The Artist's Way meets the Tarot - Anger

the Artist's Way
Julia Cameron

Week Three - Recovering a Sense of Power

As we move into week three, we look at using anger to move us forward in our goals. Through life, we are taught to suppress anger, but Julia suggests using it as a fuel. Recognize your anger and put it to use.

Tarot Dude takes a look at the five of swords.

5 of Swords
Rider-Waite

Here you can see anger from both sides. You have the two victims turning the other cheek, and the bully taking what he wants. Who would you rather be?

As nice people, we steer away from anger, drive it deep down, avoid situations which could lead to a fight. But, sometimes it's better to stand your ground. And when it comes to your creativity and your goals in life, it's time to take a stand against others and against yourself.

You are your biggest enemy when it comes to accomplishing your goals. Through procrastination, self-doubt, avoiding the challenge, and so many other ways, you successfully deny yourself your dreams. It's time to get angry and take control.

Knight of Swords
Rider-Waite

Tarot Dude offers a Tarot Task

Use the energy of the Knight of Swords - Feel his anger at your lack of persistence, at your inability to follow through, and at your failure to take those tiny steps forward. Become the Knight, sword raised high, charge forward, and change - take control of your destiny.

Take a close look at your life. Are there things you push aside to another day? Do you scatter your energies so thin nothing gets done? Do you allow yourself to be victimized by others, letting them pull you away from your goals?

Meditate upon the Knight. Feel the anger, the betrayal, the need to charge forward. Start a journal and make entries of your experiences. Set yourself in motion, charge toward your dreams, your goals.

Artist's Way Exercise Available.

21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card - Step 9 - Query & Snapshots

21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card
Mary K. Greer

In step nine of our journey, we learn how to transform metaphor into message by asking questions and capturing snapshots.

"Asking questions is the quickest and surest way to determine what a reading is really about - how to excavate the riches buried within. Questions also stimulate the energies that reveal a life pattern; turning a little story into a big story. This same energy creates change."

Using the steps already taken, we formulate questions to go deeper into the cards. The questions should be open-ended. You should not use yes-no questions, for they offer no room for exploring. Sample question openings are, How, Where, What, Who, and When. Avoid 'Why' to avoid justifications.

Snapshots, also referred to as memory images, are a normal occurrence, which most of us ignore or push aside. In this step, we are asked to pay close attention.

"They arise for a reason - there's an unconscious neural link between the emotions and sensations in former situations and in the current one."

Artwork © Jennifer Galasso, 2011 

Activity 9:1 - Part One - Go back over the descriptions you've given for your chosen card. Ask at least three open-ended questions. Answer these questions in writing. As you answer, pay attention to any memories and scenes flashing through your mind. Jot down a quick note and continue answering the questions. When you've completed that, go back and write about the memory and how it relates back to the question.

1. What are you waiting for? The disaster, the one mistake which could take everything away. As long as I stand still and make no decisions, nothing will change, life will continue as is and will remain safe.
2. What do you fear? What keeps you on the ground, rather than souring into flight? Failure, a sudden drop back to the ground.
3. How can you take that first step? Trust in a higher power and accept my own intuition. Remember I am where I am now, not because I stood still, but because I moved forward.

Activity 9:1 - Part Two - Re-evaluate according to your responses. What do you most need to look at in your life right now? Where were the strongest emotions? This is your access point to the greatest energy for manifesting what you want.

I need to look at the areas where I'm most cautious and where I experience the biggest feeling of fear. I need to address these areas and begin taking small steps forward. The strongest emotions are in the fear of loss.

This step has been huge in my discoveries of myself and other important issues. I explored much deeper into this than revealed on the blog. I strongly suggest you to dig as deep as you can with this step. If you have the book The Way of the Adept section will assist you even further.
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If you haven’t already, grab a copy of the book for a deeper understanding of 21 Ways to Read the Tarot. Available in Print and Kindle.

The Artist's Way meets the Tarot - Recovering a Sense of Identity

the Artist's Way
Julia Cameron

Obviously, we are beyond keeping up with a weekly schedule, but if you are following along, this is the beginning of the second week.

Recovering a Sense of Identity

It is urgent to find boundaries in your life. In my opinion this goes for all, whether you are following a creative venture or struggling through daily life. Often our identity gets wrapped up in the needs and dramas of others surrounding us, and we sometimes lose ourselves and who we are.

Self-doubt can quickly turn into self-sabotage. A little voice speaks, "You can't do that.", "Who are you trying to kid, you have no talent.", "Only lucky people can find success." The little voice will go on and on until you successfully find a way to put a stop to it. And, don't fool yourself, if you don't face it head on, the voice will win, because it comes from a deeper place than your conscious mind.

So, how can you win?

Recognition and acknowledgment are the first steps to survival of the mean-spirited saboteur. The words are not true. They are a mechanism to control you from stepping beyond your comfort zone. It is rather easy to prove it wrong, by just trying - one step at a time.

Another method is affirmations. By simply putting a positive spin on those negative words, you can both create your own affirmations and begin ridding yourself of that pesky voice. For example, "You can't read the tarot cards. Who do you think you are some type of tarot reader?" First of all, anyone can read tarot cards and with practice anyone can do a great job at it. So turn those negative words into, "I am a skilled tarot reader, and with each day I become better."

Tarot Dude offers a Tarot Task

Take out your tarot deck. Explore the following questions, pulling one card for each.

3 of Wands - Rider-Waite

How do I sabotage or attack my own work?

As I look upon the 3 of Wands, I think of looking into the future or on distant lands. There's a destiny, and it's right over the horizon, right at the tip of your fingertips.

So, how does this relate to the question? Perhaps the card tells me that by looking too far ahead, setting my goals too high, I am sabotaging my progress.

4 of Wands - Rider-Waite 

Why do I do this?

Looking at the 3 of Wands, I think of a celebration, a resting moment, and a timeout from hard work. In one's life there has to be some playtime after a long day's work.

In relating to the question? By setting such high goals, I don't leave time for this break. I stay busy working toward my pie in the sky. Without downtime, I am, without realizing it, sabotaging myself from truly achieving what I'm after, happiness.

6 of Pentacles - Rider-Waite 

What first step can I take to move away from this behavior?

The 6 of Pentacles makes me think of give and take. It has a sense of 'getting what you deserve.' If you open your heart to others and give them what is most precious to you, you are also opening your heart to receive from those you have given to. Now this doesn't mean give away your best pair of shoes and expect an expensive bike in return. No, the giving must be done without thought of what you get back.

In relating to the question? The first step away from sabotage is to give to others. Take a moment to look around and see who I could help with my gifts and by doing this I will release any pressures for achievements. Without the pressure, goals will be achieved at a more natural pace, and therefore I will follow through on my dreams and be happy while doing so.

Tarot Dude offers an Artist's Way Task

List 20 things you enjoy doing. When was the last time you did each? Put a date beside each. If it's been so long you can't remember, feel free to put 'Forever'. Sometimes life gets away from us, and we forget to enjoy life. This list is a great source to pull from for your artist's date. (I've placed my top five here for your viewing.)

1. getting lost in a book
2. horseback riding
3. boat riding
4. 4-wheeler riding
5. camping

The timing on all of these would be 'Forever', except the first one, getting lost in a book. As a writer, reading is a part of my schedule. But, truly get lost in a book - haven't done that in a couple of months.

Crazymakers - Find out their characteristics, discover who they are in your life, learn ways to protect yourself. 'Tarot and Artist's Way Exercises'

Battling Skepticism - Find out more on how to keep it at bay. 'Tarot and Artist's Way Exercises'

Pay Attention - Tap back into your creative side. 'Tarot and Artist's Way Exercises'

Rules to the Road - End of Week Two.