Ace of Cups - Shlemiel or Shlimazel?

Hands down this card for me today is my very favourite, and it's perfect timing with the Blue Moon and because I am getting together with some life long women friends. We've been gathering for these women's weekends together for many years, and saw one another go through those pivotal life altering events like marriage, divorce, death, those soul draining things that can make you feel like a shlimazl, or shlemiel, both two hard cases. The shlimazl usually gets the worst of it. The shlemiel falls off the ladder, and the shlimazl breaks her fall. These Yiddish words accurately describe the unluckiness I am talking about. Yes, and I found out that luck has nothing to do with happiness.


Things that make you say, " Why is this happening? " or " What is wrong with me? " You may be left feeling like you are simply an unlucky sop, who has a dark cloud over your head.  I used to feel this way. I thought every one else was destined to be happy. Happiness was something that seemed to elude me, and I didn't know how to be responsible for my own happiness. I felt this way for many years, though it may not  have been apparent to anyone else other than me.

 I had been attempting to fill a spiritual void with a material reality. It really wasn't until I was about 40 years old, when I fully came to believe that happiness was to be found within myself. I learned that happiness comes from being grateful and reaching out for help. Today I focus on what I have, not on what I don't have.

In the Ace of Cups we see Aphrodite rising out of the frothy ocean in all her glory and power. She is the goddess of Love and called the Mother of All. This card is about feeling a deep love for yourself, for others and for Spirit, that fortifies and strengthens your own ability to keep that veil of unhappiness away.

When we truly are our own best friend, this enables us to really appreciate deep friendships with those who know us, love and accept us as we are. These friendships are some of the most affirming and loving blessings we can have in our lives.

If the Great Spirit loves and accepts us as we are, then why wouldn't we, or why shouldn't we love, and accept ourselves as we are? Being mindful and maintaining a daily conscious contact with Spirit, has been paramount in my own happiness.

I am grateful to my fellow sisters and brothers who have shared in the falling, and in the breaking of falls. I am grateful as well, that they taught me how to no longer be a shlemiel or a shlimazl!

Five of Swords - Walking Away From Nonsense

As 2015 approaches, I have been moving closer toward making my life nonsense free. I am not going to take it from others, nor from myself. What I am talking about, is the negative kind of nonsense, not the ' lets run around, have an afternoon of make funny faces, and do impersonations, fun ' kind of nonsense.

The people in my life that dish out negative nonsense are rare, because I can't have people like this in my life. When they do appear, often as strangers, or acquaintances, it takes me by surprise. I am usually not prepared. It can really throw me off base, because in the past, I accepted this behaviour. I was a passive bystander, not an assertive participator in my relationships, unable to assert my own rights.

The Five of Swords indicates the shadow side of love, and walking away from conflict. I had to address this shadow side on two occasions this week, and I walked away, not without standing up for myself. This is what I have to do when others exhibit this kind of behaviour, otherwise I feel like I condone it, give the message that it's acceptable,  and these folks will no doubt continue fobbing this nonsense onto another. Passive aggression, bullying or abuse is a continuum, if it is not addressed.

 In my 12 step program, we are told to make amends with those we have wronged, as soon as you have wronged them. I have made this an essential part of the way I live my life. Some folks will never apologize for wrongs done, and so I have to accept that, and let it go. It is however easier to forgive another when they apologize, and then change their behaviour. Apologies, and changed behaviour can salvage relationships, and even strengthen the bonds between individuals. It is however, next to impossible to sustain a relationship with another who continues with negative behaviour, when an apology is non-existent. It can break hearts.

Letting go has meant saying goodbye to friendships, or deciding I can no longer continue on with some relationships be they recent, or long term, because I have accepted my own limitations, and boundaries.

That's all I have to say about this. I leave you with this quote...