PDR: Little Cross

Fool = Coffee, 9 of Wands = Caffeine Crash

For my primary deck reflection this week, I used the the “Little Cross” spread.  I saw this spread mentioned at the Aeclectic Forum by Gazel.  I’ve never done a full Celtic Cross so this will be a good intro/practice for me.

The Situation:  The Fool

Interestingly enough, I pulled The Fool.  In this card, we see him playfully wading a dark unknown body of water.  He seems to be wearing some sort of sleep wear, which suggests to me that his actions were a bit impulsive.  The fishes look kind of scary and dangerous but I don’t see any signs of fear in his face… but more of curiosity and amazement.  I can interpret this card as having new unexpected discoveries through carefree and innocent motives and intentions.

I’m in a personal journey right now.  Ever since I got into tarot, I’ve become more curious as to what lies ahead for me.  Tarot is usually a tool for divination.  But more often than not, I use it for self reflection.  So far, I’ve been amazed by the outcome of my readings.  In this PDR entry, I see myself in The Fool card, where I’m treading the unknown waters of spirituality and self-understanding.  I’m so curious about many things… namely Tarot, Oracles, Magick, Meditations, Angels, Gods and Goddesses… etc.  They just seem to fascinate me!  But just like the fishes in the water, this journey can be daunting.  And by this, I must exert more effort.

The Challenge:  9 of Wands

In the 9 of Wands, I see someone who looks tired and exhausted.  His lips are pouting like he is disappointed about something… so he sits down and tries to regain his energy.  In the LWB, Patrick describes him as someone who is lost.  When he’s ready, he can just look up and see what the light from his wand has revealed… a path leading outside the maze.

This card is telling me to be stronger.  The traditional meaning for this card is perseverance.  Just like in the card, sometimes I feel drained from normal everyday routines (like work)… that I don’t even have time to do other things.  I need to constantly give myself a pep talk!  I know I can do it.  But I have to be realistic as well.  I have come to a realization that I need to create a time management.  I need to schedule a time for reading, blogging, exercising, meditating, and other hobbies (like books and catching up on TV too).  It sounds like a lot of work but it’s not impossible.  I just need to keep believing in myself.

PDR: Starting my Client Profile

Hamilton's Reading

This reading is an inspiration from Tarot Eon’s post about creating an imaginary client profile for practice readings.  His post is located here.  I also saw Helen’s comment that she used to do readings with her teddy bear… I think it’s really cute!  So…

I want to introduce Hamilton, my teddy bear.

He is from the mystical land of “The Grove”.  He is currently living a simple life, a homebody.  He considers himself a loner, but this year he wants to change that and wants to meet new friends!

He never knew his real family.  He was adopted when he was still very young.  While his step parents aren’t anywhere near him, he tries to call every now and then.  He has two brothers and a sister, but they’re all in different parts of the world now.  He misses them so much.

His hobbies include fishing, biking and people-watching.  His favorite music is Classical.

He has no experience with any tarot reading at all.  When I offered, he was very curious as to what he can learn about himself.  He has no expectations with the reading though.

He said he wants to have a general reading for now.

—-

I decided to do a past, present, future spread for him.

Past – 2 of Swords:  You were in a situation where you had to decide on something really important to you.  The process took so much energy which exhausted you to a point where the decision took longer than it should be.  The consequences were so grave and you were afraid to make a mistake.

Present – 4 of Wands:  Whatever you chose in the past, it led you in the right direction.  You are now in a a better and stable life.  You found a nice home for yourself.  You said you wanted to meet new friends, and I think that will come sooner than you think.  A new partnership is a possibility.

Future – The World:  The future is looking bright for you.  Plans and projects will come to a conclusion and new ones will arrive.  You will be supported by your friends and family.  A celebration of some sort is on its way.  Keep doing what you’re doing because you’re obviously on the right path.  You will soon find the happiness you are looking for.

I drew a card from my “Deck of Shadows” oracle as an extra clarification or advice.  I drew “Dreams” which has the keywords Wishes, Guidance and Desire.  The symbol for this card is a star.  This card is telling you to keep dreaming.  Everything is possible and within reach.  The world is full of miracles!  Don’t let things get in between you and your fantasy.  Keep motivating yourself.  With strength and focus, nothing will be ever stop you.

He seems excited with his future, especially with the upcoming partnership that I mentioned .  So many possibilities for him.  Now he wants more readings from me…  I’m glad he enjoyed it!

Decks:  Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza and The Deck of Shadows by Scott Grosberg

Quick Reading

I see myself in the three of wands.  I have been waiting for something in the mail for a long time now.  But the page of cups has finally arrived with my packages.  I now have the companion book for my Bohemian Gothic!  Also, my Sakki-sakki Knight of Cups is here too…. so now that deck is complete.  Another good customer service with the artist.

The 2 of cups is about attraction.  Two cats meet and celebrate!  I see this as me and Patrick getting together tonight.  It will be a nice and easy night… just watching the “Monsters vs Aliens” movie and probably do some bits of reading before bed.

Have a good weekend!

Ew Day

Strength.

Another major card from the Baroque Bohemian Cats.  I knew this day will be somewhat difficult.  And it was.  I’m so glad the day is over.  I was so annoyed at work today… like it was the complete opposite of yesterday.  Stress everywhere.  I think I was frowning all day… ugh!

All day long, I was reminding myself… “be strong, be strong”… but it’s so hard to keep focused when everything around you seem to be falling apart… LOL.  It sounds so dramatic but that’s how I felt at work today, like everybody is testing my patience and focus.

I’m off tomorrow though so that’s something to look forward to.  Tonight I went to The Grove and I was blessed with a free movie screening of “When in Rome”.  I saw Jon Heder in person too… kinda cute… lol.  I think that was the highlight of this day… something fun and rewarding after some tough times.

Decisions, decisions

Yesterday, I got the Justice card.

The cat in this picture wields a sword in its right hand and a scale on the left.  This is a typical representation of the RWS image.  The sword symbolizes the mental aspect of making a rational decision and the scale weighs the value of what is being decided on.  The traditional meaning is about fairness.  While no legal issues came up yesterday (thank goodness!), I can relate this Justice card on making big decisions, making adjustments, and making things right.  Yesterday, my two-week unlimited yoga membership expired.  At first I debated with myself wether I should join or not.  It was $100/ month so money is quite a concern.  If I do join, I really have to commit myself in attending classes… at least three times a week.  I’ve decided that the health benefits of doing yoga outweighs its monetary price.  So there!  Kudos for me.  =D

Today, I received The Chariot.

In here, the cat is maneuvering the chariot .  I see this card as taking control of your life… being focused and making things move forward.  Nothing major happened today, but I did realize that my day went by so smoothly.  Work was easy, no stress, it was perfect.  When I got home, I also cancelled a pending tarot purchase!  I usually don’t turn down these things, but now I’m sticking on items that really resonate with me.  It’s time to focus on decks that I currently have.

Silly Confrontations

I’m using my Baroque Bohemian Cat’s Tarot by MRP for this week.  This was given to me by Patrick so this deck holds special to me.  I shuffled it multiple times and this morning, I pulled the 7 of Wands.  Not one of my favorites.  I just saw this from my last PDR spread and now here it is again, but from a different deck.

The picture shows a cat defending himself from attackers.  He is on a balcony and there is a dividing gate between him and the six of wands… this gives him some sort of protection and advantage.  As the the offenders come closer, he waves his wand in a defensive manner.  Beside him, there is a statue of two kids that seems to be fighting.

Today, I had two “not so pleasant” experiences.  One was a notice from my bank about a late fee.  It was just last Friday and so I called customer service if they can waive it.  They said they don’t do courtesy waiving of fees anymore.  I told them I’m a good customer, etc. but they still gave me a hard time.  It was a losing battle for me.  And when I thought it was over, I had a little confrontation with a sales lady tonight.  I parked my car in a lot outside Massage Envy and I closed one car from exiting.  I was meaning to leave my keys to the front desk so they can valet if someone moves.  But they told me they don’t do that anymore and it’s best to find a side street parking instead.  So I went back to my car and found this outraged sales lady… long story short, we had a little quarrel… she even told me she called the towing company!  I was out only for a few minutes… my gosh!  That kinda ruined my massage… So annoying…

Anyways, I’m OK now.  The night is getting better and our friend invited us for dinner… everything is well again.  I hope tomorrow is somewhat quieter.

PDR: 1 Card, 21 Readings

6 of Pentacles

I recently downloaded “Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card” on my Kindle.  I started reading it yesterday and the first thing I have to do is to pick a card out of a three card reading.  The cards that turned out to be needing attentions are:  6 of Pentacles, Knight of Wands and 7 of Wands.

Out of the three, I was debating on the 6 of Pentacles and 7 of Wands.  The 7 of Wands is about getting out of an obstacle and surviving a challenge.  This one seems to resonate with me.  But the 6 of Pentacles also holds a meaning for me.  It’s something that I haven’t been doing, and needs to consider starting.

I won’t be entering all 21 activities here but I just thought it’s worth mentioning it as a PDR entry.  I will be writing the rest of the readings in my personal journal (yes, I do keep something private too…).  The 6 of Pentacles shows a well-dressed older person visiting a cemetery.  He seems to have a harsh demeanor judging by his tough/hard-looking exterior.  His body, clothes and cape all look like they’re built from metal… they’re hard and cold.  But all this is just a facade.  Deep inside, there’s a kind heart hidden from view.  He extends one pentacle to a lost soul thus shares a part of himself, showing generosity and selfless action.

I also like the color symbolisms in his clothes.  Black can symbolize death and loss.  In this case, something is lost so you can give it away… like losing money to give as a donation (or losing personal time to give someone attention).  Red speaks of love and passion.  This drives the action with great effort.

In this exercise, I did a mix of objective observation and subjective assumptions.  I’m curious on what else I will learn from this book.  I’m actually excited to read the other steps in reading this card alone.

Deck:  Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza

Gifts Received

Card of the day:  3 of Cups (Gay Tarot by Lee Bursten)

The picture shows a water fountain with a statue of three dancing women, each holding a cup.  They resemble the traditional image of RWS’s three of cups.  What’s fascinating is the brother-sister relationship shown underneath the fountain.  The siblings are raising their ice cream like doing a toast.  The little kid is holding a balloon, which may signify that she is celebrating something special (possibly her birthday).  The prominent color in this card is green.  The brother is wearing green overalls, the little sister is wearing a a yellow-green dress, and they are surrounded by lush green grass and trees.  Green is associated with healing, growth, peace and harmony.  This strengthens the meaning of this card.

Today, my mom texted me that they received my package that I sent last month.  Due to the busy season, they just received the package I sent for Christmas.  She said they are enjoying my gifts.  My sister is still in school and hasn’t seen the Juicy Couture bag (and other goodies like the Vanessa Tarot) I sent her, but I’m sure she will like them as well.  I’m really happy that the package was delivered safely.  I was beginning to worry because of the huge delay.  But all is well now.

The Sage of Coins

Today, I pulled the Sage of Coins (Gay Tarot of Lee Bursten). He looks like a very nice and down to earth guy. Just minding his own business, working peacefully, concentrating on the job at hand. His hobby=gardening is his form of meditation, a grounding activity for him that separates his other activities outside his home.  The fence in the picture confirms this meaning.

The Sage of Coins is the alternative to the King of Pentacles.  In this card, we don’t see the royalty that is associated with the kings.  Instead, we see a regular older man who is in his backyard and taking care of his own garden.  He doesn’t wear fancy clothes and he doesn’t have helpers to tend the garden.  The “down to earth” aspect of this king is very obvious.

To be honest, this card reminds me a little of myself.  If my friends would describe me, I would assume that one of the descriptions would be “down to earth”.  Yes, I am prone to shopping, I admit that.  But most of the things I buy are nothing out of the ordinary.  Plain tees, hoodies, sweat pants, jeans, etc.  I’m not very fashion conscious.  When it comes to activities or hobbies, they’re also very boring.  I like to read books, learn the tarot, rent DVDs, etc.  I’m not like the same guys my age, where they like to party and drink and play sports, or anything “normal”.  I’m kinda nerdy actually.  Sometimes when people ask me what I do on my days off, my answers tend to be boring and unusual… and they are surprised by it.

Anyway, this deck is proving to be a good meditative instrument for me.  The images are not traditional and so intuition plays a big role here.  I want to use this deck more often from now on.

PDR: Charlotte Mason Spread

I used Tarot Dame’s Charlotte Mason spread for my second primary deck reflection.  The format goes like this:

1.  Something to Think About – 9 of Cups

2.  Something to Do – 9 of Pentacles

3.  Something to Love – 4 of Wands

Together, the cards speak of comfortable living, fulfilled wishes and prosperity.  I love seeing all of them together.

The 9 of Cups made me think of a lot of things… One is the wish I made last Friday.  I went to Ma Durga Temple and joined the New Moon yajna (prayer chanting).  We offered fruits to the Hindu gods and wrote our wishes on a piece of paper.  We went outside, prayed to Agni (Hindu god of fire) and burnt our wish letters.  One of the requests I made is to have a peaceful family.  For us to be united and binded with love.

Another thing I want to think about is the “evil eye”.  I happen to have an evil eye apotropaic in front of my computer.  I can’t help but notice the blue eye in the genie’s torso and find the resemblance.  I never noticed it before, but now it seems prominent.  The third eye for me symbolizes the spiritual guidance.  But the evil eye on his body reminds me of spiritual protection.  I’ve been trying to do some visual meditation (for a few days now) using the “Violet Flame” and it involves invoking a tube of light around me.  The tube of light is suppose to protect the one praying from dark energies.  I need to keep this in mind all the time.

The 9 of Pentacles is something that I should do.  This is about having a luxurious lifestyle.  The lady in this picture is clothed with a beautiful dress and is surrounded with pentacles (money).  Like me, I’ve been doing some serious shopping lately, which is not good!  Traditionally, this card is about financial prosperity and abundance.  Another thing to consider is the chained pet of hers.  It’s a stone bird (or something).  The chain is about control.  This reminds me to do an actual budget.  I’ve been delaying this for a long time and I must not ignore this any longer.

The one to love is the 4 of Wands.  In this picture, I see a couple walking hand in hand towards their home.  I think this card is telling me to be thankful about my current relationship and my living situation.  I’m really blessed to have the things I need and want within reach.  I have work, a relationship, an affordable apartment… everything seems comfortable right now and I should give thanks for that.