Is it just me or does life feel challenging at the moment?
There’s the rising cost-of-living, testing political situations, devastating fires (or floods or other climate events), needless wars, and online bots dedicated to spreading lies about everything. It’s like the ground beneath us has shifted in recent times, making it hard for us to stay afloat.
Which is this card…
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The Eight cards in Tarot signal a shift in the journey through each suit. They ask that you dig deeper inside yourself than you have before. They ask you to be brave. To face challenging situations full-on. Take a look…
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Tarot cards are similar to playing cards. In fact they both turned up around the same time during the fourteenth century. Clearly, they’re related somehow.
Which has got me wondering…
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Pamela Smith Coleman is the genius who designed the images on the Smith Waite Tarot deck (commonly known as Rider Waite Tarot).
But did she have an issue with the swords cards?
Let’s take a look at them…
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The Four of Swords and The Hanged Man both involve men having some kind of rest.
So what’s the difference between them?
A key to this difference is their location in the Tarot deck. The Four of Swords is part of the Minor Arcana, which deals with everyday situations. Whereas, The Hanged Man is part of the Major Arcana. A much more profound part of Tarot.
Let’s look at them more closely…
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Ever feel like the news is too much?
Too much chatter.
Too much disagreement.
Too much misinformation.
Too much pain and sorrow to absorb.
Then you need to follow the advice in this card…
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We often start our year doing this…
Page of Swords: Setting goals
Sometimes we tackle them like this…
Knight of Swords: In haste
In which case we might…
Ten of Swords: Burn out fast
In other cases, we need to do this…
Knight of Wands: Summon up courage to take action
Or you might approach your goals like this…
Knight of Pentacles: Laying solid groundwork
In which case you’re more likely to…
Six of Wands: Experience success
Maybe a goal you’ve chosen this year involves this…
Knight of Cups: An act of love
You might feel this…
Judgement: A call to serve others
In which case you’re this…
King of Wands: My hero
My resolution this year was this…
Three of Cups: Start up a dinner club with friends to experience the amazing food we have here in Melbourne.
However, this happened…
The Tower: Omicron
And my friends…
Eight of Cups Reversed: Don’t want to go anywhere outside their comfort zone
So I joined a bushwalking club instead…
The Empress: Enjoying nature
This week my youngest daughter said she would join my dinner club. We went to this high-energy Japanese eating house in the city, Yakimono, where I enjoyed the most wonderful smoked paprika raw tuna steak AND spent precious time with a child who is always super busy…
Nine of Cups: Feeling sated
So I get to participate in two new hobbies this year #win
Did you make a New Year resolution?
What was it?
Feel free to share in the comment section below.
We’re in the pause between Christmas and New Year. A time many have off from work. In some ways, this is my favourite part of the Christmas season. The manic rush of Christmas has passed and there is time before the New Year to reflect. But maybe you prefer another part?
Let’s explore the different stages of the Christmas Season…
We decorate the house…
Ten of Pentacles: Taking part in valued traditions
Catch up with friends for a drink…
Three of Cups: Socialising
Buy presents…
Six of Pentacles: Giving and receiving
Rush around like mad at the end to get everything done…
Ten of Wands: Being overextended
By Christmas Eve, you hopefully begin to feel this…
Ace of Cups: Spiritually renewed
Beit through your faith, by listening to carols, or by spending time with loved ones.
On Christmas Day we spend time with family.
Hopefully, it felt like this…
Ten of Cups: Counting your blessings
Rather than this…
Three of Swords: Reigniting old heartaches
Maybe by the end of the day you experienced this…
Nine of Cups Reversed: Food coma or other over-indulgence
We now have a week between Christmas and New Year.
Which is a great time for this…
Four of Swords: Restful contemplation
Before the new year comes around.
When we do this…
Ace of Swords: Set a clear direction for the next twelve months
What is your favourite stage of the Christmas season?
Yes! I live in the place that has been crowned the most locked down city in the world over the past two years: Melbourne, Australia!
It’s been a journey, to put it mildly. We’ve endured six seperate lockdowns, each one more miserable than the last.
Right from the start, our state government did this…
The Emperor: Imposed strict rules
It was actually amazing how compliant everyone was!
We started off like this…
Page of Wands: Developing new skills
Baking sourdough, taking up crochet, improving our ability to work and play online.
We made lots of this…
Page of Swords + Temperance: Plans to improve our work-life balance
Some did this…
Knight of Wands + The Empress: Moved to the country
Many felt this…
Judgement: A call to serve others
People set up Facebook groups to support their community, gave money to charity, reached out to neighbours.
Some made the experience harder…
Knight of Swords: Sections of the media
With their sniping on the sidelines and their personal political agendas.
But others made it easier to do this…
The Star: Hold onto hope
Medical scientists and healthcare workers, those who went above and beyond to help through this crisis, friends on WhatsApp groups.
That was 2020.
2021 has been much worse.
There was a lot more of this between political leaders and from media commentators…
Five of Wands + Ace of Wands: Fighting for ideological supremacy
Which…
Judgement Reversed: Shattered our sense of community
And was a factor in increased…
The Tower: Mental breakdowns
And for some led to this…
The Star Reversed: Despair
People were either…
Five of Pentacles: Feeling poor
Due to businesses being unable to trade and government subsidies being withdrawn.
Or this…
Ten of Swords: Mentally drained
From being asked to work under challenging conditions.
I’ve worked six days a week for the last two years, as well as writing, and I’m in the latter category.
Up until September I felt I was doing this…
Two of Pentacles: Juggling my responsibilities nicely
But then I finished The Empress and suddenly barely had the energy to publish it, let alone write any more.
My brain just stopped working…
Ace of Swords Reversed: Unable to think clearly
And it’s only just coming back online now.
The inability to think on a deep level is definitely a symptom of this…
Nine of Swords: The ongoing stress of managing life in lockdown.
Which is why I won’t be publishing the next chapter in my Tarot series tomorrow.
I’m not sure when I’ll finish it. Maybe by the end of January, maybe not till next March.
Which is kind of funny, considering the next chapter is this…
The Emperor: Meeting deadlines
Guess this is a card I need to work on in my own life, lol!
More than anything in Melbourne, we have felt this, especially during the past six months…
Three of Swords: Brokenhearted
From being unable to spend time with friends and family – again!
From missing much-needed holidays we were looking forward to – again!
From being cooped up at home alone – again!
My Christmas wish for this year is that you get to do this…
Four of Wands + Ten of Cups: Spend the holiday season with family
Thinking of you all!
You learn a lot about the cards when you compare one with another.
Especially those that are similar.
Let’s compare the Page of Swords to the Knight of Swords, shall we?
Both represent people.
Often a male.
Both represent mental energy.
Page of Swords: Having thoughts
Knight of Swords: Promoting ideas
So it’s…
Learning to talk vs Developing opinions
Playing with words vs Using words to make a point
Discussing vs Debating
Being cheeky vs Being idealistic
Thinking before you speak vs Being quick thinking
The student vs The teacher, journalist, lawyer, politician, salesperson and spy
Researching, planning & drafting vs Published texts
Suggesting a new theory vs Promoting a cause
Rudeness vs Abuse
Incessant questions vs Incessant answers
Playing games vs Asserting a position
Being impractical vs Being hurtful
Being all talk vs Following ideas through
Studying vs Being knowledgeable
Waffling on vs Getting to the point
What else would you suggest?
The Tarot Teaclub 