Swords and a Waterfall

Radiant RWS deck
(c)2003, US Games, Inc

November has given way to December and it's time to check in with my New Year Reading for 2021 which now seems so long ago. The reading, not 2021. My card for November was the 8 of Swords Reversed. 

The 8 of Swords in the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck shows a blindfolded woman bound from her upper arms to her hips/thighs with what appears to be cloth. She is surrounded by eight swords in a quasi-semicircle. She is attempting to move past the swords but is struggling to do so. If the entire suit of Swords represents the domain of our thoughts and other mental activities-thinking, reasoning, seeking clarity and understanding, learning, and communication-then the individual swords represent individual thoughts, beliefs or ideas.

So, what is keeping her in place?

Her own thoughts. She can’t move forward because she’s caught in her own thoughts. She’s either overthinking a situation and can’t see her way clearly out of it or she’s stuck thinking self-defeating thoughts; “I will never figure this out”, “I’ll never master this subject”, etc. Or something along those lines.

Grimalkin Tarot,
(c)2020, MJ Cullinane

In The Grimalkin Tarot, by MJ Cullinane, we see a cat staring at a waterfall attempting to get past it. Or at least thinking of a plan to get beyond it. But the young feline is probably thinking, “I'm a cat, I’m not supposed to like water.” However, there appears to be a concentrated look on the cat’s face as if it’s determined to make it across.

Yet, the card is reversed in my reading. If we look back at the RWS card, turning it upside down would suggest that the swords could fall out. After all, they’re only stuck in by the points. Reversed, this card suggests one would be freeing themselves from paralyzing thoughts; moving past these self-defeating beliefs.

Going into November, I did feel very stuck, unable to free myself from what felt like a mental prison. I am tired of hearing people claim personal or religious liberties regarding various mandates. What about the greater good for all? We are in the middle of a global pandemic. We’ve had health related issues before, though none that have hit the US with such a deadly impact.

Except for one.

HIV/AIDS

Having lived through and survived that one, I’m tired of people complaining about their liberties when no one seemed to be concerned over the liberties of the mostly gay men who were initially being affected by that pandemic.

I could go on, but this is about my month.

I have also been feeling the need for some direction in my life since retirement. I’ve tried finding a part-time job, but that never panned out. I’ve considered volunteering, but unsure of where to volunteer. A pet shelter would be nice, but I’d want to rescue a cat or two. Or several. And my budget is already stretched nearly to breaking with the recent remodel. Being somewhat empathic, plus with the pandemic hanging over our shoulders, I avoid crowds in droves. Or try to, at least. So, volunteering with a large group of people is not in my cards. 

I thought of joining a couple of Meet-Ups but I lose interest after a while when the discussion topics no longer appeal to me. Or the host decides to close the group.

So, I hope this helps explain why I felt stuck at the beginning of November.

Yet, something began to shift.

While the events around me haven’t changed, the pandemic is still around with a new variant even. I’ve decided to let those who truly need a job apply for those jobs that are available (plus there’s the whole avoiding crowds issue, as well). I’ve also decided that if any new Meet-Ups do sound intriguing, I’ll explore them and just let what happens, happen. I’ll keep my eyes open for any volunteer options that won’t tug at my heart strings or budget and that may involve only a small group of people.

Yet, I know of at least a couple of swords I'll still need to work around.

The first one represents my opinion of those who don't take this pandemic seriously and see the mandates as an infringement on their rights to liberty and personal choice. But, what about my right not to be sickened by someone else? Do I not matter? What about the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?" I guess that only applies when convenient.

Another sword I'll need to work through is the one about the current state of the US; the polarization over the politics, the racism, the rights of the marginalized, and women's rights to choose appropriate health care.

Being somewhat empathic, these two swords have left me with an overwhelming sense of negative energy which is weighing heavy on me and keeping me behind the waterfall. And therefore, not trusting others enough to socialize more.

So, it seems that some of the swords did appear to shift, letting me get past the waterfall. I'll have to really work on those other two.

Or, at least take steps towards them.

I wonder what the Three of Wands brings me in December. Though, in my reading it, too, was reversed.

Hmmm...

Grimalkin Tarot,
(c)2020, MJ Cullinane

For more information on MJ and all of her decks, please click here.

The Grimalkin

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Well, October has given way to November and it's time to check in with my New Year's Reading and this post will be somewhat different than the rest.

One reason for the difference is the card itself.

For 2021, I used The Grimalkin Tarot by MJ Cullinane. And the card I pulled was the Grimalkin.

Now, this is not a card found in the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck. Ms. Cullinane felt inspired to create two additional cards for this deck and the Grimalkin is one of them.

But first, what exactly is a Grimalkin?

The Grimalkin, The Grimalkin Tarot
(C)2020, MJ Cullinane

According to Wikipedia, a grimalkin (also called a greymalkin) is an archaic term for a cat. It stems from "grey" (the color) plus "malkin", an archaic term with several meanings; a low class woman, a weakling, a mop, or a name deriving from a form of a pet name of the female name Maud. Scottish legend also references the grimalkin as a fairy cat that dwells in the highlands. Women tried as witches in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were often accused of having a familiar, frequently a grimalkin, thus associating cats with the devil and witchcraft.

Ms. Cullinane describes the energy of this card as that of healing, since many of the women who were tried as witches were actually midwives and well practiced in the herbal healing arts. She suggests that when the Grimalkin appears in a reading, it’s suggesting a need of healing, taking the time to go inward and learn to trust oneself, one’s intuition, as suggested by the bat, and one’s spirit. The snow in the card suggests finding a peaceful time to aid in some much needed introspection. The owl suggests magic and renewal while the fox suggests solitude to focus on problem solving.

I did find October to be a difficult month. And, yes, I probably should have called on the Grimalkin more frequently, spending more time nurturing myself and trusting my inner voice.

I had finished the remodel which then freed up my mind to continue its wandering as I had nothing more to occupy my attention and a great deal of my time. I was still haunted by the ghosts of past conversations from months ago I feel I should have had even if I knew at that time they'd wouldn't change a thing. I fell into a spiral of downward thinking, not knowing who or what to believe or even what I wanted any longer.

I also began to lack basic motivation, yet finished all my projects I had, even those not associated with the remodel. I stuck to my morning routine and walking regimen but felt myself falling off my pace but still kept pushing myself to achieve the goals I'd set.

In addition to the downward spiral of thought, it seems I also fell into a rut doing the same things every day.

Well, October is finally over and they say the only way from here is up.

November brings the 8 of Swords, but reversed. Hmmmmm

The 8 of Swords, The Grimalkin Tarot
(C)2020, MJ Cullinane

For more information on MJ Cullinane and her various decks, please click here.

A Stranger's Fear

I had a strange, unsettling experience the other day.

It was payday and I needed to buy groceries.

As I approached the door to one of the stores I frequent, I encountered an elderly woman also entering. I stepped to the side and gestured to let her enter first. She smiled and thanked me.

She was wearing something similar,
just not so elegant.

She had short curly salt and pepper hair with a tad more salt than pepper. She was short and leaning on a cart for support. Her facial features and clothing had a foreign appearance which reminded me of other south Asian women I’ve seen. As we meandered through the store each doing our own shopping, our paths criss-crossed a couple of times. 

Our next-to-last encounter is what prompted this post.

I was looking for something in the dairy section. I had my cart close to me and the cooler because to my right was a stocking cart for the dairy section making the aisle somewhat narrow. I felt a tap of something on my hip and turned around to find the woman looking at me with sheer fear in her eyes. “I’m so sorry!” she said. “It was an accident! I didn’t mean to!” She had bumped me with her cart.

The terror in her eyes and her face told me a lot more. She was terrified of my potential reaction.

These days, with people so prone to overreacting, I understood where she might be coming from, especially if she were an immigrant, as I suspected, as well as being a senior citizen as seniors are seen as being vulnerable. Especially senior women.

My empathy took over. It was merely a tap in a crowded grocery aisle. I wasn’t in pain. I didn’t fall. I did what I could to alleviate her fears, telling her that everything was okay. I wasn’t angry, hurt or anything. It wasn’t her fault. I even gently placed my hand on her shoulder in (hopefully) a reassuring and respectful way. Then I wished her a nice day and moved on.

Our paths crossed one final time at the check out. I hoped to catch her eye to smile once more, hopefully to continue to reassure her, but wasn’t able to. 

I think I was more upset that she perceived she might be accused of something, that I might blow this out of proportion. Yet, she drew on her background and the past experiences she carries with her and spontaneously reacted. I can’t fault her for that. It also bothers me that whatever she's experienced in the past drove her to react as she did. Also, she didn’t know me and how I might perceive this incident even after our prior meeting at the front door. After all, people can be so litigious.

I hope her day was a good one after that.

I’ll work on letting my own emotions settle.

But, like these waves, it may take some time.

Catalina Island, Pacific Side
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Ballam

Pages, Swords and Pointed Lessons

It’s that time again; a new month and time to check in with my reading for this year. The Page of Swords was my card for August. 

As I’ve mentioned a few times, Swords is the suit that represents our mind and whatever goes on up there; logic, thought, understanding, truths, communication, etc.

Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Public Domain

The Pages are part of a subset of Tarot cards collectively referred to as the Court Cards. Within the Court, we have four ranks; Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings. Each rank represents an age range and with age comes life experience which in turn brings more mature wisdom. Therefore, Pages are the least wise while the Kings and Queens are the most wise. 

The Page of Swords is learning to identify their truths, how to reason, to determine fact from fiction and also how to express their ideas and perhaps even when to hold back from expressing them. Being young, the Page is still eager to learn and therefore can likely make some mistakes along the way. If the entire suit represents the mind and all the activity that goes on in our heads, then the sword itself represents the individual thought. In the Rider Waite Smith Tarot, we see the young Page posing as if ready to swing his sword. So, this would suggest the Page is ready to cut through to the heart of the matter or say what is on their mind.

In the Grimalkin Tarot, by MJ Cullinane, which I used for this year's reading, we see a kitten discovering the power of its voice. It's calling out for someone to listen, to pay attention to it. The swallows represent making swift decisions, the dove represents a pure heart and integrity. So, the Page of Swords is learning to speak with a pure heart and integrity.

Grimalkin Tarot
(C) 2020 MJ Cullinane

I truly felt the energy of the Page this month.

I don’t believe we are post-pandemic nor even close, but with things beginning to open up, I stepped way out of my pandemic-induced comfort zone this past month. I mean I stepped waaaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. I stepped so far out of it, I ended up 1,960 miles away.

I visited my mother. In Georgia. Rural Georgia.

Now, I must say, my mother and I are close. Even if our politics are different. She was the only member of my family who initially stood by me when I came out to them. She has been supportive of me and my partners. She cried when my first partner died saying she felt like she’d lost a son-in-law. She was a long distance shoulder to cry on when my second partner divorced me. So, just visiting her doesn’t trigger any anxiety. Or, it hadn’t in the past. 

This is where stress and anxiety have begun to creep into my visits. It’s about how we express our differences. She has always suggested we should not mention or discuss them so as not to start an argument.

Easier said than done.

It had been two years since my last visit, mostly due to the pandemic and travel restrictions; plus, my own travel anxiety. I am somewhat empathic and avoid crowds. It’s hard to avoid crowds in an airport let alone in an airplane. The more I open up to my spiritual Self, the more anxious I tend to get around crowds. Unfortunately, the airlines frown against burning sage on the plane itself. So, I do a few ritual exercises before I know that I have to face a crowd and I carry both an amethyst and either obsidian or onyx crystal with me which help, if only for something tactile to hold. Shielding myself with golden light to keep the bad vibes away also helps.

They say that to see how spiritually progressed you are, spend time with your blood family. Then you can see how far along your journey you have come. Or how much further you have to go. 

The last couple of visits, she’s been expressing her views more frequently; on climate change, on the presidents-mostly the Democratic ones, on the Democratic Party, on Charter Schools, the Tarot cards. To be fair, she does admit that she's been disappointed in the Republican Party for some time and has left it, but she still holds conservative views. 

This trip I vowed not to react. Even internally. At her age, will she change? Will she even listen to me if only to attempt to understand my point of view and not what she thinks my point of view is? In the past, I’d react and we’d end up shouting at each other and my blood pressure would rise. I mean it’s already higher when I’m there since I'm not in the secure comfort of my home and sanctuary. So, why should I aggravate it any further?

The view from my mother's balcony

On my path, I’ve come to accept that we all have our own views depending on where we come from. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I accept you where you are. Therefore, I accept her where she is.

On my first full day there, it started and I’m not sure what started it. She likes to crochet and buys her supplies at Michaels, JoAnn’s or Hobby Lobby wherever she can find the yarn on sale. She began at some point about how she knew how I felt about Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A but by boycotting them we are hurting the franchise owner and not necessarily the company which she then took this argument back to the 2010 BP boycott over the huge pipeline break and subsequent massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and how the small stations were driven out of business due to the boycott. She also threw in the transgender bathroom issue at Target stores but still shops there. Then, she finished with “I know we’re going to disagree.”

“Yes, we’ll just have to disagree.”

That was my response. My only response. And that was the Page of Swords’ lesson: “Learn to speak your truths when and where possible, necessary and beneficial.” Would challenging her and trying to get her to see my point of view do any good? No. Again, we probably would have ended up in a shouting match and then angry and/or hurt. Would even expressing my point of view have done any good? Probably not.

Yet, now back home, I begin to wonder why I didn’t ask why she felt the need to even express her point of view knowing I had an opposing viewpoint? In my head, I see myself saying to her, “Is there a point to this discussion?” or "Why are you bringing this up?" Maybe she felt the need to justify why she shops at places she knows I disapprove of, perhaps seeking my approval of her. Yet, I still wonder if I had asked that question at least, what would have come of it? 

As August has moved on, it is apparent the Page has sheathed their sword. I wish I could, too.

On to September and the 9 of Pentacles Reversed. Uh oh.

The 9 of Pentacles,
The Grimalkin Tarot, (C) 2020
MJ Cullinane

For more information on MJ Cullinane, her Tarot and Oracle Decks, please click here.

The Emperor's New Role

This has been quite a busy, hectic and frustrating month and it’s just the 8th day as I write this. What more is to come? That may explain why I’m a bit late in getting to this post about my card for last month. 

Rider Waite Smith Tarot

My card for July was the Emperor Reversed. In thinking of the archetype of an emperor, he is responsible for the running of his empire. As an authority figure, he sets the law and order, sees to appropriate discipline, makes sure people are doing their jobs and delegates his authority where and when appropriate. In the traditional card we see him sitting on his throne, yet still dressed in armor apparently ready to do battle at any moment. The rams’ heads on his throne are connected to Aries, one of the fire signs of the zodiac. Aries is known for impulsive actions. The Emperor is also associated with the number four, a number denoting stability. Even though tripods are somewhat stable with their three legs, chairs are more stable with four.

In an upright position, he would bring any or all of those above energies to a reading suggesting it’s time to take action, get the ball rolling and generally take charge of the situation at hand. In other words, it's time to assume authority. Yet, in a reversed position, he would suggest the opposite might be what’s going on. There might be a lack of direction, a lack of responsibility or accountability in current situation. Or possibly, there could be a great sense of instability with the situation at hand. He could even suggest an energy of someone more dictatorial, abusive of their power.

In the Grimalkin Tarot, by MJ Cullinane, we see a fiery orange cat with a white "beard" staring right at us, almost with a look of “Why aren’t you doing what needs to be done?” Cats can be so demanding and before any haters hate on me, I am definitely a cat person. I think this cat’s determined look adds a bit to this particular Emperor’s energy in calling me out for not getting things done. We also see two rams in this card again reminding us of the connection to Aries’ energy of rushing in perhaps a bit too soon to fully see what the situation fully entailed.

The Grimalkin Tarot,
(c) 2020, MJ Cullinane

Yet, as I look back at July, there was nothing I could do with the situation that predominated the month. I had paid for laminate flooring to be installed in my house. That was back in May when I was tapping into the energy of the 7 of Cups, confronted with many choices or options. There are plethoras of choices when it comes to flooring and other home remodeling options. The materials took almost a month to arrive and then another week just to schedule an installation date and this took place in June under the influence of the King of Wands’ energy which also likes to get things done. He’s more Leo than Aries making him a bit more calculated than impulsive but still a take charge kind of guy. But, the first available installation date was towards the end of July. In the meantime, everything had to be inside my home and not in the garage in order to acclimate to the temperature of my house. As I was placed on a waitlist, I moved it all inside immediately. For nearly a month, I lived with everything from the upstairs rooms in boxes plus four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two closets, one hallway and a stairway’s worth of flooring materials in my living room.

Crikey!

And yet, there was nothing I could do to hurry up time. Yes, there was disorder in my house and life and with this back-to-back fire energies from the King of Wands to the Emperor Reversed, it's no wonder I was losing patience. But, my hands were tied, so to speak. Perhaps the Emperor Reversed was signaling a desire to take charge and get things done, but accepting that I could not. Not a typical meaning for the Emperor Reversed.

My Bedroom

The appointed day arrived and the crew showed up exactly on time. I was anticipating a five day job given all the rooms and a staircase. Yet, this crew of two men and an occasional third finished in three even putting in a twelve hour day on the final one! I was ecstatic. I am very pleased with the results and have finally put things back in their places and made a few small changes as well.

My Office

Now on to the rest of August and a frisky, all-knowing Page of Swords.

The Grimalkin Tarot,
(c) 2020, MJ Cullinane

May the gods help me. Especially, next week.

For information on MJ Cullinane and her tarot decks, click here.

The King and I in June

We’re halfway into July and I haven’t posted about my New Year Reading and the card for June. This procrastination has been hanging around for quite a while. June’s card was the King of Wands and when I drew it, I was intrigued as to what the cards were suggesting, because the Queen of Wands would be my card in April. If I remember correctly, I didn’t quite live up to her energy then. I don’t feel I stepped into the King’s shoes this month either.

Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Wands is the suit of fire, meaning quick and decisive action. It is that fire inside us that pushes our ambition, drive, motivation and passion. In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, the King is seated on his throne staring off to the left, perhaps a bit upset, concentrating on something that seems to have caught his attention. He appears to be leaning slightly forward and is left hand is pulled back, as if readying to help him stand and spring into action. We see evidence of fire energy all throughout this card from the color of his hair and robe to the flame-like points on his crown. There are salamanders on his cloak and on the tapestry behind him and one on the ground near his feet. Salamanders have long been associated with fire energy as quite a few species are bright orange in color. Also, there are two lions on the tapestry representing Leo, one of the astrological signs associated also with fire energy.

The King is quite motivated and goal oriented. He is active and is driven to succeed. He thinks on his feet using his life experiences to make his spontaneous decisions. Nothing stops him from succeeding at his goal. He is a creative thinker. He is also quite charismatic and uses his charm to get those around him to help him succeed. Yet, he doesn’t do this in an egotistical way but he sees his success as the success of his team. 

The Queen is also very goal oriented and conveys the energy of a woman who is working in a male-dominated goal-oriented atmosphere. She feels that simply because of her gender, she has to work twice as hard as the King does in order to prove herself and to be taken seriously so, she is more driven to succeed than the King.

Another big difference between the King and Queen also has to do with their respective genders. This may come off as sexist, but it describes the different energies as it relates to masculine and feminine energies. The King, representing masculine energy, is more in his head and sees his opportunities analytically. He reacts to changes rationally where the Queen, being of feminine energy, is more emotional, or intuitive. She reacts from her heart or intuition.

The Grimalkin Tarot, (c) 2020, MJ Cullinane

In the Grimalkin Tarot, by MJ Cullinane, we see an orange tabby sitting on a throne with what appears to be a lion’s head in the armrest. There is also a salamander by the cat, climbing onto the throne. The cat is reaching for a wand with a bird perched on it, seeming to take action to catch the bird. This is a cat wanting to spring into action. The sun in the upper corner is the ruling astrological element for Leo as well as a source of fire.

I’m in the middle of a home remodeling project that seems to be taking its sweet time, like molasses trying to flow downhill in January in the Arctic. Maybe having my house in disarray since mid-May has been the reason for my procrastination or even a mild depression, let alone full-blown frustration. While I do have a date for the project to begin, it has taken a while to get that date. There was a delay in shipping for one of the components. Once that component arrived, I had to wait for someone to schedule the delivery date. Then, when it was all finally delivered, I waited and waited for the installers to call. Ultimately, I went to the store where I had purchased the materials, spoke with the woman who scheduled the delivery with me who then called the installers with me in the store. A day later, I had a date which was a month away. So, the materials have been sitting in my living room since then as they have to acclimate to the temperature of the house.

In the meantime, I was purchasing the materials and doing some of the prep work for the third project because my goal is to get these projects done as I want my house back to normal.

Maybe in retrospect, I did slip the King's shoes on for a bit if even to try to take charge of the situation and get this project going. But, even the King of Wands has to realize and adjust to those elements even he can’t control like shipping delays or installers with full calendars.  

August should be interesting; I drew the Emperor Reversed. My first reversed card of this year.

The Grimalkin Tarot, (c) 2020, MJ Cullinane

To find out more about MJ Cullinane and her decks, click here

Cups, Cups, Cups and a Few Gallons

Radiant Rider Waite Smith

A new month heralds a post regarding my New Year Reading for 2021 and my card for May was the 7 of Cups. In the traditional card, we see a figure in silhouette looking at seven chalices each containing an object all floating on a cloud. There is some discussion among tarot readers as to what the various figures in the individual cups represent, which I won’t go into detail here. Collectively, I see the items as things we wish, long or dream for such as wealth, a home, success, companionship, etc. This card also suggests having many, or too many, choices or options available. Yet, the cloud suggests that the choices aren’t clear. Perhaps some, or all, of the choices are simply an illusion. They may not be there after all or they may not be what they seem.

Cups is the suit of our emotions and covers areas like feelings, intuition, our relationships and connections with others. With this card showing multiple choices, maybe even illusory ones, the overall meaning this card suggests is that of being emotionally overwhelmed with the many options potentially available.

For my New Year Reading, I used the Grimalkin Tarot, by MJ Cullinane, and in the 7 of cups in this deck, we see a cat staring dreamily into space, thinking of all the things a cat would dream, wish or lust for-beginning with the fish and going clockwise; food, water, a home, warmth, love, exercise, and peace.

Grimalkin Tarot (c) 2020, MJ Cullinane

Sometimes the tarot can refer to major parts of our life, like career or relationships. Other times, it can address the more mundane, quotidian aspects of life. And this has been one of those more mundane, but overwhelming times. For me. 

I’ve mentioned that I have begun some home remodeling projects. The first project, replacing the countertops, was finished last month and this month opened with my finalizing and paying for the choices I made for the second one, new flooring. While I wait for the flooring project to begin, I am anticipating the third project.

Painting the bathrooms.

I’m sure you can see where I’m going regarding choices and options. 

So many colors...I mean, choices or options

There are three in my house, or more precisely two and a half. All of which now have new granite countertops. All countertops have multiple colors in the granite and I first need to decide which of the colors to pull out, then where to put that color; on the wall, the trim or the accent. Two of the bathrooms have the same granite yet their layout is different which offers different options for painting. The vanity in the half-bath sits in a little alcove offering the option of painting the wall above the sink a separate color as an accent wall. The guest bath is more open suggesting the walls should all be the same color, though that option isn’t set in granite. But, which wall to single out is difficult. The colors of the countertops in these two rooms are white with various shades of gray and a literal sprinkling of red. But, the amount of red is so small, at least in the half-bath, this suggests the possibility of a more monochromatic room. Hmmm, sounds intriguing. Even more options.

So many browns!

My own bathroom countertop has a multitude of colors offering many more options. There are multiple shades and tones of brown, there is some black and a red with some brownish and purplish undertones. The sinks here also sit in an alcove-like setting offering an accent wall option. Then there is the commode room, or as I sometimes refer to it, the throne room. I might as well paint it too. Do I use the same colors? And if I do, should I use them in the same way, meaning the walls, the trim and the accent colors are the same in both rooms? Or do I mix it up? Decisions, decisions.

Once I’ve decided on the colors in the granite I want to highlight, I need to find the paint color which is the closest match to that particular part of the countertop. The shades and tones of paint can be so subtly different especially with the lighting, both natural and electric. The red is giving me fits, so I could just forget it and go in a very different, yet complementary direction. So many options.

Plus, I still have to shop for mirrors for all three bathrooms. Should they all be different to fit the room or the same to make it easy on my nerves and budget?

This month isn’t turning out to have 7 cups, but 7000!!

June brings the King of Wands...what will he bring, I wonder?

Radiant Rider Waite Smith Tarot

For information on MJ Cullinane and her decks, click here.

The Queen of April

The Queen of Wands was the Card for April in my New Year reading and it's time to see how she influenced me.

Or, how I used her.

Wands is the suit of our ambition, drive, passion and creativity. It’s connected to fire energy which gives us the steam to push ahead with our goals, our dreams, our ambitions.

Rider Waite Smith Tarot

In the traditional card, we see a red headed woman seated on a throne. Yet, she is not seated in a manner befitting a queen, with her knees and ankles together. Her pose suggests she is ready to jump into action to pursue her ambitions. She is dressed in a yellow tunic, holding a sunflower in her left hand and a wand in her right. Three sunflowers also adorn the tapestry behind her throne. There are two orange lions rampant between the sunflowers. Yellow and orange are the colors of the sun and fire suggesting the heat and passion of the suit as well as fire energy.

In the Grimalkin deck, by MJ Cullinane, we see a beautiful orange colored cat standing on a throne, gazing fixedly off into the distance as is the queen in the traditional card. She obviously spies something. We also see a bright sun and a few sunflowers as well as a couple of flames reminding us of the energies of the suit. 

The Grimalkin Tarot,
(C) 2020, MJ Cullinane

With all this passion and fire energy, the Queen of Wands is one passionate woman. She is a woman driven to succeed. Nothing, or no one, stands in her way when she sets her mind to achieve something. She is adventurous, bold and daring. 

This past month was a most lackluster month. The lethargy that overcame me was so heavy, it was all I could do to take my walks in the mornings. I think I’d fallen into a pandemic depression. I kept waiting for the Queen of Wands to show up, for some creative spark, some passion to drive me forward. But, I could not find her. I did decide to get my first vaccination and took the closest appointment location near me, but I don’t think it was the Queen’s energy that pushed me into making the decision.

But, I did finally decide to do something I’d been contemplating for years; begin some major home projects. So, I strolled, masked and sanitized, into Home Depot to begin the process of new flooring for my upstairs rooms and some new countertops in the kitchen and three bathrooms. The carpeting was still the original from when I bought the house in 2003 and had seen some much better days. I wasn’t ready to tackle a complete kitchen remodel but was definitely in need of some new countertops which were also the original white tile but now with some cracks and broken tiles in the kitchen. The appliances were in decent shape and I believe if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Unless, it’s time to sell the house.

The salespersons in each department were very helpful, patient with all my questions and quite knowledgeable of their products and procedures. I was going to start with the flooring and then move to the countertops after. I set up the appointment for the flooring measurements and was given a worksheet to sketch my counters and get my preliminary measurements for the estimate. Upon returning to the store with the countertop measurements, one of the granite patterns I wanted was on sale, but only for the next week. Needless to say, I decided to reverse my plan and the flooring would wait.

The process was seamless and went without a hitch. Someone came out to take the official measurements and sketch the plan. He suggested that I should have new sinks on hand in case the existing ones were damaged upon removal. So, I traipsed back to Home Depot and selected five sinks. I found my way to the stone works store to select the actual slabs that would become my new countertops. Now to wait for the installation.

The receptionist in the main office of the installers tried to tell me it would be a one day job, but I didn’t believe her. I mean, one kitchen, and three bathrooms in one day? Puhleeease. I knew it would be two and then one more day for the plumbers to show up and reconnect my new sinks. The crews, both the installers and plumbers, were dedicated workers and did excellent work. The old countertops were demolished and the new ones were installed in two days and the plumbers showed up the next day and connected all five sinks within about three hours.

With the flooring, which is almost ready to go, I ran into some more challenges. I now know what a stair nose is. I had planned to put laminate in the upstairs rooms (4 bedrooms and their closets, two bathrooms, and a linen closet) but to carpet the stairs to eliminate possible slippage. Well, as I was putting laminate on the top landing, it needed a stair nose to finish the connection between the riser and the landing. It seemed every color of laminate I was considering did not have the matching stair nose. I’d take a few samples home, find one I liked, go back to the store and have the salesperson make the adjustment in the preliminary quote. We’d make the call to pay for it, only to discover, it had no matching stair nose. The salesperson suggested I could buy a very plain stair nose and try to find a matching, or comparable, stain. Somehow, that sounded easier than I felt it would be. After my third or fourth try and by now I even knew how to search for stair noses, I thought I’d found the one only to find out that by the time I went in to make the purchase, there were no more matching stair noses. But, I took it all in stride. What more could I do? 

A Stair Nose

I then figured it out, I was going about this the wrong way. I looked for available stair noses, then would go back to the store and get the samples that appealed to me. Lo and behold, the eighth time was the charm. As of this writing, the materials are being ordered, I’m packing everything in my upstairs (alone, because of COVID restrictions and all my friends are back at work anyway) and am aiming for an end of May deadline which is not fixed in granite. 

I guess the Queen’s energy was what I needed to light my fire to get these projects going, to kick my ambition into gear. I’m ecstatic with how the counters turned out. I still have some work to do in the bathrooms; prep the walls for painting, deciding on the colors, shopping for new mirrors and then hanging them. Maybe the Queen's energy was there all along waiting for me to seize it. Carpe Regina!

I learned a lot about myself in this process. I can only control my reaction to situations that don’t go according to plan. And quite a lot didn’t go to plan. I had wanted a different color of granite than what I ended up with, but it was no longer available and hadn’t been for quite some time. I am quite happy with what I did end up with. I learned not to take the receptionist’s word for how long a job will take. I’ll see how this holds up once the flooring begins. I also learned that sometimes what we think we want might not be the best in the long run. I also learned to be more like water and less like rock. It’s best to go with the flow in the beginning because the water will eventually erode the rock away. Besides, going with the flow is better on the blood pressure.

On to May and the Seven of Cups. It already seems appropriate.

Radiant Rider Waite Smith Tarot

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