I had an interesting revelation yesterday during my nightly meditation. Each night, I select a card and focus on the story I see unraveling in the card. I have found that it helps me unwind, even though my mind is active in the process.

I just received my The Fairy Tale Tarot on Tuesday and am quite mesmerized by it. I have always been fond of fairy tales and although I have forgotten some of the stories over time, the deck has inspired me to read the stories again. I became reminiscent of what it felt like to lose yourself in each story. Like Tarot, fairy tales also teach us lessons in life and reveal imaginary situations that tap into unconscious thoughts.

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Tarot Card of the Day – July 22, 2009

Question: What Kind of Tarot Reader Am I?

Answer: Queen of Cups

Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

Element: Water
Associations: Emotions; feelings; relationships

After reading a post on Cat N’ Owl,“What kind of tarot reader am I”?, I was prompted to ask the same question for my Tarot Card of the Day post. I shuffled the deck, attempted to relaxed and drew the first card with my left hand–my new rule–and pulled the Queen of Cups.  more...

Tarot Card of the Day – July 20, 2009: 7 of Wands

Deck: Universal Waite Tarot

Element: Fire
Associations: Passions; urge; creativity; growth

For today’s Tarot Card of the Day, I am using am using free association as my method for reading this card. A great introduction to free association and Tarot available on Douglas Gibb’s Tarot Eon blog.

Here is a list of thoughts and sensory experiences that came to mind using free association:
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• Wary; battle; fear; insecure; unbalanced; weakened; surprised; defense; pride; unsure; holding his ground; on top of the world (the grass and water stream are reminiscent of the top of a globe); playing the field; on guard; little protection; battling without armor; battling the army (physical or emotional); earthy smells; fast breathing; sweating; muscles are flexing; heart is racing

I did not do the free association exercise last night. I got home at 8 p.m.; I normally get home at 7 p.m., but had a staff meeting at work. Dinner followed and I tackled a freelancing project. By the time I made it to my bedroom post shower, it was nearly 10:30 p.m.

I propped myself up in bed with two pillows, grabbed my Universal Waite Tarot deck, which is wrapped up in a scarf, and took it out. I had previously been looking at the cards in order. It seemed to be a logical progression at the time, and I will still follow the order to see how it develops. The story as told through the cards is an essential one and should not be overlooked. However, Tarot readings do not occur in an orderly fashion. Life too, occurs in steps, and has its ups and downs. We shuffle the deck called life everyday.  more...

I am still planning on heading up to the beach tonight, grabbing a bench, and attempting my first free association exercise tonight. I say this at 7:15 p.m. on my train ride home. I still have to eat and feed my two cats too!

Even if I don’t make it to the beach and end up doing the exercise at home, which is much more likely, I am sure it will be a pleasant way to unwind after a long day.

I will write in a print journal first, and will share the key components on the blog. Since this is going to be a true free association exercise, I imagine that there will be times when I don’t want to share everything on this blog. And, if feelings like that arise, it will be proof that it works. The blog serves as a general way for me to organize everything in a logical way. Writing–as in the physical sense–seems like the best way for me to go about this organically. Typing, feels too mechanical, and the object here is for me to relax.  more...

Free association is a technique that was used by psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud, as a way for patients to allow their thoughts to flow and not be concerned with their potential intended meanings. The exercise is believed to tap into both conscious and unconscious. What first comes to mind is what counts. There are no rules.

Fellow Tarot reader Catherine Chapman of Tarot Elements suggested this technique as way to channel creative energy and discover meanings that are unique to each Tarot reader. She recommended a great introduction to free association and Tarot available on Douglas Gibb’s Tarot Eon blog.

Gibb’s suggests drawing a single card for the exercise. When you draw the card, write down your immediate thoughts. The choice of medium is up to you, so feel free to write in a journal, use a blog, or even make a video or audio recording.  more...

I had difficulty getting to sleep last night after I put up my initial post on The Fool Tarot card. My mind was racing. The feelings I had lay in sharp comparison to the ones I have now as I write this post; I want to get it all out, as opposed to writing a little and resting. I am viewing this as a good sign for now. The journey has begun and, it’s exciting. I don’t know what is going to happen, but that is part of the thrill.

I am writing this post on it way to work. And, now I am seeing the fruits of wanting to blog via my iPhone. If I want to jot something down, at a time like this, I can. It doesn’t feel the same writing it down on paper and transcribing it later. Although, I will do that at times. I did this yesterday. I went to the beach–my peaceful place–and embarked on the journey of discovering the cards for the first time.  more...