April 30, 2025 No comments

April 29, 2025 No comments

April 22, 2025 No comments

Long ago I discovered four cards that took the energy of their suit and maximized it to the extreme. I usually say it doubles the energy of the card, but it could possibly represent up to a hundred times the energy of the card, depending on your situation or the person it's referring to. What I mean by "energy" is that the energy of a card depends on its affiliation with the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

Earth energy is represented the actual earth, money, physical health and fitness, leadership, nature, patience, stability, honesty, balance, resourcefulness, our homes, employment, growth, prosperity and wealth, grounding, sustenance, survival, the great outdoors, etc. In the four-grid elements of human existence, this is the physical realm.
Air energy is represented by the actual air, all forms of communication, the intellect, travel, writing, contracts/agreements, mental strength, memory, purification, music, breathing, sound, speaking, fragrance, ideas, knowledge, inspiration, imagination, dreams, wishes, freedom, etc. In the four-grid elements of human existence, this is the mental realm.
Fire energy is represented by actual fire, passion, anger, transformation, cleansing, destruction, protection, energy, rebirth, purification, truth, hope, enthusiasm, brightness, illumination, activity, heat, concepts, alchemy, conversion, etc. In the four-grid elements of human existence, this is the spiritual realm.
Water energy is represented by actual water, emotions, love, creativity and creation, regeneration and rebirth, movement, cleansing, healing, friendship, life-giving, nurturing, fertility, happiness, marriage, dreams, sleep, peace, etc. In the four-grid elements of human existence, this is the emotional realm.

So, each suit is represented by an element:

Pentacles: Earth
Swords: Air
Wands: Fire
Cups: Water

And each court card is represented by an element as well:

Pages: Air
Knights: Fire
Queens: Water
Kings: Earth

Then I figured out that if you take a court card, there is one in each suit that maximizes that elemental energy:

Pages: Air: Swords
Knights: Fire: Wands
Queens: Water: Cups
Kings: Earth: Pentacles

So, then we have the Page of Swords, the Knight of Wands, the Queen of Cups, and the King of Pentacles as our Power Cards of the Tarot™. But what does that even mean?

For one, it means that if you draw one of these cards, it's just one more interpretation you can throw in your back pocket to use in your reading (along with the traditional meanings and ones you create yourself). And for two, it means that with the extra energy these cards portray, we can add some extra "oompf" to our lives if we choose to take their advice. And the keywords and phrases for each card are as follows (though not all apply at once, take the meanings that work for you, leave the rest, or make up your own):

Page of Swords: very studious, loves learning above most things, a very important piece of communication, a childlike view on something, extreme naivety, talks a lot, big meeting, many forms of communication coming in at once, making a thousand phone calls, finally understanding something complicated that has confused you before, competing in a contest of knowledge, writing a book (or planning one out), researching, getting good grades, too much studying or wanting to please others without thinking of what you want and/or need,
Knight of Wands: running around like a chicken with your head cut off, extremely energetic, a very busy period of time, chaos, festival energy, the last rush before going on vacation, wild and crazy, overwhelming, opening night, speed cleaning your house before company comes, procrastinating at something and getting it all done in one night, having too much on your plate to deal with right now, anger, hostility, rash decision making without thinking it through, etc.
Queen of Cups: extreme creativity, massive amounts of empathy, a big creative project, doing a huge favor for someone that requires care or charity, opening your heart after it's been closed off for a long time, realizing what true love really means, completely understanding someone who is different from you, practicing radical acceptance, smothering love, depression, acting too much on feeling and not using your head, creative overload to the point of overwhelm, etc.
King of Pentacles: organizing/purging your entire house or someone else's house, getting your finances in order, starting a hobby farm or something bigger, building your savings up, planning a big vacation, a job in management or HR, living an off-grid lifestyle, practicing zero waste habits, opening your own store or business, getting that checkup you've been putting off (mammogram, colonoscopy, etc.), cooking a meal for a large group of people (maybe catering?), being too unbending or too bossy and controlling, black and white thinking, being miserly and/or misanthropic, putting too much emphasis on right and wrong and not looking at how it affects others, etc.

The idea isn't to take these meanings and applying them directly to your situation, but rather to see the possibilities of what one of these cards could mean for you. Instead, ask yourself "How does this card fit into what I am going through right now? Where am I putting off a ton of excess energy in this area of my life (earth, air, fire, water) at this moment or in the past?" If you're not putting off a ton of excess energy, then where could you be? What area of your life needs a boost right now? If you get my printable book "The Rainy Day Tarot Journal", then in it is a life wheel you can fill out to see where you are in excess and where you are lacking in your life. You can then use that to plan better in the future so your life becomes more balanced (in a way that works for you).

The Power Cards of the Tarot™ are a great extra tool to help you promote this balance and to see where you may need a little more help in your life.

August 10, 2022 No comments

August 04, 2022 No comments

In this reading I will be exploring my current situation in life. I will give you some backstory and then do the reading. You can follow the way I decipher the cards in the SA way (soul archaeology) to apply to the cards you pull for yourself. I am going to show you how to adapt a regular reading to an SA style reading, even using the same card positions as the original and not changing anything. Any reading can be an SA reading, it's just all in how you read the cards.

This is a five-card reading from the book "Positively Tarot" by Emma Toynbee.

So, today I will be exploring my current life situation, which is my mother living with me, my hubby, and my kids. She's a narcissist who has abused me for my entire life and will still find ways to get a jab in now and then (as much as she can). She has dementia and has health issues and lives in our home. We are not sure if she will be able to go into a nursing home due to a number of reasons. I don't want to be stuck with her forever, especially after she will need nursing care that I cannot give her. So, here is my soul archaeology reading on this situation.

First, let me first inform you that this style of reading is not predictive. So, I am not looking for answers on "what is going to happen" in the future. What I am looking for is clarity on my situation. Something to give me more understanding so I can feel better about it. Soul Archaeology is about digging deep into the depths of your own soul and breaking open the cracks and crevices where the answers are hiding. We are all deep wells of information. Sometimes we just need a little help digging it out.

And this is how to take any reading you want and turn it into an SA reading.

Okay, let's start.

Cards 1&2: Past, past events that helped shape the present moment.

Card 3: Present, a result of past influences

Card 4: Hidden Aspect, what is hidden and at work in the current situation

Card 5: Future, when all of these energies converge, the most likely outcome

The deck I am using is the Light Seers Tarot.

For cards 1 & 2 I drew the 5 of Cups and The Lovers. Here is the amazing thing with Soul Archaeology tarot readings: if you don't connect with a card or like a card, you can just draw another one! The Lovers, even though in traditional tarot it can mean "choice", it really doesn't fit with what I am asking about here. So I will draw a new card.

Oh yes, that's it. The 5 of Pentacles. I could not hit the nail more on the head with these two fives, which indicate strife and loss.

Past: Sadness. Loss. Loneliness. Grief. Despair. Anger. Regret. Sorrow. Disappointment. The 5 of Cups has it all. It's reflecting on the trauma itself, and not how to heal from it. The phrase "You have to feel it heal it" comes to mind. Yes. That is what brought us here. I almost didn't move in with her because of those reasons. I knew it would be hell. And it was. Actually, it was worse than I could ever imagine. Funny, sometimes you fear something so much, and usually, it's never as bad as you think. Yet this time, it was worse. I was retraumatized from her previous abuse with more abuse and it almost drove me insane. And it was so bad that I could not concentrate on anything else. But the dementia has progressed in the past two years. So has her health issues. And it's better now. But I am still stuck in this card. I am still angry. I am still full of sadness and loss. Loss for a life I never got to have. For parents I never asked for, nor wanted. And I know I will never get understanding from her or an apology or realness. She's incapable. But this state of mind is what makes everything so much worse. Instead of focusing on the way things are so much better now, I still focus on my loss and my anger. Though I am getting slightly better, or at least trying to.

Past (though I'll say more recent past, as in the last few years): She's trapped in a home she doesn't want to be in. The key is right there, but she either cannot see it, or knows she can't use it yet. She has to wait for the right time and it's draining her mental health. She needs to find a way out without having to leave quite yet. She has to find a way to rid herself of her mental prison. I know pentacles indicates physical bodies, but brains are physical, so it counts, right? I mean, I am in a physical prison, too, but not as much as I used to be. I found my way out by removing every single little thing she could use to control me and now I am pretty much free. It's only my mental prison that remains. I am still stuck living with her though, and that's a physical prison. But that part I can deal with as long as I ease my thoughts into something better.

Present: This card means that you're reliving past happy memories from your childhood or teenage years. I don't know about that. It seems quite the opposite. But maybe it's advice? On how I should be spending my time instead. Why just think about all the bad shit that happened and instead, try to remember the good things? I mean, that would make better use out of my time instead. I did have some kickass dogs growing up. I also had some kickass adventures. My plan was to revamp my memoirs soon, and maybe I could use that time to throw in some good memories, too, rather than just the shitty ones. I do have issues thinking about good times with my mother, though. Because now that I know she's a narcissist (I've known for a very long time), I know that all of those memories are fake. Behind my back she was badmouthing me to everyone, even though to my face she was being cheerful and nice at times. But maybe I could wade through those times and see what nuggets of little realness there really was? I am sure there are a couple. Maybe? Using the present to instead think about the good parts of my childhood, maybe I could write another memoir on that? I already have so many negative ones. But my life wasn't always bad. There were good times. So, I like that idea. I think I'll start writing down awesome memories and see if there is enough for another book.

Hidden Aspect: I know this isn't a traditional meaning of this card, but the picture reminds me of the "weaving of fate", as though I am living here with her here, now, for a bigger reason. Like, this is where I am supposed to be right now at this point in my life. I am an atheist, sure, but I still ponder the idea of certain ways fate or other metaphysical ideas could be real in some way, shape, or form. I do know that I am supposed to be here with her right now in order to heal. Because it is healing me. Despite my anger or resentment at her behavior, I am free of so many things that have plagued me for most of my life. All because I learned how to take my power back from her. I think that's amazingly healing. She can't torment me from the grave one day, because we moved past the tormenting in real life. When my father died, it took me TWELVE years to heal from his abuse. And recently, I have broken open some healed wounds from him, all because I know sometimes the only way to heal DEEP wounds is allow it to heal, scab over, and maybe form a scar, but go excavating again after to see what comes up. And lo and behold, there was more wound there that I didn't realize. But with my mother, my wounds are gashed open, seeping and somewhat infected, but so many of them are starting to heal. So, I do feel lucky to have had this experience with her. I know it's for the greater good of my healing process. Whether fate is real or imagined, it doesn't matter. I am here for a reason. Even if it's a reason of my choosing.

Outcome (or as I like to call it: My Goal): Enlightenment, baby. Bliss. Look at how chill this guy is. He's at one with the world around him. So much so, he's floating on water. Or at least imagining he is. He's touching his singing bowl with his finger and making it sing without a wooden rod. He's in charge of his reality.

See, with the SA way to read, I don't think that a genie is going to grant me this wish as an "outcome", but rather a goal to work towards. I think it's going to take hard work on my part, especially the part about using what I have right now as a way to heal and move forward, eventually spending my time thinking of all the good I once had and have right now. Shifting my perspective and my focus to the good, instead of living in the prison of the bad. It won't be easy, but I think I'm up for it. I think I am ready for the change. I should print out this picture so I can remind myself of how I want to feel (that's called a "positive prime" in psychology). To remind me of what my goal is. He emotionally, mentally, physically, and intellectually calm. That's what I want. I want to find that peace. I already try to practice Buddhism, I guess I should really up my game and try to practice loving-kindness with my mom (it's a sort-of of mantra meditation). Also, I should start a "happy memories" journal. Which excites me because I love starting new journals.

And there we have it. No predictions. No tall, dark, and handsome strangers. Just looking at some very beautiful pieces of cardstock and using them to dig into my own psyche and pull out what makes sense.

No, it's your turn. Try this reading with the Soul Archaeology way of reading and see what you come up with. And if you post it, link me below!

June 27, 2022 No comments

Happy 2021 Samhain! It's been a crazy couple of years for our family. Not just for the pandemic, though that is/was definitely enough. But in 2018 my family started down a road that has led us to some amazing, and not-so-amazing places. And it all started with becoming homeless. The road back to normality has been a tough one, especially during the pandemic, but we're getting there, and somehow, faster than we ever have before.

So every single year, we try to shed more and more of that experience, and instead, we're concentrating on our future. Something that may come sooner as opposed to later, which is kind of scary, because are not prepared yet. But then again, since when does life fit our humanly made up timetables?

So it's been a gorgeous fall this year, and even though I am not in the Halloween mood (dressing up, handing out candy, etc.), I am very much in the Samhain moon. As an Buddhist atheist from a pagan background, we still celebrate Samhain, as both the new year (to cast away the old and bring in the new) and to honor our deceased loved ones. I'll be burning a bunch of stuff today, as it's a traditionally a fire festival, and while I do, I'll cast in all the crap I want to leave behind (written on paper). Also, we'll be doing some meditations tonight, and pulling some tarot cards for the new year. Though right now, I'm going to start my day off by doing a Samhain Spread, to see what I should be casting off and leaving behind, as well as harvesting and whatnot. This spread is based one by Emerald Lotus (click the link to visit them!), so thank you to them for today's inspiration. I changed one of the questions, because it didn't apply to me and changed it to something that did apply to my life, instead.

Also today, we're going to have a feast with party food, even though it'll just be our family with hot dogs, brats, homemade mac-n-cheese, chips and dip, jelly/cheese/crackers, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin juice (which is apple cider and canned pumpkin, and spices) etc. Oh and lots of fun Halloween music!

But let's get on with the tarot reading and see what we find out, shall we? I'll also include a link below to the music I'm listening to as well.

Samhain Spread

Light Seer's Tarot

Card 1: Something I should harvest. (Knight of Wands)

Card 2: How to prepare for the coming year. (3 of Pentacles)

Card 3: What should I leave behind? (9 of Cups)

Card 4: How should I honor my ancestors? (3 of Cups)

Position One: Something I should harvest. The first thing I see in this card is fire, which represents burning away the old and in with the new, which is what today is partially about. The Knight of Wands means "fire on fire", which is what I call a "power card". Pages are air, Knights are fire, Queens are water, and Kings are earth. Swords are air, so the Page of Swords is "air on air". Wands are fire so the Knight of Wands is "fire on fire". Cups are water, so the Queen of Cups is "water on water". And pentacles are earth, so the King of Pentacles is "earth on earth". Those are the "power cards", which takes the element and doubles it, giving it a fiercer, more powerful meaning than the mixture of elements, as the rest of the court cards are. Fire means passion, so this card is full of passion. So what this card is telling me is that I need to harvest my passion again.

See, after 2018, I really lost my passion for my art and creative side. We lost everything we owned and lived without replacing it for almost a year. It was hard. And then in 2020, I lost my passions all over again, as we moved in to be caretakers for my mother, which was financially needed for both of us, but mentally and emotionally? Not so great for me and my hubby and kids. My mother is abusive and while she's gotten better since 2020 due to her declining cognition (she has dementia), it's still an emotional and mental rollercoaster. But I do feel most alive and happy when I am doing something artistic.

I have a whole slew of paintings I keep writing down ideas for, but I never pick up my brush and paint. I've made one painting since coming here and that was back when we first moved in. But my passion isn't just painting. It's writing, too. And while I am always blogging (I have several blogs), I've been working on a series of memoirs since moving in here, and I even wrote so much that I finished four full-length memoirs in a year! But I want to make sure I hit Amazon's algorithm, so I want to have at least six done before releasing them. And that's where my passion has truly laid this past year and half. My memoirs are very important to me, and while I love tarot reading and painting and building stuff, writing these have been healing and been a huge purge of all the muck in my soul. Getting out on paper (computer screen) means I don't have to carry with me as much anymore.

But this card doesn't just mean "my one passion". It means all of them. It's a power card, remember? It's the most powerful card in the deck when it comes to passion. So it's not telling me to "just concentrate on writing", it's telling me to harvest it all. It's telling me that it's time to take my power back, to take my passions back, and immerse myself in them. The dark half of the year is coming. There's a power in darkness. Darkness is not only about resting, but also about preparing. If I want to prepare for my family's future (which is an issue right now, as my mother's health is declining faster than expected, and she may end up in a home sooner than we hoped), then I need to dig deep into my passions and cultivate something powerful.

In this card, she is drumming, which is how you work up your power in order to send it out into the universe. You start small, and build up momentum, until your power bursts into creation. And this card is all about creating the most power you possibly can.

So that's what I need to harvest: power through passion, so I can build financial stability for me and my family. My husband can't be the only one who does that. It shouldn't all fall on him, he's only one person. So now it's my turn to help him. Sometimes think I am weak and helpless, but it's times like these I remember just how powerful I really am.

I should start getting my memoirs ready for publication. I think it's time to harvest all that energy I put into writing them.

Position Two: Threes are always great cards to get. It indicates cooperation and connectedness. And this particular one shows working hard in cooperation with others. It could be learning to do something with other people (like building my storage shed I want to make), but it also means putting all your power into whatever it is you're working on, rather than half-assing it or losing interest. I have issues with committing to things, but I've gotten so much better with that, so now, like I said, I actually finished FOUR entire books in a year. If that's not commitment then I don't know what is. Seeing something through to the end. I keep thinking I'm failing because I took a break from writing, but I only took a break from my 5th and 6th books. I tend to forget I already finished four.

The Three of Pentacles usually shows you not only working with others, but everyone is happy about it. So the message is also to remember to enjoy yourself while doing so.

I am starting a semi-fantastical clothing line that will be in my Etsy shop. The entire store will have a backstory, which will be on my website, along with maps of the fantasy land where the store will be "located". My son is going to help me design clothes, and maybe even learn to sew. I am setting up the entire thing my basement, which needs to be cleaned out so we can have room to do these things. I am also a photographer, and will be taking pictures of models in our clothes, and the website will have backstories for them, too. I am writer, photographer, seamstress, artist, and creator, and this store will encompass everything I do, which really excites me. Though I know it will be hard work, but I also know it will be worth it. This is yet another income stream in which I hope to use to plan for my family's future. So, how to prepare for the upcoming new year? (As Samhain is the "witch's new year") I shall make sure to my basement in working order and get to work with my son creating fashions for awesome people <3

Position Three: The Rolling Stones are singing here: "I can't get no....satisfaction!" I think this card is telling me to give up the idea of never being satisfied. And to not get too comfortable with satisfaction, too. Don't get complacent. I know all too well how the ups and downs of life feel. To have something great, only to have it ripped away. Too many times to count. Like I said, I am atheist, but I am also Buddhist. And in Buddhism, you learn that the rollercoaster of life is inevitable, and will never, ever stop. But you have to learn to live in the middle. To be able to adapt to the rolling highs and lows and not live in either one. Otherwise, you'll be going along for the ride. Buddhism is called "The Middle Way" for a reason.

So to me? This card in this position means to cast away the idea of security and safety (with money, etc.) and instead, be resilient. Find your way through life by walking the path of the prepared, instead. After 2018, we ONLY survived and came out on top because one single person gave us an opportunity to do so. If that person hadn't offered us a place to live? I have no idea where we'd be right now. Like for real, I really have no idea what would have happened to our family. Or how we would have made money or gotten work or anything at all. The only reason our family is intact is because of that one person. Who wants to live like that? Who wants to say "Well, my life is hanging on by a string but at least there is one person who can help us." What if that one person can't? You can't depend on others all the time. So you have to learn to depend on yourself and your immediate family.

Right now, if my mother goes into a home, we may be right back in that spot again. So that's on my mind in this reading. So the question asks, what do I need to leave behind? And it's clear. Leave behind the idea that things need to go right in order to be safe and happy. And instead, find safety and happiness within yourself. This is why I am on a mission to purging all the things I own that I don't need. If I become homeless again, where will it all go? Do I want to mourn the loss of my items all over again? And do I want to have to move all this stuff again? Ugh. I don't. It's too much. I want to learn to live with less stuff and have more skills, money, and life experiences (that we can spend said money on). I want to be free of thinking "stuff" equals security. I think I learned that as a child. That the more stuff in my room, the less room there was for bad stuff to happen to me. I mean, bad stuff still happened to me on an almost daily basis anyways, but at least I had my stuff to make me happy. So I carried that into adulthood. I learned to equate "stuff" with "happiness" and satisfaction. But it's just not. It's just stuff. And that's part of what's in my basement that's keeping me from putting together my clothing store. And it's also in my room, making it impossible to enjoy a clutter-free lifestyle.

So I think I just made a mental breakthrough here. Wow. I never realized I equated my ever-expanding amount of "things" (mostly books) with safety and happiness. This is why Marie Kondo doesn't work for me. What if everything brings you joy? Because you are afraid that there will be no joy without it? I mean, look at the card, for fork's sake...it's a woman throwing all her shit into the wind LMAO! She's screaming in joy "I'm free! I'm free!" I want to be that woman. Let all that shit go.

Deep. But that's why I read this way. I don't believe in prediction and instead use tarot for deep introspection, because that's where the magic happens.

Position Four: I think I'm going to paint this with a little bit more of a broader paintbrush and say this question means in my life, not just on Samhain (pronounced "sow-en", by the way). And I see three woman, honoring and supporting each other, but in my life, I've never had a woman support me. Not truly. And until my husband, I've never felt truly supported, ever (other than with my kids). I know many of my ancestors, and I do not believe they supported each other, either. And I know it's because they didn't know how.

My other project I am working on is building a truly healing and supportive community to be my tribe. Granted, I am scared to death, because I know just how awful people can be. But first, I need to work on this with my family. I need to be a safe and loving space for my family, so they can learn to do the same for themselves and others, too. And from there, we can branch out to others, and build a tribe four ourselves. I can honor my ancestors by doing what they couldn't do. And to not let their legacy keep me in the same pattern of bullshit as they lived.

I can honor them by breaking cycles of abuse, loneliness, sadness, depression, and pain. All of my dead family members lived in pain until they died. ALL OF THEM. Well, the ones with dementia maybe forgot some of it? But still. You know what I mean. I have learned a better way of living in the world and a better way of dealing with things, so that's how I will honor their memories. By not carrying down the pain they couldn't get rid of. So maybe my kids will help do the same with their own kids. That's part of my purge (as are my memoirs-purging all the crap into a book LOL).

So, I think that's a great Samhain reading. I think I have a new and reenergized way to treat the upcoming year and I am ready for some feasting!! Time to go bake some pumpkin rolls!!