DAILY DRAW: The Hermit

The Hermit is a Major Arcana card, number 9 in the Fool's Journey. Major Arcana cards deal with major life themes or universal truths that affect every human being. The Hermit is all about removing yourself from the world and being alone. Contemplating, meditating. Reflecting on your own life and life in general.

When The Hermit comes up, it suggests that some major events or a major transition is going on in your life right now. You need to take the time to address it. You are changing. Something about your life has changed and you need to think about why it has changed, if it's a positive or negative change, and how you find yourself responding to that change.

We can't think clearly when we're surrounded by a lot of distractions. Sometimes we need to climb to the mountaintop and remove ourselves from other humans for awhile. The Hermit is standing on the mountaintop and looking down at what he has left behind, but his lantern is illuminating everything around him very clearly. The light in that lantern represents his inner voice or his inner wisdom.

Sometimes The Hermit simply means that we need to get away from a lot of noise. If we're creative and feel blocked or unable to concentrate, The Hermit is telling us we are too distracted.

It can also mean that we are being overly removed, that we are pulling away from people too much or unnecessarily. It can mean that we are isolating ourselves or feeling that we are unable to deal with other people.

Whatever the reason The Hermit has come up for you (and you'll know the reason when you read this), take the time to tap into his wise, gentle energy and spend some time reflecting on aloneness. What does it mean for you? Is it positive or negative? Are there some things in your life that need to be addressed in order for you to evolve in a healthy way?

DAILY DRAW: Queen of Cups

Queens in the tarot are the feminine rulers of their suit. They represent the female aspect of their realm and in the Cups' case, it is love, emotions, feelings ... anything that sits within the confines of one's heart.

This Queen sits on a very ornate throne with cherubs at each corner (although we can only see three of them at this angle). She also holds a very ornate cup which many say is reminiscent of the Holy Grail. This beautiful cup is a symbol of her emotions. They are perfectly crafted, harmonious, and have been blended together to make this beautiful work of art. You'll also notice that she's sitting at the edge of a lake and the water is lapping at her feet. Cups are associated with the element of water and if we think about water ... it's soft, it's fluid, it moves, it changes constantly. Sometimes it just laps at us and washes over us in gentle waves and sometimes it's stormy. That's how our emotions are. They can be gentle and sweet or they can be stormy and in turmoil. The Queen understands this and she's perfectly okay with it. She doesn't allow her emotions to unseat her from her throne. She flows with them rather than fights them.

Queens can also represent a woman who is in her 40s and up. She is someone who courses with emotion. She loves to love and she loves to give her love to other people. She is warm and generous with her feelings and very perceptive about other people's feelings as well. She's the kind of person who can make everything feel better if she wraps her arms around you.

This card is saying that you may be at a place in your life when you are feeling the emotional intensity and power of emotions at their full force. If they're on the good side, enjoy it. If not, remember that our emotions are like water. They are constantly changing shape and direction. Nothing ever stays exactly the way it was even a moment before. We're like little lakes, our tides are constantly changing.

It could also indicate that we may encounter someone with this loving, warm, vibrant energy today. Enjoy her. Learn from her mastery of all things emotional and the way she embraces the workings of her heart.

DAILY DRAW: King of Wands

When the King of Wands shows up, he's the kind of man who's impossible to ignore. He's amazing to behold ... sexy, attractive, accomplished, extroverted, bursting with the masculine life force that makes women swoon. He's done it all, he's seen it all, and he still wants more. His tank never gets empty. He is a doer.

Kings in the tarot are said to represent men who are in their 40s and up. The kings rule their suits and in the case of Wands, it's all about creativity, passion, spirit ... the spark inside us that gets our fires going. Wands represent the element of fire so the King of Wands is the King of Fire. He's hot. He can be dangerous. He's beautiful.

Since the king is such an accomplished man, he can be impatient with people who aren't. He's not very tolerant of people without ambition or some degree of fire, and he's certainly not interested in them. He might put you off with his arrogance or ego but if he turns his attention your way, the feeling of those fiery eyes on you is undeniably powerful and gratifying. He's the kind of guy all the men want to go drinking with and all the women daydream about. This king is the exact opposite of the word "timid". He will go anywhere, do anything, at a moment's notice. Adventure is his middle name ... that's how he rolls.

This card is telling us we may encounter such a blazing personality today. Either that or we need to embrace his energy, confidence, and radiance. Don't be afraid to be who you are and don't apologize for it either. If you have certain skills and talents, USE them. Don't let the fact that you're good at something make you feel that you have to play it down in order for other people not to feel intimidated or jealous. There's a fine line between being boastful and accomplished. People who brag are really insecure because deep down, they don't believe in their abilities. People who are naturally gifted don't need to brag because they know their skills are innate and will never leave them.

Summer is coming to an end and we're at a time when those last few really hot days are about to give way to that autumn chill. Think of that outer heat as your inner heat and feel the fire within you. Let it burn!

DAILY DRAW: Ten of Swords, reversed

Tens in the tarot represent completion, the ending of a cycle. The suit of Swords represents thought, mental attitudes, and the way we communicate our thoughts. Put the two of these together and we can see that a way of thinking, attitude, or psychological issue in our lives has reached its limit. REALLY reached its limit.

The man in the card has been run through with those mental swords not once, not twice, but TEN times. The card is saying, how many times do you need to learn this lesson? Do you get it now? The man in the card has no choice. He has finally gotten it.

Reverse the card (turn it upside down) and you will see that gravity would cause the swords to fall out of the man's back, either indicating a relief from his pain or a troubling slip backwards, a refusal to accept that an issue is truly over. Is there some realization that you are resisting or a lesson that you are refusing to learn?

There are a few cards in the tarot that people dread seeing and the Ten of Swords is one of them. They see the man on the card pierced by swords and his blood leaking on to the ground and think: Oh no. This is bad. I'm in trouble. But the Ten of Swords is actually a very positive card. You can see the sun coming up in the background, making the dark sky give way. A dark period is over and new light is coming in.

We can choose to dwell in gloom and doom or an unproductive way of thinking ... or we can surrender to the truth and let it go. Take whatever positives you can from a situation and incorporate the wisdom you gained from it in your life. Either that or stagnate and refuse to grow.

Growth is always the wiser choice.

DAILY DRAW: Knight of Cups, reversed

Romance is in the air ... but the card is reversed, so ladies ... BEWARE!!! :)

The Knight of Cups is the ultimate ladies' man. He loves to love. He is an unbridled romantic. His heart is chivalrous and idealistic about love but he is also easily distractable. He's a dreamer. One minute he's wooing you and the next he's been captivated by another pretty face and he's off on a new quest.

It's hard to resist someone so appealing. He may seem like the man of your dreams in his shiny armour on that white horse but he is also human. When we fall in love with someone, we tend to idealize them and then get extremely disappointed and hurt when we find out that they are not as flawless as they seem.

At his worst, the Knight of Cups reversed is an unapologetic womanizer or someone who is very narcissistic and cares only about his own romantic needs and gratification. At his best, he is simply a lovable rogue. He doesn't mean any harm, but it's like he has Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to matters of the heart. He is mystifyingly oblivious to the fact that his actions have an effect on other people.

A Knight in the tarot also represents a youth or someone who is very young at heart, full of beans, raring to go, lots of energy and direction.

If there is a man in your life who is dazzling you with soft gazes and poetry, enjoy it, but be on your guard. Take it for what it is until you find out more about him. Is he a keeper or just an incorrigible flirt?

Time will tell. Keep your panties on for the time being.

DAILY DRAW: Six of Swords

Getting away from a bad situation. Seeking a safe haven. Leaving bad memories behind. This is the first impression that comes out of the Six of Swords.

We see what looks like a mother and child in a boat with their swords poking up like luggage. Swords represent our thoughts and attitudes, the way we think about things. They are taking their thoughts with them but they are taking them to a different place. Something has changed and they can no longer remain in the same state of mind they were in before. And there is an oarsmen pushing them away from shore. We can see the turbulent water as they push off but in the distance it is all calm and clear.

This card suggests that we have been through some turmoil and need to get away. It's either turmoil through circumstance or a mental turmoil that we have fostered ourselves. If you have been through some trials recently, allow yourself the kindness of leaving it behind. Staying in a bad situation only delays the inevitable.

This card could also put you in the oarsman's position. Is there someone in your life who's going through a tough time right now? You could be of some assistance to them, whether it's just a listening ear or actively helping them in some other way.

Peace and serenity. Head in that direction.

DAILY DRAW: Ten of Air -- REBIRTH

Today's tarot card is from the beautiful Zen Osho deck. The card is the Ten of Air (or Ten of Swords in the Rider-Waite version).

In the Rider-Waite version of this card, we see a figure lying facedown on the ground completely impaled with swords in his back. It is over. That person has ceased to be. However, in the background, we see a beautiful sunrise emerging, indicating a brand new start.

The Zen Osho card illustrates this concept in a much more serene way. We see a flute player emerging from the body of a magnificent lion. The lion is roaring, emitting its primal, fierce energy. And beneath, we see the placid camel sitting in a grey mist or fog. This was the former self from which the lion has emerged.

How many of us desperately want to change but fight it because we're afraid of what the change will bring? It's only human to be afraid of the unknown but unless we grit our teeth and "feel the fear and do it anyway" change will never happen. I have known so many people who constantly complain about how miserable their lives are only to resist positive change whenever it appears, even if it's only in tiny increments.

Do you feel like you have been sitting on the sidelines, letting life pass you by? Have you criticized yourself for being apathetic or placid? Do you feel like the camel -- as if your thoughts and attitudes have weighed you down like a pair of humps?

Change is a natural part of life. Nothing ever stays the same. In this case, we are being offered a chance to evolve in a very powerful, positive way. Are you ready to be a lion? Then grab your flute and play the music of your newest self.

DAILY DRAW: Six of Wands

Today's card is from a fascinating deck that I can't wait to get my hands on. It's called the Tarot of the New Vision and it is a Rider Waite-like deck, only showing the cards from a different perspective: From behind.

Take a look at The Magician in this deck:

This gives us quite a bigger picture, doesn't it? Here we see the Magician in front of a crowd with the monkey behind him clinging to a corner of his cape. I had always thought of the Magician as a solitary figure creating miracles in his own sacred space, but thinking of him this way brings a whole new dimension to his confidence and dynamism. I love the concept of seeing the cards this way and I can't wait to get this deck.

Today's draw was the Six of Wands.

Here there is more of a focus on the people surrounding the victorious rider rather than the rider himself. This card seems to scream: Don't rest too high on your laurels. Those people cheering alongside you could just as easily pull you off that horse and give you quite a different reception.

Today's message is to enjoy your achievements, take pride in them, but make sure not to strut around and boast about them. Hold on to your humility. People love a winner, but they hate a braggart.