“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” ―Anna Freud
Keywords for the Strength card: Inner strength, mastery over instinctual impulses and/or raw emotions, confidence without being egotistical, calmness in the face of adversity, someone who is good with animals, overcoming challenges, compassion, faith, belief in oneself, courage, healing from an illness or injury, balance of mind/body/spirit, willpower, having the strength to endure, control without force, a “woman’s touch”, tenderness, subtlety, grace.
Two of Cups – relationships, healing, partnership, balance.
I Love You.This is a relationship. It is a relationship of love. This relationship is healing you because love heals, love heals your heart and from the healed heart, everything else is healed. Your healed heart knows how to heal everything. It has the intelligence, it has the depth, it has the purpose to heal everything else. So as you heal your heart with me, your life becomes healed and whole. ~ Connie Huebner
The two of cups is one of the most positive cards in the tarot. It signifies the coming together of energies and/or two people, that are on the same page. This can be a friendship, romance or business partnership. It’s also a card of healing. I see this card come up quite often for people who are taking care of a loved one that is ill for example. It can also denote healing in a relationship. On a personal level, this card indicates emotional balance and/or physical healing.
The quick key words for this card are: harmony, emotional and/or physical healing, balance, mutual respect, appreciation, friendship, romance, partnerships, medical personnel such as doctors and nurses, therapy, love, reunion, support, joy, two becoming as one.
When one looks closely at this image, one can see both male and female are equal. This is not only a card of love and healing, but also honor and respect. Let’s take a quick look at this card as it appears upright in the context of relationships, personal and business:
Relationships: For romance, I love the energy of this card! For new love, it signifies the moment when love begins between two people. The infatuation that occurs when they realize that this is the person that they have been waiting for. This card is a similar energy to The Lovers card in the Major Arcana, but in a lesser degree. For established relationships, this is a card of balance, mutual respect and love on a deep emotional level. This card can also indicate healing in a relationship that may have gone through a few wobbles in the past. Overall, this is a wonderful card to pull in the upright position for couples. The yin and yang energy, two people who complement each other. The “you complete me” card.
Personal: On a personal level, this card denotes emotional balance and/or physical healing. It indicates that one has integrated themselves positively and is ready to move forward. This person loves themselves and treats themselves with respect. They also respect others. For a person who has undergone emotional challenges, this is a wonderful card of emotional balance and of learning to deal with others in a positive way. Setting boundaries without building walls. It is a sign of healing on a deep emotional level. It can indicate support from a romantic partner, a close friend, family, or even a counselor or therapist. For physical injuries or illness, this card indicates healing as well, and can show one that is undergoing physical therapy and/or working with medical professionals.
Business: For business, this is a very good card. It indicates a partnership or career that is potentially a good fit. Two energies on the same page, both with the same goal in mind. In a partnership this can indicate two people that together, have the potential to be successful as they compliment one another. Since their strengths lie in different areas, they do not feel the need to compete with each other. This enables them to concentrate on their goals. For a career or job opportunity, this card indicates that one should seriously consider accepting the offer.
The organs are the horses, the mind is the rein, the intellect is the charioteer, the soul is the rider, and the body is the chariot.” ~Swami Vivekananda
“Love yourself a little extra right now. You’re learning, healing, growing and discovering yourself all at once. It’s about to get magical for you.” ~The Star
You are “the architect” of your own life…. What will you create today?
You are the architect. The design is first built in your mind. Then it appears on paper. Without the vision, the design itself is never created. See how important that phase is? That was the phase of your lessons, learnings, and doing the work to step out of your old reality. You needed to grow, dream bigger, believe more, in order to construct the vision that was more aligned with the kind of lifestyle you know you deserve. The power to create a life you’re wholesomely entitled to rests with you. ~ The Magician
The Empress from the “After Tarot” deck and “Gaia” from Love Your Inner Goddess Oracle
Today, is a celebration of the beauty of the Empress. The Mother in all her forms. Without the role of the Mother, there is no physical manifestation. She literally “gives birth” to creation. The Mother is the bridge/link between the realm of spirit (divine) and the physical world.
And when the creation is birthed into the world, it is the Mother that cares for it until it is strong enough to care for itself.
Is there any energy more pure than a mother’s love for her child?
The mother is vastly underappreciated in our society. To me, every day is Mother’s Day! A mother is always a mother. She doesn’t take “time off” from her role, ever. There is also no time limit either on the mother’s love for her children. Even when they are grown adults, they are still “her babies”.
Every mother is an “Empress”. Not a Queen, an Empress.
May all the mothers out there be celebrated like royalty today and every day!
The Queen of Spades (Swords) card from the Illuminated Tarot deck and The Queen of Swords from the Rider Waite Smith deck
For a unique visual comparison, here are the Queen of Spades (Swords) from the Illuminated Tarot deck and the Queen of Swords from the Rider Waite Smith deck.
The Queen of Swords is the most masculine, feminine archetype in the tarot. The Queen of Swords embodies feminine intellect, compassion and connection combined with objectivity, strategy, intelligence and ambition.
When I see this card, I think of successful mature women in positions of authority in the corporate business world, judges, surgeons and successful entrepreneurs. That sort of energy and drive that leads to success. She is respected as an expert in her field. Her success did not come easy though. It was earned through hard work, education, focus, and courage. Her tenacity and intellect was how she succeeded, in spite of insurmountable odds against her.
She does what she needs to do to accomplish her goals or to make it through a situation. She keeps her eye on the prize with laser sharp focus. She has been through a lot, we see this by looking at the traces of rope that still remain on her wrists. But she does not wallow in self-pity. She used those experiences as lessons that made her the strong, successful woman that we see in this card. We don’t know who she WAS, but she is a Queen NOW.
As I look at the Queen of Spades card on the left, I am reminded of Joan of Arc. She embodied some powerful Queen of Swords energy! She did what she had to do to accomplish her goals. And if that meant, cutting her hair and posing as a man to get it done, well so be it! The Queen of Swords energy does not back down in the face of adversity.
I wonder, who is it that we cannot see, that is standing in front of this powerful woman in this image? You can bet, if one goes in front of the Queen of Swords you better “come correct”. She can see your BS coming from a mile away! She’s brutally honest with you, and she expects the same honesty in return. She knows the game, and you can bet she plays it better than you. Save your sweet talking for someone else. She has no time for that.
This is not the character you go to if you need a nurturing hug! But if you need some good advice from someone who has seen it and been through it, this is your lady. Be ready though, because she tells it like it is!
Look at the image closely. The small detail of the cut ropes on her wrists tells her story. She was not always a Queen. At one time, she was bound, just like many of us were or are. She shows us that not letting our emotions get the better of us, is the key to our freedom and success. Sometimes, we must rely on our head, not our hearts. Suck it up, make that tough decision and do what must be done. Use that sword!
No, the Queen of Swords did not wait for a hero to save her. She saved herself.
And when she realized just how powerful she is, she became a Queen.
King of Swords and Five of Cups (reversed) from the Shadowscapes Tarot deck
Today’s message from The King of Swords and the Five of Cups (reversed).
Use your head. Present circumstances require clear thinking. Decisions need to be made based on facts, not emotions. It is clear what needs to be done when one looks at the situation objectively.
Helpful tip: If a friend was in the same situation, what advice would you give them?
Eight of Wands from Naked Heart Tarot and Elk from Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle
You are the eye in the center of the storm. As you face the darkness, you will see it has no power over you. By standing strong in your light of truth, you will inspire others to do the same.
Each Divine Feather oracle card is paired with a corresponding tarot card. Study the images carefully. Choose the image that most resonates with you. The messages are in separate blog posts below. The cards on the Left are #1, The cards in the Middle are #2, and the cards on the Right are #3
