The safe choice?

Watch the clip from Jim Carrey's commencement speech to Maharishi University of Management Class of 2014. It's such an important lesson for us all, the lesson he learned by observing his father:

You can take the path that seems like the safe path, but there is no guarantee of safety there. As Jim Carrey puts it so well, 'You can fail at what you DON'T want...so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.' 

My bulletin board

And Here's the Tale as Told by Gaian Tarot

The world's a scary place. 

So you do the 'right thing' - take the safe and responsible option.

But guess what -- you can't keep lightning from striking the oak tree by stockpiling a few acorns! (You don't even like acorns, but they seemed like a safe bet...)

Well, surprise! All your 'safety' goes up in smoke. You didn't think this could happen. You thought karma would accept the 'noble sacrifice' of your dreams and give you security as a reward. Wrong.

You might as well have listened to your own heart, although it is scarier than gathering acorns.

And dared to dance a little too close to the fire, out in the open, where everyone could see you. Yes, you might get burned. 

But you might also find real joy. 

It's not too late. It's never too late. What have you got to lose that you couldn't lose anyway? 

Wow, there's daylight up here

Gaian Tarot, Joanna Powell Colbert

Today's card is from the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert. It's the Explorer of Air, or Knight of Swords. The figure in the card has climbed up from the forest floor right up to the top of the canopy, and is peering around, checking out the scene. A variety of birds fly and perch all around him.

I certainly have been peering at the forest from above the trees for the last few days, working on my 2012 year in review, and planning some goals for 2013. Lots of thinking, planning and writing! And quite a lot of squinting into the distance, as well, pondering what to write.

May I use this current time of planning and thinking in a balanced way, and lay plans that will not pressure or stress, but nurture and uplift me through 2013.

Affirmation: I can do anything -- I have no limits -- it's a simple matter of taking things one moment at a time.

Musings on the Gaian Tarot Fives

Fives for me represent something negative. A crisis, a challenge, instability, uncertainty, change. It could mean irresponsibility or being directionless. But it could also be versatility and flexibility, the old cliched 'opportunity for growth'. (I mean seriously. What isn't an opportunity for growth? What a bland thing to say.)

Musings on the Gaian Tarot Fours

To me, fours are resolutely about stability and security, either having it, or taking a break in order to find it. Its shadow side would be digging in one's heels, stubborness, awkwardness, and being argumentative.



I've used the images from Joanna's website with her watermark on them, so maybe it's okay to post them all, hope so!

Musing on Gaian Tarot Threes

Threes, to me, are about creativity, vision, expansion, growth, making (and breaking). Two out of four Gaian Tarot threes make perfect sense to me. The Three of Water shows seals frolicking, which speaks of good feeling, and I can't help but say reminds me of RWS, with the three girls toasting and partying. Three of Earth also makes me thinks of the RWS image, which features a craftsman 'creating' a stained glass window. In this case, three women are making herbal remedies in a well-stocked kitchen. Making, creating, expanding on the meaning of the suit, I get those two.

Musings on the Gaian Tarot Twos

Twos represent balance to me, the need for it, and the gaining of it. They can show balance, cooperation and choices OR fear and weakness on their darker side.

Musings on the Gaian Tarot Aces

I'm trying to decide whether to trim the Gaian Tarot to create an oracle, as Sharyn has done in her blog, Quirkeries.  Before I do that, I thought it might be an idea to test the cards against my understanding of the numerology of the tarot pips, rather than comparing them in my mind to RWS images and memorised meanings, before I abandon the tarot associations altogether.

The Gaian aces seem particularly straightforward to me. The Ace represents potential, the availability of a new, creative impulse or energy. So, the Gaian aces feature baby animals representative of each suit.

Tuning into sorrow

Gaian Tarot (Llewellyn 2011)

Today's card is a curiosity. I don't know what to make of it. It is the Gaian Tarot equivalent of the RWS 9 of Swords, which usually depicts a woman or man awaking abruptly from a nightmare and covering their face in their hands. It has to do with sleeplessness, worry, troubling thoughts, vain imaginings, walking the floor, anxiety, overthinking, etc. The woman in this card has been suffering these symptoms, but she is shown snuggling up to a standing stone and levitating in the purple storm with a cat-eared mask overlooking her.

She Who Watches

The companion book  mentions that the image in the sky is She Who Watches, 'a petroglyph found near the Columbia River on the border of Washington and Oregon.' No other detail is given, other than that She Who Watches is 'the One who always watches over her with love and compassion.'  A Google search reveals that the petroglyph is based on a female chief called Tsagaglal, when people were not yet real people, and so we could still talk to animals. Trickster Fox asked her how she was going to watch over her people when they faced the times of trouble to come, and when she could not answer, he turned her into this stone. That's one version, anyway.

Here is a retelling by Ed Edmo:

I think the card is suggesting that the woman has entered a journey of some sort whilst meditating on her grief. The image in the card is what she may be seeing in her journey, thus the floaty levitation in the purple sky, and the misty appearance of She Who Watches. If I stare at the card, I begin to sense the roiling motion of the clouds, and the image of She Who Watches dematerialises and reappears at different angles. Perhaps this is meant to remind us of the temporary nature of all our emotions. What we feel and think comes and goes, nothing is permanent, and our moment of despair will eventually turn out to be as insubstantial as the dew.

The card doesn't entirely work for me. It lacks the intensity and immediacy of the traditional waking-from-a-nightmare image, and the hands over the face seems to be a universal symbol of crushing hopelessness and despair that is lacking in this card.

On the other hand, the idea of leaning into the pain and experiencing it in all its physical and emotional aspects can be a deep insight meditation practice, and possibly more healing in the long run. The woman strikes me as listening carefully to the vibrations of a tuning fork, the standing stone. She's grounded in and experiencing her grief utterly. Now, I personally find the constant reassurance of this deck that a 'benign force is watching over me' to be unhelpful, but this is the Gaian Tarot, so one would expect this message to keep coming across time and again. In other words, I can do without She Who Watches...but if that's what this woman (and the deck creator) sees on her journey into her own despair, who am I to question. I'm just taking it to represent any images that flit through the mind during these moments of meditation, whatever symbol is of profound comfort to you personally.

Running from Lightning

I have been feeling tired lately, and I asked this morning:

Why have I been so tired lately and what should I do about it?

I drew 3 cards for the why: 2 of Earth, Explorer of Water, and Lightning. Then 2 cards for what to do: 9 of Water and Elder of Fire. And outcome: The Star.

The 2 of Earth shows a man juggling two screaming babies over his shoulders while trying to do his shopping. The Explorer of Water shows a surfer, who is zooming toward the 2 of Earth and AWAY from the Lightning card, which is the equivalent of the Tower, and shows a tree being struck by lightning while 3 human silhouettes fall from the sky. It's hard to find balance when you are running from the fear of disaster. My emotional flight from the uncertainty of my job situation (which is the only Tower event I can see in my life right now) has lead to distinct imbalance in my daily life.

What should I do about it? I drew 9 of Water and Elder of Fire. The 9 of Water shows a woman standing in the mouth of a cave. Sunlight is streaming into the cave, and she is facing this with arms outstretched. A stream is runing into the cave and runs along beside where she is standing. Water also seems to be running down the walls of the cave and trickling over rocks. It's a wet cave, pierced with shafts of light. Okay, so I am in a sort of cave of emotion, I suppose I am meant to find the light. The advice of the companion book is to 'open up to the Divine...dive deep into your heart to find what will bring you true and lasting happiness' (Journey through the Gaian Tarot, p. 198). That's not asking much! Then sitting next to this card is the Elder of Fire. Wow, I love this card. It was one of my favourites, and nearly the top card for me when I did my sorting exercise on the first day I had the deck. This woman looks very serious, but at the same time benevolent. She is intense. She has at her disposal every means of affecting change and transformation. She is most certainly not a victim. This combination of cards is a deep message for me. I must take my time with them.

The outcome card is The Star...It is significant because in the major arcana, The Star card comes directly after The Tower (or in the Gaian Tarot, 'Lightning').

You have the opportunity to relax into a time of calm, healing and grace. Your heart is wide open and you deeply feel your connection to Source...It is a most blessed time of hope peace and well-being. ~ Journey through the Gaian Tarot, Colbert p. 100

That is most certainly the result I would like to see! I must investigate the work of 9 of Water + Elder of Fire. Your thoughts on this are welcome!

Gaian Tarot - 7 of Air

Here's my card of the day from Joanna Powell Colbert's Gaian Tarot (Llewellyn 2011.)

The hiker is stopping on his journey to check his map. He looks very relaxed and confident, so I don't think he's lost. I think he's considering his options. There's lots of stuff on that map to see, and only the rest of the day to see it in. Which way should he go?

Maybe this morning before he set out, he had made a detailed plan of what he would do during this hike. But now that he's out here in the hills, things look different. Maybe the path he'd planned doesn't take him to the place he now realises he would prefer to see. I really think he's about to change plans entirely, much to his surprise. I like this card.

I don't really know what it had to do with my day today. But I like it, anyway. :)

Build the foundations

My card of the day from Joanna Powell Colbert's Gaian Tarot (Llewellyn 2011) is The Emperor.

The what? Shouldn't that say '3 of Coins'? What the heck is The Emperor doing in his shirtsleeves decorating his front porch? I can only assume he's the one who's chopped all that cord wood as well. What sort of Emperor is this?

I don't know anything about Gaian deck printing lore, but I do notice that in the guide book, the card is called 'The Builder', while the card in the Llewellyn deck is labelled '4 - The Emperor'. So maybe it's a printing error. 'The Builder' certainly fits the card better.

The companion books says, 'The Builder is the archetypal Father, the creator of culture, structure and human laws, as compared to the Gardener (Empress) who embodies the abundance of Mother Earth. He is the city, she is the country' (Journey through the Gaian Tarot, pp 35-36).

The book goes on to describe him as 'the architect of civilization.' So it would seem that in this deck, The Emperor represents logic, structure, science, systems, heirarchies, order, possibly even the foundations of culture and learning. He also represents manipulating natural materials in ways to suit the needs of man, and even the craftsman's expression of  higher knowledge and impulses, as seen in the symbols he is carving.

So this card today was flanked by 2 of Water  and 7 of Earth (ie, 2 of Cups and 7 of Pentacles). I see what it's saying. I am facing a situation today where I will need to be the one in charge, while showing lots of patience toward someone with whom it can be difficult to work in partnership. As the Emperor is at the centre of the draw, seems to be saying not to get emotional or nurturing or too Gardener-ish. In order for the project in question to work, there must be a firm foundation and plan that can't keep wavering. Of course, the 2 of Cups also reminds me that it's good to listen to others, so I shouldn't be too closed-minded to alternatives that may be on offer.

Poor me. Whatever shall I do.

Today's card from Joanna Powell Colbert's Gaian Tarot (Llewellyn 2011) is 5 of Earth. I did actually draw this card for today's blog entry, but it was also the card in the 'underlying' position in yesterday's draw as well. It's a good representation of what's going on with me lately.

Let's take a close look. The woods. Autumn. Leaves blowing about in what looks like icy rain. There seems to be the beginnings of some snow in that precipitation. Bare twigs and stobbies sticking up everywhere. What looks like a pile of debris turns out to be a shelter constructed by the young man huddled inside. He looks pretty darn cold, probably already wet. It's going to be a long night...

I get the feeling, though, that he's not that lost. I don't know why, but there's just a sense that on the other side of those trees, there's a motorway or the edge of the suburbs. He's actually in a clearing, so it's likely he's made that shelter from some scrub that the owner of this land had already piled up. I think he's a short walk from other people, from warmth, from safety, from light and life. But for some reason, he's come out here to the woods and decided to sleep rough. Why? Why does he feel like this is his best option, perhaps his only option? Is it really? Has he really been shunned? Or is he just feeling sorry for himself? Maybe he's got it in his head that suffering here in the snowy rain will show everyone...somehow this is getting them back. I'll just sleep out here in the rough and catch a big bad cold, that'll show 'em! He's huddling up in a vividly blue fleece jumper (or maybe a blanket), and it looks like he's got a watch or a bracelet on his wrist...I don't think he's actually all that destitute. It's all in his head. But of course, it's certainly true that once something is in your head, it can be pretty darn powerful and take you right over.

Radiant Rider Waite (US Games 2003),  Tarot of the Old Path (US Games 1990), Vanessa Tarot (US Games 2007)

The 5 of Coins/Pentacles/Earth in the RWS system always denotes a time of material uncertainty and instability. It represents feeling unsafe, insecure, uncared for, left out, not knowing what is going to happen to your livelihood, your finances, your home, your health. It can represent feeling shunned or ignored. And it can also represent the worry about these things happening when they actually haven't.

Thoth Tarot (US Games 2006)

When you compare the Gaian Tarot's 5 of Earth to the 5 of Coins/Pentacles/Disks in other decks, you'd have to say the imagery is tame. I don't believe there is any danger at all of the lad in Gaian's 5 of Earth actually freezing to death. In fact, I'd say it's likely he'll rise early the next morning and brush the leaves off himself and tromp over to an International House of Pancakes for breakfast. That doesn't mean he isn't feeling what he feels, though, or that his feelings aren't valid or that they aren't affecting his life in profound ways. There is a sense, though, that this is a phase that will pass, whereas there is more of a sense of acute danger in some other 5 of Coins cards. That just has to do with the overall tone of the Gaian deck. This deck has a strong energy that no matter what may happen to us or what is going on with us, everything is going to turn out all right. Even the negative cards have an underlying air of a benevolent and even slightly amused parental presence watching over us. Well...it is called the Gaian Tarot!

It's quite obvious for my reading what this points to. I'm under threat of redundancy and we won't know until the end of October what is going on. So that is a worry for sure; it's always there lately, and that's why this card turned up in the 'underlying' position in my spread.

I know whatever happens, everything's going to be all right.

A New Age Mash Up? Well, I love a good plate of mash.

Today's card, Awakening, from the Gaian Tarot (Joanna Powell Colbert, Llewellyn 2011) was the centre card in a 5-card draw in which I asked the question, 'What do I need to know or focus on today?'

I find this card very appealing. Major Arcana 20, traditionally known in Rider-Waite Smith decks as 'Judgement', usually shows various versions of the dead rising from the graves at the trumpet call of an angel, on Judgement Day. The image of a naked figure, viewed from the back, looking up, arms outstretched, is traditional. I like this card better than most versions of Judgement that I have seen.

First, I just enjoy the colours and the balance of the composition. The pink across the middle echoed by the pink of the lotus blossom, the orangey yellows in the sky reflected in the candles, the dark opening of the crypt at New Grange, the figures in silhouette outlined in white, and the cranes flying over--I like it all, I like the way it is all arranged. I enjoy symmetry of design. I like the way the card looks like it could have been made from magazine clippings during a therapy session. I like the mosaicy composition of the Buddha/Kwan Yin face in the sky. I just like the whole thing.

Universal Waite (US Games)

You know, people have criticised this deck as being too New Agey, and I suppose the New Age aspect comes through pretty strongly on the Awakening card in particular. It's like a spiritual mash-up: Celtic paganism, Buddhism, neopagan rites and ultimately a Christian concept of rising from the dead all converge here.

 Celtic paganism
The rock formation is New Grange, in County Meath, Ireland. It is a mound of about one acre across, originally classed as a 'passage tomb', but now thought to more likely be a temple of some sort. It dates from about 5,000 years ago, so it is older than Stonehenge. The bit featured on the card is the most famous aspect, carved with spirals. The remarkable thing about New Grange is the placement of a roofbox-type structure which allows the inner passage to be illuminated by the Winter Solstice sun each year on 21st December. It is like a celebration of the end of the longest night of the year. One could say, the rebirth of the sun.(New Grange is also featured in the Druidcraft's version of the Judgement card, 'Rebirth'. See below.)

Buddhism/Eastern imagery
The Buddhist aspects of the card are in the face in the sky, the lotus and the cranes. When you look at it, you can see it as either Buddha or Kwan Yin, or both. Kwan Yin -- sometimes Avalokiteshwara, Avalokita, Quan Yin, Guan Yin, etc -- is the bodhisattwa, 'the lord who looks upon the world with compassion. Sometimes depicted as male (Avalokita), sometimes as female (Kwan Yin),

Druidcraft (Worthington, St Martins Press)

either way, you can certainly see the compassionate aspect of this energy, figure or force, looking down on the activities of the people below. The cranes flying across the face of Kwan Yin are an ancient symbol of longevity or immortality, and remind us of our connection to the eternal. The lotus is a classic symbol of enlightenment, which is the realisation of both impermanence and essential oneness. The candles, at least in my mind, are closely associated with both meditation and magical rites.

Neopaganism
The image of people gathered in a circle holding hands has a strong sense of the neopagan for me. Even though a fire is not in evidence on the card, there's something about them being in silhouette that makes me feel that there is a fire in the middle of the circle. The white outline on their bodies reminds me of auras and raised energy.

Christianity
The original versions of the card showing human figures being raised from the dead by a divine power is definitely based in Christianity. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52  'Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed' (Bible, English Standard Version). It is this scene that is depicted on the traditional RWS Judgement card, and in many other decks.

So what do I make of it in a reading? And what did I see in it today? It can be so many things. Fresh starts. A new beginning after a really rough time. Shedding outworn patterns or beliefs and opening up to the new. Heeding the call of a new path. It can even be something as simple as turning away from what troubles you and saying, 'Yeah, whatever. 'Cause look what delight there is in shere existence!  Look at all the love and compassion that surround me. So many good things, so many ways to start again.'

And that's the lesson I'm taking from it today.

The Flow. Go with it.

I pulled this card from Gaian Tarot (by Joanna Powell Colbert, Llewellyn 2011) as part of a 4-card spread today. This one was in the 'avoid' position.

The 8 of Cups in the Rider Waite shows someone striking out on a path going uphill, destination unknown, leaving behind a stack of eight cups. This card shows a woman determinedly swimming upstream. In its positive aspects, it suggests that you should go against the flow, be unconventional, be unafraid to move in your own direction in order to 'find your authentic self', even if that means a bit of a struggle. That's all very valiant and good.

Sometimes, though, you're tired of fighting. Sometimes, you realise the fight is counterproductive. You realise that upstream, though possibly the brave and valiant direction, is actually the wrong way.

The message to me today is, stop fighting. Stop struggling. Tread water for a bit and feel the current rushing past you. Let it wash over you. Let it wash you clean. Then relax into it, and let it carry you for awhile. Just float today. Find the flow...go with it.

For today, may I catch myself when I start swimming upstream, stop,and just go with the flow.

'Predict Your Future by Creating It' with Gaian Tarot

Beth Owl's-Daughter's 'Predict Your Future by Creating It' Spread

 Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert, Llewellyn 2011

From left to right, cards are numbered 1-6: (Client chooses cards 1 and 6 from the majors before the draw, then the remainder of the cards are shuffled together to draw cards 2-5).

1. Where are you today?- Bindweed (aka The Devil)
2. What challenges you - 4 of Water (4 of Cups)
3. What action you can take to meet that challenge - 10 of Fire (10 of Wands)
4. The next step - The Canoe (The Chariot)
5. How Mystery helps you - Guardian of Air (Queen of Swords)
6. Where do you want be? The Sun

Where am I today?
I selected Bindweed. I do feel bound by my addiction to sugar and sweets, and I feel I am not acting with intention in areas that I have told myself are important to me. I feel stuck and without a clear idea of what to do to free myself. It pains me that my actions are in such opposition to my goals and hopes for myself.

What challenges me
The 4 of Water carries some of the RWS meaning of 4 of Cups, which I always take to mean boredom and refusing to look at the good things in life that are on offer. In this card, a woman gazes into the Chalice Well at Glastonbury. I've been there, and it's a lovely place and really does have a spiritual feeling to it. The shadow meaning of the card is feeling like my 'well is empty, drained, bored, lethargic' (words from the companion book). I would have to agree. I'm not feeling the level of motivation I used to enjoy when it comes to certain of my goals.

What action I can take to meet that challenge
The 10 of Fire depicts a forest fire. There are billows of choking smoke. It looks unfightable, like something that must burn itself out completely. The companion book reminds us that forest fires do occur naturally and are not necessarily a disaster, although we tend to see them as such. Actually, forest fires make way for new growth, and are part of the life cycle of the forest. The message here is that something must be completely done away with in order to facilitate growth in my life. But what? What am I hanging onto that I must release, and not only release, but completely obliterate? The companion books states, 'You must release your passions and energies, whether or not you want to, whether or not you think you're ready. It is time.' Surely this means I have to just do it. I need to make a list of behaviours and thought patterns that need to be burned away...or maybe it's the list making that needs burning away!

The next step
The Canoe is the Gaian equivalent to the RWS Chariot. A very determined looking bloke paddles through the water, while an eagle, salmon, and killer whales accompany him for the journey. I know the salmon is a Celtic symbol of wisdom, the eagle represents nobility and survival to me, the orcas I don't know why they're there. I'll have to give that a think. The main message here is to paddle on with single-minded focus. I notice he's paddling fiercely AWAY from the forest fire. So the message seems to be, burn it down and move ON. Now is now, and the way I succeeded last time may not be the way I will be successful this time.

How 'Mystery' helps
Mystery is a curious word here. I guess it means 'the Universe', or as Eckhart Tolle calls it 'Universal Consciousness'. It looks like she's here to kick my butt, because the Guardian of Air is pretty much a straight out of RWS Queen of Swords. She sees right through all the bullcrap and has no patience for slackers. She will help me be honest with myself and take the necessary steps to achieve my goals--even if that means, as the companion book says, adopting an 'autonomous and austere lifestyle'. I sort of like the sound of that.

Where do I want to be?
The Sun! Healthy, happy, having achieved my goals. Really enjoying my life and the feeling of being free. I love the stone wall symbol. The companion books says, 'The stone wall represents keeping your boundaries strong so that you stay away from mindsets and habits that bring unhappiness.' Yes to that!

This reading was a bit of an owie. It seems to be saying, grow up. Get on with it and stop whining. Who'd have thought this sweet little poodle of a deck would nip my fingers on the first go.

Right, next step...a more in depth exploration of that 10 of Fire card...

'Balancing the Moment' with GaianTarot

Here's my review of this deck on Amazon: Groovin' to their Chakra Vibe

There's a bit of a 3-D effect in this post with some extra large images...but I think it looks sort of like I've flipped cards out on the table and we're leaning over them together. Besides, 3-D is very fashionable right now.

I found this interesting technique for playing around with a new deck, by Lunalafey at Aeclectic Tarot, called 'Balance the Moment.' I am trying it out with my brand new out of the box just arrived today GAIAN TAROT, by Joanna Powell Colbert, published by Llewellyn, 2011.

Step One. Separate the deck. Look through the deck and create two piles: Cards I like, Cards I dislike.

Step Two. Reduce the piles. Study each pile carefully, and select 3-6 cards you like best of all, and 3-6 cards you most dislike.

Step Three. Find the balance. Choose the card you like the most. Read it for its negative aspects and associations. Reflect upon how that applies in your life right now. Then choose the card you most dislike. Read it for its positive aspects and assocations. Reflect upon how that applies to your life right now.

Step One.
So, I have 43 cards in my 'Like' pile, and 35 cards in my 'Dislike' pile. That's pretty close. This deck is a mixed bag for me. It always has been ever since I started looking at the scans months and months ago.  The cards that have gone in my dislike pile either don't show the suit plainly enough for me (for example, 2 of Water, ie, 2 of Cups. I expect to see two cups. Or two things that remind me of water. What I've got here is a nearly topless woman about to be licked in the face by a big white dog. There's a waterfall in the background). The cards that have gone in my 'like' pile either trigger an instant association in my mind with the card meaning, or are just beautiful and compelling to me.

Step Two.

Cards I like

Top 3 of the cards I like...

 I love all three of these cards. I am always attracted to colourful images with people in them, so the first two choices are predictable. Ten of Earth caught me because woodland walking is amongst my favourite types of country walks.  But the most attractive card of the three is the middle card, Six of Fire. The woman dancing looks so supremely confident, in the moment and beautiful. Everyone seems to be having a great time. The companion book says of the shadow meaning:

'You may be burned out and exhausted, and fearful...you may feel you have nothing to offer. Your inner fire is burning weakly and you need to be revitalised. Seek out the people and places that will ignite your fire once more.' ~ Joanna Powell Colbert, Gaian Tarot, p. 170

Spot on, as they say. Bad things are happening with my work life and with some of the goals I have set myself. The advice of this card sorely needs acting upon.

Cards I dislike

Bottom 3 of the 'boo' pile

Yuck to the dead fish! And what are all those people worshipping? Why is that one chick in the front doing a yoga pose while everyone else seems to be welcoming Prot of K-Pax to planet earth? And I'm sorry, but girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes--I mean wreaths in their hair and really bad photoshoppy looking butterflies, ugh. But which do I hate most? *sigh* Child of Air. It's just so...so...

Looking at its positive aspects, the companion book says:

'The Child of Air brings fresh insight to old situations in a light-hearted or whimsical way. Someone is very curious and may begin a new course of study or explore new points of view...She has discovered the secret of staying in the present moment (or perhaps it has discovered her).' ~Joanna Powell Colbert, Gaian Tarot, p. 212

If there's anything I could use, it's the secret of staying in the present moment. So okay, Gaian Tarot, I'm hearing you.

Well, that was interesting! I look forward to drawing from this deck over the next 5 days.