Tarot Meditations

Each New Moon I draw a major arcana tarot card as a touchstone for reflection for the month to come. I share them for your meditation practice in the coming moon cycle.  To receive e-mail notification each New Moon, sign up to my mailing list.

Be sure to check out Leila Jo Crawford’s Tarot Meditation Group that meets every other month in North Berkeley.

August 10, 2010 – II The High Priestess

The High Priestess appears this month to envelop us in the wisdom of wordless space. Our fast-paced world of e-mails, texts and social networking sites tends to clutter our minds with melodrama and creates a feeling of urgency to act. Let’s sit with the High Priestess and return to our inner knowing.

Close your eyes and take a few deep breathes. As you begin to relax, contemplate your relationship to your computer, cell phone and other techno gadgets. Does it feel compulsive in any way? Is checking your phone or in-box impacting the time you spend with friends and family? Are social networking sites, such as Facebook, triggering social anxiety for you? Is it hard to turn off and be present?

Bring your awareness to your body and your breath. If a thought is persistent, pay attention to where it is located in your body. Breathe into this place visualizing spaciousness and ease. Breathe out expectations and any need to take action. With this practice, stillness will take form. There is great power in knowing when to be silent. In this stillness your inner wisdom will emerge. Listen carefully to your inner voice and let it guide you in action.

The High Priestess calls on your to quieten the chatter of your mind and listen deeply.

July 11, 2010 – XVI The Tower

The Tower card has the reputation for causing havoc as it tears away at stability when we least expect it.  In this month’s meditation, let’s harness The Tower’s wisdom to unclutter our inner world.  Our focus will be to dismantle outdated ways of being that hinder us from experiencing the emotional connections we desire.

Take some time to reflect on how you learned to take care or yourself as a child. Did you learn to be hyper-vigilant in order to be safe in an abusive environment? Did you learn to keep your most vulnerable feelings to yourself to avoid being teased? How did you ensure that your needs were heard – by being the neediest or by being the most helpful child? What has been the impact of these coping mechanisms in your present life? Do they continue to serve you? Do you wish you could let your guard down to allow more intimacy in your relationships?

Whichever skills or coping strategies you developed to keep you safe were absolutely appropriate for then. Thank your younger self for having the wisdom to keep you protected. No need for judgment – rather see this as an opportunity to acknowledge your ability to protect yourself. You are creating a safe container for your vulnerable self to thrive and for new ways of being to take root.

The Tower calls on you to tear down old defense mechanisms that no longer serve you.

June 12, 2010 – VI The Lovers

After last month’s inner reflections of the Hermit, The Lovers card arrives as a breath of fresh air. You have taken the work of seeking your inner truth to heart and are now ready to integrate your true self.

To achieve this integration, you will be called on to face all parts of yourself, even those you reject and wish would be quiet already! Do you know the sound, smell and feel of your shadow self and inner demons? Are you as intimate with them as you are with your inner child self? Do you give all parts of yourself equal amounts of space to play, stretch and grow?

Allow for duality to exist within you — be it balancing active/passive; receptive/giving; thinking/being; earth/heaven, young/old, masculine/feminine, reserved/outgoing, selfish/selfless and more. Hold no judgment as all of you shows up to be seen and heard. Surrender to this balancing act and invite inner harmony between your various parts. This is self-love and acceptance. This is true love.

The Lovers call on you to embrace all parts of yourself as sacred and lovable.

May 13, 2010 – IX The Hermit

After last month’s energy of change, the Hermit brings an air of contemplation this month.

This a time of turning inward to reflect on the path that has brought you to this point. Consider all the choices you have made – for better or for worse – which have led to the present moment. Can you see the thread that runs through them? Does it feel of your making? Are you still expending energy on a past decision that you now regret? Have your choices been strongly influenced by external circumstances and other people’s needs? What have you learned about yourself and your desires along the way?

Sit with this and let your inner truth rise to the surface. What does it illuminate of your self work? Are you able to share this knowledge with your loved ones and community?

The Hermit calls on your to seek your inner truth so that it may be a beacon for all.

April 14, 2010 – X  Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune signals a long-awaited energetic shift in our world. This necessary change gives each of us an opportunity to rework our usual approach to change and transitions. It is human nature to resist major changes in our world. We tend to hold onto the known even when it clearly no longer serves us.

Take a moment to reflect on how you react to change and transitions. Do you welcome unexpected shifts and surprises? Do you feel uneasy and unprepared for an unknown future? Do you spend a lot of mental and emotional energy trying to figure out every possible outcome before taking action? Do you resist new ideas until you have digested and integrated them? Do you find yourself holding onto unhealthy relationships and situations rather than risking the reactions of others?

Or are you known as being hard to pin down with your ever-changing emotions and ideas? Is working towards political and/or personal transformation a major theme in your life? Do you recognize that at the point of destruction is the potential for new life? Do you reinvent yourself every few years? What have your major life transitions taught you? Would you be you without them?

The key to navigating transition is to stay centered within yourself and allow newness to unfold around you. As many a wise sage has said, Change is the only constant.

The Wheel of Fortune encourages you to be present with change.

March 15, 2010 – I  The Magician

The Magician shows up this month to encourage us to take stock of our innate gifts and talents. All too often we focus on our flaws, weakness and shortcomings, while taking for granted what comes easy to us. It’s time to uncover, recognize and own your unique strengths.

What are your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual talents? What skills and support do your loved ones turn to you for? Are you proud of what you have to offer? Do you downplay them as they feel easy and natural? Is it hard for you to believe that you have what it takes to create the life you want? What would your life look like if you truly owned and nurtured your talents? Put your unique blend of strengths into action, allow them to take root in your soul and nurture the new beginnings they create.

The Magician serves as a reminder that you that you have what it takes.

February 13, 2010 – XVIII  The Moon

Dreams, fantasies and inner desires are making their way to the surface this month. Pay close attention to your dream world as your subconscious reveals itself. Do you have special powers or skills in your dreams that you do not possess in waking life? Are you dreaming of lands you wish to explore? What dreams do you fear the most? Who are the monsters, despots and enemies who inhabit your dreamworld? Who are the lovers, warriors and allies? Which dream lives do you secretly wish were real? Pay attention to these snippets of your other realms and allow the ones you desire to take shape and manifest in your waking world.

The Moon says “Listen to your dreams”.

January 15, 2010 – III  The Empress

It seems fitting that the first card to be drawn for 2010 is the Empress, a symbol of fecundity and abundance. The economic climate of 2009 shook up our sense of security leaving an atmosphere of scarcity and fear. It takes focused intention to shift our mindset from worrying there is not enough to believing there is plenty. We need to embrace not only the belief that there is enough for all, but also that each one of us, globally, are worthy of abundance.

Reflect on your feelings about abundance and how you give and receive. Do you feel equally at ease in being generous and as you do in accepting? Do you feel that you are paid what you’re worth in money and respect? Do you view money as “dirty”? What would your life look like if you had enough? What would your life look like if everyone had enough? Do you gladly share your talents and wealth with others? For true abundance to take root and grow, we have to be open to share our resources with the faith that like attracts like. Let your acts of generosity lead the way to abundance in your life.

The Empress calls for the cultivation of abundance for all.

December 16, 2009 – IV  The Emperor

Reflect on your relationship to structure and boundaries. What do these terms invoke in you? Do you immediately feel resistance or a sense of powerlessness? Do you struggle to state your personal boundaries clearly before you feel drained in your relationships? Do you fear that saying No will cause drama? Do you worry that your boundaries are too rigid? Setting clear and fair boundaries is crucial to your sense of self worth and respect, as well as making a safer world for us all to navigate.

The Emperor calls on you to set healthy boundaries.

November 16, 2009 – XI  Justice

This is a time to balance passion with integrity. Who is the true you? Do you stand tall in your personal ethics? Do you speak your truth regardless of the consequences? Do you treat yourself and others fairly? Justice gives you the strength to be your own witness. Only you know the whole story. Make peace with your story and your truth so that you may feel in balance.

Justice calls on us to own our personal truth and to act from there.

October 18, 2009 – XX  Judgment

It is time to transform the inner voices of judgment and self-doubt and finally let go of past pains. It is easy to blame others for our pain but the secret lies in where we secretly believe that it is all our fault. What mistakes have you made that you still berate yourself for? How do you feel you betrayed yourself? What would it feel like to let go of the belief that you are not worthy? What would self-forgiveness feel like?

Judgment calls on us to awaken our hearts to true self-forgiveness and compassion so that healing and wholeness can follow.

September 18, 2009 – V  The Hierophant

Consider the moral code you live by.  Is your inner compass truly your own?  Where did you learn the difference between right and wrong?   Was it inherited from your family, schooling, cultural or religious background?  Have you crafted your own, unique set of values and ethics that you live by?

The Hierophant calls on you to be your own wise counsel.

©2009-2010 Leila Jo Crawford. All Rights Reserved. No duplication is permitted without permission.