TAROT LAB

MY FIRST EVER STORY!!

2010-03-17T16:53:00.003-04:00

I am feeling so joyful at the moment. In this bountiful Empress year, I offer you the first story I have written. I have co-written this story with my dear friend, Shivo. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Here is the link

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASbFe7fNQC_NZGQ1bm00dDZfMTlmbmp6OGtkNw&hl=en

The De (Structuring) (5 of wands)

2010-02-03T22:04:00.007-05:00

I had a five of wands moment today and was inspired to write this poem.
The De (Structuring)

Deep rooted sentences struck flowered phrases
Frustrated pleas thundered on passive pauses
Scribbled frenzies crossed resigned sighs
Tortuous chats punctuated with warring emoticons

But we had yearned
to capture an essence
to manifest a dream
to reveal a past bookmark
to channel love
to construct a temple
to welcome the Goddess

Effortless was our love, why not our creation
Seamless was our love, why not our vision
Your ink was to flow through my veins
My poems to scent your frame
Divinely ordered, humanly obeyed
In heaven shaped, on earth shattered

Gifted wood with shooting darts
A synchronized stage for rising stars
Those flames kindled in us
But I didn’t acknowledge yours
You didn’t recognize mine

We were ordained
to start the “Raas”
Alas, we had strayed
away from “Maharaas”

Raas: a spiritual cultural Indian folk dance played with sticks.
Maharaas: a state of divine transcendental love between Lord Krishna and his Gopis. The gopis were able to sink in that state when Lord Krishna played "raas" with them.

Poetry Slam

2010-02-03T07:14:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Beth Owl's post (http://www.owlsdaughter.com/2010/02/the-5th-annual-cyberspace-poetry-slam-for-brigid/), I too want to participate in the Brigid poetry slam. So I am posting one of the poems I wrote in India this December.

Here goes

The Song of the RiverValley

The starry night has descended
the luminous moon arrives
the fragrant raat rani whispers
the perennial romance of
the river and the valley

the passionate kiss of the sun
melts the pure virgin snow
the joyful river conceived, the valley cradles
longs to merge with the ocean, her source
longs to be her path, her guide
so he may taste the ocean again
so she may be fulfilled again
so they may be love again

he holds her in his heart
he places his love on her heart
kisses, embraces, bows, blesses

the silence of the valley flowers in her heart
her dancing bells echo in his ears
she wildly courses through him
touchs touched
by every stone, pebble, rock
in his embrace, her course is set
in his kisses, her fate is met
no stone left untouched, no drop left untransformed

this course is blessed
her movement, his depth
dancing the lovers kiss again
at His feet, meet again
Rejoin. Rejoice. Reborn.
This perennial dance of rivervalley song.

Karma in My Fairy Tale World

2009-11-08T20:06:00.004-05:00

I received my "Fairy Tale Tarot" deck along with the companion book "Once upon a time" by Lisa Hunt a couple of weeks back and I have wanted to blog about it ever since. I have been reading Lisa's excellent blog for some time and was eagerly awaiting my very own fairy tale deck which would hardly be surprising considering my love for all things fairy.
The very first question I asked the deck was "What is the story of my life?" The answer was : "0. Red Riding Hood" (The Fool). It is at that instant I realized that this deck was mine. This answer deserves its very own post to explore all that the story and that card mean in my life. But can't help pointing that the Fool is my personality card (based on Angeles Arrien's Tarot Workbook) and also I own a red hoodie which I wear every single time I fly.

Today, early in morning India time, I asked the deck: What fairy tale story do I have to learn from today?
The answer: 11. The Goose Girl (Justice).

Like most fairy tales, justice is a strong theme in the story of the goose girl wherein the goose girl is betrayed by her maid on the way to marry her prince; forced into secrecy by her maid who takes her place but finally the truth is revealed at last.

As fairy tales focus on one karmic thread, it is easier for me to understand what is just. In my life as the karmic threads interweave, I have lived these individual story threads but need to meditate to see the emerging karmic patterns.

For today, the thing that leaps out at me from this particular fairy tale story is the secrecy part. While I am not sworn to secrecy, it is a secret because I simply cannot physically say it. But as in the story, there are ways to let the prince know. The hand of Karma is sometimes so strong in certain relationships that it makes you grasp. While I may not be able to perceive the pattern yet, I know it will emerge and it will be beautiful to look and even more beautiful when I understand.

A Whale of a Dream

2009-10-13T18:47:00.000-04:00

I woke up at 4:30 am on Monday. It was cold and I didn't want to be up yet. However, the comforter didn't seem comfortable either. I smoked some thought rings and watched them float. These thought rings are just that. They make my head spin just like it would in an amusement park; and then make me dizzy with pleasure followed by nausea. I dizzied myself to sleep.

I am on a sea shore. The weather isn't too sunny or too dull. Brij, DD, and Old Soul, and a woman with 2 children on lap (I did not recognize the woman or her children) are sitting on a bench. All of them have a completely neutral expression (maybe a hint of sad) on their faces. I come to the bench smiling and jokingly sit down between Brij and Old Soul. And then, we see the tail of this huge whale. Just glorious and magnificent. Whoosh Whoosh. And then the next moment, the whale is on the sandy beach. I look at her (no way to be sure). Her face looks cold. And then she swings her tail and hits our bench and we all fall into the water (The last part I know...I didn't see or feel the water) and I immediately (in the dream) think that these are emotional waters.

According to Jamie Sams and David Carson of the Medicine Cards, the whale is a record keeper and holds records and secrets as old as the earth itself. As I write this, the whale seems to be the keeper of the Native American equivalent of the Akashic records. When the whale comes to you, you are being asked to tap into these records, find your origins, and see your overall destiny. If your mind is so full of chatter clouds and you cannot access these records, then you might need to turn in to find your silence. In this silence, you must seek the Whale's song within you. And then who knows, you may connect to the very roots of history and maybe, just maybe, you may even connect to your own unique library of records.

I have always been ruled by my emotions. They mostly express joy but at times they are deep and dark. The Whale pushes me into my sea of emotions and reminds me that if I can relax and lose my chattering mind, I will not only survive the sea storms but also will dive deep into the understanding of the history of the earth and possibly, my own story.

Today, I talked to a Tree.

2009-10-11T17:14:00.010-04:00

The card for today is EXPERIENCING (3 of Wands or Fire). This card has appeared a couple of times this week. So I listen. As I look out of the window, I see the synchronicity of this card with nature outside and as I look inside me, I see autumn there too. The colors of the fall are so pretty; the bronzes, the golds, the reds, the pinks, the oranges, and the yellows. The day seems just right for hiking so that is what we obey.

As I walked, I talked to myself and to the trees too. As tears rolled down my eyes, I asked the trees how they could they let go their pretty colorful leaves? Is it because they knew that fall must follow summer and if fall was here, one day spring would come too? Would this also be true in my life? Will I ever be so light and joyous again? At one point, I just ran and put my arms around an tree so enormous that it was comforting. My heart was pressed so tightly against the tree trunk: As it heard my heart beat, I heard its too. The tree told me that it doesn't think, it just does. When its pretty leaves can no longer bear the cold, they let go and become one with the earth. This earth then in turn replenishes the tree. In this way, the leaves continue to be a part of the tree. In the grand scheme of things, when you truly let go; you belong. But what of the pain, I ask? The tree replies that once you learn to let go of expectations, burdens, and illusions; you learn to let go of the pain too. I inhale deeply and as I exhale I begin the process of letting .....Sigh

By this time, I have relaxed my death grip on the tree. I thank my dear nature friend for its guidance. We have touched our souls and now its time to move on. Blessings to you, my dear tree. The tree smiles and blesses me too.

Clearing the Clouds

2009-09-24T20:50:00.000-04:00

When life seems so complicated that I don't even know what to ask; ironically the best option is to ask the simplest (and most effective, imho) of questions. So,

Deck Deck on my writing desk
what does the universe want me to know right now?

Deck (aka the Universe): 2 of Air (2 of Swords) Schizophrenia

Ha, ask and you shall receive. Indeed. Thank you for hitting me with the obvious. This card has hazy nebulous clouds (not in this picture but in the corresponding card in the Osho Zen tarot deck ) that have clouded my judgement so much that I can't decide. A stalemate. My "no" nor my "yes" have any meaning because my "no" contains a teaspoon of "yes" and my "yes" contains a teaspoon of "no" stirred in it.
According to Osho, the way out of this lies not by playing mind games, or making a pro and con list, or letting your mind make more hazy clouds (the mind seems to excel at this cloud creating game) but in following your heart. What if you don't know what your heart wants, you ask (I hear, I hear). Then, says Osho, just jump and make a decision and then your heart will beat so fast that you shall know.

If we don't make a decision, our choices get worse. The clouds condense and freeze your heart or disperse and break your heart (3 of swords), this then leads to the slippery slope of procastination and we go deeper and deeper into more negative states. This path is so many hyperspace jumps away from the path of celebration and the path of totality.

May the universe bless me with the intuition to hear my heart and the strength to follow it!! May I have the decisiveness to use the two swords to kill the half "yeses" and half "no's"!! May I remember that my life is a dance of celebration not an awkward attempt to hold on to challenging situation!!

The Prince of Hearts

2008-08-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Prince of hearts (of the gasp and swoon variety) raises his cup to adventure, love, and enchantment in the universe and in turn the universe toasts "Bon Voyage" to our royal traveler. This prince is devastatingly handsome, chivalrous, noble, and whatever else your disney coached princess heart can dream of. That I know.
But have you ever wondered what his cup might contain? Yes, it could be wine. But surely, our prince knows better than to drink and drive. Too cool for DUI. I can totally imagine that his cup contains this "Chocolate Caramel Enchantment Chai" from the faraway lands that he dreams of traveling. This chai contains a whiff of adventure, of fantastical creatures, of unfathomable treasures, of deep mysteries, and of hauntingly beautiful princesses. I also happen to know that his cup is made of the darkest and richest chocolate: the perfect aphrodisiac for his valentine. Maybe he is headed for your town tonite. So wear your most dazzling smile and your heart on your lacey sleeve and maybe, just maybe he will offer his cup of love to you.
Or better still, brew your own cup of caramel chai and dash off to your very own adventure. Bon Voyage!!

The Mystical Magical Toolbox for Manifestation and Mindfulness

2008-07-08T15:05:00.000-04:00

"The Manifestation Part"

I recently attended a "Creative Visualization" workshop at my friend Erien's meditation center also fondly known as the Lighthouse. Everything that was said in the workshop reminded me of the Magician. The Magician is the master of creative visualization. Literally speaking, he " visualizes to create". The Magician is also the master of manifestation. Have I connected all the dots from "creative visualization" to "manifestation"? Almost. The four missing dots are the Magician's magical tools: magic cup, wand, sword, and coin.
In this workshop, I meditated and visualized what I wished to create. And then with Erien's help, I framed a personal mantra that embodied my creation. (That mantra is so important that it gets its own post).
My mantra is :

"I empower myself to empower others through tarot."

But now, I need to use the magician's tools. I have to align my cup (heart), sword (mind), wand (actions), and coin (resources) to this mantra in order to manifest my creation. I look at these magical tools and these are the questions that they ask me.

1. Master Cup :
Do you feel strongly about this creation?
Does it involve helping yourself and others?

2. Master Sword :
Is it crystal clear, concise and precise?

3. Master Wand :
What actions are you taking to bring about this creation?

4. Master Coin :
What resources (time, money etc) are you using to create?

I ask and answer these questions in an endless loop and have seen my feelings grow more positive and strong and deep; my goals get more aligned to my heart's desire; my actions becoming more energetic and diverse; and discovering many new and old resources that could help me manifest my mantra.

"The Mindfulness Part"

Now I see this magical toolbox available to me everywhere and try to make it work for me. When I am cooking, I see the cup energy in my feelings about food and cooking and the people for whom I cook and the liquid ingredients of cooking (oil, vinegar, water, soy sauce); I see the wand energy in my actions of chopping, stirring, and heating, in my creativity, the fire which cooks my food; I see the sword energy in my knife, the aroma of the food, the precise menus I make for my guests; I see the coin energy in the resources I use to cook my food (the pots and pans), the food itself (the bread, the fruits, and vegetables), the entire kitchen itself which is nothing but the land I cook in, and finally the coins I use to buy my groceries etc. As I become more aware of this toolbox, the more mindful I become.

Whenever you ask for this toolbox, it magically appears . So use it whether you want to manifest something special or you just want to be more mindful.

P.S. My toolbox is sparkly and colorful. Now go find yours.

Enchanted

2008-06-17T00:07:00.000-04:00

When I was a little girl, I always had three wishes on the tip of my tongue because you never know when you would meet a fairy. I was always prepared for my fairy encounter. I had the most enjoyable and pleasant time anticipating this fairy encounter (the fairy in my fantasy looked like a cross between a Disney princess and Tinker bell). I would wear my fairy meeting dress (everyone knows that fairies like lacy, frilly, pretty dresses in pastel shades especially pink. I used to call it my Pari (fairy) dress and had several of those) and would have my play tea set in the garden and would spend many hours daydreaming and having virtual play dates with the most beautiful of fairies.

A blog post by my friend, Polymathicus, revived this memory for me. This luminous memory was like a memory fairy wand that touched so many aspects of my life. I looked at my current favorite dress ( a lovely pink, lilac, and green dress from Saks Fifth Avenue) and it was so conceptually similar to my fairy dresses. I goggled and saw wonderful fairy themed jewellery, and wonderful mushrooms and flowers themed bath and kitchen products, and butterfly chairs and flowery tables. I looked out of our patio and saw a setting fit for watching the fairies. So I cleaned our patio and got some delightful furniture from Ikea and now it has become my favorite place. During the day as I sip my chocolate, I watch squirrels and cardinals, robins and blue jays and when I am lucky deers too. I even do mystical fairy readings that have been so accurate and so incredibly sweet. I got the mystical faerie tarot deck which so fits into my current state of mind and seems to belong to my patio. Here's a link if you want to see it yourself http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/mystic-faerie/
(Created by Linda Ravenscroft and text by Barbara Moore)

The colors of this deck are so subtle and seem in complete harmony with the faerie world. The borders of the cards seem to me as windows from which I can watch their world and learn their ways. Conversely, when the light is just right and when they are requested, the faeries also can peek into our life and guide us. This deck is truly enchantingly endearing.

At night, from my patio, I can see the dense forests and fireflies and stars twinkling and inviting me into this world. And when I hold this deck in my hand I seem to have discovered my portal to their world.

And, I Think To Myself What A Wonderful World (Ten of Cups)

2008-03-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

After my wedding, many rainbows ago, as we were decorating our home, the first painting I put up was titled "Thanks and Praises" (by Bernard Stanley Hoyles). The painting mirrored my feelings ---I felt like thanking and praising every force and person in the universe who had brought us together as man and wife. I remember humming "And I think to myself what a wonderful world" as I was preparing lunch. Everything seemed wonderfully beautiful and I was happy, creative, and content --- a classic
Ten of cups feeling. (Also note that this post is overflowing with the word "feeling" which is not surprising considering it is a "cup" card and there are 10 of them in this one). This feeling of productive contentment is very different from the heady delirious feeling of falling head over heels in love.

The above mentioned song seems to so completely capture the rainbow-hued happiness of this tarot card. Everyone would like to sip contentment from this cup; so here's the song and the card. Hold this picture in your heart and hum the song as you walk/cook/live and let this feeling fill you. Now excuse me, I have a song to sing.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD - 24/04/1968

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah

These Boots Are Made For Walking

2007-11-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Queens of the Tarot have their own distinct personality and in the fall, you will see them ramping through their worlds fabulously attired. So how can you recognize them? The answer, obviously is to look at their feet. This is what I think their feet are wearing.

Queen of Swords (Air) : This cool and fabulous fashionista is wearing silver boots to match her gleaming sword. She is articulate, logical, and makes great points just like her toes. If the Queen of Swords sounds just like you, maybe you need to own this boot too. http://www.aldoshoes.com/eng/storeSection/redirect.cfm?sectionID=b2c/style/productDetails.cfm&itemID=66949323&&var=d&ckey=US&colorid=80

Queen of Wands (Fire) : The fiery and passionate Queen of Wands shows off her flamboyance in animal prints. These boots are purrfect for the catwalk. A wildcat at heart, this lady is not afraid to show her spots. Here's her pick for the season which can be found at http://www.aldoshoes.com/eng/storeSection/redirect.cfm?sectionID=b2c/style/productDetails.cfm&itemID=64004465&&var=d&ckey=US&colorid=25.

Queen of Cups (Water) : This very feminine and coy, daughter of the deep water, usually doesn't need boots. But even mermaids and merqueens can't quite resist this purpulish blue boot which reminds them of their home. So here's where they shop http://www.aldoshoes.com/eng/storeSection/redirect.cfm?sectionID=b2c/style/productDetails.cfm&itemID=67085926&&var=d&ckey=US&colorid=51

Queen of Pentacles ( Earth) : This sensual yet sensible Queen loves the outdoors and is the only one who really likes walking (The Water Queen prefers to float, the Air Queen prefers to fly, and the Fire Queen prances). She prefers shoes that not only look good but also are cosy and keep her toes warm. This is where she buys her luxurious shoes mostly during a sale: http://www.aldoshoes.com/eng/storeSection/redirect.cfm?sectionID=b2c/style/productDetails.cfm&itemID=66951810&&var=d&ckey=US&colorid=22

So, finally, what queen are you or rather which queen is your sole-mate?

Ushering the Festivities: Past/Present/Future spread

2007-11-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

It is wonderful coincidence that a festive me is welcoming the festive season. There has been much happiness in the recent past which has flowed into the present and made the future look hopeful and shiny. Today is Dhanteras (Dhan = wealth, teras: thirteenth day of the Kartik month) the first day of the Diwali (Festival of Lights) celebrations. I have lighted a candle to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity in my life.
As I move forward in my career and life, I ask my cards for guidance using another three card spread: Past, Present, and Future.

"Past" card: Ace of pentacles
This card is the first card I ever drew for this tarot blog. The Ace of pentacles is always welcome. It usually means a gift of material nature from the heavens. It could an important official document that leads to prosperity (like a job offer, marriage contracts, education degrees) or actual material gain (inheritance etc). This also an excellent card for new beginnings of a material nature ( a new house, a new business venture). For me, it was getting a work permit to work in this country. I think we may label it in the category of "an official document that leads to prosperity". It is indeed a joyful new beginning for the next phase of my career.

"Present" card: King of Wands
The King of Wands is a natural creator and business man, brimming with energy, enthusiasm, and confidence. The gift from the recent past has made my head buzz with new ideas. I just had a great idea a couple of days ago which I shared with my friend who could become my project partner. Wands demand action. So, I need to get my butt off the sofa and act on these ideas. It should be fun since I have the blessings of the King of Wands.

"Future" card: Two of Wands
Again this card is a card that has been discussed in an earlier post. The Two of Wands talk about a partnership in a creative project (Yipee!!). A partnership that is just getting off the ground. This could mean that the time has come to make some decisions in either an earlier partnership or time to work on a new partnership or both. As always, both partners need to put in the required amount of time but this card promises the potentiality of the venture. The 2 of wands also tells us that there are so many possibilities that we almost need to be a eagle and look into all of them.

So summarizing, I am told to be action-oriented, lit my creative fires, and look into all the posibilities. Sounds like a plan. And now, I must soar.

A Spread fit for the Chem Grad

2007-10-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, I found several fun three card spreads posted by Jen on http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18850. One of them has Velcro-stuck itself in my head.

It is the Gas/Liquid/Solid spread for Chem lovers (Especially to be used, according to Jen, when one is checking the status of what one is trying to manifest). I can think of so many fun ways of tweaking this spread and using it for a ton of questions. But here I am using it in its original form. As I mentioned in the last post, the current focus in my life should be manifesting my two assignments and finishing my coursework, so this spread will be perfect.

My reading:

Gas: What's still in the form of pure energy or thought in your life/What's "hanging out" in the ethers
3 of Pentacles.
The 3 of pentacles refers to those practical skills that integrate personal talents with the social environment. Teaching is definitely fits the bill. So according to the card and its position, I could earn a living and materially prosper in this field as long as I further perfect my skills and allow the spiritual to enter into my material work.

Liquid: What's starting to flow and slowly come into your life.
11. Justice.
"As you sow, you shall reap". I shall be able to manifest these assignments if I put in the necessary amount of time and effort. Fair enough (pun intended).

Solid: What's completely manifested and visible to you.
4 of Swords.
To complete this work, I need to minimize my social relationships and maximize my relationship with myself. That I can attest to and I have understood that.

A three card reading : Body/Mind/Spirit

2007-10-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

Situation
I have to finish some pending coursework and submit it on 26 th October. This has been duly noted on my shocking pink Issac Mizrahi designed diary. The files for the two pending assignments have been duly decorated to make the assignments more attractive. So half my work is done. Even though, I am the patron saint of last minute assignments, I sometimes need to start atleast thinking about my work in advance, since the next 10 days are Navratri and I shall be busy appeasing the Sacred Feminine Energy, Shakti.

So today, is the day I start working on the other half. Tarot cards of course have to be consulted and I am doing a quick 3 card Body-Mind-Spirit spread.

Results

Body : King of Wands
I need to be very physically active, social, optimistic.
Good for me, I did some exercising in the morning and am headed to my dancing class this evening.
Mind: 5 of wands
The mind is in conflict. Yes. There are so many thoughts. All running in different directions wanting to post on the blog, write comments on orkut tarot communities, watch TV, make chocolate, start on the assignments, do the dishes---all at the same time. Poor me.
Spirit: Magician

Looks like I have to summon the magician. In this case, the magician seems to represent the ability to manifest what it desired.

I need to *manifest* these two assignments. So off I go.

TC (Today's card) : 2 of wands

2007-10-09T15:33:00.000-04:00

As Sun pointed out to me today that I hadn't done a TC in a while. So here it is. The question was: How will my day be?

My ramblings:
I see, a man ( he looks like a trader or merchant to me) with his feet on the ground; two "living" wands on either side of him seem firmly planted to the ground. The word "foundation" comes to me. The man holds the globe in one hand. What are his intentions? Does he seek to make his mark on the world in some way? Do the wands as usual suggest action and creativity and the number 2 a partnership?
There is a picture on the wall which shows a cross, rose, and a lily. Am I at the crossroad; what are the roses (love) and lilies (faith) telling me?

While I am writing all this, I have an epiphany. I know exactly what this card is telling me. This card isn't talking about my day but is directly addressing some thoughts that have been hovering on the border of my conscious and unconscious mind. So I have had a creative idea that combines my mystic and expressive side (to achieve worldly fame , I kid you not ). I am in partnership with someone I "love" and have "faith" on this project. A new situation that was not expected has entered this equation and now I am at crossroads. According to the "Pocket guide to the Tarot" by Alan Oken, I need to make a decision so that I can move forward.

Very true. Sometimes the card don't necessarily answer the question you put to them; they give you answers to questions that you want to know but don't ask. Which is why they are special.

Marriage wishes, hopes, and blessings for my dear friends

2007-10-08T17:28:00.000-04:00

The Real Saraswati

2007-09-30T10:04:00.001-04:00

My question for the week : Whom/what principle am I going to embody this week? What will be my strengths and weaknesses?
Answer: 8. Saraswati (Karma Oracle)

Goddess Saraswati is seen as beautiful, simple, humble (she is always dressed in white and wears way less jewelery than Goddess Lakshmi) divine patron of learning and art. So this story surprises me (courtesy Karma Oracle). Saraswati is the consort of Brahma (the creator of the world). All the Gods and Goddesses had to preside over a Great Sacrifice . But Saraswati who was taking too much time to beautify herself had not arrived in time (hmm, sounds too much like me). Since time was of great importance here, Brahma created a second wife (Gayatri) to take her place (It must be nice to be a creator; thank god, my sweetheart is not one). So as the story goes, Saraswati was very jealous of Gayatri and in conflict with her but it was later resolved. Her vanity in this story ties in very well with the picture of the peacock in one of the images shown in the previous post.

Coming back to the card and my question, the following are the strengths and weaknesses of this card and mine too for this week.

Strengths:
1. I come from a past life that has been devoted to beauty, art, music, and dance and feel the need to further improve my talents and transmit this learning to others. Every expressive technique is a means of communication and a joy to me.

I have learnt classical dance and painting when I was younger and I was decent in both these fields but haven't pursued it for many years. However, this week I have started dance lessons again and have talked to a friend regarding art lessons. Yes, I like to dress up but on a slightly different note, I find that no matter how mundane or boring a task or how lazy I feel if I add something beautiful to the task, it becomes a thing of joy and beauty.
The second sentence is completely totally too. Along with dance, tarot readings, and art, this blog is also a wonderful means of communication.

Weakness
"Aestheticism, an obsession for knowledge, eloquence, and image can sometimes change into superficiality"

I can see that. For me, everything has to be colorful and beautiful (from my perspective). Colors rule my life. My books, my home, my kitchen, myself, my laptop, my blog, the list goes on.....
For e.g. I will never buy a simple black folder; I just can't get over it. If I have to use a regular manilla folder, I will write some of my favorite quotations on it or draw something and make it pretty.

My Current task
Follow my path, immerse myself in studies, produce, and improve.
"Not to attach myself too much to my creations: Each one of them is not a destination, but a step forwards towards perfection."
A very profound and important statement.

I was very inspired by this card. So made a list of my five talents and resolved that everyday before going to bed I would make sure I had worked on atleast one talent.

Card for the week: 8. Saraswati

2007-09-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

My tarot objectives for the week are: 1. practicing on framing the question 2. studying the Karma Oracle deck. Framing the question is of utmost importance in tarot as in everything else that needs an answer. You only get out of the tarot, what you put in. (This idea has been mentioned in several different ways using several different kinds of language). So ask a "precise and concise"question, as my friend would it, to get a precise and concise answer.

The Karma Oracle deck is a 33-card tarot deck which represents Hindu/Vedic Gods , Goddesses and their mounts, symbols, and philosophy. As an Indian, I felt an immediate attraction to the deck but haven't studied it as much as I like too.

My question was : Whom/what principle am I going to embody this week? What will be my strengths and weaknesses?

The card: 8. Saraswati.

Since, this is a week-long project, I will indulge in a deeper study of this card (so bear with me). I put in two images of Goddess Saraswati since there were different attributes that I would relate to in these pictures. Unfortunately, the image of the goddess in the Karma oracle didn't resonate with me at all.

Both these images have several things in common that correlates with my understanding of the Goddess. She is dressed in white which symbolizes the purity of mind, truth, and knowledge. She carries a scroll in one of her hands symbolizing that she rules learning, education, wisdom, and a veena (musical instrument) in the other as the patron goddess of music, sound, and speech. There are several schools and educational institutions in India named after this goddess.

There are a few noteworthy differences : in the first image, she is shown decked with more jewellery than I would normally associate with Saraswati (that genre would belong to her sister, Lakshmi, which incidentally is a name favored by jewelery stores). Also, one image shows a swan ( purity ) while the other shows a peacock (her victory over vanity).

Her attributes are mentioned in this Sanskrit shloka which I recited everyday as a little girl with my mother(Thanks, Wikipedia).

"Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha|
Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana||

Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha|
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa||"

English Translation

"May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon, and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me. May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."

Yes, I do need to invoke her. More on what specifically can I learn from this card and utilize in my life, the strengths, and weaknesses inherent in this card, and an particularly interesting story that my mythologically-obsessed mind missed in her teen years in the next posting.

Today's card:

2007-09-24T21:00:00.000-04:00

As they say in poker lingo, today I played it "blind". This was a wonderful suggestion given by one of my friends. I asked the heavens to give me an indication of what my day was going to be like through a card. So I picked up a card this morning and have put it aside. As I write this, I still don't know what my card is. So the plan is to write about my day and then see the card and see if the card makes sense. The rationale is that this way I will not be influenced by the card while I write about my daily activities.

Today was a highly efficient day for me. A dear friend of mine gave me the most wonderful and delightful news. I made several personal and business calls, completed some pending correspondences, grocery shopped, cooked, and went to the gym with my sweetheart. I listened to one of my favorite albums and got nostalgic and emotional. In between, I also managed to follow a thrilling cricket match between arch rivals, India and Pakistan. Needless to say, I had a pretty wholesome day and I feel good about it.

I am trying to predict what card could I have got. Maybe I'll try predicting another time.

Ok, so the card is : King of Cups
Yes, I did have an emotional day (Cups) but then I was so efficient and practical too, so I didn't venture a guess. The King of Cups could represent a kind, wise man in my life who gives wonderful advice and is a healer. But today, I don't feel like a King of Cups visited me. So maybe the circumstances embodied the King of Cups. The K of Cups represents a situation where the emotions are just right and beautiful. I guess I felt that when my friend shared something beautiful with me and then again when I was listening to a certain album, some things opened up in me and I was in tears. The King of Cups also means giving your feelings a creative outlet. I wasn't really creative unless you can count dancing passionately while being emotional. Actually, I did have sort of an idea though. I was missing my parents and I thought my Dad would enjoy reading this blog too so maybe I should take a printout of some of my postings and mail it to him. But still, if I have to be objective, I would say that I wasn't channeling my emotions into creative pursuits (practical maybe).

Pink or Sunflower?

2007-09-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,
And now it is time for me to ask this all -important question. Most of you visiting this blog know about my obsession with the color "pink" or "sunflowers" or both. You know how happy both these words make me. The question is which word do you think most defines me, since I am still finalizing a posting name. Counting on you all.

Today's Card: 2 of Cups

2007-09-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

Today's card was one of my favorite cards (you may hear this expression often). The number "2" typically symbolizes a partnership and the cups symbolize the emotions. So by just combining these two ideas (pun intended) you can arrive at the very romantic word "union". For me, this card is the union of equals. Like Arjun and Krishna (the two main characters of the great Indian book the "Bhagwad Gita"), it can be platonic love but it is between equals. This card reminds me of a line from one of the poems (which incidentally was read at my wedding) by Khalil Gibran.

On Marriage

"Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
......................................................................................
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

Infact, this card in the Osho-Zen tarot deck shows two trees (one with pink blossoms and other with orange) growing near each other but yet there is space between them for love to flow.

How was my day today? Well, I just want to say that I want to go back and live every moment of this beautiful today.

Night

2007-09-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

Voila!! I can't believe it. I actually got a gift today (Yes, some cynics might say beginners luck, but :P to them). A dear friend of mine gifted me a CD today "Kirtana" by Robert Gass & On wings of Song. The CD is described as "sacred music to open hearts and awaken souls". Thank you!!

This afternoon, I also wondered if the Ace of pentacles meant that this gift from the heavens would be manifested in a one year time frame. I was inspired by this card to write down some of my creative ideas and I intend to add more details to these creative ideas as time goes by.

Today's Card: Ace of Pentacles

2007-09-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about drawing my first card. Here it is : The Ace of Pentacles.
Such a beautiful card!!

My first thoughts about the card:
The card shows a divine hand coming out from the clouds holding a pentacle. My first instinct is that I will be receiving a gift from the heavens. This gift shall be on a physical plane. The garden under the pentacle is very fertile and abundance and points to the abundance this card brings.
I will keep this card in my thoughts and will touch base in the evening.

The Beginning

2007-09-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

This blog will be my lab. I intend to design several experiments to study my understanding, the relevance and utility of tarot in my life. For starters, I will keep it simple. Every morning I shall pick a card for myself and then at the end of the day I will correlate my day with that tarot card.