Welcome to The Willow Path Tarot!

Hello! Welcome to The Willow Path Tarot! I’m Deirdre, a professional tarot reader who proudly started this business in 2014. My calling in life is tarot and I would love to share this with you. The ‘Tarot Readings’ tab above will fill you in on the insightful and intuitive tarot readings I offer. I focus on self-awareness and self-empowerment through the tarot. Let’s help you gain clarity and confidence!

Beyond my tarot reading offerings, you will find lots of interesting info about the tarot on this site. Scroll on down to read my recent blog posts and be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a post. I send this out monthly with a special New Moon Tarot Reading to help us set powerful intentions with the moon cycles. The ‘Card Meanings‘ tab will lead you to my progress on developing my very own tarot deck. For all those interested in my special combination of travel, photographs and love of tarot, I have a series on Travel Tarot as well. Stay a while and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to leave comments- I’d love to connect with you! My email is thewillowpathtarot@gmail.com!

A Compassionate New Moon in Pisces, March 6th, 2019

Pisces energy is fluid, it’s gentle, it’s intuitive, and it’s artistic. Pisces is the dreamer, the poet, and the spiritual seeker. With Mercury retrograde in the sign of Pisces, along with the Sun and Neptune, there is a deep current of emotion running through our lives at this time. There is a need to surrender to what is, to allow, to accept, to be one with the Universe. Forces outside of our control are shifting the elements of our lives, but we get to decide how to adapt and shift our mindset to accommodate these new circumstances. Be careful to draw the line between fantasy and reality, dreams and goals, and truth versus sweet nothings at this time. We want to be able to float, but we don’t want to get swept out to drift aimlessly.

Here are the tarot cards to help guide our intentions for the month ahead:

Ostara Tarot: V of Wands, III of Pentacles, VIII of Cups

I intend to be more compassionate and listen to my inner guidance.
How can I be more compassionate and listen to my inner guidance?- 

V of Wands: It’s time to release conflict in order to be a more compassionate person. This could be either inner conflicts that you have within yourself or interpersonal conflicts you are engaged in with others. Either way, or quite possibly both ways!, the tension needs to ease. So how does one go about easing conflict? Well, the first step is to acknowledge that conflict exists, that you are perpetuating that conflict, and then deciding that you actually want to let it go. Oftentimes, we won’t even admit that we are holding a grudge or grievance, and even if we do, we think it’s an essential part of us that we must hold onto. We think by holding onto a grievance we will eventually “win” and the other person will accept “defeat”. This isn’t how thing usually go, though.

To ease conflict, one must forgive. That doesn’t mean you excuse or condone what someone else did. It doesn’t mean that you must forget or reconcile or pardon someone.  It does mean that you accept what happened and decide that you aren’t going to carry the past around with you. You put down the negative thoughts, you leave behind plans for revenge, and you stop poisoning yourself with replaying the offense over and over in your head. Forgiveness is when you stop eating the poison and expecting the other person to die. Your inner guide wants you to put down your poison, put down revenge, put down negativity. All of this is compassion in action.

I intend to express myself creatively and follow my artistic vision.
How can I express myself creatively and follow my artistic vision?- 

III of Pentacles- There is so much to learn! You really need to continue to develop your skill sets and talents in order to express yourself creatively and follow your artistic vision. The best thing to do is practice, practice, practice. Whatever it is that you want to create, get started creating it now, even if you don’t think you’re ready and will only produce crap. It’s time to get making a big pile of crap and learn a lot in the process. Unless you are incredibly lucky, you’re not going to be perfect at your desired art without putting in the work. Start that work now, intend to develop and hone your craft this month. Any progress is better than continued hesitation waiting for the perfect moment when you’ll be ready.

You will also really benefit from working with others or with a team in this coming month. Pisces energy loves friends and connections, sharing and caring. Even if your specific project is one that you want to create alone, find other creative people to talk to about your progress and get interested in their goals as well. If you can take a class, do research, find a mentor, or in some way learn from someone who knows more than you do, that will be of great benefit in meeting your intention to be more creative this month. Everything becomes much more compassionate and beautiful when we decide not to live our lives alone.

I intend to see through delusion and fantasy and root myself in reality.
How can I see through delusion and fantasy to root myself in reality?- 

VIII of Cups- Check in with your emotions right now and notice what is causing you pain, isn’t in alignment with your highest values, and hurts your heart. Perhaps you are engaging in work that makes you feel like you’re contributing to negativity in the world. Perhaps you are indulging in  addictive or numbing behaviors that are cutting you off from your highest self. Perhaps you feel trapped in relationships, be they romantic or friendship relationships, that are holding you back or damaging your self esteem. It’s time to take a good look at what you’re deluding yourself about and realize that true happiness lies somewhere else. It isn’t in your work, or your happy hour cocktail, or your relationship. Happiness comes from a compassionate heart, a calm mind, a trust in your inner guidance to bring you the experiences you need in life to grow and develop into your best self. Happiness is accepting what is.

The VIII of Cups can be a sad card of letting go. The V of Wands can be a frustrating and difficult card of letting go. The III of Pentacles can be a challenging card that tells you that you have to act, you have do something, you can’t manifest your dreams while sitting in the shadows. When we set intentions for the month, we can’t just say them once and then expect amazing results. We have to work at these things. We have to wake up each morning and strengthen our hearts with the intention to be compassionate. We have to schedule time into our days to work on our art. We have to repeatedly remind ourselves to see reality and not avoid our pain and suffering. Suffering is here to remind us that we are alive and learning and growing. It is the undercurrent of our lives, pointing us towards happiness. Work towards your intentions this month with a gentle vigor appropriate to Pisces energy and you will be able to look back at the next New Moon and see yourself growing and expanding as a human being.

All Beginnings are Possible with the New Moon in Aquarius, February 4th, 2019

Happy New Moon in Aquarius! It’s that time again- time to set our intentions for the coming moon cycle. And guess what this New Moon is good for in the intention setting department? Any new beginning you can imagine! How awesome is that? There is so much potential to set off in any direction you desire at this time. If you are dreaming it, you are ready to go for it. And chances are that you have been dreaming it for a while now, clearing and cleaning space to make room for the new. Don’t let this amazing opportunity pass by. It’s time to seize the day and get your show on the road.

Your new beginning could be big or small, it is the intention you put into achieving that beginning that is most important. You can live that intention starting right now. Perhaps you, like me, haven’t gotten around to setting intentions and goals for the year 2019. Or maybe you just like to make your big plans for the year when the New Moon is in Aquarius, coinciding with the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year/Imbolc. It finally feels like winter is tipping ever so slightly towards spring and there is a hint of kinetic energy in the air. Winter and hibernation will come to an end soon. What will you create during the next cycle of your life, both with the moon and with the calendar year?

Let’s look at what the tarot has to offer us for advice at this New Moon in Aquarius:

Ostara Tarot: Page of Wands rx, Wheel of Fortune, II of Cups rx, King of Cups rx, IX of Wands

What energy will help you best set intentions for the moon cycle?– Page of Wands rx
You need to go inside, dive into your essential center, and start to boost up your self-esteem. There is a tremor of self doubt undermining your creative vision at this time. You don’t quite have your feet under you. Perhaps you lack self-confidence due to past attempts to achieve your goals that didn’t end with the intended results. There are no mistakes! Everything you have tried before has taught you important lessons that you are ready to integrate into your next attempt. Never stop trying. There is a creative vision inside of you, full of inspiration and enthusiasm. It’s worth the effort to stoke that spark of fire inside of you. This your pep talk from me, but you could also use a good pep talk from your own soul. Look into your eyes in the mirror and affirm to yourself that you have killer ideas, plenty of energy, and you will go out and make things happen for yourself!

What area of your life is ready for a new beginning this moon cycle?- Wheel of Fortune
Like I wrote in the introduction to this reading, anything goes at this New Moon in Aquarius. The Wheel of Fortune is spinning and you can put out your hand to stop it at any point that ignites your interest. Your new beginning may come as a surprise, a stroke of luck, a feeling of destiny as an unlooked for door suddenly opens before you. Or your new beginning could be a long mulled over and highly anticipated step in a direction you’ve been considering for quite sometimes. No matter how the path opens up before you, do not fail to start walking down it. Keep your mind open and optimistic. Often the paths offered to us lead where we want to go, but not in the way we wanted to get there. You can’t always design your path, but at least you can design your attitude.

How can you be your unique self, honest and true?-  II of Cups rx
The thing about being your unique self is that this newly authentic and honest expression of yourself can rock the boat of your routine world. You may be super jazzed about changes you want to make and self-development work you want to do, but people around you, including your most cherished loved ones, might not be as excited to see you change. The pressure to conform, to stay the same, to keep the status quo can be intense. This is because you changing implies that other people have to change, and people don’t like to change when they feel pressured and out of control. So your challenge this month will be- not giving a fuck what other people think of you. Yes, easier said than done, but when the end result is you feeling like you are true to yourself- it’s worth the risk. Some people in your life may jump ship now that you’ve changed, but you can bless their journeys and steer your own course now. It’s going to take courage, but the love you have for yourself in your own heart will buoy you up during the storm.

How can you look at your life in an inventive new way?- King of Cups rx
It’s time to develop a new relationships with your own emotions. Let’s be honest, sometimes our emotions get the better of us and run the show… often into the ground. You may use your emotions as an excuse for your escapist or addictive behaviors. You can also use positive emotions to make excuses, like doing things out of love or because they feel good. But we all know that our emotions lie to us all the time, they manipulate us and lead us astray. Yet, we still seem to go back to them, stoke them up, use them to get what we want. There’s gotta be a better way to live! Maybe a good first step for the month ahead is to simply acknowledge how you work with your emotions, especially how you seek to avoid the “unpleasant” ones and use the “nice” ones to cover up and avoid pain. Developing a new relationship with painful emotions, allowing them to exist and pass through you is the next step, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Start with just watching how you weasel away from unpleasantness and eventually the noticing will lead you to the next step of going through your darkest pain to come out again into the light.

How can you express yourself more clearly and creatively?- IX of Wands
Express yourself with courage and consistency. You have something to say and you will feel vulnerable, exposed, and revealed by proclaiming yourself. We already talked about how a lot of people may not like what you have to say. The IX of Wands assures you that you should persevere, though. Nothing good comes from conforming to the crowd and believing the naysayers. When it feels like everyone is out to get you and you’re depleted and losing ground, just stop and breath. You are strong. You are brave. You can keep going. Meditate on the paradox that you are your highest self right now and also constantly evolving towards your higher self. This moment is a test of your faith. Be resilient, flexible, and adaptable, but never give up!

Okay, that is the tarot reading for everyone at this Aquarius New Moon. If you’re inspired to get a personal reading from me, hop on over to my readings page and order one today! Blessed New Moon and keep up the good work!

A Responsible New Moon in Capricorn Reading, January 5th, 2019

Welcome to the first New Moon of 2019! As usual, this first New Moon of the year occurs in the sign of Capricorn, lending us responsible energy to create plans and structures for the year ahead. This New Moon is super charged, too, as it also a solar eclipse along the Capricorn-Cancer axis of the sky. This astrological event gives an extra bump to the intentions you set now ton continue over the next six months, especially in the areas of career, achievements, accountability, and your public life out there in the world.

Capricorn is disciplined and practical so today holds a wonderful dose of get ‘er done focus. Take out your planner or just a sheet of paper and create a map for your year ahead. What do you want to accomplish? Try not to get too anxious about your long-term vision, just use what you know now. You can simply plan in times to check in on your vision and readjust your goals. Nothing is set in stone and being flexible and adapting to changing circumstances are the best ways to get you where you want to go anyway. The key now is just to start, to dream, to structure, to say to yourself that there is a way for your dreams to become reality. You can also organize your environment, decluttering and cleaning up, but especially getting rid of old things so you can make room for the things the new year brings you.

Here are a few questions you could ask the tarot now to help you with your intention setting and goal planning at this amazing New Moon in Capricorn:

• What do I need to let go of so I can create room for the new in my life?
• How can I take responsibility for my life and increase my ability to be accountable?
• How can I commit to my success?
• What does my body need from me at this time to feel cared for?
• How can I make the world a better place for all future generations?

Now here is a reading for the collective at this time using the prompts above!

Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck

What do you need to let go of so you can create room for the new in your life?-
Knight of Swords
There is too much restless energy and hasty action in you now. You need to slow down! You need to stop writing more To Do Lists, seriously, put that list away right this minute! The Knight of Swords represents a whole lot of action, but not necessarily the values behind the frenzy. Take a step back and ask yourself why you are creating these to dos. Do they fit your life vision, do they make you happy, are they in balance with your personal belief system? There’s a real need to step back right now and stop acting for the sake of action itself. This life is not a race, this life is not a To Do list with lots of checked off items, we don’t exist to be busy all the time. Create more space for quiet, relaxation, and stillness.

How can I take responsibility for my life and increase my ability to be accountable?-
IX of Wands
You need to start following through on your plans, even when the going gets tough. So often, when we are met with challenges, especially multiple challenges to our goals, we just stop trying. It’s too hard. It’s not worth it. I can just be happy with what I’ve got. This attitude will not earn you any responsibility points with the Universe, though. When you give up on your dreams, the Universe responds by letting you sink back to your initial level, gives you a break, and then challenges you again when you next try to uplevel. It’s not easy to stay on track towards progress! If it were easy, everyone would be meeting goals left and right and becoming the best versions of themselves overnight. You need to find your courage. You need to be resilient. You need to be flexible on the how but not on the outcome. Persistence is the key, especially when your faith is tested and you feel like giving up. Hold yourself accountable by reminding yourself that only you can create your best life, and luckily you are a strong, brave warrior goddess who doesn’t give up EVER.

How can I commit to my success?- King of Swords reversed
The King of Swords reversed asks you to put away indecisiveness and pick a direction. Perhaps you are waiting for “things to make sense” or to gain some kind of amazing mental clarity which will tell you what to do. Maybe you’re even waiting for a super intelligent person to lay out your best path for you and push you in the right direction. It’s time to put those limited notions aside. Yes, it’s hard to make commitments without all the information. You’re worried that you will make the wrong decision and ruin the rest of your life. Delaying a decision and a path because you can’t predict the future is a sure way to stay stuck forever, though. It’s time to trust your intuition, to put logic aside and listen to the voice of your inner knowing. You’ll be surprised how much it has to say to you if you stop in to listen. Tell your divine essence that you acknowledge yourself and will no longer delay in committing to the life you want, no matter how many of your personal demons you will have to confront. The King of Swords has a mighty sword to confront his demons with, you are not powerless or impotent. You can meet your issues, you can solve your problems, you can get to the next layer of your soul. 

What does my body need from me at this time to feel cared for?- IV of Cups reversed
The IV of Cups reversed asks you to meet your body in your current state. There is a strong desire to look at your body as it was in your youth or at some point in the past when it became the way you see yourself today. The important thing to know is that your body is different now. You are aging overtime and you can’t revert to some previous version of your body that needed different things or felt a different way. This applies to whether you loved your body more in the past or if you have drastically improved the physical health of your body but still see yourself as the past unhealthy version of yourself. Women especially have a hard to really seeing what the mirror is reflecting back at them. Your body wants to be loved the way it is RIGHT NOW. Take a moment to look at your body and associate positive and grateful feelings for it. Now matter what state of health or appearance your body is in, it is ALIVE and slowly moving towards death. Isn’t it interesting to know that we all have that in common every single day?

How can I make the world a better place for all future generations?- VIII of Cups rx
We all need to sit down right now and acknowledge that the way we treat ourselves, the ways we treat each other, and the way we treat the Earth all create the world we are living in and will hand down to the next generation. We are all responsible for making this world the best place it can be, which I think we all agree can be a hold heck of a lot better than it is currently. We each need to commit to walking away from certain outmoded ways of living. We can’t continue to create as much waste just because it’s convenient to use disposable products. We can’t continue to eat foods that ruin our environment just because they are convenient and what we’ve always eaten. We can’t continue to other and marginalize people who aren’t like us just because our religious or political leaders are telling us that is the only way to be safe. We aren’t safe! The world is deteriorating into chaos, hate, violence, and pollution all around us. The best thing you can do is walk away from this world… and start walking in the world you want to live in in the future. Act as if what you are doing to create more love in the world is making a different, because it is!

Okay, that’s our New Moon Reading for Capricorn on this January 5th, 2019. I hope you find some time to do a personal New Moon reading for yourself using these prompts. Let me know if you do! If you’re interested in getting a reading from me, just order one up and I’d be more than happy to offer you the insight and empowerment that the tarot has for you at this time. Happy New Moon!  

 

A Personal Reading for the New Year 2019

Happy New Year! Each year I love to sit down and enjoy some “me time” by delving into the energy of my year ahead using the insight and guidance of the tarot. I use the spread that I offer to everyone on my email tarot readings page so you can get an idea of what my reading style is and if you would like a similar reading for yourself. I’ll be offering this reading until January 13th, so you can order one any time up until then 🙂

I wish each of us the positivity and perseverance to make 2019 an incredibly satisfying and enjoyable year for ourselves, and for each other. 

Now, here’s my reading for me!

The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck

1. A 2019 overall theme card: V of Cups reversed
2. A positive influence to guide me: II of Swords reversed
3. An energy that will challenge my growth: The High Priestess reversed
4. A message to promote abundance, gratitude, and healing: VI of Swords 
5. Relationship/love influence ahead: The Empress reversed
6. Career/work energy ahead: IV of Pentacles reversed
7. Wellbeing/spiritual calling coming: II of Cups

Let the reading begin! The first thing I noticed about these cards is that I drew mostly reversals. This is a call to go inside and process a major change in my outer world with a corresponding transition of my internal world. 2018 was an incredibly challenging year for me, perhaps more so than any year of my life. I suffered a major loss that caused me to swing between denial and depression for the last six months. Change in life situations can be difficult to impossible when a corresponding inner transition does not accompany the outward changes of circumstances. I’m ready to accept my loss and start healing.

The V of Cups reversed as the theme card of my year ushers in a year of acceptance, healing, and moving on. I’m at a turning point, as every 5 card indicates. I’m still in the struggle, but the reversal shows me that I am making progress, I am ready to move on and acceptance that the past cannot be changed. I am determined to release and let go, but also uncertain of what the future holds. I feel like I’m in an in between place, processing an ending before starting a developmental journey that will be the beginning of a new chapter of my life. The V of Cups reversed reminds me to be gentle and quiet, especially when it comes to my emotions which can be volatile and erratic. Dealing with disappointment, regret, and loss requires substantial time and patience and I want to give those to myself this coming year.

The acceptance that I feel gives me hope for the next chapter of my life. I intend to be more self-aware, more empathetic, stronger, wiser, self-validating, self-possessed and more creative. I have a lot of exploration, reflection, and redesign work to do in my head, heart, and very spirit. Hopefully, the outcome of that internal work will be a more evolved version of myself, built upon the new knowledge I gained during this transition period. The V of Cups reversed gives me encouragement that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that painful, messy growth is sometimes the best option available, and that I will be okay.

The II of Swords reversed is a positive influence to guide me in the year ahead. Honestly, this feels more like a warning that a warm hug. I am confused and disoriented about what comes next in my life, and have a tendency to take in a lot of information and advice in order to choose my best path. Perhaps the II of Swords reversed is patting me on the back for getting off of social media for a while. I decided to put Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter out of my life for the foreseeable future. My brain is overwhelmed with new information from all angles, which just isn’t helpful. I want to make decisions about my future that are based on my values and what’s best for me. Being in touch with that inner knowing can be difficult when I bombard myself with all kinds of messages about how to life my best life. Even positive, life-affirming messages can be too much for a soul in full-on growth phase. I need to keep it simple and quiet.

The II of Swords also shows the positive influence of taking a break from trying to integrate two opposing points of view. Being in disagreement and conflict for the last half of the year has left me frazzled and weary of continuing to state my opinions, philosophies, and beliefs without any change or compromise. The space between viewpoints feels like the blackhole depicted in the II of Swords above. Instead of a vibrant and alive space, it feels dull and dead. Taking a break from that conflict, just focusing on myself, and being quiet sounds fantastic at the moment. This space to myself is a positive influence in 2019.

The High Priestess reversed as the energy that will challenge my growth really supports this idea of quiet and calm. This card represents the subconscious and the use of intuition. Being a tarot reader, you won’t be surprised that I highly value the use of intuition in decision making and planning out life path steps. It may surprise you to learn that I don’t feel like I have been connected to my intuition. The denial that I wrote of earlier is part of that. I had created an identity for myself based upon my life situation instead of upon my eternal self or “me-ness”. When the reality of my life situation changed, I didn’t know who I was anymore, which is an unhealthy way to live. Denying the need for internal transition and creation of a self-validated identity blocked my intuition last year. It would burst out in fits and tantrums (literally!) but then I would shove it away again. “It’s time to change, Deird. You have to let go. Your reality has changed and you can’t stay the same.” But I wouldn’t listen.

My challenge in the year ahead is to start listening to my intuition again. The II of Swords reversed shows me stuck in a situation in which I can’t figure out which path forward will have the least negative consequences for me. The High Priestess reversed calls me to trust and have faith that I’ll pick the right path for me if I just quiet down and listen. One of the challenges that comes with this is that this quiet time is very self-focused after a period of intense interest and dependence on other people’s emotions and needs. It is extremely hard for me to put my needs first and breaking from this pattern requires intense effort on my part. Learning to acknowledge my own wants and need, self-validate, and hold onto myself in the face of other’s demands is my current challenge. Meeting that challenge will allow amazing growth for me.

The hard messages of the last two cards are softened by the healing energy of the VI of Swords. Finally an upright card! and this one shows the shift towards a new mindset and perspective on life. It may be difficult, dark, and unwanted but it is definitely happening, no if, ands, or buts about it.  I must remember, though, that relief is not withheld from me now or in the future. This transition holds healing, it is a rite of passage, it is a movement from one stage of life to the next. The movement is subtle and sometimes excruciatingly slow, but there is a shifting and I will arrive on a distant shore a healthy and more whole version of myself. There is no reason to look back with regret or imagine that the past wasn’t “real.” The past was what I was capable of as the person I was at the time. Now I am transforming and will be capable of more.

The VI of Swords often indicates travel and that is something that I think would be very healing for me. I am not in a place financially where I can afford travel, but making plans and saving up are the only things currently on my agenda for the year. I always love to travel, it allows me to stay present in the moment much more easily than in my day-to-day life. Being in the present is a wonderful place to be. It is the time when everything is happening. I’m grateful for all the opportunities that I’ve had to travel in the past and hopeful and excited about future possibilities for travel. I also recognize that I am traveling at this moment, just not physically, all the movement is within me, happening at a glacial and elegant pace.

The VI of Swords indicates a low mood, the blues, and depression. The thing for me to remember is that this is normal and that pruning back, healing, regeneration, and new growth can all happen here. It certainly doesn’t feel good to be depressed but it is a necessary part of the transition process. Everyone has their winter, when everything dies and the world gets cold. At this darkest time, we can still remember the warmth of the summer and hold hope for the spring. Taking things one day at a time, noting what progress I do make, and being gentle and patient with myself are all recommended.

I drew The Empress reversed for my love/relationship energy going into 2019. Perhaps it hasn’t been abundantly obvious if you don’t know me, but this loss that I’m dealing with is one of love and relationship. The Empress reversed also indicates a need for some alone time to believe in myself again, to get in touch with my own needs and wants in life, outside of my relationship. I’ve been neglecting my own power, my own place, my own life path. I’m uncertain about what the future of my relationship is, besides knowing that what is was is over and what comes next is unknown- something or nothing that is left to be seen.

The Empress reversed reminds me that I need to be careful not to place myself in a situation where I’m waiting to see what happens, though. This isn’t about my relationship anymore, whatever it was is over, and whatever it is going to be is uncertain. In that uncertainty I need to work on my own emotional issues and mental problems and spiritual calling. This is independent and personal work that I’m doing, not to try and patch things up or pass the time waiting, but rather now is my time. It’s all about my relationship with myself. I want to believe in myself again. I want to trust myself. I want to validate myself. I want to live my values. I want to get ahold of myself and feel together internally again.

The Empress reversed is also an indicator for depressed mood and negativity, this time in the area of love. What can I say- I’m a bag of laughs these days!  Okay, see I still do have a sense of humor, but I’m also okay with being sad. I’m not going to fight it. I’m not going to pretend everything is fine. I’m not going to pretend I’m enjoying this. I’m not going to try and avoid, ignore, or speed up this winter mood. Sometimes I laugh because I say I love personal development and growth, but then when I’m presented with it so obviously and immensely, I’m all, “No thanks! This sucks!” It doesn’t help to remind myself that I will look back on this time as hugely meaningful and important, but I do still know that that is true. 

The presence of The High Priestess reversed and The Empress reversed indicates a need to connect more positively with my feminine energy. I have been passive to the point of being disconnected from my abundant creativity and personal life energy. This doesn’t mean I have to push myself to do, do, do and create. Rather it’s time to nurture and love myself quietly and calmly. Building myself back up may take a while as I reconnect to my calm inner center, my ability to manifest magic, my inner beauty and my inspiration to create. This is a gentle process with no need for the pressure to suddenly be restored and in the full swing of creation. Life is a complex interconnected system, not a machine that can be quickly fixed with new parts. A solid foundation of self love, self esteem, and self possession can flow out into all areas once it is firmly established. That is something I really need to work on this year with The Empress and The High Priestess as my guides.

For the work and career energy of my 2019 I drew the IV of Pentacles reversed. This points out a relative lack of interest in career stability in my life at the moment. Going through so much turmoil in my relationship department has really pulled my focus away from the material world of finances and work. Of course, I still need money to live my life and I’ve been mostly focused on not spending too much so that I can feel secure that I’m not living outside of my means. This could be a great time figure out what my needs actually are and step outside of my usual comfort zone of work to try and meet those needs. It doesn’t look like 2019 is shaping up to be a financially successful year, but knowing that that energy is lacking in my life right now could be just the kick in the pants I need to start turning things around for myself.

Lastly, I drew the II of Cups for the energy of wellbeing and spirituality that 2019 brings with it. I love, love, love seeing this card as the last one in the reading. It evokes a sense of self love and living in alignment with my values that I really need right now. When a person truly loves themselves, validates themselves, and can stand on her own two feet, that is when she is most capable of forming meaningful and lasting relationship with another person. I aim to see myself positivity, honor and respect myself, treat myself how I want to be treated by others, so to say. The II of Cups comforts me that I am following my spiritual calling and doing what is best for my wellbeing at this time. I’ve felt out of alignment with the Universe, like the Universe is playing cruel and unusual tricks on me. I know that that is not how the Universe works, I just can’t see the patterns, the master plan, all of destiny laid out before me- and I never will! But I will see pieces, and I will be consoled, and certain things that I need to know now will come to light in their own time and way.

As far as physical wellbeing, the II of Cups suggest balance and moderation in all things. When we take care of our emotional needs, we often end up simultaneously addressing the physical ailments of the body. When we work and relax in equal measure, it can quiet the mind and the body. When we spend as much time exploring and uncovering our inner world as we do creating in the outer world, we derive more peace and joy in life. This year I need to remember to harmonize the duality within me between the internal feminine and the external masculine energies. This is wonderful advice for anyone but especially those who have been doing far too much and are getting increasingly overwhelmed by the demands of the modern world and society. Maybe you too want to take a break from social media for a while?  😉

Okay, I am going to leave it on that positive note. This reading was uncomfortably personal for me and I may only leave it up for the short time that this reading spread is available to order on the email readings page. This is a great example of how a tarot reading can bring up present uncomfortable truths, things we don’t want to face but when we do, we grow exponentially. Are you ready to discover the transformative power of tarot?

Happy New Year 2019!!

Expanding with the New Moon in Sagittarius, December 6, 2018

Happy New Moon!  Another moonth has gone by and we again have the chance to renew or reinvent our intentions for the month ahead with the power of the newly waxing moon. This time around the Moon will be in Sagittarius, a fire sign bursting with expansive and optimistic energy. You want to make sure that you focus on those areas of your life where you actually want expansion and growth. If you find yourself getting caught up in what isn’t working, you may end of creating more problems and troubles for yourself! Make a special effort with this New Moon to practice gratitude for what you have and appreciate those parts of your life that are humming along just dandy. This positivity will be supported by Sagittarius’ optimistic outlook and extend evolution and healthy growth in other areas of your life that may not be so free and clear right now.

Know that Sagittarius loves to philosophize as well, so this New Moon time is the perfect opportunity to contemplate the meaning of your life. Make the effort to consider whether or not your actions are aligned with the goals and values you aspire to in this lifetime. We can easily get offtrack from our highest aspirations when we bog ourselves down in the day-to-day of what we want, want, want right now! This New Moon gives you the power to zoom way out and get some perspective on what it all means and how the little things you do either create or sabotage your best life.

Here is a little insight from the tarot for intention setting with the New Moon in Sagittarius:

Linestrider Tarot: The Emperor, IX of Cups, V of Swords

Where am I ready to grow and expand in my life?- The Emperor
Oh yeah! I love this message of The Emperor! You are ready to grow and expand in every aspect of your life because you are powerful, in control, and disciplined.The Emperor is self-possessed and regal in action, ruling the empire with a firm and steady hand. You understand the effort and the work that is required to realize your dreams. You also know that you are capable and willing to do whatever it takes. This will be a great month for consolidating family ties, getting your household in order, organizing your work and finances, and just being a boss at life. Perhaps you’ve been spending without thought, or earning less money than usual- time to turn that around. Perhaps you’ve been neglecting family time or disconnecting from your tribe- time to tune back in and reconnect. Maybe you’ve just felt out of control and chaotic in all aspects of your life- well, it’s time to put some new rules in place, create boundaries, and set things back in order. Sagittarius offers you expansion so set your sights bigger than ever before so you can make that super leap to the next level.

What actions can I take to move my life to the next level?- IX of Cups
The best action you can take to get yourself to that next level is to live in a state of gratitude and abundance. Even if you have to start with the smallest details, do it. “I am grateful to be breathing air. I am grateful to have a beating heart. Etc.” Hopefully, you can take a more expansive view if your personal life is shit and be thankful for the oceans, forests, colors, the internet, bears!, whatever it takes to get you in a state of wonder and joy about life. When you take satisfaction and feel fulfilled, the Universe recognizes you as a person who enjoys the good stuff in life and offers you more good stuff. You’re attracting what you’re putting out so put out a sense of appreciation for all that exists that is good. Practice swiftly letting go of negative emotions and vicious thought patterns whenever you notice yourself engaging in these types of destructive behaviors. You are blessed to be alive. Once you didn’t exist and then, out of nothing, you came into form. What amazing things are you going to create, birth, manifest, bring into form in this lifetime?

What do I need to release in order to create room for expansion?- V of Swords
You gotta release the negativity and the naysaying, the lack mentality and the competition! There is plenty of success and happiness for each and every person on this planet. Your success and happiness is not, and should not be, contingent upon someone else’s misery and failure. Let go of the idea that you have to be better than someone else. Let go of the idea that you need to earn more money than everyone else. Let go of the thought that you need to be smarter, stronger, have more, do more, be more than anyone else. This isn’t you against the world. We each get what we require and what deserve in this life. There is plenty to go around and then there is even still more for everyone again. When we separate ourselves, divide ourselves in to the haves and the have nots, the us versus them, the good versus the bad, the right versus the wrong, etc. we deny the basic fact that we are all human and all equal. Can you see that equality? Release all the rest of your cultural patterning that has taught you differently. It’s not going to be easy but it is a worthy cause that will make your world a more beautiful and happy place.

I hope you enjoyed this reading for the New Moon in Sagittarius. If you would like a personalized reading- just shoot me an email: thewillowpathtarot@gmail.com.  I’m available for email readings, Skype readings, or in-person reading depending upon your location. I look forward to connecting with you and helping you live your best life with the help of the tarot!  

Relationships Reflection with the New Moon in Libra, October 8, 2018

The New Moon we are graced with today is in Libra, the sign ruled by the planet Venus. If you’re into astrology at all, you’ve probably heard much talk recently about the Venus retrograde cycle that is currently taking place. Starting on October 5th, and lasting for the next 40 days till November 16th, Venus will appear to backtrack across the sky and the zodiac signs of Scorpio into Libra. The retrograde movement of the planets is associated with going within, reflection, and reassessment. These energies are particularly potent within the realm of Libra/Venus which rules relationships, the feminine, balance, love, and values. We will all feel a summons to reexamine our relationships: our romantic relationships, friendships, business partnerships, and most importantly our relationship to ourselves. This is a great time to ask the tarot for some guidance on what intentions can best help us navigate this moon cycle for optimum balance and harmony. Here are some prompts for you to try:

~What intention can I set to help me focus on emotional balance during this moon phase?
~What intention can I set to help me create harmony and equality in my relationships?
~What intention can I set to help me deal with Venus’ call for self reflection and reassessment of the past?

Here is a reading for us all using my favorite fall deck, the Zombie Tarot:

The Zombie Tarot: Five of Cups, King of Cups, Page of Pentacles

~What intention can I set to help me focus on emotional balance during this moon phase?
Five of Cups
The V of Cups signifies difficult emotions such as regret, longing, grief, and sadness. It often comes up at a time when it feels like all has been lost. You are faced with crushing disappointment and have no idea what could lift your dark mood. The world looks bleak. There is a tendency now to obsess about what has passed, what has caused you pain, what is gone and can never return. The imbalance in the world is that feelings, emotions, and matters of the heart are not as important and meaningful as power, money, and big business. When people’s lived experiences don’t matter, especially those of women, what is the point of society? Who does it actually serve?

At this New Moon, set the intention to move away from the darkest depths of grief and despair. In order to bring balance into your life you will need to allow for hope and optimism to be present and acknowledged. There is no need to question the validity of your pain, the horror of your past, the sadness you have felt. That pain is real and that pain is acknowledged. The thing is, you can’t stay there and relive it forever. That isn’t for your highest good, that isn’t going to solve any of your issues, that isn’t going to make it better- ever. What will make your situation better, and consequently improve the lives of all those in your life that love and care about you, is to open yourself up to the possibility of future happiness. Appreciating the small moments of your day, practicing gratitude and kindness, and saying yes to what you DO want- this will help you move forward and heal. Set the intention to invite hope and love into your life and leave guilt, doubt, and grief behind.

~What intention can I set to help me create harmony and equality in my relationships?
King of Cups
The King of Cups is empathetic, diplomatic, generous, and deeply kind. He is compassionate, creative, understanding, and aware. These are all characteristics that we should set our intentions towards being in the month ahead. The King of Cups is the ultimate symbol of harmony and equality embodied in human form that the tarot has to offer us. This card comes as a very good sign that we have the emotional maturity and depth of character to manage and improve our relationships during this moon cycle and continue that through the whole Venus retrograde cycle.

There’s a certain amount of restraint to the King of Cups as well, he doesn’t overflow with emotion but rather balances emotion with intellect. He knows how to communicate matters of the heart without emotional manipulation, waterfalls of tears, or screaming matches about who cares more. He has control over his emotions, knows how to set boundaries between personal and shared feelings, and can provide stability and support for those around him. Set the intention this month to act as a King of Cups yourself when dealing with issues of balance and harmony in your relationships. How would you like to be treated? How would you like to be spoken to? How can you compromise and negotiate? The King of Cups is here to back you up with quiet, sensitive, and understanding vibrations.

~What intention can I set to help me deal with Venus’ call for self reflection and reassessment of the past?
Page of Pentacles
A Page is always a good sign for new beginnings, just like a New Moon. This Page has a rather responsible and determined youthful energy, bringing fresh opportunity or possibility to your life. His appearance signifies a real exuberance for learning about yourself by diving into the self-reflection and reassessment demanded by this Venus retrograde with an eagerness to learn new things about yourself. Now is the chance to see your past in the bright light and perspective of your present self!  Set the intention to go into this cycle with an open mind and a willingness to learn new things about yourself.

Maybe you’re not the type of person who delights in processing the past and rehashing old issues, well- you just might have to do it anyway this season. Don’t be afraid to go down this road of analysis. The Page of Pentacles is offering up many learning opportunities in a spirit of wonder, but also practicality. Don’t be surprised if your self assessment unearths some old dreams about home, finances, work, or your body that were lost along the way. You could find yourself revved up by a great business idea you had before, a renewal of a project around the house, a job pop up you always wanted, or a refreshed diet and exercise plan. The point is, set the intention to be wide-eyed and open to possibility, the Page of Pentacles isn’t adapt at reengaging with the past, but he sure can make the most practical use of what he finds there.

Okay, there you have it, a New Moon Reading for Libra. I hope you found it insightful and useful. If you would like to get a personalized reading, I am available!  I do email readings, online readings (Skype or Google Hangout), and in-person readings in Nashville, TN. Hit me up at thewilllowpath@gmail.com if you would like to set something up!

A Practical and Grounding New Moon in Virgo, September 9, 2018

Welcome to another Moon cycle. It’s time to take a moment to celebrate fresh energy and set intentions with the New Moon in Virgo. Virgo energy is earthy, practical, organized, and body focused. This is a wonderful time to set intentions around promoting your own physical wellbeing. What healthy habits would you like to incorporate into your daily routine? Maybe pick just one today to commit to for the coming 4 weeks. Even if you have 10 routines you’d love to make a part of your life, wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if you did even one of those habits every day? You can start small, adding another routine each Moon cycle instead of trying to do it all at once. Trying to do it all at once is a recipe for overwhelm and burn out.

Let’s do a tarot spread to help us focus in on a particular habit or routine that would best suit us in the month ahead. Here are some handy questions you can ask your deck:

The development of what healthy habit or routine is best supported by this New Moon?
What advice will help me focus on and commit to this new practice?
How can I be gentle and patient with myself as I learn and grow?

Be aware that Virgo can bring perfectionist energy. This is where the need for compassion comes into your month. Developing a new healthy routine is not always a snap, in fact, it usually is quite hard. You will have slip ups, reverse your progress, take two steps forward and one step back. The key is to not be overly hard on yourself. Work on developing practical and reasonable expectations that don’t include perfectionism at all. If you believe that the only way to be successful is to be perfect, you need to take a step back and ask where this belief is coming from. Trust me, it is not valid. You can be wildly successful and abundantly joyful and make mistakes ALL THE DAMN TIME. You will need to constantly remind yourself of this in the month ahead as you work towards your healthiest life, develop new routines that support that healthy life. Accept slow progress, even agonizingly slow progress!

Here is a tarot reading I did for us collectively using the above spread:

Rider Waite Smith deck: Knight of Cups rx, III of Pentacles rx, The Chariot rx

The development of what healthy habit or routine is best supported by this New Moon?- Knight of Cups reversed
Emotional health is inextricably linked to physical health. When your emotions are out of control, chaotic, overwhelming, etc, that emotional pain easily manifests as physical ailments in the body. This month ahead, it is a lovely idea to make a daily habit of reflecting upon your emotional state. Check in with yourself to see if you are suppressing, avoiding, or hiding your emotions. When emotions get bottled up they reek havoc on our health. You could make a daily habit of sitting with an uncomfortable or unwanted emotion and letting it pass through you.

A way to practice allowing emotions to pass through you is to first sit quietly with 5 or so minutes to yourself. Now bring to mind a situation that is causing you pain, notice the emotion it causes you, be it anger, sadness, disappointment, etc. Then hold that emotion, feel it in your physical body. Now, for the tricky part- let the story behind the emotion go, let it fade away so that it is just you and the emotion without any story attached. Within a minute, 2 minutes at the most, you will feel the negative emotion slowly lose force and fade away. Now the emotion has passed through you and your physical health can feel the positive effects of releasing that emotion.

I’m going to try doing this practice daily for the next month, spending a little time each day letting emotions pass through me. When you practice something it becomes more natural and easy over time. I like the idea of a practice of experiencing my emotions and then letting them pass out of my experience instead of hanging around and hurting me. This type of emotional work is supported by a lovely placement of Neptune in Pisces at this time. We can allow Virgo energy to provide you with the structure and organizational energy to bring a new practice into your life.

What advice will help me focus on and commit to this new practice?-
III of Pentacles reversed
The idea of building something permanent, of working to construct a beautiful perfect structure, needs to get tossed out the window. Remember, there is no perfection in life. There also is no end goal to all this doing. If you focus on doing and making things as the point of your life, you will always have to make more, more, more. Is that how you want to live- never satisfied with what you’ve built, always putting on “finishing” touches until you’ve created something far beyond a Rococo monstrosity? The idea that life is linear and we are always on the up and up, is not helpful. It’s time for a new point of view.

We actually move and live in cycles. Energy ebbs and flows, in and out, up and down, this way and that. This knowledge is why I work with the Moon cycles to connect with the cyclical nature of life. You can’t get too attached to structures or even versions of yourself, everything is always changing. It’s all about doing what is right for you right now. Tear down the ego, take apart your identity, deconstruct your beliefs and then notice how you are still you. You have an essential self that isn’t subject to all these cycles of your life, it is your unchanging soul. Isn’t that nice? You can’t stop being you, but you can stop identifying with old versions of your personality and move on. Perhaps this month, as we all practice allowing emotion to move through us, we can confront the emotions that we think of as “us” and instead focus on releasing a past version of the ego. 

How can I be gentle and patient with myself as I learn and grow?-
The Chariot reversed
Ya’ll, this isn’t easy work I’m talking about doing. Deconstructing the self and releasing painful emotions- that sounds fucking tough. Let’s remember that we don’t have to be perfect about it, we don’t have to do it the “right way”, and we don’t even need to finish it. Is there any “finishing” before we die? The Chariot reversed reminds us to take it easy, to cruise along, to take side roads that look interesting, to sit back and enjoy the ride. Yes, we are making progress and we are doing things to try and live our best lives, but there is no rush. Rushing this can lead to frustration and impatience. Look for ways that you are making progress, take notice of the small steps, and be grateful for all that you do. You are doing so much!

You are so awesome for even trying, for caring, for being conscious, for making any effort at all. Does it feel like more people are making that effort, more people are waking up? It can be frustratingly slow progress but you have deep reserves of ambition and drive and determination. You’re not going to give up even when the road is bending out of view and it’s hard to say where you’re heading. You’re not going to give up when the ideas of “success” or “finishing” or “reaching your goal” are taken away. You’re inching towards a new paradigm, a new understanding of what your soul purpose is here on Earth at this time. The Virgo New Moon offers you energy to heal yourself by taking small daily action towards your health: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed this New Moon tarot reading for the Virgo Moon cycle. I’m wishing you love, health, healing, and strength in the month ahead!

A Self-Love Message from The New Moon in Leo, August 11, 2018

Another Moon cycle has passed! At this New Moon in Leo we are gifted the last eclipse of the year- thank goodness! There have been a series of 3 eclipses starting on July 12th and ending on August 11th, activating significant shakedowns in people born with personal planets and points at approximately 14 to 24 degrees of the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. My Moon sign is right in there and honestly, I’ve just been feeling a big need for change, even at the same time that I just don’t have energy for it, feel pretty uncomfortable about it, and am resisting the instability. Yes, change is good in theory, but the enacting of it is quite difficult!!

Anywho, if you’re feeling the pressure to create new systems in your life, this New Moon is a great time to sit down and reflect on what aspects of your life routine no longer fit with your current picture of who you want to be. It could be something really obvious, “Why am I still doing this!?” Or it could be an activity that you greatly enjoyed in the past, but now isn’t helping you to grow. It can be hard to let go of feelings, people, work, or hobbies that once filled us with such great joy, but doing this clearing out is important. Do your clear with love and attention, allowing the practice of gratitude for all of those things while still letting them go to create space for the new, for what wants to come through you now.

The Leo energy of this New Moon is a wonderful support for this process of change. Leo builds self-confidence and self-love. Leo shines out the brilliant light from within. Leo knows how to have fun, be creative, and enjoy the shit out of life. This reinvention process, this clearing out and letting go, this leveling up to a higher vibration, all that can be enjoyable and life-giving with the Fire energy of Leo at your back. Let’s each ask the tarot some really simple questions about setting out intentions for this New Moon Cycle. Try this spread out and let me know how it goes!

In what ways can I increase my self-confidence and be courageous in my actions?
How can I expand my self-love so that I am able to just be authentically me?
Which of my creations deserves to be center stage during this moon cycle?

Here are the cards I drew for us all the consider:

Linestrider Tarot: Three of Wands rx, Seven of Pentacles rx, The High Priestess rx

In what ways can I increase my self-confidence and be courageous in my actions?-
III of Wands reversed
Have a vision for your best life. What do you want to accomplish? What are your dreams? Where do you want to go? What adventures and explorations do you want to go on? These are concepts, ideas, and questions that we forget to delve into after we set goals once and then get into the step-by-step actions of working towards them. But what about redirecting our goals? What about redefining what we want? Now is a time to step back and reassess where you are headed. Do you still want to be working towards those goals you set years ago? Are your dreams shifting and changing with the times but your actions are not changing and shifting as well to meet those new goals? Define your dreams, make a vision board, or a 5 year plan, or record a video of yourself explaining what it is you want for yourself in this life. Take action to reassess your bigger life vision.

Sometimes we just don’t know what we want. This can be hard, “What do I even want to do with my life!?” Not knowing can be severely challenging, especially since asking once and not knowing can lead to anxiety and fear of asking again. Don’t allow that fear to stop you from trying to figure this out again and don’t let fear stop you from guessing. You’ll learn in good time that you’re on the wrong path and you know what? You’ll be able to course correct, you’ll be able to change things. You don’t have to have the full plan, you don’t have to have confidence that your plan is foolproof and you will succeed, you don’t have to trust that the Universe will make this all happen for you. The only thing you need is confidence in yourself, trust in yourself, faith in yourself that you’re doing the best you can with the knowledge and feelings that you currently have access to. If you can access deeper wells of self-confidence, increase your knowledge, explore you feelings more, that is great- do that if you want! But if you’re as deep into as you can get and just stalling for time because you’re unsure of success- forget success. Redefine success to mean “just trying my hardest with the resources I currently have.” Perfect, you’re ready to go.

How can I expand my self-love so that I am able to just be authentically me?-
VII of Pentacles rx
It’s time to assess what you do have. It’s time to practice a some major gratitude. It’s time to fully acknowledge all that you have done. We still have many planets in retrograde in the sky, which is the best energy for reflecting and reassessing. What have you been up to? I’m guessing it’s not sitting around doing nothing (although, if your plan was to sit around and do nothing and you did it- well that’s a major accomplishment! Good on you for doing that self care time!). Make a list of everything that you’re done recently, either towards a specific goal, or just in general in your life. You’ll notice that you have taken some steps towards creating the life you want. Even if you’re not there yet, you’re definitely closer than before. It’s important to show that work and progress the respect it deserves.

While practicing this gratitude, you’ll be able to see yourself reflected in your actions. What type of person are you? Are you kind and generous with your resources? Are you reliable and dependable when given responsibility? Are you involved and dedicated to causes that means something to you? Are you loving and open in your relationships? Notice the ways that you show up in other people’s lives and be proud of yourself. You’re a wonderful sister, mother, aunt, best friend, etc. Extend that love into yourself. You can be someone who loves and accepts themselves. You are enough. You do enough. That’s what the VII of Pentacles wants you to look inside and see right now.

Which of my creations deserves to be center stage during this moon cycle?-
The High Priestess reversed
Your intuition wants to take center stage right now, but you’re still resisting that inner knowing. I’m not going to downplay the difficulty of getting into your calm inner center and acting from a place of intuitive knowing. We get no training in this practice, in fact, most of us are told to ignore our gut reactions and that intuition is junk and silly. You do have an intuitive gift though, we all do, and at this Leo New Moon you are being asked to bring that inner gift out and use it. It’s not going to be easy or natural, this will take a bit of effort, and probably a quiet place of stillness where you can concentrate and focus on yourself. Your greatest creation at this New Moon is an increased awareness and use of your intuition, this is the area from which you can create all that you want to manifest in this world.

If, on the other hand, you’re all intuition, all the time, I invite you to take a step back from that practice for the moon cycle and give yourself a break. Perhaps you are a tarot reader or a healer, or just a super empathic person who takes on the energy of those around you quite easier. You may need to spend some time cleansing yourself of the emotional cords and ties that are bound to you from all of that relating to others. Taking a break from an overworked intuitive power can be a challenge, especially if you are relying on it for your profession and paying the bills, but taking a break is required sometimes. We all have cycles of energy in our lives, that’s why I’m here writing about the energetic cycles of the moon! Take a look at how you’re using your intuitive gifts, go deep within and notice, then work on healing and enhancing that gift to share with others once you are rested.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed the New Moon Reading for the coming moon cycle headed by the fiery energy of Leo. If you would like a personalized New Moon Reading, please get in touch!

A Birthday Reading for my 36th Year!

A birthday reading for me! My birthday was already a month ago but I drew cards on the day and have slowly been writing up this reading for myself to share with you here on the blog. I love doing birthday readings just as much as I love doing New Year readings; they have a very similar energy of new beginnings and endless possibilities. I’m lucky to have a birthday just about halfway through the year so it’s a great time to check in with where I was at the start of the year, reexamine goals and growth, and determine the best path forward from here. If you don’t happen to have a birthday in June or July, a great time to do a check in reading for the year is at the Summer Solstice. Next year I’m planning on offering a package reading that includes a New Year reading and a Summer Solstice reading, so look for that option to pop up in December.  Fun, right?!

Okay, back to me and my birthday! Strength is my year card for this 36th year of my life. I determine year cards by adding together all the numbers of the current date for the birthday and then reducing it down to a number between 1-9. So for my birthday on July, 8, 2018 that looks like this:

7+8+2+0+1+8= 26 then 2+6= 8 viola!  8 is the number for Strength.

You can also find your tarot birth card in this same manner, to determine which tarot card acts as a theme for your entire life. So for example, with my birth date of July 8, 1982:

7+8+1+9+8+2= 35 then 3+5= 8 viola! 8 is Strength 🙂

So guess what? Strength is my tarot birth card as well! That makes this feel like a very special year for me. Double Strength! Who doesn’t love that? A year card is a tarot card that acts as a theme for the entire year ahead. It is a foundational energy that can be accessed more easily during the year, one that can be drawn upon and utilized to create great magic during this spin around the sun. I wrote a post about Strength earlier this year here, so you can get an idea of what a Strength year ahead holds. I also include a 4-5 page PDF about your year card if you order a birthday reading from me!  Something to consider 🙂

Next, using Strength as my theme card for the year, I drew six more tarot cards to address different aspects of the year ahead.  Here is what I drew:

Tarot spread using the Linestrider Tarot deck

1. How will the Strength card manifest itself in my life?- Page of Cups reversed
2. What lessons do I need to learn this year?- IX of Cups
3. What particular area of my life needs focus?- King of Swords
4. What obstacles stand in my way this year?- VIII of Pentacles
5. What can help me achieve my goals this coming year?- X of Pentacles
6. What kind of year can I expect to experience?- Justice reversed

Linestrider Tarot

Let’s explore this spread a bit! I’m also interested to look back at the reading I did for myself in January for 2018 and see if there are any repeating lessons, obstacles, etc. or if I’ve had some major energetic shifts since the beginning of this calendar year. What strikes me right away is that in my January 2018 reading I drew the Queen of Wands reversed as my theme card for the year. In today’s reading I’m using Strength as my theme card for my 36th year. The Queen of Wands reversed and Strength very much vibrate on the same energetic wavelength in my heart, mind, and body. Both are Fire energy, creativity, passion, bravery, charisma, and holding fast to what makes life worth living. The reversal of the Queen of Wands earlier in the year could indicate that that energy has been dormant or latent potential inside of me that is now ready to more fully manifest in action.

Knowing that I would like to take concrete steps towards living in my Strength is a good start. It’s great to know what you want, what you’re striving for, what lights you up inside. Just having any idea of what your goal is in this crazy confusing world is a major first step, so go me for knowing what I want! I want to strengthen my inner spirit, live closer to my passions, feel deeper into my inspirations, and lead a creative life. I don’t want to force things, constantly working myself to the bone, but rather allow my energy to flow. Like many people, I have the tendency feel inadequate if I’m not constantly working or pushing myself towards the next goal. To live in Strength means acknowledging, accepting, and surrendering to the times of rest, relaxation, and being. I am enough right now.

Linestrider Tarot

Let’s continue with the Page of Cups reversed as an indicator of how Strength will show up for me going forward. I see this as a kind and gentle message to work on re-patterning my emotional realm. The Page is a beginning, a start, something fresh and new and is the energy I need to take when reassessing and reconfiguring how I approach my emotions, my emotional responses, and my emotional patterns. The way that I have been experiencing my feelings for the past 35 years is something that I’m questioning right now. Do I have to have these reactions? Do certain situations have to evoke programmed emotional responses? Or can I decide to react differently and make new patterns that better reflect the way I want to live and experience the world? The Page of Cups supports this going within to reflect upon my emotional world and will hold my hand while I sort out what new ways I want to feel.

Strength and the Page of Cups seem like complimentary energies to me. Strength lends backbone and confidence to the immature and developing Page. Where the Page of Cups reversed could be scared or uncertain when facing the unknown landscape of creating new neural pathways for her emotions, with Strength by her side she bravely marches forward. The Page of Cups reversed does require a lot of support from Strength, thereby diluting some of the power of Strength, stretching Strength thin and limiting my reach this year. If I’m only at a beginning stage in creating the healthy emotional patterns I desire, I can’t expect Strength to magically transport me to the next level without doing the work. The Page of Cups reversed reminds me of to be patient and diligent. This will take time, but if I don’t start at all, I will never make any progress in my evolution. I need to constantly remind myself to accept where I am at in my development and surrender to the process.

Linestrider Tarot

Taking this emotional re-patterning a step further, the IX of Cups shows up as the lesson I will learn this 36th year. This card advises me to enjoy the work, revel in my emotions, find joy in expressing myself and my feelings. I have a tendency to hide my emotions in my little Crab shell, sidestepping direct communication of my inner world with those around me who seem untrustworthy, or simply unworthy, which ends up being most people. The IX of Cups says, “No, don’t hide. Be open. Be bright. Share what you are going through.” I can do that sharing here on my blog or in person with new friends and old. My natural inclination is to listen until I am absolutely certain that what I say will be heard, but maybe it’s just time to speak without any assurance that anyone will understand or care. That is scary, but that is owning my emotions as valid and authentic to me, and that being the only thing that matters when I decide how and when to express myself.

In my reading from January, I drew the VIII of Cups reversed as a message about how I would experience my Fire energy in 2018. Seeing the next card in the sequence, the IX of Cups come up here gives me a sense of progress being made. I have been putting in a lot of energy around understanding and examining my emotions. I’m not just saying I should do this, I’m realizing that I am doing this! This little step from the VIII to the IX makes me feel proud of myself. I want to acknowledge my progress. I’m by no means about to stop the process and call this book written, I’m just saying that I have been able to let go of certain modes of interacting with my inspiration and processing my feelings that I do not believe are in my best interest. It’s amazing to live with my Higher Self on a daily basis, allowing that self to be revealed to me as I am ready to understand me.

Linestrider Tarot

Then along comes the King of Swords, who is here to act as a balance or counterpoint to all that freedom of self-expression and pouring forth of emotions. The King of Swords lets me know that there is a logical and honest way to share my emotions. I can speak my truth and communicate my message in direct and straightforward ways. I can be emotionally open without having to go against my airy Aquarius Moon which makes me want to distance myself and share my emotions more objectively than subjectively. In other words, I don’t have to start writing flowery poetry using cliche metaphors, or share tear-filled Instagram stories all about my feelings. I don’t have to be someone I’m not. The King of Swords is deeply in touch with his feelings, emotionally mature, and controlled. He excels in the communication of those feelings with honesty, self-acceptance, and unquestioning knowing.

The King of Swords is that bit of intellectual support that tells me that I’ll live, speaking my truth won’t kill me. He knows that fear is a part of the process, it won’t stop me from trying. He is willing to get uncomfortable in order to grow and be himself. He doesn’t get all upset if someone criticizes him. My message isn’t for everyone, not everyone will need my words, explanations, or epiphanies. The King of Swords easily comprehends that we are all at various stages of our emotional growth and doesn’t look down or judge those that can’t understand or won’t understand his message at this moment. This card blends well with Strength as the King of Swords is very courageous and bold. Armed with my truth, I will speak my mind and live authentically.

Linestrider Tarot

Next up in this reading comes my obstacle for the year ahead, for which I drew the VIII of Pentacles. Work, work, work. That’s what the VIII of Pentacles always makes me think. Is putting in the work an obstacle? I suppose we all suffer from just wanting to be done and perfect and understand and move on to the next level. Mastery is highly sought and lavishly praised. I have never been a master of much. I consider myself a bit of a Renaissance women, knowing a bit of this and that, good at a thing or two, a dilettante, or most basely- a dabbler. The idea of truly dedicating myself to one discipline, one project, one area, does seem like a huge obstacle. I’m not even sure what I would focus on, what I would want to be a master of?

Often the image on the VIII of Pentacles depicts a person creating physical pentacles. I like the idea that I could be creating something physical this year. I’ve been working on designing my own tarot deck for years now using photographs from my travels. I haven’t been particularly pressed to finish this deck, but I do want to make progress and get more of the images selected and description writing done. I can imagine myself as the worker bee from the VIII of Pentacles, diligently dedicating my time and energy to this project. I can also channel the Knight of Pentacles that I drew at the beginning of the year as a support card for the year ahead. The Knight is a wonder at diligence, follow through, and steadfastly plodding along after a goal. I’m optimistic that my dedication to my creative project will continue throughout the year ahead and that I’ll make major headway.

Linestrider Tarot

The X of Pentacles indicates what can help me reach my goals this year. My first thought- MONEY! Yes, money would surely help me reach many of my goals in the coming year. I could dedicate my time and resources to creating my tarot deck. I could buy a home. I could have really fantastic travel adventures, etc. Money can buy a lot of things. I’ll certainly keep myself open to the Universe offering me chances to bring abundant wealth into my life, but in the meantime, I can also work on my own definition of material abundance. What does it feel like to have enough? Am I appreciating everything that I already have? Can I do more or different things with the resources that I currently possess? Delving into these types of questions and exploring my money mindset even more in the year ahead will help me reach my goals going forward.

The X energy of this card is the energy of an ending and also of a new beginning. In other words, I’m in the middle of a transition. I’m wrapping things up as well as starting things fresh and in that process I get to make a lot of decisions about how I want to show up in the physical world. What ways of being in this body, in this world, on this Earth do I want to let go of and what new ways do I want to develop? In the past year, I’ve been really focused on creating a healthy lifestyle and the habits I believe support that healthy lifestyle. That was the active energy of The Chariot last year, a year in which I decided to eat vegan, moderate my drinking, sleep more, change my exercise habits, do work that is very physical (cleaning houses), meditate daily, align my body at the chiropractor, hydrate, make new friends, and move into a new living situation without roommates. Holy crap! When I look back on that list now and see all the things I have changed in the last year, I am blown away by the progress I have made, the changes I have made, the difference in the way that I feel in my body now. That makes me want to write a lot about The Chariot year!

Anyway, without getting too caught up in another idea for a blog post, I’ll simply say that the X of Pentacles combined with the energy of Strength lends me the energy to persevere in the year ahead. I can appreciate the healthy habits I have integrated into my life in the past year and use Strength to continue those practices. I know that not every day will be be perfect, but Strength helps me be consistent. This is all a practice and I won’t eat, drink, sleep, exercise, and relax to perfection every day, but I can trust that those practices are part of me now. I can begin a new phase with this lifestyle as my foundation for living. Now what can my life be like going forward from this point? The X of Pentacles reminds me to appreciate all that I have integrated and begin this year as a fresh version of myself.

Linestrider Tarot

Lastly, I drew Justice reversed as an indicator of what type of year ahead I can expect. I’ll admit, Justice is not a card that I connect with deeply. Whenever I draw it in a reading I am little taken aback- what does this mean? I welcome this opportunity to work with this card in the year ahead, to consider its meanings and implications, and watch this energy play out in my life. I immediately think, “Well, I’m going to learn a lot about how unfair life can be, how unjust, how dishonest.” And maybe that’s true! I’m not going to say I have a particularly rosy view of the world, especially our current Western political, economic, and social structures. Do I need to get more into that? Do I require more examples of how fucked up and unfair things are around me? I don’t feel like I need that, but it kind of seems like that’s what I’m going to get. Perhaps the world is bringing me to my breaking point, a point at which I will be forced to work harder towards solutions. I aim to create space for light, consciousness, and love in this world, but I’m sure I could do that on a bigger scale. Perhaps this year will bring me to that point of expansion. Boy, that sure doesn’t sound like very much fun, but if there’s one thing I’m learning right now, it’s that transition and growth often feel terrible, hard, and sad even as they bring deep meaning.

It will be important for me in the year ahead to make sure I am taking responsibility for my actions, thoughts, and feelings. Yes, there are lots of things in this world that are outside of my control, but I can’t shirk my role as the master of my own reactions. Many of my reactions are preprogrammed habits that do not serve me and do not exemplify how I actually want to react. It takes my time and effort to change these programs, to consciously move away from knee-jerk responses and instead consider what is actually a reasonably and fair way to react. I will work on that in the year ahead, work on my reactions to injustice and unfairness and reprogram myself to respond in a way that creates the change I want to see in the world. I will hold myself accountable for showing up the way I want others to show up, to be responsible, to be a role model, to treat others and myself with honesty, integrity and fairness. The King of Swords who came up earlier in this reading as a focus for this year also emphasizes this need for honesty and integrity to rule my year ahead.

Justice reversed as well as the King of Swords both speak to the reprograming of Air energy, of mental patterns in my life. The Page of Cups and IX of Cups are about emotional patterns. The Pentacles cards point out reprogramming of physical patterns. And Strength is the overarching mission to guide all this effort with spiritual energy. Obviously, I’m feeling ambitious and grand this morning as I read these cards for my year ahead. I will remember to check in with this reading occasionally, especially at the New Moon reading times to see what progress and development occurs. I hope you enjoyed reading this birthday reading for me. Get in touch any time if you need a little birthday reading for yourself!

Nourishing Our Wholeness with the New Moon in Cancer, July 12th, 2018

Another New Moon is upon us, and this one falls in the sign of Cancer. Cancer brings to the foreground the home, family, motherhood, security, emotions, food, the past/ancestors, and nourishing our very souls. The sign of Cancer is ruled by the Moon, so every year’s New Moon in Cancer is a powerful time to set intentions for new beginnings in these areas, but this year’s New Moon is even more potent as it also involves a partial solar eclipse. An eclipse, in traditional astrology, is a time of change and new beginnings. This heightened energy for change means that the moves we make now towards creating the amazing lives of our dreams are much more likely to have long term effects. Take some time today to reflect on the changes you would like to make to your home, your relationships, your sense of safety and support in the world. You can use these questions to ask your tarot deck for guidance:

~How can I tap into and honor my deepest needs and feelings?
~What changes or new beginnings will best support my home and family life?
~What changes or new beginnings will create security and foundation in my life?
~How can I best nourish and care for myself and those I love?
~What aspects of my past do I need to process and then let go of?
~What aspects of my past serve me well now and into the future?
~How can I set boundaries within my family so I have the space and love to grow?
~How can I be more empathetic?
~Where do I need to foster more love and connection in my life?
~What adds to my sense of safety and security in the world?

Below is a tarot reading I did for us all, offering us guidance at this New Moon time. I didn’t ask any specific question, besides that Cancer give us a message for the moon cycle ahead. I drew one card from three different decks just for fun! It’s interesting to see how meaning can be combined across types of deck:

Mary-el Tarot 6 of Disks, Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards Rabbit, Lunar Nomad Oracle #28 Man

Let me start with Rabbit from the Animal Spirits Knowledge cards, our animal spirit guide for the month ahead. Rabbit is a lunar feminine energy, with many cultures actually seeing a rabbit on the face of the Moon in the sky overhead. The Rabbit guides us through the lunar energy of Cancer season with sensitivity, intuition, empathy, and warmth. Imagine measuring life with the Moon, how would we mark the months, the seasons, time itself. Rabbit as the Moon holds great power to demarcate the cycles of our lives, creating familiarity and patterns in a chaotic world. Many may not notice consciously the cycles of the moon, but the Moon revels in the subconscious anyway. She is a part of us, a constant, a pattern buried deep within us of light and dark even throughout the night. The Rabbit reminds us in the month ahead to appreciate cycles, take comfort in constants, celebrate our shadows, and own the personal power we hold deep inside.

The 6 of Disks in the Mary-el Tarot shows the angel Gabriel in both masculine and feminine form, representing the duality and non-binary aspect of the divine. This divinity is within us all. We each hold the outward, masculine, doing energy as well as the inward, feminine, being energy. Gabriel is the “Strength of God”, she is the messenger who tells us all that we can manifest whatever it is we came here to do. We have that power. We are each on an individual mission, a plan, a life with a purpose and we were born with everything we need to manifest that meaning. Yes, you were born with divine gifts, you are one with your higher self, you are a holistic being. Still the manifestation of your gifts requires your effort, your commitment, your blood, sweat, and tears. Never fear that it isn’t worth it, that it isn’t working, that you will fail. Do not doubt. Put in the work and earn your rewards. You are wholly capable and deserving.

The Man from the Lunar Nomad Oracle card strikes me in it’s imagery so reminiscent of the traditional Strength card of the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck. On Strength we see a woman with a lion, whereas on this oracle card we see a man and a lion. Generally, Strength is thought of as a feminine energy with it’s counterpart, The Chariot, representing masculine energy. Once again, as with the 6 of Disks, with The Man we are confronted by the duality within each of us, our ability to hold simultaneously both masculine and feminine energy. Subduing the lion, harnessing and pacifying that energy is a beautiful and courageous thing to do. At other times we need to provoke the lion within us, take action, be brave and daring. This melds perfectly with the 6 of Disk’s message to internally believe we are strong and capable and to USE that belief by acting out our passions and intentions. The Man gives us the impetus, the will to go for it!

There is so much we can manifest in this life. There is so much we are capable of doing. The key is to believe deeply in ourselves. We need to believe in our personal power, our ability to do great things, our meaning and purpose in this lifetime. We also need to take risks, to act, to work hard at what we want to be, create, and do. These are not two sides of the same coin, they are simply us, our wholeness. We don’t have to be this and then that, we can be everything all at once. That is connecting to the higher self, the divinity within us that doesn’t take sides, doesn’t differentiate, but simply allows it all to be present right now. Be fully present in the now at this New Moon in Cancer!

There you have it, another beautiful New Moon reading for you all. I hope you enjoyed it! If you would like a personalized New Moon reading, please get in touch. I’m available for email readings and in-person readings in the Nashville, TN area.