Today's Tarot: Strength (patience, strength, inner knowing)

Today's Tarot: Strength

(patience, fortitude, inner knowing)

Ah, my favorite card in the deck and not just because it depicts a woman lovingly stroking a lion.

I've always loved this card because its name belies its true meaning. The word strength implies outer, physical strength (think the Chariot card if you want to go in that direction). It makes us think of some sort of display of that strength. But the Strength card is wilier and sneakier than that. It doesn't mean strong-arming a thing. Quite the contrary, it means internal moxie, if you will. It is all about knowing your inner landscape and being at peace with it.

If you look deep inside yourself, you will find a well, no, an ocean of reserves, often, when you least expect it to actually be there. We spend our lives being tested in one way or another. And, we often feel we have failed either others' expectations of us or more importantly, our own expectations of what we can do and whom we can be.

The Strength card calls on us to go inward, to go deep, and come out the other side with the certainty that we know who we are, we understand what we can do, and we are at peace about that state of ourselves. Then, we can move forward from that place of certainty and do whatever we need to do.

So, today, if you find yourself tested, don't be a gladiator. You don't need to prove a thing to anyone but yourself. Instead of reacting strongly, close your eyes, breathe deeply and connect your innerscape with the universe's outerscape. Don't know how to do that? It's not too difficult. As your eyes are closed, breathe in and note the sensation of taking in life-giving air. Send your senses out and note what you hear, smell, and touch. Acknowledge the clothes on your skin, the hair on your head, the sounds, hums, whirs, and chirps around you, and the feel of your body, mind, and spirit in this place and this time. The beauty of this connection is that it helps us remember that we are all part of it all and that goes for us, that which challenges us, and those who stand with us or against us. Once you have that connection established, open your eyes and face your challenge. With that strength, you will prevail.

And when in doubt, remember what that fabulous sage Youmei Zhang says so eloquently: "If not this door, another door."

Today's Tarot: Temperance (Balance, synchronicity, getting it just right)

Today's Tarot: Temperance

(Balance, Synchronicity, Getting it just right).

Imagine you were making marinara sauce. As it simmered, you would periodically grab a taste and see what it needed. A little more garlic? A little more oregano? As you tasted the sauce as it bubbled along in the process of cooking, you would add whatever the sauce required to make it a perfect balance of tangy, savory, and tasty.

To me, that's what the Temperance card means. Today, it will be about seeking the perfect combination and taking note of synchronicity. Myriad small and large events are happening to bring together the circumstances of your day and there is a lesson to be learned from every instance. Don't make any huge decisions today. Instead, look for patterns. Look for the recipe to be just right. Once you taste that perfect blend, then you can choose your path.

Self-Care, Self-Love, & Patience

This week's cards rock, on toast, with sugar-free, all natural jam.

The first card: Two of Cups. This card is all about connection, sharing, a soul-to-soul union. If the past comes calling (and by "the past," I mean an old lover/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend/snookly, and that person gave you warm fuzzies and you parted on good terms with love in your hearts, then by all means, consider giving it another go. If not, why then stay on the lookout this week for someone who will trip your "Universe Is Smiling On This Union" switch. Be careful not to jump guns, but seriously, this could be a beautiful foray into a whole new dimension in love.

If that "holy crap, how am I going to handle all this love coming at me" thing doesn't happen, then it's really time to look deep into your soul and see what you need to feel loved, cared for and joyful. Need a foot rub? go get one, or heck find directions on how to give yourself an at home foot spa treatment. In fact, here are some now: http://skincare.about.com/od/caringforyourfeet/ht/footspa.htm. Take the time to decide what you need and then do a wee bit of research and you will move toward that goal.

Tuesday, especially, you will want to practice self-care. If someone starts giving you grief, walk away. Don't engage. They aren't worth it. You deserve better and you know it.

The second card: Queen of Cups. Self-love in all its glory. What does it take to get us to go deep inside and find that small, secret, scared part of ourselves and then nurture it (which by the way is a revolutionary act)? What do we need in order to show ourselves compassion? How far down the road of stress and unhappiness do we need to get before we cut ourselves some slack? This is your mission should you choose to accept it.

This week: Be Kind To Yourself. Love yourself. Give yourself frequent breaks (particularly if you live in the really hot parts of the world. It's brutal out there and we have shorter fuses when nature is being extreme). Drink deeply from life's well, this week. Spend time in repose. Allow yourself to feel, really feel, what's going on inside. Figure out your needs and try to meet the ones you can meet. You might not be able to meet them all right now, but that doesn't mean you won't. And this way, you will at the very least have a set of needs identified. Once you have that, the rest becomes all about finding new and creative ways both to love yourself and to move forward on your path. Oh, and creativity plays a big role here. Be unapologetic about what you create. You are the artist of your own life and don't you forget it. Oh and for you artistic, creative types, now would be a great time to break out your old copy of Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" (or check it out from your library) and work through the book. You will be delighted that you did.

The third card: Temperance. "Be patient" is one of the worst things you can say to me. WTH?? I want it (whatever it is) and I want it now. The need for patience makes me want to tear out my own hair. I chafe about it. I gnaw and gnash over it. I am not good at it. And you know what? This week, the universe just doesn't give a flying rat's butt. This week (and perhaps longer, darn it) it's all about patience. Things come when they do. And it's our job to get over ourselves, sit down, hush up, and wait for the signal. We will know it when we see it. And it will come.