Monthly Archives: January 2008

Yummy Yellow

Yellow is the color of the 3rd (solar plexus) chakra. This chakra allows us to direct our personal power. The symbol (and tarot card) associated with yellow is “The Sun.” sun So, think about how you feel when the sun soaks into your skin on a beautiful day. It’s warm and inviting, making you feel light-hearted, energetic and cheerful: ready to enjoy life.

You can see how the solar plexus chakra and the symbol of the sun go together. When we feel light-hearted and cheerful, and we are more optimistic, which increases our personal power.

However, when the sun is too hot, it can betray us. We can become so lulled by it’s warmth that we don’t realize we are being burned. It can be deceiving. Yellow is ruled by Mercury, God of communication and manipulation.

Yellow represents intellect, awareness and quick thinking. (Also associated with Mercury.)

When interpreting yellow in a card, consider not only the aspect or item that is yellow, but that all things in the tarot are capable of representing both positive and negative, depending on the card, on the reader, on the position of the card.

To interpret yellow in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive Connotations:the_sun

    • Carefree, light-hearted, joy for life
    • Warm, bright & cheerful
    • Strives for knowledge and wisdom
    • Helps with sense of direction
    • Radiant solar energy

Negative Connotations:

    • Cowardly
    • Deceit
    • Treachery
    • Dishonor
    • Relying on logic without consideration of emotion or intuition

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.


Sample Interpretation with Yellow:

king-of-pentaclesDeck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)
Card: King of pentacles

Much of the background is yellow, as well as the pentacle, crown and specter. The preponderance of yellow stood out to me.

In an otherwise negative interpretation of separating from the people who provide safety and security (city separated by a wall), the yellow told me that if the person were to become mentally aware and seek out direction, knowledge and wisdom, they might be able to repair a damaged relationship.


References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster
Colour Power

Universal Waite® reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyrights © by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.

Tend to your Garden

Tarot Inspired Reflection
For the week of Jan. 27. 2008

The King of Pentacles is a person who has become defined by nothing more than his or her earthly existence. S/he is so focused on material wealth that, in the vein of “Chauncy Gardniner” (a character in the film “Being There”) s/he has ‘left the garden untended.’ It has become overgrown and instead of growing, it is dying.

king-of-pentaclesUnfortunately, (and ultimately) this is what happens in relationships when someone becomes so obsessed with work, and the prestige that the appearance of having money provides, that they may forget that it is relationships that are the true meaning and joy of life — not money — not work — and with that obsession the relationships they value the most begin to die.

The very people in their lives who are suppose to represent ‘refuge, safety and security’ in their lives are no longer there because a wall has been erected between them. Some people may try in vein to ‘buy’ love, but only do so because they don such a coat of armor that no other person can penetrate it. That armor will eventually begin to rust from the inside out so that no one can see the torment from the outside. And because people on the outside can’t see it, it’s easy to pretend it doesn’t exist.

In fact, people may become so bullheaded in their own view about money, they will actually stamp out any obstacle that gets in their way. This might be any obstacle, no matter how logical, which might require them to not only think about their own lives, but to feel their own lives, which may free them from the subconscious sludge they have created for themselves.

There is hope, however. If the tattered relationship is important enough to them — human beings will search for a sense of direction, knowledge and wisdom to know that there indeed is a problem, and what to do about it. If that love and desire for that relationship is strong enough, with mental awareness, insight, and determination to work for what is really important in life, a more balanced life and truly satisfying relationships are possible.


Symbols Used:

Yellow: Sense of direction. Logic over emotions or intuition. Search for knowledge and wisdom. Mental activity and awareness.

Pink Flowers: love

Pentacles: Material world. May indicate distress of the soul.

Castle: Refuge, safety, protection.

Bull’s Head: Stability, inflexibility

Grapevines: abundance, subconscious

Universal Waite® reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyrights © by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.

The Power of Mana

Tarot Reflection for the Week of Jan. 20, 2008

Once again we have the two of cups. Things are so divisive in the world, the fact that we are all connected, on some level, can’t help but affect us. It affects our relationships with strangers, our co-workers, our family, but most importantly — ourselves. Sometimes the negative energy in the world just starts to bleed into all of these things.two-of-cups

But there are things we can do about it. We have the power to not only transcend the negative energy coming at us, but in communicating with ourselves, to bring ourselves to a higher plane, we have the ability to put a little positive energy back out towards the world.

It seems small, but think about it. If everyone in the world just worked on themselves and their own spirituality — through reflection, meditation, or by turning inward to heal the parts of our selves that need healing — if every single person in the world did that for just a few minutes a day, think of how the world would change.

Well, not every person will, but that doesn’t mean that those of us that do won’t make a difference. Little by little, by bettering ourselves, we emit positive energy and do our small part to better the world. Little by little, by creating a more positive relationship with our ‘selves’, our relationships with strangers and co-workers and family will evolve into something more fulfilling.

Little by little, by your relationship with others becoming more positive, that positive energy will spread and their relationships with others will become more positive. It’s a domino effect. Positive life force — “mana” as they call it in the practice of Huna — has a way of spreading.

Because whether we like to admit it or not, we are not all separate entities on this earth, we are a unified whole. Our energy passes from one to the other, and if we can make just one small difference in the life of one other small being – whether it be another human by complementing her on something that she’s wearing to brighten her day, who then goes home and has a pleasant night with her husband, who’s had a bad day; or picking a stray cat up to find it a safe and happy home, thereby becoming a lifelong companion for a lonely person in need; or watering a tree that looks thirsty from a long drought, which then goes on to make the air we breathe — if we can make just one small difference in the life of another living entity on this earth, how can we not feel that we have a relationship with that entity and have helped not only them, but ourselves, in a much larger way, because it always comes back around to us.

Isn’t it nice to know how much of a difference we can make in the lives of others, merely by taking care of us.

Symbols Used

    • Caduceus:Healing, Communication
    • Cups: Emotions, relationships
    • Orange: Solar Energy, The Changing Process
    • Winged Lion: Transmutation of lower self to higher self

Universal Waite® reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyrights © by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.

Court Cards as Self

A question was asked about identifying with court cards.

Answer: Personally I relate to the Knight of Cups, even though I’m female. I find this person to be outgoing, friendly and sensitive. I feel as though I am genuine and and I’m an emotional person. I feel like the Knight of Cups embodies all of those qualities.knight-of-cups

I rarely compare court cards on physical similarities, I know some people do, but I feel that to be very limiting. I also don’t confine myself to reading court cards only as people. Sometimes it’s the essence of the card or the card’s personality that is in the forefront. Vision of the Future, Vision of the Past on this blog is a good example of a court card read for a wide range of people.

Clearly that is not meant to represent the ‘personality’ of every person reading the interpretation, but it does use the essence of the card’s personality to present a message to a large mass of people.

Understanding the Court is a good book on court card interpretation. It’s the 5th one down on the page. It is a bit more advanced, so if you’re a beginner, I don’t think I’d recommend it, but I liked it. I don’t use all of it, for instance, I don’t use significators (which is very close to what you’re asking) but it did open up some interesting insights on the personalities of the cards.

One last thing, I read the court cards for years without assigning ‘people’ to them. When I read this book and opened that option for myself, I realized that the qualities & meanings I had been assigning the cards with were not any different than what I was being presented with as new material. It wasn’t new, it was just from a different perspective.

Keep all of your options open when reading the court. They are difficult cards to wrap your mind around, but like any other card in the deck, you just need to develop a ‘relationship’ with them. The more you do that, the more you will recognize which ones are most like you and which ones are not.

Hope this helps.

(If you have a question you’d like answered, please contact me or post it on Spiritcaat Tarot & Metaphysical Forum)

Beauty of Black

Black is not a color, it’s the absence of color. Black absorbs light, light creates color. Black is ruled by Saturn. black_catSaturn is ruled by the element of earth and is structured, disciplined and responsible. It can also be limiting.

When interpreting black in a card, consider not only the aspect or item that is black, but that all things in the tarot are capable of representing both positive and negative, depending on the card, on the reader, and on the position of the card.

To interpret black in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive Connotations:

    • Protection (absorbs negative energy)
    • Mysterious, Hidden knowledge
    • Receptivity
    • Sophisticated
    • Powerful

Negative Connotations:

    • Absence of insight
    • Ignorance
    • Sorrow, depression
    • Draining (may absorb too much energy)

Sample Interpretation with Black:

Deck: “Tarot of the New Vision”
Card: Two of Pentaclestarot_of_the_new_vision

There is a black bird in the card. I’m not sure if it is a hawk, or a raven. At this point it is immaterial to me because the black presents me with the option to interpret the symbol as: I am free (‘as a bird’) to make the choices (the number two) I need to make and through those choices I will be protected (black.)

In a different reading in a different time I might recognize the bird as a specific type of bird, and that would be significant, as well. But, today, it’s the black that stands out to me.

In a reading, always note the element that is standing out to you at that moment. As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

Tarot of the New Vision © Lo Scarabeo

Spiritual Retreat

Tarot Reflection for the week of Jan 13, 2008
8 of Pentacles

Life is tough. Sometimes we need to step back, take a break and assess what we have accomplished in our lives. It may not be everything you had hoped for, but at some point you need to understand that you are a productive human being.

We get so caught up, many times, in what we’re "suppose" to do, that we forget that we already are doing what we’re suppose to. We are on a life journey, from which to learn, that our souls have chosen for us.

Certainly our decisions can lead us down varied paths on that journey, but it’s the learning that takes place on those paths that is the important thing.

Yet, we cannot learn without work. And no matter what path we are led down, or we choose, our hope is that all of them lead to the same place — a place of spiritual enlightenment and retreat.

What we don’t realize, however, is that spiritual retreat is within us all the time. All we have to do is turn around to realize it’s there. It’s easy to get so focused on our jobs and our bills and our everyday lives that we forget to take time for ourselves. We forget to take care of ourselves. We forget to use our creative talents, or do something fun for ourselves to energize us.

It’s time to understand the life you’ve built for yourself is your path, and your imagination, hopes and dreams are your retreat. Wear your emotions, don’t weary of them. Let them speak to you in a language that’s personal to you. Know that they are leading you on an educational journey: an educational journey of your soul.

Be well. Be happy.
Caat

Symbols

  • BLUE: Emotion, throat chakra
  • GREENERY: Growth, productivity
  • MOUNTAIN: Attainment, spiritual goals, spiritual retreat
  • PENTACLE: Work, security, practical matters
  • ORANGE: Solar energy, creativity
  • SEVEN: Imagination, self-reflection

Universal Waite® reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyrights © by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.

Root Cause of Addiction

Root Cause of Addiction

“If you’ve got bad news, you want to kick the blues…cocaine.” This line from a song by J.J. Cale expresses the feelings and actions of many Americans today, yet the word cocaine can be substituted with the word pot or alcohol or food or sex or gambling or a number of other compulsive disorders. cocaineIn fact, all of these things have something in common; in excess, they may all be symptoms of having grown up in a dysfunctional environment.

Problems in dysfunctional homes usually present in one or more of three ways. Physical abuse can include beatings as well as being excessively tugged, shaken, or tickled. Sexual abuse can be covert, such as leering at a child in inappropriate ways, or overt, which can include everything from fondling to rape. Emotional abuse is most commonly thought of as stemming from parental alcoholism and substance abuse, yet it can also include yelling, berating, snide criticism, neglect, and even, in some cases, a severely strict upbringing such as can be the case in devoutly religious & controlling family units. Emotional abuse can be present without physical or sexual abuse, but where there is physical and/or sexual abuse there is always emotional abuse.

The effects on children from these types of situations, and the deep dark secrets they are compelled to keep, can become buried beyond memory and comprehension, scarring these individuals for life. Consequently, adult children of dysfunctional homes (more commonly known as ACA’s for adult children of alcoholics) become adults who bear a heavy burden of deeply rooted pain, suffer from a severe loss of self-esteem, and may fall into a state of denial about what is now known to be a disease, into a world of escapism by using and/or abusing whatever their personal drug of choice happens to be.

They are trying to escape a pain that no words can adequately describe. Susan, a 51 year old professional, tells a story about when she was 8 years old and had to lock her own father out of the house. Her mother had thrown him out of the house for his drinking and he was living in a 12 foot trailer in the front yard. He came to the door and wanted a soda. He was not drunk at the time. But Susan was alone in the house and her mother was virulent, when Susan called her at work, telling Susan not to let him in. She remembers climbing up on the kitchen sink and reaching the soda out of the kitchen window to her father. Remember, she was eight years old. These types of childhood traumas add up, and can cause such torment that victims want one thing and one thing only — to numb those feelings and the memories. How they choose to accomplish this varies with their personal drug of choice.

A drug of choice can be any compulsive/addictive behavior which acts to make these persons temporarily not feel their pain. blackjackJohn Bradshaw, a counselor, lecturer, and author of Healing The Shame That Binds You, and Bradshaw On The Family, said it this way, “Compulsive/addictive behavior is a pathological relationship to any mood altering experience that has life-damaging consequences.” Hence, addictive behavior does not have to be solely confined to drugs and alcohol. Pete Rose, one of the finest and most passionate baseball players of his time, was kicked out of baseball because of gambling. Clearly, his gambling problems had life-damaging consequences; they cost him his one great love of life!

There are, of course, other “socially acceptable” addictions such as over-eating and cigarette smoking which include not only life-damaging consequences (such as alienating others) but, more importantly, these addictions can create life-threatening consequences in the form of heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Eventually any behavior, to excess, may likely damage and even destroy lives, yet many victims allow their disease to progress, untreated, because deep down they feel shamed to the core, and believe that they don’t deserve any better.

It’s difficult to determine degree of severity between the most prevalent causes of compulsive/addictive behavior, but lack of self-esteem stemming from the shame of a dysfunctional environment rates as one of the primary root causes of such compulsive behaviors.

Lack of self-esteem allows people to endure incredible amounts of abuse, whether it be self-inflicted or at the hands of another. Because victims feel that they are worthless and want not to think about their lives, they are willing to abuse their bodies through food, drugs or alcohol, or by allowing themselves to be emotionally and/or physically beaten and battered. Furthermore, many of them get trapped in a cycle where they themselves become the abusers. They simply hate themselves so much that they take it out on children, animals and the people that they love the most. The more serious cases become violent against society.

virginia_techSome people who have grown up in extremely violent and/or abusive households build up so much rage that they just explode as is evidenced daily on the television screen, the internet and the pages of newspapers nationwide. It’s very easy to say that Eric Harris and Deren Kleebold were affected by Marilyn Manson and video games, because they both had two parents and drove BMWs. But no one knows what goes on behind the walls of a house except the people who live in that house. For far too long this country’s obsession with “family values” has decimated any hope of looking at the parents in cases such as Columbine and Virginia Tech. It’s time to at least start asking the question.

Regardless of severity, each of these victims live in their own private hell, and until people who come from dysfunctional environments are able to recognize that their problems are attributed to an insidious, hereditary disease, they will be unable to remove themselves from the spiral in which they are trapped.

The inability to recognize that problems exist is called denial. If people don’t know what’s wrong, they can’t fix it. For example, if a person who had never ridden in a well-running, well-tuned car, were to own a car that knocks and pings, that person wouldn’t know that knocking and pinging weren’t completely normal. He or she may know that the car doesn’t run very well, but it functions, and as far as this individual is concerned everybody has to put up with constant car problems because that’s the way cars are supposed to be.

By the same token, ACA’s who are in denial believe that their reality is the way that life is supposed to be. They see nothing unusual about spending their days getting high or getting hit and yelled at because that’s all they’ve ever known. It was what life was like, or modeled, in their home growing up, and as a child that was their whole world…so, in their eyes, it was everybody’s whole world. By the time they become adults, this belief system is so deeply ingrained that it becomes their reality. Consequently, they don’t understand that their symptoms of drug abuse, alcoholism, compulsive over-eating, compulsive working, compulsive spending, compulsive gambling, but to name a few, are problems that are affecting their life and which need to be addressed. Unfortunately, some can spend their whole lives in denial.

As a result of their upbringing, ACA’s are faced with heart-breaking pain, a shameful view of themselves as human beings, and the hurdle of overcoming problems that they don’t even recognize that they have. The problems of compulsive/addictive behavior go far deeper than many people realize or are willing to accept. Until society, as a whole, faces up to the causes of compulsive/addictive disorders, rather than just punishing those affected individuals, and until society begins to provide low-cost, quality mental health care geared towards these problems, it’s going to continue to be difficult for individuals to seek, and admit that they need, help. However, people are becoming more knowledgeable and attitudes are beginning to change for the better. Hopefully, with time and the willingness to learn, this knowledge of cause and effect will help the millions of people affected with symptoms of this disease, and those who love them.

For coaching assistance for addictions, see Spiritcaat.

Vision of the Past, Vision for the Future

Tarot Inspired Reflection for the week of Jan 6, 2008

It’s a new year, time for not only looking towards where you are going, but reflecting on where you have been. For, without knowing and learning from the past, how can you make your future the most fulfilling it can be?

At times, we find ourselves on the cusp of completing one aspect of our lives and moving onto another — not only physically, but spiritually. This cusp is the dividing line between that which has run it’s course and being reborn into a new vision for our lives. How is your energy affecting — and being affected by — that vision?

To know that our lives are a never-ending cycle is one way to have the strength and courage to face whatever we are leaving behind, and to move forward towards what lies ahead. We wear the robe of that renewal, knowing that by allowing our spirituality to shroud us, we can lead happier and more productive lives.

So look not only to the future, look to the past, as well. Look to see how far you have come. Look to your mistakes to see how you have grown. Look to your times of difficulty and strife, to see where it has led you and how life has a way of renewing itself.

Stay focused on your future goals with an eye on how you got to where you are. Because without the conscious knowledge of that experience, instead of using that life cycle to renew and grow, you end up just chasing your tail.

Symbols

  • Green: Growth, productivity
  • King: Completion
  • Lion: Courage, strength
  • Lizard: Spirituality, cycle/renewal, vision
  • Orange: Happiness, well-being
  • Wand: Spirituality, growth