to. Try to stay patient.

The Hermit

The Hermit (IX) is the ninth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks.

For me this is a card about stepping back from things and having some quiet time to myself to reflect and think. I often escape in to my garden to do this as I find it soothes and calms me. We have planted lots of trees since we moved here and I enjoy going around the garden 'greeting' each one and checking how it is. So often in this rat race we forget to take time out for ourselves, so caught up in the daily grind. The Hermit reminds us of the need for solitude and introspection. Time to be mindful of our inner selves and to step back from the chaos that can be modern life. 

It does however come with the warning that withdrawal may be for too long and be too complete. Once The Hermit has found solitude and had the time to reflect then he/she typically returns to share their knowledge with others.

The original vinyl album cover of Led Zeppelins hit album Led Zeppelin IV (as well as the liner notes for the CD release) contains a painted picture of the Hermit standing on top of a mountain peak looking down on a small village. The Hermit was the favorite Tarot character of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.