Articles

Free Daily Tarotscope — Jul 13, 2015 — the Crow

crow

Crow

You may have to face your fears head on today, even if you feel like climbing back into bed and pulling the covers over your head.

Today’s card — the Crow, Animal Wisdom Tarot’s version of the Nine of Swords — is sometimes referred to as the “Nightmare” card. It’s associated with a sense foreboding, brought about by fears that aren’t necessarily supported by reality.

So often our fears are self-imposed. We may have gotten ourselves into a sticky situation and are now dreading the consequences. Or we might be kicking ourselves for having engaged in risky behavior and find ourselves wondering if it was worth it in the end.

The woman in this version of the card has awoken to find that she’s not safe at home in bed, but tucked instead into the wing of an ominous black Crow. As a spirit animal totem, Crows are seen as the harbingers of fate — both good and bad.

They are associated with mystery and magic, alchemy, destiny and the unknown. They’re tricksters, shapeshifters and magicians, filled with mischief and misadventure. They represent the shadow side of humanity as well as the ability to transform and rise above.

While you may be feeling unsure of yourself today or anxious about being able to maintain your footing, you want to remember that most of your fears have been self-created. You can pull the covers back over your head and refuse to get out of bed, or you can tuck yourself further into the Crow’s protective wing and soar along with him to great heights. 

Free Daily Tarotscope — Jun 6, 2015 — Nine of Arrows

Nine of Arrows

Venus trines Saturn today and brings with it the discipline and dedication to see your way through difficult times without losing focus.

The Nine of Arrows is the Wildwood Tarot’s version of the Nine of Swords, a card traditionally associated with fear and paranoia. But look at the woman in this card.

She moves so deftly through a firestorm of flying arrows that she doesn’t even notice them whizzing by her head. In fact her eyes aren’t even open.

This card is called “Dedication” and speaks of the need to stay on your path and not allow yourself be discouraged by potential pitfalls or distractions.

The woman may seem like she’s not paying attention, or is just going through the motions. Or she may be so dedicated to her craft (notice she holds the bow and arrow in her hands like it’s a musical instrument) that she’s undeterred by the threat of danger on her path.

The Nine of Arrows in this deck speaks of heeding your calling and dedicating yourself to your life’s work. Whether that refers to a specific gift or talent, or whether it refers to a spiritual undertaking, you’re encouraged to devote yourself to it fully and not allow yourself to be deterred by whatever challenges threaten to stand in your way.

The Venus / Saturn trine makes that vision clearer to you — so clear in fact that you don’t have to “see” it to believe in it. But you still have to do the work. And that means mustering up the courage and dedication to get started on your path.

Free Daily Tarotscope — May 26, 2015 — Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Mars squares Neptune today and may have you wondering what is real and what is all in your head.

The Nine of Swords is sometimes referred to as the “nightmare” card, due to its association with overblown panic and fear.

Often these are self-imposed: as in having gotten into a predicament of our own doing and now being forced to deal with the consequences. There’s sometimes a sense of impending doom associated with this card, also self-created.

You may be feeling a bit more anxious and unsure of yourself or have a hard maintaining your footing. Or — like the figure in this card from the gorgeous Druid Craft Tarot — you may just feeling like pulling the covers back over your head rather than getting out of bed and facing reality.

As Mars is the planet of action and Neptune is the planet of uncertainty, it may even be best for you to hold off on taking any kind of stand.

You may be feeling a bit wobbly and unsure of yourself as your fears can get in the way of making rational decisions. Either the fear is real and you brought it upon yourself, in which case you now have to deal with the repercussions of your actions; or the fear is unfounded and you’re being forced to own up to whatever it is inside of you that has created it.

You may have created a situation — or contributed to one — yourself that now has you terrified of potential consequences. You may feel like running away from your problems, or pulling the blankets up over your head again and pretending that none of it is real. But you’ll find that not confronting your demons and tackling the situation head on only makes them more harrowing.

This is the essence of the Nine of Swords. Not only do our fears have the capacity to paralyze us, but finding the courage to face them has the capacity to extinguish them. If we want to move forward, we’ll have to be brave enough to “take back our power” and face our fears head on.

Free Daily Tarotscope — Mar 19, 2015 — Nine of Swords

Nine of Wands - Deviant Moon

Nine of Swords

Today you may have to confront your fears or face the music about something that you’re not too comfortable with.

The Nine of Swords — this version from the Deviant Moon Tarot — speaks of finding yourself in a predicament that is largely of your own doing. And while it may be hard to admit, avoiding responsibility for something you’ve created yourself will only exacerbate your problems.

This is sometimes called the “nightmare” card. It refers to the apprehension and fear we experience upon waking up from a bad dream. And when we’re forced to confront a real-life situation that has taken on nightmarish proportions, it can be just as traumatic.

There’s a sense of foreboding in this card. The child has awakened from a nightmare, terrified by what he’s seen. Nine Swords are lined up behind his headboard, their blades alternating left to right. A demon cat scurries across his bed clothes while a tiny ghoul gnawing on his shoulder (whispering madness into his ear) makes it all the more ominous .

You may have created a situation — or contributed to one — yourself that now has you terrified of potential consequences. You may feel like running away from your problems, or pulling the blankets up over your head again and pretending that none of it is real. But you’ll find that not confronting your demons and tackling the situation head on only makes them more harrowing.

The Nine of Swords is strangely empowering as it forces you to face your fears. There’s no more hiding or avoiding, as the circumstances in your life put them right in your path. You may have to remind yourself that it’s never as bad as it seems; that it was only a nightmare and that everything will look better with the dawn of a new day.

Free Daily Tarotscope — Aug 19, 2014 — Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

With Mercury and Neptune in opposition today, you may feel like you’re having a hard time getting (or maintaining) your footing.

The Nine of Swords ties right in with this aspect, which can leave you feeling a bit wobbly or unsure of yourself.  This is often called the “nightmare” card as it relates to overblown fears and anxieties.

These are almost always self-created. Either the fear is real and you brought it upon yourself, in which case you now have to deal with the repercussions of your actions; or the fear is unfounded and you’re being forced to own up to whatever it is inside of you that has created it.

The woman in this version of the card is seen tip-toeing along an upper ledge of a building in the dead of night. She’s still in her bedclothes.

Is she sneaking into someone else’s window? Or climbing back into her own? Either way she looks terrified, and two different sets of fears are implied. The fear of falling down, and the fear of getting caught.

If you look closely you can see that she really has nothing to fear. The twin stars Castor and Pollux — patrons of guests and travellers — shine high in the night sky. And right below her — which she’d see if she bothered to look down — is a larger much sturdier ledge that would easily break her fall. 

Free Daily Tarotscope — July 30, 2014 — White Tiger Nine

Nine of Swords

White Tiger Nine

Life may be catching up with you today as the White Tiger Nine (Nine of Swords) sweeps in with the promise of… well perhaps a change in your luck and not necessarily for the better.

The Nine of swords is a card of struggle and from the image on this card you can see that the path before you is not a straightforward one, albeit that you are not in the flames, you are nonetheless walking a very fine line between things going ok and things taking a turn for the worst.

Keep this in mind if you have anything big to do today and don’t try to push for more than you naturally believe you deserve and even then you may wish to push for a bit less than that.

A white tiger is a rare creature and if you are feeling as if the world is against you today then bear in mind that you are perhaps a little out of your depth when it comes to the direction you are seeking to take and that the path will not be easy.

If you look in the background of this card there is a reminiscent scene from Gone With the Wind in which people are running from something and a horse is rearing its front legs as if in fright.

These figures are going in the opposite direction to the tiger which gives an indication also that around you people may be fighting their own battles and struggles and perhaps not coming up trumps with them.

May 2014 Tarot Scopes featuring the Chrysalis Tarot

Four of Mirrors

Aries:  Four of Mirrors 

This month is all about choices and those choices and decisions you may be putting off whilst, perhaps, you wait for something better to come along.

The mirrors in this card stand for the suit of cups and from the pattern they are displaying in the water also show that your thoughts, decisions, choices may be changing like the tide… one day you are high on an idea and the next day you are low and no longer want to go along with that idea.

I don’t blame you… from the looks of things where you are sitting it looks pretty comfortable and calming.

There are no intense emotions and everything is running along quite smoothly. You feel at “one” with your environment and see no use in fighting against the current in making changes to your situation. Change is coming though, whether you want it or not.

The sea turtle which is about to brush against your tail is a symbol of you being given a slight nudge in making changes.

You can go back to your dream world, keeping your eyes shut and focused on pleasant thoughts and sensations — or you can face what’s coming head on.

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 1, 2014 — Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Nine of Swords

Today’s card — the Nine of Swords — is referred to as the “nightmare” card, due to its association with overblown panic and fear. Often these are self-imposed: as in having gotten into a predicament of our own doing and now being forced to deal with the consequences. There’s sometimes a sense of impending doom associated with this card, also self-created. 

The Nine of Swords in this version comes from the beautiful painting Head of Woman by Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci. Of course da Vinci was many things. He was a true Aries and renaissance man. The quote at the bottom: “The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us,” comes from the French philosopher Voltaire

This quote reminds us of the power of thought — of doubt, uncertainty and apprehension — to render us powerless against our own fears. The more we focus on our problems the larger they become, until they finally take over and become larger than we are.

This is the essence of the Nine of Swords. Not only do our fears have the capacity to paralyze us, but finding the courage to face them has the capacity to extinguish them. If we want to move forward, we’ll have to be brave enough to “take back our power” and face our fears head on. Along those lines, this card has always reminded me of this poignant segment from the Arthur Miller play After the Fall:

November 2013 Tarot Scopes featuring Deviant Moon Tarot

Deviant Moon Tarot -- 2 of Pentacles

ARIES: This month you’re going to be weighing different options and opportunities as you work toward manifesting your goals. If you’re feeling pulled in different directions, you’ll be working on bringing the divergent areas of your life back into focus.

You may be juggling funds, career options, or even relationship choices, and are called upon now to find a middle ground. Moderation and balance are integral parts of satisfying the dual desires of this archetype.

In this version of the card, we see a Gypsy fortune-teller performing an exotic dance ritual under a crescent moon. Her movements are fluid and effortless; in fact she almost appears to be in a trance.

She holds a pentacle in each hand — the light of the moon balanced between them.

Pentacles relate to mundane areas and material concerns. Therefore you may find yourself juggling funds this month, or you may be torn between saving it up and spending it on something you just don’t need.

You could also be trying to decide whether to make a major purchase or hold off on it until a later date. With Mercury retrograde until the 10th, your best bet is to hold off.

I always liked the idea of “one hand feeding the other” with this card: you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket as you risk coming up empty handed. It’s best to keep some of your options afloat, until you’re clearer about the direction you want to go.

 

July 2013 Tarot Scopes — featuring the Tarot of Trees

ARIES: The Moon

This month you may feel like you’re navigating through murky waters.

The Moon card has a lot to do with that which is hidden, beneath the surface, unconscious or undiscovered.

There is a strong emotional element inherent in this card. And while emotions are not something easily digested by Aries — particularly the “darker” emotions, such as fear, anxiety and insecurity — it’s necessary to explore them if you’re going to resolve the issues that have been hounding you.

But don’t let your imagination run away with you: there’s also some danger of reading too much into things, making mountains out of mole hills or even becoming suspicious or paranoid.

Use this time to get in touch with your emotions and to resolve whatever fears and uncertainties you have that have been holding you back.

March 2013 Tarot Scopes featuring the Mythic Tarot

ARIES: Nine of Swords

You may be tossing and turning in your sleep this month; stressing over concerns that seem to have no resolution.

This card speaks of our tendencies to magnify problems, often making them out to be worse than they are.

You’ll need to learn to step back from intrusive thoughts and fears before they escalate into full-on panic. This doesn’t mean you should ignore your problems: that may be what’s gotten you into your predicament in the first place.

You’ll have to confront your fears head-on if you’re ever going to conquer them. You may have to look at where you’ve made mountains out of molehills or have been your own worst enemy.

You may have contributed to your problems, as responsibilities that have been avoided could very well be coming back to haunt you now. But it’s also important to forgive yourself for past mistakes and work on putting them behind you.