Intuitive
Each of us has an inner Devil, a piece of ourselves that we have created to make us feel bad and to make us suffer. Your job in meditation is to find that creation and liberate yourself from it. This does not necessarily mean killing it or trying to deny its existence. This is about learning to be in control of the narrative and making sure you are intentionally telling the story you want to hear, instead of letting the hurt, wounded pieces of yourself control the story. Liberation is what the Devil is all about. The Devil wants you to be in control and to feel what true power is, but you need to be focused and consistent with your inner work. The next time your butt hits the meditation cushion, bring your Devil card with you. Place it somewhere where you will be able to focus on it, and let it guide you to the place where you inner Devil resides. Observe what games and tricks your inner Devil is playing and start changing the rules. Find the loopholes and learn to play dirty. Just remember, it is all you: the good, bad, and indifferent. It’s all you, all the time.
Wandering
A lot of people believe that the Devil likes chaos, and that somehow he thrives when things are out of order. I just don’t understand where that line of thinking comes from, as the Devil in the tarot is linked to both Capricorn and Saturn, two of the most organized and disciplined energies of the zodiac and planets. Capricorn is a hardworking business executive that likes to plan and is always looking toward the future. Saturn is the planet of order, structure, rules, and regulation. Does that sound like a planet that likes things to get out of control? Both Saturn and Capricorn are innovative, and they tend to like to make things happen when others would walk away and claim it impossible. Today, start walking in the Devil’s business shoes. Look at things you would normally make excuses for and instead just get them done. Look for moments in your day when you can come up with a new and interesting solution to a problem or see if you can find a creative way to create a new income stream in your business or life. Find gaps and leaks in your energy, and plug them up so you stop feeling overwhelmed and drained. See where you can organize your time more effectively and research how habit stacking could increase your productivity. Move through your day with the eyes and ears of a CEO, and let both Capricorn and Saturn show you how to go from excuses to results.
16. The Tower
The Tower is not always one of the most appreciated cards within the major arcana. Then again, what do you expect after the Devil? Of course things are going to be shaken up! It is only natural that everything that you thought you knew is going to be called into question. The foundation on which you have laid all of your beliefs, biases, and identities has been questioned, tossed around, and reorganized while you were in the Devil’s domain. It makes perfect sense that the world you once built would now come crashing down upon you. If it didn’t, we would be concerned. This is good. This is positive. This is progress. This is also one of the first lessons you learn in business. What worked in the beginning won’t work when you need to expand. You are not at the beginning of your journey anymore; you are somewhere in the middle. The landscape has changed, and so has the way you see it and experience it. None of us should want to cling to outdated modes of doing or being. We should be constantly rebuilding, upgrading, and restructuring our experience and how we engage with the world around us. Otherwise we will become stagnant and stunted, not to mention we will be out of alignment with the natural flow of our soul’s path. The Tower is here to shake you out of your complacency, wake you up from your comfort zone slumber, and put you on alert that you may not have noticed that things within you have shifted and changed. I like to think of this card as the spiritual renovation card. Sometimes you have to take a sledgehammer to old walls and open up a space so that it can get more light.
Pathwork
Intentional
There is nothing more liberating than working with the Tower card on purpose and using it to give your life a good shake, move things around, and blow up your daily routine. Therefore, before you set your intention and allow the Tower to do its damage, make sure you have come to peace with what is about to happen. Know that it might take time to sort through the rubble and find the bits and pieces that will lay the foundation of your next and new chapter. Now take a couple of nice deep breaths, get comfortable, and visualize your life being given a good shake. Ask for what is false to be pulled down. See the illusions that have been created shatter into a million pieces and be carried away on the wind. Straighten your spine and be sure of your breathwork as each piece of the unwanted rubble is crushed, shattered, and torn away. Breathe and just do your best to relax as the Tower works its magic on your intention. Stay with this visualization for as long as is comfortable. When you are finished, just add the following mantra: “I am capable of rebuilding my life no matter how messy the rubble is.”
Intuitive
For the most part, people think of the Tower card as something that happens outside of them and a card that will have an impact on the world they see with their physical eyes. The truth is that the Tower card does the majority of its work in the upside-down position, causing change internally. If the upright version of this card hints at an explosion, then think of the reversed position of this card as an implosion, an act of destruction in a space that cannot be seen with one’s physical eyes. Unlike in the intentional section where we were looking for things outside of us to change, this exercise is all about what’s going on inside. The Tower card in reverse can be a very healing card. It can be a gift for your body, mind, and soul, and you now have some insight into how to use its energy to assist rather than impede you. For this exercise, settle yourself with a couple of nice deep breaths, and if you need to, close your eyes. Now go ahead and visualize the upside down Tower card at work on your inner landscape, clearing out your outdated beliefs and your negative inner dialogue. Take a nice deep breath and see your false fears tumble to the ground inside you. Keep your breathwork going as you see the flashes of light from the Tower’s implosion washing over the inside of your body, clearing out your cells and organs, and leaving in its wake nothing put pure healing light. You may notice tingling as the light from the Tower gives you a good clean. Don’t judge it; just let it unfold. When you feel you have had enough of the Tower’s healing, take another few deep breaths and bring your focus and attention back to the room you are in. If you want to go further with this in your journal feel free to do so.
Wandering
Do you like visiting ruins of ancient cities and villages, or do you seek out sacred sites that once were points of power in ancient civilizations? In many respects these sorts of activities are the Tower card in its wanderer’s shoes. As you walk around the decay and ruin of something that has been forgotten, you are literally walking through the aftermath of a Tower moment—the fallen ideas, hopes, and dreams of a time now lost. The ruins of our world, whether newly urban, sacred, or ancient, all share the same story. They all emanate the same energy. They all belong to the Tower card of the tarot. Have you ever taken the time to sit in the midst of something that has fallen apart and tried to hear the story the rubble is telling? Your task for this pathwork exercise is to find a local ruin. Make sure it’s a safe one, I should add, and go and meditate in it or next to it. If you do not have one close by or the urban ruin you have is unsafe, find a picture of a ruin that interests you and use it as the focal point for this exercise. This exercise is more of a mental wandering, a reflection on what is left behind. Think about what ideas or potential this building once had. Who lived or worked in it, and what did this place mean to them? Think about how this place makes you feel. We don’t all feel welcome or at peace when we are amongst the forgotten or the left behind. What emotions does this building or set of ruins bring up for you? This is all the Tower card at work, bursting through and making changes, using the damage and aftermath to heal and expand your current situation.
17. The Star
Unlike the Moon and the Sun, the S
tar represents the many planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids that make up our galaxy. Some are closer to Earth than others, which means some shine brighter in our night skies. The stars look different depending on what hemisphere of the Earth you are standing in. The stars here in the north are different than the stars I saw growing up as a child in the south, which probably explains why I am unable to use them as navigators the way I used to in my twenties. For here in the north there is no Southern Cross guiding me on a long dark road in the middle of nowhere. When some look to the skies they are reminded of all that is beyond our reach. The Star is “out there” and we are “in here” on the Earth. The Star reminds us that we are small and unimportant. Stars can burn out or explode, and no one misses them once they cease to exist. They are not immortal and are very much dependent on the conditions of the universe around them, much like we are. In this respect, the Star card is a mirror, a reflection of ourselves hurtling through space for a brief moment in infinite time. We get to shine for only the blink of an eye in the memory of space. Our light is quickly eaten by the void that is between all of the other stars floating in the cold, black openness of the universe. So while looking for our favorite star in the night sky can cause us great joy, it can also fill us with great emptiness. The Star in the tarot connects us to the vastness of the universe. It alludes to what else is “out there” and the magic that we are not able to see. For some, this connection pulls them to seek answers via experience, but for the rest, it gives something to dream, write, and paint about. How you work through the pathwork exercises will let you know if you are an explorer or a dreamer.
Pathwork
Intentional
What if everything you could possibly wish for happens and it all goes right? This is a question I ask myself and my clients all the time. Working with the Star card on purpose lets you work on seeing your wishes and dreams come true. It gives you space to visualize, create vision boards, and focus your thoughts on what steps you will need to take when it all works out for the positive. This also allows you to examine how you feel about things going right. Pull your Star card from your deck, hold it in front of you, and stare into it. As you breathe and gaze at the card, visualize it working its magic on all your heart’s desires. See all of your current projects and goals being fulfilled. Watch them in glorious color all playing out in front of your eyes. Magnify these images and make them as vibrant as possible, then slip them into a balloon. Take your balloon and release it into the night sky so it can become one with the Star itself. This quick sixty-second visualization is super powerful and will keep your mind focused and sharp while preparing your emotions for everything to end up exactly the way your heart wants it to. Then if anyone asks, “Well, what if it all goes right?” you can smile and give them your answer.
Intuitive
It is said that we are all made of stardust, and that particles of stars make up our organic bodies. This must mean that when we make a wish, we are really wishing on ourselves. I sometimes wonder if this is why the Star card in the tarot is often associated with healing, because the energy or particle matter of stardust is within our own human bodies. Maybe this is also why we find the Star, like Temperance, playing with water, even though neither of these cards is associated with water. Water is cleansing, it purifies, and it flows, all elements of healing work. So what messages of healing is your inner stardust sending out to you? Let’s do a simple three-card spread and find out. First, remove your Star card from your deck and place it faceup in front of you, but leave enough space under it for a row of three cards. Take the remainder of your deck and give it a shuffle. While you shuffle, ask the cards to tell you what healing message your inner stardust wants you to know. Keep shuffling until you feel the cards are ready with their answer, then flip over the first two cards from your deck, as well as the one on the bottom. You should now have your Star card and a row of three faceup cards in front of you. Read the three cards like they are a sentence, each card adding a word or two to the answer to your question. If you want to explore this spread further, pick up your journal and write away.
Wandering
The stars are for wanderers. They guide us, thrill us, offer up mysteries that seek solutions, plant adventure in those who gaze at them, and make others grateful for something safe, secure, and stable to stand on. Wanderers look to the stars, and when they do, they dream. Dreaming is the most powerful pathwork you can do. What star speaks to you? Which of the stars do you stare at and secretly whisper all of your hopes and dreams to? For this exercise you need to wander with your star, the one that fascinates you or the one that you were born under. Just pick a star and claim it as your own. Perhaps it’s the morning star (Venus and sometimes Mercury) or the dog star (Sirius). Whichever star is the one you constantly look for, wander with it over the course of the next seven days. Track its path across the sky and log its travels. There are some wonderful apps to help with this. See if your star wanders in a straight line or is more free-roaming. Notice if your star is close to the Earth at this time of year, or if it is harder to spot. Keep a log of the other stars or planets your star hangs out with as well. Let it tell you a story while you tell it your hopes, dreams, and fears. Wander together within the darkness and see if your star is having an impact on your habits and daily flow.
18. The Moon
The Moon comes before the Sun, just as day follows night. They are partners in a dance of light and dark. This ongoing dance around the Earth provides us with a sense of time, an illusion of order, and a form of measurement. We measure days, months, seasons, and years by the partnership between the sun and the moon, yet the moon seems to be the one that terrifies people the most, for it has long been associated with secrets, monsters, demons, and unknown threats. Why is it that these things only seem to come out in the dark? This is something I have always wondered, because it’s not as if bad things never happen when the sun is shining and the sky is a brilliant blue. People can be just as terrified during the day as they can at night. So why does the domain of the moon get such a bad rap? Could it be that our ancestors just didn’t like the way the dark blinded them to danger? Or is it that one too many storytellers has brainwashed us all with tales of things that go bump in the night?
There is no doubt that when the moon is out, the world in which we navigate our journey does look different. However, different is not automatically bad, and in many ways, we learn more through differences than sameness. If anything, the moon is more revealing than it is concealing. For in the light, things can get lost, forgotten, and ignored, but under the watchful gaze of our lunar ally, these same things will move around thinking they are protected by the wrapping darkness of night. This is where you will find the things that you think you have lost. This is where you will be able to align to solutions that hide themselves amongst your daily to-do list. It is under the moon that you can drop your social mask and be your true self. If there really are any monsters who live in the moonlight, then I suggest it is the true version of who we are, our true self that we only get glimpses of when the moon is full. Perhaps this is why the darkness and the moonlight scare so many, because they don’t want to see the truth of who they are.
Pathwork
Intentional
For this exercise, let’s focus on two of the moon’s phases: the new moon and the full moon. As the new moon begins to fill, it is a perfect time to work on manifesting energy. As we look to the moon and see it filling, so too do we look to our wallets, hearts, fridges, cupboards, and minds and see them filling as well. Then, once the moon has its fill and bursts forth during the full moon, we start to give thanks. Between the full moon and new moon is a fabulous time for gratitude work. Thank it for filling all the corners of your life. This very simple moon practice will do wonders for your life, as it will get you out of your head and into a more organic, flowing rhythm with nature and the planets. Far too often we allow ourselves to get caught up in our heads, thinking we know h
ow things work and how they should flow. But the truth is everything has its own flow, its own way of showing up, and its own sense of timing. Working with these two phases of the moon grounds your manifestation energy, gives it purpose, and provides a ritual, which is something we could all do with a little more of.
Intuitive
Do you keep a dream journal? And I don’t mean the type where you record your nighttime dreams. I mean the kind where you write down your goals, your wishes … you know—the real dreams. If you don’t, think about starting one and sleeping with it under your pillow. This simple nighttime ritual will help you stay connected to your dreams, goals, and wishes. Start by removing your Moon card from your deck and placing it beside your bed. You don’t have to be able to see it while you’re lying down, but it is nice if you can. Give yourself an extra ten to fifteen minutes before you turn your light off or pick up your nightly book to read. Use this time to open your dream journal and make a few notes or entries. This could be marking off things that you have done to move toward this goal. Or maybe just daydreaming about being inside your dream. It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it is positive, upbeat, and adds good energy to your dream. When you are finished with your entries, place your dream journal under your pillow. Lay your head on your pillow and close your eyes, then take a couple of nice deep breaths and say the words “I love you, moon, thank you, moon, for making my dreams come true” a couple of times. That’s it! A simple dreamy nighttime ritual.
Pathworking the Tarot Page 7