A Day Wasted On A Tarot Card

Hidden Agendas – 7 of Swords

 

Today, I picked the 7 of Swords from Maria Kurara’s Black Cats Tarot deck as my Card du Jour and that got me reeling in a sense of dread about coming to work after a restful weekend. The card warned me of the prospect of being embroiled in a situation that involved people with hidden agendas.  I truly had no time for corporate politics at this time, not especially, with the fact that after  recovering from the upheaval of a departmental restructuring, we now had to get on with a ton of work around projects that were marked “urgent”.  I had to steel myself to be wary of those whose goals were not aligned with mine or were not aimed at a higher good. This calls for an introspective approach to work issues.  I reminded myself that I should not be reacting to anything or anyone when challenged today.  It could be part of a hidden agenda to get me in trouble.

 

So I spent most of today keeping to myself, keeping my head down, and just reminding myself to be tactful and sensible at meetings.  The day passed with no incident apart from a missing avocado that I had asked and paid for, but did not get, at the sandwich shop nearby.

 

As I tucked into my sandwich at lunch behind my desk, I waited with my guard up for anyone that might pass by my desk whom I thought fell into that description of the 7 of Swords.  Every email that came in, was scanned in-between the lines for hidden meanings that I thought was meant to trap me into responding with one of my explosively sarcastic replies.  

 

The only indication of what the 7 of Swords card might have pointed to, was my time wasted in trying not to get into any trouble of sorts, my inability to contribute effectively at meetings for fear of being slapped at the back of my head for not being aligned to management, and my open expression of sheer joy when a member of the management team called of a conference call due to conflicting appointments, hence delaying the project deliverables for awhile.  I felt so guilty about making my work day so unproductive just because I built a “protective shell” around myself, more concerned with my own needs rather than that of the company.  

 

Own up now.  How many of you had fallen into the same trap when you pick a similar card to advise you on how best you should be managing your day?

 

So my day at work came and gone, and I hurried to my slew of back to back Tarot reading appointments in the evening.  Funnily, out of the 3 readings I had done, the common card that showed up in the Advice position was the Judgement Reversed.

 

So this brings me to the next topic of accountability.

 

Accountability – Judgement Reversed

 

The reversed Judgement card from the Radiant Rider Waite Tarot deck updated by Virginijus Poshkus, was a poignant reminder to me that I could not be totally free of blame, for whatever could potentially happen to me, at work or at home.  Every time we collide head-on with the “negative train”, we blame it on everyone around us and the external environment that we are in, but we forget that we are the artist behind that canvas we call life.  We need to be accountable for our actions, knowing that every decision that we had made in the past, actually accounts for what we experience today.  Why would I need to lie in wait for people with hidden agendas, welding a knife behind their back when I should be confident about the amount of meticulous effort and thought that had gone into my work?  If there were changes within the department or the company, why would I need to build a barbwire fence around myself when I had made that decision to stay on with the company to deliver on its business objectives, aligned with the management team?  When I made that choice to spend a good number of years with the company, it is somewhat like a marriage.  I had chosen to commit my time and effort to co-creating a successful business with the rest of my colleagues.  There will be rough days, and there will be great days.  But most of all, these would be meaningful days built on my original decision to stick with it through thick and thin.  Ultimately, I am accountable for my own decisions.  If I choose to leave the organization in the future, then, I would need to ensure that I am accountable for the consequence as well. No complaints.

 

Ultimately, I needed to let go of my fear of changes and challenges that may come my way. I  needed to let go of my dislike for certain people whom I worked with and who were responsible for some of the more unpleasant days I had at work, because it did not serve me well at all.   I needed to let go of past perceptions of my role and my scope of work within my company when departmental reorganizations happened, because these perceptions only serve to limit the potential of what my team can do in the future.   I needed to deal with past disappointments from people at work who indeed had hidden agendas.  Clinging on to these  limited my growth in the company. The truth of the matter is, I cannot control what happens within the environment, but I can control how I react to whatever happens within my environment.  

 

One of my favourite cards is the Devil card from Judith McKay Stirt’s The Cook’s Tarot deck.  It reminded me that I can never be bonded to negativity unless I allowed it.    I had the power to break free from the chains of negativity in a tension-filled job, in the best way that made me most accountable to my family, my staff, my company and myself.

 

See how much Tarot can teach you with just 1 card in the morning?  Not wasted at all.

 

About The Writer:

 

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and an intuitive reader by accident who deploys the combined modalities of a Tarot, Numerology and Astrology overlaid with her Clairvoyant and Clairsentient skills to deliver her readings with authenticity. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she also mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

 

Website: www.sungoddesstarot.com

 

Email:  Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com

 

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot

 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

 

Instagram: @SunGoddessTarot

 

 

 

 

 

Tarot Tip Tuesday - Grounding

Whether you are new to Tarot and in the throes of building a connection with your Tarot cards or an advanced Tarot reader diligently honing your Tarot reading skills, I am putting out a Tarot tip a week to help you to consistently make Tarot a part of your everyday life.

This was written specially for a protege who had felt "out of sorts", depressed and exhausted every time she does a couple of Tarot readings.

So here goes your Tarot Tip for this Tuesday:

It is good practice to precede and end a Tarot reading with a short meditation that can help ground your energy.   If you are not familiar with the practice of meditation, I would like to invite you to close your eyes, and take deep breaths, in and out, to the count of 7 for about 7 times.  Once you keep that steady pace of breathing, imagine a white light from the top of your head flowing down through your head, and into your body, through your limbs, down to your legs, out through your feet  and into the ground. As you are imagining the white light flowing through your body, let it take the negative energy away from you, pushing it out of your being and into the ground.  As the white light is doing this for you, imagine thereafter that a green light is flowing from the ground, up your feet, through your legs, into your body, and out through the crown of your head. Allow the green light to cleanse your being.  Keep your breaths at a steady pace as you “pattern” the flow of white and green lights through your body in different directions, intermingling to the point of creating a growing shroud of light around you.

Now that you have created a protective shroud around your sacred space, begin shuffling your cards and feel it's energy within your hands. Stay connected with that energy and whisper and intent under your breath that the Universe may guide you through the use of these cards, with the messages you or your querants need to hear at that moment.  This practice of grounding is particularly necessary if like me, you are doing multiple Tarot readings in a day.  It helps protect you and prevent your energy from getting drained by any residual negative energy that your querant might leave you with during a reading.  If you are reading for yourself, it is even more important to practice grounding so that you can maintain a semblance of objectivity to provide yourself with the right advice.

Different metaphysical practitioners practice grounding in many different ways.  A former Tarot teacher practices grounding by walking around her garden barefooted before heading back into her home to do her Tarot reading.  In due time, you will find your own unique way to ground yourself as part of your standard operational procedure to support your Tarot reading efforts.  So go ahead and take that time to explore the different ways of grounding yourself and stick to one that you feel most comfortable with.

May your Tarot cards provide you with a full deck of possibilities throughout your day.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website: www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email:  Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot.

Living A Life Filled With Love And Positivity

Living A Life Filled With Love And Positivity

A few days ago, a friend sent me a lovely note on my Facebook wall.  She posted a picture of an old couple walking hand in hand, and said, “I immediately thought of you when I saw this picture. You, David, Joel, your dog, your stories about your Mum, your Nan, your Dad and your fabulous team at work…I always love reading your Facebook post and blog.   I wish to live a life filled with love like yours.”

It was such a sweet note that brought tears to my eyes.  Indeed, it was a stage I never thought I could get to, considering that I had walked a rather rocky past tainted by divorce, single motherhood, being cut-off from my parents and the struggle to find myself.  I went through a period of healing after, which affirmed my belief that the Universe will never throw a challenge at you without providing you with the means to deal with it.  

This was the classic manifestation of the 5 of Cups card in Tarot.  When the 3 cups got knocked over, I found the 2 upstanding cups.  One came in the form of my best friend who helped me believe in the institution of marriage again – so I got remarried, to him.   The other came in the form of my answering the call of my higher consciousness to provide support and comfort to other women who had to survive divorce and single motherhood all on their own.  I did not realize that when I put in that effort to a divorcees support group that I had set up, I was actually sowing the seeds of my work as a lightworker.

So, in response to my friend’s note, I sent her a message taken from a quote by Ben Sweetland.  It said, “We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.”  The day I had decided to turn professional as a Tarot reader, I had decided to embrace life with positivity and live  in joy and gratitude everyday for every blessing around me no matter how big or small.

Here was how I took control.  The only person that I allowed myself to do battle with, is myself.. The only choices impacting me, could only be made by myself.  The outcomes I wanted to effect in my life, could only be influenced by myself.

Ultimately, I was in control.  And I was determined to remain in control of my life.

Taking Control Of The Devil Then

I would like to explain the concept of Control with the Devil card in Tarot.  Unpleasant to some, it was the card which provided positive advice for me. 

The Devil card in my Radiant Rider Waite deck created by Virginijus Poshkus and published by US Games, portrayed an image of a half-man- half-goat creature sitting behind 2 human figures who are shackled to each other by chains.  The chains however are loosely fastened and their hands are not tied, suggesting that they are chained to each other out of their own free will. They are not even chained to the Devil himself! They seemed crippled in inertia for fear of him.

My life was previously reflected in this card, the Devil.  He was the scapegoat I blamed for all the negative moments in my life.  This scapegoat was represented by what I felt were the causes of my distress then – the negativity within my previous marriage, the breakdown in communication with my parents immediately after the divorce, the friends who chose to be on the side of my ex-husband, and the nature of the corporate environment which had shaped my very hard exterior as a corporate careerist. 

These restrictions had generally existed because I chose then, to let them rule my life and shape my perceptions of my future.   I was holding onto these chains of negativity that imprisoned me for years, leaving me to look down at my feet as I walked along the path, whilst missing the embrace of the Sunshine above me.

I started working on myself when I saw what I was missing around me – my son who was growing up and needed me, my husband who loved me and needed me to love him back, and my parents who just wanted to protect me but did not know how.  Then when I saw a group of women who were going through the same negativity I did because of their respective divorces, I had decided to take control then, and promptly removed the bonds of negativity tightly clasped around my neck.

Taking Control Of The Devil Now

Today I am happily married, the family is very close-knitted and my relationship with my parents is better than ever.  While the days of negativity are behind me, I am managing a different kind of “devil”.  I think the Devil card most apt in describing this would be the one in the Book of Shadows Volume 2 - So Below Tarot Deck by Barbara Moore.

The Devil is portrayed by an image of a delicious Sundae. I could not help but laugh out loud at this wonderful card because it really was a manifestation of me at this moment.

The Devil card represented all kinds of harmful bonds like temptations.  It was an accurate depiction of how I had been using my extremely busy schedules and multiple commitments as excuses to lead a sedentary life of poor diet, and almost lack of exercise.  I was constantly stressed at work, and viewed everything around me with negativity.  I blamed the workload for my poor health.  I blamed the family for their lack of understanding about why I was not spending more time with them.  I blamed people around me for creating the pressures of deadlines and last minute demands.

 My Judgement card moment came about when I was hit with repeated health issues which culminated in an angiogram done 2 months ago.  That was when the doctor said, “Shape up or else.”  

So I promptly took control.  I revamped my entire lifestyle with a balanced diet and some exercise with my personal trainer. I also knew when to take a break, so when the juggling of these multiple projects seemed all too much for me, I would step back for a bit to give myself a breather.  I have also made it a point to get home before sundown when possible. This allowed me to spend more time with my family and the dogs.  This new lifestyle reshaped my outlook in life into a more positive one.  I had more energy, and I definitely had more fun.

I went for my medical review with the cardiologist this morning and I was so pleased when he said that I had made marked improvements with my health.  The medical report indicated numbers that had put me within acceptable range in the respective field.  He promptly halfed my dosage of hypertension drugs and told me that he had a goal to remove them totally by mid next year if I continued to show improvements in my health. I was so pleased.

Staying Positive

I was also determined to set an example with what I was doing with my life health-wise.  I wanted to prove that being fit and healthy, positive and happy were not just concepts owned by fitness freaks, dieticians, health gurus, yoga practitioners, healers.  I wanted to prove that anyone, in whatever shape, form, or background can be fit, healthy, positive and happy.  

That is why I am really proud of being part of the team that launched Singapore's first science-backed wellness program called AIA Vitality that is committed to making real changes to Singaporeans' health with every little healthy choice that they make.  Do check the program out at www.aiavitality.com.sg.

You see, there is no secret formula to staying positive and filling your life full of love, if you believe with conviction that you need to be so, to bring some semblance of positivity into other people’s lives too.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She currently runs her own Tarot consultancy called Sun Goddess Tarot which is based in Singapore.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also endorsed as a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com

Welcoming My Personal Year 6

The Exciting But Challenging Personal Year 5

I truly hated Mathematics at school.  I sometimes got the wrong change back for things I bought at the shops, just because I "did not have enough fingers to count" my change. However, I loved Numerology.  I  loved the metaphysical science behind Numerology and had successfully used it to manage my interpersonal relationships at work and home, as well as to manage my expectations within the year, month or day.

I reckoned that my knowledge and skills of Numerology and Tarot had helped me to  anticipate the curves along the road.  There was no better time for these skills to come in handy then in the last year.

In the last year, I was in my personal year 5.  Personal Year 5 in Numerology, is a year of exciting changes and multiple challenges as well as opportunities.  The year called for one to be adaptable, "response-able" and tenacious.

Indeed I had seen multiple changes both at home and at work.  However, in this blog post, I am going to focus only on a key challenge each at home and at work.

Challenges At Home

At home, I was confronted by a very "emo" son who was grappling with his first year and second year at nursing school.  He went through the emotional mood swings from pure elation felt after a gratifying day at the hospital to the despondency of having to face a lack lustre examination results for one of his course modules.  Sometimes he felt that nursing was the best career in the world, and at other times, he might fall for the percieved sexiness of the advertising agency to want to pursue a marketing career instead.

Being young and impressionable ,  Joel had never experienced the struggles I had faced climbing the corporate ladder as a marketing professional.  So from time to time, I had to regal stories about my days past and hoped that he could pick up a lesson or two so that he would not make the same mistakes I had.

As a mother of a boy heading towards adulthood, I struggled with the challenges of balancing the need to protect him whilst letting him go out there to experience the wonders of what the Universe has in store for him.  At the same time, it was gratifying to watch him hone his maturity and resilience by the way he responded to each challenge he faced with his life choices.

Mom and Dad could not protect me from a life tainted with a divorce and single motherhood.  However,  together with David, they celebrated each moment with me whether it was Joel losing his first tooth, gaining his first zit, or enrolling into nursing school.  I knew I will never be alone as a mother.

Challenges At Work

At work, I was confronted with the challenges of having to adapt to new team dynamics, new projects laid on my lap suddenly and other multiple demands on my team that was already under-resourced.   Work, in every sense of the word, was never a big burden, because I enjoyed what I did.  What usually made it complexed were issues like non-clarity of roles, undefined scope, and different opinions or approach about managing a project and personal agendas.  Work challenges should be fun because of the learning curves they created for everyone in the project.  I was determined that nothing should come in between my team and I having fun in our work.

I was cognizant of this fact and attempted to find every way I could to turn each challenge I faced at work into opportunities for my team and I.  Ultimately,  it was genuine pride in our work that supported our drive to overcome these challenges.  For more about what my team and I did leveraging on our genuine pride in the work we did, please do visit http://thecrazyangmoandhisangrywife.blogspot.com/2013/07/genuine-pride-in-our-work.html

Adapting To Challenges In Personal Year 5

Understanding that my personal year 5 was going to drag me through the murky waters of these challenges, I knew I could not be stuck in my ways and attempt to cling on to conventional approaches to manage these challenges.  With Joel, I had to provide that "non-intrusive and non dogmatic" support.  From time to time I had to learn to let go and allow the Universe to help him navigate the bumps along that road.  With my work, I could either "throw my toys out of the pram" or learn to work within the new team dynamics and respond as best as I can to the demands of the business.  My focus was on doing what is right at every step of the way.

The key to a personal year 5 with less drama, is to adapt and be truly malleable. The best word I have for this is "response-able".  I learnt the concept of "response-ability" in my last job when we were taught that there were no mountains too high for us to climb.

In the course of climbing those mountains, remarkably, I found my opportunities.  The first opportunity was my ability to rediscover a new relationship with  David because we were going through a new life stage as Pre- Empty Nesters, with Joel walking towards adulthood.

The second opportunity came in two-folds.  I learnt new skills that came with the new project and I gained new knowledge from my bosses which I had previously taken for granted because I "was a marketing professional and not an actuary".  I was truly grateful for the new learnings.  I could read a stack of books and attend months of courses but they would not have taught me as much as my experience with the project at work and from my bosses.

I gambled on taking on my personal year 5 head-on with enthusiasm.  I felt I came out the winner.

Welcoming My Personal Year 6

As today is my birthday, I am now into my personal year 6.  Today is my lucky day!

The personal year 6 is a year that promises progress, personal growth and recognition for all my efforts from the past year.  I think immediately of the 6 of Swords card in Tarot where I am advised to leave all the negativity of the past behind me so that i can unlock the door to embracing new opportunities in the future.  I think I am ready for that.  I braved the storms in the past year and I want to be able to lock lips with positivity ahead of me.

However, like everything in life, I know that life is not going to be a bed of roses all the time.  Personal Year 6 is also a year where domestic or familial issues may surface.  I can anticipate another emotional melt-down from Joel as he approaches his final year at nursing school.  I can also anticipate that as this will be my "growth and expansion" year, I will be so busy that time spent with David might be limited. This can be especially challenging when I noticed that in the last year, he was more impacted by the pre-empty nester syndrome than I was, as he had taken issue with Joel about the latter's increasing absence from home.

That is why I love Numerology.  I can anticipate the year ahead and be prepared to face them with a pragmatic approach.  I could choose to face my year ahead with fear and trepidation for the challenges coming, or I could face it with a passion to show these challenges who's "da boss"!

Ultimately, I know that the Universe will never leave me with a challenge without the means to deal with it, so bring it on!


About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She currently runs her own Tarot consultancy called Sun Goddess Tarot which is based in Singapore.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also endorsed as a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com

6 of Swords from the Gilded Tarot deck created by Ciro Marchetti