A Sword is a weapon – a finely crafted tool to cut through any obstacle or confusion. The gift of the Ace of Swords is mental clarity, truth, justice and fortitude.  The Ace of Swords is a symbol of possibility in the area of intelligence, reason, justice, truth, clarity and fortitude. In readings, it shows that a seed of clear understanding has been planted in your life although you may not yet recognize it. When the seed sprouts, it could take almost any form. It might be a compelling idea, desire for the truth, call to justice, or a need to be honest. On the outside, it could be an offer, gift, opportunity, encounter or synchronistic event.  Sometimes this Ace stands for a challenge that will test you in some way. Life never goes smoothly for long. Sooner or later a hurdle shows up, and the Ace of Swords can tell you when one is coming. This card is also a reminder to you to face your challenge, whatever it is, with courage, honesty and a firm resolve. In every challenge, there is opportunity.  When you see the Ace of Swords, examine your life to see how its clean, sharp energy could work for you. Think about your problem objectively. Look for situations that are unjust or confusing and resolve to set them right. Above all else, commit to being honest and ethical. This card tells you that you do have the inner resources to overcome all obstacles and find the truth of your situation. That is the promise of the Ace of Swords.

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When angered words are sent to you, don’t accept it.  Send it back with love. Treat the messenger as a delivery person at the wrong address.  Angry people do not understand peaceful communication.  What do you do with someone who doesn’t understand that? You allow them to express themselves alone. Eda Pugliese-fey

Boy, timing is everything! I never do anything until time feels right.  Since January I’ve needed new tires, so I researched prices and tossed the info in the car for when I felt ready to buy.  Today I asked my friend Mike Kremer (he’s also my pest control guy!) to check my tires for me while he was here, and I’m reminded he works for Walmart in the Tire Dept on Palm Bay Road. On his advice, I headed down there and, bottom line price after discounts for 4 tires for my Toyota Prius installed was $379.68!  I also have a store rebate of $40 for signing up for a Walmart credit card, and I have 12 months same as cash to pay for the tires.  I’m glad I waited!  I walked through the garden center while they were doing my tires.  An associate was watering the plants, I offered to help but she laughed and said that wasn’t permitted.  Then I did a few walking laps around the store. I love looking at all sorts of cool merchandise and not feeling the need to own any of it.  I stepped into the waiting room and did a few sets of chair dips. Having a desk job, I like to sneak in a little exercise whenever I can.  They had just finished ringing me up when Mike came in and walked me out.  I kept my best tire as a spare. The tires felt great on the highway!  I’d cleaned out the car before I took it in and now I’ll chose carefully what goes back in: the ever present beach gear and change of clothes, the Tao of Pooh, Coleman Barks’ cd of Rumi’s I Want Burning, the necessities. Now I’m ready for that road trip.

I woke up this morning to find Yinnie my mini cow hanging in the driveway with a little calico bobtail cat that looked about 8 months old.  When I walked out, she ran over and stood on her hind legs so I reached down and scratched her head.  She began climbing up my jeans, so I picked her up for a cuddle.  YinYang got up and walked toward the cat door, and the calico bobtail scrambled to get down and ran in it before Yinnie.  “Oh no, you don’t,” I thought, as I ran into the house to see them emerge from the cat door one after another into the hallway and casually stroll into the kitchen for breakfast.  Since she seemed well fed, I put her back outside. One kitty is enough.

MEANING: On many cards, we see a cluster of buildings off in the distance. In the Ten of Pentacles, we finally arrive in that village. The family is carrying on the affairs of everyday life. The Ten of Pentacles stands for the ultimate in worldly and material success. This is the card you want to see if you are wondering how your latest enterprise will turn out. Wealth and affluence are yours. When we achieve material success, we naturally want it to last.  This is the conservative, Establishment side of the Ten of Pentacles. Why rock the boat when life is fine just the way it is? In readings, this card often stands for convention – following established guidelines and maintaining the status quo. Sometimes it is important to trust the known ways, but only when change is inadvisable. The Ten of Pentacles is also concerned with permanence. Change is an unavoidable part of life, but constant change is uncomfortable. We need stability and the chance to work for a secure foundation in life. In readings, this card may be telling you to concentrate on the long-term. Work toward a lasting solution. Now may be the time to settle down and make the arrangements that will work for you far into the future.

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I love when someone tells me I gave them an entire new vocabulary for how they see their world, reframing past events as necessary steps in light of karmic implication, and having them seek in everyday moments the sacred and magical.  From the outside, she says, it may look to everyone else that she’s living her old life.  From the inside, however, it’s a huge world of wonder, filled with synchronicity, with everything falling into place, everything lining up, the past resolving itself, the future looking bright.  A friend said to me once “How blessed I was to find you.  Who so effortlessly showed me who I was and made me see through the lies I’d been told and began to believe myself.  Thank you.” It is my honor and privilege. Life is so much more hugely wonderful than we’ve ever been led to imagine.  Sometimes it just takes a sister looking at it from a new perspective to begin your own journey into unfolding your newly enchanted life.  Pssst!  This is also when you step onto your Path, start finding your  niche, learning what you came here to do and finding meaningful and fun ways to be in the world.  You can have it all. The story you tell yourself about your life directs how your life will go.  If you keep telling the old story, you’ll keep reliving the old life.

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In 2009, a Facebook friend had her wallet stolen and posted: “To the dirtbag who lifted my wallet tonight and drove around the corner to purchase $700+ of merchandise at Walmart: That funky picture in the back of my wallet is a picture of a sacred, chaotic, magical money ritual. When I did it I brought absolute fury to anyone that steals a single dime from my family. …  Too bad for you, sucker. In this Matrix all around us, I’m a samurai.”  My first thought (judgment) was: If she’s such a flippin’ ninja, why did it happen in the first place?

The Samurai: I’m wishing “chaos” on the sucker mentioned in my post. Chaos fury. Pure chaos magic. Wishing Chaos on someone is wishing exacting magic, and if you knew the reality of this system, you’d both I wasn’t wishing them ill. I was wishing them exacting power. Exacting power has neutrality. Period.

Jan C: Wow. and here I thought chaos was chaos… as in confusion, disruption and disorganization… Didn’t know about “exacting power/neutrality.” So what about the term, “sucker?” Where does that fit in the neutrality aspect? Just curious…

Brock S: The nature of her original post sounded like a scary wish with the words sucker and chaos fury! Just sayin!?!?

Michelle L:  After nearly 40 years of studying “magic” themes I KNOW (!!!!!) KNOW KNOW that ANYTHING you send out in any form has to be held by and in YOU first.  You can’t ‘toss’ a ball you are not holding can you??  LOL So, beware of what you ask for to happen to anyone…  As Andrea says, don’t send what you wouldn’t want to live in your own life!!

No wonder we artists are so narcissistic… It can be so exhausting.  “Look at me.  Listen to me.  Here’s our new CD.  Look at our new photos. Listen to the song I wrote. (that one always cracks me up because nobody/everybody writes everything). How do you like our voices. Come to our shows. I hope they like us. I hope we get invited back. I hope we sold enough to cover our expenses.”  This whole thing breeds insecurity and thus narcissism. We just finished a CD project and I was observing myself doing all of this stuff, much of which is a necessary part of the career. I used to be so righteous about writing “original music” (oxymoron) because I wanted it to be about “me, me me”.  The latest CD has only 25% songs we penned and 75% new arrangements to songs people already love.  I am finding it more and more appealing to share music of other people.  I have always admired folks that write with other writers but never really had much desire to do it myself.  Not enough “me” in that I guess. We have found ourselves avoiding large gatherings of artists for the past few years partially because the narcissicm is just too overwhelming.  (too much competition. lol)  Anyway, as I observe this phenomenon in myself, I am finding it easier to accept and understand it in others.  I don’t know how much this will affect how I relate to everyone but I do know I am much more aware of the dark side of this industry and why the people in it act the way we do.
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Andrea’s note: Knowing Armand for 20 years, I’ve witnessed evolution and know him to be an outstanding example of taking the risk to be transparent, say what he feels needs to be said and to be as authentic and conscious as he can be in each moment, to move himself forward when he needs course correction, to share his lessons and to never deny his past. His reward for honesty and transparency? Inner peace and – icing on the cake – Angelina.  Visit ArmandandAngelina.com

You’re preparing for sweet relief and finally a sense of closure.
Introduction: Despite what Hollywood shows you, the tarot’s Death card is NOT a BAD or SCARY card and does NOT predict physical death. The “Death” card is about change, the shaking up of the status quo to reveal a welcome change, new beginnings, the end of a dark night of the soul. Every situation, every relationship is a series of deaths and rebirths. This can refer to people, jobs, habits, addictions, whatever it is you’ve been asking the Universe for clarification on and relief from. When Death appears, it tells you that you’re going thru a process of renewal, gaining stability, strength and new awareness arising out of necessary upheaval or change.   Continue reading →

I was watering outside last night. I have a lot of cuttings from my turk’s cap and jasmine so I’ve begun a new hedge for privacy from the street.  A line of loquat saplings I’d transplanted last year are loving the rain, and the bamboo is growing like crazy. I’ve been giving all the plants a lot of water, and everything was in bloom, some for the first time in a year.  The scent of jasmine and honeysuckle is intoxicating. Last year, I pruned down my leggy flowering plants so they would grow more dense this year.  That left me with a few seasons of them looking bare, but the reward was so worth it as they began to bloom again, fuller than before.  I think how often I do that in my life: be willing to prune something now, to do without now in order to have a more expanded experience later. Sometimes it backfires and I can find myself waiting for something that never comes to pass.  Even that is a blessing, as it lets me reflect on the hidden blessing of what others might call wasted time and effort.  Time and effort is never wasted.  Mine was a powerful investment in soul work that I could not have done alone.  I honor and thank my soul partner, in that I am forever grateful. You are not always fed in return by the hand you feed, and no one owes us anything.  Our rewards can come from anyone, anywhere. There are always more opportunities if you believe there are.  I believe there are.  I find them and I water them well and they will be delighted to bloom for me.