Card of the Day - Oct 31, 2011

Robin Wood Tarot
King of Wands

Today you need to adapt some qualities of the King of Wands. You need to communicate your feelings and socialize with people today. You could also be the centre of attention and attract people towards you. You have a magnetic personality and those around you will follow your advice. You have it in you to be a leader and guide others on the right path. You provide great words of wisdom without being boring or preachy. You are charming and convincing today, and will be able to get things done your way. It is a good day for people in sales or in telemarketing. Your speech skills will reward you today. Speak out what is there in your heart, without worrying about what others will say. 

Card of the Day - Oct 29, 2011

Robin Wood Tarot
5 of Pentacles

Today's card is yet another Pentacles card from the Robin Wood tarot deck. Money and finances seem to be an issue these few days. This card shows that we have lost the essence and the meaning of life. Spirituality is replaced by materialism. I feel this is so true in the spirit of Diwali and even other festivals like Christmas, Halloween, Ganesh Chaturthi and many others. What is the essence of it really? Is it really necessary to spend a lot of money buying gold, clothes and expensive things on Diwali? Is it necessary to pollute the environment with the smoke and poisonous chemicals of rockets, jameen chakris, anars and fuljhadis? It is selfish to harm the planet for our own pleasure. Money is definitely not everything and not a pre-requisite to enjoy a festival. Diwali is the festival of lights and even a single diya or a lantern is sufficient to bring light into our lives. Most of us forget why we celebrate the festival. It is to welcome Lord Rama to Ayodhya after a 14 year exile in the forest. We must remember him and take his blessings. The 5 of Pentacles shows the alienation of mankind, looking for happiness in the wrong places when it is right in front of his nose. Today, appreciate the small things in life and pay attention to your near and dear ones and the needy. We tend to indulge in self-pity and ignore the needs of others. See the bright side of things. There are many people who have more problems than us. Be happy with what you have.

Card of the Day - Oct 27, 2011

Robin Wood Tarot
King of Pentacles

Today's Tarot card of the Day is the King of Pentacles. Today, is a great day for shopping and spending time with your family, specially your dad or your husband. You are in a very good mood, probably because of this Diwali festive season (or even Halloween!) You may buy something valuable which will be with you for the rest of your life.Now is a good time to invest in gold, diamonds and property. The decisions you will make during this time will be accurate with no regrets later on.So go ahead and splurge this festival and enjoy yourself! If you have been looking for financial support or a partner for a new business venture, it will materialize. This is a great time for finances. So take advantage of it while the going is good. 

Card of the Day - Oct 20, 2011

Power animal oracle cards
Monkey- Ingenuity

The situation calls for Adaptability and Innovation.

You need to adapt to your current situations and find creative solutions to overcome your problems. You need to be intelligent and use your intuition, your gut sense to decide a course of action. Do not be rigid and be open to change. Like a monkey who swings on a tree, you need to be quick and aware of what branch to hold on to. Do not get discouraged if things do not work out for you. Use your sharp mind to assess what's happening and continue on. The monkey has traits of being inquisitive, innovative and clever. You must try and adapt them in your life and your situation. 

Card of the Day - Oct 19, 2011

Power Animals oracle cards
Lion - Courage

"ASK for what you want"

We need to be like the lion today. ASK and you shall RECEIVE. Do not be timid or shy to ask for what you believe is rightfully yours. Do not assume that the entire world knows what your desires and preferences are. You must announce them. Speak out clearly and directly about your needs. The worst that can happen is that you won't get what you want. But asking will be better than sitting quietly. Ask yourself what is it you want. There is nothing at risk. I know this takes courage. It is better to speak up than to suffer in silence. Do not deny yourself the privilege of receiving. You need to be assertive, ferocious but at the same time dignified and noble like the lion.You can pray to Archangel Ariel who is associated with lions. She will help you to be strong and courageous. 

Card of the Day - Oct 18, 2011

Power animal oracle cards
Elephant - Resolve

Elephants are the most intelligent and persistent creatures. The card says 'You will overcome any obstacles'. You need to move forward towards the fulfillment of your heart's desire. Let nothing stop you. It is only your ego's fear and discouragement which will stop you from achieving your goals. We need to ignore our ego, which is a human trait and be more like the elephant who reaches his goals. They have been the mightiest of warriors in the past and have been part of many important missions. 

Animals and the Environment

This week, I will be drawing the daily card of the day this week from the ''Power Animal Oracle cards'' by Steven Farmer. According to Shamanism, animals are very powerful and useful guides in our life. Every animal or bird has a quality which we must aspire to have and we can learn a lot from nature and animals if we look closely. A cat has many good qualities : it is sharp, cunning and if we could understand it, I'm sure they're very witty like the Puss in Boots! Dogs are of course very loyal creatures and a man's best friend. Dolphins teach us to be friendly and playful. Ants are hardworking and are team players. Birds build their nests and no matter what happens, they never give up and keep on trying. We can indeed learn a lot from birds and animals of we want to. They can be great inspirations for us whenever we are low or reach a dead end. I believe that to be a human being, we have all been animals, birds and insects before, so we have learnt many lessons on the way. Sometimes we need to re-learn and re-member all that we have learnt, so that we can continue on our journey.

 Being aware of the qualities of animals also makes us aware of how useful they are to us and how important it is to preserve them. We need to help our planet with environmentalism. Harming the earth causes pain and trouble to all animals right from ants to birds. Deforestation, hunting and reclamation are really harming our planet. We must try making a difference at a micro-level. Be a vegetarian. Do not wear fur and leather. Plant trees. Make people aware. Join an NGO for environmental causes. Adopt a stray animal and give him a home. Even one person can make a difference. Animals have always been revered as wise ones having extra sensory perception. Just because they do not speak our language, we must not take advantage of them. Let us give them speech by being their voice. Yesterday I removed a card for myself which said 'Save the environment'. That was when I felt that in my own little way, I'll blog about it. Please help me make a difference. I'll start by removing cards of different animals so we can realize how much we can learn from them. 

Card of the Day - Oct 16, 2011

Healing with the Fairies oracle cards
Dreams Coming True

What a wonderful card we have picked up today!! We all love our dreams to come true! If we do not dream, then how can we expect them to come true? The biggest things in the world start from a dream, an idea. Even a single person can change the world with one dream. So do not be afraid to dream, and do not be afraid of failure. Dreaming if half the work done, and by doing this, we are allowing the universe to bring blessings into our life. Dreams first come true in our hearts, and then in the world around us. By dreaming, we are programming the universe to manifest what we want into reality. Hold on to your faith and expect positive outcomes and even miracles. Your prayers, affirmations and other positive practices have brought your dreams to fruition. The fairies are asking you to keep the faith. Your thoughts and dreams are solidifying into material form. 

Card of the Day - Oct 13, 2011

Healing with the Fairies oracle cards
Moving Forward Fearlessly

Are you doubting yourself and your abilities? Sometimes we are so afraid because of our own insecurities that we live in the past. We need to think about the future and move ahead without fear. When we do this, we will realize that the problems were only in our thoughts,and actually there is nothing to worry about. Most of the time, our minds play tricks on us and make us believe certain negative things - that we are not good enough, we do not deserve this, or we cannot do this. All we need to do is move forward fearlessly leaving all our insecurities and negative thoughts behind us. You need to put your Divinely guided ideas and thoughts into action. Trust that you are guided each step of the way. Honor your inner feelings by taking at least one step today in making your dreams and desires a reality. 

Card of the Day - Oct 12, 2011

The Card of the Day today from the Healing with the Fairies deck is Vacation. The fairies are urging you to go on that long overdue vacation. You really need it and you really deserve it. And you know it. Stop giving yourself excuses like: you don't have time or you don't have money. A vacation could be to anywhere, not necessarily to Europe or Australia, it could even be a one day trip to a hill station or anywhere where you can be one with nature. You could spend a day at the beach, or breathe fresh air or enjoy the rain and just be with your thoughts. Vacations are very important because when we get tired, we are not able to function at our best. After our much needed rest, we can easily complete our goals without any stress. A real holiday is when you can recuperate and charge up your batteries, and then look forward to your work. But, during your vacation, forget about your work, your goals, and yes your mobile phone! Switch it off and cut off from the rest of the world and enjoy the moment. 

Card of the Day - Oct 11, 2011

Healing with the Fairies oracle cards
Environmental Awareness

The fairy kingdom is very worried about our Mother Earth. They are urging you to save it through environmental awareness.We all live in one world, and need to be aware of our one most important goal, to protect and save our planet from pollution and degradation. Today, help the planet in any way you can. You could plant trees, stop littering, recycle, adopt a stray animal or create awareness about any of these important things. Recently, I attended a storytelling seminar which was primarily about Ecological conservation. There are endangered species like the Bengal tiger with only 1400 left in India is because of deforestation and hunting.We must be consciously aware about how we are harming our planet because unknowingly we are doing a lot we don't know. We need to change a few habits and adopt new ones. Something simple is not using plastic bags, instead using paper or jute bags instead on a daily basis. Even one person can make a difference and I hope that everyone reading this will make a difference even in a small way. You have the power to make a huge impact on our planet. 

Card of the Day -Oct 10, 2011

On the subject of Healing, I would like to use one of my 'Healing' decks this week for the Card of the Day readings: the 'Healing with the Fairies' oracle cards.

The card removed today is ''Make Music''. Music has great healing powers. Research encourages mothers to sing to their pregnant bellies and also plant lovers to sing to their plants so that they may be healed and transformed. Music has a variety of forms. You can sing songs or listen to songs. Either way, you will be healed. Music tunes are often used for meditation - soothing sounds of the wind, waterfall or waves. You could watch or listen to videos on YouTube on meditative soothing harmonious music. If you know how to play a musical instrument, now is the chance and a sign for you to play with it. It will truly heal you and reduce your stress and your problems. You could also dance and sway to some trance music.

The Healing Power of Story

Kerela storytellers playing the bow instrument

I haven't been posting on this blog since the past few days, as I was busy attending a wonderful Storytelling Festival cum Seminar from Oct 7th to 9th. I got to hear academic papers from people all over the world about various topics - from how to heal with stories, the history of the universe, origins of Hindu mythology, importance of pictures in story telling, the hidden meaning of Jesus' parables and many more.  We were also treated to wonderful narrations of storytelling by young children from 11 schools. We also heard stories from around the globe by story tellers such as Simi Shrivastava, Laura Simms, Muriel Bloch, Carmen, Dave Arthur, Rachel Macbean and some storytellers from Kerela. It was truly an enriching experience with so many cultures merging together towards a common goal - protecting the environment and spreading inter-cultural harmony. Though it was tiring, it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

 I came back from the festival learning so much. I have always loved children's books and fairy tales. Hence my loveee for the Fairy Tale tarot deck!! These stories are a part of myth and have deep meaning in our collective unconscious. They also have healing powers and are indeed magical. Though stories come from different regions, they essentially celebrate the human spirit and no matter what language they are, we all can understand what is happening, as it is the common experience of mankind. What was wonderful was the methods different storytellers used to tell stories. Rachel Macbean from Kolkatta used puppets to tell her stories, Dave Arthur also used original gypsy puppets from U.K. along with the guitar and accordian instruments. Simi Shrivasta from Kathashala did a wonderful enactment of Indian folk tale. All in all it was a wonderful enriching experience!!!! I hope there are many more to come. :-)

Dave Arthur's Witch puppet

I purchased a sweet little book by Marguerite Theophil in the festival called 'Uniting Heaven and Earth: The transformative power of a story' who has written many columns of the Speaking Tree in the Times of India. Her book begins with a wonderful poem about Story which sums up my entire experience:

It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth
in which alone it finds liberation and delight,
the first reaction of human beings to Truth
is one of hostility and fear.

So the Spiritual Teachers of humanity,
like Buddha and Jesus, created a device
to circumvent the opposition of their listeners:
the story.

They knew that the most entrancing words
a language holds are, 'Once upon a time...',
that it is common to oppose a truth
but impossible to resist a story.

On page 61, she says :

We are different at the end of a story
because the soul
has gone through a process
during the telling,
independent of its syntax
and full understanding of its words.

I think this is what happened to me these past 3 days. My soul had gone through a process that transformed me. It's not the same anymore. :-) The Power of story and words has the ability to transform a person either for the good or the bad. Let us use this art to heal and help our children and adults as well to learn, grow and develop into wonderful human beings. 

Card of the Day - Oct 6, 2011

Today's Card of the Day from the Goddess Tarot is the Princess of Swords. She represents decisiveness, clarity and defense, qualities which you will need today. She holds her sword as a staff rather than as a tool of defense. She is able to cut her way through the swampy marsh of confusion. Strong willed and filled with confidence, she knows her goals and ambitions. She cannot be deterred from the path that she wants to follow. She is unstoppable; her strength and her focus is unmatchable. Today, you will be very clear about what you want. You will make the right decisions and be able to focus on your target. Confusion will be replaced by clarity. 

Card of the Day - Oct 5, 2011

The Card of the Day is the Two of Staves (Wands) from the Goddess Tarot. A woman looks at the sun rise and plans how to bring her vision into the world. She is receptive to new ideas and also has aspirations in the world. She has the confidence of Goddess Frejya, the goddess of creativity and new beginnings. She will definitely meet with success. This card signifies the new beginning of a venture. We need to use our ideas and implement them. We will be needing the help of others. If we partner with someone else, we might benefit greatly. Two heads are better than one and we must ask for help when in doubt. You will find a like-minded partner who will help you with your plans and ideas. This card inspires us to bring our plans into action. 

Card of the Day -Oct 4, 2011

Today's Card of the Day is the 4 of Pentacles. Today, you must learn to be self-sufficient and happy on your own. Be satisfied with what you have and do not desire for that what is not yours. Happiness lies in the small things of life like laughing, playing, being with children, reading a book, cracking a joke - not in obsessing over obtaining a thing of desire like a car, house or a soulmate. Learn to enjoy life the way it is, at the present moment without yearning for anything else. Let it be. The Pentacles suit in this deck is represented by the Hindu Goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Do not worry about your finances. You are gathering and saving up bit by bit. Every coin matters. Avoid over spending and impulsive shopping sprees. 

Card of the Day - Oct 2, 2011

Today's Card of the Day from the Goddess Tarot is the 4 of Cups. Today is a day of relaxation. You need to rest and meditate upon what you really need in your life. There is a lot of unnecessary clutter there which is not benefitting you in any way. Try and utilize your time so that you can benefit spiritually, mentally, physically or creatively. Let go of mindless gossiping and unnecessary socializing. If you are not up to the mark, or feel tired or unwell, its not necessary to socialize today. Spend some time alone to recuperate and gather your thoughts. You could be contemplating a career change and there are many choices before you. Choose wisely by listening to your heart. The best decisions are made when you are calm and collected. That is when you will receive your answer. 

Card of the Day - Oct 1, 2011

Today's card of the day from the Goddess Tarot is the 6 of Cups. You will be reminiscing about the past today. You will be brought back to the good old days of your past and your childhood. You will be reminded of an old friend or meet someone from your past. Looking back, you will realized that you have grown and learnt so much. But some things never change like love, friendship and your inner essence. Do not lose sense of your inner child and keep it alive within you through playful activities. Keep your inner child alive with laughter and joy. Be in a joyful mood and be childish. Do not let the seriousness of life bog you down or make you negative. Be around people who you can be yourself with.