Seven of Swords - What Interferes with my Ability to Make Discerning Decisions

This card, the Seven of Swords relates to our ability or inability to make rational decisions, and doing the right thing. Of course making the "right" decisions is much easier said than done, no matter how good our intentions. The adage, the road to hell is paved with good intentions comes to mind. As human beings we can easily deceive and betray ourselves

I know this through experience, decisions that I've made in the past solely based on emotion have often lead me down the wrong road. But I learned from these mistakes. I've also learned about discernment that  enabled me to fine tune my ability to make decisions using my intuition and my mostly sensible mind!

The mythic figure of Orestes in the Seven of Swords represents an application of mental energy in a cautious and cunning way. Fact is Orestes must live with the decision he makes and the consequences that follow.

Although Orestes is walking a dark path, there is a shining light behind him that enables him find his way, if he chooses to be led by this light.

It's easy to fool ourselves into believing we're doing the right thing, without a thought to how our decisions will effect others in the present, or in the long term future.

My experience has been that when I've made decisions based upon my emotional reactions, or on my intellect alone, void of having any balance between my head and heart, this mostly resulted in a negative outcome. And I've paid a price for making decisions this way, because my ability to make discerning decisions has been hindered and interfered with by my emotion. It's what I'd call having dis-ease of the emotions, which is manifested in numerous ways, be it alcohol or other addictions.

So this card for me has a significant and important caveat. I'm reminded to allow for faith in the balance between my intuition and intellect to guide my way, enabling me to make discerning decisions in my life based on faith. That's what makes you strong.



If you love somebody
Then that means you need somebody
And if you need somebody
That's what makes you weak
But if you know you're weak
And you know you need someone
O it's a funny thing
That's what makes you strong
That's what makes you strong
That's what gives you power
That's what lets the meek come sit beside the king
That's what lets us smile
In our final hour
That's what moves our souls
And that's what makes us sing
And to trust somebody
Is to be disappointed
It's never what you wanted
And it happens every time
But if you're the trusting kind
This don't even cross your mind
O it's a funny thing
That's what makes you strong
That's what makes you strong
That's what gives you power
That's what lets the meek come sit beside the king
That's what lets us smile
In our final hour
That's what moves our souls
And that's what makes us sing

Written by Jesse Winchester • Copyright © BMG Rights Management US, LLC

Seven of Wands - We Can't Stand Alone

This has been called a card of the underdog and can be seen as a situation we can all find ourselves in sometime or another, without having to play the role of the victim, in spite of the struggle. It is a card of faith. We always have the opportunity to see our difficulty, whatever it might be, as a test of our faith, urging us to rise to the occasion and to persevere.
 Of course this is easier said than done when we are going through 'challenging' experiences that I often call shit sandwiches and we can feel completely overwhelmed without a way out, but we don't have to stand alone.

Personally I have to take these kinds of experiences one day at a time, otherwise it would be easy for me to become despondent, overwhelmed and resort to coping mechanisms that would only exacerbate things, making them far worse.

My wise and faithful mother always said, " Things can only go down so far, and then they have to start coming up." I have always found this to be true.

This card reminds me to know and understand that things always change and we can have hope and assurance in knowing that out of the negative can often comes positive no matter how bad they are and we are not alone.

The Empress - "That's What Makes You Strong"

That's What Makes You Strong

If you love somebody then that means you need somebody

If you need somebody that's what make you weak

If you know your weak then you know need you someone

Oh it's a funny thing but

That's what make you strong

That's what make you strong

That's what gives you power

That's what lets the meek come sit beside the king

That's what let's us smile in our final hour

That's what moves our souls and

That's what makes us sing


And to trust somebody is to be disappointed

It's never what you wanted

And it happens every time

But if your the trusting kind

This don't even cross your mind


Oh it's a funny thing but

That's what make you strong

That's what make you strong

That's what gives you power

That's what lets the meek come sit beside the king

That's what let's us smile in our final hour

That's what moves our souls and

That's what makes us sing

  - Jesse Winchester

   I've posted this song by the late gentleman of leisure Jesse Winchester because I think it relates to the Major Arcana card I drew today, The Empress. Someone posted Jesse singing this beautiful, touching and truthful song today that I've listened to so many times, and today I made connection between the Empress and Jesse's song. He performed this song, not long before he died, which makes the words even more meaningful and poignant.

The Empress, my favourite card, speaks of having an open, trusting heart, of vulnerability and weakness because she loves deeply, opening herself to being disappointed. It truly is what makes her weak but like Jesse says, it is a funny thing but it is what makes her strong, and what gives her power.

She is very connected to feelings of safety and trust. The Empress (Demeter) is both the Good Mother, and the Mourning Mother, who knows she is weak, and grieves for her missing child, that she loves and needs, her beloved daughter Persephone.

Spring does comes again, and Persephone returns once more, so to do the flowers, as there is new life, in the cycle of nature and life. Souls smile, are moved, and she sings and so do we all.

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.