Tarot Strategies for Life Change

How to Use Tarot, Astrology, Meditation and Other Tools to Access Your Intuition, Connect With Your Spiritual Core to Live a Rich, Full, and Wonderful Life

My name is Ellen Zucker and I am an artist. I have also worked with Tarot and Astrology for over 30 years. Through my study and observations, I've come to appreciate the power we have when we are connected to our spiritual core.

There are many ways to make that connection. Tarot, meditation, yoga, dreams, painting, listening to music--anything that uses so-called right brain processes that either quiet the mind or engage the imagination.

This is a place where I will share tips and observations with you and I invite you to share yours with me.

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How to Use Tarot to Access Your Intuition

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Passion, the Strength Card and the Mighty Lion

The Sun is making its annual visit through its home sign of Leo now. This is the place where he shines brighter than anywhere else. 

It also shines the light on all things solar including royalty and that king of beasts, the mighty lion. 

Strength is the Tarot card associated with Leo and also one of my favorite cards in the deck.  So it is appropriate to reflect upon this card at this time of year.

 

The image shows a woman dressed in white and a lion by her side looking up at her. She is gently holding his head. The background sky is gold as is her hair. Above her head is a lemniscate or infinity symbol.

The eye focuses on the interaction between this woman and the lion. That she is able to keep him in check is nothing if not remarkable. After all, anyone with a house cat knows the strength of even a small feline--lions weigh four hundred pounds and can easily overwhelm the strongest human and then eat him for lunch (as they might do in the wild).

For that reason, I believe we can rightly infer the lion is willingly submitting to her. 

But Tarot imagery is not to be taken literally. And like other cards, this one is metaphor also.

The lion is widely known as a symbol for passion and the woman dressed in white, a symbol of a civilizing force. The lion's passion invigorates the woman while the woman lends direction and focus to the lion.

I see this card as a reminder to ask yourself if you are living your passions? Does your life have meaning? Or has the necessity to deal with the day-to-day demands of paying bills and fulfilling other obligations taken the joy out of your existence.

If the latter is the case, then it is time for an overhaul. Because even if you need to keep your day job to pay the bills, you must make time for those things that draw you in and energize you.

The energy of the sign Leo is focused on self-expression. And whether you express yourself through the arts or just through force of personality, this is the time of year to focus on that part of you that is the creator. After all, Leo creates.

Leo is also associated with children, play, and the stage. Living your passion automatically puts you in touch with your inner child and approaching life with the open curiosity of a child is one way to put you in touch with your passion. The same is true with play.

So kick back, wriggle your toes in the sand, build a sand castle and take out your paint brushes. And have fun.

Can you read Tarot cards for yourself?

Recently, I was asked the question, 'can you read cards for yourself?'

The answer? Absolutely.

In fact I do it all the time. Sometimes I want to get a quick impression from the cards about someone or something that has caught my attention. For example, if I were choosing who, among three contractors, I would be best using, I might pick a separate card to represent each one. 

I would also do my normal due diligence such as checking for insurance and licenses, contacting the State to see if complaints were filed, so on and so forth. 

But using Tarot cards is one way of inviting intuition to give its opinion. 

Often, it is difficult to hear the voice of intuition through the background static of 'shoulds' and emotion. Tarot is a great tool to cut through it. 

Pulling a card of the day is a fantastic way to align yourself with the day's energies, give yourself a heads up for possible surprise, as well as get to know your Tarot deck. You can observe the pattern of cards of the day over time. Are there certain cards that keep popping up? Is there a suit that you are not seeing? This is information that can help you understand internal processes you are experiencing.

But Tarot is not infallible. If you are very caught up in the outcome or you are very emotionally attached to the situation at hand that you can easily miss the message.

True story. 

Approximately 20 years ago I worked for a company that was experiencing a change in ownership. New management was coming in. My hope was that they would perform some much needed house cleaning.

I did a spread and The Tower came up in a prominent position. At the time I was coming from a place of restlessness and fear and I did not want to see the message of upheaval brought by The Tower's appearance.

In this case, I had gotten other warnings--a medium described brooms sweeping clean, but in a careless and haphazard way. 

I was experiencing very strong outer planet transits at the time, but it wasn't until I saw that the then upcoming new moon was very closely conjoining the Pluto in my birth chart that it started to dawn that the brooms might be after me.

And two weeks later, a couple days after the full moon, I was handed a pink slip.

I should also point out that I did what many others do when they don't like the cards they see in an emotionally charged situation--I repeated the reading by asking the very same question. 

Experienced card readers will tell you that asking the same question over and over again gets you gibberish. It is as if the cards feel disrespected and react by refusing to comment.

The moral of the story is that reading your own cards can be very helpful, but, emotionally, you have to be able to accept the cards' advice.

It is when you are incapable of detachment about your own situation that it is particularly valuable to seek out a reader to give you needed objectivity and a sounding board.

Information vs. Wisdom and The Hermit

The Tarot Card of the Day for June 18th is The Hermit. 

The Hermit shows the image of a man dressed in white and light gray.He looks wise, dressed in long robes and a hooded head covering. He is clearly male with his flowing beard. He carries a lantern in his right hand--its light comes from a lowing six pointed star. In his left hand is a wand. 

He appears to be walking on top of snow covered mountain peaks. In the background is an icy blue sky. 

The astrological energy this week has emphasized the Mercury ruled signs of Gemini and Virgo. Dispassionate information seeking is the process of both Gemini/Virgo and The Hermit. But the Hermit's presence is a reminder that it is not enough to simply gather and organize information. 

Taking time and energy to gather and organize date can be enormously beneficial as long as it is not used as a way to avoid taking meaningful action.

The Hermit has advanced far on his quest for wisdom. And his quest takes him to high and rarified realms of higher knowledge and spirit. High on the snowy mountain tops, abstract and abstruse concepts rule. 

At these lofty heights, the Hermit risks losing touch with the 'real world' and common sense.

Higher knowledge and abstract concepts must be brought down to earth and rendered practical if they are to be useful.

This is equally true of people immersed in data gathering. As a Newsweek commentator points out about the BP oil disaster, it is easy to get hooked into debates about the numbers of gallons rushing out and lose track of the issues at hand. Data and abstraction is an effective mask for pain.

As for the Hermit himself, despite being led by the illumination of his lantern, his eyes are closed. He turns his attention inward to process the raw data of his search into inner wisdom.

Eight of Cups - Junk the Emotional Garbage

As the current lunar cycle comes to a close, the Tarot Card of the Day is the Eight of Cups. 

Prodded by this week's Jupiter/Uranus conjunction and Mercury's now rapid motion in its home sign of Gemini, the Universe is telling us it is high time to junk the emotional garbage. 

You must make space for the new influences coming in. Besides the old stuff has been hanging around so long it is positively getting moldy.

The central figure of the Eight of Cups is stealing away under the cover of darkness. He is leaning on his wand as a cane. Yes, it takes initiative to disentangle yourself from the muck--the good fairy isn't going to swoop down and do it for you.

So bite the bullet and just do it.

Tomorrow a new lunar cycle begins at 22 degrees of Gemini. With Sun, Moon, and Mercury in that sign, and both Mars and Saturn in Virgo the emphasis is information gathering and looking at the numbers. Because it is difficult to move forward until you know where you are now.

For my astrological perspective of the day, click here.

Preparation and the King of Pentacles

  

Today's Tarot Card of the Day is the King of Pentacles.

The King of Pentacles sits comfortable in his throne, balancing a pentacle with one hand. He is practical and down to earth. His cloak has a design of ripe grapes and their leaves. He has husbanded his resources wisely and he has plenty.

His right foot is revealed showing that under his robes is a suit of armor. Underneath his benevolent demeanor is discipline and tenacity. Behind him is a stone embankment and a castle.

He has the power to grant or deny you the resources you need, but your requests are more likely to be granted if you show that you, too, are grounded and disciplined.

If you are seeking to promote yourself or make a good impression today, then thorough preparation along with a relaxed demeanor is the best approach.

Five of wands and the Job Interview

 

Unlike my previous Card of the Day posts, I am posting in the evening rather than the morning even though the card itself was drawn in the morning.

Waiting until the evening to see how the card's energies played out during the course of a day is another revealing way to get to know your Tarot cards and gain a perspective of the day's happenings.

For me, the Five of Wands is about being light, nimble, playful and on your toes.

Today's primary focus for me was the job interview I had this morning for a State Civil Service job. My initial reaction upon seeing the card was that I needed to ready myself for tough competition. I had readied myself as much as possible the day before, being careful to complete the requested forms, laying out my clothes, etc. so I would have as little to do in the morning as possible.

Yet, when I went to the actual interview I found myself in a group setting that felt more like a first day orientation. We spent the morning checking to see that our documentation was complete and we filled out the customary forms one fills out on a first day of a new job.

What was conspicuously missing was the one-on-one sit-down that we all associate with a job interview. So let's call this an 'un-interview.'

In this case the card's energies played out in the necessity to be fully engaged and alert. I associate the Five of Wands with a group of people engaged in rough play. But in this case, the 'game,' so to speak, was listening to the hiring agency's rules and deciding if I want to 'play.'

Jupiter Uranus and The World

The Tarot Card of the Day for June 8, 2010 is The World.  

Coincidentally Uranus and Jupiter are exact as I write this--the planet of hope, optimism, buoyancy (and excess) with the planet of electricity in the very first degree of the very first sign of the zodiac.

Can you say possibilities?

Yet, The World is the very last of the Major Arcana.

The central figure, the female is twirling her wands and dancing. Wands are a tool used to manifest. The figure has completed the Major Arcana's journey and she is celebrating.

Take out a moment to celebrate all that you have achieved to date. For too many of us, we have a tendency to take our achievements for granted. 

But don't.

Note the dancer's lightness of being--not only does it feel good, but it helps her to connect with higher and lighter realms. The wreath that encircles her gives her structure and affords her a space. The demands of the outer world must keep their distance.

That the World is the very last Major Arcana card and today's Jupiter/Uranus conjunction occur in the very beginning of the zodiac are not contradictions at all. 

To move forward successfully and to make magic happen, you need to first tie up loose ends and give yourself the space to celebrate your successes. 

For today's astrological weather.

The Hermit - Going Within

Today's Card of the Day is The Hermit.

In the past week, the cosmic landscape has done a 180. Uranus, followed by Jupiter and the Moon entered the leap-first-then-look-afterwards sign of Aries heightening energy levels and impulsivity. And this morning, Mars, Aries ruler, entered detailed-oriented Virgo.

When faced with periods of radical shifts, it is more important than ever to step back and look within.

The Hermit stands high on a mountain to, breathing the rarified air of heights. He has traveled far and has amassed a great deal of wisdom and experience along the way.

From the heights, perspective looks different. The niggling details blend into the broader patterns so the landscape looks like a jigsaw puzzle where everything fits perfectly. And it is because attention is paid to details that they can blend in without discord. Each piece has its place in making the tableau work.

The Hermit advises you to step back and look at the larger perspective to keep yourself from getting lost in detail or just the everyday minutia that sucks time and energy out of your day.

In times of radical shifts, oftentimes the old rules don't work anymore--or at least as well as they used to. The Hermit reminds you to go within to touch into your inner wisdom. It is up to you to carry your own lantern to light the way.

Click here to understand the astrology behind today's energy.

The Empress - Moon Jupiter Uranus in Aries

 

It is fitting that the first Card of the Day that I am posting here is the Empress. 

Look at her. The Empress is pregnant with potential and possibility. And in the proper course of time, her pregnant belly will bring forth new life. 

All around her is growth and fertility. The feeling of the card is the same as my garden in mid-summer when I can cut fresh oregano and basil and in just a couple days it seems that new growth has replaced the cutting.

It is clear that nature wants us to share her abundance when she is so prolific. Plant a seed and it will grow. Share the fruit with your neighbors and the seed will proliferate even further. 

Much is unspoken in the card. During the summer months it seems as if there is no limit to the growth. But we had to get through a cold, tough winter to get here. And as the Sun turns, the summer will end, eventually. Then it will be necessary to harvest and preserve the summer fruits.

Today's card is an expression of this morning's triple conjunction of Moon, Jupiter (newly arrived in Aries) and Uranus. All in the sign of fresh starts and new beginnings, all at that powerful 0 degree point.

A new cycle is beginning personally and worldwide. Look to the place 0 degrees of Aries falls in your birth chart. This is where you are experiencing renewal and a burst of energy.

But remember that the Empress's baby is not yet born. Ripening is a natural process that occurs in its own time. The Aries energy tends to make haste and repent in leisure. Instead, take the steps to support the birthing process and know that the product of the birth has been a long time coming.

 

Tarot Card of the Day

Today is Sunday, June 6, 2010. With Jupiter and the Moon entering Aries and forming a triple conjunction to Uranus, I decided to embrace the energy and begin posting my thoughts about the Card of the Day.

I had some mixed feelings about posting a Card of the Day. There are others who draw a card of the day and post it online. Ultimately, that CotD reflects their inner reality. On that level, you may resonate to it or not. 

So this CotD is mine. But as with all new beginnings, the path will take unexpected twists and turns. Especially when you begin with a triple conjunction to Uranus.

Over time I expect to see patterns. Which cards are being drawn, which are not? Is there a preponderance of a given suit or a lack? Same with the majors.

But unlike many who draw a CotD, I am looking for resonances with the current astrological weather. So consider the posts here along with the companion posts on The Astrologer Says to form a metaphysical weather report and provide guidance in the twists and turns of daily life.

I recommend that you also draw your own card of the day, note it and your reactions and see what happens over time. I assure you it will be most revealing.