In order to approach the spiritual, we have to be pretty solid on the material plane. It's really hard to think about eternity when you're in survival mode, trying to meet your basic needs. But you made it! You're thriving, and you're ready for the next big stage. Take a moment to appreciate how far you've come.
When The Chariot shows up, it's a reminder that you have more than enough to survive, and you've checked off all the boxes on the material success list. Now it's time to go deeper. It's time to take care of your spirit. If there's something that feeds your soul and puts more kindness into the world, do it today. This is where the really wild journey starts!
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This card is from a Marseilles tarot deck I found this morning at the flea market. It was right next to a pewter USS Enterprise model, because it was totally meant for me (or some other space witch). I bought it from the original owner, who used it in the early 70s. He thanked the cards for their time with him and I promised to give them a good home. I'm so excited to get to know this beautiful deck!
Independence Day : The Chariot
Success is a container we build out of beliefs and priorities we receive from outside sources and the approval we seek outside ourselves. We work so hard to check off all the boxes for a "successful" life: home, job, money, partner, degree, possessions. But once we have this container of success, built on outside approval, and achievement, we realize it is empty. A perfect-on-paper life, lived without awareness of our soul, leaves us deeply unhappy. And our unhappiness is what often sparks our desire to search for truth and meaning. It's the feeling of, "I have all of this stuff, but I'm still not satisfied. There must be something more to life."
This is the call of The Chariot, to step away from the societal ideas of success, and connect with our soul. Today we're asked to tune into our soul's purpose: what do you truly desire to bring into the world? Let that desire lead you. The Chariot can be a vehicle for our soul's purpose rather than the ego's desire to find outer success. The invitation here is to harness our ambition and drive so it can be in service of our soul's work. In the Motherpeace image of the Chariot, the Amazon warrior on her soul's quest, is rewarded with an apple from the Goddess. When you are working from your soul, you can feel it. You may receive tokens that confirm you are on the right path. Reflect on ways that you've gotten confirmations that you're where you need to be. When have you put your drive behind your soul work, and things have just fallen into place, or you've found just the right person or idea at the right time? You're being asked to move forward based on your own internal guidance, and trust that you already have all you need to start doing your soul's work now.
It's not lost on me that this incredibly powerful card came up on the 4th of July! We are taught so well in this country to seek guidelines and approval outside of ourselves, and to practice "American" beliefs and behaviors. How often do we do things because we're told to, or we think other people expect it, or because that's how it's always been done? True independence is listening to your own soul, not just being able to do or buy whatever you want. I have a lot of complicated feelings about the United States, I'm sure we all do. We can't celebrate freedom and idealism without facing the fact that real people are suffering and dying in this country and abroad -- all to keep the white supremacist cis-het vaguely-christian misogynist state in power. These people are just as real and alive as you are, and are just as worthy of living.
Today, remember that patriotism is another way of creating an arbitrary "us vs them," and that dichotomy is one of the threads holding the idea of this country together. We can honor our history, and take action to change the present. As we tap into our personal soul work today, let us all remember that we are all humans, all connected, no matter where we live. Each of us is here at this time to dissolve separation, and serve the collective. We are independent and intertwined.
If you can today, please donate to the ACLU, PP, SPLC, or any local organizations doing good work. May all people everywhere be happy and free.
Old Year Out, New Year In
2016 has been a year of cracking open and growing, in ways I never had imagined. I'm going to reflect on this and put together a longer post on all the changes and lessons of the year. One thing that I want to talk about now that I did this year, is complete my first ever Instagram tarot challenge. This was hosted by Jeff Hinshaw and Lindsay Mack, co-facilitators of The Brooklyn Fools, and two of the most tuned-in tarot readers in the world.
The whole month was an amazing learning experience (see all the posts on my Instagram here) and the last two days really brought some perspective to this time as we move from the old year to the new year.
Brooklyn Fools Instagram Challenge Days 30 & 31
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Day 30, The world. What karmic cycles did I fully release in 2016?
2 of Cups (then also drew 7 of Cups and The Magician, before chilling out and accepting the first draw).
I fully released connection and friendship JUST KIDDING. But I did release a lot of my expectations of how relationships "should" be, reservations about showing up and being vulnerable in existing relationships and taking chances on new relationships. I've put more time into long term friendships and my relationship with my beautiful partner.
I made a lot of new friends this year, because I got out of my comfort zone and actually did new social stuff with strangers. It's been great making connections, and that includes all of you lovely people I've met through Instagram.
And this occurred to me later, but a big thing I released, in terms of how I approach relationships, was my restaurant job. I worked at a great little neighborhood place where I met lots of my current friends, both as my coworkers and guests. I left to make more room for my healing works, and to have more quality time with friends and family. But that means that I no longer have this built-in face time in my week, and if I want to see people, I have to do it on purpose, and put effort into making it happen. This has been a amazing change, releasing what had become a barrier, albeit a pleasant one, to deeper, more purposeful connections.
The other clarifying cards I pulled because I was resisting the 2 of Cups, but they touch on other lessons of the year. I pulled 7 of Cups on day 27 of this challenge (message: get out of your head, your decision is made, now it's time to work on it), and The Magician (message: you have all this magic, time to put it out in the world) was my overall card for all of 2016.
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Day 31. What medicine does 2017 hold for me?
The Chariot.
HELL YES. I am so ready to move forward and embrace success and fulfill my potential. This sounds like another year of making things happen, which is great. The Chariot is balance in motion, and I'm ready to learn to incorporate some movement. I can do staying-still balance pretty well but this is new territory. I've learned so much this past year, and now it's time to put those lessons into action. I'm going to learn to trust the motion, trust what comes up for me, and work on moving from one yes to another. Bring it on, I'm ready.
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Thank you for hosting this challenge, Jeff and Lindsay. It's been amazing working with these questions and learning to tune in deeper and trust bigger. I'm grateful that you share your wisdom and experience so generously. Much love to everyone else who participated in the challenge, I've truly enjoyed reading your insights. I can't wait to see how we all continue evolving in 2017.
Mind Body Spirit + Advice
Sometimes you don't have to know why something happens, you just have to trust that it's part of the process. Keep moving, keep working, it'll make sense in time.
Mind: The Fool
There is literally no impediment to taking big chances in your thoughts. None! So what are you waiting for? What seems too big to even dream about? What would you really, truly love to make happen, that you're still a little bit afraid of actually doing? Take your wildest dreams, and crank them up a billion percent. This leap in your mind will prepare you to make the leap in your life. Right now, you're invited to imagine and envision the end result.
Body: The Chariot
Move that body, feel at home in it. Keep it strong and healthy. But while you're doing all of this, remember that a body is also a one-way ticket. You're never going to be able to escape or reverse aging, no matter how many fancy creams you buy, or how many probiotics you eat. Can you love your body as it is right now, and as it's aging? Can you be really present in the daily processes of your body? Your body is your vessel, and it also IS you. Take some time to really be in your body and feel its potential. If you can run, run. If you can breathe, breathe.
Spirit: 3 of Swords
Everything that comes to you is a spiritual lesson. Even if it's a fight or heartbreak, or just getting your hackles up about the barista running out of change when you're already late for work. See if you can hold those daily grievances with love, rather than feeding them to the fire of an old trauma. For instance, when somebody talks over you, and that triggers feelings about your worth and your parents. Can you notice when that happens, and your response to it? These daily irritations scratch the surface so you can find the bigger underlying wounds, and start healing them.
Advice: 7 of Pentacles
This card has been coming up a lot over the past few months, for me and for others. Gotta do the work, put in the hours. Show up every day, do your best, check one more day off the calendar. You build mastery through consistency. You build consistency one day at a time. We are being asked to take all of the advice of the three previous cards, and put those actions into our day-to-day life. Imagination, grounding in our bodies, gentle self-healing. Take those threads and weave with them.