Pathworking the Tarot
Page 14
The Three of Cups is the ultimate social card. This is the card about good friends, wonderful work colleagues, fascinating strangers, and fellow travelers. This is the card of weekly coffee get-togethers, dinner parties, work events, concerts in the park on warm summer evenings, and telling stories of shared experiences. No matter how you cut it, there is no “I” in this card. It is not alone, single, or left out. It is a part of something, inclusive and accepted for the part it plays. This card comes up a lot for me when it is time for me to reconnect with friends after having been an introverted hermit for far too long. It is a nudge from the universe to go out and play, laugh, enjoy the company of others, and allow myself to feel the love and support from other people in the world around me. Even the most introverted of us need some form of social interaction. We may not need as much as the extroverts of the world do, but we do need it, and the Three of Cups is a reminder that this is an important part of your physical experience. It is a crucial element to our journey here in the material world. To ignore this part of who we are, or to make excuses as to why we cannot be out in the world having fun, is to deny a huge part of the creation and manifestation process. Remember, there is only so much you can do alone. You need other people to help bring about your dreams, your goals, and your desires. There will always be a need for interaction and engagement, and avoiding it will only cause you frustration, anger, and suffering.
The Three of Pentacles is one of my favorite cards, as it shows what can happen when we all bring our talents and gifts to the table. This is the card of collaboration, or, more to the point, success through collaboration. This is the card that says, “You do you, I’ll do me, and together we can work, live, and love in harmony.” Each of us has a gift—yes, even you—and we have this particular gift for a reason. Your gift is for you and you alone. No one else on the planet does what you can do in the way that you can do it. It is what makes you so darn special. When you use your gift in conjunction with other people’s gifts, amazing and miraculous things can happen. This card reminds me a lot of what it is like to create a tarot deck. There is the deck creator, the artist, and the publisher. Each one has a very specific role to play in the process of creating a tarot deck and getting it out into the world. The deck creator comes up with an idea and literally builds a complete vision around how the deck will look, feel, and be interacted with. This is then given to the artist, who brings this idea to life in a very visual way. The publisher guides this process with another amazing team of project managers, art directors, editors, designers, salespeople, distributors, and many other incredible team players. Each one of these people brings their gift to the project, and they only play that particular part. By using their unique gift and playing the part that is true for them, they create amazingly beautiful products that are shipped out to people all over the world. This is collaboration in action. It is beautiful and fulfilling, and creates amazing, miraculous things. People make other people’s dreams come true, and there is just no avoiding it.
Pathwork
Intentional
The Threes have a lot to teach us about how to create a team and how to work well with a team. In order for your seed to grow into the magnificent thing you want it to be, you are going to need to gather a team to assist you. Each of the Threes offers a different approach to team building, so let’s see which one suits you and your needs the best. The Three of Pentacles brings people into your project, people with the gifts and skills you need but do not have. The Three of Swords is what Sonia Choquette calls the “Team of Seeing Eyes.” This is when other people hold your vision right along with you. They never let you waiver or fall, and they constantly prop you and your goals up, like your own personal cheerleading squad. The Three of Wands brings action and action-oriented people with it. These are people who can help you promote your dream seed or who can connect you with other people who might be interested in your dream seed and want to actively help you anyway they can, so you can be free to keep your creative fires burning brightly. The Three of Cups is the heart-based team, which is the team of peeps that are just as emotionally invested in the success of your dream seed as you are. They want to be there for you to ride the highs and the lows, to give their time and energy, and to make you and your seed feel as loved and nurtured as possible. I am a big fan of the Three of Cups team.
What type of team do you need for your current dream seed? Remember, you only get to pick one. This will be the team you will work with to keep your dream seed alive and to feed it as it grows. Once you have your team selected, grab the corresponding card out of your deck and put it on your desk or beside your bed. This one does not go in a spell jar, as this card is magic all on its own. You want to see this card as many times as possible during the day, since you will want to constantly connect with it and make sure you are really focused on creating the correct support for the dream seed you planted back in the Aces. Every time you see your card, stop whatever you are doing and repeat the following mantra: “I have an amazing team working alongside me to make my dream seed grow and bloom. I am truly grateful for all the love and support.” That’s it! Do this for as long as feels necessary and just watch as your team pulls together to move energy faster than you ever could alone.
Intuitive
The Threes in the minor arcana are connected to the Empress card in the major arcana. You could say within each of these cards is an important message from the Empress herself. It is a message of something she wishes you to reflect upon and possibly even heal from. In order for you to see which message the Empress has for you, go ahead and remove the four Threes out of your deck and place them facedown on a flat surface in front of you, making sure they are all lined up the right way. Take a few deep grounding breaths and ask the Empress what it is she feels you need to be working on or with right now. Scan the palm of your hand over the cards until you feel some sort of sensation in your hands or fingertips. Go ahead and select one card, then turn it over so you can see it. Turn the card upside down. Look at this card from a totally different angle, see it in a way you have not seen it before, and use it as your point of reflection and the basis of your meditation for the next few days. Our guides don’t always talk to us in direct or logical ways, which is why learning how to work with reversed cards, especially when we are asking for a direct message, helps us become more in tune with the subtle nature of vibrational communication. So, pick your card, turn it upside down, and open your journal—the Empress wants to talk to you through the energy of this particular Three card.
Wandering
The Threes are the trinity of the deck, even though there are actually four of them, which is weird when you think about it. But then again, there are no limits to how trinities or the power of three can show up in your life. For this exercise, I want you to become aware of how the power of three is playing out in your life. Let me give you some examples. I often write in threes, be it three twenty-minute writing blocks, or three sixty-minute writing blocks ( Three of Wands trinity). I also tend to read in threes. I often have an audiobook, a book on my Kindle Paperwhite, and a book on my Kindle Fire all being read in the same time frame (Three of Swords trinity). I also have a trinity morning routine, which includes coffee, walk, and morning pages (Three of Pentacles trinity). In fact, the more I stop and think about it, the more I notice just how much the power of three affects my daily habits.
Now it’s your turn. You are going to have to raise your awareness a bit for this, but as you make your way through your day, notice when a trinity is at work. Make a note of it and move on. Before you know it, you will be able to tap into your tarot trinity anytime you want or need it to assist you, support you, or guide you.
Fours
If the Threes were about building a team, finding new friends, and learning how to work a room, then the Fours are about pulling everything you have learned thus far together, so you can build, grow, and become the person you set the intention to be when you we
re under the influence of the Ace. The Fours remind you that the person who has achieved all that they wanted to, including having the relationships, joy, and health they desired, is not the same person that started in the Aces. The Fours, in many respects, lay the foundation for the change that will come under the influence of the Fives, but for now it is about getting that foundation right and making sure you have all the things you require to keep expanding and rewriting all of those to-do lists and maybe even your initial intention. You want to check your initial intention and make sure it is still what you wish to create. Perhaps now that you have learned a few lessons, you want to refine your intention and make it even more specific than it was before. Here, under the very analytical eye of the Fours, you have to take a breath, have a good look around, and make sure everything is going according to plan. The Fours of the minor arcana suits have hints of the building energy from the Emperor in the major arcana. When in doubt, ask yourself, “What would the Emperor do? How would the Emperor proceed with this challenge or honor this blessing? Would the Emperor be happy with the results that are now showing themselves?” Remember, this is all about building to something you asked for back in the Aces.
The Four of Swords appears to many to be a bit of a passive card. I mean, how much can a person get done if they are asleep on the job? But in my opinion, sometimes you can achieve more by not doing than you can by doing. Sometimes it is best to separate yourself from what is going on and take a break, or as we say in Australia, take a mental health day. This card really wants you to rest your mind, to stop the internal chatter, to relax, and to unwind for a bit. Not everything can be solved in our heads, and not all things need our direct involvement. Remember how back in the Threes you learned about playing just your unique part in the world? Well, this time you and your gifts are being told to take the day off, and that the rest of your team has it. Letting go and disconnecting the mind is not as easy as it sounds, and for the most part, many of us fail at this. This is why you may see this card a lot if you are one of those people who struggles with detachment and has some control freak issues. There is a huge element of trust in this card, and your trust issues will be triggered under the reflective gaze of those four swords. Just remember this is all a good thing. It is a positive sign that you are being triggered, as it means you are being alerted to things that need to be healed, cleared, and meditated on.
The Four of Wands, more than the other Fours, has a real feel of structure to it. In both the Llewellyn Classic Tarot and Animal Totem Tarot, we see a physical structure—something that has been built or erected, and offers shelter or support to those around it. The Four of Wands can represent the four pillars of a joyful, balanced life, which includes health, abundance, family, and spirit. However, you can name your pillars anything you want. Everyone is building something different, so do not feel limited or stuck with any of the labels myself or others provide. Each of these wands is somehow magically still growing and blooming, which means each of them has the potential for more. What that more will be very much depends on what elements you use to build your foundation. There is an air of joy, celebration, and expectation in this card that can be infectious. The idea of the well-rounded, balanced, happy home life is a delicious vision, but I caution you from believing that it is suited to everyone. Not everyone wants to play happy family, and not everyone wants to settle down and stay rooted to the spot. Some could argue that this is a limited view of the Four of Wands, but for some, what is on offer here may not be overly appealing. This is why it is best to focus on the structure and what is being built that needs to be supported by that structure. Even if you are a risk-taking, self-proclaimed singleton with no attachments, you will still need an element of structure and support in your life. The Four of Wands offers that to all without exception.
The Four of Cups is often referred to as the hangover card, mainly because it comes after the social gathering of the Three of Cups. Sometimes this card shows up as a lesson in overindulgence, but not always. This card plays with me all the time, and it is the card that lets me know that I have some work to do. I would rather do anything besides what is staring me in the face. Yes, giant cup floating in space, I’m talking to you. Sure, you offer me all of my hopes and dreams, but look, SQUIRREL!!! Doing the work to reach your goals gets boring real fast, and once all the lovely, shiny inspiration wears off, you hit the hard ground of reality with an unceremonious thud. When the muse has had her way with you, it can be hard to find that spark again, but the work still needs to be done. Like it or not, you are going to have to learn to move past the boredom and overwhelm, push through the excuses, and reach up and grab that damn cup. You may drag your feet, you may grumble, and you may even have a headache from the night before, but what other choice do you have? No one else is going to do your work for you, no matter how much you want them to, and I
know you want them to. It would be so much easier to … but did
I mention, squirrel!
The lesson of the Four of Cups is not an easy one. It is hard to set healthy, empowering habits, and even harder to stick to them. But if you are to continue moving forward, if you want to keep growing, you are going to have to find a way to make friends with this card. If ever there was a card that can be one of your greatest allies, it is the Four of Cups.
The Four of Pentacles says, “Did someone mention a squirrel?” Don’t look now, but there is that pesky but adorable squirrel right there on the Four of Pentacles in the Animal Totem Tarot. I think she is stalking you. Now don’t get paranoid, even though that can be one of the energies of this card. Just chill and let our furry friend share its pentacle medicine with you. The Four of Pentacles is about learning the flow of the material world. What goes out must also come in, and vice versa. Things grow faster and stronger when they are flowing and unrestricted. But this sort of flow requires a certain amount of awareness and a firm hand. It can be the combination of these two elements that trips people up. They either get the awareness part and become a little too obsessed with what they do or do not have, or they master the firm hand and hold onto everything with a tight and closed fist. This card has a tendency to bring out the loudest fears surrounding your current state of abundance. Know that your current income level has nothing to do with it. I have seen millionaires be crippled by their money, and I have seen those with so little step into the flow of giving and receiving as if it were as natural as breathing. The trick with this card is to know what you fear, face it, and then grow anyway. Are you afraid of being homeless or running out of food? Do you not give to others because you are always worried about that rainy day that never comes, or do you give too much and leave yourself with nothing? The Four of Pentacles wants you to find your trigger, get up close and personal with it, and then do what the squirrel does, which is bury it so it can grow into something useful, supportive, and more giving.
Pathwork
Intentional
Your dream seed is getting ready to burst forth, and if you have not laid the groundwork for its growth, how will you direct it? Your seed is going to grow one way or the other, so best to make sure you know exactly where it’s going. Working with the Fours on purpose and with intention will help you ground your seedling and allow you to direct its natural flow. Don’t be fooled by the lack of action in each of these cards, because there is a lot going on. In many ways, the Fours teach you what your part is in this crucial phase of the growth cycle. Do you need to go sit down, so that you don’t corrupt the manifestation energy? Do you need to be more discerning with your resources and make sure you have enough to cover your next point of expansion? Is it time to give your team a much-needed boost by showing them how much you appreciate their love and support? Do you seriously need to get over yourself and get your head back in the game? Yeah, Four of Cups, I’m looking at you! Just like in the previous section, you can only pick one of the Fours for this exercise. Remember, you are picking this Four on purpose, full of intent. There are
no mistakes here, so trust that you know exactly what the next step is and then decide it. Place this card on your altar or wherever you meditate or pray. When you sit down and do your daily mediation or prayer practice, light a candle and take a minute or two to connect with your card. Find a prayer or even a quote that works well with what you are trying to achieve with this card. Do this until you can feel the structure and support build up around you and your dream seed.
Intuitive
Sometimes we need the power of all four cards to really amp up our empire building skills. Remember, these cards connect us back to the Emperor. Each one of these cards plays a crucial part in the growing cycle of anything and everything we are working on or working toward. This is why this meditation is a great way to use the full power that the four elemental cards have to offer you. You can do this meditation with your eyes open as you read through the script; record it and play it while you close your eyes; or light a candle and lean into the journey. There is no wrong or right way to approach this; just do what feels comfortable to you.
Take a few nice deep breaths and just allow yourself to relax into the moment. Focus only on your breath as you release your attachment to the past and the future. Your breath is here, now, in this space at this time. You cannot take a breath from the past and you cannot take a breath from the future. All you have is right here, right now. Allow the energy of the Four of Swords to wash over you, relaxing your mind and your body as you stay focused and connected to this present moment. See these four swords cutting any and all distractions from your mind. Harness the energy of the Four of Cups as you keep yourself seated and focused on the work that is staying present in this moment, even if you feel like you would rather be doing something else. Feel the breath coming in through your mouth, hitting the back of your throat, and filling up your lungs. Let the demands of the outside world go as you sink deeper into the space that the Four of Wands has created for you. Feel yourself being supported and protected as you sink even deeper into your breathing, knowing that the Fours of the minor arcana are holding this space for you. As you keep your focus on the breath, use the energy of the Four of Pentacles to focus the breath even more. On each inhale, give thanks; on each exhale, send out love and compassion. Your physical body is a gift, an asset, and something that when blessed will only prosper more in its well-being. Blessing the breath and giving thanks to the breath allows you to support and appreciate all that you have, right now, at this moment. Take another deep breath, focusing only on the gifts of your current experience. The gift of space, the gift of health, the gift of focus, and the gift of support. Bless each of these as you give thanks to the Fours and release this meditative connection.