Between a rock and a hard place: 8 of Cups

Ah this card always (well almost always) has me pondering, wondering and occasionally cussing at what it might mean. Especially when I read for myself. yes, I know the RWS meaning give is fairly straight forward: "leaving something behind, moving on even". But I do not feel it is that straightforward. Is the person leaving or just storing something in a storage room ready for his return? Is he just not wanting those cups? May be he got bored? May be someone took them from him and he does not want them back? Let's look at 3 different 8 of Cups:

First card from the left is from the Tarot of Color: Blue - Water colour. No pictures here but all the written relations/correspondences to this card. "Lord of abandoned success", but who is doing the abandoning? The person or someone else? There is progress in this card, by means of leaving behind and recreating. Perhaps abandoning one wish to make space for a better one leading to the 9?

Second card is from the Thoth deck: Now I am not a Thoth expert but in this deck is easy to see the card is seen as "Indolence". Total opposite of the previous card. This is laziness on the person part and not wanting to do something about it. The abandoned success mentioned above here shows as pure lack of activity.

The third card is from a RWS based deck the Crystal Vision Tarot. She walks away, leaving a trail behind, but the pink colour suggests healing, is she walking towards better things? Probably. But why leaving stuff behind, is it excess baggage or is it simply not needed anymore?

I know all cards have many different nuances but for me, unless it is crystal clear from the surrounding cards, this is still one of the most "complicated" cards to interpret correctly. A good challenge for me I guess.

Spring cleaning: The Tower

I have had so many conversations lately about this card, collected many different opinions and points of views that it has greatly expanded my judgment of the dreaded Tower.
It kept coming out in readings for me or as a card of the day so, as spring approaches, I decided to meditate on it for a while and ask The Tower itself: "How do I use you to spring clean myself physically and spiritually?"
I used the very pretty Crystal Visions Tarot deck as I did now want a too grim a Tower to meditate on and this is what I got:

Is it possible to have a gentle Tower result? In this case it is, 6 of Pentacles is the answer: "give a little, take a little". Funny as I was reading an article a friend posted last night about some guy that died in a house fire because he had hoarded so much stuff that the firemen were unable to get to him fast. And I think this is the message here (not that I am an hoarder mind you ;p). Start small, get rid of something that is not to important and easy to shed. Then move on to bigger things so, when spring finally arrives, I shall have plenty of room to let in the light.

I'm a serial cheater get me out of here...

As Valentine day quickly approaches what would the Tarot say to those pesky Knights (Wands/Cups just as an example eh?) that just cannot keep walking a straight line and instead flutter from flower to flower (and sometimes even plants)?
How do we deal with our feelings when our heart is broken again and again and yet we keep going back for more?
I think this belongs to our shadow side, the karmic side which is trying to teach us a lesson. Not that anyone consciously wants to get hurt but you know, sometimes hurt can be better than indifference.
So let's ask (in general this is not for myself) how to best deal with the pain and move on to a more positive relationship (either working to improve the same or move on to different seas).
Using the Tarot Favole once again I am humbled by the reply:

1) How to deal with the pain
2) How to see the truth
3) How to move on

Healing starts from within. The Sun is telling us we need to open our heart and see what really is in front of us. Hiding from the truth can only cause more pain. The Knave of Crosses pushes us into a more logic state of mind, no lies, no deceit, just see it for what it is and move on...ooopps The Fool makes us fall from a great height and discover what is waiting for us at the bottom. What could it be?

What I want for Valentine...a spread for desire

Weeell, now not really a big spread but my friend Pabi just inspired me with her dad's quote for Valentine: "Violets are blue, roses are red...I like you better in bed..."
So what if what you wanted wasn't romance but just a night of passion and fulfilled desires with your other half? (or your fancy...)

Draw the cards as such:

1) My secret wish
2) His(hers) secret wish
3) Ignite my passion
4) Hidden desires
5) How to get my wish (!)

Not drawing any cards for myself here but uhm may be later....

To project or not to project...

So many conversations I have had lately about thoughts, manifestation, willpower and manifesting thoughts. And then I was reading a news article on the BBC that said that scientists have proven people with certain mental disabilities can think and manifest that thought by stimulating a certain area of the brain.
Another discussion followed with a friend, so is it possible to manifest something onto someone else? For example can you really curse someone by thinking them ill?
 My personal experience says yes. My mum was (and is) not very well mentally and throughout mine and my brother's childhood she was thoroughly OCD and obsessive in behaviours. It would snow and she would worry to death that if we went out we'd slip and hurt ourselves. And lo and behold we generally did. My brother to this day does not answer the phone when in the car if she calls, cause when he tells her he is driving she will start saying he is gonna crash (and he has in the past). So if thoughts manifest (and I believe they do) can we project this into a Tarot reading? Say we are reading for a friend that is having serious relationships issues and we want them to get better, can we manifest a certain outcome in the cards? Can we by concentrating hard on an enemy make them ill? Healing and praying works mainly due to the focus we put on it. Intent is everything, but what if it's bad?
And here comes the protection bit, I left home over 20 years ago and don't go back much, in fact I have not been in a couple years. A few months after being in the UK my asthma almost disappeared, my incidents halved and my health went to the stars. I do catch the occasional illness of course but have gone from spending weeks in bed 4/5 times a year to catching the occasional cold or bug once a year or so. I am now a grown adult and because of the work I do I have learnt many protection (and deflection) techniques that help me. But how many of us unwillingly absorb other people's thoughts? I suspect pretty much everyone. Focus and intent is the engine that powers the machine, without those your thought would just scatter into ether, energy released and unsolved.

Check this awesome video of Dr. Emoto water reaction to thoughts and prayer and some negative thoughts:

It is beautiful to watch and kind of speaks for itself. All that we think can manifest if we focus enough upon it, just be careful what you wish for.

Self love

Most of us are too busy giving to others and easily forget n.1: ourselves. I think it is very important to remember that if we do not nurture and love ourselves we won't not only be able to fully give love to others but also might end up ill or exhausted.
So using the wonderful Transparent Tarot from Emily Carding I am going to take a look at myself with a 4 cards spread, the first 2 cards above are for "How do I love myself" and "How do I improve myself" and the 2 below are for "What do I need to change" and "What will help".
I got them in this order: The Chariot - 2 of Wands - The Magician - 10 of Cups.

To me these cards suggest that I am being quite emotional and reckless in giving love and care away. So perhaps I should follow my own advice above ;). However having to change the Magician and the 10 of Cups as a help card makes sense too. I should change the way I do things and, when I give, give from the heart to the deserving and therefore experience the fulfillment of the 10. The Chariot and 2 of Wands are pointing me to choose a direction for my emotional outlets. Ultimately, if I find a balance, everyone will be much happier. Note the "wands" in the 2 in the second picture almost pinning down the Magician and The Chariot signifying grounded emotions. Keeping a balance of the emotional cups being recklessly thrown in the air.

Split personalities?

For my entire life I have considered myself of the cup kind (being a Pisces helped too) reaching, with adulthood, Queen of Cups status. My "shadow", mainly repressed has always been the Queen of Swords (Wands on occasions too).
I think I have now outstayed my time in the Queen of Cups skin. No more softily soft, I will reserve my nice energies for those in need or those that deserve it. The Queen of Swords plays in Circus as a knife thrower, she enjoys the challenges and the danger. She enjoys being in control and being able to make decisions without fear.

As I pointed out in my NY spread the shadow is ever present, sometimes we are aware of it, sometimes we do not want to acknowledge it is there.
I now embrace my inner Queen of Swords, I'll make sure I always have a box of plasters with me just in case...oh and bandages too...