Queen of Swords - The Eagle

I believe in Totem animals and mine has been the Fox. When I see a particular wild animal several times it usually has a  message for me. There is a lesson to be learned.

Fox - Coloured Pencil - 2007 Catherine Meyers

Yesterday when I looked out my bathroom window, I thought I saw what looked like an eagle sitting atop a dead tree very close to my house. The distinctive white head made me certain it was an eagle, and when I went downstairs and looked again, sure enough there it was. It stayed on top of that tree for a longest time, as if wanting me to get a good look. It's there again today, all afternoon in the same spot. Even the rain didn't deter the Eagle who sat steadfast and majestic, surveying everything.
I'd never seen such a sight before, in the 22 years I've lived here.


When the Eagle appears, it's to inspire and urges us to reach higher, and to become more than who and what we think we are capable of being. The message is to be have courage, to stretch our limits to explore our personal growth.

The Eagle perched high on that tree, encouraged me to see things from the Eagle's perspective, and to get out of my comfort zone, and to push through my limitations. Good fortune and victory are signified.

It's time to take full responsibility for my life, to be prepared, and to increase my spiritual awareness.

The Queen of Swords is a fine companion for the Eagle, as she too is regal and dignified. Her idealism is both lofty and noble.  Atlanta spurs us on to become more than what we are, like the Eagle. She strives for perfection, and can be of great influence because of her intelligence and perception, much like the Eagle who flies closest to the Creator.

Demystifying The Tarot Reader

Do any of you remember Miss Cleo? She use to be on late night TV. She was one of the worst so called Tarot reading psychics that really got on my nerves, because I knew this was nothing but a scam..  I guess I watched it every now and again when I couldn't sleep. I found it to be pretty much bad theatre it was so ridiculous and she was so over the top.

This was many years before I 'd ever even been introduced to Tarot, but it wasn't  rocket science to figure out it was all fake, and unfortunately there were many that were duped before the show finally went off the airwaves, never to be seen again.

It's people like Miss Cleo or whatever her name was, she had many aliases, that give those authentic and honest individuals who are ethically study metaphysical matters, a really bad rep, which contributes to the kind of destructive myths and misconceptions surrounding Tarot readers, that can be very damaging.

And so it's a good thing to demystify, and deconstruct these myths and untruths. It's also good advice to use  discernment in choosing your own Tarot reader, before deciding to go ahead and have a reading done, because there are many in this world who's intentions do not reflect a professional integrity.

 
I have found meeting other Tarot readers and getting to know their personalities, one of the fascinating aspects of Tarot. Something else that I have found out, is that some Tarot readers usually have a real interesting story to tell about how they came to be Tarot readers.


The personalities of Tarot card readers are as varied as a deck of Tarot cards. Most that I have met are honest, regular and exceptional folk, empathetic, creative, intuitive, perceptive and intelligent individuals. They have a good sense of humour and are thick skinned philosophers, who love people, and are humble.

Today I learned about one such Tarot reader who wrote an article for the New York Times by the name of Jessa Crispin, She shares her story of how she became a Tarot reader, and I really appreciated her candid, entertaining and very human introduction into the world of Tarot.

We all have a story to tell whether it be our life story or how we became Tarot readers. What's your story?

The High Priestess

Easter and the days leading up to it, in conjunction with Spring, have always been important to me, and it's the time of year I love the most. I have joyful sweet memories of going to yearly Easter Sunday service with my mother when I was little. I affectionately remember our usual special bonding ritual of searching for the right Easter bonnet , and then being all decked out in our outfits on Easter Sunday, where my mother would play the organ in Church.
Although my religious practices have changed and evolved, I still feel a very strong attachment, with great love for this time of year.

Drawing the High Priestess today reflects many of aspects of my spiritual beliefs today. I do not see these as being in contradiction to how I once celebrated Christian holidays. The liturgical seasons have simply been absorbed into part of my own spiritual journey.

There is something so beautiful to me about Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, because it speaks of humility, and service to others. The symbolic ritual of the washing of one another's feet reminds us to love one another as we are loved by the Creator.

The High Priestess symbolizes this spirituality, our spiritual mother, where I find the womb of the unconscious, the inner workings of perception, the pattern, and the purpose of life. The High Priestess stands between two pillars, one black, one white representing the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge or Death.

She wears her gown of personal growth and the crown of truth. The Narcissus is symbolic of death and resurrection. The pomegranate she holds represents the fruit of the dead, undeveloped creative capacity, and immortality. Passing between the pillars heralds entering a new life, or another world.

I don't get an Easter bonnet any more, but if I did, it would be this one.

The Wheel of Fortune - Change

 Ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion, change is the topic of the day, which was confirmed for me by The Wheel of Fortune, the card I drew this morning.

 We all wish and hope for positive change, however it comes in all forms, be it positive or negative. Depending on how we embrace change, and our attitude determines the outcome. We choose to either react or respond, depending on how we feel or perceive this change.

I am not one to believe in luck or superstition, but I do believe in synchronicity, and that things develop and unfold the way they are meant to, as a matter of faith. The Wheel of Fortune works within the mysterious workings of the unconscious, and the intelligent movement of the hidden Self, bringing a new phases in life.

I definitely am feeling I have reached a new phase as of late. I pray that I can be ready, open to, and embrace change with willingness, and responsibility.

    " The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not of fighting the old, but on building on the new. "
                                                                                                   - Socrates


I found this just now, a quote from Joseph Campbell, and thought it was very appropriate for this post on the Wheel of Fortune on the topic of change.

“We must be willing to get rid of
the life we’ve planned, so as to have
the life that is waiting for us.
The old skin has to be shed
before the new one can come.

If we fix on the old, we get stuck.
When we hang onto any form,
we are in danger of putrefaction.
Hell is life drying up.”

Excerpt from A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living