Choose to relax!

Today's cards: Seven of Pentacles, High Priestess, Page of Cups. Today is for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Heh, on a Tuesday. Yeah, right. But, why not? Even if you are on extreme deadline, what's the harm in taking ten seconds to stop, quiet your mind, and just breathe? Here in Richmond, where I am at the moment, the sun is shining, the birds are singing (literally) and I am seated comfortably on a fluffy couch as I type. Although I face a grueling drive up 95 in a few minutes, I'm taking the time to smell the figurative roses. And why not? I've been working hard. Heck, everyone I know has been working hard. Most people I know are constantly on the move, consistently working until they drop, and getting too little sleep. So, just what's wrong with claiming a little joy and calm in the middle of the maelstrom? I say, nothing. For those who know me in person, that's a serious departure from my normal Type A "go go go!" But, I'm taking a page out of a different book. I'm trying very hard to choose to relax and just be even if it's for just a few seconds out of a harried and hectic day.

See, the High Priestess is all about choices. Choices and intuition. Our bodies are smart. They tell us what we need, and most of us need way more rest and relaxation than we give them. So, a conscious choice of even a few minutes of quiet and peace in an otherwise crazy day can give us a lot of that peace of mind that we all need to be our best. Now, I know some of us thrive on the crazy. We need that jolt to be at our peak. But, as someone who has operated in that paradigm for decades, I'm here to tell you that it has its price. That price can be your health, vitality, or just your energy level. Everyone needs recuperation time. Some work themselves like crazy and then take two weeks of solid play. Some need it more often. I'm just saying that a wee little bit of time spent breathing and "chillin'" (as my nephew would say) can go a long way to recouping some of that energy and vitality that the Seven of Pents says we all need today.

The way to reengaging with our internal, joyful, childlike selves (ye old Page of Cups in today's card draw) is to slow down and take those few deep breaths, feel the sun on our faces (or the raindrops, depending on where you are) and give thanks for that moment of peace.

Oh and if someone asks you out on a date today, go! That Page is all about new romance. And after all, it's spring!

Abundance and joy - what could be better?

Today's cards: The Empress, The World, The Ace of Cups. I am impressed. These cards rock. On toast. With jam. But first, a word of caution, unless you are actively seeking to get pregnant/have a baby, use lots of protection. Those of you who are actively seeking to get pregnant/have a baby, get to it. Today will be a good day for that. A really good day.

Really, I'm psyched about these cards. They say to me that today is the first day of the rest of your life. Seriously. It promises abundance, bounty, things coming around full circle and a brand new cycle of joy and fulfillment.

Find the happy today. Spread the love. Share the wealth. If you put out kindness, kindness and abundance will come back to you multiplied and all the sweeter.

If you aren't in a place to feel kind towards others, today is the perfect day to be kind to yourself. Eat juicy fruit and drink lots of water. Take some time to plan your dream vacation (even if you aren't going anytime soon). Get ye to google images and find pics of your favorite spot. (Here's one of mine: http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/20/2098/C3R2D00Z.jpg.) And if you can, promise yourself to put your spare change or dollars into a jar toward that dream vacation. Make it concrete and you are one step closer to getting there. Even small amounts of money will eventually accumulate into something you can work with.

Enjoy the bounty in your life today and open your heart to new paths and new possibilities. They really are out there even if you haven't been seeing them.

And above everything else, look for the joy and bounty in your life. Mark it, acknowledge it and you'll see how it adds up to make you feel fruitful, joyful, and happy.

Childlike fun is on the menu, today.

What fascinating cards today! We have Six of Cups, the Page of Pentacles, and the Sun! Today, let's think about children, or ourselves as children. What did you like to do for fun when you were a kid? Do you still do it? Or, has it fallen off by the side of the road? If the answer to the first question is yes, then good onya and keep doing it (or perhaps find a newer, more fun way to update it so it suits you even better as you are today). If you answered no, well then, it's time to return to your roots. Take a few minutes right now and write down a quick list of the things you loved to do when you were younger. Did you play make believe? Fight dragons? Climb trees? Read books? Ice skate? Take karate lessons? Play trumpet? What was fun? Once you have them written out, circle the top three that were your favorite activities. Your mission should you choose to accept is to find a way to do at least one of these things today. It doesn't have to be a big deal. If you don't have time to go out and find a trumpet that you can play, take a minute and find a youtube video that features trumpet. Then, listen, really listen and enjoy the heck out of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGlApx8lTIg

If you loved climbing trees and live in a place where there just aren't any climbing trees around, why then you can perhaps go and sit under a tree for lunch. Or, again let the internet come to the rescue and look at some images of great climbing trees.

If you have kids, play with them today. After school, after homework, make an evening of it. Grab the latest fun game, video, book, etc. and enjoy it together. Make a dinner that's not entirely healthy (mac and cheese anyone?), eat it together, and laugh. If it's clear out in your area tonight, grab a star chart and star gaze.

On a slightly more sober note, be practical about your kids today. Make sure they're all okay and have what they need. They will always push their limits, but remember, you're the parent, and you will always know more than they do. :)

Whatever it is you do tonight, find the joy in it and you will be amazed at how much fun you have, even with the simplest things.

It's never as bad as it seems inside your head

Today's cards are: Nine of Swords, Two of Rods, and the Sun! Yep, I put an exclamation point at the end of the Sun(!) because it's just that kind of card and something needs to be done about that Nine of Swords.  That Nine of Swords squats inside your head and heart like a miasma. The worry you have doesn't help anything. It doesn't allow you to deal with the dramas and stresses of your life any better. In fact, it takes your focus away from being able to do what you need to do because you're too busy worrying about what you need to do to actually do it well. Here's a paraphrase of a quote that many have said better than I can. It is: "Worry doesn't solve tomorrow's problems; it saps today's joy." Truer words were never written (except perhaps 2+2=4). Really, that fear, that worry, that anxiety, they aren't at all helpful to you in getting anything accomplished. They just take energy away from you so you have less to devote to the very things you are worried about.

And here's the thing: the other two cards in today's draw? They are fabulous! The Two of Rods tells us that the world is ours. We can be bold. We can be original. We can grab life in our hands and fly. And the Sun gives us all the energy and childlike joy to do it.

So, whatever it is that has you worried, today, see if you can release it out into the universe. Stand outside and if it's at all breezy out there, let your anxiety blow away on the wind. Seriously, go outside. Take a break. Stand under the sun. Close your eyes. Take a minute away from all the other stuff going on around you. Whatever hectic pace everyone else has right now, doesn't have to impact you. Stand still and breathe deeply. Listen to the sounds around you. Let them flow over you. Notice and appreciate your feet on the ground. Feel the sun on your face. Come to a place of stillness, and the cares will dissipate.

Oh, you'll still have stuff to do. You'll still need to make plans and carry them out, but worry, that energy vampire, won't make you feel like you're crawling through molasses as you get it all done.

Today's Tarot 3/9/12

The Hermit and the Ten of Cups. Interesting combination. The Hermit represents solitude, not loneliness. The Hermit has chosen a more contemplative way of life and so today is about contemplation, meditation, and thoughtfulness. The Ten of Cups tells us to look to what makes us happy in our home life. That might mean making a dinner that knocks your socks off. It might mean getting the kids to hang with you tonight while you break out the Spirograph (or let's face it, the Spirograph App, which if there isn't one, there ought to be). Or it could mean, making your space more conducive to relaxation, meditation, and contemplation. What would it take? A single candle burning while you sit comfortably? Fresh flowers? A long walk under the (almost) full moon? A healthy lunch of which you savor every morsel? Take care of yourself today. Slow down. We have so many "ought to do's" in our lives that the "want to do's" get shortchanged. Do something about that. Find the pleasure in even the most mundane tasks and you too will be like the calm, peaceful Hermit who lives up on the mountain. The joy of all the world will be yours.