Birthday Resolution by Tarot

I was doing an exercise in my new tarot workbook by Mary K. Greer. Incidentally, last night, on the eve of my b'day, I've come to the exercise: 'pick 3 cards that most resemble your best qualities'. It tells you to pick around 20ish to choose from, and surely I did, as it wasn't easy to pick just THREE out of 78 cards! I was using my new deck of cards - the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. Luckily I had been doing quite a few exercises in the book already, which include finding my Birth Card, Year Card, Sun Sign Card; also I had been picking 3 cards every other night to check my energies of that day. So I do have some ideas about which cards best represent me.......

It came down to 3 cards: Page of Swords, The Hermit, and The Magician.

Page of Swords was a card that came up several times when I was testing my energies. It stands for mental agility, creative ideas and constant learner. I am definitely a constant learner in that regard. I can't say that at this moment I've attained the advanced mental qualities of Queen of Swords or King of Swords.....just yet. But as of now, the Page is what I'm working on. I was trying to choose between Ace of Swords and Page of Swords, as both recurred the same number of times, but I decided that I want to identify with the Page more, which is more 'gentle' and 'mild' in nature. The Ace of Swords also signifies mental agility, but is more 'sharp' or 'caustic', somewhat flimsy and volatile like the Knight (of Swords, mutable sign). I would rather my wit be mildly modest and good-naturedly inquisitive rather than caustic and formidable.

The Hermit is the card of Sun in Virgo, which is moi! I am coming more and more to identify with The Hermit as I age. It implies going inside to find the answers, to find knowledge and attain spiritual vision. It is the card of 'productive solitude' (my favourite term of the year). Lately, as of this year, I find myself being more and more like a hermit - in the positive sense - who has to replenish my energies by being alone and reflecting by myself. Especially with my busy researching and thesis writing schedule these days, I need to recuperate mentally and spiritually - by myself. I like socializing with my friends, and an excuse to get out of the house and have contact with civilization so as not to be entirely isolated - but afterwards I enjoy my time alone to reflect about life, about the future, about spirituality. It's not just about work, but about how I can connect more to my spiritual path. But I understand it all has to come naturally, organically. It can't be pushed, 'it has to come to you' - as my friend Soar says about her meditation experience. This year I've serendipitously come across the area of 'soul potential' and 'soul development' from Ainslie MacLeod's books. And am about to embark on using my card-reading abilities to heal, via Angel Therapy. The wise sage Hermit's wisdom to look inside has paid off.

The Magician: it was my Personality card in the Planetary Spread I did once upon a time. I still find strong resonance with it, and admittedly it is one of my favourite cards in the deck. I like the idea that I can 'make things happen' like the magician. It gives me power; the power of manifestation. Like I can shape my own destiny and choose the life that I want to live. Lately I've been very much into finding out my soul's potential, and what kind of life that I'm meant to live in my present life, thanks to Ainslie's 'The Instruction'. I have a feeling that I'm a Type 9 soul who is vested in constantly improving myself and motivating myself to achieve what I'm meant to be in this lifetime. In reading about my soul's fears (in The Transformation, sequel to The Instruction), I've come to the conclusion that in my past life, my life's plans were curtailed due to various reasons, and I was not able to accomplish what I was here for. Hence the strong feeling now that I have to accomplish something in this lifetime. It doesn't have to be 'big' or immensely lucrative in the most conventional sense, but it has to be meaningful I'm sure. Something that's balanced in terms of material and spiritual, that corroborates my Virgo practicality and Sagittarian ideals. Something like an inspirational educator, as I'm also vested in helping and inspiring other people to reach their full potentials. I believe that only by pursuing your TRUE interests - that you are naturally good at - that you can succeed in life. It is by having the Passion that will propel you to attain your goal. It won't happen for you if you go at it half-heartedly......

These 3 cards: Page of Swords (mental), The Hermit (spiritual), and The Magician (manifestation) are my birthday resolutions for this year, and for my post-Saturn return life to come.