Strength and Perseverance When You need it ©

The following entry is based on a lucid dream which took place early in the morning at 5am EST, on September 18, 2013.


It is easy to speak of strength when you have the power of people, orders, associations, money, and recognition to support you. What of your strength when such circles no longer exist? What voice will you follow?

     I dreamed that a king, who declared me his queen a long time ago, turned to corruption. The days when we reigned, wearing our vestments of burgundy & gold were now faint memories. In those days, we worked conjunctly towards achieving the greater good for the people. However, a dark shadow had begun to cast itself across my king and each day, this saddened me even more then the day before. I could not understand why this darkness would not leave my king’s side and soon, his face became unrecognizable to me. He worked on many plans, which he took ample care to conceal from me. One day, I ran across some of his personal papers and found a parchment with an outline for his principal plan to blind and fool the people of the kingdom. Little by little, my king appointed new people into positions that were once occupied by those whom the shadows could not affect. These newly chosen individuals were encircled by blackness and I had to take great care when speaking and intermingling with them for they scrutinized me carefully, speculating, how and when their plan would take effect to control me.

     There were very few who remained in office, probably due to my extremely close ties with them. We were the few whom greeted each other openly, with embraces and smiles. While embraced, my confidants would speak a single word into my ear. Each word, over time, built upon the other, to form coherent and exacting information regarding the dark reign of our king. He no longer confided in me and the more I pushed him to disclose his plans, the more elusive he became with his communications. He claimed one thing, when he actually meant another. It was through this mode which he self-assured my fall into his trap. Bit by bit, the kingdom became engulfed in darkness. The people could not speak unless spoken to by the king himself. They walked, soullessly, through the streets. The sun no longer shined. Sentinels in the form of a specific breed of demon were conjured and lined the streets, keeping watch. Their function became those of little watch towers, whereby all was observed and reported to the king.
     One day, during a private meeting in the king’s court which excluded my confidants and me, he began to conjure a mass of darkness whose tendrils swayed back and forth, floating mystically in the air. The king answered to this darkness and soon, I knew that an attack would ensue if I were not quick to react. Standing outside of the court’s doors, my confidants raced towards me. I was to become the “Sigach/Shiga” (a word which I am phonetically spelling) of a new order. I was no longer the Sigach/Shiga (spelled phonetically) of this order, as this order served to blind and restrict the people from serving their higher purpose. This saddened me because I never thought I would have to leave my king’s side in this manner. There was no choice. The king saw my confidants and I standing in the outer court which led to his inner court. He was surprised and enraged for he did not want me to witness his secret ritual. The two women who remained by my side, each grabbed one of my arms. As their Sigach/Shiga, they vowed to protect me. I could not be more fortunate.
     The darkness before the king swirled and turned around to face us. Recognizing AND respecting the voice of darkness, we kneeled in reverence. This was a strong force by which the king now abused. His foolishness would gain him entry to severity against his life, as he thought darkness would never see his true intent. With respect we acknowledged darkness and soon afterwards, we rose to our feet. At this time, the three of us were able to ward off this darkness and the sentinels with our spoken word. The dark mass and the otherworldly sentinels would not strike us. This hesitance confused the king, but he dared not speak against darkness. He spirit was weak and his intentions would consume him. At this time, we departed the outer court. Heading towards the doors, there was a rustle behind us and I knew the king had ordered his servants to follow and catch us. Successfully we made it outside, but it was not without some struggle. We ran, searching for wood by which to hastily craft our wooden tools of protection. These tools were sacred to our order and could not be created by any other substance. With these tools, we were able to conjure an oversized cloak made of a fabric that no man could ever create. The cloak formed around us, forming the shape of a tent which covered us as we traveled along on foot.
     Within minutes, we came upon a large group of people kneeling in a plaza to our left. Their heads were shaven and they were marked. Their eyes were clouded within by a mysterious mist. They obeyed the orders of the sentinels who were sent forth by the king to gather the people to work his biddings. There was one young man however, who, though he kneeled, was not at all affected by the mist. His eyes were clear and beautiful. He was scared and looked around quietly, afraid that a word from him would have him facing an unknown yet horrific penalty. As I watched him I proposed to my confidants the need to save him. As we approached him, we motioned for him to stand and walk towards us. He did so without further hesitance and soon, his hand reached mine. I pulled him towards me, thereby leading him into our cloak. He was thankful and immediately expressed his fears of failure regarding our rate of success in leaving this place. His fears crippled his inner courage as well as the ability for him to foresee the success of our mission.
     At that moment, I turned towards him and my confidants became silent. In this silence the voice of a female goddess spoke over us and said the following: “In order to speak and teach of strength and perseverance, one must live and experience it.” Still looking into the young man’s eyes, I smiled and reiterated the instructions of the goddess. He remained quiet and after some time, no longer objected with disbelief the success of our mission. We ascended along a long stretch of ivory steps. In the middle of this wide stairway, sentinels took their places. This stairway led from the plaza below to a place above, which could not yet be seen with the naked eye. The sentinels’ faces were strange and their bodies were reminiscent of a type of animal and humanoid hybrid. They aligned themselves on each step and looked over and down at the land below, making sure no one would ascend these steps without authorization. When they saw us, they objected and questioned our presence and right to climb the steps. I looked into the eyes of the sentinels and soon, without any further exchange of words, they silenced themselves. They recognized our right to come and go as we needed. Continuing our ascent, we reached a plateau, which leveled off for some time. Further ahead there were even more steps to climb, but these were not occupied by any of the hideous creatures below. In fact, the stairway was open and vacant.
     At this time, we decided on taking some rest. The events of the day had tested our inner strength and the nature of our perseverance. My confidants and I agreed on an area off to the side where we could lay our physical bodies down for the evening. The young man was the first to lie down and I watched as he closed his eyes. He was exhausted from his constant state of alertness and fear. The three of us watched the young man nod off to sleep and one by one we agreed to retire. Despite the activities of the day, I felt quite awake and as everyone else slept, I watched. Our cloak, shaped like a tent, kept us safe and warm. Fear did not exist in this sacred space. For that, I was grateful. While the two women and the young man slept, I contemplated the words of the goddess. She was absolutely right. If we cannot muster up the inner strength to overcome obstacles, even when the odds are against us, then what right do we have to speak of such sacred strength?

After Thought: We need to self-evaluate what our strength depends on.

©2013 by Ana owner of ALDTarot.com

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A Failed Attempt in Taming the Panther ©

This entry is based on a vivid dream I had Friday, August 30, 2013 at 4:15am. Take the Strength tarot card and reverse it. Look upon this image while you read this entry.

     There was a middle aged man who seemed to have domesticated the black panther. This man gloated and walked about the public eye, with the panther by his side. He spoke confidently of his domesticating abilities which assured the panther from deserting his side. “His” panther strode ahead of him, pacing from left to right, right to left. The panther’s tail swished back and forth with displeasure, a detail he easily discounted. He walked about the community, with his chest puffed out and his chin in air. I observed this from the parking lot as he approached with the panther. I could not take my eye off the great beast. She was beautiful, well-built, robust and vigilant. Her eyes flashed with danger laced with the thoughts of a stress-free kill. Linking with my eyes, I understood the severity of this man’s infractions. At that moment, the panther opened her mouth and let out a growl, exposing her white sharp and smooth teeth which contrasted against the midnight color of her coat. Her hunger was faint; her impatience was not. She had provided this man ample time to alter his mode of existence, thought and behavior.
     Her growls grew wild as did the fears of those around her. She ran freely and soon, the confidant man’s eyes grew wary. For a brief moment, a grinned, but I knew this was no laughing matter, yet I could not help myself. I saw part of me in her. The panther commenced running circles, while the man chased her. Within moments, she turned and ran towards me. I stood in front of my car and froze in place. I could have easily jumped into my car, but I stood there, watching the beast run head-on towards me. As she approached, I heard another growl. Her teeth were exposed and in an instant, her front paws pushed off the ground. She leapt over me and I could feel the breeze her muscular body produced. She was magnificent and beautiful, but she was also lethal. As the creature landed on the other side of me, I saw the man running after her. I could not believe his restless attitude.
     At that moment, anger was loosed within me as I observed this man, driven by his ego and pride, chase after that which could easily devour him. How dare he think that he could entrap this creature? The panther roamed freely, she was not owned by anyone. No one could domesticate her. With this in mind, I opened my car door and climbed in. This was not my battle to fight. I knew the panther did not “require” anyone’s help. Contrary to his ignorant beliefs, she gave the man a final chance to save his own life. As I cranked up my car, I pulled out of this parking lot slowly, watching the debauchery in my side view mirror. This man’s ignorance will lead him to his death. He continued to push the limits and patience of the great beast and if he did not know when to quit, he would die a horrible death, with no opportunity to regain his honor. Honor? This man knew not of honor and pledged no allegiance to anyone or anything other than himself. He was a selfish fool, on a quest to tame the untamable. He would make an easy feast for the panther.
      I did not feel any remorse for him. All I felt was disgust. He knew not when to quit when he was ahead. As I glimpsed at the last few moments of this spectacle while driving away, I came to the understanding that he deserved what was coming to him. To the imbecile who wishes to trap that which is forbidden and unobtainable, where is your whip now?

I offer my prayers to enhance the panther’s prowess. It is better to let the wild beast roam or perish.

©2013
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Faded Colors of the World ©

Based on a vision I had the night of 19 October 2012 of the man who knew not when to distinguish when enough was enough.
     There he was and there I was, he looked over my way, but could not see me. The dampness and darkness of this place was all too familiar and highly impersonal. I, a floating mist watched, as he began to convince a man and woman, an older couple, about his world card. Yes, you read that correctly. His- world card! In a “what in Sam hill” moment of thinking, I saw the scene unfold quickly before my eyes and had I blinked, I would have missed the most important highlights of the conversation which took place amongst the three adults. There stood, the man whom many esteemed and looked up to, holding in his left hand, an oversized world tarot card. He approached the small car where the married couple sat, anxious to drive away from the empty and dark public parking garage. Mr. World card motioned for the man in the drivers’ seat to let the window down so he may speak briefly with him. The driver, a man in his late 50’s, let out a quiet sigh while his wife chirped like a small bird with utter excitement as she fished through her giant purse for her humble tarot deck. As soon as the window was lowered, Mr. World card leaned down towards the car window and began to speak of his new world card and the reason why he chose to design it in the manner that he did. The gentleman in the driver’s seat said not one word and maintained a kind yet forced smile on his face. His hands never left the circumference of the card wheel, as if at the ready to make a quick departure. His parting was delayed by his wife who went on and on with her unending enthusiasm over Mr. World cards’ chatter.
     Mr. World card, noticing the husband shifting in his seat with discomfort, ensured he explained the immense size of his tarot deck and how at times, he would rather not use it, but (since he was so committed to it-a fact he did not disclose) commenced his dissertation over why he chose the current design. His world card contained a light blue border, with words in white lettering describing the name of the card along with key words. The woman’s husband had enough of this conversation and Mr. World card knew it. He decided to shift his attention to the wife, the woman who held her smaller deck tightly and over anxiously. Mr. World card confessed he preferred a smaller size deck. Eagerly, the woman began thumbing through her deck for the world card, a task that was taking entirely too much time due to her nerves and oversight. She settled on listening to Mr. World card and set the deck down so as not to miss a word of Mr. World card’s mini-tarot lesson.
     In the midst I floated, both amused and alarmed. I felt like I was peering through a peep hole, secretly chiming in as I watched my neighbor feed into a door sales pitch. At the moment, the term salesman lingered for a while in my mind. There was nothing immoral with a salesperson, but one who was not intuitively understanding of the limits of his/her sales pitch concerned me. I felt my arms move to a fixed position across my chest. How much longer did I have to watch this? I so wanted to leave and at that thought, my body form, a mist, was transported to the back seat of this couples’ vehicle. “How much longer did I have to listen to this?” I thought, as I sat in the back seat, dumbfounded by this up close encounter of this spectacle. I felt myself cringe; however, my eyes widened as I could see the colors along the edges of Mr. World cards’ world card fade!
     The colors began to wash off and fade to the point that I could no longer get a clear view of this man’s world card nor no longer understand his intent for this card. It was, without a doubt, the saddest thing I have ever witnessed about a world card. Colors continued to fade, though the woman was somehow made unaware through some sort of trickery, what was happening. Even Mr. World card pointed out how his card was not as vibrant as he would like it to be and still, with this cue, the woman was unable to pick up on this important fact. He even mentioned how his world card design was unable to depict a full, coherent story. I could not take any more of this conversation and willed myself out of the tiny car. In doing so, I successfully returned to the place where I originally watched this scene. With a quick goodbye from the woman’s husband, the couple immediately drove away. Mr. World card was left, standing there in the darkened and empty parking garage. I did not know how to feel about him. Something told me he would not admit that the more he stretched his world out, the more diluted it would become. With this last thought, the scene faded and soon, my eyes were opened.


     When will you begin to perceive the vibrant colors of the world and when something or someone dilutes it? Do not let anyone or anything erase your potential for the world.

©2013
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Day Planetary Tarot Spread

     The following are instructions (and guidelines) for performing the daily planetary influence of the day tarot spread. Planetary spreads are nothing new, the most popular being the 7-card spread which many of us enjoy using. What is different about this spread? For starters, it focuses on the planetary influence of the current day. You can potentially perform this for the full 7-days. Not only can you perform this reading utilizing some basic astrological knowledge of the planets, but you may also incorporate and/or call upon the deities which fall under a particular planet.
     A good example of this is depicted in the YouTube video I posted this morning (Tuesday, June 18, 2013). I spent some time meditating and focusing my mind on what it was that Mars (Roman aspect of Greek Aries) would say if he were present at the divining table. What was his twist on today's reading? Check out my YouTube channel and see for yourself. However, if you prefer not to go this route, all is well because it will be an effective reading by simply keeping to the planetary influence of the day as is. With that all said here is a list of the days of the week along with their associated planets and colors. FYI: If you are searching for more in depth planetary correspondences, there is a plethora of decent information available online, for free. For anyone new to any of this, do your homework, there is also plenty of misguiding info out there. Okay, now for the list:
Monday: Moon –white                                                                                
Tuesday: Mars – red                                                                                      
Wednesday: Mercury - purple/multi-colors                                                                         
Thursday: Jupiter- Blue                                                                                                
Friday: Venus – Green                                                                                                 
Saturday: Saturn –black                                                                                                                               
Sunday: Sun- yellow (or gold)
Preliminary Step (not required, yet helpful):     
Take the effort to read up/study/glance at the planetary activities of the day. Is the planet of the day retrograde? For all you astrology buffs, you will love this preparatory step.
Instructions:                                                                                                                                        
1. Divide tarot deck into 5-piles, 1-for each distinct suit and the 5th for the major arcana, total of 5-piles.               

2. Beginning from left to right place pile of major arcana on the left followed by the next four suits. What order should the piles go? Pentacles, Cups, Swords, Wands, it does not matter. All that matters is that you are comfortable with the order it is in. (You may place piles right to left, or whatever does it for you is fine).

3. Shuffle each individual pile.  
4. Turn/flip over the top card of the minor arcana piles, leaving the major arcana pile untouched.
5. Conduct your reading, focusing the entire time how the planet of the day changes/affects each individual card.
6. After reading the 4-minor arcana cards, turn/flip over the top card of the major arcana pile.
7. Analyze how the major arcana affect the individual cards as well as the overall reading.              
8. Take note of how the planetary influence of the day affects the "advice/perspective" of the major arcana card over the overall reading. Does it distort/enhance it in any way? How?
9. Take note of any cards (both major & minor) which coincide with the planetary aspects/influences of the day. Is there is specific deity that comes to mind before, during or after the reading? For example, on Tuesdays I think of the Roman God Mars himself and I ask myself, what would Mars say if he were sitting across my table, reading the cards to me?
Instructions for performing multiple days at a time:
1. If you want to read for the following day, place all turned over cards back into their perspective piles. 
2. Reshuffle each pile in the same manner you did the first time.  
3. Turn/flip cards over & conduct your reading.
4. Upon finishing, return all cards to their perspective piles.                                                           
5. Continue reading for following days not to exceed the days in a week, i.e., 7-days.
     This particular spread is empowering when asking about a specific activity/issue to be tackled during a specified day while under the influence of the current planet. I advise to conduct the reading within the 7-day time frame. I am sure others will think otherwise and that is perfectly acceptable. In the end, do what feels best. I hope you enjoyed these instructions and that they were not too confusing or ambiguous. If so, forgiveness is a wonderful virtue. :-) If you would like to see some videos employing this method, you may visit (and subscribe!) to my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ALDTarot

Blessings always,                                                                                                                                                               

Love,                                                                                                                                                                                    

Ana



©2013
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The Queen as Headmaster ©

The following is a dream I had on Monday, December 17, 2012.
    
   I dreamed I attended a university and was uncertain, at the moment, of the courses for which I was enrolled. An immense feeling of failing out of the university overcame me. During this period of pressure, I recovered the memory of already holding a degree from this institution. Calmness swept over me and finally, I understood there was no viable reason for me to continue worrying about my future. It was at this twinkling of precise rationale when my eye caught a group of people, all girls, lined up in an exacting order to initiate some sort of refinement training by instructors assigned by her majesty. The queen! My God, where is the queen?
     The new young recruits appeared anxious and timid. As I surveyed their innocent faces, I thought back to the time when I too, felt lost and scared, not knowing whether or not I would make it through my first year. I could relate to their experience and feelings. Internally, I smiled. Feelings of fear of self, self-doubt and uncertainty of what the future held were now archived thoughts, mere reminiscences that I cherished, for without them I would not have appreciated my journey’s progression. I was now a young woman, well graduated and fully integrated into my second year advanced training.
     Joining my group of peers, we quietly formed our ranks, perfectly measured lines, lines fitting to properly receive the queen and await her day’s lessons. These teachings were often delivered with a cold disposition, as we were no longer timid and naïve recruits. Though the queen expected much from us, we expected even more from ourselves. This was the way it was intended to be, a necessary mechanism, built in place for generations to come. Her majesty made her way through the ranks, drilling each and every one of us with her precise questioning, demanding equally exacting answers. There was no leeway; queens did not enjoy such a luxury.
     Somehow, I had caught her eye and soon, she had managed to weave herself through the lines of other young women such as myself, like a needle seeking its point into fabric, headed in a direct course towards me. The chill in the wind and the silence was unendurable. She had been monitoring my advancement without my noticing, as this was a skill the queen possessed by second nature. The queen’s court jester walked in and came to her side by a simple movement of her hand, the unspoken command. As she stationed herself before me, I reached for the edges of my garments which were burgundy, gold and black. Holding them as I have been trained to do so for years, I greeted her. She penetrated the sound barrier of silence by making a statement commending my well-earned advancement. In a moment, I was to join her. With a noble nod of the head, I followed her. She sat and gestured for me to take a seat. She watched me with an eagle’s eye as I did so. She expressed her content in seeing a budding queen who knew how to speak, walk and sit in a manner becoming of a queen. I thanked her highness and watched as she received news of an arrival, someone who would soon join us.
     A slightly older man than me walked in to join us. When he saw me he took my hand, an act pre-calculated and pre-approved ahead of time by the queen herself. She knew all along of this moment, and I knew that in her presence I rightly required more training. The man who arrived in the court was not any ordinary man, he was a Knight. Through prior authorization, he hugged and kissed me gently. This was the queen’s Knight, the one who a long time ago, suffered injury to save my life, the life of his queen. It was at that moment that a transformation took place and soon my memories returned- rushing back into my mind, for that queen was I. Two Queens sat and spoke of the things to come for the new recruits. My queen, her age visually prominent, a queen of a legacy’s past, expressed her concerns over the indolent outlooks of this year’s new recruits. I, the queen, a legacy of this present moment, carefully listened to the guiding voice of wisdom and reason.
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The Dream of the Blasted Tower ©

The following is a dream I experienced last year on August 11th, 2012. After conducting my daily reading earlier this morning, the theme of removing oneself from the "status quo" came to mind. Without any further ado, here is my journal entry:

     The "tower" card was used by a selfish man as a blueprint for building a structure of his own. In the beginning, the structure was a mere one level dwelling, a place so humble that anyone looking upon it from the outside world would mistake it as a cave. The man continued to build and improve the structure, thereby changing the outside appearance of his dwelling. He built without pausing to rest until his structure achieved the height of 16-levels (floors). The boisterous and self-absorbed man laughed madly at his material creation and became overconfident in the idea of reaching the heavens.
     At this point, I watched as a flash of lightening descended from the heavens, producing a wall of fire behind the man. There was no escape and the heat of the flames singed his eyebrows. It was a matter of time where the horrid scene of his body consumed by fire dominated that which I observed. There was nothing I or anyone else could do to save him. As he burned, I heard a loud cry that from the sky. As the cry ceased, I observed souls falling from the heavens onto the earth. I was startled yet intrigued because the expressions on each of these souls faces were not fear. On the contrary, they were joyful. I heard as they proclaimed in unison to the world below the following phrase: "get ready to receive us, get ready to catch us."
     After hearing this phrase I realized that I too was one of the souls quickly descending. This was a complete skydive, but a parachute on my back I did not possess. Though my mind crept into "life threatening mode," I did not want to keep my eyes off the ground. Within moments I would meet this hardened earth and soon my "life" would end. I anticipated the moment of pain when this would happen and there was no escaping it. I had to accept my fall with joy, like the ones who fell alongside me.
     I saw a tree directly below me and knew this would be the end. Right before crashing onto the evergreen tree, I remembered that I possessed the ability to fly. How could this important ability escape me? Was I trapped inside this tower for so long that I had forgotten such a skill? Whatever the reason, I came into my moment of joy as I turned over on my side to maneuver around the tree, gliding inches off the grass. Freedom was indeed something to feel joyous about. After gliding for some time, I slowed down landing softly on my feet. I took survey of the world around me. My wings were no longer restrained.


What or who is restraining you? The time to release oneself from the confines of the status quo has arrived. Forget the false promises of others and rely on your own initiative to achieve the joy of freedom, the joys of your own initiatives.


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A Reflection of the World tarot card on this Earth day ©

This is a short journal entry in support of a greener tomorrow through the eyes of Key 21.

     As I pulled the world card earlier this morning, I had a think about all this mention of earth day and what it is that most of do to support it. There is the usual act of tree planting and throughout the course of the day; we are reminded of recycling and repurposing. However, what else can we do to help heal our planet?

     Looking over the world card, I would say, just as we are born and sustained by the elements which provide our sources for nutritional support, so do we, have the obligation to return the favor to those elements. Perhaps on this earth day of the year 2013, we can seek to key 21 to gain a greater respect for our planet, via a unified effort to heal and sustain it as it has sustained us. Forget political, social and economic divisions. As an alternative, acknowledge the rate at which our planet is incessantly harmed by damaging chemicals, consistently poisoned rather than healed. The world card brings into the forefront of my mind greener/clean energy sources and the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction.
     On this earth day, let’s consider how our actions and inactions affect our planet. Let’s work towards the progression of human, animal and plant life via the sustainment of our planets health. Look to the elements which were there before any of us, elements which exist within all of us. Let’s discontinue harming the elements so they may continue to provide for us.

Ask yourself: what can I do to support a healthier earth today?

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