Tarot Card for the Day ~ December 1!

[Good God.  It’s December.  I finally found the design for last summer’s Faery Garden.  Now I know why the rosemarys looked a touch out of place where they were.]

 

Wheel of Fortune

Arthur’s Dream

 

In pretty much any reading, Wheel of Fortune augurs well, especially for the immediate future.  It usually betokens a happy change of fortune and the beginning of a positive cycle.   

 

I agree with that interpretation, but my work with clients has prompted me to put a particular spin on that energy.  When the Wheel turns up, I usually say something like, “Look.  Take a deep breath.  Pay attention here.  You’re finally in a position to really be on top of the world, in the ways you have wanted to be.  So first of all, let yourself believe in that.  Let yourself KNOW it.  Do what you need to do to move beyond doubt.

 

“A caveat, though.  Over the years, and perhaps particularly the recent past, you have learned tough lessons in hard ways. One positive result of that is that you’ve developed a refined ability to pick up on and read the subtle vibrations of a situation – of situations in general – to a much greater extent than most people have.  This is a very effective tool for you right now.  Honoring it, using it will be to your advantage.

 

“In fact, giving yourself permission to read and trust and use what you perceive about those subtle vibes (in an intelligent, I’m not gonna overload my mouth and blow my own ass up kinda way) is key to keeping yourself on top of the world.  It will help you pay attention to the fact that the Wheel of Fortune is always in spin, but you can move along with it at the right moments and in the right rhythm, so you can keep yourself from losing your footing and being dumped into the moat.”   

 

There’s an old shamanic saying: “You know what you know.  Do what you know.”  With the Wheel of Fortune, I’d tweak that a touch to say,

 

“You know what you know.  Believe in what you know.  Act − in a skillful, savvy way − on what you know.”

 

Bright blessings, joy and light!

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 30

Eight Of Spears

 

The White Hart

 

As I have said before, “Ah, yes.  Another card wherein my interpretation veers semi-wildly off in a direction of its own.”  My offering about this card is based on a Shamanic Journey I once did asking about its meaning. (To find out more about Journeying, see the post before this one.) 

 

Other readers give this card meanings like speed, action, movement toward opportunity, a test of skill, and an adventure.  It’s considered a good omen.  So if any of those are what you need today, by all means grab ’em and run!      

 

I see the Eight of Spears as the card of utter, total complete liberation.  It’s an indicator that it is time for you to explore for yourself:

 

how it is that you may give yourself

more freedom to

go where you want to go

when you want to go there

by the means and

at the speed of your own choosing.

 

Given that, you KNOW my questions if you were my client would start with something like, “SO!  How are you keeping yourself confined?  How are you confining yourself in ways that are no longer appropriate for who you have become and what you may give to the world?  How can you open yourself to a liberation − in your thinking, your behavior, your belief in what is possible and your understanding of how you may go about achieving that possibility?”

 

At the moment, I’m working on the possibility of trying to interview one of my true idols for a speculative fiction (SF/Fantasy) ’zine.  Right now I’m in the phase of working on the, uh, uh, the… cojones to even make the approach.  But I’ll kick myself if I don’t, and don’t move soon.  So, time to Eight of Spears my way forward.  (And what the heck. If the author says no, I’ll always have the email rejection to treasure.)    

 

I’ll let you know how that comes out.  But it is an indication that one way in which you may need to try something different is to just freakin’ go for it.  It may be a little uncomfortable, but at least it’s owning who you are and freeing yourself up so you can move along YOUR path.    

 

How can you liberate yourself, your creativity, your spirit today?

 

Bright blessings!     

Shamanic Journey? Wossat?

The Shamanic Journey:

A Brief Introduction

 

Shamanism has been called the first spiritual practice of humanity.  For tens of thousands of years, its ways have helped with personal and community evolution, intuitive development and divination.  It has been effective in work to heal the self, the community and the planet.  Shamanism is a generous and caring path.  Its power is to be used respectfully and only for good.  It can support and sustain positive personal growth and enhanced spiritual connectedness.  

 

What It Is

 

An element of the sacred traditions of peoples from every inhabited land, journeying is a powerful meditative state.  It takes us into a very special level of consciousness that helps us work more deeply with intuitive and spiritual guidance. Prolonged hypnotic drumming is used to promote relaxation and the experience of a trance-like visionary awareness.

 

Why It=s Done

 

Through journeying, we may find that our normal world is not the most Areal@ world we can experience. The alternative realms of Spirit, of our visions and dreams, also can be real, accessible, tangible.  Spirit travel can open the door to an awareness that there are other realities, other worlds.  These other worlds are sources of the energy, creativity, passion and love that power the everyday world we know.  Finding our way there can be a blessing that brings us wisdom and self-empowerment in a positive, healing way.

 

How It=s Done

 

Journeying is often done lying down, with the eyes closed.  It also can be done while sitting, standing, walking, running, dancing, singing, chanting, or any combination of the above.  It has been said, AIf you can visualize, you can learn to journey.@

 

While in a trance-like state, a Journeyer Atravels@ to other realms.  There are generally three types of journeys that can be undertaken.  One is to a destination called the Lower World, a place of deep, beautiful earthy energy.  Lower World can be a dimension of healing and self- empowerment.  The second type is to a destination called the Upper World, a place of light bright energy.  Upper World can be a place of wisdom and teaching.  The third destination is the Middle World, a place that seems very much like our own reality, here, now.  But in Middle World, Spirit is tangibly present and ready to work with us.

 

As You Begin…

 

1.  Be comfortable.  You may lie down, sit or stand.  Breathe easily and deeply.  Close your eyes.  An eye cover may be helpful.  Allow yourself to be enfolded and carried by the rhythm of the drum.  If you like, you may softly pray, chant or sing as you begin.

 

2.  Focus on a specific intent or mission such as A I want to meet and ask advice of my Spirit Helpers@ or AI want to talk with my Guardian Angel@ or AI want to work on healing for myself@ (or for the planet).  Calmly but firmly broadcast your intent ahead of you telepathically.

 

3.  In journeying, let yourself begin by focusing on and going to a favorite safe, sacred place.  It doesn=t have to exist in ordinary reality.  Many people choose a beautiful or powerful outdoor setting.  From there, look around for an access way, an Aentry port@ into the realm of other realities B or the realm of Spirit, or your alternate universe B whatever you choose to call it.   

 

To Travel to the Lower World…

 

Simply look for an entryway into the earth.  There are countless options.  Some Journeyers enter through a cave or animal burrow.  Others fly in through a hollow in a tree.  Some dive into water and swim or walk along the bottom until they find their personal opening Aportal.@ Some even go in via manhole covers, elevators or the cones of volcanoes.  All these ways and more are right if they are right for you.

 

The entryway often leads to a tunnel that leads Asomewhere else.@  That somewhere else B whatever it may be like B is the Lower World for this journey.

 

As you are carried by the sound of the drum, let yourself explore this wonderful place, all the while seeking your Spirit Helper(s).  Lower World often has a loving, earthy feel.  Some find it helps connect them to an ancestral tribal heritage.  It is frequently inhabited by Spirit Guides who are deeply connected to Mother Earth: natural and Amythical@ animals, indigenous peoples or elfin creatures.

 

When you encounter a being in your traveling B whether human, animal, angel or other spirit B ask it if it is in fact your Spirit Guide, Helper, Teacher or Power Animal.  If it replies negatively, ask if it can direct you to your Guide.  If it is your Helper, ask its name, what wisdom it has for you, why is it in your life, what you can/should work on together.  Then, let your Journey proceed, doing as your Helper directs.  

 

To End a Journey

 

When you hear the callback rhythm of the drum B a sound like four insistent rappings on a door B or when you feel you have completed your Journey=s intent, tell your Helper(s) that you must return to ordinary reality.  Thank them for their assistance and care.  A series of light, rapid drumbeats will follow.  During this rhythm, allow yourself to drift easily, gently, fully back into your body.  Reverse the path you took during your spirit travel.  There will then be a second series of the four Arappings on the door.@  That=s the time to let yourself really reconnect with your body.  Have a good stretch.  Slowly, gently open your eyes.  Come back into ordinary realty.

 

To Work in the Upper World…

 

Begin by following steps 1-3 above.  Then, simply look for Aa way up.@   Some people turn into mist or smoke and rise.  Some climb a great tree and step off at the right branch.  Some travel on magic carpets or are lifted by great birds (or tiny birds).  Some simply float upward.

 

Most Journeyers encounter a thick cloud gate or other boundary that must be pushed through.  This is the wall that separates Upper World from ordinary reality.  For some, it takes a bit of work to get through.

 

The inhabitants of Upper World often appear as beings of light, angelic beings, or saint-like teachers.  They may take the form of departed people or beloved animals who have wisdom to share.

 

As in Lower World, when you encounter a being, ask if it is your Spirit Helper.  If it=s not, ask for direction to your Guide.  If it is, ask what its wisdom is for you, what its purpose is in your life, what you need to work on together.  And, in your Journey, begin the work.

 

When you hear the callback rhythm of the drum, repeat the process to end the journey outlined above. 

 

 

 

 

To Journey Well

 

Learn to work with your Spirit Helper(s).  They have infinite wisdom and infinite power to guide and protect you in the realm of Spirit.  Never undertake spirit travel without an intent, or mission. (Your intent need be nothing more than to visit with your Helper.) Always try to connect with your Helper as soon as you reach the spirit Realm.  Always ask your Helper=s permission to work on the particular intent you have set.  There may be times when you find the mission you propose is not possible or not permitted at this time.  Always honor such guidance.

 

If you ever feel threatened or challenged by Spirit Beings, simply try to walk around whatever blocks you.  If the challenge persists, retrace your steps and begin again.  If the challenge is repeated, assume this is a signal your mission has been denied, for this journey.  If, however, you have already connected with your Spirit Helper in the journey, ask how to handle the challenge, and carefully follow the advice you are given.

 

Your intent should be clear and fairly simple.  It can be to seek the answer to a question or to request help with an area of self-empowerment, personal growth or healing.  If your intent is to find information, don=t ask simple yes/no questions.  Instead of AShould I take this job?,@ ask APlease show me what my life will be like if I take the job.@

 

Spirit travel is one of the most beautiful, powerful, sacred gifts offered to humanity.  It can bring new depth, joy, clarity and hope to life.

 

May your travels be sweet!  Bright blessings on your path.

 

Recommended Reading

 

Soul Retrieval – Sandra Ingerman

Welcome Home – Sandra Ingerman

Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide – Sandra Ingerman

Conscious Dreaming – Robert Moss

The Way of the Shaman – Michael Harner

Shamanism as a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life – Tom Cowan

 

If you feel you=d like to explore spirit travel through guided imagery, look for my CD, Shaman’s Path, Guided Meditations. (If nowhere else, it’s available through New Leaf Distributing Company at www.newleaf-dist.com)

 

© Stephen Neal Szpatura 2003, 2006, 2008

                                                           

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 29

[You know it’s been a rough day when, as you get ready to pull the card for tomorrow, you hear a scratchy little voice say, “Aw, buggrit.  Give ’em the Death card with no explanation.  Let ’em figure out what to do with THAT.”  Sigh.  By the way, if you haven’t read Good Omens, the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, you really should.  It’s a Monty Python apocalypse.  Perfect for the holidays. Especially this year.]

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled Tarot Card for the Day.

 

 

King of Spears

 

King Pellinore

 

In Anna-Marie Ferguson’s Legend, the Arthurian Tarot, the King of Spears is a mature man of wisdom, someone with humor and theatrical flair.  [No.  A MATURE man.]  So keep an eye out for that kind of energy today, or seek to embody it yourself.

 

I see the King of Spears as the card of the Renaissance Man (or Renaissance Woman).  Look for (in someone else), or better still, give yourself permission to have a restless, joyful, driving curiosity that you allow to take you toward many different fascinations. 

Here’s a picture of a typical Renaissance Person:

The Renaissance Person wants to learn

~ French cooking and

~ Feng Shui and  

~ shamanic healing and

~ judo and

~ astrology and

~ Thai massage and

~ classical guitar and

~ how to make money day trading and

~ how to build a PC by hand and

~ wants to design a line of greeting cards and

~ wants to write a play for Broadway and

so on. 

And will do so.  All of it.

 

But remember, a true Renaissance Person is not just a dibbler-dabbler in lots of things.  The characteristic that distinguishes the Renaissance person is a real commitment to explore deeply, to develop true expertise in many areas that appeal.  Deeper learning and wisdom, not just faking it or cramming to get by, are required here.

So, if you were to really own up to the Renaissancer in you, what interests, skills, and wisdom would you go after?  Which one first?  How can you start today?

Brightest blessings!

Circles and Networks:Always Upgrade

Circles and Networks:

 Always Upgrade

 

In her wonderful book, Your Sixth Sense, Belleruth Naparstek has a chapter titled, “Specific Things You Can Do to Cultivate and Maintain Psi,” Psi being psychic ability.   The third thing on her list of things is, “Keep like company.”  In other words, hang out with others who have the same intense interests and goals as you.  Whether your passion is for intuitive development, artistic creativity, entrepreneurial achievement or whatever else, Belleruth’s insight is a valuable ground rule to set for yourself as you make plans for networking and gathering in circle during the holidays and the New Year to come.

In fact, I’d suggest you take things a step farther.  There’s an old saying: You become what you behold.  So find ways to be in the energy you are striving to become.  Be among those who have accomplished what you hope to achieve, in all the ways you seek to achieve it. 

If growing your intuition is important to you, be with people who have shown a clear, consistent, demonstrable and clean (non-manipulative) psychic ability that is significantly beyond your current capacity. 

If artistry calls to you, be where the kind of art you aspire to create is present and accessible, and find ways to be among the artists who have achieved the kind of work that is most meaningful to you. Join in their circles. Become their student if you can. Go to their shows so that you can become more familiar with them and they with you. 

If owning and running your own SUCCESSFUL business drives you, network with those who are where you hope to be five, ten, twenty years from now.  Purchase their products when you can. Join groups in which they have memberships. See if you can engage them as mentors.

It’s all pretty basic stuff, right? 

So how come it can seem so hard to do? 

Wellllll…  One reason is that it really may be necessary to see and accept − without being judgmental − that your current circles and networks no longer nurture you, assist you or serve you.  That would imply that you have to let go of something old, familiar and oh-so-comfortable in order to go after what your heart and soul seek now. 

In fact, if you’re honest with yourself, you may decide that you have to scramble away from the good ol’ crowd as fast as you can ─ a realization that can have a lot of tugs involved in a lot of directions.  It’s something that’s sometimes just not easy to do.

But look.  We all have to evolve.  Even I had to give away my favorite old pair of Beatle boots (Oh yeah. It still hurts to even think it!) when I finally admitted to myself that my arches had fallen about a mile and I was more than a full shoe size bigger than during the British Invasion.  And besides, the boots looked like hell with Cargo shorts.

So letting go can be the first roadblock to deal with in the process.

Next, you may have to really wrestle to the ground all those decrepit worthiness issues so they stop cutting you off at the knees. After all, you deserve and are intended to continue your personal growth and development in all the ways that are for your highest and best.  Therefore, you are entitled to access the finest teachers and mentors life can offer at any given time. 

You just have to be the one who screws up a little courage and finds a way to break the ice. And most good people and worthwhile circles will be open to the development of a connection if you begin and proceed in a considerate, caring and respectful way.

So accepting that you deserve to go after your dreams biggertime may be a hurdle to be jumped.       

 Then there’s the step where you realize that, as an artist, a healer, a writer, a consultant, an entrepreneur, a person, you are always spiraling upward, and that even the new connections you are hoping to make and the circles you are striving to join or create are destined to become things of the past.  Always be aware that you have the right to examine whether any teacher, any circle is truly meeting your evolving needs.  If not, and there seems little prospect that they can, it’s up to you to continue exploring and move on.

How do you know whether a teacher or circle is right for you ─ or is still right for you?  There are a few simple elements to consider.  The most important is how you usually feel after having been with them:    

~ Truly uplifted, filled with light, energized, hopeful, more accomplished, and at least generally positive? That’s good!  Keep the good energy flowing!

~ Darker, angry, jealous, demeaned, less capable, hopeless, worthless or just really stuck? That’s bad.  They’re Beatle boots, and it’s probably way past time to drop them in the Goodwill bin.

Of course, the implication in all of this is that you’ve done some homework and have begun to develop a strong, pretty clear sense of where you would like to go and how you would like to grow and evolve over the next few years.  If you haven’t, then you might want to begin by identifying and targeting networks and circles that will help you with those aspects of your quest.

Think of it this way: You are a wonderful, shining ever-evolving being.  You exist to spiral upward to higher and higher goodness, creativity, health and achievement for the highest and best of all.  This holiday season and New Year, let yourself find more and more ways to connect with more and more people who resonate – and help you resonate − with hopeful, happier, more profound, more beautiful, more healing vibrations. How can you settle for less?                                                                

Brightest blessings!

©2007, 2008 Stephen Neal Szpatura

An earlier version of this article appeared in Balanced Living Magazine, http://www.balancedlivingmag.com

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 28

The Judgement

 

Avalon

 

 

Oh my.  Lots going on in this card, particularly on “Black Friday” in the U.S. 

 

First of all, as I would tell any client, it’s tremendously important that you not be judgmental just now ~ not of anyone else, and especially not of yourself.   

 

That doesn’t mean to let yourself go hog wild if you find yourself in the thick of the pre-holiday buying frenzy – or to beat yourself up if you really want to just hide under the bed for the next twenty four hours.  

 

It does mean

~ don’t repress your own tendency to wish for what you wish for

~ don’t down yourself for wanting to be able to upgrade a couple of quantum levels beyond what ordinary reality might provide this week in some area of your life 

~ stay grounded for the moment regarding what you actually grab 

 

And send kind energy and blessings of Light to our fellow shopaholics as they go bananas from predawn till night.  (I personally refuse to buy so much as a toothbrush today.)      

 

Different decks portray ~ and different readers interpret ~ The Judgement in exceptionally different ways.

 

When this card appears, I’m likely to say, “Look. Really. There are powerful, helpful people who would be happy to work with you, who perhaps are actually looking for you.  But they can’t find you where you usually are. 

 

“There are wonderful, transformational experiences waiting for you.  But they can’t happen where you are, in the rhythm of your life as you currently live it. 

 

“You’ve got to go new places, meet new people, do new things!  And plan to keep doing that for the foreseeable future.”

 

So, while staying grounded and yet aware of what your wishes are − or could be − entice yourself out of your rut.  Shop at different stores, from grocers to clothiers to where you buy your lottery tickets or get your dry cleaning done.  Go to different movies at different theaters.  Eat at different restaurants, write at different coffee bars.  Don’t let yourself stagnate where you are and have been. 

 

Perhaps the most important aspect of this card is that it indicates your destiny is trying to reach out to you and for you.  Will you be there?

 

Reach out for your destiny.

 

Bright blessings!  

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 27

The Hermit

 

Lancelot in Exile

 

 

Interesting card to turn up for Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., no?  Oh well.  Guess that means it’s time for A TEACHING MOMENT − God, I can be SO pretentious.

Anyway, this would be a good time to remember that

~ each Tarot card has many facets to its meaning and

~ it can be important to tease out as many of the meanings

   as you can for yourself

~ including meanings that seems to contradict themselves

~ to get a sense of what you might need to be aware of on any day

After all, there are lots of different Yous going on during even a single morning, let alone a whole day. 

Although you perceive yourself to be pretty much the same  from morning till night, you’re likely a very different person with the paper boy who leaves your paper perfectly where you want it than you are with the sweet cat who keeps flopping on the movie reviews as you try to read them.  And you’re a different person with them than you are with the roommate who always manages to flush the half bath loo just as you start rinsing the shampoo from your hair.  And you’re different with her/him than you are with that whiney but important client who demands that you see her half an hour earlier than anybody else ever does (and always shows up 15 minutes late) or the lovely but dotty neighbor who always drives a bit over the edge of your lawn.  See?  LOTS of different Yous.

And that’s not even on a day fraught with emotional charge, elevated hopes, escalated fears, fat, sugar and alcohol.   

So what does that have to do with The Hermit?  Attend.  

As I’ve said before, you’d assume a card with a name like The Hermit would be pretty self-evident in its meaning, right?

Well sort of, for once, in this case, anyway.  I mean, if you’ve been aching for some alone time away from the madding crowd to recuperate, get grounded and centered, this is definitely your card of permission in that regard.  [So, yeah, you can tell Aunt Agatha it was all Neal’s fault you didn’t show for dinner.]  But be sure to create and take advantage of favorable energies if you let yourself have that time and space.  Don’t waste it.  It will be valuable and helpful.

But the more specific applicability of The Hermit to Thanksgiving is seen in that, when this card shows up in a reading, I’m most likely to tell a client, “Ah, yes. Hermit. It’s time to go really deep within the self and do some much needed soul-searching.  The intent will be to find the pure and beautiful light within you, acknowledge it, engage it, and begin bringing it out as a gift and a healing for the world.”  Please see if you resonate to that aspect of the card today.  In fact, go out of your way to try to resonate with it.  It’ll help you get through the day.  And your vibe will probably help everyone else in the process.

By the way, this card can also indicate a meeting with a wise person.  So don’t let that slip by if you perceive a likely opportunity.   It may be in one of the people from your shared-turkey experience.

Find your light.  Shine it in the world.  

Bright Blessings!

No Card in Your Inbox?

Card for the Day

Not in Your Inbox?

 

Ooopsey!

 

Sometimes the service I use to distribute the posts from ShamansPath doesn’t manage to deliver the Card for the Day by early morning ~ or even until the next day.

 

I always post the Card for the Day by about 2 a.m. at the latest.  So if the Card hasn’t arrived to go with your morning coffee (tea? Spirutein? prune whip on a rye bagel?) please remember you can always go directly to the Blog itself:

( www.shamanspath.wordpress.com )

 

 You can still get an early view of what our day will be about.     

 

Sorry for any inconvenience!

 

Bright blessings!

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 26

Four of Shields

 

King Mark

 

 

Okay, this is one of the cards that clients, particularly intuitive, artistic clients, can, oooh, ummm, ahhh… like least (you should have heard the language that originally went through my head!) when it shows up in a reading.  This can be a very, “Be grounded in ordinary reality as you prepare to take your next steps” kind of messenger. 

 

For me the Four of Shields basically says:

 

~ Be prepared to become concrete in your planning,

    at least for the moment

~ Do it in the following way:

~ Find someone who is an acknowledged expert in

    what you seek to achieve, and/or who is a

    respected (especially by you) wizard in the successful

    planning of the kind of path you seek to walk

~ Work together closely, over some time to develop YOUR plan

~ Follow that plan carefully, at least for the foreseeable future   

 

Once upon a time, this whole process was called, simply, Get Yourself a Mentor!  And that can still apply here.

 

Yesterday, I used John Lennon and the Beatles as illustrations of following your bliss despite predictions of failure.  Well, aside from the fact that they were brilliant to the point of magical, they also were able to make their first big leaps because of Brian Epstein.  He was a superb businessman and their manager.  He married his ordinary-reality-based magic to their incomparable artistry and passion and the world was changed.

 

Now, maybe you don’t yet have a Brian-the-Wizard to pull out of your hat just yet.  But who and what DO you have?  How can you access him/her/them?  Give it some thought today, and take that first baby step along the path.

 

Believe in yourself.  Believe in your dreams.  Help give them focus in ordinary reality with insights from someone who can help be an architect to their creation.

 

Bright blessings!    

Tarot Card for the Day ~ November 25

Five of Spears

The Pursuit of Igraine

 

An interesting card to follow on yesterday’s draw of The Fool.  As you may remember, to me The Fool is the card that says, “Follow your bliss.”  But as my friend Ginny said in her comment on that post, “I think the hardest part is knowing what your bliss is.”

I dunno if I’ve ever heard that from any normal person under sixteen or so.  So it must be a condition peculiar to modern Western (alleged) adults.  Often, we buy into concepts that create a war within us ~ concepts that say, “You can’t hope to succeed, doing what you enjoy.  You’ll fail. You’ll starve.  Take your medicine. Grow up!”

Like these people?  

On one of John Lennon’s school reports at Quarry Bank School a teacher wrote, “Certainly on the road to failure.” 

In prep school, Bill Gates ran into trouble for skipping classes, not turning in homework and spending day and night − in the computer room. (No future in that!) 

Henry Ford gave up his family’s farm to go tinker with machines.  And he founded two car companies that utterly failed before he created the Ford Motor Company. 

And let’s not forget Edison, who said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  And, “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”  Not to mention, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” 

Even Donald Trump, who has said, “The most important thing in life is to love what you’re doing, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be really good at it,” has had to stare down bankruptcy and be called a failure by pundits, politicians and everyday people by the millions. 

And The Beatles (fer Godzake) were rejected by Decca Records, being brushed off with, “Guitar groups are out of fashion.”

That’s a list of failures well worth emulating, and a group of people who followed their bliss ~ in radically different directions. 

Ultimately, it’s like what I told my stepson as he was heading for college:  “Find what you love to do, and do what you need to do to be able to do it incredibly well.  Because whether it’s digging ditches or designing rockets, somebody’s making a million dollars a year doing it.  No reason it shouldn’t be you.  No reason it can’t be you.”

Which FINALLY brings us back to today’s card.  (NO, I didn’t forget!)

The Five of Spears indicates a deep need to reconnect with passion in your life.  Not just passion of the steamy, rumple-the-sheets kind, although that maybe can apply if that’s what’s a big issue for you now. 

 

Rather, the card asks you to stop and take stock of what really sets your heart and soul ablaze − what drives you, what you’d truly like to have the world remember you for a hundred years and more after you’ve gone.  Also, and perhaps as part of that, it’s important to go back and let yourself reconnect with old dreams you had put away − or thought you had “become too mature for” − long ago. 

 

In fact, go back in your mind to when you were four or five years old.  What were your dreams, your hopes, your knowings for your life and the evolution of the world back then?  

 

Take out those old, dried dream seeds.  Dust them off, plant them and water them. See if the world doesn’t begin to bloom again!

 

Bright blessings!