Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that, you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid,
and doors will open where you didn’t know
they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you
that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.
~ Joseph Campbell
What is it about pursuing the things we’re so passionate about that leaves most of us dreaming about putting it off until “tomorrow?” Perhaps we’re busy going to school, establishing our careers, raising our families, making ends meet, etc. and just don’t feel that we have time. Or perhaps we don’t believe we deserve to be a part of something more magical and special than we’re already a part of, so we settle for just getting by.
The Ace of Wands is a card of inspiration: it’s that fire that burns inside of each of us that even when it flickers or goes dim, it never completely dies out. It’s the spark of imagination, self-expression and passion that permits us to allow our “wildest dreams” to manifest — even if only in our dreams.
In the Mythic Tarot, we see King Zeus holding the world in one hand and a flaming staff in the other. He stands before snow-capped mountains, the sacrificial ram’s Golden Fleece draped over one arm.
This card represents the beginning of the Jason and the Argonauts story, before Jason is sent on his quest to retrieve the fleece so that he could claim his rightful role as King.
Zeus was at the heart of the Golden Fleece myth, as he’s sent its owner (a winged golden ram) down from the Heavens in an earlier tale.
He “wears” the sacrificial ram in this depiction, symbols of owner-ship and protection.
The images on this card represent the powerful union of creative vision and dynamic potential.
Although the Quest may be arduous, it’s filled with passion, glory, pride and acclaim. Yes there may be sacrifice, but isn’t it worth it in the end?
This is the message behind this card: you may very well have to give something up — but that “something” is probably far less precious than the sense of achievement you acquire when you finally reach your goals.
In the Golden Tarot, this card shows an angel kneeling in front of a wall of flame.
She holds a lily in one hand and a newly sprouted branch (wand) in the other, an open book on the ground before her.
The emphasis here is on warmth, growth, spirit and purity.
It’s a card of feminine strength and power.
The symbols of faith and grace are very important aspects of this card: if we align ourselves with the greater good, we don’t need to fight aggressively for what we want — it comes to us gracefully and willingly.
Classic interpretations for this card, according to the Golden Tarot website, are:
self-reliance, self-sufficiency and personal empowerment; birth, fertility, growth; action and adventure.
This is the essence of “following your bliss.”
What does this mean for you and how can you apply it to your own life? I see the Aces as “Mars” type energies — not the forceful, aggressive aspects of Mars, but the more creative dynamic aspects. With that in mind, here are a few areas that each of us — through our Sun or Mars signs — might funnel that Ace of Wands type energy:
Aries: High energy or daring activities, anything that gets your adrenalin pumping: martial arts, entering a marathon or climbing a mountain, para-sailing, sky diving, etc. pursuing a career in law (or law enforcement), military, politics; making and checking off a bucket list, taking risks, facing your fears, being “first” at something.
Taurus: Working in business, banking, payroll, finance; getting in touch with nature, craftsmanship: working with raw materials (minerals, gems, flowers, wood), decorating, remodeling, building, gardening, landscaping, singing or doing voice-overs, cooking, design, becoming an epicure or connoisseur, body building, endurance training.
Gemini: Sales, teaching, writing, speaking, stand-up comedy or improv, multi-tasking, working with your hands: magic, juggling, piano, etc.; fashion design, marketing, advertising, merchandising, social networking; working with facts and figures, mentoring adolescents and teens, getting involved in your neighborhood or community.
Cancer: Owning land, buying or building a home, taking care of loved ones, having (or working with) children, adopting or fostering a child, working with families in crisis; researching your family history, writing your memoirs,flipping houses, building a nest egg, taking a cruise, traveling via motor-home.
Leo: Creative pursuits: theater, drama, dance, music, performance art, etc.; getting involved in the entertainment industry (stylist, publicist, agent); designing jewelry or working with hair, makeup and fashion, taking on a leadership role, becoming a life coach or motivational speaker, empowering others; practicing self-love.
Virgo: Working with computers, internet or technology (programming, web design, repair), quality control; efficiency or service-oriented industries, health care: nursing, dietitian, mental health, studying astrology, numerology, tarot; going raw, vegan, organic; finding your “calling”; volunteering at an animal shelter, adopting a pet.
Libra: Creating beauty — art, music, fashion, etc., forming a partnership; working with balancing head & heart, career & family, self & others; pursuing a degree in law, mediation, counseling or fine art; working in public relations, human resources or graphic / interior design. Teaching etiquette; finding your soul mate or “other half.”
Scorpio: Playing the stock market, pursuing a degree in psychology or medicine (oncology, trauma, abuse, assault), estate planning, criminology, etc., hospice, working with domestic abuse or rape victims; research and analysis; getting in touch with your sexuality, learning to trust, forgiving those who’ve betrayed you; merging with another.
Sagittarius: Traveling to — or living and working in — other countries; studying religion, culture, foreign affairs; learning another language; pursuing a higher degree; embarking on a spiritual journey, going on a safari, communing with nature and the great outdoors; lecturing, public speaking, publishing, tutoring. Animal husbandry.
Capricorn: Starting a business, building a brand, delegating responsibility; studying history, architecture, archaeology, paleontology, physics; appraising property and antiques; working in construction and development, management or authority positions, as college professor, working with the elderly; dentistry, chiropracty.
Aquarius: Working with computers and technology, engineering, science, astronomy, math, quantum physics; social work; social justice, fighting for equality, devoting yourself to a cause; studying astrology or metaphysics; being a social activist; organizing group events; studying weather and earth changes; humanitarian pursuits.
Pisces: spiritual pursuits, volunteer work; working with those less fortunate; pharmaceuticals, drug testing, bar-tending; drug counseling; film-making; music, photography, poetry; meditation; psychic pursuits; animation, dream analysis; forgiving yourself and others; learning unconditional love; practicing random acts of kindness.