Inhale/Exhale

Deck used is the Urban Tarot by Robin Scott

Originally, this spread was meant for two cards, but I wanted a fuller picture than I got when I did this reading the first time though. I wanted a full picture of the things I am accepting into my energetic space and the things I am releasing from my energetic space. It’s been a special time for me because it’s allowed me to reassess my values and priorities and what I can let go of. The woman I was last year is markedly different from the woman I am now. While this spread seems so basic, I get a good idea of the work I’ve done and the work I still have left to do.

The Cards

from the Urban Tarot by Robin Scott

What am I taking in?

3 of swords: this represents the dark side that comes with understanding because here, we wish we didn’t have to learn the things we didn’t want. There is a loss of illusions we held onto and we are forced to confront painful truths we really wish we didn’t have to confront. The phrase, “ignorance is bliss” comes to mind here in that we wish we could go back to times when things seemed easier and much more pleasant to deal with.

8 of wands: Things are moving quick with this card showing up here. At the risk of being drowned by all the things we have coming at us, we must stay afloat by continuing to move ahead before we lose steam. As Dory from Finding Nemo says, “just keep swimming.”

5 of wands: We are shaken up and we are asked to look again at the things we’ve worked for. There may be competition and strife on the horizon for us but this is only one side of this card. There can be positives of this card too, for example, through competition we gain the ability to be better versions of ourselves, to overcome our obstacles and to grow into the beings of light we were meant to be.

The Sun: This card represents hope, clarity and light. There is warmth at the end of a long, hard night and the clarity that comes when confusion is dispelled for a time. Sometimes, we need to take a child-like perspective on things without losing sight of the idea there are shades of grey in between the black and white. Some things need to just be without being fretted over and it’s definitely okay to let a little light into your space when you can.

What am I letting go?

4 of wands: here we see the end of something, be it a job we took on, or an effort that required a fair amount of work to complete. This card shouldn’t be one of sadness however as this represents merely a stepping stone to new and bigger things. There are new milestones to reach, new goals to achieve. While one cycle has ended, another is soon to begin.

Ace of disks: this card represents that first idea of a new project, your “aha” moment. This brings clarity and the thought of a simple idea having the power to change and revolutionize the world around us. We are excited by the thought of overturning old ideas and challenging the way we think about things.

3 of disks: this card speaks of the efforts, concentration and time it takes to commit yourself to your labors. It is the single mindedness and the force of will it takes to get through the first stages of inspiration. Now it’s time to lace up the boots, get your team together and get going on next stages of your project.

Knight of swords: This card represents a character who loves conflict and won’t back down from it. They use their intellect as a blade as they slice through each conundrum with an aggressive zeal. To them, every challenge is a game they are convinced of winning and they will seize upon any opportunity to show their keen intellect and wit.

What am I taking in for now? Well, I am looking at the dark sides of myself. There are lessons I really wish I didn’t have to learn, mistakes I wish I didn’t make, things I didn’t see the first time around that have come into sharp focus for me. As much as I wish I could go back to times when things seemed so straightforward and easy, I know I can’t. Time is moving us all ever onward and we are powerless to stop it. I need to just keep going and ride the waves of life, whatever they bring. There have been so many dark moments in my life, where things haven’t worked out, where things didn’t go like I’d anticipated, but that doesn’t mean that the sun isn’t shining, the light isn’t coming into my life. There’s hope and clarity on the other side of pain and despair and I’m grateful for that fact. What am I letting go? To put it basically, I’m letting go of past cycles and moments where my ideas were in the infant phases. I’ve done the work to make things happen, now it’s time to move on and don’t look back. It’s time to reach out and make the work load a bit less by turning to trusted mentors and individuals I love. There has been inner conflict and stress around these ideas, but at the end of the day, what matters is that I come through the best I can with what I have at my disposal.