SoulTraveler

Spiritual Life Coaching For many of us there comes a point in our lives when we start to seek more meaning for ourselves. We find that our traditional spiritual upbringing no longer suits who we feel we are now. Or for those who have had no specific spiritually based upbringing, there can become a desire to find a spiritual home. As we journey onto a new spiritual path in search of meaning, we often find that our relationships and careers become outmoded. The questioning of everything we held to be true begins, and the process can be quite unsettling as it threatens to bring about a great deal of upheaval into our world and for those around us. We find that friends we have known for years no longer suit our new reality as they once had. Our closest relationships seem to suffer as well, as we begin to question everything in our lives that we had once been so certain of. The question then becomes, what do we discard and how do we redesign our relationships in order to feel comfortable

I am thoroughly enjoying working with my newest deck called "Shadowscapes" The images are beautiful. The details in this deck are exquisite. Today one card stood out for me in a most profound way. It was the Two of Swords. The traditional way of portraying this card is with a person who is shown as being blindfolded and holding two crossed swords. The interpretation of this card is that a person knows he has a choice in front of him to follow one path or another and is refusing to make this decision. Not surprisingly this card comes up quite a lot in the relationship readings I do in my line of work. What I LOVE about this Shadowscape, Two of Swords card is how the man is shrouded in a black robe which looks like Death itself. He is shown to be looking at the crossed swords in front of him, fully aware of the fact that he must make a decision,and perhaps knowing that failure to do so is putting him in a position of stagnation in his life. He chooses to die by refusing to grow

The Chariot The Chariot is a strongly positive card and when drawn in a reading it shows that speed and victory are at hand in any given situation. It can also show a possible move or travel as well. When we look at the images on the card we see the charioteer holding the reigns of the black and white sphinxes, which according to Rachel Polack in her book “Tarot Wisdom”, represent duality and all of the contradictions and difficulties in our lives. By strength of will the Charioteer makes his way forward in triumph. The stars over his head show his dreams are with him and destined to come true by his sheer force of will. When using the energy of the Chariot we may want to focus on where in our lives we are looking to succeed and how we can reach our goal. This is a good card to focus on your ability to triumph over any obstacles in your way so that you can make your dreams come true. It’s a hugely inspirational “go for it” card. Determination and belief that goals will be reached are t

Judgment Nearing the end of the Fool’s journey in the tarot is Judgment, at card number twenty. All of the lessons and work done by the Fool thus far, results in the day of reckoning. As shown on the images on this card the people are rising up from the dead in order to have a regeneration of life. It is a day of triumph perhaps because it is a card of spiritual awakening. When this card comes up in a reading it shows that the past has been released and it’s time for a new start. Because it is a card of regeneration, it is associated with the cyclical nature of the soul connection relationships. The mistakes of the past have been released and the person is ready to come back to the relationship after having a realization, or awakening to the truth of their feelings. When this card comes up in a career reading, it shows a person remaining in the same work field, but perhaps in a different location. For general meaning, Judgment shows taking responsibility for your life and no longer ju

When the Moon comes up in a reading it shows that there are hidden aspects to a given situation that need to come to the surface. This is also a card that has a certain amount of fear associated with it, whether it be fear of the unknown, or fear of one’s own feelings. The crab in the image is associated with the astrological sign of Cancer which is the sign of emotions. The moon is shown in its cycles on this card suggesting the cyclical nature of life. This cyclical aspect of the Moon is why I associate it with being a card of the soul connection. The soul connection is cyclical in nature because inevitably one person runs away for a while, thinking by doing so they can run from their feelings. The front scene in the card is illuminated by the light of the moon, and as you look closer you can see that the background becomes dark suggesting that the fear arises because one can’t see clearly ahead to the future. The dog and wolf are barking because they are fearful of what they don’t u

The Star This is a lovely card showing that there is hope and that dreams can come true. The image of the woman pouring the water onto the ground and into the pond, represents both healing and hope. Her nudity represents a feeling of comfort and peace and openness born out of her belief that all is well. The starry sky suggests wishing upon a star for dreams to come true. The color white representing the spiritual aspect of belief and the color yellow represents joy and warmth. In a reading this card shows that there is hope in a given situation and that dreams really can come true. If the card falls in a shadow position it is indicating that you are letting negativity keep you from your dreams. You have lost belief in yourself. When using this card for meditation purposes you would want to focus on your dreams. Have fun with this card. Let your inner child out to play. Make a wish and put it out there with the belief that it can be manifested. You can also use this card to focus on h

The Wheel of Fortune I love the fact that there is a game show named after a tarot card! The Wheel of Fortune shows us the cyclical nature of life’s fortunes. What goes up will eventually come down and vice versa. Simply put it represents a change in circumstances and whether these changes will be positive or negative depends upon where the card shows up in a reading. This is mostly seen as a positive card, indicating good fortune. The images and symbols on this card are a bit more complicated than on the previous cards and not particularly useful to the person who is simply using the card for meditation based on the meaning of the card itself. I would like to point out a few interesting features of the card though. On the wheel itself are Greek and Hebrew letters plus the alchemical signs for salt, water, sulfur and mercury. The four creatures each represent one of the four seasons as so defined because these creatures are the four fixed signs in astrology which were originally based

I can't write about love without the Beatles song "All You Need is Love" coming to mind. "There's nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time - It's easy." The Lovers is a card of choice and decisions that have to do primarily with love. I say primarily because if The Lovers comes up in any other type of reading such as career or finance, it would show simply a decision to be made in that regard. When looking at the Rider-Waite version of the Lovers it has a striking similarity to the Devil Card. The trees on either side of the man and woman were their tails in the Devil card. The tails suggested lust, while the trees hold both the passion and promise of growth. The snake represents the decision that is before them. The sun and angel suggest happiness and pureness of love that will rise above the clouds of uncertainty. In this picture the lovers are s

The World When we see The World come up in a reading it is very positive indeed. As you can see from looking at the main image, the garland circling the woman who is floating in the air gives us a visual of someone who has attained all that they desire. For me, the figures in each corner of the card represent the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water again illustrating the idea of completeness. The colors used on the woman show love, passion and harmony and the wands in both of her hands show balance and completeness .It’s as if she is saying, I can hold no more because I have it all. When looking to meditate on the energy of The World card, we can focus on what it is we desire to have in our lives in order to feel complete. For example, we might want to concentrate on attaining our goals for a particular relationship, our career, or for furthering our education. As we embrace these goals we focus on the attainment of them knowing that they are within our reach. To enhance this

“Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough How come we don’t say I love you enough Till it’s too late, it’s not too late” lyrics from Live Like You’re Dying I am often amused by my clients and the paradoxical lives they choose to live. I use the word paradox because many of my clients come to me looking to know when they will be reunited with a loved one. They are always wistful when I can’t tell them a specific time and then when I can see a reunion coming very soon, there are many times when the wistfulness turns to defensiveness. Admittedly there are times when the temptation to bang my head on my computer almost overtakes me when the very same person who has been depressed and frustrated for what seems like an eternity to them, finally gets good news and is now ready to either give their former mate a tongue lashing or not take their calls at all. While I am a huge proponent of communication in all relationships, I am at the same time,

Anything Can Be Overcome Hope in Hardship There is nothing in our life that cannot be overcome with time, love, friendship and attention to the matter. The journey that each human being makes through earthly existence can have hardship as often as it is touched by joy. When we encounter adversity, the stress we feel can erode our optimism, eventually convincing us that the issues we face cannot be overcome. In truth, there is no situation so dire, no challenge so great, and no choice so bewildering that it cannot be overcome. Though we may believe that all avenues have been closed to us or that our most conscientious efforts will come to naught, we are never without feasible options. The best course of action may be veiled in doubt, but it is there. When we are honest with ourselves with regard to this simple fact, we can overcome anything because we will never stop looking for a solution to the challenges before us. Self-trust coupled with a sturdy plan is the ultimate antidote to adv

The Emperor is a card about success and control. When we look at the picture of The Emperor, we see a man who has achieved success in his life. After all, he is the Emperor, he is firmly in control. Looking at his picture, we don’t get the feeling of a warm cozy guy. Seated on his steely colored throne wearing his steel boots, he has the look of a man who means business. When he turns up in a reading as an outcome card he represents a positive outcome. Success is assured. If he represents a particular person, he embodies a person who is mature and probably financially successful as well, but he is also someone who tends to be a bit authoritative and controlling. As a person, he is difficult to deal with because he insists on doing things his way. When I see the Emperor in readings that I do for others, more often than not he is showing up in a shadow position indicating someone trying to get, or maintain control of a situation rather than to let things flow as they will. As you can ima

French philosopher and journalist Albert Camus said, “in order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion; in order to serve men better, one has to hold them at a distance for a time.” And thus we have the archetype of The Hermit. Whenever we see The Hermit, he is almost always portrayed as an elderly man holding a lantern. In this particular picture he is shown to be standing on the top of a mountain illustrating someone who has reached a certain pinnacle of wisdom, through age and experience. However, he still seeks answers as shown by the lantern he hold in his hand. The pole he is leaning on is reminiscent of the Ace of Wands which represents growth, so we see that through wisdom comes growth. When the Hermit arrives in a reading he is reflecting a person’s desire to have a bit of a retreat in order to think things through carefully. Depending upon where he shows up in a reading he can be indicative of someone actually over thinking things and needing instea

Although the name can be a bit off putting to the novice tarot student, the Hanged Man is in no danger of losing his life. He seems quite content to be doing nothing. The color red on his pants shows a lack of passion as they are in an upside down position. There is the suggestion that he chooses to remain with his hands tied, as well, as he is not at all upset by his circumstances. The gold around his head shows that he has not only has suspended thoughts of living in joy but is also choosing to suspend spiritual wisdom. When he comes up in a reading The Hanged Man shows a period of stagnation and limbo in a given situation. Needless to say this is not a welcome card because we naturally want to see our lives in some sort of motion. When I look at this card, the Beatles’ song “Nowhere Man” comes immediately to mind because it’s quite a perfect way to describe this card: He's a real nowhere man, Sitting in his Nowhere Land, Making all his nowhere plans for nobody. Doesn't have

When we look at the Empress we see a woman who is quite serene and well taken care of. She is sitting very comfortably among a pile of pillows and adorned with a crown of stars and a beautiful long flowing gown. Abundance is the word that comes readily to mind when looking at this card. The heart propped up by her chair is white showing the purity and generosity of her love. The stars on her crown shows that she holds many hopes and dreams and from her contented stance, you can sense that she believes she will achieve them. There is a glow of bright yellow around her head suggesting that she radiates warmth and joy. In her hand she seems to be holding the world which is perched on top of her wand. Traditionally the Empress is the card of the mother and as such represents growth and abundance especially around family. She is truly a warm and nurturing woman with pureness of heart and generosity of spirit. She sits ready to help and support her friends and family and in turn is highly va

The Devil is another one of those “scary” cards that people don’t like to see come up in a reading. Admittedly it is a bit scary, but for a different reason than most people think. When we look at the Devil, he is the largest figure on the card towering over two small humans. Traditionally this is a card that shows addiction with the chains, strong sexual desire shown by the nudity of the man and woman and the horns each of them are wearing along with a tail. The tail, which is associated with an animal or the devil itself, shows the baser side of ourselves. On the tip of the man’s tail is fire, suggesting lustful passion and on the woman’s tail there is fruit suggesting perhaps the temptation from the Garden of Eden. Looking more closely at the chains, we see that although the couple is chained around their necks, their hands are free thereby showing us that they have the power to release themselves from any restrictions. The interesting aspect of the Devil is that he has a belly but

Perhaps the most feared card in the tarot deck is Death, well, at least to people who are unfamiliar with the tarot deck. And let’s face it, seeing the image and the word Death can be off putting, however the Death card in tarot does not represent the actual death of a person. What it does represent is a transformation of a situation. Depending on where things stand in the present, Death will represent a rebirth or an ending. So for example, it can represent a rebirth or positive change in a relationship that was thought to be over. The image on this card is of Death riding a horse. I really like the use of the black and white colors showing endings on one side and rebirth on the other side. The flag that Death is holding illustrates the same concept with the white flower on top of the field of black. From the darkness of black, life is reborn with the flower. Also, if you look in the background of the card, the sun is starting to rise, showing again the image of rebirth. The woman loo

I love this card. When we look at the High Priestess we see a serene woman sitting in contemplation. She represents inner wisdom and intuition.The cross on her gown and the torah in her lap and the sliver of the moon by the bottom of her gown shows that her spiritual wisdom transcends any one religion and rather encompasses them all as these are the symbols of some of the major religions, Christianity, Judaism and Muslim. On top of her head is the moon, again showing hidden aspects of ourselves. The fruits in the background represent the fruitfulness and abundance of knowledge that is hers. The black and white columns with contrasting letters for me represent the idea of the Chinese symbol of yin-yang where opposite energies are brought into harmony and balance. When the High Priestess comes up in a reading the message is that you are to let yourself be guided more by your intuition as it will always serve you well. The High Priestess is serene because she knows the truth and will let

The Sun The most positive card in the tarot deck by far is The Sun. When looking at this card, the actual sun is the most dominant image showing us warmth and other good things we associate with the sun. The Sun card is also a sign of positive growth as shown by the sunflowers just below it. The child riding on the white horse represents joy, pureness and possibilities; a reason to be happy and celebrate life. The red flag is large in size and by it’s color and size together we get the message of long lasting love and joy. We would draw on the energy of The Sun card when we need a shift in focus to the positive aspects of our lives. We can use it as a reminder that all will be well, that we just need to believe. When you look at this card you can’t help but feel the positive message implied in it. It truly is the feel good card of the deck. For meditation purposes you would want to light a yellow candle to represent joy and the warmth of the sun. If you like to light your candles in a

When looking at the Hierophant we see three men. The dominant man of course is the Hierophant who is the chief priest or Pope. This card is about tradition and wisdom. The keys at the bottom of the card represent knowledge and because they are crossed, they are associated with the ecclesiastical, namely the Pope. They can also symbolize the keys to the gates of heaven. The Pope’s crown represents his authority in higher matters. For purposes of meditation and reflection we would choose this card when we are looking for ways to deepen our spiritual beliefs and looking for ritual as a way of expressing or experiencing these beliefs. So for example, in order to incorporate more ritual into our daily spiritual lives we might explore things like morning meditation, prayers or daily inspirational readings as a way to connect us to the source. We can also use this card to ground ourselves by focusing on the traditional aspects of our lives that give us comfort. The mundane rituals of our liv

The Tower is one of the more disturbing cards in the tarot deck. Just one look at it and you know the news may not be too good. In truth, that depends on the circumstances you are in. People automatically go to the negative side of the Tower without thinking about the other possible side of it. When we look at the illustration of the Tower from the Rider-Waite deck it does look a bit grim. We have people falling from a tower that is engulfed in flames. The one person is wearing a red cape. Red as we know is the color of passion which is one indicator that things are far from calm. The lightening, the clouds, the flames, the pointy mountain of ice below all indicate that there is nothing friendly here. The interesting thing is the crown which is shown as having been blown off of the top of the tower. Assuming that the crown represents the crown chakra, we have an interesting situation. The crown chakra represents our highest self, our point of personal divinity if you will, and here it

This time of year just before Valentine's Day is a very stressful time for people who are struggling with the romantic relationships in their lives. Good communication is key to maintaining and developing good relationships whether they are romantic by nature or not. When I read this article from Daily Om I thought it made perfect sense in pointing out how to improve communication between people. Daily OM: Communication Centering and Expressing Expressing ourselves honestly from a centered place is essential to our sense of well-being. When we are in a relationship where we feel listened to and understood, we count ourselves lucky because we know how rare that experience is. We reserve our most intimate selves for the people who, along with us, cocreate an open space where we feel free to express ourselves and listen without judgment. These relationships, which thrive on open communication, can mean the difference between existential loneliness and a deep sense of belonging. We al

Strength is almost always depicted showing a woman taming a lion. It is a very peaceful serene picture. There is no fear or aggression on either side. The woman in the card is wearing a white robe which symbolizes purity and a spiritual element. She is not forcing the lion but rather coaxing it. The lion’s tongue is sticking out as if to give her a lick and letting her know he is willing to work with her. Above her head is the infinity symbol showing that unlimited patience and willpower is hers. The garland worn around her waist and her head symbolizes good luck and intuition. Strength is typically known as the card of female inner strength. When it comes up in a reading it shows that you do indeed have what it takes to succeed and succeed you will in time. You are being asked to have patience with the process. The green grass shows the healing of the situation as well. For using in meditation I would suggest a green candle because the color green symbolizes healing and love. Love and

The Justice card is often referred to as the karmic card of the tarot. For every action there is a re-action and after that exchange occurs, things are brought back to center. Justice is a more severe look at balance than the more flowing picture we see with Temperance. For one thing the color red of the robes shows quite a lot of passion, although it is tempered by compassion with the color green that outlines the cloak. The higher essence of the soul is shown by purple, the color associated with intuition and the third eye chakra. The Ace of Swords that he holds in his hand shows that justice will be served with swiftness and assurance while the scales show that justice will be fair as well. Although the purple above his head shows this man to be of a spiritual nature, his foot (which is shown at the bottom of his robe), shows he is also very much grounded in reality. Like the Magician, he is serene and sure of his position. There is nothing aggressive about this man. Justice is the

I Can Do Anything! The Fool is the very first card of the journey of the majors. When you look at this card the brightness is the very first thing you are drawn to. The abundance of yellow in the background along with the Sun in the sky suggests happiness and optimism that is unlimited. The figure of the Fool is looking upward for perhaps some divine inspiration although we can see that he is already prepared to start his journey with nothing but the highest of hopes with his yellow boots showing the warmth and positive expectations associated with the sun. His white dog shows that he also brings with him purity of motive and thought. The flower in his outstretched hand shows his willingness to grow and learn from his experiences. His red bag suggests his passion for traveling forward in his life. The small size shows him just starting out with not a lot of knowledge to fill the bag with just yet. Standing on the edge of a cliff, he is ready to take the leap and start the journey. Whe

The Magician is the “can do” guy of the tarot. He is a person who has gained the knowledge and has all of the “tools” he needs at his disposal in order to obtain what he desires. The tools sitting on the table are the symbols of each of the four minor suits of the tarot showing us his mastery of all of the elements. When we look at the image of the Magician, we see a man with his hand raised straight up towards the sky while the other hand points straight to the ground. This is the suggestion of reaching for the stars yet remaining grounded in his pursuits. In other words he does not let his sense of power go to his head. He remains balanced, yet confident. He knows he has skills but has not let his ego take over his soul. Above the Magician is the sign of infinity showing that he has infinite power and stamina in order to meet his goals. The background color of a deep yellow suggests the aspects of the Sun which are success and positive expectations giving this card the feel of a very

The Temperance card has the feel of the softer side of the Justice card. While both cards deal with the concept of balance, Temperance suggests more harmony within that balance. When looking at the actual card you will see the figure of an angel with one foot in the water and the other foot on land. The balance is also represented in the more obvious action of water being poured between two cups. The whole scene in the card suggests peace and relaxation. There is nothing hectic about this card yet, unlike the quite static quality of the Hanged Man, there is some movement. When we wish to draw or meditate on the energy of Temperance I feel the message is that we should pursue our dreams by taking action while keeping balance to not get lost in fantasy. Dwelling too much in the what ifs of fantasy,leads to non action that becomes mired in stagnation. You will reach the pot of gold (represented here by a gold crown)at the end of the Yellow brick road. There is no need to run, but you do n

Tarot Chakra Altars Since the beginning of the year I have been working on making a set of chakra altars for myself and have become quite engaged in the project. It seems as if my creative self has been awakened and I find creative ideas fairy jumping out of my head as I work away on a given project. I feel like I have “Creative ADD”. It’s actually a good feeling to have the ideas just pouring forth. I got the idea of a tarot chakra altar from a book I read called “Chakra Healing” by Liz Simpson. In the book, she illustrates various chakra altars she has helped clients design. She also provides a lot of useful information on each of the chakras. For example, she suggests some gems, herbs and oils which can be included on each altar. I took the idea of the altar and added my own personal touch with the inclusion of a tarot card that represents for me the essence of each chakra. I also burn the “chakra appropriate” infused oil in my office and add the appropriate color candle to burn. Fo