I promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more tarot decks.

At least not for a while. I am adamantly not a tarot deck collector.

But… then I spotted this one. The Tarot of the Cat People, by Karen Kuykendall. I saw people of different colours. I saw awesome outfits and earrings and *incredible* hairdos. I saw vivid greens and blues and pinks. I saw cats. And I clicked ‘add to basket’. Like you do.

Call it a birthday present to myself.

I’ll interview/review this new deck properly soon, but just to give you a peek at some of the cards, here’s the birthday reading I did with these cards yesterday.

[Check out the birthday tarot spread Em and I created here.]

1. What to leave behind in the past year

The Devil

Unhealthy habits – I certainly have a few. The first one that springs to mind is that sensation of being ‘busy all the time’. I’m busy, yes, but when you first start out self-employed, there can be this feeling that you are working from the moment you wake til the moment you go to sleep… and it’s not really okay.

It’s turned me into a flake, who regularly misses out on time with friends because ‘work is more important’, or who can’t reply to letters and emails because I’m simply ‘too busy’. I’m not. This is a state of mind. And it’s time to leave it behind.

2. A lesson you learned last year, to carry with you into the next

Two of Swords

In this deck, the Two of Swords is said to represent strength and victory – qualities that are very visible in the image on the card. For me, it’s more about time out to think, blocking out noisy fuzz to hear my own thoughts clearly. Combining the two, I can see there’s been a lesson for me in my 32nd year about how I think, how I like to work.

Towards the end of last year, I spend two months pretty much alone, having just moved to a new city, and my partner having gone to the US to do an apprenticeship. And I loved it. I used the time to focus, to turn inwards, to conquer mental chaos and procrastination and for the first time in my life, to get down on paper some real, tangible life goals and strategies for achieving them. I want this to continue this year.

3. The next thing you will learn

Three of Cups

For me, this is a card of loving, supportive friendship. Assessing my social circle with a warm heart and open arms, valuing those people who I love and who bring so much to my life, and letting them know. Saying goodbye to relationships which are no longer working. Being open to the new friendships that will develop this year. Investing in friendship and love.

4. The theme of the year ahead

Queen of Wands

Enough said. I get it. I do. My whole life I’ve said ‘I have no ambition’, ‘I just want to pootle along and be happy’, ‘I’m not a leader’. But now I’ve found something I truly love to do, and I’m excited and yes, ambitious. This is a year of confidence and dream-realising. Of being unafraid of leadership. It began with the Alternative Tarot Course (or perhaps much earlier, with this whole blog), and this year, it’s going to get bigger.

I frickin’ LOVE the Queen of Wands, and I’m really excited to see her here.

And I especially like the tiny cat on her head.

5 and 6. Today – what to celebrate or do today, on your birthday

Three of Wands, Seven of Cups

Writing this retrospectively, I can totally see where the Seven of Cups came through. Over and over again. It’s the burden of choice, the feeling of being faced with a plethora of fun things to do…and being rendered immobile by this. Should I get a tattoo, go to the gallery, catch a film, go to Todmorden, go to the seaside, drink fizzy wine at midday, work as normal…?

The danger with the Seven of Cups is always that you either choose nothing, or spread yourself too thin and half-ass everything. The Three of Wands says, make a positive choice, do one thing well, do it wholeheartedly and with energy. Celebrate that decision. So I did. And I had a great day 🙂

7. A birthday message from your ancestors

Seven of Pentacles

You reap what you sow

Thank you, ancestors. I hear you loud and clear.

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