Eight of Wands - Spiritual Creative Growth

Change, movement and travel are all represented in the Eight of Wands. Travel in this case relates to seeing through the conflict that stimulates the imagination, bringing spiritual creative growth.

Wands generally represent creative growth, energy and action. In this card there is now positive change after anxiety and struggle. All I can say is, what a relief!

This card that I've drawn today, is a precise reflection of the emotional roller coaster I've been traveling on, albeit a small one, relatively speaking. After two weeks of anxiety and struggle, the change that I'd hoped and prayed for has arrived, and I think I've passed this spiritual test. I know there will always be more spiritual tests to come and I'm okay with that, dare I say I welcome it. I happen to love real roller coasters but not the emotional kind. I've had enough of those in my life.

Today I was feeling like I was at my weakest and strongest point, and I let myself have a little cry. This brings to mind what Jean Vanier refers to as, " in weakness strength."  After I decided to take action, things began to fall in place, because as I've said many times, action is the antidote to worry. My doubt and fear were dispelled and the answers I sought provided clarity. I was able to find the strength to reach out, which is difficult for me, but it's made all the difference. I was shown great kindness and I am very, very grateful.

Life is full of personal conflict and struggle. It appears to be necessary if we are to experience the beauty of spiritual creative growth.

Six of Pentacles - What's Love Got To Do With It?

Giving at Christmas is the spirit that seems to preoccupy most of us this time of year. Many have no material possessions to give, others have more than enough, and some are more interested in getting if, they are buying into the commercialism and consumerism of it all and have completely lost the message.

The Six of Pentacles is about generosity and really about love.

  “When people love each other, they are content with very little. When we have light and joy in our hearts, we don't need material wealth. The most loving communities are often the poorest. If our own life is luxurious and wasteful, we can't approach poor people. If we love people, we want to identify with them and share with them.”
― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth

I have been very blessed and loved by many this past year, and I am so very grateful.
When people experience difficulty and extreme hardship. they we can find strength in their weakness, and become resilient, and find hope.

My prayer is to find spirit of love at Christmas or whatever holiday it is that we celebrate, that will last all through the year, every year.

Three of Cups - Relationship Myths and Realities

The Three of Cups is a celebratory kind of card, with a big but. Celebrate but understand that there is hard work ahead. Psyche, she is looking very beautiful, like a princess, content, and satisfied with this ideal situation. She doesn't see her groom yet, as in a true realistic encounter. Eros still exists in a dream state to Psyche, a situation with which she is content, and you could say she is very headily in love, with love.

The water nymphs flipping and splashing their tails about in the water, have raised their cups in a toast to the union between Psyche and Eros. The bright Sun in the background signifies life giving growth, full of joy and promise for the future This wedding however is not all hearts and flowers. It is more likely than not, a romantic fantasy, and a kind of enchantment now, but sooner or later, reality will come crashing in, as it does with all newly weds when they embark upon a new life together, within the bonds of marriage.  In our blind love, we believe that this certain special one, is going to make us happy, and much of the time naively, our own egos are at the forefront of the relationship, and what it will give to us.

 Many entering into marriage have unrealistic expectations, unreal dreams, often based on the 'myth' of what marriage is, that in reality painfully disappoints. Young girls are indoctrinated with this kind of myth about being a princess searching for her prince to save her. When I was a little girl I adored everything about Snow White, which was so removed from reality, as are so many of the promoted myths about love and relationships especially found in the powerful messages of the media. It's not all Walt's fault!

I think of what Jean Vanier says about the reality of love and marriage.

 “The word love has been so abused by publicity and advertisements that we no longer know really what it means.”
― Jean Vanier, Eruption to Hope

"The reality of marriage is that it is a place where a man and a woman are called to sacrifice their own egos on the altar in order to create one body..." 

 “Flowing from this union, source of a plenitude of joy, the love of the couple reveals itself through the daily acceptance of the limits and faults of each other and in mutual openness. It is this acceptance in and through gentleness, kindness, forgiveness, confidence and the desire to see shining in the other the warm light of the Spirit of God that becomes the great sign of the merciful love of God for man and His incessant forgiveness.”
― Jean Vanier, Eruption to Hope 

Five of Cups - All Is Not Lost!

This card, the Five of Cups can represent some of the most difficult obstacles in our personal life, particularly in regards to our relationships, that are tested over time, and there are often regrets over past actions relating to betrayal. Not intentional betrayal of another necessarily, but toward one's self, and being honest.

It feels like we have lost absolutely everything we love, dreams have been unfulfilled, our hearts are completely broken, and we wear the cloak of mourning, as if there has been a death.
We say to ourselves " If only..."

The Five of Cups can look like a very bleak card, full of despair. Psyche who has betrayed Eros, desperately runs after her. The four cups are spilled on to the floor, but the fifth cup remains full and standing. But Psyche takes no notice. The full cup represents, all is not lost, if we take up the challenge and commit to making a brighter future.

Depending on our attitude towards our circumstances, struggles and difficulties we find ourselves in at present, it can feel impossible to see the lessons, to be gleaned from the situation. We can become myopic, and can't see the forest for the trees. We may find ourselves in denial about what has happened, getting caught up in our sadness, and trouble hearts. We don't see what there is to be grateful for, and there is to be learned. The cup isn't half full, it is full.

We can rise from the ashes as a stronger individual, having an attitude of gratitude. This make all the difference in our happiness.

Loss, tragedy, and heartbreak can give us insight, and even epiphanies. These can give us experience, strength and hope, that we can share with to others. Solutions hide in our obstacles. This has truly been my own experience.

Today all too frequently, people are either rushing into relationships or trying to get out by running away. We often don't slow down, and reflect on our lives long enough, to take an inventory of ourselves, to figure out what it is we really want, or need. Too often we want what we can't have, or don't want what we have, and then wonder why happiness seems to elude us, instead of appreciating and accepting, what we do have. Certainly if I am not happy within myself, we will never be happy with another, regardless of my circumstance.

We all experience loss in our lives. Some people experience more than their fair share of loss, but they are able to overcome, and they inspire others through their example, turning their weakness into strength.