Monday Off

The Devil - Fey Tarot

I’m using The Fey Tarot for this week.  I’m really liking the images in this deck.  I do not have the companion book so I’m gonna have to make real use of my intuition here.

I’m happy to say that I’m not working this Monday. I have all the time to do chores and errands. I’m surprised to see The Devil for this day because I feel like I’m in the mood for accomplishing a lot of things today.

The picture shows a goofy-looking Devil.  His body is in flames and his eyes are wide open.  He looks very enthusiastic in what he is doing.  Is he eating those trees? Is he eating too much? This card may actually imply unhealthy eating habits… Gluttony perhaps?  I guess, that’s one way of describing this card.  This actually reminded me of my lunch yesterday with Patrick and Debbie at Din Tai Fung Dumpling House.  We indulged ourselves with all the goodness.  And yes, I felt kinda sick afterwards from being so full!

I looked up the LWB and it mentioned something about deceit and stupidity. LOL. I’m thinking that this is involving my unrealistic “to do” list again. The Devil, for me, seems to come up every time I have to do something serious. I have a feeling that this card is about temptations and distractions. What are the distractions for today? Probably the internet and possibly procrastination. Ok, that being said… I have to stop right now and go on with my day!  Have a good week everybody!

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Update & Note to self: The Devil may also mean impulsive buying and overspending. Just had my Deviant Moon prints custom-framed and I think I overdid it. Oh well… still a happy camper here. I deserve good things! =D

Deck: The Fey Tarot by Riccardo Minetti

Defying my Guide

9 of Cups - Archeon Tarot

I was thinking of upgrading my cellphone to the iPhone 3G S. But before going to the Apple Store, I consulted my cards and asked, “What is the wisdom of owning the iPhone right now?”. Lo and behold, I got the 9 of Cups! I was ecstatic!

So I went to the Apple Store (The Grove branch) and asked someone to explain the new updates to the software. I was impressed by a lot of things… from the maps, cut & paste ability, to the “find iphone” function when it gets lost. Definitely a must buy. So I went ahead and said I want one. Sadly though, he said I am not eligible for the discounted price of $199 (for the 16 Gig)…. if I want one right now, I have to pay the full and no-contract price of $399! No way!

The reason for this is that I just bought a Blackberry Bold five months ago. But that model had so many issues that I just gave up on it. They even gave me a refurbished one as a replacement but with the same problems! I’m over it. Now, I’m just using a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone (W995).

So even though my cards are telling me that the iPhone is going to give me contentment and happiness… I will have to ignore it for now. It’s just too pricey. I’m willing to wait nine months. It’s not an emergency anyway. And in another note, the 9 of Cups has a shadow meaning of over-indulgence… so in a way, I’m considering the fact that an iPhone is a luxurious property. If I buy it, my monthly cellphone bill will go up to $110-120… and I’m not really ready for this. I’d rather use that $30 for a new tarot deck! LOL.

Deck: Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz

Thanksgiving Reading

My Thanksgiving was very simple. I spent the day driving around with Patrick. We were suppose to checkout a park in Tujunga but the road there was closed. We ended up driving around the neighborhood and ended up passing through Mullholand drive. It was a quick jaunt. Along the way, we saw a ranch with a camel and a zebra and it was just amazing! Especially that camel! I don’t know why, but that camel made us laugh and it made our trip memorable. He just looks so monstrous but goofy! I wish I had a picture, but I think it was a Bactrian Camel.

That night, a few of my friends came to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Paul baked some really good pumpkin pies. Will and Bill bought some wine for us. And Jen and Hazel brought an “ube” cake from Red Ribbon. It was a lovely and peaceful night. After that we just watched an episode of Glee and some funny clips from SNL and Youtube. It was fun!

Anyway, I made a spread that night on what to thank for for this year.  I mentally assigned the positions of the cards prior to drawing them.

Six of Wands – Represents my friends.
The spears in this card are raised and the helmets are nothing but extraordinary. The lady is proud and happy in her position right now.  I see this card as winning new friends over.  During my travel assignments to Los Angeles and Oakland, I have met some really interesting new people.  I would never have known them if I didn’t pursue my travel career.  Now I have expanded my social circle from Phoenix, to Southern and Northern California.  I’m very grateful for that!  And also, I’m having some new online friends here through blogging and the tarot community (Aeclectic)… although I don’t see you guys, I feel like I’m connected with you in some level.  I’m happy to learn with you and share with you my tarot journey.

The Tower – Represents my family.
Fire erupts from the windows of the Tower. The lady in the picture is outside… safe but still in shock of the disaster. I’m assuming that it was her house that was caught on fire. She looks distressed and her body language seems to express, “What now?”. I don’t know if I have mentioned this in my previous posts… but I just came out to my mom several months ago. It brought some repressed emotions between me and my mom. It was a big change that just needs to happen. I’m tired of the fake peace that I had before. What I needed was to shake that peace with the truth. Now I feel much better and I’m happy that I have their support. I feel like we’re now picking up the pieces and building a more truthful relationship.

The King of Pentacles – Represents my work.
He is a proud and experienced king. He knows his way around business or anything money-related issues. This is related to me in that I have a better understanding of the differences between having a full time job and a travel career. They both have pros and cons. And now that I have experienced both, I feel more confident in showing my skills. This card is a good sign that I’m in the right path (or hospital) right now because he seems to be a sign of contentment also. He is the highest of the courts (in the pentacles) so it must also be saying that I will be learning more things for this year.

Leaving the Fantasy

Whenever I see the 6 of Swords, I always associate it with traveling or leaving something behind. In the picture, the boat seems to be sailing away from the swords. The swords mean conflict or problem, so in my interpretation I can safely say that the situation will soon be at ease. It’s a time of moving on and looking at the future instead of focusing on the past.

The 7 of Cups is a card of fantasy and day-dreaming. In this card, we see a woman riding a mystical flying horse (Pegasus, perhaps?). She is looking back at the beautiful cups behind her. Are these temptations? Or is she just admiring them? In the RWS, these cups are filled with different goodies. They are mixed with ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ or ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’! We just need to practice objectivity and choose which one to pick. So easily said than done.

I hate to say this but my obsession with buying decks are slowly coming to a halt. Not completely, but slowly. Like the 6 of Swords, my obsession is slowly leaving. At first, I had a lot in my wish list… but now, I feel like narrowing it down to just a few. I’m still curious about OOP decks but I’m not out there looking to buy all of them. So far, the biggest weight on my wish list are the Victorian Romantic, William Blake Tarot, The Alchemical Tarot and Tarot of Durer. Just recently acquired my Waking with the Wild Spirit Tarot and I’m loving the artwork, although I think I will delay studying it. The Bohemian Gothic will soon be in my hands and I think that deck will calm me down until next month…. LOL. But by next month, I will really put a leash on it. This month’s spending spree is over.

Deck: Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz

Chit-chat with Rizal

This is a silly exercise from “What’s in the Cards for You?” by Mark McElroy. =D

The exercise asked to choose a historical figure that I admire. In this case, I chose the national hero of The Philippines.  Let’s hear it for Jose Rizal!

Using my Archeon Tarot, I pulled a three card spread so I can learn something from him.

The 6 of Cups answered my question, “What was your motivation to save our country?”  This card, amazingly, shows a masked performer with a scroll behind him.  This is not a surprise because Jose Rizal is a well known writer/novelist.  He used his talent in arts and literature to reach the public and open their minds.  During that time, my country was oppressed by the Spaniards.  The books that he have written angered them but it also created hope to Filipinos.  This ultimately lead to a revolution, which was a big step towards our freedom!

The 8 of Wands is something that he have learned.  In the picture, we see an angel with her wings spread wide open.  This symbolizes the feeling of freedom.  The element for this card is fire, which symbolizes progress and development.  He has a dedicated soul and never gave up on inspiring us.  He was a true student and explored various fields of study like medicine, arts, literature, architecture, etc.  He mastered a number of languages like German, Greek, English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, etc.

The third is his tip to improve my life.  In this card, we see the Knight of Pentacles in full armour.  He is known to be the protector.  He is someone we can all depend on in times of need.  I guess this card is telling me to become more available to the people I care for (my friends and family).  Sometimes I let life get in the way and become distant to them.  Being busy is not an excuse.  I should be this knight to them… someone they can look up to and be proud of.

Deck:  Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz

Reflection

8 of Cups - Archeon Tarot

I wanted to know what I should reflect on tonight and the 8 of Cups jumped out while I was shuffling. Sometimes I don’t know if my guides are really doing this or maybe it’s just from poor shuffling. But either way, I’m going to interpret this card nonetheless.

To change the feel of my reading, I’m jumping from a colorful deck to a dark deck.  I’ve had the Archeon Tarot for a while so I’m giving it a go this week.

This card shows a veiled lady looking at the falling or floating 8 of Cups.  She is rather emotionless… or maybe she just don’t care anymore.  The atmosphere is very dream-like.  I’m guessing that this is set in space because I can see a planet and a constellation of stars.

Usually this card talks about letting go of a certain idea or situation.  It’s about moving on and leaving the past behind.  If this picture can talk, it would say, “Just leave it to the universe…”.  I think this card is telling us to stop worrying anymore and just let life take its course.  Maybe these cups are meant to be left floating in space so we can find or create new ones… better ones.

I’m thinking that this card relates to me on how I am dealing with my aunt right now.  I’m still partially indifferent to her because of our past disagreements.  I think I should just let it be and allow forgiveness.  What has been done has been done.  What has been said has been said.  Like in this card, I can’t do anything anymore but move on.

Deck:  Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz

Practicality, really?

Queen of Pentacles - Phoenix Tarot

Today was a very nice day. Saturday should always be like this. First we had brunch at Max’s (Filipino Restaurant), then we went to Brand Bookstore, then we browsed some cars at a MINI dealership, followed by a little drive, then ending it with a dinner at BJ’s Restaurant in Glendale.

I did my tarot reading just when I got home and I asked the cards what I should learn from the events of today, and I got the Queen of Pentacles.

The picture shows the Queen dressed in a pastel pink gown.  She portrays simplicity and plain/natural beauty.  She is holding and admiring a huge pentacle in her arms.  She certainly knows how to appreciate art.  She is also surrounded by lush green grass (symbolizing money) and blossoming flowers (symbolizing femininity).

I can see how she was reflected today on my trip to the Brand Bookstore.  It was a used bookstore with a variety of choices.  I particularly like the section at the back where it has psychology, sexuality, witchcraft, tarot, etc.  I saw these good deals on tarot resource books so I snatched them!  I bought two.  One is the “Introduction to Tarot”, which uses both the RWS and Thoth imagery.  The second book is “Tarot Plain and Simple”, which uses the Robin Wood pictures.  For half the price, it’s a good deal!

To quote Thirteen’s meaning on this card, “Her accounting is scrupulous, but that doesn’t mean she’s afraid to spend. She loves beautiful things and has an artist’s eye.” I can definitely relate to this when it comes to some tarot decks.  Just today, a new China-print Deviant Moon is available for purchasing and I just can’t say no to it even though I just ordered my Bohemian Gothic from the trading section.  Oh, poor bank account!  But it’s ok… this week is payday!

Deck:  Phoenix Tarot by Paola Angelotti

Personal Development Cards

After computing my birthday’s month, day & year… I ended up with 4 (The Emperor) as a representation of both my personality and soul card.  The Death card represents the Hidden Factor in my birthday. I came up with this using Mary Greer’s table in her book “Tarot Constellations”. After age 30, this hidden factor will be renamed the teacher card. I’m glad I found out about this before I even got there. The Temperance is my year card for 2009. I know it’s almost over but it’s still worth mentioning.

The Emperor in this deck is my primary reason why I bought this deck.  I’ve been browsing decks online (multiply and albideuter) but it’s hard to find a pleasing and attractive Emperor.  Most of them look stiff, angry-looking and clothed.  LOL.  This guy, on the other hand, is sexy and exudes attitude and confidence.  He is half-naked and has nothing to hide.  He is a proud Emperor.

I heard someone say before, “Real men wear pink.”.  Well this emperor is just that.  He is comfortable with his sexuality/masculinity.  He sits in his throne with pride.  We can see an image of a ram in his throne.  This symbolizes the astrological sign Aries.  He is the first sign of the zodiac, also known as the “House of Self”.  To quote an astrology site, “This is the field of experience in which an individual is challenged to develop his or her own unique personality and present it to the world.”. And as a spiritual goal, Aries is about learning the meaning of selfless love.

The Death card is my Hidden Factor or my Teacher card.  Like my personality and soul card, this card will be forever.  The picture is very simple.  It shows a hooded skeleton with a scythe at hand. He is smirking and he is getting ready to strike. If he can talk, he probably would say, “You’ll thank me after this is over.”.  This card is about ending something old and ugly so we can free up space for new and better experiences.  I guess this applies to everybody, but each and everyone of us have mini-deaths in our life time.  You finish high school so you can start college.  You leave your parents and start to live independently.  You quit a job to find a better  one.  At this point in my life, I can say a number of endings and new beginnings.  It’s just a part of life.

The Temperance shows a lady pouring liquid from two cups into one big cup.  One cup holds a red liquid, while the other one holds a blue one.  What is she trying to do here?  She is evenly mixing the two things together.  This takes time, practice and effort.  If done correctly, the result will be perfect.  This card is all about moderation and balance.  This is a solution to problems such as disagreements or clashing beliefs.  It may signify communication or taking time to understand one another.  This year has been like that to me.  My relatives and I had a few disagreements and sometimes the only way to agree is to disagree.  We just have to work out our differences and find a way to keep the relationship.

I’m really glad I discovered tarot because I feel connected once again.  I feel connected with my spirit guides, my angels, the universe and I can understand things better now.  I still have a lot to learn from symbols, numbers and zodiac signs but what I know so far is enough.  I can’t wait to explore more.

Deck:  Phoenix Tarot by Paola Angelotti

Impulsiveness

Knight of Wands - Phoenix Tarot

I think Victoria’s Secret just puked in this card.  It’s so pink!

In the Phoenix Tarot, we can see the Knight of Wands in full action.  He’s riding a red horse with no saddle, harness or any safety accessory.  He is very brave.  The color red symbolizes his strong drive or passion to succeed.

This knight is also the opposite of the Knight of Pentacles.  He is quick and cunning.  He is the go getter of all the knights and no challenge is hard enough for him.  He acts in haste and doesn’t second guess his moves and decisions.

The card implies that this knight is jousting with someone else.  His position with his lance seems to show that he is in the offense.  While we see some aggression in this card, I noticed that he is not looking in front of him.  In my interpretation, this suggests that he’s not thinking of the outcome of his actions.  He trusts and relies mainly on his instincts.

I can definitely see the “Impulsiveness” quality of this knight.  I think I know what this is referring to.  It’s my unstoppable interest in buying tarot decks!  Oh my gosh!  Someone please buy that Bohemian Gothic in the Trading Section (in AE) now before I lose control!

Deck:  Phoenix Tarot by Paola Angelotti

The Colorful One

The Devil - Phoenix Tarot

Here is Paola Angelotti’s meaning for The Devil:

Evil influences, depression or bad dreams are indicated by this card. Beware of the malice of others and the negative feelings in everyone’s heart. Rid yourself of unhealthy anxieties and learn from your adversities so that you may free yourself from their bonds.

I can totally relate to the negative energies of today. My room was not crazy busy but the people I worked with today was a bit condescending. Nobody likes being unappreciated. It’s so hard not to think and feel negative vibes when you encounter these things.

Another thing that bothered me today was that computer test about BLS.  My recruiter surprised me and told me that I had to take it today.  I didn’t even have time to review for it.  Although I passed the first part, the second part was not exactly easy.  I have to go back and finish that test tomorrow.

I can’t help but notice the erection the devil is having in this card.  He seems to be aroused by our weaknesses and low points.  This just reminds me that I need to be stronger.  I need to show him who’s the boss and that I cannot be easily intimidated by challenges.

In the background, we see lightning bolts.  This is a sign that he can be the cause of the destruction in The Tower card.  I didn’t get that card today but if I don’t keep myself together, I might end up getting that card.

I’m curious about the star enclosing his face. I wonder if it suggests the “Pentacle” (A Pagan symbol for the elements and the spirit).  This may indicate that the devil is present in different aspects of our lives and that we need awareness to fight it.

Deck:  Phoenix Tarot by Paola Angelotti