This blog is all over the place. I get an idea and I follow it, fully intending to revisit things, to dig deeper and create some semblance of an overarching theme. Then I get distracted. I read an amazing blog, see a kick-ass new spread, hear an inspiring podcast, get neck-deep in a tarot discussion… and then I have all these new ideas to follow, leaving my best intentions for a cohesive blog lying forgotten. With five planets and the MC in Sagittarius in my natal chart, none of this surprises me: all that fire energy is great for coming up with ideas, and even for starting projects. It’s less than great for follow-through or actually finishing any one thing. Luckily, with Saturn in Capricorn, the energy is there for working: this is buckle-down, nose-to-the-grindstone time. This is time to Do The Things. But just how does one get anything done when there are so many things to get done? Let’s ask the cards.
“How can I successfully work through multiple projects I have in mind?”
(Deck used: the Joie de Vivre Tarot)
1.) STOP
the Lovers, Rx:
There’s this idea that one has to finish what one starts, that if one takes the first step in a direction, that is the direction in which one must continue. The Lovers card speaks of choices, either this or that. If one starts a painting, one should finish that painting before moving on to the sculpture one has in mind. One thing at a time, choose wisely. The reversal of this card calls bullshit: it says that “both/and” can be a perfectly reasonable way to approach some choices. Tackling a long list of projects isn’t necessarily about picking one thing to see through to the end. That can lead to burnout and boredom. Why continue a project long after you’ve ceased to enjoy the work? Because you started it, you have to finish it? Hell no! Following what inspires you in this moment means that you’re more invested in what you’re working on than if you’re simply working towards finishing something just because it’s already been started. STOP thinking that decisions are (or have to be) final; all choices lead to more choices.
2.) YIELD
Ace of Wands:
“As My Whimsy Takes Me” is the family motto of the fictional gentleman-detective Lord Peter Wimsey, and a fine motto for the Ace of Wands as well. This is a card about inspiration, motivation, action, excitement, passion; you could call it the “fervor” card. When inspiration strikes, follow it. When enthusiasm wanes, allow some time and distance to put things into perspective. Do what excites you, what makes you loose track of time, what feeds your soul. And if something comes along to distract you, feel no shame or guilt about following that for a while. I frequently say that I have the attention span of a squirrel: I can be so focused on opening a walnut that I notice absolutely nothing around me… until I chance a glance at a bigger walnut. This card is giving me permission to chase that bigger walnut. YIELD to the fleeting nature of inspiration; be the damn squirrel.
3.) START
Knight of Wands:
The knights of the tarot move. They have places to go, things to learn, adventures to have, people to meet. They don’t apologize for their wandering ways, for their short attention spans or lofty ideas. They can’t settle in one place for long because their job is to keep moving, to spread the ideas (and ideals) of their respective suits. Stasis is unbecoming of a knight. This card speaks of not only allowing movement, but embracing it. This brings to mind process art for me: the journey being more important than the destination, the doing of the work being the reason to do the work. No one knows what lies around the next corner, what adventures are to come. Take that first step, then the next step, don’t look beyond the step you’re currently taking. Do not pause to consider where it’ll end, where it’ll lead, what it’ll lead to. START moving, having faith that there’s solid ground where you’re about to lay your foot.
QUINTESSANCE:
VII the Chariot:
“Focus, control, skill, action” are the keywords in the LWB for this deck. With lots of ideas, lots of options, one can get stuck in a 7 of Cups mentality: unable to make any decision at all, overwhelmed by the sheer possibilities. “Focus” on what is realistically doable right now: I don’t have the right paint for this project, but I have all the tools I need for these other three. I would take “Control” in this instance to mean not allowing the sheer volume of options (the “what-if”s) to distract from making a decision, even if it’s not ultimately the best decision for this moment. Sometimes, you just have to start something to realize that it’s not what you want to be doing; sometimes it inspires you to do something else specifically, sometimes it just helps whittle down the list of possibilities. The “skill” comes in knowing when it’s time to move on to the next thing, when I’ve followed my inspiration as far as it’ll go in that direction, for that project. Knowing when to let go is a skill honed over a lifetime. I feel that “Action” in this case, is about trial and error. You’ll never know if you’re good at a thing, if you enjoy it, if you never try. And, let’s not forget that the Chariot is associated with the astrological sign of Cancer: these are decisions to be made from the heart for the most emotionally satisfying outcome possible. Giddy the hell up!
Thistle Tarot 