Abundance

Nine of Swords, Ten of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacles - The Gilded Tarot

Don't let fear block the gifts the Universe is giving you.  Accept those gifts with gratitude, share them with others and watch a river of abundance flow from you to others and back to you again.

"Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart."   Sarah Ban Breathnach

Thanksgiving Day Blessings

I've done this "Blessings" reading before, and I thought it would be appropriate to do it again this night before Thanksgiving.  What blessings do I bring to myself?  What blessings come from family and friends?  And what blessings come from Spirit?  I added a fourth card this year asking who can I make an extra effort to bless right now?

Knight of Wands, Eight of Coins, The Sun - Joie De Vivre Tarot

I bless myself because I am always willing to try something new.  I'm always looking for ways to improve myself and make life better for myself and my family.  I sometimes act in a bit of an  ADHD manner with the way I jump from one idea to the next, but perhaps this is not a flaw, as I've told myself in the past, but a blessing. 

My friends and family can share some of the workload I give myself.  I do need to work on asking for help when I feel overwhelmed.  This card actually brings Thanksgiving to mind because we are all getting together at my sister's house, but everyone is bringing a couple of dishes so that no one person has to prepare the entire meal herself which has made the holiday relatively stress-free for me this year.

Spirit brings me life, light, love and joy!  I only need to stop and let myself receive those blessings.

Six of Swords - Joie De Vivre Tarot

I will admit I was baffled by the Six of Swords as an answer to, "Who can I bless right now?"  I see myself as the rider on the swan on a healing journey.  Could this card be telling me that by continuing on this path to healing I am, indeed, blessing others?

My inner critic pipes up loudly that this is just a selfish justification to avoid making extra efforts on the behalf of others right now, but if I'm being honest I'm still having trouble just taking care of myself and my kids every day.  Maybe this is advice to let myself get to the other side of this transition before I add more to my plate.  It seems like I should be there by now, but I'm not, and as disappointed in myself as I can be about that, I need to give myself permission to take the time I need and most importantly not abandon the journey.  Who knows who I am blessing just by healing myself?  I know my daughters are watching.  There may be other ripples like the ones shown in this card, that I can't even see.

Update:  After a rough night and morning I was reading an article about Estrogen Dominance and this quote from the end of the article jumped out at me because it seems to confirm the message I received from the Six of Swords in this reading:  "Remember, perimenopause is a time to reinvent yourself. This means investing time and energy in yourself, not everyone else."

Peace for the Season

The beginning of Fall marks the beginning of my busy season. Fall is my favorite season, but I typically don't enjoy it as much as I should because I spend most of it stressed out and overwhelmed. Besides the holidays, this is our birthday and anniversary season. We have a celebration of one kind or another almost every week from now until the end of December. I don't know why our family decided to do all of its birthing and marrying in the Fall, but that's the way it worked out.

I was reading a guest post by Brigit Esselmont at Tarotize.com about how a beginner could learn to read the Tarot in just five minutes by using the images on the cards to tell a story.  I decided to give it a try, asking the question, "What's the best way to approach this holiday season to avoid becoming overwhelmed?"

King of Coins, Four of Swords, The Lovers - The Joie De Vivre Tarot

There's a man, well, a bunny, a bunny man!  There's a bunny man offering a modest but beautiful gift.  At his feet is a heart, symbolizing love. He stands in front of his beautiful kingdom looking peaceful and content.

I should remember that the celebrations, gifts, and gatherings are there for the purpose of loving each other.  The gifts don't have to be expensive.  That's not what's important.  Opening up my home to our extended family and friends for the celebrations is one way I can show them how much they mean to me, and that is the best gift of all.

In the next card is a woman who appears to be meditating.  She is centering herself, and in her hands she holds another heart, another symbol of love. She is surrounded by, what looks to me like, balloons.  Is she closing her eyes and catching her breath in the middle of a party?

When I start to feel overwhelmed, I should step back and take some time to center myself. During the parties, instead of worrying whether or not everything is perfect and whether or not everyone is having a good time, I can sit and let myself soak in the love of my family gathered together.  I can take a time out, even in the middle of a social event, to just be present.

The last card shows two people holding hands while traveling together somewhere. They are followed by a winged messenger, symbolizing communication.  Where are they traveling?  Maybe they are going Christmas shopping at the mall!

Maybe the message here is that I don't have to make all the preparations and gifts by myself.  I do have a partner to help me, but I have to communicate with him and let him know when I need help.  Typically, I do handle all of the holiday preparations by myself.  I buy the gifts, bake the cookies and cakes, make the meals and all the plans.  My husband is always willing to do whatever I need him to do to help, but if I don't ask, he doesn't know what I need.

Perfection is not the goal this holiday season.  Loving each other, and taking the opportunities given by the birthdays and holidays to spend time together is the goal.  I will take time out from the preparations and celebrations to breathe and be present, and I will rely more on the support my husband can offer by communicating with him so he knows what I need from him.

 

Blessings

As part of my "hermit-ing" today I did a reading for myself. I borrowed one from an article written by Alec Satin. I was thinking that today would be a good day to reflect on my blessings, and in this spread the reader discovers what blessing she brings to herself, the blessings her family and friends bring, and the blessings from Spirit.

Blessings: From yourself – From your loved ones – From Spirit

Nine of Pentacles, Nine of Cups, Ace of Swords - Revelations Tarot

I could not have pulled three more perfect cards for this spread. Whenever I feel touched by God in some way I always cry, and this spread brought sweet tears.

I mentioned in this post that the Nine of Pentacles represents all that I hope to be, and in this reading I'm being told that this is who I already am. I bless myself by creating beauty in my environment for myself, family, and friends. I work with the resources I have to make a loving, safe home. I am that Nine of Pentacles woman, and it was just so encouraging to see that maybe that is true.

My family and friends bring happiness, joy, and support in every single area of my life. It's really true. I do have a wonderful, supportive group of people surrounding me, and sometimes I isolate myself so much that it's easy to forget and not see the bounty around me.
 
Spirit brings truth, clarity, power, insight, and protection from fear.  This is so true.  Alec Satin wrote about this spread, "This is a surprisingly encouraging spread. Try it when you’re feeling down," and he was not lying.  This was a beautiful reading full of encouragement.