Three of Pentacles - Open Your Heart and Pray For Peace

In light of yesterday's tragedy in Nice France it's impossible to imagine the horror and grief that the citizens of Nice are experiencing. It's left me feeling a deep desire to pray for peace, because it's all I feel that I can do to make any difference in this heart breaking situation. We all need to pray for peace in this world, more now than ever. We only combat hate with love.

The Three of Pentacles is about openness, having the ability to effectively communicate and work together for peace with others in unity. This only comes about in the spirit of love and compassion.

We all have a basic need for recognition, and perhaps we might think we'll be rewarded in some way for a job well done, but we can't necessarily expect it. Individuals don't always get rewarded for good behaviour, and many times they're punished for it, and on the other hand people are often rewarded for bad behaviour. This of course can't be seen as being fair at all, but it is the way the world is, more often than not. This is the reason why people need to work together in collaboration through effective communication that comes with having an open heart and mind.

It all might sound easy enough, but it takes commitment and great effort to achieve peace, love and unity. This commitment and effort when it comes from a empathy and love for others, not out of obligation or through force is the way to understanding in a very troubled world. Pray For Peace.

Three of Cups - My Tribe

I always get a really good feeling when I look at the Three of Cups, illustrating a celebratory union between Psyche and Eros and the water nymphs propose the toast.

Being a Cups kind of person, and have to say I am somewhat partial to this suit regardless of the card. But I have learned to balance my heart with my head over the years, developing the practice of reminding myself to not exclude one over the other.

Cups represents the emotion. It's also card of communication, friendship and community.
Life is all about relationship with self, others and with the god of our own understanding.

This past week I celebrated 30 years of gathering with life long women friends. It was also my 63rd Birthday and so it was a very special time. It will be a really memorable occasion to me, having celebrated with this special tribe of women.

Some of us have known one another longer than 30 years and have remained in contact and we have seen each other through good and bad times. We are really all like sisters of choice and some of us are actual biological sisters.

We are also all very aware that our group of gals is pretty unusual these days. So as we have aged over the years our gatherings are becoming more significant to us individually, realizing that we have been very blessed to have one another, as a very supportive, loving, and fun loving collective tribe.
 I found the following on a site called The Organic Sister. I think it gives a good explanation of why communication, friendship and community are vital to our happiness.

12 Reasons We Women Need Our Tribes

1. We are inherently tribal. – We once lived in cultures where the women raised babies together, did laundry together, cooked together, and helped each other laugh through the ups and downs of life. We have evolved to be inter-dependent. It’s only in the last few decades that we’ve held up that Fierce Independence as the epitome of a strong woman. Well, if alone against the world is what makes you a great women, count me out. I’d rather feel great, than only look it.


2. Your partner can’t be everything. – I used to lean on Justin for everything. It was a real bitch when we had a fight and he was the only person I had to talk to about it. For awhile there I even thought it wasn’t okay to talk to other women about our challenges. And in a way I still find that true; I don’t want a tribe that will help me complain about him. I want a tribe that will help me examine my triggers and overcome any barrier that keeps us from loving one another better. I also came to find that it was simply unfair to him to place every stress on his shoulders. He’s one man, who wants very hard to fix as much as he can to see me smile, and without more support in my life my husband was becoming heavy with the burden of being the only person I would turn to help me meet my deeper needs for connection, growth, fun, or help. That’s not healthy; that’s co-dependent.


3. Your kids need a break from you. – Oh man, am I serious about this one. Especially because my son is an only child. Without my tribe of conscious mamas, from both local parenting groups with like-minded philosophies on life and parenting, to online tribes, to coaches who have helped me through rough spots, I’m pretty sure my son and I owe our relationship to the support I found in others. Without it I was constantly examining and analyzing every action my son took, worrying that I was doing something wrong (or he was), or just not giving him the space to just breathe, explore independently, or make his own choices without my fear trying to micro-manage, nag, control or stress him out. Having other mamas helped me to put things in perspective, lighten up and be a better mom more capable of responding to his needs with compassion and support.


4. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. – You want to radically change your life? Surround yourself with examples that it’s possible. You want to live a deeper, more meaningful existence? Engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations with the people talking about deeper, more meaningful things. Don’t let the limitations of what those around you can do become your reality. Seek out possibilities, surround yourself with inspiration, and what seems impossible will soon become the only thing you know.


5. Girls just wanna have fun. – Life gives us plenty of opportunity for stress, heartache, overwhelm or depression. It’s our job to counter those things with laughter, fun, and connection. Have you ever had a terrible day and called a girlfriend and you both ended up laughing at the utter ridiculousness of it all? Suddenly what you thought was going to do you in is not so bad when our tribe helps us to play and lighten up. And fun is a damn important thing in life. We have enough seriousness. We need more laughter and play.


6. You need people who won’t let you off the hook. – I didn’t use to see this was true about myself. I’ve always thought I was pretty self-motivated. Until my tribe called me on my bullshit and helped me to see how I was giving up, playing small or rationalizing away my dreams. Because I allowed others to know what my real desires were – what my heart ached for – they were there to call attention to the ways I was neglecting them. It was not a pretty mirror they held up but it was a much needed view that helped me to confront my real barriers and catapult right past them.


7. You need a safe place to land. – The world can be harsh. Have one terrible day and you could end up on YouTube being bashed by millions of people. Make a mistake and you probably have learned to do the bashing yourself. But the right tribe of women will open up a safe and sacred space for you to bring your cracked and weeping heart. They will wrap you in compassion and stillness and allow you to breathe and vent and process without judgment. They give you the nurturing and the encouragement to heal and grow and move forward again. I can’t tell you how powerful it is to know that a circle of women, some whom you haven’t even met, are waiting with open arms, whether you’re having a horrible day or your life has just been shattered.


8. You can’t see your own blind spots. – I’ve already mentioned a few times how the tribes of women in my life will call my on my shit. And sometimes it really pisses me off. But without their intuitive ability to hold up that mirror to what I can’t see I would still be spinning my wheels in frustration over the patterns I couldn’t change. With the multiple perspectives and the collective wisdom a tribe of soulful, conscious women can be a catalyst for the most powerful personal growth.


9. You’re can’t jump over buildings in a single bound. – Or any of the other impossible things we try to do on our own. You’re not Superwoman. You’re not a one woman roadshow. Stop trying to be perfect and infallible and so great that you never need anything. You! Need! Support!: practical, emotional, spiritual support. Whether you’ve just had a baby, or you are struggling with food, or you’re trying to manage a household, love a family, and run a business, for the love of all that is good in the world, ask for support. Trade support. Pay for support. You’re worth the investment.


10. You’re going to drive yourself batshit crazy unless you do something for you once in awhile. – Nuff’ Said.


11. You can’t give what you don’t allow yourself to receive. – This was my Aha moment when it came to receiving support. I can NOT give it if I don’t first have it. And it’s no one else’s job to know when I need it, or how I’d like to receive it. It’s my job to seek out the things that will meet my needs in such a way that I feel so filled up with love, energy, connection, passion, and everything else I might need that I am overflowing that back out to my family, my clients and the whole world.


12. You deserve to receive a lot. – Women tend to have this idea that it’s great for other women to receive, “but oh no, not me.” “I couldn’t possibly take that from you.” “I can’t justify that for myself.” “I’d be selfish.” No. You won’t be selfish. You’re selfish when you continue to try to meet your needs in ways that aren’t effective. It wastes your time, energy, money, and capabilities. And you’re never helping others. But investing well in your own health, well-being, personal growth, mental clarity, stability and ability to do more in the world is anything but selfish. It’s imperative.

Three of Pentacles - Creative Collaboration

I did a personal reading for myself covering the next six months. My question concerned what was ahead for me in the 2016. Well I'm not surprised it's all about the Pentacles, representing the material plane, signifying concerns over the physical body, home, and material possessions. It's true, I need to get myself back into shape, and I will be getting some get work done to my house. I also need some serious bucks and a new to me used vehicle, that I really have my eye on, need and want real bad.

The Three of Pentacles I drew today, along with my personal reading indicates collaboration, finding insight, being communicative, and sharing intellectual ideas with another. I have been involved doing just this over the past couple of weeks., and I am about to continue to creatively collaborate with another person on a special kind of project over the next few months or more, which are both very excited and enthusiastic about.

I feel like I've finally found my niche. Just as the Three of Pentacles reflects, the first stages have been completed, and now we are ready for the next phase. There is hard work and difficulty ahead, but it is cause for celebration, and hopefully our efforts will lead to a very rewarding outcome.

The Magician - Conjures Creative Ideas

Ruled by Mercury who the messenger of the gods The Magician conjures up ideas and is the inner guide pointing to our creative capacities within our, mind, imagination, body, and heart

Having an imagination and being able to express creative ideas in tangible ways is the ultimate form of communication in my opinion, a language in and of itself. Here, lying at Hermes feet are all the tools necessary to do this, and are at The Magician's disposal, and at ours as well.

We see the Cup of Fortune, as Hermes is wise in matters of the heart. The cutting edge of the sword represents the clarity and power of the mind. Pentacles signify a stroke of good luck, and relates to all things involving business matters. Finally, the wand of magic with two snakes entwined that symbolize all things opposite: male and female, dark and light.

The Magician is a card full of hope signifying that the Fool's journey is clearly possible, and there are capacities that are yet to be developed.

Seven of Pentacles - Seven Directions - Every Thing Is Connected

Pentacles concern our physical selves-all things connected to the earth element.

In this scenario we see an offering of the Seventh Golden Pentacle from Queen Pasiphae to Daedalus. He can choose to either accept or decline this generous gift. Daedalus looks like he is suspiciously contemplating whether or not to accept, as he is wondering what Queen Pasiphae's intention is, in offering him this Seventh Golden Pentacle.

In our Western culture we are more concerned with getting as opposed to giving, generousity is seen as suspect and not perceived as an essential virtue. Generousity involves risk for the giver and for the receiver, or both. But does this mean we should never accept generousity or be generous ourselves? We can either fail or be rewarded by generousity, depending on our attitude toward this virtue. The Seven of Pentacles warns against having a flawed character, that exhibits jealousy, greed, selfishness, and betrayal,

I love learning about the Lakota traditions. I see ancient cultures, such as the Lakota, as being very easy to identify with, and are aligned with my own spirituality. When I saw today's card that I drew this morning, it made me think about the sacred number seven, and about the meaning of Seven Directions within the spiritual tradition of the Lakota/ Souix. This card also brings to my mind the number four which is also of very especial significance to the Lakota. relating to the Four Directions.

I have always been very deeply drawn to circles of every kind.
From our formative years, through ages four to seven, artwork in the pre-schematic stage refers to children having a proclivity to draw representational images resembling symbols, often are in the form of a circle, these images may only be understood by the child, and often reflect elements in nature.

In light of this innate ability, and desire for humans to draw the circle, it makes sense that the circle would represent an ancient sacred symbol, inherently found throughout the universe, and within the world.

The Medicine Wheel is the most commonly found sacred symbol used by the Lakota to act as an important spiritual guide, and directly reflects the interconnectedness and interdependency of all living things. According to the Lakota tradition, the natural law of generousity states, that energy we use to communicate, returns to us fourfold. If we reflect the seven virtues, of prayer, respect, compassion, honesty, generousity, humility, and wisdom when communicating, this will in turn effectively help us to communicate, and make decisions that will benefit everyone. The Seventh Direction is centered around taking care of our mind, body, heart and soul. We are all part of a greater whole, and everything is connected. I believe knowing this, is a very much needed thing, in a world that is increasingly more disconnected an many ways, in spite of the "internet of things" being the way of the world.

" Nature projects the state of being in our inner world around us to the world around us. "
                                                                      -  David Little Elk

Channeling The Life Force From Above and Below

The Magician is a very life affirming card because I know if I listen to it's message, I can draw strength, and confidence from this Major Arcana card, that it embodies as the Magician is the protector, and spiritual teacher of the Fool, offering guidance and wisdom.

I know too, that I can trust my intuition, imagination, goals, objectives, and tools that are laid out on the table before me, at my disposal. It is essential for me to have confidence, and to not have any regret or doubt, causing me to sit on the fence of indecision.

I can not live in the past, nor project into the future. Living in the present is always the best approach to life. The Magician urges me to act decisively, otherwise my plans will not come to fruition.

The Magician acquires insight, inspiration, and strength from the heavens, reaching toward the sky, but also reaching toward the earth's foundation, with feet firmly placed on the ground, so as to actualize individual capacities, bringing them down to earth, where they are rooted and grow.

Given all the tools needed, we all can manifest our capacities of the life force, from above, and below. We can all be the Magician of our own lives, if we will but use the tools we have been given.

Two of Cups - Relationship

I spent a good part of the afternoon doing an online Tarot reading for a client. She has actually become a friend, as we have corresponded through email and phone calls. I didn't have a chance to draw my daily Tarot card, and get my post online, as I was preoccupied, allowing myself to become rather anxious, over nothing, as per usual, prior to really getting involved with my reading for my friend. After this was completed, I was happy to call, and tell her reading was completed and I'd sent it off to her in an email.

After supper, I did my other blog post on my other blog http://catherinemeyersartist.blogspot.com and then decided I would do a my usual daily card draw. My immediate question was something entirely different, but decided against that, and asked a question unrelated to my first question which I think was an intuitive because it was what was really in my my heart of hearts. I asked the second question anyway. What came up was the Two of Cups a card representing relationships, personal and business, which was directly related to my the first question.

Once I realized the card was addressing my first question, this caused me to reflect on what it is I love most about reading Tarot cards for people. There are many things, but mostly I greatly appreciate that it gets my focus off of myself, and on to relationship with others. I think this is one of, if not the most important aspect of being a Tarot Card Reader. It builds relationship with others, in an intimate confidential way, that allows the questioner and the reader to open their heart, mind, and soul to another human being, and to themselves.
Tarot allows me to learn something every day, about others, about myself and about life. It's a beautiful thing really.

In the mean time, only I know what my initial question was, and I have got my answer, but that's only for me to know.

Crescent Moon Bear - Catherine Meyers

Page of Swords - Intellectual Beginnings & Authentic Self

The Solstice has come and gone. It's a time for new beginnings, and the Suit of Swords represents the element of air, and astrological signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Being a Gemini, I strongly identify with this Court card, the Page of Swords that I drew randomly out from the Mythic Tarot Deck,  this morning.

This card for me, presents a synchronicity, and an affirmation directly related to my art blog post today, about being more than ready.

The Page of Swords contains the impetus of new intellectual beginnings, perceptive thinking, communication, and being ready for action, not simply sitting on the ideas about what to do, but engaging in the creative and disciplined process of actualizing them.

 It may be tempting, and easy to get caught up in the petty concerns, and opinions of others, or loosing our focus on unrealistic, and unfulfilled pipe dreams, and projected ideas of the next big thing.  The problem with this is, it's superficial, and never seems to be enough, because it is rooted in an image, which does not exist.

If we allow our behaviour to be dictated by others, because we do what we think they want us to do, or because we are jealous, and compare ourselves to others, it only results in unhappiness, and is a very negative energy.

The Page of Swords for me, communicates the message to resolve to be our authentic self.

Page of Swords - Curiousity & Communication

The youthful and elemental nature of the Page of Swords signifies emerging new ideas, the beginnings of independent thinking, a love of learning and the innate natural curiousity of a child.

Being an ambivalent card, two states of behaviour and mind set can co-exist simultaneously. Love and hate can be apparent. Especially when it comes to the negative aspects of this card, embodying a querulous and mischievous attitude, impart due to the childlike playful nature of the the Page of Swords.

 Unfortunately, as an adult, this playful nature can translate into gossip, which often has it's roots in jealousy, pride, envy and spite. This bitter root that can poison and suffocate relationships, affecting any, and all aspects of one's life. Gossip is to be guarded against.

 How we communicate and what we communicate, especially in present day, hardly allows us to think before we speak, especially because so many of us are preoccupied with instant online communication instead of face to face, or though slow communication via the seemingly dying art of letter writing.


The creative ideas and mental powers of the Page of Swords needs to be nurtured, channeled and directed in  positive ways and encouraged in a supportive manner.