8 of Swords

In the 8 of Swords, the woman stands blindfolded in a marshy area. The water appears stagnant and full of algae and slime. She is surrounded by 8 swords, standing point down into the grounds. She’s not complete surrounded, though. She can move away…there are paths to follow…if she can first overcome her fear of moving and possibly being cut by the swords around her.

It’s so easy to let ourselves be immobilized by fear. For me, it’s probably one of my biggest failings. It’s funny that this message came up for me last night at the Tarot Meetup as well, only more in the positive sense of looking around me to see the possibilities and working with them. So today the card is telling me that even if I can’t see them, the possibilities are still there, and I have other senses to work with than just the one. I must stop the words in my head that tell me failure is certain, and I might just as well do nothing. Yesterday’s reading told me to work on my positive self-talk and affirmations. Today is another nudge in the same direction.

Goddess Card: Sige

“Take some quiet time alone to rest, meditate and contemplate.” Sige is a Gnostic goddess. She is the silence that give birth to Wisdom. It’s so easy when we are lost in our own heads, listening to the tapes of the past play over and over, to forget that we need to recharge our batteries and reconnect with the divine. We need to get away from the adrenaline rush of our fears and anxiety and bring ourselves into a state of balance. Again, a similar message to yesterday. Take one day at a time and stay connected with what is important in life. All the rest will take care of itself.

Post from: Maritzia's Thoughts

Tarot Card of the Day: 8 of Swords

Today’s Tarot Card: The Sun
The Sun stands for triumph, success, and happiness. It symbolizes someone coming from the dark into the light, into understanding and knowledge and success.

What a great card for me, especially in light of two things: 1) I’m just starting my own business, and 2) these two messages I got in my fortune cookies this week, “You will be unusually successful in business”, and “You will soon encounter a string of good luck”.

I’ve been a bit mopey this week. I had a tooth pulled last week (major molar) and had a good deal of pain and lassitude. This morning I decided that I just needed to buck up and start getting some serious work done. So it’s auspicious to pull The Sun on a day like today.

Today’s Goddess Oracle Card: Coventina
Coventina is about purification. She is the Celtic Goddess of the Waters, helping keep them safe and pure. Our bodies are made up mostly of water and as such she can help us keep ourselves pure, not in the Puritan sense of sexual purity, but in the sense of keeping toxins out our bodies and minds. It’s apropos for today since I’ve been sunk in such lassitude all week and am trying to shake it off today and get moving. I think it’s time to go drink some more water.

Remember, if you want a free 3 card tarot reading, just leave a comment here or send me an e-mail.

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Daily Tarot Card: The Sun

She recently reviewed The Housewive’s Tarot, and the great makers of this Tarot deck have given her a copy to give away to a lucky reader. So head over there and check out the review and sign up for a chance at winning the deck!

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Housewive’s Tarot Giveaway

Well, I finally found it! Another blog I read used it on a post, and she had the name of the sculpter on it. I did a quick google of the name, and I hit the jackpot! If you love fat women, you’ll love this artist. All his women are curvy, and many, many of them are big, strong, proud women.

The artist is Jed Dougherty, and his art is amazing. Painting and Sculpture. He’s an amazing artist that celebrates women like I’ve never seen. Here’s the link to his gallery (warning, he does a lot of nudes, so be careful opening at work). Enjoy the art!

Post from: Maritzia's Thoughts

Dear Goddess, I found it!

But it’s also been a year of great happiness.  We found the most lovely woman to officiate at our wedding, and the whole ceremony was such a wonderful expression of who we are and what our relationship is about.  We had our family all around us (including our pets), and it was a lovely time to renew our love for and commitment to each other.  It was everything we dreamed it could be.

At this time last year, I did a tarot reading for the year.  It’s interesting to look back now at the cards I drew and how they’ve played out during the year.

The Card for the Year: The Star

The star is a positive card for what was, over all, a positive year.  Always, when things seemed darkest, hope shined through and in the end everything worked out.  When I was laid off, I found another job.  When the money wasn’t enough, I got a raise.  When Amber hurt her back, our vet was wonderful and encouraging, and we discovered that even if she hadn’t gotten better, we more than have it in us to care for a special needs pet.  Amber was blessed with an almost total recovery, but at least we aren’t afraid if it happens again.  We know what to do and how to do it, and we know we can handle whatever comes.

The Month Cards

1. January was the King of Wands – He’s about inspiration and ideas, motivation to move forward, find your passion, and take charge.  This was the height of the time I was working in foster care, and both Mark and I hoped we would be able to move into the work full time.  Working with at-risk youth is such demanding, but can be such rewarding, work.
2. February was the Princess of Hearts (aka Page of Cups) – Ahhh…the cups…the suit of emotions.  And the Page is the very emotional one.  And it was an emotional month.  I was accused at work of doing something underhanded (which I didn’t do), and it was made clear to me that we would not be allowed to continue in foster care.  My heart was truly broken.  I was sad and angry and hurt.
3. March was the Ten of Pentacles – The Tens are completion cards, the ultimate, transcendant completion, and the pentacles are an earth sign dealing with physical and financial matters.  While our finances went down this month without the foster care work, this is when I was inspired to start my most recent blog, Administrative Arts, which I believe is going to be my most successful one.  It hasn’t brought financial security yet, but it is definitely progressing well, and I’m excited for the future with it.
4. April was the Tenof Wands – The Ten of Wands is about struggle, ultimate struggle with that which consumes you.  This was a really hard month.  Finances became really bad, I was struggling with both work and the blog, still feeling angry and sad and hurt about work issues.  Yes, a really bad month.
5. May was the Four of Swords – A time of relief after strife.  And May was that.  I started letting go some of my anger and pain from work.  And Mark’s immigration was moving forward, so we started planning the wedding.  It was a good month.  A peaceful month.  It was some down time that I desperately needed.
6. June was Nine of Hearts (aka Nine of Cups) – Like the tens, the nines are completion cards.  With the cups emphasis on emotion and relationships, this is a great card.  Wishes will come true, relationships will reach a pinnacle.  This month we received Mark’s fiancee visa, and we could finally start concrete plans for the wedding.  This really was a great month.
7. July was The Hanged Man – A time of suspension and sacrifice, of making choices.  We were married on the 5th, and on the 6th, Amber hurt her back and was paralyzed.  Time pretty much stood still for us while we took care of her.  Worries about work, immigration, and money were put aside.  We just took care of Amber.  In return, though, we received great insight that we can do whatever is necessary to take care of our babies.  No challenge was too much where they are concerned.  And the puppies learned that as well.  They know they’ll be taken care of no matter what.
8. August was the Four of Hearts (aka Four of Cups) – HAHAHAHA….stagnant relationships….that’s funny.  As Amber improved, I was getting very dissatisfied with my job.  I was looking constantly for something else.  Fate took a hand, though, and I got laid off.  So much for stagnation.
9. September was the Ten of Swords – Yes, an untimely, violent end.  Hitting rock bottom.  I was laid off with no warning, lost my health insurance, was getting no replies to my many resumes.  Yes, things did indeed look quite black this month.  At the same time, though, it really wasn’t that bad, because I was away from that awful job.  In some ways, it was a relief.  I felt like the world was opening up before me.
10. October was The Hermit – A time of introspection as well as searching.  It describes October well.  I was spending a great deal of time thinking about not just employment, but what I really wanted to achieve.  Did I want to keep doing the same things I’ve always done or branch out into something new.  This month was about finding opportunities, which I eventually did.  I started my new job this month.
11. November was the Ace of Hearts (aka Ace of Cups) – A new beginning with love, joy, and compassion exultant.  Yes, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America.  We have had much exultation and excitement and hope.  Almost two months later, and I’m still filled with hope and excitement, despite some setbacks (can you say Rick Warren?).
12. December was The Devil – A card of temptation and excess.  The Devil is a card of warning.  Don’t fall back into habitual negative behaviors.  If you want to reach the pinnacles, you must move forward, embrace new ways, shed inhibitions as well as excesses (for inhibitions can be as excessive as any addiction when taken to an extreme).  This month I let go of the idea of material security.  I’ve always been a very habitual person who craved normality and security.  I would stay in a job I abhorred rather than move to find something less secure but more satisfying.  This month was about letting go of those things that chained me down and moving forward with the goals of what I really wanted in life.

All in all, 2008 was a difficult but very satisfying year.  I hope 2009 is a happy and prosperous year for us all.  Blessings, everyone.

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2008 Retrospective

photo credit: dno1967

I’ve written several times on this blog about Fat Acceptance.  Really, though, what I should be talking about is body acceptance.  We talk about FA simply because the privileged position here is that of thinness.  But that is only because society’s current definition of beauty is linked so strongly to being thin.

When we talk about the whole issue of beauty, what we are really talking about is sexual attractiveness.  Why is one person considered to be sexually attractive while another person is not.  I know there are those of you out there who will argue that sexual attraction is innate and genetic.  It’s driven by the need to produce stronger offspring with a greater chance of survival.  I’m afraid I would have to disagree with this stance.

While this may be the case in animals, humans have evolved long past a simply biological view of sexual attractiveness.  The reason I say this is because our definition of beauty changes over time.  In the early 20th century, women were preferred to be rather plump (200 pounds was nothing then), preferred faces were generally longer with a longer jawline.  Over time, however, we saw a preference for thinness develop.  Jaw lines shrank as a preference for shorter jaw lines occurred (hence the need for so many of us to have our wisdom teeth removed).  Preference for hair colors change as fashions change.  Let’s face it, what we humans consider sexually attractive has a great deal to do with what our society currently tells us should be attractive.

And if that’s the case, why can’t we change what society has to say?  Why can’t we, as a society, tell our children that sexual attraction doesn’t have to be wrapped up in the physical body?  Why can’t we see all bodies as having equal ability to be sexually attractive.  I mean, I know some people out there are sexually attracted to fat people.  Some people are sexually attracted to power, some to humor.  And that’s great.  We’re all different people and have different ideas of what is attractive.  Why can’t we celebrate that ideal?  That everyone can be seen as sexually attractive instead of trying to force people into an almost unattainable mold (which truly is unattainable for the vast majority of people).  Why don’t we see a variety of body sizes and shapes in fashion magazines, a variety of faces and shapes and colors.  Why don’t we as consumers demand that from the magazines that we buy?

That is the challenge that I give to all of you reading this (yes, all 5 of you).  Think about the magazines that you read.  Do they feature a diverse population in their models, both in race, features, and body type?  Do they feature diet recommendations in every issue (and usually emblazoned in headlines on the front page?  If they don’t meet your definition of beauty, what are you going to do about it?  Do all of us a favor, especially your children.  Contact those magazines that you read, and ask them to make a difference in our world.  Ask them to use variety in their models.  Ask them to not constantly run stories about dieting.  Ask them to stop fueling eating disorders.  Ask them to care.

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What Defines Beauty?

Many of my happiest memories from my childhood surround Christmas.  For me, though, most of those memories are non-religious ones, as my childhood was quite lacking in religious attendance.  Because of that, I find I can blend many of my favorite family traditions into my life as a Pagan.

The hardest thing for me, though, are Christmas carols.  I love music and I love to sing, and many Christmas songs are so nostalgic for me.  While some of my favorite songs are secular, I must confess that most are not.  And while a few of the religious songs can have alternate meanings that fit in with my Pagan beliefs, many just don’t.   I’m slowly adding some Yule and Solstice songs to my repertoire, but this time of year, you’ll still find many of the old Christian favorites playing on WinAmp. 

So, what are my favorite Christmas songs?  

1. Oh Holy Night – hard as hell to sing, but it’s music is so emotional.  It is definitely my all time favorite, and can bring tears to my eyes when sung really well.
2. Silent Night – how can you not love Silent Night?
3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – I know…it’s a silly song, but I enjoy singing it so much!  If you’ve never heard it, google it and give it a listen.
4. The First Noel – another very evocative tune.  It’s probably my favorite one to sing.
5. Adeste Fidelis – I actually prefer the Latin version of Oh Come All Ye Faithful.  That’s the Catholic coming out.
6. Grandma Got Runover By a Reindeer – *blushes* I admit it…I love this song.
7. Blue Christmas – But only sung by Elvis.  No other will do.
8. Go Tell It On The Mountain – probably my 2nd favorite to sing.  Best if sung by a black gospel choir…seriously, if you’re going to sing it like an uptight Episcopalian, don’t bother.
9. I’ll Be Home for Christmas – because my Daddy loved it.  He was 20 years in the army and missed his home so badly the whole time.  It was his favorite Christmas song.
10. Jingle Bell Rock – I do love to have a rockin’ good time!

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Favorite Christmas Songs

Temperence…I haven’t seen that card come up in a while.  Everything I’ve been getting lately has been about moving forward, working toward a reward.  Temperence is about moderation, about blending opposites, about not being too focused on one thing.  Balance the social life and time of solitude.  Balance work life with play.  Perhaps even combine work and play?  That’s a message that is suddenly resonating with me.  I tend to be a person who is all of one or the other, but I’ve never really done any kind of work that was like play to me.

My goals lately have been to get away from the secretarial field.  While I’m really good at the work, it’s not work that I particularly enjoy.  I don’t particularly dislike it either.  It just is.  I’m working at the moment in tech work, which I really do enjoy.  I’d like to work more towards doing tech work permanently.  I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately.  I’m thinking that I need to learn CSS.  I already know a bit from working with my WordPress blogs.  If I could learn to work with CSS and maybe php well, then I would be quite employable in the tech/design field.

Today’s Goddess Card is Bast

Bast is about independence.  Taking time for solitude.  Making your own decisions.  She fits well with Temperence again.  While I can ask for advice from here to the end of eternity, nothing will happen unless I make a decision to make it happen.  Essentially, it’s up to me if I want to move my career in a different direction.

Remember, if you want a free three card Tarot reading, leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

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Tarot Card of the Day: Temperence

Goddess card today is Freyja.  “Take risks and be daring.”  “Make a bold life change.”

I have no idea what this means for me.  I’m not big on dramatic, life changing choices.  Except where husbands are concerned *laughs*.  I moved across the country to be with him after I’d known him less than 5 months and had met physically only once.

Anyone with words of wisdom or interpretations, feel free to chime in.

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Tarot Card of the Day: Death (again)

Today, gather with a few friends or co-workers, join hands in a circle and take a few minutes to meditate on bringing peace into the world.

Make some paper cranes and hang them in your office or give them out to promote peace.  Better yet, send them to some of our world leaders with a message of peace.

With enough energy, we can send out ripples of peace throughout the world.

Post from: Maritzia's Thoughts

November 17th – World Peace Day