Nine of Cups -- I Make Prayers My Cup Is Full

The great synchronicity in this card the Nine of Cups, The Wish Card that I've drawn today is truly a beautiful thing. Representing fruition, comfort and satisfaction are just a few adjectives I'd use to describe my feelings. Mostly though, I am so very grateful.

 I went back in my journal to see how long it's been since I haven't had water running from my gravity fed Spring into my taps. It's been since October 21st, ten days.

This morning I plugged in my water pump not expecting any water. I have an open hole in my basement  and  when it rains the water table comes up and I'm able to gather up some water for washing, but only if it's rained. It had been raining over the past week and so as I was getting what water I could. I took quick notice that the sound of my pump was different. I immediately went over to look at the gauge and there I could see the needle gauge that had moved, increasing exponentially! Oh my goodness I was overjoyed and could hardly believe it! I flung my hands  and arms up in the air in praise and thanks!

Prior to this grand event I was beginning to let thoughts of worry creep in, wondering how much longer this drought was going to last, as Winter and freeze up is not far away. I was feeling like I was at the end of my rope and at a complete loss in knowing how this was going to be resolved and conclude.

I haven't seen this kind of drought in the 22 years I've lived here, except twice. The second situation was due to 50 below weather that caused an old underground pipe to freeze and bust. Thankfully I won't have that problem again, having the pipes replaced deep in the ground and won't freeze.

It's common for human beings to take what we have for granted. It's only when we're suddenly without or it's gone, that our attitudes change.

Psyche and Eros have come to the same realization, in that they'd almost lost their deep love for one another. Having now established a firm spiritual foundation, they've made the commitment to build upon their relationship, based on this spiritual foundation. Without this awareness that all life is sacred we will not survive.

Water is sacred. Water represents life itself and without it we will not survive.


Make prayers for the life of the rivers
Make prayers for the creeks and the streams
make prayers to the Holy Myst’ry
Make prayers for Earth Mother’s dreams.

Fall down on your knees by the water
Fall down on the muck, sand or slate
Fall down in humility, hope and love
And pray that it’s not too late.

            - Water Walker, Grandmother Josephine Mandamin

The Red Road - Coloured Pencil, Catherine Meyers

Nine of Cups - Finding the Fruits of Your Labour

I don't usually have any question when I spread out my deck to pull a daily card. But this more I asked a specific question, and it was really a wish, or a desire or a prayer and very happily I then drew the Nine of Cups, commonly known as The Wish Card!

I've be actively involved for sometime now in figuring out my purpose and mission in relation to my business. In other words the Why, What, How and Who of my creative enterprise. This last week I've really dug in and clarified each part and am making some significant head way at connecting the dots that reinforce, affirm and enable my purpose and mission.

As I have said in my past posts, I'm not a person who believes in luck. I think we can bring about or own luck in that we make things happen with passion, inspiration, commitment and work. Sounds simple enough, but it's not.

 It's a nice fantasy to think about having a magic wand,  a special potion of maybe a fairy god mother to grant us our wishes. But that's not reality and in the long run, it would ask nothing of us in terms of personal growth.

Finding the fruits of my labour involves a lot of repetition and effort. I go over and over the steps, practicing, which is how we learn a skill. There is also a commitment involved to learning, even the things I'd rather avoid learning for one reason or another. However I've found the kind of learning I avoid the most is where I will find the most important lessons that I need to learn. Instead of looking at these as a hurdle, I need to see it as a challenge, that will get me out of my comfort zone, resulting in my personal growth.

Nine of Cups - A Desire In My Heart

As my favourite song writer Bruce Cockburn said in his song about good and bad days, "Some days I walk on diamonds, some days I walk stones. "
It made me feel good today to draw this Wish Card, the Nine of Cups, after spending a few days of anxiety and frustration. It's a good reminder to stay calm, and stop projecting or what I call awfulizing, which is such a waste of energy, and makes things worse.

Being grateful, even when if I feel a dryness or poverty in spirit, and simply having a desire in my heart, or a wish to pray, is a prayer.The desire in your heart is what matters, regardless of what you, or someone else are going through. For me praying is hope actualized

It's easy to get myopic, not seeing the forest for the trees, and getting all caught up in our own problems. We all need to help each other in whatever ways we can.When I can pray for others whether I realize it or not, I can often receive more that what I could ever give. I believe prayer is a very powerful too, no matter how you do it, no matter how you define it. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself or for others is pray, and sometimes it's all you can do.

Nine of Cups - Wishes - Dreams - Prayers

The Wish  Card is what the Nine of Cups is often called.

We all make wishes and it's something that we learn about as soon as we find ourselves in front of a Birthday cake, or scrambling to be the first one to find that wish bone from the turkey, to dry that wish bone, and make  our wish with someoner, holding on with our pinky fingers.

We wish on that star light, star bright, the first star we see tonight, in the sky patiently waiting for us to wish upon that star. It a magical time, of magical thinking. This is our creative imagination and what dreams are made of.

I remember a certain very imaginative little girl, who was so excited to show me the dew on the lawn, where she'd said she found the Faerie houses one early morning. It's a beautiful thing to live in this magical childlike, world when we believe  that wishes come true. When I was little , I so wanted to go to that land where Peter Pan went, and to fall into the looking glass of Alice's.

I'd never want to take this magic away from children or from anyone, ever, because this is where hope lies.
As we age, or even when we are much too young the harsh realities of life come crashing in. We can however, still hold tight to those wishes and even some magical thinking, and balance these with reality. Wishes for me have become prayers, though I'm certain in my heart of hearts, where that little inner child lives, I still make wishes, and believe they can come true.

Lately I've been thinking  and reading about Tiny Houses, and imagining what it would be like designing, building and living in one. I'm not sure I could do this full time, but I would dearly love to have a wagon to pull around in the summer, with my vehicle or maybe with a team of horses, Canadian beauties, custom made, to look like mobile Tarot Vardo Wagon. That's my wish, my dream, my prayer..

As a kid I'd always longed, dreamed and wished for a horse. Then as I got older I wished , dreamed and prayed for a horse, because I loved everything about being around them. I did fulfill that wish, and dream of being around horses. It came true, and my prayer was answered. The dream had to be adapted for financial reasons, but I worked hard to make it reality. I worked with and rode horses for a two years. It was really hard work, but something I never regretted for a minute. It was one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences of my life and I cherish the memory.

It's important to have wishes, that become dreams, that become prayers, and that's were the magic happens and where magic becomes reality.

Nine of Cups - Actualizing Goals

The Nine of Cups is always a welcome card to draw. Though it is commonly known as "the wish card" I think of it in terms of a card that addresses my own personal vision in relation to goals. I don't make wishes. I do spend time focusing on goals and how to achieve them.

It helps a lot when I reflect on the goals I've had in the past and how I went about actualizing them. It also inspires and motivates me when I look at what others have done to achieve their goals, and  those who give practical suggestions based on their own experience, strength and hope.

I believe our ability to achieve our goals is directly connected to our personal philosophy.

Writing my goals down on paper and referring to them frequently certainly helps. Ultimately I need to do the work in order to make them a concrete reality, and take the practical steps to make this happen, in order to measure whether these goals have been reached which holds me accountable.

How have you gone about actualizing your goals?

I have learned that my goals need to be:

• Smart
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time Bound

If I list my top 5 priorities in life, see if there is a mismatch, and get honest with myself, change can happen.

Here are a few wise words from individuals I admire.

" They say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. " - Andy Warhol

" Walk and be more present. " - Thoreau 

" Keep a diary. " - Virginia  Woolf

" Make your life wide rather than long. " - Seneca

"Define Yourself. " - Anna Deavere Smith

" Break free from your ego." Alan Watts

" Cultivate a growth mindset" - Carol Dweck

" Turn haters into fans. " - Ben Franklin

" Think rather than know." - Hannah Arendt

" Let go of perfectionism.  - Anne Lamott

" Master critical thinking. " - Carl Sagan

" Get lost to find yourself. " - Rebecca Solnitt 

" Be like water. " -Bruce Lee

" Choose courage over cynicism. " - Maya Angelou

" Cultivate true friendship." -Emerson

"Live by your own standards. " - Elenor Roosevelt


" Each one teach one. " - African Proverb

Nine of Cups - " A Pure Thought Placed Into Your Heart

For the past two days nines of come up in my daily draw. Here the Nine of Cups, referred to as the " Wish Card. "

Children we are full of wishes and expect them to come true. Many children it seems might not have the luxury of hopeful wishes because their lives are full of suffering and heartache in one way or another.
Wishes for me translate into hope and in a world so of strife, there is always hope, we must have hope, if not for ourselves, then for our children. I believe deeply that there is always 'hope for the hopeless'

I can say that wishing for me is a kind of prayer. But many of us are for what ever reason, sometimes disconnected in someway from prayer. We feel will cannot pray, or don't understand it. There is a poverty of the spirit, and a spiritual dryness, or a misconception of what prayer is..

There was a desperate time in my life when I was unable to pray, though I very much wanted to. A spiritual mentor who was trying to comfort me, said that my desire to pray was a prayer. In so many words in his own prayer, the Trappist monk Thomas Merton says that the desire to pray is prayer itself.

Today I read a definition of prayer that I really love. " The definition of prayer is having  is a pure thought placed into your heart for God to find. "

I expect that whether you call it wishing or prayer it is the intention and what we carry in our heart of hearts that is important.
This prayer of Thomas Merton is a prayer of hope, and the desire for trust.

 "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

Nine of Cups - Dreams

The Nine of Cups is called the wish card, as it signifies the positive outcome of a fulfilled dream. In November of last year my dream came true, because of my 20 year long time commitment to getting my house paid off, and starting my Tarot reading business. The last year of having to pay my mortgage seemed like the longest year ever, as if it was never going to come to an end. It seemed like there was one hurdle after another to overcome. It was like hurry up and wait.

  I was reminded today of how I have so much to be grateful for. When working toward a the realization of a dream it can fill like it is never going to come to fruition and we sometimes focus on the negative things, what is going wrong, and how hard it is to achieve. We get our underwear all in a knot to say the least. We can get myopic, and easily forget our blessings, like the simple things we take for granted. I am always grateful to be reminded of this, just when I need that reminder.

Having a commitment to our feelings and our values, plays a very essential role in realizing dreams. I believe it is not a matter of luck but commitment, and hard work. Sometimes our dreams are not realized, and this can be stressful, but the dream can change and we can find a different kind of fulfillment and happiness in this, if we make up our minds to do so.

Wishes Versus Prayers - The Wish Card - Nine of Cups

It's coming on Christmas and for many, it is a time for wishes. The Nine of Cups, is called the 'Wish Card'. Many of my cherished wishes or what I call prayers, have come to fruition, and I am beyond grateful. These prayers are answered in one way or another, sooner or later, regardless if I like the outcome.

Most of these 'wishes' are manifested through my own efforts made, and is a validation of my commitment to doing the leg work, to make it happen. I think wishes are thoughts or intentions, prayers are thoughts of a kind, but more of a longing and listening, with the expectation that God will help me. Often I think I spend time wishing because I worry, which is the opposite of prayer, and speaks to my lack of trust.

I can't make deals with the God of my understanding. I do think I can ask in belief, and with faith that my longings will be realized. Most times the more clarity I have in my requests, the better. I don't think communication with the Creator is any different than when we communicate with others, especially with those we love. Humans for the most part, are not mind readers, I don't presume that God is either, though it is said that our prayers are known before we ask. Then why ask? I see it as a big part of doing the leg work in making the effort. I think this is a realistic expectation. Intention needs to be backed up with tangible application. We need walk the talk.

“There's no point having wishes if you don't at least try to do them”
― Sally Nicholls, Ways to Live Forever

" The only difference between a wish and a prayer is that you're at the mercy of the universe for the first, and you've got some help with the second."

 Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.  -Mother Teresa

 

Nine of Cups - The Secret of The Wish Card

What do you wish for? I'd love to know. Do you believe in luck?

Wishes for me are more about luck, which I don't really believe in, in a superstitious way. When someone wishes me luck I often ask them, just to say a prayer, because I know that works. The answer may not always be what I want, but it is certainly always, the answer I need, and I can let go of trying to bargain or plead with the Creator to grant me my prayer. All you can do is ask, and we can't do anything to control the outcome. But it is important to ask.

It is however such a joyful and affirming thing of faith, when your prayer, regardless of how small is granted, as mine was today, and it was just as important to me as any prayer.

The prayer is not necessarily the what matters, because many times we can't find it within ourselves to pray, even though we have a desire to prayer. This in and of itself is enough, when we feel this way, because it is a prayer.

All the Creator requires of us is to be willing to be willing, and to have a desire to pray even if we can't find the words, are dry, and poor in spirit.

 “What I wear is pants. What I do is live. How I pray is breathe.”
― Thomas Merton, Thomas Merton: A Life in Letters: The Essential Collection

Nine of Cups - The Wish Card

The Wish Card. Who could wish for more? My wish is for world peace, for an end of poverty, the elimination of disease and to live in a world free from pollution. That's a lot of wishes I know, perhaps too many. This card causes me I think about the previous card I drew yesterday, The Star, the card of hope.

I'm not one to believe in luck, nor am I superstitious. I do believe in hope, and in the power of faith, hope and prayer because this is what tangibly works for me, not wishing for luck.

The Wish Card is about joy, restoration, fulfillment and blessings that come after heartache, struggle and great disappointment.

The Nine of Cups signifies an inner journey of honesty, that we decide to embark upon, a validation of our commitment and loyalty to our feelings, emotional dreams, and our values, regardless of what has gone before, what is happening presently, and what may come to pass. This is hope. Perhaps The Wish Card should be called the Hope Card, and maybe wishes could be prayers.

Nine of Cups - The Wish Card

The card I pulled this morning from the Minor Arcana, the Nine of Cups is a very appropriate one today after hearing very early of someone I love is very near death. I have a specific wish and a prayer for him and his family.

Commonly referred to as the ' Wish Card '. Usually indicated that the Questioner, or Seeker will be granted their wish, often in the form of a material nature, however it can also indicate the fulfillment of an emotional dream. Like the previous card I drew yesterday, the Ten of Cups signifies, peace, contentment and fulfillment.

Here, the Nine of Cups, Psyche and Eros stand face to face. There is celebration of their restored, honest and the forgiving reunion of love for one another. Aphrodite raises a cup, blessing their union.

This card represents an inner journey toward a validated commitment to, and through one's efforts of being true to values, and beliefs within and outside ourselves, come what may.

We all have wishes and dreams. Dreams are important to have in life, and we must have the firm belief in our selves to realistically actualize, and to achieve them, regardless of the struggles and obstacles, that lay ahead on the road. Some dreams, wishes and even prayers are fulfilled and answered, some are not, and they can change along the way and often have to, when there comes a realization, that we must accept, and let go of certain dreams.

Continued commitment to trust and to be loyal to our own feelings, allows us to still believe in our dreams and wishes and that our prayers will in fact be answered.

The message here is relationships and life are not about living happily ever after, whether it be with our siblings, friends, or significant other.

Life is far from perfect, nor are human beings. We make mistakes, and need to find in our heart of hearts forgiveness, toward ourselves, toward others, and toward life itself, which can seem cruel and very unfair.

We need to forgive for ourselves in order to restore our relationships, with ourselves, with others, and with the God of our understanding, in order to find peace, contentment, fulfillment and happiness.