Decks: Santa Muerte Tarot by Fabio Listrani & Oracle of Great Mystics by Earth Moon Magick
Cards and Keywords
5 of cups – Introspection
Ace of wands – new beginnings, new ideas
Hierophant – spiritually mature, as above so below
Strength – inner strength, growth in character
Connected family – attend old relationships, look for old things in new places, power in the blood
Artist – innovate and create, interpret and know
Connected spirit – touch of life, memory, as above so below
Who this reading is for
This is a reading for the collective for the upcoming week beginning 10/22/2023. I pray that this reading is a blessing to whoever reads it and that it reaches who it needs to reach. Take what works and leave what doesn’t. Specifically, however, I am speaking to those free spirits. The artistic ones that may be struggling with identity and pursuing art and/or purpose. This reading may also touch those who are going through a few things with people close to them like family.
The Reading
The overall theme I’m seeing in this reading this week is introspection and self-work, also known as shadow work.
The term “shadow work” seems to be trendy lately but the concept has been around, literally, forever. It is when we take the time to look within ourselves and address what lies in the “shadows” or the “closets” of our minds, hearts, and souls. It is a very necessary thing to do, but I fear that not enough people do it or do it seriously.
There are a number of ways to address the shadows. Professional therapy and possibly medication is one way. Journaling, prayer, and meditation are other ways. There are all types of workbooks and guides from secular and religious schools of thought that all essentially allude to the same principles, though they may use various approaches, about healing yourself. Pick one or two of them and go for it. Don’t overthink it. Just start somewhere and don’t forget that one workbook or one therapy session is not going to fix everything. This work is ongoing.
The cards I pulled for this reading are very connected to each other. The Connected Family card is very much in line with the 5 of cups. The Artist is the Ace/1 of wands. The Connected Spirit lines up with the Hierophant. The Strength card is the clarifier.
I interpret this message as you, the person looking for guidance, need to start asking yourself and answering the hard questions. You are trying to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing and the fact is, you’ve had a few clues over the years that told you. You’ve denied yourself because maybe you thought you weren’t good enough. Maybe you thought it would be too much responsibility. Maybe the people around you weren’t as supportive as you had hoped they would be or as you needed them to be. Think back to the times that hurt and figure out why they hurt.
The way the 5 of Cups card is depicted in this deck shows a figure in a body of water with the inside of their skull exposed. It looks like a maze inside their brain. It makes me think of when I’m in the shower and all the thoughts in the world come to me. The best ideas come while in the shower. The most painful or embarrassing memories tend to come up in the shower, too. Can you relate to that?
Water is a cleanser. A good bath can change your entire mood and energy. That’s the thought process behind a baptism or any other spiritual bath. The 5 of Cups, to me, shows some introspection and possible cleansing happening.
With the mental/spiritual cleanse, you can really begin to explore new and productive ideas. As above, so below. The law of correspondence. Basically, whatever is going on in your spirit is affecting what’s going on in your physical world.
Seek guidance from someone outside of yourself who won’t be judgmental but will lovingly correct you when it’s necessary. A trusted elder in the family, a mentor at church or work, a coach, an advisor. The right combination of self-help/shadow work and a good team of supportive people who will make you feel heard will go a long way to helping you gain your strength and conquer the world.
A personal story
I’ve been going through a lot these last couple of months and it has felt like quite a rollercoaster. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that when I prayed to remove blockages it would mean I’d possibly lose some people. It sucks because my circle is already ridiculously small. I prayed to fully embrace my spiritual gifts and I’ve experienced things I can’t even write about as a result. And it is only the beginning. But in the process of all of this, I’ve had to ask myself some hard questions, look at my own behavior, and see where I needed to improve. Through all the excitement and weird sh*t, my anxiety has calmed down and I feel the most grounded I have felt in a very very long time and my thoughts are clear. I can write a whole series of posts about chakras, energy, and crystals in relation to my recent experiences.
Currently, a few friends and I are working together through a Bible study workbook about love stories from the Bible and some of those questions require a lot more thought than I had anticipated. However, they are necessary and while I may not agree with the author’s perspective all the time, it is a perspective that helps me to calibrate my own. I’ve been in therapy a few times over the years. I make it my business to read social psychology books like It Didn’t Start with You, Atlas of the Heart, and What Happened to You. I’ll pick up a personal development book every so often. I journal. I meditate. I take ashwagandha and St. John’s Wort supplements to keep my nerves at bay. But I’ve been in overdrive lately because I’ve had the concept of As Above, So Below thrown at me. What’s in the spirit is often reflected in the real world and vice versa.
Disclaimer: I’m not a Christian. I was raised one so that’s where my spiritual foundation lies. I consider myself a rootworker, a Hoodoo practitioner. I feel that the Bible has some universal truths but there are also some things in it I find questionable.