Tag Archives: Unleashing my potential

#TarotDaily – 10 of Swords Rx + Knight of Wands (Toscano)

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TarotHunter’s Salt Rounds:

  • It’s time to leave all these pains in the ass behind you and move into a new life; to forge the new you.
  • Your past experiences, thoughts and pains have brought you to this point in your life. It’s time to guide your quest for who you will be as you move forward.
  • Finding your creative spark, your energetic self is the journey of a lifetime. Each lesson along the way, no after how painful, contributed to who you are. Letting go of the pain but embracing the lessons will allow you to emerge transformed and victorious.

#TarotDaily – The Star + 9 of Swords (Deirdre)

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TarotHunter’s Silver Bullets:

  • Hold on to hope, sometimes it’s the only thing that helps you survive the dark times.
  • Whatever fears and self-doubts you’re hiding, remember that you can slay them if you learn to believe in yourself.
  • True healing starts from within. Open up to the possibilities and potential in yourself and it can put those inner demons to rest.

#TarotDaily – 10 of Swords Rx + The World Rx (Grand Luxe)

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Tarot Hunter’s Salt Rounds:

  • Tying yourself up in knots and stripping away your defenses will not help you achieve the world your desire for yourself.
  • If lines of communication and diplomacy are cut off the world gets put on edge, disrupted, restless.
  • Sometimes we resist inevitable changes, leaving us in stasis.  This can ultimately prevent us from finding and fulfilling our goal in this life.  Letting new ideas and a new mindset pierce one’s spirit can help unleash what is needed to reach that life mission.

I wasn’t raised to be a girl, I was raised to be a broad

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I’m being deliberately provocative with the title of this blog post. I am a female and, as such, I was a girl when I was younger. However, I was not raised to think of myself as “just a girl”. I decided to write this post after reading an article a woman wrote about gender expectations and American Gods. This got me to thinking, pondering if you will. Why have I never felt the weight of gender expectations? In fact, I clearly remember a very vehement argument I once had with a former friend about sexism and gender in the workplace. It’s entirely possible that I have been denied promotions or suffered a lower salary because I am female, but if that’s the case I was as oblivious to it as I was to the Stations of the Cross in my childhood church. I simply plowed forward and did my job. If my behaviors upset or offended supervisors because I didn’t act in a typically female way, I either addressed it head on, was oblivious to it, or ignored it.

I have never been told that I could not achieve something because I’m “a girl”. I was never discouraged from trying or accomplishing something because “girls don’t do that”. Sure my parents tried to civilize me and teach me to behave but they also encouraged me to be independent and strong-willed. They regularly gave me the “would you (fill in the blank) just because everyone else does?” speech. I was never encouraged to downplay my intelligence because boys don’t like smart girls. I was never told I was too aggressive for a girl and should tone it down (in fact my father preferred to teach me the correct way to throw a punch). When boys touched me in ways I did not want, I punched them or kicked them in the balls. My nickname as an adolescent was “the Nutcracker”. At the same time, I accepted that if I was going to hit others I might get hit back. I couldn’t use the “I’m a girl” excuse. I was fine with this. Looking back, I was truly blessed to have two parents who never, ever fell victim to gender roles and stereotypes – at least not when it came to me. I remember one Easter my grandmother bought my sister and me matching outfits – they were royal blue pantsuits (think polyester button-down shirts and pants) with T-shirts that proclaimed “Anything boys can do, girls can do better” and a graphic of a girl in a baseball outfit getting ready to swing her bat. We LOVED those shirts and proudly wore them every chance we got. In fact, that saying became our unofficial motto throughout childhood.

I was also influenced by Greco-Roman and Norse mythology as a child. I identified with Athena, the wise virgin who owed nothing to a man (okay, I’m oversimplifying because that’s what I believed as a child). I loved Freya who was the leader of the Valkyries and free to sleep with whom she chose, even if they were dwarves. It wasn’t just independent female goddesses that appealed to me – they had to have a fierceness to them, a martial aspect as well. I loved goddesses who bowed down to no man or god. As I grew older and learned about Irish goddesses I felt a strong connection to many of them too. Once again, fierce feminine figures who were not bound to a male.

Looking back, I am also a product of my generation. I grew up in the 70s and clearly remember the hoopla that following the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. I remember how excited I was when Charlie’s Angels premiered! Yes, in retrospect it was a T&A show but as a young girl, all I saw were these tough, independent women who took on bad guys every week and triumphed. I was a fan of both Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, Isis, and Electra Woman & Dyna Girl. I read Wonder Woman and Supergirl comic books. I remember being vaguely disappointed when the ERA was defeated. I didn’t fully understand what it was or why I wanted it but I knew that its failure was not a good thing for me. I remember having an epiphany during a religious class in Catholic high school when our teacher while conducting a cakes & wine ritual, informed us that ancient frescoes showed that women administered the sacraments in the early Christian church. I was floored! It never occurred to me that women could serve as priests. I often think that this was the pivotal moment that ultimately led me to pursue Paganism.

So, it occurs to me that if we don’t want to raise our daughters to be “just girls” we need to reinforce that message. We need to support them when they show interest in traditionally “ungirly” things or behave in non-girly ways. We also need to let them know that if they choose to pursue traditionally feminine pursuits, that is wonderful too. It’s so easy to denigrate traditional feminine pursuits, interests, and behaviors but that’s just as damaging as only allowing them to pursue these things. Some girls want to be fairy princesses and some want to be G.I. Joe. Some want to play with dolls and some want to play with toy guns. Some will do both and all of that is great and should be encouraged. For that matter, we should use the same approach with boys. I guess the important thing is to focus on what the child wants and needs and make sure to nurture and support them. Sounds easy and yet somehow we make it so complicated.

A reversed journey through the Major Arcana part 2

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The Hermit – After having our world turned upside down we might find ourselves in need of a retreat; to regroup. Instead of considering what we need to do to conquer the world, we ponder what will allow us to fulfill ourselves. We are still searching the darkness and trying to forge our own path through the darkness but now it’s the darkness within ourselves. We’re working towards finding truths in our soul that will allow us to lead a more fulfilling life moving ahead.

Strength reminds us that enacting these types of changes in our lives requires fortitude and inner strength; the need to stick with it especially when the going gets rough. This card reminds me of people who, after some dramatic shift in their career or life, manage to pick themselves back up and move forward again. It symbolizes those who find the inner fortitude to add a second act to their lives. The divorced woman who finds her passion in life again. The middle-aged man who discovers that he still has a lot to offer. Instead of letting themselves become defeated and miserable, they pull themselves up and find new meaning in their lives. They fight to find fulfillment and satisfaction.

The Chariot is our mode of transportation to get to that new place of fulfillment and satisfaction. Once we’ve made the decision and set the intention to find new meaning in our lives in Strength, we need to find the way to make it happen. We need to pick up the reins, grab the steering wheel and drive ourselves towards our new destination. We need to determine what route will serve us best and what speed we intend to travel. Do we want to take our time and enjoy some rest stops or do we want to get there as fast as we can? Either way, the decision and the choices are all on us. Do we believe this part of our lives has been fated? Is it our destiny to make this journey? Only you can decide that for yourself.

The Lovers reflect all the choices that still remain in our journey through life. I often like to view fate or destiny as a series of points on a map that we must experience – how we get there and how long the journey takes is up to us. I like to think it’s the combination of destined experiences and personal preferences that are reflected by the two different horses in this card. How & where we choose to steer them is on us.

The Hierophant shows us as we step into our role as mentors, lore keepers, historians. We have now reached a point in our lives when we can teach and guide others. We can show them the options available to them; share our stories. We can help open their eyes to the traditions and history that preceded them and allow them to determine who they might wish to incorporate this knowledge and wisdom into their own lives.

The Emperor is our journey to self-sovereignty. We no longer need to build an external empire, instead, we need to feel as though we are finally in charge of our own lives. We are the masters of our fate; the lords of all we survey. We no longer see success as an external measure but rather an internal one of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. It’s not about money and possessions, it’s about feelings of accomplishment and pride.

The Empress is when we finally learn how to nurture and embrace our true selves. We finally allow ourselves to explore our internal creative energy. Instead of feeling the need to focus on external objects or people, we aim it at ourselves. We tend and care for our own secret gardens and learn to feed our inner needs and desires. It doesn’t make us selfish but rather self-centered in the best possible way. Tending to ourselves allows us to replenish our resources and be there for others when the need arises.

The High Priestess guards the veil behind her. It is not something she parts lightly because one what awaits behind it is revealed, it can never be unknown again. When she pulls it aside we realize that what it hides is our true selves. We are finally ready to learn, accept and embrace who we truly are and were meant to be. We realize that we need to do things for ourselves; to nurture our souls not because they meet someone else’s need. In my experience, when the veil parted I was faced with my feral thirteen year old self – the part of me I’d tried (and failed) to civilize over the years. I was able to reconnect with that energy and unleash her into my life today. It was quite an amazing experience.

The Magician allows us to realize that (much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), the power to make things happen in our lives was in our hands the entire time. We are not dependent upon others to grant us power; we merely need to accept and grasp it. We often hear people talk about helping to empower others but the truth is we cannot do that. We can only help them understand that the power lies within them and only they can use it. That is what The Magician shows us at this point in our journey. Perhaps it’s near the end of the road but the message is no less valuable.

The Fool is our final stop. This is when we embrace all our foolish qualities and trust in the world again as we prepare to take that leap and move beyond this life into something new and unexpected. We are still leaping into the unknown but now all our knowledge and wisdom has combined to make us realize that we truly know nothing and the journey is always about the experiences and the learning. We have to believe that what awaits beyond is something new and exciting. Perhaps this is why so many of us believe in an afterlife – we want to believe we are leaping into something,  not just nothingness.

The World – Mansions of the Moon Tarot

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Mansions of the Moon Tarot
ZADOK (dahogue@nctc.net)
Self-Published

Traditional meaning: The principle of totality, individuation, and wholeness; having everything available to you and being at center stage in your life; the principle of universal love; success, achievement & satisfaction; understanding your reason for being.

Tarot Hunter’s Theories This card brings to mind the idea of a string of worlds all connected, like something in a science fiction novel. And yet they share a common center, a common source. All the elements are present and necessary, no one better than the other. The World is a reminder that we are all part of each other.

I also see the rosary of globes as a string of possibilities – each representing a possibility, a path that may or may not be taken. They represent the unlimited potential that surrounds us all. The World is all that we are and all that we can be. At the core of this potential and these possibilities rests the guiding force behind it all. The One, God, the Great Spirit – whatever you chose to call it, it is the source from which the Universe began. In our own lives, we are the center, the source from which all else proceeds. We are the creators of our own reality. Our decisions, our choices, our successes and our failures create the world in which we live.

But we, like the globes surrounding the woman, are not islands unto ourselves. We are all connected so the decisions made by others impact on our lives too. So whether our impact on our world and on others is positive or negative is ultimately up to us. So in some respects, I guess we are our brothers’ keepers.

The Perfecter – Celtic Wisdom Tarot

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21

Celtic Wisdom Tarot
Text by Caitlin Matthews, art by Olivia Raynor
Destiny Books, 1999
ISBN 0-89281-720-8

The Book says – Completion, perfect or satisfying resolution; the end or finalization of a cycle; successful achievement; triumph; self-respect; synthesis; a sense of communion with all life; clear self-expression and realization.
Reversed: Lack of momentum impedes endings; failure to achieve; inability to accept oneself; to allow changes or perfect closure, or to release potential; inability to see the wood for the trees; fixed of received views obscure self-essence.

Tarot Hunter’s Theories: This card speaks of balance and a sense of completeness. Nothing is missing; all the parts are present. There is a quiet feeling of self-worth and achievement. This can happen when we have worked hard to achieve something – a deep sense of personal satisfaction and inner peace. There is something about this card that suggests being centered; focused on our inner world and our inner needs. We no longer need to search the wide world over for excitement and adventure because at this particular moment in time we have found what we were looking for. The sense of well-being and joy just radiates from the center of this being. And it also suggests that if we

There is something about this card that suggests being centered; focused on our inner world and our inner needs. We no longer need to search the wide world over for excitement and adventure because at this particular moment in time we have found what we were looking for. The sense of well-being and joy just radiates from the center of this being. And it also suggests that if we blend our different parts and elements, allow ourselves to be at one with the world, we too can feel this blessed state. 

What I really love about this card is that it portrays this sense of well-being, peace, and blessedness as intrinsic to the being in the card. We are the source of this, not any external stimuli. All the external world can do is help us realize this fact. All the drugs, alcohol, sex or possessions in the world will not give us this feeling. They might create an illusory substitute which tides us over for a brief time, but ultimately its falseness rings through and we are left as empty and bereft as when we started. If we look within ourselves and realize the gifts we have and the fulfillment we can find; the sense of achievement and personal satisfaction that is ours for the taking, then we too can be radiant, blessed, perfected beings.

Transformational Sun

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Transformational Sun

Transformational Tarot
Created by by Arnell Ando
Published by US Games (2006)
ISBN:1572815396

The Book says: Powerful energy that gives a source of strength. It brightens surrounding cards bringing a sense of optimism. A time of growth and rekindled enthusiasm. Achievements acknowledged, success, happiness and true friends. Celebration. A deepening of one’s awareness. A time of creativity.
Reversed: The card warns of one being blinded by ambition and experiencing a possible burnout.

TarotBroad’s Buzz: There is a sense of sweetness and comfort from this card. The children roam in the garden, unafraid and joyful in their surroundings. The sunflowers bloom offering beauty, hope and warmth to the day. The solar father overhead watches his children and guards them from harm. This card brings to mind a time of innocence and youthful energy, or potential and possibilities. Each sunflower represents a possible choice. The children wandering the garden have the opportunity to select whichever one they desire. They are like the newly ripened fruit bursting with seeds just waiting to be planted. Their energy, nourishment and guidance comes from the blessings and support of the solar father. The children also represent the future and a new day dawning. Right now they are carefree and playful, learning the lessons of life. But eventually their day in the sun will come and they will become the leaders and the parents, guarding and protecting the seeds of the next generation.

Mansions of the Moon Sun

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Mansions of the Moon Sun

Mansions of the Moon Tarot
ZADOK (dahogue@nctc.net)
Self-Published

The LWB says: The Sun represents the dynamic, vital energy of the true self. The symbolism of this energy is the inner child – that embodies innocence, enthusiasm, and joy.

TarotBroad’s Buzz: This card radiates energy and joy, exuberance and growth. The sense of joy the emanates from the horse and the flowers is almost palpable. This card reminds me of the song Here Comes the Sun, especially the line “it seems the ice is slowly melting. Little darling it seems like years since it’s been here” Perhaps the figures are celebrating the return of the sun after being held in the darkness of the lunar landscape. We have survived facing our inner shadow and grown more comfortable and confident with our intuitional nature. And now is our opportunity to celebrate this new sense of wholeness and integration.

Then again the sun can sometimes represents the face we show to the world – the mask we put on when dealing with others. If the moon is our inner selves the sun is our outer selves. In this card our outer self is having a marvelous time just celebrating being alive. We are like flowers reaching for the warming, nourishing rays of the sun. It also a reminder that after the darkness comes the light; after night comes the day. So no matter how dark or frightening our lunar experience may have we know a new day is dawning and we will have a chance to start over again. Of course sometimes the rays of the sun can be harsh too – revealing things we might prefer to remain hidden. But allowing things to remain in the darkness may prevent us from learning and growing. To me The Sun is a card of growth, radiance, new beginnings, illumination and joy.

Wheel of Change Star

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Wheel of Change Star

Wheel of Change Tarot
created by Alexandra Gennetti
Published by Destiny Books, 1997
ISBN #0-89281-609-0

The Book says: A galaxy swirls around its creative center. IN a reading this powerful card symbolizes creative potential and the ability to shine out and radiate confidence in its application. You have the opportunity to stand out in the crowd and to present yourself and your ideas in ways that influences the outcome of the situation. Confidence flows through you, and you feel as if your creativity and potential for expansion amplify the power of your ideas. The expanding spiral of your influence begins with a creative spark – and indeed, you are at the center of the galaxy. Every idea and creative impulse gives us the potential to shine for others, and through the diversity of our experience and the variety of our ideas we all are able to be the central star.

TarotBroad’s Buzz: I just love the energy and radiance that swirls across this card. There is something about it that connects with The Empress for me – that feeling of being the center of someone’s universe and the world spinning around your axis. That must be how a baby perceives its mother and vice versa.

This card brims with potential and hope. I love the concept of a central creative force, it brings hope that even if humans don’t clean up their act this central creative force will find a way to keep life going and the universe will go on. We may like to think that humanity and Earth is the center of the universe but on some level we all know better.  I love how the Star Maiden blends the fiery, brilliant orange & yellow energy with the calmer, serene blue and silver energy. She both feeds it and is fed by it – a reminder that we are all yin and yang, masculine and feminine. There may be moments when one aspect dominates (or when we prefer to focus on one aspect) but we are a composite of all these energies.

It’s funny but when I was looking at this card a line from the movie Boogie Nights popped into my head (what can I tell you – I flash on some really unusual connections). I remembered the scene at the end of the movie when Dirk Diggler has returned to working with Jack Horner. He is dressed in a white Miami Vice type suit, standing in front of the mirror and he unzips his fly and reveals his “gift”. And as he does so he says to his reflection “I’m a star, I’m a star, I’m a star”. And in some ways the end of this movie does reflect the hope and faith present in The Star. Despite all of Dirk’s mistakes and experiences, he still finds his way back to the one place he was happy, the only true family he has ever known. And he is forgiven and reinstated to his place at the hearth. That to me is what Star energy represents. No matter how far we may have wandered, her light still shines on us (even when we live in places where it is impossible to see her) and blesses us with her energy. Even in NYC during the blackout, when everything around us was dark, the Star Maiden blessed us with her gifts and took away the fear for just a little while.