Today's Tarot: Page of Rods (Being creative, daring, and spontaneous)

What are we waiting for? Let's get out there. Let's be creative. Let's joyfully live our truth. Let's manifest our vision of the world. Wait, what? We're too tired? We have to pay this month's bills? We have dishes in the sink? We have to walk the dog? We have to ... yeah.

In life, there is always a balancing act between what we want to do and what we have to do. And when we throw in what we need to do, why then we can get well and truly stuck. We might feel paralyzed by the "shoulds" in our lives. So, instead of living these fruitful, productive, creative, fulfilling lives, we get by on the promise that someday, we'll make time for the things we love to do.

Here's the problem with "someday." It's today. It's right this second. Every instant of our lives, we choose a should, a can, a want, a get to, or a must do. Each time we choose away from a can, a want, or a get to, we choose away from our true selves. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not at all intimating that we ought not take care of the day-to-day stuff of our lives. For most of us, that is the reality. We have to-do lists that would choke a dragon and we are always trying to catch up. Here's the thing, though. That list will still be there later if you decide to take a wee break and go do something that feeds your soul.

I think the problem is that we get so bogged down by the imminence of deadlines that we forget to release our anxiety about some of those deadlines every once in a while just so we can breathe, and perhaps run, and even play. And that's vital to our health, our balance, and I daresay our very lives.

The Page of Rods doesn't give a hoot about deadlines and must-dos. The Page of Rods joyfully shouts her truth out into the universe and then runs and plays on swingsets or whistles an old song she learned in fourth grade. She plays with words and life and worlds. She imagines and then she acts on these imaginings.

She is bold and fearless and creative. She dips her ladle into the silver waters of the River of All That Is (more on this later) and then drinks deeply from its creative, satiating waters. She learns from everything and then she acts on that new information fully and purposely.

So that's our mission for the day. Let's dip the ladles of our thoughts and actions into that creative, glorious river. Let's learn from that which connects each and every one of us. And then, let's extend ourselves and our truth in ever widening circles of creative joy. It won't be easy and might feel impossible, but even a tiny action taken from that place of spontaneous joy will have ripple effects on every other part of our lives.

Do one thing from that place today, and life will change. Dot an "i" with a smiley face like you did when you were a kid. Blow bubbles through your straw. Laugh with a stranger over something you both see. Give a random compliment. Buy a flower and hand it someone on the street. Or buy yourself one and enjoy it all day. Walk outside, turn your face to the sun, close your eyes, and breathe (even for just a minute). Do something that feeds your innermost being and then move forward with that part leading the way.

Oh and if you need to have a conversation with someone and you've been putting it off, today will be a fantastic day to do it.

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Today's Tarot: Three of Swords (heartache, betrayal, choices)

"Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool. Lovin' both of you is breaking all the rules..."

The Three of Swords always reminds me of the lyrics to this song from the 70s. It feels like you are standing at a crossroads and there are no good choices. In the song, it's about loving two people and needing to decide between them and knowing that whatever you do, someone is going to end up broken hearted. But, this set of choices doesn't have to be about relationships. It can be about whatever choices you face. And when in those situations, often its the chooser who ends up losing because the pain is often overwhelming regardless of which path she or he chooses.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to avoid the pain of heartache or worse, heartbreak, we end up feeling torn in half by whatever occurs in our lives. It sucks but there it is. Heartache is a part of life, especially if we choose to live in the here and now and make choices in the here and now. And worse, sometimes, other people's decisions break our hearts. For example, we don't get the promotion we've worked our butts off for. We cross our fingers, say our prayers and submit a poem to a literary magazine and get rejected. We gather our courage, and audition for a play and don't get cast. We tell someone we love them and get an "Um, I really like you as a friend," in response. Whatever it is, however we have to face rejection because someone else got chosen instead of us, we still need to play the game. It's part of living. However...

There comes a day when the game is too painful and it's time to hang it up. Now, I'm not saying hang it up forever, but I am saying, for the moment, do hang it up. Step away from the ledge. Take time to lick your wounds. Don't try so hard. Protect yourself so you can heal and then come back stronger tomorrow. Don't tilt at so many windmills for the moment, if you find you don't have the energy or the heart for it.

Last night, I was at a pub celebrating a friend's Birthday. In the restroom, I overheard a young woman giving advice to a friend. She said, "Son, if the ho' don't want to be saved, don't try to save the ho'...." I took it to mean that while it's okay to tilt at some/most windmills, sometimes, no matter what you do, things will unravel and you will get hurt. So, don't turn yourself inside out and cause yourself a great deal of pain, trying to help someone who just doesn't want or need your help.

Today, that is what I encourage you to do. If the game is too much, if it's too painful. Walk away, heal, and come back tomorrow to try again.

In the words of the famous movie star, the WOPR or Joshua, "Interesting game. The only winning move is not to play."

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Today's Tarot: Death (Out with the old, in the with the new)

Before I go any further, let me state for the record that the Death card really has nothing to do with physical death. It does not portend that someone is going to die. It talks about the ending of a great cycle in our lives. Things have been moving toward an ending for a while now. Some great galaxy has been revolving slowly to a close. Some red giant star is dying so that it can have new life as a white dwarf.

Look at it like an evolutionary process. Something is ending so something else can begin. You cannot have creation without destruction. In order for anything to be created/developed/discovered, something else has to change its state. It has to end its state of being as one thing in order to emerge as the new thing.

Caterpillar to butterfly is an excellent example of this. The caterpillar goes into the chrysalis to "die," to change its state. When it emerges, it is completely evolved.

If you are burning a log of wood in the fireplace, the wood ceases to be wood. It burns and changes its status. In effect, it dies. But, its new life as flame burns brightly.

Whatever needs to end in your life, release it. End it. Let it go.

The time has come to let this paradigm come to a close so a new one can come into being. If you keep holding on to old ways of thinking, feeling, and doing, when instead it is appropriate for something new to develop, eventually you will feel paralyzed. Get in front of it because here's the kicker. The Death card says that even if you aren't ready for the big ending, it's coming anyway. Don't just get used to it. Make room. Enhance your world and your perceptions of you and your world to embrace the change.

The wave of change is coming anyway. You might as well surf it and enjoy the heck out of the ride.

I leave you with the quote from my fabulous acupuncturist Youmei Zhang: "If not this door, another door."

Today's Tarot: the Devil (greed, imprisonment, self-deception)

I find this card a hard one to write about. There are so many connotations that people find it hard to objective about this card. We tend to ascribe so many meanings, facets, and patinas to it that we never get to bottom of things.

In my opinion, it is easy to put all the negative qualities we might feel internally onto a mythical figure, call him/it the ultimate in evil and be done with it. In some ways, that lets us off the hook. Here's the thing, though. It doesn't. That ol' chestnut, "the Devil made me do it," is the worst kind of cop out. Instead of standing up and saying, "yes, I have less than stellar moments. Yes, I've done things I'm not proud of but I am trying to make amends, trying to improve," we say, it's the fault of the Devil, with a big capital D. In the end, though, it isn't true, is it? In the end, we are responsible for what we do. We must take our less than stellar moments, accept that we were capable of them, and then do better.

So, yes, this card does mean greed. It means every single petty and not-so-petty time we have been greedy, small-minded, closed-minded, or mean. It's the ugly underbelly of our own highest thoughts and best attempts.

It also means imprisonment. As long as we don't accept our own faults and flaws, as long as we try to palm our negative qualities on some mythical man/beast/fallen angel, we stay imprisoned in our fear of being caught, in our terror of being found out to be less than perfect. In effect, we are sometimes terrified of being found out to be human. Humans run the gamut of actions and emotions. We can exhibit the kindness of the angels, or the malice of the devils. And we need to accept that both reside inside us. The ones we show to the world are entirely up to us. And, every single instant of every single day brings us to the fork in the road about what we will show to the world and what we will exhibit. Will it be kindness or malice? Will it be generosity or greed?

The key here is to remove the veils from our own eyes and see ourselves clearly. If we do that, then we arrive at that place of balance where neither devils nor angels hold sway. The old image of a person trying to make a decision with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other comes to mind here. They are trying to talk the person into either doing the right or wrong thing, make the right or wrong choice. If the person accepts that the responsibility is ultimate his/hers, then the devil and angel no longer have a voice. Then, that voice is entirely internal and either the credit or the blame becomes internal as well.

So, today, when you are trying to reach decisions, trying to decide how to move forward, act in the moment, or say or do anything, remember the Devil is internal and he/she/it will always pull you toward greed at the expense of others and the kind of selfishness that is ultimately just a little malicious. Taking care of ourselves and being selfish in our self care is one thing. But doing so with complete disregard for others is another thing entirely.

I am reminded of the quote. “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”—Malcolm S. Forbes.

If the Devil is about greed, then this previous quote is its Achilles Heel.

Today's Tarot: The Tower (radical revolutionary change. Get in front of it, if you can)

Yegads, how do I write about the Tower? It's change. It comes upon you. It often takes you by surprise. It kicks your butt and often, very often, it leaves you bedraggled and exhausted but clinging to a new shore on which you will leave a vastly different and generally better life.

When a client draws this card, I almost always end up saying, "Life will never be the same," as part of the explanation for what is happening or what will happen.

The best we can do is prepare but even those careful preparations don't mean a hill of beans compared to the awesome power of the Tower.

I'll give you an example from my own readings. A client, Marla* came in for a reading. In the slot that represented the immediate future (the next two to four weeks), she pulled The Tower. (As you can see from looking at the image below, the image shows a building that is exploding because it is being struck by lighting.)

"Marla," I said. "Things are about to change. Life will never be the same. Sometime in the next two to four weeks everything will be different. The key is to try to ride the storm as best you can. Often things are better in the end, but in the moment, it can be daunting if not downright excruciating."

I was sorry that I had to be so blunt, but I've learned not to question what I need to say. As soon as I question it or try to put my own spin on it, I end up being wrong. If I just say what I feel pulled to say, no matter how strange, it ends up being on the right track.

Moving on...

Three weeks later to the day, I got a voicemail from Marla. "Watch the news tonight," she said. "I'm on it because my house blew up."

What???

It turns out that there was a gas leak. She and her husband just barely managed to get out okay but they lost everything. They were devastated. And that my friends was the Tower working in their lives, quite literally. Generally, it's a more metaphorical explosion that leaves everything changed, but I learned that day that sometimes, it's very, very real.

You might think this is the end of the story. But, remember how I said above that the Tower often leaves you different but better?

Here's the end.

About eight months later, Marla came back in for a reading. She had a very specific question. "Do you think I am a bad person for not being upset that my house blew up?" She asked as we sat down.

"What? No, absolutely not," I replied. "If you've found a way to be okay with this, that's a very good thing."

"Well, see, I'm a packrat," she continued. "And we've been thinking about moving out of the house and into an apartment and I was facing over thirty years of stuff to give away or throw away. But then, the house blew up, and now I get to start completely fresh."

So, there you have it. In the moment, the Tower wrenched them out of everything they new, everything familiar, everything that had been theirs. It gave them a completely blank slate whether or not they wanted one. In the moment, it destroyed everything. In the long run, it gave them a brand new start.

Today, if something huge changes in your life, I encourage you to look at it like an opportunity. In the moment, it might be blindingly painful, yes. In the long run, you will pick yourself up on the farthest shore, and you will be reborn.

(link to the image: http://api.ning.com/files/pxnq-7mondsTDfdkagvuBZV-TjEgdJcY1DQo7ZSc1HGsqxnkNK3lmr8kzkv4eDZW8f5RgrJqyFs0pAEQaLGFlwbN9BmGgA6F/tarotthetower.jpg)

*Names have been changed.

Today's Tarot: The Star (dreams, plans, self-determination)

I chose the Star back on January 10th so if you want to read that write-up and apply it to your life today, please find it here.

Here is today's take on the card.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how what we do makes us who we are. If you make movies, you are a filmmaker. If you write, you are a writer or an author. If you trade on the stock market, you're a trader. And so on.

We tend to self-identify with what we do. Sure, humans love to categorize. We need to pile likes with likes and then we go a step further and we ascribe value to those various piles. Some end up being deemed more valuable than others. A lawyer or doctor might be deemed as more worthwhile than, say, a writer, or a teacher. And being a lawyer or a doctor might be valued more highly than deciding to spend your life teaching third graders. And my question is, why?

Why do we tend to place those value judgments on professions (Is it just salary? Or is there some other reason?)? And furthermore, why do we let ourselves be judged by what we do?

Having asked these questions, I have to wonder at my own reaction. I have chosen a career (or careers, because I have several going on simultaneously) which will keep in the not-so-important category. At one point, I had thought to become a lawyer (and even got into the law school at American University) but music-making lured me away. And for the most part, I have not regretted the decision. However, there have been times, late at night when I've navel-gazed and wondered about what could have been. I've always come out the other side thinking that I've made the right choices for myself, but it hasn't stopped me from periodically wondering.

The previous has been my own process in thinking about "The Star" card. Generally speaking, I believe the card is about reaching for your dreams while keeping your feet on the ground. So, yes, go for what you want, but be sure you have a solid plan in place to help you get there. In the end, it's about self-determination. Sure, you might choose the road less traveled. And sure, that might make all the difference. And in fact, I personally encourage you to thrown caution to those particular winds today. However, remember making those choices means taking those chances. And being reckless is great as long as you have some plan in place if you fall. Falling isn't the problem. We all fall. And in fact, my friend John said it best when he was talking about skiing. "If you don't fall when you ski, you aren't skiing hard enough." The key is to have a plan to help yourself back up if you fall back down to Earth after you've reached for the stars.

Today's Tarot: Two of Swords (impasse, emotional stalemate)

Trust. In essence, this card is about trust. Wherever we find ourselves, we need to trust that we are seeing what we are seeing and more importantly that we are feeling what we're feeling.

We have to trust that it is okay to feel what we feel. Sure, if we are experiencing emotions that are frightening or that leave us feeling out of our depth it can be a real challenge to stop, breathe, and allow ourselves the room to be vulnerable enough to feel what we feel.

If you look at the card, it is usually depicted by a woman who is sitting in front of a body of water. She is blindfolded and she holds two crossed swords. In the tarot, water represents our emotions. The swords represent our intellect and/or ability to think through or rationalize our current situations. So when we see the figure crossing swords to keep us from getting to the body of our emotions, we can ascribe those definitions to our lives.

Something intellectual might be keeping us from accessing, acknowledging and feeling our emotions. We might be staying in our heads (which often feels much safer) and "thinking" our emotions instead of feeling them. And the feeling of them is crucial.

That goes for our internal processes as well as our external connections to others. If there is someone in your life who is tweaking your emotional heartstrings, but with whom you don't feel safe enough to be emotionally vulnerable, then attention must be paid. Either you need to find out if you can be emotionally vulnerable, or you need to remove yourself from the situation causing the risky feelings so that you can experience those emotions and eventually get back onto an even keel.

I've always loved how much water imagery is ascribed and related to feelings and emotions. Even keel, still waters run deep, drowning in emotions, are just three of them.

Today, it will be important to trust your feelings (both internally and in your interactions with others) and if you believe you can't do that, then at least give yourself permission to feel them. By the way, please bear in mind that if you need, really need, to be vulnerable with someone with your emotions and either they run away or they turn you away, then consider that you are wasting your time on this person. Intimacy is a two-way street and ultimately fair-weather friends will only ever keep it one way. You deserve better. Please remember that.

Today's Tarot: Queen of Cups (compassion, tenderness, generosity, creative energy)

Ah, the Queen of Cups is one of my favorite cards in the deck. She represents the compassionate, generous, creative aspect of the deck like few other cards. Not only that, but she reminds us that while we are being compassionate, giving, generous, and tender toward everyone else, not to forget ourselves.

"Sure!" she says. Be kind. Be generous. Be compassionate. Give your heart and attention where they are needed. Absolutely! However, if you're trying to do all that while you are running on empty, you will soon lose all steam and then you'll shut yourself away in a dark room with nothing but Ben and Jerry's and episodes of Supernatural, Friday Night Lights, or General Hospital (insert your guilty pleasure tv watching here) streaming in a continual loop.

Personally, I never want to get to that point where I'm so depleted that I have nothing left to give anyone or anywhere. So the trick is to take care of our needs first. I liken it to when you are on a plane and the flight attendant says, "In the event that we lose cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down. Please put on your own first before assisting others."

That oxygen mask might take many forms. It might be making yourself a healthy fruit smoothie first thing in the morning. It might be making and taking dedicated time for your creativity, or a self-indulgent bubble bath, pedicure, long walk in the rain, or just your favorite tea in your favorite mug.

This Queen is the internal expression of your kindness, generosity, and compassion. It's a great day to show someone special that you care. Oh and that someone special? That's you!

Today's Tarot: Ten of Pentacles (family, legacy, tradition)

The Ten of Pentacles has an upside and a downside. The upside: if you come from a caring, nurturing loving family who left you a legacy of joy and peace, why then you're golden. If your family of origin was otherwise, you carry that legacy as well and you have a tougher road.

Now, most of us can say that we had some issues growing up. Few, if any, would say they had blissful childhoods where they felt loved, buoyed, and supported by those who responsible for them, all the time. We've all been let down by those who were supposed to be there to nurture and protect us. However, some have been let down much more than others. If you come from the former, how wonderful. Now, please take that wonderful history and the love and care you received and take it out into the world and share it with others. Others out there can benefit from the love you have to give. At its heart, the Ten of Pentacles is about care and nurturing those around us and giving and receiving love. It is also about safety, abundance, and protection. Those who feel safe, abundant and protected reflect those back out into the world and that is a real blessing.

If you come from the latter, or worse, do know that you have a much harder path through your life. It is important to note that the strength and light with which you face the world comes because of your strength of character and your dogged pursuit of your higher self despite what are probably some almost insurmountable obstacles.

Take time to credit yourself with how far you have come. That is important and is likely something to do every single day.

And then, develop/find/establish your own family, your own legacy, and your own traditions. Family of choice can be just as vital (if not more) than family of origin. And the peace, calm, and joy you get from and with them can be even more everlasting.

I keep returning to the thought that through our connection to all that is out there, the entire universe is our family. The protons, electrons, atoms, etc. that make up the stuff of stars aren't different than the ones that make up us. So, our family is vast, frenetic, universal. It might be hard to remember in the moment, but it is vital to keep in our consciousness as we move through our lives today and tomorrow.

Today's Tarot: Nine of Swords (First rule, be careful with yourself)

I'll be honest. It's not the most pleasant of cards. It talks about stress, worry, potential illness, and general malaise. It doesn't mean that your day is going to be like that. It does however mean that you need to be on the lookout for those kinds of distressing feelings and situations. And then, you need to kick their asses into next Tuesday.

Unless you are physically ill in some way, the rest is all negotiable and navigate-able. The key here is to refrain from sabotaging your own balance.

Did you wake up in the middle of the night worried about something you couldn't control? Did you have trouble falling asleep in the first place? I tend to have troubles with the former. I fall asleep fine, but I wake up in the middle of the night and then my brain turns on and then I start thinking about all the details to which I need to see and then I start to worry at them like my cat Kimba does to rubberbands he finds on the floor (believe me, we try to keep them from him and he's a master at opening drawers and getting at them). And then, sleep bids me a teasing adieu and I'm up at 3am wondering how they hell I'll be ready to present to kids or write my book or see my clients or take my hike by the time it's actually time to get up and start my day.

Argh and Grrr and many other words to that effect.

What I'm trying to do is to put it in perspective. The swords are the suit of thought, reason, and deliberation. The nine is the extreme where you try to see all facets and then beat yourself up when you can't. It's the woulda coulda shoulda card in the deck and given half a chance, it will kick your butt.

So what do you do? Distract it. Take the worry and give it something nice to smell (a whiff of vanilla extract does wonders for me). Or, get up, put on your favorite dance music (I tend toward "Walkin' on Sunshine" or "When I Think of You" but I'm old school) and go crazy.

Take a break from your worries and concerns. You won't miss anything. You'll still have the list when you come. But, you will likely come back with a slightly different perspective and hopefully, it won't all feel quite so daunting anymore.

Last but not least, take care of yourself and those for whom you are responsible. At its core, the nine of  swords brings some reason for concern. If it's all internal, I encourage you to utilize the above to deal with it. If any of it is external, remember, there are only so many things you can control. Sometimes, you just have to deal with consequences in the best way you know how. And the best way will always be one where you approach your challenges from a peaceful vanilla-scented, walkin' on sunshine perspective.

Today's Tarot: Queen of Pentacles (creativity, productivity, peace, work)

Whenever I draw this card, it reminds me to enjoy the processes of my life. Sure, there are tons of things we all have to do. Often, the thought or even the stress of getting ready to do them makes them seem bigger, than they are. And when we actually bite the bullet and start, we get into the process and then the tough knots unravel before us as we get to it step-by-step.

The Queen of Pentacles is many things. She might be mother, wife, caretaker, provider, peaceful priestess, creative, producer, etc. I tend to think of her as a quiet buddha. She has no fanfare and she rarely gets accolades but she doesn't seem to need them as she quietly goes about her life, living and doing what needs doing.

She doesn't gripe and she doesn't whine. She just goes, step-by-step and does what needs to be done naturally. And, to make things more curious, she's just happy. She has found that peace and joy come from the simplest acts and she relishes every drop of that serenity as she moves through her life.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a book called, "Being Peace." To me, the Queen of Pentacles typifies that phrase. She doesn't have to do anything to attain peace. She simply is peace and whatever she does and whatever she produces and creates, she infuses that love of all into everything.

So today, I encourage you to enjoy and relish the processes of your world. If traffic kicks your butt (as it does mine), consciously look at the colors in the sky or enjoy whatever music is on the radio. Sing along, in different voices. Pretend you're Ethel Merman singing a Taylor Swift song. If that doesn't bring a smile to your face....

If you're doing paperwork try and stay conscious of the feel of the paper or the click of your fingers on the keys. Whatever it is that you need to do today, transform every step of it (even the yucky ones) into something you enjoy. Appreciate it for what it is, right now.  Be present. Be mindful. Be peace.

Today's Tarot: Five of Rods (conflict, battle, altercations)

When I was a kid, I had a poster on my wall. It said, "Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip." In some ways, that statement typifies the brighter facets of this card.

Yes, sometimes, we can't help but get into conflicts with others. Whether or not we are the ones who start them, we get embroiled. And except for the Dalai Lama, I'll bet we all lose our tempers at some point or other and get into it with whomever just stomped all over our very last nerve.

Yep, it would be great if we could all just breathe and let it roll of our collective backs, but sometimes, we just can't.

Today might be such a day. You might find yourself in conflict. There just might be a battle to be waged and you aren't going to stop until you have emerged victorious. Got it. I understand that sometimes attention simply must be paid.

But here's the kicker. If you engage head-on, you will just get a bruised forehead. It will be far better for you to follow the wise words in that poster from my childhood. Breathe. Smile. And then, tell them to go to hell in such a way that they are excited to get going.

Today's Tarot: Eight of Rods (decisive action, resources, benefactors)

During my time studying and reading tarot, this card has had the singular status of confusing me to no end. Like the wand suit of which it is a part, it is changeable, dynamic, and always in some sort of motion.

Sometimes, when I look at it, I see a battle being waged and decisively won. Sometimes, I see help that arrives just in time, especially when that help was unforeseen and unexpected. Sometimes, it says that there are resources about which the client/querent/question asker does not yet know and they will come into play sooner rather than later. In those situations, the card says, "have a little patience and you will soon see the lay of the land, who can help you, who is working with you, who is working against you, and what you need to do to carry the day."

So, when I drew it for this daily draw, it once again made me scratch my head. It's quicksilver is what it is. It draws me in and gives me a false sense of security that I will know what it is trying to tell me and just like that, it switches up and becomes something else altogether.

Thus, today, I say to all of you, you will have to be the judge. Which one of the above is relevant to your life? Is that you need go into the breach and kick ass and take names? Is it that you might feel helpless about something and instead of freaking out, you are encouraged to chill for just a little while and you will get an offer of help, advice or other aid, that will make things go much more smoothly? Or is that you don't have all the information yet and you are asked to sit still, relax and soon the light will shine on the right piece of the puzzle, clarify things, and set you on your path?

Whichever one feels right to you ... do that.

Today's Tarot: Nine of Cups (pleasure, joy, satisfaction)

Ah, the Happy Merchant. That's what I always think of when I see this card. This is someone who is just pleased as punch and has worked hard enough to be darned self-satisfied.

Today is a day not only to rest on your laurels but if you can, take the time to bathe in 'em. Wait, that might be scratchy. Never mind. Here, instead of bathing in your laurels, treat yourself to something wonderful. It might be a five-minute foot rub. It might be a frothing bubble bath while you drink a glass of wine and Mozart plays in the background. It might be a cone of your favorite ice cream, or a swim, or a walk in the sunshine.

Indulge. Pamper yourself (or better yet, get someone else to do it for you). You work your patootie off all the time, every day. There's nothing wrong with slowing down, even for a minute, and just taking a huge, deep breath, and patting yourself on the back for a job well done. Even if you aren't feeling particularly satisfied with how well you've been doing/working/living (for whatever reasons), I still encourage you to pat yourself on the back. The worst we have to deal with is the worst we have to deal with. Each life and each set of circumstances is entirely unique and that means that comparing our lives to anyone else's is not only futile but can be downright depressing. And what's the good in that?

So today, make yourself a promise. Work on you. walk in your shoes. Live your life and no one else's. If you must compete, do so only with yourself. And at the end of today (and every day) congratulate yourself on a job well done. Today, even if you end the day not have achieved or accomplished what you set out to achieve or accomplish, you will have done the very best you could for where you were and how you felt. That counts for a whole lot.

Today's Tarot: Knight of Swords (knowledgeable, decisive, opinionated)

Today's Tarot: Knight of Swords (knowledgeable, decisive, opinionated)

Knights in the deck are a funny lot. Regardless of whether or not their suit is active, they themselves act to fulfill the descriptions of their suits. While cups are about our emotions and rods are about our actions, swords are about our decisions and thinking. They call on us to think and then act decisively and logically on that thinking.

When we pull the Knight of Swords, he calls on us approach every situation from a logical perspective. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't make rash decisions. Be like the eagle or the red-tailed hawk. Head on up somewhere distant and get that bird's eye view. You have been, perhaps, lost in the details and not looking at the big picture. Now is the time to actively engage your mind and look at the lay of the land honestly and shrewdly.

Don't wait for someone or something else to make up your mind. You do it. Be certain and then act from that certainty. Be sure and then behave as if that perspective is the most expedient one for you to get what you want. And for heaven's sake, don't assume a thing, especially when it comes to other people's feelings or motivations.

Ultimately, we can't know what those feelings and motivations are unless they tell us and we can be certain that we can believe them (and that they truly know what they are feeling to begin with). Our capacity for self-delusion is monumental. Often, we will say we're okay with something when we're not. The thinking there appears to be that we are supposed to be okay with it and so we say we are. But, and this is a big but if we do that, then we are just opening a future can of worms which will come back and bite us on the butt. If you aren't okay with something, even if you don't know why, don't say that you are okay with it. The truth will come out and get its nasty, sticky mess all over everything. If you are honest and say decisively that you aren't okay with something, why then, even if you don't know why you aren't okay with it, at least the truth is out there and everyone knows it.

That is much, much better than the alternative. Clear, honest decisions will make for a longer term happiness. The murky of pretending you're okay will eventually kick your ass. The choice, as always, is yours.

Today's Tarot: Knight of Cups (emotional, imaginative, aware)

Romantic, moody, emotional, compassionate, creative, imaginative, feeling - these all describe the Knight of Cups. Today is a day to really get into how we feel and what it means to be us in our shoes, at this time and in this place. Sometimes, it's easy to know how we feel. When my cat climbs into my lap and drops down for a nap, I am always going to get all squishy and happy, no matter what else has been going on. When someone cuts me off in traffic and then has the nerve to give me the finger afterward, I am always going to get ticked off. Sometimes, on the other hand, it is tough to put our finger on exactly what it is our heart is telling us.

That's when the Knight of Cups really makes his presence felt. He's the one who gives us that information. He gives us permission, if you will, to let go of the run, run, run, and do, do, do, and think, think, think. Instead, he brings in, feel, feel feel, particularly as it pertains to the instant our emotions change. Sometimes, how we feel changes. We've gone from fine to sad or from okay to happy, and we haven't become cognizant of it yet. We are still in reaction mode and haven't moved toward feeling mode. The Knight of Cups holds that instant in his chalice. It is the changing nature of our emotional state that holds sacred. And he invites us to hold it sacred as well. We don't often honor how we feel and we honor the changes in our emotional state even less.

So, today, I invite you to change that paradigm. Honor your feelings and then go a step further. Try to stay aware of when your feelings shift. That quicksilver, fleeting transformation, when and why it happens is chock full of information for us. If we stay aware of how we feel moment to moment, we make better, clearer, cleaner decisions.

Because, honestly, how we feel will change in an instant and often we have to play catch-up just to get some sense of equilibrium. If we stay aware of these things as they happen, we stay one step ahead of the game.

Today, that extra step of being prepared will be very helpful because your mood and the moods of those around you will shift. Big time. Be careful with your heart. Treat it gently and tenderly, and miracles will happen.

Today's Tarot: King of Rods (Bold, active, creating)

Today's Tarot: King of Rods (Bold, active, creating)

The King of Rods doesn't suffer lazybones gladly. In fact, he strides by those who would sit and do nothing as he creates and achieves. In his mind, there are great deeds to accomplish, great things to invent, and great times to be had. He is active dynamism personified. He calls us to rise up, to take action, to do, to move, to run, to fly.

So, what are we waiting for he asks. Do we need an engraved invitation? If so, here it is. Get up, rise up. Do. Something. Today. Right now! If you want it, you have to strive for it. You must begin in order to achieve. That first step might be a kicker but we must take it.

The card is getting to me. I feel its fire sizzling in my blood and frankly, I'm excited to get to it. Earlier this morning, the sky was drab and gray. Then, the fiery sun peeked through the dingy clouds and flung its rays across the heavens, and now it's bathing me in its glorious light. If that isn't a call to get out there and get moving, I don't know what is. We are our best advocates. We are our best warriors. We are our best leaders, movers, shakers, and doers. So, we can be the ones who take inspiration and give it wings.

This write-up reminds me of the lyrics to one of my own songs. The song is called, "Dare to Start." Here is the chorus and it says it all.



I hope you sing and dance and run the race
I hope you take the chance and play the game
No way to finish ‘til you dare to start
So give it all you've got and risk your heart

So, go. Run. Dream. Fly!

Today's Tarot: The High Priestess (secrets, internal awareness, independence)

Today's Tarot: The High Priestess.

(Secrets, Internal awareness, Independence)

In my mind, there are two big archetypical women in the deck. The first is the Empress, who represents the caring, mothering aspect. Then, there is the High Priestess who represents the strong, independent aspect. She holds herself to herself, knows what she wants, and gets the job done.

She is fiercely independent. The trouble is, even she sometimes needs a helping hand, but often, she is too independent to ask. And, she might feel that showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness so she carries on but therefore perhaps misses out on opportunities for growth and connection. That reluctance to ask for help, reliance on secrecy, and reticence can bring their own share of troubles. First, if we stay quiet about needing help, we miss opportunities to learn other ways of doing things. Second, we run the danger of becoming like the little hamster running in a wheel. The little guy runs, runs, runs, but he never gets anywhere.

Chances to change, learn, and grow must be grasped and utilized. If we don't, then we run the risk of remaining in a sort of stasis, like a deserted island. Sure, the island is pristine and lovely, but there's no life on it to bring it energy and vitality. 

The agitation that comes from stepping out of your comfort zone brings that spark and High Priestess can use that spark to fan all sorts of flames if she has the courage to make the choices that she internally knows she must make. But, often, the High Priestess remains a little removed from the mess of the every day and although she remains pristine, she also remains untouched and untouchable. 

That mess, that life brings the good, the bad, and the ugly. But, at least it brings ... something. And if what you don't want today is stagnation, then your mission is clear. Make your choice. Drink from one of the cups of chance and choose a path. Find that courage you already possess inside you. Once you do, you will be unstoppable.