Feb 08 2014

Dealing with Discomfort and Disappointment

Author: Willow • Discussion: 1 Comment

by Willows Brilliance, guest blogger

For most of us, when we are asked what we want in life we have some general answers that reflect our desire for happiness, “I want a good relationship” or “I want a fabulous job” and yet when it comes down to it, we are often unwilling to suffer the pain that comes from uncertainty, from risking our vulnerability with a partner or a new job, from the hard work required to create the realities that we claim to want.

Our modern culture is immersed in INSTANT gratification and touts our happiness as a spiritual goal. As a consequence we have zillions of products, self help books and activities designed to alleviate suffering, get exactly what we want and fix discomfort.

Feb 08 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 8, 2014 — The Magician

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

The Magician

Today may see you tapping into your own creative energy and harnessing “powers” that you didn’t even know you had. The Magician card refers to making something happen through your own skill, cunning and initiative.

Think about areas in your own life where you’ve felt you didn’t have what it takes to accomplish your goals.

It could be a career move or a relationship decision or even a personal change such as dieting, quitting smoking, tackling self-defeating thought processes, etc.

The Magician cards tells you that you not only do have the powers to make these things happen, but you’ve had them all along.

This has to be one of then most beautiful and colorful renditions of this card I’ve seen. The Magician is high up in the mountains amidst the clouds and open air.

The four cardinal points of the compass — the Black Tortoise, Red Phoenix, White Tiger and Green Dragon — are all here.

They correlate archetypally to the four elements (fire/wands, water/cups, air/swords and earth/pentacles respectively.

The Magician himself is poised gracefully in their midst. This is a common theme among the different versions: having all of the necessary resources within reach.

Feb 07 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 7, 2014 — Four of Swords

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Four of Swords

Today you may be ready to get away from it all. You could be feeling the strains of mundane chores and responsibilities; or maybe you just long to escape from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

The Four of Swords encourages you to disengage from all the noise and distractions around you and to find your strength through recovery.

It could be as simple as getting out of town for the weekend to relax and recharge your batteries. And it could be as profound as going on a life-altering pilgrimage or spiritual retreat.

The figure in this card rests peacefully under a starry sky, He’s tucked in to his own personal sanctuary — a sumptuous tent, luscious blankets and pillow, his sword and helmet resting outside. The four swords also seem to cast a protective shield above him.

If you’re able to get away this weekend then by all means do it! But if you can’t there are other ways to restore your sanity. Meditation, breathwork, self-imposed silence, etc. — any one of these can help you to de-stress and to restore your equilibrium.

Feb 06 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 6, 2014 — the High Priestess

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

MythicTarot_persephone | Ask the Astrologers

High Priestess

Today you may be given cause to delve into the deepest regions of your psyche, where instinct, perception and intuition all reside. The High Priestess — seen in this version as the goddess Persephone — is a dynamic, mystical force that relies on harnessing inner knowledge and wisdom.

Persephone started her descent into the Underworld as a frightened and lonely girl, dragged into the darkness against her will. But here we see her transformed from the fearful child and into her rightful position as Queen.

She stands between two pillars (one black and one white) as guardian of both worlds — with a pomegranate in one hand and bouquet of narcissus flowers in the other.

Each of the these symbols reflect important stages in her journey, as well as the dual forces of nature that are implicit in this card.

The High Priestess refers to getting in touch with your intuition. Listening to your inner voice. Heeding your psychic impressions. And tapping into the vast reservoir of wisdom that you may not have taken the time to nurture in recent months.

While you may be apprehensive about exploring those realms, the answers to your most pressing concerns are right there at your psychic fingertips, if you only you allow yourself to trust in them.

Feb 05 2014

Valentines Day Email Reading Special

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: 1 Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This month we’ve joined forces with Fiona Beck, tarot reader, relationship counselor and author of Relationships: What you Need to Know, to offer a special low-cost Valentines Day email reading promo.

We’re offering two packages — one for singles and one for couples — for $50 each. The first package — for singles — includes an astrology assessment and a tarot assessment.

The astrology assessment — via Ask the Astrologers — includes your natal chart, a computerized natal astrology report (approximately 8-10 pages, around 3000 words) and a page or so of personal insights (300-500 words) into specific areas of your natal chart that outline your strengths and weaknesses as well anything that stands out or that you should be made aware of.

This portion will be different for each person, but will likely include insights your natal “love planets” (Venus and Mars), your needs (the Moon) and your relationship house and rulers.

The tarot assessment — via Fiona Beck — includes a six-card reading that looks into your past, your current situation, where you’re heading now, what you can do improve your life, obstacles that stand in your way and the potential outcome. You can also ask a question if you want to, but it’s not required, you may just want to be open to what comes up.

Feb 05 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 5, 2014 — Queen of Cups

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Queen of Cups

Today you may need to go inwards to look at a situation in a different way.

The Queen of Cups is intuitive, caring and kind and she may also be giving too much of her energy away in helping others.

There is only so much you can do for someone else and then they are on their own in working through their problems. If you keep giving and giving you will have no energy left to give to yourself.

Perhaps it is time to practice a little bit of self caring to your own self. There are 8 tentacles in this card similar to that of an octopus. Did you know that if an octopus severs a tentacle it will grow back?

This is an interesting analogy to think of with your emotions because even when you lose someone from your life someone else will come into your life to take that person’s place.

Be careful that you do not keep repeating the same emotional mistakes because although you have numerous chances to start over again your best course of action is to take care of yourself first and not lose part of yourself in the first place.

Feb 04 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 4, 2014 — Ten of Cups

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Ten of Cups

Today you may be feeling like all is right in your world again. The Ten of Cups is a gratitude card: it refers to a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with where you are and what you have.

Sometimes this is a marriage card, a joining together with someone else who shares your happiness. And sometimes it’s an accomplishment card — coming to a point where you’re able to count your blessings and express contentment with your present circumstances.

If you’re not feeling these things — look around you: the glass is at least half full! You want to align yourself with a vibration of gratitude as the Ten of Cups speaks of not only getting what you’ve “asked” for (via the principles of law of attraction) but also being thankful for all that you’ve received.

In this version of the card, the Ten of Cups (portrayed in this deck as Moons) seems to refer more to serenity and self-containment than anything else. Notice the shuttered windows on the tower and the two slivered moons locked in an embrace above it. The 8 phases of the Moon are arched above the tower, which we can only surmise is filled with love, health, and happiness — the things that are really most important to any one of us.

Feb 03 2014

Mercury Retrograde — February, 2014

Author: Melodie • Discussion: 5 Comments

Here we are gearing up for another Mercury Retrograde: and buckle your seat-belts; this one looks like it’s going to be a doozy — with Mercury not only debilitated by sign (it’s in its detriment in Pisces) but also within one degree of conjuncting Neptune — which is already associated with confusion, uncertainty, ambiguity and distraction.

If you’d like to read more about Mercury retrograde — including information on the mythology and astronomy associated with the retrograde phenomenon, this article is a good place to start: Mercury Retrograde: Here we go Again!

But for particular cycle, let’s look at where Mercury crosses each of its shadow points (also outlined in the article mentioned above), where it turns retrograde, and then where it turns back around and starts moving forward (in direct motion) again.We’ll also look at the Sabian Symbols for each of these points.

Feb 03 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 3, 2014 — Seven of Swords

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Seven of Swords

You may need hold back on expressing some of your ideas today, or to at the very least develop a filter.

The Seven of Swords — like all Sevens — speaks of consequences that come from compromising your own principles. In this case it has to do with words, opinions and ideas (Swords) which may be in serious need of a 5-second delay.

It’s one thing to express yourself openly but another thing entirely to insult, offend or attack others.

There’s a danger of being too cocky or of being so sure of yourself that you don’t think about how your words can affect those you care about. Others may take what you say out of context too,

This version has a harlequin figure with her legs in the air and a sword balanced precariously on her feet above her. Another sword dangles from its hilt mere inches from her open mouth.

Is she too confident in her abilities? Too pompous to even consider the repercussions? Or too reckless to care? She may be all three. But if any of them cause her to slip up, the damage will be irreversible.

Feb 02 2014

Free Daily Tarotscope — Feb 2, 2014 — Two of Pentacles

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

Two of Pentacles

Today you may be reflecting on the changes that you need to make to bring your world back into balance.

The two of pentacles is all about finding a comfortable compromise between opposing forces. That could mean between work and play, head and heart, fantasy and reality or material vs. spiritual values.

In this version of the card, we see the Sun shining brightly in the sky and a flower-like disk reflected below. The two birds hovering in the upper corners of the card appear to be lifting the Sun, while two plants sprouting from the earth appear to be anchored to the flower.

The smiling face on the Sun is replaced by an inverted Venus symbol stamped on the flower’s face.

All this brings to mind the hermetic principles of “as above so below” that reflect the essence of the two of pentacles (or any of the “two” cards for that matter).

What’s apparent on the surface (the Sun in this case) is not literally reflected beneath the surface (the flower), but is instead a complementary force.

The Two of Pentacles is most often associated with money, but that’s only one small part. While Venus (the symbol we see inverted on the face of the flower) is associated with money, it also represents love, romance, aesthetics and personal values.

Feb 01 2014

February 2014 Tarot Scopes featuring the Paulina Tarot

Author: Melodie • Discussion: No Comments

ARIES: Five of Pentacles

You may start the month going through a bit of a rough patch. The Five of Pentacles is all about questioning your own values — whether that means mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially.

As Pentacles relate to physical, material and tangible concerns, you may be struggling with money and material possessions. But this is also ties into your own sense of self-worth.

You may be asking yourself “What do I have to offer and what is it worth to others?” There’s a sense of loneliness and feelings of inadequacy associated with this card.

But if you look at the images in this version, you see not one person but two. And they seem to be holding each other up — supporting one another.

This is the message behind the Five of Pentacles: it may be cold outside and you may have suffered a recent set-back or a blow to your self-esteem. But all you have to do is look around you — and be willing to reach out for help.

We can’t any of us make it through this world alone. This card is all about reminding ourselves that there is help if we are willing to ask for it, and in doing so will usually come out stronger in the end.

Feb 01 2014

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

Author: Mel and Chris • Discussion: No Comments

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: