Thursday, August 12, 2010

When Rolling With the Changes, Expect the Unexpected

I'd like to start by extending a word of thanks to my friend Joann Hamann-Buchanan, author of The 3 L's, Live, Laugh, Love. She's hosting a series dedicated to life-altering moments, and one of these stories happens to be my own.


Personal growth and the Law of Attraction may be hot topics these days, but they've been the central theme of the Tarot for hundreds of years. The prevailing theme of the 78 cards is one of personal responsibility; acknowledging the consequences of our actions shapes the experience of our lives. Yet even the most ancient of philosophies still can't deny the fact that sometimes things just happen.

When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised?

Show me someone who genuinely loves surprises, and I'll show you a person who hasn't experienced anything worse than finding a red sock in their previously white laundry. Most of Life's surprises tend to come in some gnarly packaging – like the time I found out my female cat was really a male, and had just impregnated his sister. Such an event tends to set a mighty fine argument for making a positive life change, such as neutering a pet early.

In the spirit of surprise luck, The Wheel of Fortune is a harbinger of blessings, some of which may be in disguise. 

A bit of Luck in heading your direction, unexpected and utterly out of the blue. Kind of like all those times your brother would shout “think fast!” and lob a baseball in the direction of your head. Remember those days? I sure do, and after a fair share of lumps, you better believe I've cultivated catlike reflexes. Speaking of siblings, did you know Lady Fortune is every bit as dumb, as her sisters Love and Justice are blind? Oh, she means well enough, she's sweet in her own goofy way.  Just don't bother asking her for directions because she can't tell you, but she can give you a compass, a crudely drawn map, and a few cryptic hints that you're heading in the right direction (i.e. when you get to old man Dodson's place, keep going; turn left at the second pick up truck; if you get stuck in the septic field you've gone too far).

Consider this card your compass, and the symbols upon it are your cryptic hints that act as landmarks on your journey. In time you'll be navigating Fortune's landscape so well you'll even be able to come through the septic field smelling like a rose.


As the namesake of this card, it's important to take a closer look at the symbolism of the Wheel. Since the days of ancient man, the Wheel acts as a symbol for mobility, revolution, and cycles. Across many translations of the word “wheel” the root definition seldom varies from circle, rotate, revolve, or move around. As a symbol for the law of attraction and the natural flow of energy, think of how often you've heard the phrase “what comes around, goes around.” When we consider the ease of the Wheel turning and flowing in motion, we are reminded of how our own lives move in much the same manner. Although we have old and new events - the hub of the wheel (symbolic of ourselves - our core nature) remains the same. Given the nature of a wheel to turn, take the advice at the core of your own nature, and roll with the changes. Adapt to the new environment and grow from the process, being resistant merely makes the changes more taxing. 

 Wielding the sword of Wisdom, the sphinx represents a stance of objectivity. Attitude is everything when it comes to the shaping of our perspective. Think of life like the weather – don't take it personally. Our thoughts manifest, so think on the sunny side, this is the Wheel of Fortune after all!

 We've seen this monkey before, he's Hanuman, the Hindu god worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion. Look how relaxed he is, his expression is so chill, not the least bit phased by the eventual downturn. He takes the highs with the lows, maintaining a flexible view of his circumstances. This kind of flexibility doesn't occur overnight, it takes practice, diligence and stretching.



Here we have the Egptian god, Souchos, the embodiment of creativity. Although a treacherous creature, the alligator was considered a benefactor of the land, analogous to the Nile itself whose threatening floodwaters nonetheless ensured the perpetuity of life. Notice how he's reaching toward something? He's not lounging around, waiting for the creative muse to arrive; instead, he's actively searching for ways to transform the world around him for the better. The embodiment of reaping what we sow.


If you would like to know what events Lady Fortune has in the works for you, book a reading.

Join in the discussion!  What's your experience with blessings in disguise?

13 comments:

  1. That is soo cool. Until I started reading your blog, I didn't know that wach of the little symbols meant something. I especially liked the line, "Show me a person who loves suprises...lol...I agree with that all the way...Thank you soooo much fro opening your blog about mine...That means a lot and I'm glad that you liked it...smiles...hugs...

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  2. It's the symbols apparent on each of the cards which makes reading the Tarot possible. We're just focusing on individual cards at the moment, it's when we start looking at multiple cards at once that the fun really starts!

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  3. I have dabbled a bit with tarot, never much more than flipping through a deck and reading the accompanying "Book of Card Meanings." Your posts are very, very interesting, can't wait to read more!!

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  4. My mom is the best at having flexibility under stressful circumstances. I'm still working on it! Your post makes me appreciate her gift :).

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  5. Thanks for commenting on my blog. I look forward to reading my about Tarot.

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  6. Love the way you've broken down the symbolism on the card - the Tarot is so much more indepth than many people give it credit for!

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  7. So true! Tarot gets a bad wrap and it's my goal to clear away some of the misconceptions. Thanks to everyone for stopping by!

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  8. Great post! One of my problems with the popular understanding of "the laws of attraction" is the deemphasis on the value of personal action. When we commit our thoughts and actions toward a singular purpose, we are bound to run into what we need to get there. But, it's not enough to sit and wait. Glad to see your thoughts on this!

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  9. I just read your reply in BF about everyday challenges and I wanted to say that I'm glad you're doing ok. I like your blog as I find tarot interesting. I do my own simple readings, mostly from oracle cards, not from the true tarot. I just like to get some guidance here and there.

    Glad I found your blog. :-)

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  10. @Brent, if I may presume to give you my opinion about the Law of Attraction" here it is. I don't think it's so much about setting out with a single minded goal. I believe it's about "giving" and "service". Doing our best to do no harm, being kind and empathetic, helping - All of these true generosities of heart attract the like back to us.

    RACHEL, You always stop me in my tracks and teach me so many subtle reflections I may otherwise miss. I would agree that most of my surprises hit me like your brother's ball hitting you in the head. Usually they come without warning, knock me down for a while, but hidden is always the teaching I most need to learn at that time. I have to say I am in awe of your depth of knowledge and your profound interpretations of the Blessed Tarot.

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  11. Rachel, you need to put all of this into a book for us to study and integrate into our understanding. Maybe you can create a PDF version and we can buy it from you like your readings. Your wisdom is worth gold.

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  12. The more I write, the more I realize how right you are! I will most certainly compile this information into a book from which others can benefit. I've already begun the starting phases of collaborating on designing a new deck, and I'm sure a book is soon to follow.

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  13. Wonderful. Waiting for the announcements.

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