The Daily Draw: Ace of Swords Reversed

Don’t Fear Your Own Shadow

The Ace of Swords suggests a beginning that, for example, could be the start of a project or an invitation that involves courage, integrity, and clarity of thought. It’s interesting that this card is coming up on the new moon in Scorpio, because there is an opportunity here to look into your own shadows to know yourself better, as the saying goes. And we all have shadows. Many people spend their lives sleeping with the lights on in an effort to avoid ever looking at those shadows.

But we know better, don’t we? We know that those shadows are an integral part of ourselves that need to be acknowledged and assimilated into our greater selves in order for us to be whole. If we ignore those shadows they do not go away. Sure, they might lie dormant for a while, but eventually they come out in interesting and inconvenient ways. It is better to be proactive and find a way to channel our shadow energy in a way that is healthier for ourselves and for those around us.

So why is this card reversed today? My gut tells me this is related to fear. Fear of what we may see in the shadows and fear of being honest with ourselves about what we see in the shadows. No one said it was going to be easy, or necessarily pleasant, but like that disgusting cod liver oil mama used to make you swallow (no?) it is good for you. You might even like it.

Don’t judge yourself. It’s not about being “good” or “bad”. It’s about what does or doesn’t work for you. What do you want to manifest? What consequences do you want to avoid? Cause and effects is simple physics.

There are plenty of public examples of people who do not want to look into their own shadows, or even admit to having them. Their motto seems to be “Judge unto others before they judge unto you”. They pretend to be 100% good, clean, pure. The next thing you know they are in media because they have committed adultery, extortion, murder, or worse. That’s an example of what I meant by interesting and inconvenient.

Do yourself a favour. Use this new moon energy to look into your own shadows, to know yourself better, to act on that knowledge to take better care of yourself, to grow, and to be more of who you are.

Find Your Inner Peace

Joy, happiness, inner peace—these are things that cannot be given. They must be found inside yourself. And they are there, even if they
can be difficult to access. We let negative self-talk convince us they don’t exist, at least not for us.

What we believe is projected around us, and when those beliefs are negative they can show up as drama and seeming chaos, which can distract us from what we have forgotten—that we create our own experiences, that whatever peace we enjoy comes from within.

Reiki can help to calm the mind, body and spirit in a way that can help you cultivate inner peace, and give you space to find your joy in living.

To book a session ring 087-9751410 or email rockwillow@eircom.net.

The Daily Draw: The Ten of Cups

Give Yourself Peace and Joy

In a world where we are constantly invited to look at what is wrong, where the problems are, what is out of place, what is causing us pain or wearing us down, the Ten of Cups invites us to look in the other direction to see where we are blessed in our lives. Nothing is perfect, but there are blessings in our lives no matter what is going on.

Comparing the Five of cups, where we experience sadness, and the Ten of Cups, where we experience joy, happiness and inner peace, sometimes the difference comes down to which direction we are facing. Are we dwelling on the past, on what we‘ve lost or those who have left us? Or are we focussed on what we have, being grateful for it, and making the most of it?

To truly experience the energy of the Ten of Cups we first need to understand that happiness and inner peace comes from within. It is not something we can be given, like a present. It is something we need to find within ourselves. As we begin to nurture and cultivate it, we come to realize that these feelings, these internal qualities of ourselves are not necessarily dependant on what is going on around us. We can carry our own sense of peace and joy into any situation, and let those qualities reflect into that situation instead of letting ourselves be negatively impacted as so many people are.

When we are in tune with the energy of the Ten of Cups our own energy flows more freely. It is easier to move, to interact, to get things done. We enjoy our lives so much more. The events around us may be unchanged, and on the surface everything may look the same – at least at first. But this energy transforms us from within, and that light cannot help but reflect out.

May you experience the bright blessings of the Ten of Cups.

The Daily Draw: Queen of Swords

The Queen of Crystal Thinking

The Queen of Swords is the latest in a series of court cards this morning. Have you noticed new people coming into your life this week or reappearing? From the vantage point of my desk, a crowd seems to be building.

Never mind, the queen of Swords has a sense of humour. The Queen of Swords needs a sense of humour. That sense of humour is a sign of her intelligence, and a safety valve. You see, this Queen is can be quite serious in her overall demeanour, but sometimes you just have to laugh or cry. She’s done both, though she tries not to let people see her doing the latter. She often carries her pain in silent dignity—If you don’t know her well you may not see it at all.

You might see her anger however, which is likely to be triggered by inequality and unfairness, regardless of whether it is directed at her. She is a champion of the underdogs, who are sometimes actual dogs, but may be people, organizations or demographic groups who might be in the marginalized or disenfranchised, or working to help those who are. If there is injustice somewhere in the world she will feel it and focus her energy on it.

The Queen of Swords has a clarity of vision that prevents her from seeing anything other than the truth, unlike some, she cannot pretend or deceive herself into thinking that a situation, event or a person is anything other than what it is. While this is a gift, it can also be a painful and lonely place to be. We all feel pain, get hurt, are let down by someone we trusted. However, we don’t always see it coming in stark detail that is like reading a book you wrote yourself. This queen’s mind can put the puzzle pieces together even before they are all out of the box.

This queen respects honest people with good intentions who are willing to look at the facts before making up their minds. If you can make her laugh, that’s a bonus.

Use this queen’s energy today to get a clearer understanding of something that is troubling you, and how you can improve it.

How many times do you have to forgive until you get it right?

Forgiveness is a process, not a one-time occurrence. It is a process we undertake so that we can move on with our lives, to heal ourselves so that we are no longer affected by our emotional wounds, regardless whether we seek to forgive ourselves or another, or both.

Forgiveness isn’t a line in the sand that you turn your back on and never think of again. It is more like a sand castle slowly eroding as the tide ebbs and flows. The deeper the dark emotion, the more you hurt, the larger the castle becomes and the longer it takes to wash away. But eventually it does wash away if you let it. The castle diminishes with each lap of a wave until there is nothing but the flat sandy beach and a memory of where the castle once stood.

Forgiveness and healing go hand in hand. Healing can take time. A healing modality such as Reiki can help you make that journey, bringing in peaceful energy to light the way and release impediments on your path.

If you are interested in booking a Reiki session ring 087-9751410 or email rockwillow@eircom.net to book an appointment.

The Daily Draw: King of Pentacles

The King of Making Things Happen

This energy of the king of Pentacles does not feel as intense as that of the King of Swords (yesterday’s draw). The King of Pentacles lives more in the body whereas the King of Swords lives more in the mind. The realm of the King of Pentacles is creating, manifesting, building, doing.

This king is deeply connected to the earth plane. That energy flows through him effortlessly. It’s a big planet, so he could represent a farmer who works with the soil, a fitness instructor, a geologist, a brick mason or someone who just enjoys being outdoors to name a few examples.

The King of Pentacles is reliable, determined, and hard working. He is also a good mentor, provided the apprentice is willing to work at least as hard as he does. This king has been known to put in 60 hour weeks, but he would rather put them in for himself than someone else.

Not all Pentacle Kings are self-employed, but they seem to have a natural knack for it. Where others might overthink or over stress, it’s all just business to them and a chance to reap greater rewards for their efforts. The King of Swords, for example, would probably be more content planning company strategy and leaving details such as getting paid to whoever in the corporation handles that. If, by chance, the King of Pentacles does not find success with one business, another idea or opportunity is bound to present itself, because he will be open to it.

The King of Pentacles finds fulfilment in providing for family and friends. As keen as they are on business or work, the family structure is even more important and there is often overlap between the two, creating a family legacy. Of course, you don’t have to be George Bush and sons to have a family legacy. This can just as easily be a trade, craft, or set of values handed down from generation to generation.

Draw on this King’s energy today to increase your effectiveness in this world and enhance the abundance and security enjoyed by yourself and your family.

The Daily Draw: King of Swords

Cut To the Heart of the Matter

The King of swords sits upon his thrown, serious in demeanour. He is sharply analytical, capable of seeing clearly through to the heart of a matter or the person he is communicating with, using his sword to cut through pretence and subterfuge similar to how Archangel Michael might.

Though serious, he is fair. He is honest with himself as well as others and he expects honesty in return. He is patient provided he sees an effort made on the part of those around him. He leads by example, but has no intention of micromanaging and doing everything himself.

He is a leader and a protector, able to take on responsibility as the natural course of things. He will do all he can when he is called upon or he perceives a need. In a crisis he takes the lead calmly; doing what needs to be done while others might panic, stress or run for cover. He is used to stepping up because he seems to have a symbiotic relationship with trouble. He doesn’t go looking for it, but challenges find him because he can handle them, whether they take the form of an earthquake, a puncture on a dark back road, or a child’s overdue homework assignment.

The King of swords urges us to observe, study, and analyse what is going on around us. Study the facts, to be sure, but once you do be decisive and committed in your action. It is far better to act and learn from your mistakes, than it is to procrastinate under the guise of perfecting a course of action to guaranteed success– he knows there is no such thing.

Use this energy today to find clarity and make a decision about something you’ve been struggling with, then act accordingly.

The Daily Draw: The High Priestess, Reversed

When I draw a card that has come up before I usually start writing, publish, then look to see whether or not I’ve repeated myself. Generally I have not, such is the nature of Tarot it’s easy to see something or focus on something other than what I blogged before. Usually these posts are more stream of consciousness relating to what I see of feel on a particular day, and not an attempt at a definitive summary of a given card.

But when the High Priestess came up this morning in her reversed state, I was pretty sure I had said what I wanted to say earlier. And I had, in March…

Reiki Flow

Some thoughts on Intuition Blocks

The energy of the High Priestess is passive, intuitive, secretive, and mysterious. It is full of potential. She is the yin to The Magicians yang – the archetypal feminine energy as opposed to the masculine energy of the magician. She draws on the subconscious where the Magician is focused on rational, logical thought. She waits patiently without acting where the magician is all in-your face action. The High Priestess is seeks the unknown and walks through the shadows of the night while the Magician prefers manifesting in the material world in broad daylight.

So why is the High Priestess reversed this morning? The most likely reason is that there is a resistance or block to the energy she wants to share with you. Maybe you can hear your intuition but you are not listening to it. Maybe you don’t trust it or are uncomfortable with…

View original post 521 more words

The Daily Draw: Seven of Swords

Lone Wolf Style

The Seven of Swords is a card about taking control of your life, going your own way, keeping your own council and following your own ideas. As is so often the case, whether that shows itself as a good, bad thing or just a thing depends on context, interpretation, and implementation. For example, yes, there might be foul play or deception involved, and you might be the deceiver or the deceived.

Despite casting that shadow, I feel the Seven of Swords sometimes gets a bad rep it doesn’t necessarily deserve. What jumps out at me this morning about this card is the question, “What is the impetus behind someone going lone wolf?”

There is a great temptation to slink off and take care of business on your own if you don’t want anyone to see what you’re doing. Maybe you don’t want people to see your perceived ineptitude while you’re learning a new skill. Maybe you’re fed up with trying to fit in and are giving it up as a bad job. Maybe you don’t want to be slowed down by people who you see as distractions or liabilities, especially if those people are always “right” (according to their own divine wisdom). Even if people mean well, you might be getting the kind of support that sounds more like criticism. Of course, maybe you just don’t like criticism. Maybe you already know everything, but then why are you hiding?

Most of us need time for our internal processes to function well, some more than others. Writing, for example, is not a group activity (muses notwithstanding). Nor is meditation, or quietly untangling the layers of overwhelm an HSP can feel when we’ve had too much of other people’s company.

You might be going lone wolf out of a sense of self-preservation. If you’re working in the fringe areas outside of what is acceptable according to common gossip, then you shouldn’t feel obliged to divulge things you are not ready to live with publicly. Those people have plenty of material to work with without adding you to the mix.

On the other hand, you might be so used to being on your own, in your own internal world, that you are afraid to share that world with anyone lest they laugh, shake their heads and/or lock you away. That can be a lonely place to be if you are there not by choice but because you are afraid you cannot venture outside of the boundaries of that internal world. If that is the case, I suggest you take some time from looking at cats in Halloween costumes (or whatever) and point your Google machine in the direction of people who share your interests with whom you can communicate. It’s OK to retain a degree of anonymity (e.g. no photo, address or last name) until you are ready to venture further. And don’t do yourself down if the people you find already seem to know everything. They don’t. They may know a great many things but nobody knows everything. Approach them with authenticity, openness and respect and they will reciprocate. If they do not, they are probably posers.

Of course you might be going lone wolf due to a lack of personal integrity. In that case, get over yourself.

So the question becomes, “Is lone wolf style serving you, or are you using it as a method of avoidance or deception?” I’ll leave that for you to answer.

The Daily Draw: The Hanged Man, Reversed

On Letting Go and Embracing the Unknown

The hanged man represents the energy, the power, the gift of being able to let go, sacrifice, embrace the unknown in the faith it will take you where you are supposed to go. Reversed, it is encouraging me to ruminate on what happens when you try to avoid letting go.

Somewhere in the sea of memes that flow down my various walls daily, I saw one which read something like “Living the same year over and over 75 times isn’t a life.” Change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be blocked, diminished, or deviated from to the best of one’s ability. So many people do their best to fight it that they get stuck in a rut for the better part of their adult lives, giving in only to death, taxes and any other inexorable forces out of their control.

Why does this happen? Well, to quote the words of Garth (Wayne’s World) “We fear change.” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for a lot of people. Let’s face it—change is a bit of a crap shoot. Sometimes change feels good, sometimes it can be the realization of a dream, sometimes things get worse before they get better, sometimes change can be devastating and you may struggle for years to recover from it.

One thing all those possible outcomes have in common is that they are a step into the unknown. Few things can take you out of your comfort zone more effectively than going where you have not been and not knowing what will happen next. Nevermind that this is where a lot of personal development occurs. That is not the point of this conversation.

The point is that many, many people like what they know, and are comfortable with that familiarity. It may not be perfect, it may not always be pleasant but they know how to navigate it, they know what reaction they will get for each and every action they take, there will be no unpleasant surprises. In fact, there will be no surprises. We shall go from here to eternity on an even keel. It could be worse.

Except, no matter how you try to cling to the things that make up your comfortable, familiar world, life has a way of taking them away from you whether you. Children grow up. Parents cross over. Friends move away. TV shows get cancelled. Your local gets converted to a fern bar. And all the while you try to hold on to whatever is left, without letting in anything new, until eventually you got nuthin’.

OK, I realize that is an extreme logical progression from my starting point, and if you’re reading this you probably don’t fall into the category of clingers I’m talking about. But as healers we have to acknowledge that there is a lot of that kind of stagnant energy going around, much of which is fear based. Just look at the amount of entrenchment concerning people’s political views despite the fact many of them don’t make a lick of sense. It’s not about making sense. It’s about returning to a time and place where the person felt safe and comfortable, or at least safer and more comfortable. Of course, this is an illusion but a lot of politicians make it work for them.

Change is going to come regardless of whether you want it. It is part of this thing we call a life path, which everyone is on whether one knows it, one believes it, or not. The leaf let’s go of the tree and flows down the river gracefully. The sticks in the dam are pummelled by water until they become disengaged from each other, then flow down the river. It is a natural progression from this card to the next, the Death Card, where things that no longer serve our life purpose are swept away regardless of whether we choose for them to be.

Letting go is an ability that allows us to process change and flow with it in a way that causes a minimum of pain. There is a feeling of peace that comes from letting go, from giving in to the flow of life and where that will take you. We sacrifice the comfortable for the unknown in the belief that the journey will take us where we are supposed to go. We know that if we delay the journey beyond its starting time we may somehow diminish it or miss something important.

In healing work we understand that, and probably take that understanding for granted. But a lot of people, some of them clients, don’t have this understanding, or don’t want to look at it. It’s part of our job to help them transit change peacefully, and to see that surrendering to the energy represented by the hanged man is the difference between being ready for the changes indicated by the Death card and railing against them in futility.