2014 in Tarot Cards

The Year Ahead in Summary / Queen of Cups

Yes, it’s almost the end of January and I’m just now sharing my tarot spread for the year. But at least I did the spread on the first, right? In general, I’m pretty stoked about my spread. It’s got some potential for bumps, but what year doesn’t? With or without a tarot reading beforehand. I would say that, overall, it’s looking like a good year–and not just based on the Queen of Cups, or even the spread as a whole; the year so far has already been productive and positive, and I can only hope the majority of the rest will be just as pleasing.

I used a twelve-card spread with cards focusing on health, relationships, lessons, aspirations–a good variety of details for 2014. Interpreting was fun because with so many cards it was far more in-depth than I was used to.

The Interpretation, as taken from my notebook:

The last year was, overall, one of success, especially in overcoming (some) obstacles, big + small. An awareness of the universe as a whole proved itself a lesson–things work themselves out, and there is a bigger picture. The next year’s goals include taking action + concentrating, thereby achieving larger goals (writing). Find the motivation and focus to be successful; challenge yourself. Letting go, allowing yourself not to have all the answers will make endeavors smoother and more successful in the end. Don’t cling to control–trust the universe! The coming year will offer harmony among a number of people (Friends, family, work); struggles in work, with the inability to complete projects (find that motivation, that wild side, let things happen); drained energy and creative disruption, bringing you down physically (don’t let pressure hurt your health; and stunted sensitivity to others (listen to them and share your own feelings, but think before you speak). Be sure to take time for relationships. Make sure they are heartfelt. This year, take the time to learn what you want–what you really, really want–and take the steps towards it. Overall, the next year will be full of dreams, visions, and compassion. It will be spiritual, and intuition and the universe will reign.

One cool thing about this reading was that it feels relevant to my “one little word” choice for the year (which I’m not necessarily doing as an olw but rather as simply my focus for the year, if that distinction makes sense): challenge. I didn’t really try to put the two together, coming up with my word almost three weeks after I did the reading, but they seem to fit, and the word feels very right. Challenging myself is something I really need to do, and hopefully it’ll prove as good motivation to achieve my goals in 2014. I would say starting with this reading was a good challenge, as it was the largest spread I’ve done, with a lot of room for interpretation.

If you’re interested, the spread I referenced can be found at Biddy Tarot. I’m hoping to start writing my own spreads soon (another challenge to look forward to).

My Tarot Reading from Rachael of Talk2TheTrees

Last week I was lucky enough to get a tarot reading via Skype from Rachael, and it was fun in a variety of ways, not the least of which being that I could compare it to my first reading at a fair a few years ago–and Rachael’s reading was miles better than that one.

She wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about working with the Tarot more and when I commented on it, she offered a free one to me, so why would I say no to that? (Aside from anxiety at talking with new people, which I combated by simply not talking much when she called–sorry!) We set up a time, and she called me on Skype one afternoon last week. The reading wasn’t long, only about ten minutes or so, but it was creepy in an awesome way. A lot of what she told me felt specific and actually relevant to what we were discussing, unlike my reading at the fair where I would get questions like, “Does someone in your family have an interest in photography?” Those were a little too generic for me. But Rachael did such a wonderful job of describing the cards to me, both their image and meaning, and giving fairly concrete suggestions for what they could mean.

photo via Rachael

After, she also sent me an email with a photo of the spread she had done so I could see the cards for myself, along with everything she had told me so I could look back at the email if I had forgotten anything, which is of course super convenient. I did take notes while she spoke to me, but they weren’t as thorough as the email, so they’re only good for quick reference and reminders, not deep thoughts.

I don’t really feel like sharing what she told me about the cards because I tend to keep interpretations pretty close to myself, maybe sharing with Dan or my friend Kat, but I like sharing photos of the spreads that I get, both in this case and when I do my own readings. The spreads themselves don’t feel as personal; it’s the interpretations that really make it in my opinion, so I’m not as hesitant to let others come up with their own meanings when they see what I get since they probably come out differently. (Does all of that make sense?)

All of this to say: If you get the chance to get your cards read by Rachael, I recommend it. It’s fun, revealing, and she’s a total sweetheart.

It’s Friday; I’m in Love #7

writing letters on the lawn yesterday

This week has been rather wonderful and productive. My favorite day, I think, was Wednesday: sitting on the floor with craft supplies sprawled out around me, listening to podcasts, and decorating my filofax. I kept seeing awesome + inspiring ones on pinterest, so I decided I wanted mine to look organized in a super cute way too. I did find myself wishing I had some other options of washi tape, but I worked just fine with what I had. I’ve also kept up with my daily word count for the first time in weeks and got a fair amount of reading done. All in all, one of my favorite weeks lately.

The Nerdist podcast ♥ Kristin’s awesome blogiversary giveaway that I secretly don’t want to share with people so I can win ♥ mysteriously meowing Charlie in the entryway ♥ browsing Etsy for crystals ♥ The X-Files–I really love The X-Files ♥ drawing in my sketchbook + making my own art for the apartment ♥ waiting for my new owl Scentsy warmer ♥ writing letters to new pen pals ♥ mix CDs ♥ Jessikat’s Holistic Health series ♥ decorating my filofax ♥ browsing boots + boot socks for fall ♥ Starbucks peach green tea lemonade ♥ hanging up our new bedroom mirror

Three ways to make next week great:

• Finish my Tarot notes. I’ve been making notes on each card in a cool little notebook I’ve decorated for quite honestly a year now. I started them in Spring 2012 and somehow have yet to finish. I’m close, though; I have maybe nine or ten of the Major Arcana left. Then I can start my 52 week project of doing a reading every week. I get worn out making all the notes, though. I just need to buckle down and finish these last few up.
• Write more letters. I wrote a couple already this week, but I’ve gotten some new pen pals from tumblr + twitter, so I’d really like to get letters sent out to them soon. I also want to get some fun new envelopes, because even though I like making my own, it gets a little tiresome sometimes.
• Catch up on “Supernatural.” This is a silly and somewhat unproductive one, but it feels like we’ve been watching forever at this point, and it’d be nice to get to the end! Not that I’m not enjoying it. I’m just not a patient person sometimes (oftentimes).

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“It’s Friday; I’m in Love” is a weekly gratitude post. It aims to remind myself and others of the good things from the past week, big and small; to share ways to make the next week a positive one; and to serve as a record to look back on for the not-so-great days to come. The title comes from the song by The Cure.