Is it really over?

A friend of mine updated his facebook status to: “Mercury retrograde is over thank god!!! Brighter days!!!”

I’m not particularly sure what he was saying so I googled it and found out that this cycle happens three to four times a year. It’s a time when the planet Mercury seems to move in a different direction while affecting all the zodiac signs.

I have learned that Mercury governs the aspect of communication and transportation. And since it’s in retrograde, we will notice a lot of goofy things affecting us.

I wasn’t aware of this, but now that I look back from September 7 to September 29, 2009… there has been an awful lot of weird things that had happened. My car got serviced twice, one to repair my tire and the other time to replace the transmission fluid because it was super dirty. My bank didn’t accept an offer purchase for a buyer of my house. My friend’s garbage disposal stopped working. I had a couple of misunderstandings here and there. And there was just a lot of mental chaos and uncertainty.

So why are we having this? As astrologyzone.com put it:

“Because to move forward it is sometimes necessary to backtrack and reconfigure our paths in life. It is important to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what’s broken, and in so doing, rethink things. It also gives us time to get to projects we have put on the back-burner.”

It totally made sense because September, for me, was a time for reflection. I started blogging again. I downloaded and listened to meditative music. I reached out to old friends who I’ve lost contact with (Thanks to facebook). And that feeling of reconnecting came back to me.

While I’m glad that it’s over. It’s only for now. There’s another mercury retrograde coming this December. Let’s all be aware of this and understand that some things just need to happen and is out of our control.

Overcoming Obstacles Spread

I got this spread layout from the forums of Aeclectic Tarot.

This is how the cards are positioned:
2/4………7
…..1/8…..
6………3/5

Legends:
1 – Querent (Me)
2/3 – Obstacles
4/5 – What needs to be resolved.
6/7 – Where I’m going.
8 – Possible Result

My Interpretation:
1 – In the Two of Swords, it shows I’m pretending that everything is fine. I’m blinded by my current situation. The card looks like it has two people in it, but they’re the same one. They are arguing. The other one doesn’t want to do anything and just relax. The other one wants to find work. I keep telling myself that I don’t need a job right now because I’m going for a vacation, but I need to open my eyes to the truth (and facts) being (A) My money is depleting, (B) My country is dealing and recovering from an awful disaster and its not a good time to visit, (C) I desire prosperity and what I’m doing right now is not helping.

2 & 3 – The Three of Swords symbolizes my feelings of being betrayed. I was recently released from my contract, which was based from an unfair decision. And this has put so much weight on my ego. I’m doing my best to get over it and move on. Maybe this is what the Chariot is telling me. I need to focus on what is at hand.

4 & 5 – The Ten of Swords is showing a person who is hiding because of fear. This is what I need to overcome so I don’t end up being trapped with financial misery. I need to face the music and find a new and better job… something that empowers job satisfaction and supportive environment. I see the Five of Swords as an environment of deceit, trickery and unfairness. This card reminds me of my last job and that is what I need to let go.

6 & 7 – This is where I’m heading. I need to make a bold move like the Knight of Swords. I need to bring back my mojo! The Five of Wands shows a little competition in finding the perfect job. In this card, I see other people are seeking for this job too so I need to bring my A game.  It may also mean that I need to fight my own inner demons in order to progress and develop.

8 – The World card looks like a good omen. It shows completion and a positive sign that I will find what I am looking for.

Other things I’ve noticed in my spread is the ridiculous number of swords. Which might mean a very active mental block. Maybe this is what’s needed to be focused on. I need to breakthrough the negative thinking.

There is also a missing suit: the pentacles (element of earth which symbolizes money, health and stability). This is what I’m after in my current situation and right now, it needs great attention.

I appreciate any ideas and suggestions on my reading. Thanks!

Note:  Images are from the Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza.

Bodhi Tree

I just love this new age bookstore here in West Hollywood. Patrick and I spent most of our day here. While he was browsing for books, I took the liberty of scanning all the tarot decks available in the store. There are a number to choose from and all decks have a reader copy so you can actually look at the cards and have a feel for them. I saw a couple of tarot decks that I might buy in the future. One of the decks that I found amusing is the Fantastical Tarot Deck. It has a little spooky look to it, but the art inside is not as scary. Another card which caught my fancy is the Connolly Tarot Deck which has bright colorings. I think it’s a nice addition to my steady-growing collection.

I can’t believe that I just started learning the tarot last month and I already have two decks at home. I like playing with them both but I seem to be attracted easily by art from other decks too. I read that if a deck speaks or attracts you in some way, it may come useful in the future. Maybe it doesn’t resonate now, but it will be of use someday. I do believe in meaningful coincidences and that’s why tarot reading is so famous to me.

There are thousands of decks out there. And since I’m new at this, I already missed on a lot of OOP (out of print) decks. There is this card which really got into me… it’s called Phoenix Tarot, but they’re hard to find now and they cost so much more. I saw some pictures of it online and they look very cheerful. That’s something I’m looking for in a deck right now. I want something that is not too dark. I have the Deviant Moon and I like it, but I want to mix it up with something bright from time to time.

I have other decks in mind like the Thoth, the Fey Tarot, the Mystic Fairy Tarot and the Art Nouveau. But I can’t buy them all right away. I need to practice patience!

Welcome!

Yay! My own personal blog! I’m so excited for this blog because I have a lot of things in my head right now. I could certainly use a place to vent out. This page will be mostly about my personal interests but I will mix it up with random stuff along the way.

My first idea for this blog is to incorporate my knowledge of tarot in my life. I’m currently doing a tarot journal offline but I could share some of it here for others to see. I think it will be a good way of interacting with other tarot enthusiasts and those who are curious. I want this to be a positive blog and I wish people who reads them will not judge the content that I will be putting here. I’m making this blog out of good intention and I hope to receive feedback, comments and suggestions on how to improve my website. I know building a blog from the ground up is hard since there are thousands of popular blogs out there already but my only goal is to share my thoughts and connect with people with the same interests as mine.

So what’s my agenda? I want to make a website with a sense of simplicity in mind. I want an uncluttered look and feel. I have longed to keep a nice website but sometimes life happens and you get busy with other things. I love to write and share my opinions with others. I remember having my first website at Talk City. It was since I was in high school. But for some reason, the site developed problems and bugs and I got tired of it. Then I made a themed website about Tomb Raider. At that time (and still is), I’m very addicted to playing Tomb Raider. I studied basic html codes and learned how to find and connect with other fans and was able to bring up my own site called “Tomb Raider X’s” which focuses on the extra stuff you would want to learn about Lara Croft. I remember having a very successful forum in that site. I miss that!

This site will give me another chance in keeping up a website. I’ve been an on and off blogger but I think wordpress will keep it interesting for me. This is going to be exciting!