http://patreon.com/deansagemedia

We start by pulling a projection card reminding us that we love learning from the wisdom of others, sparking a conversation about how exposing ourselves to differing opinions helps us define who we are, even if we are simply learning what we don't want to be. We then pull the Oracle card, which tells us to stop overthinking, be quiet, and trust our intuition. We make a direct connection to the tarot here, noting that the Oracle corresponds to the High Priestess in the major arcana. This card encourages us to rest and metabolize our social interactions, highlighting the difference between a baseline gut reaction—like the "ick"—and a truly informed instinct.

Deepening our exploration of the heart chakra, we pull a surprisingly sassy card that instructs us to "upset our titties," be outraged by suffering, and let good people help us. This prompts a vital discussion about empathy, the illusion of scarcity, and the danger of drawing our circles of care so small that we ignore the suffering of others outside our immediate community. This theme of community support flows directly into our fourth card, the six of storms, which brings another specific mention of the tarot as it is directly equated to the six of swords. While the six of swords often represents a journey, this air sign card is reframed around the concept of being "washed free" from old, comfortable structures. We are reminded that navigating the deep grief of emotional erosion shouldn't be done in isolation; just as you would ask for a spotter when lifting a heavy barbell at the gym, you should lean on your community to help stabilize you through heavy emotional burdens.

We conclude what turns out to be a very love-centric, "Valentine's Day spread" by anchoring our energy with a final red earth projection card. This card asks us to profess that we are a compassionate, sacred space, grounding the air, wood, and water elements of our earlier pulls. We end with the powerful metaphor of a temple that is not built block by block, but rather gouged and hewn out of living rock, reminding us that doing the hard work of carving out our own internal spaces allows us to leave behind a beautiful, stable structure where we can invite others in for comfort and companionship.

http://patreon.com/deansagemedia

We begin by pulling a haiku card about photosynthesis, using it as a metaphor for nourishing friendships with just the right amount of light and fire so as not to overwhelm or burn them out. This theme of proportion leads us to our second card, the eight of waves, which is explicitly connected to the eight of cups in the traditional tarot. Just as the tarot's eight of cups involves moving away from messy situations and following intuition, our card reminds us to free ourselves from the chaotic shallows and flow toward the source in deeper waters. This prompts a deep discussion on the necessity of allowing our gut instincts and our rational heads to have an open conversation, ensuring that neither type of intelligence is ignored.

As we move higher into the chakras, we draw our third card, which humorously but firmly advises us to play hide-and-seek with ourselves, get some therapy, and journal our experiences. This card encourages us to gamify and examine our internal landscape so we can do the difficult work of disassembling past trauma, ensuring we do not navigate the world purely from a place of fear. Our fourth card, the six of flames, brings another direct reference to the tarot as it corresponds to the six of wands, which is described as the stardom card associated with public approval and getting your flowers. This card instructs us to abandon false humility and feel the warmth of those who celebrate our work, reminding us that graciously accepting a genuine compliment is a healthy way to absorb positive energy.

We wrap up the reading with our final card, an intersection of metal and air in the sacral and throat chakras that deals with the concepts of feeling and saying. This serves as a vital reminder that our internal emotions and sensations deserve a voice, and if we do not express what we are feeling, we ultimately shortchange ourselves. Looking at the reading as a whole, the progression of these cards guides us through managing the energy we share with others, doing the heavy lifting of internal healing, and ultimately allowing ourselves to both express our truths and accept love from the outside world. Though we note that we did not pull a grounding root chakra card during the episode, we close with the reflection that doing this deep emotional work is like swimming; eventually, you step out of the water, plant your feet firmly on the earth, and use that stabilized foundation to feel your own strength.

http://patreon.com/deansagemedia

In this episode, we pull a haiku card about savage gales and use it to dive into the complexities of radical honesty, asking whether it is sometimes more loving to withhold the brutal truth. As we slide down the chakras from the throat and heart to the solar plexus, we pull the eight of flames and discuss the vital difference between guilt and shame, exploring how a healthy sense of shame can actually provide the conviction and power needed to change who we are at our core.

As our reading progresses and we forge a path toward emotional healing and leadership, we touch on the power of interpretation, which naturally brings us to the tarot. During our discussion on intuition and the connotations we place on literal imagery, the tarot is specifically highlighted for its unique imagery that can be adapted and applied to many different life circumstances. We note that while every tarot deck is slightly different in its visual representation, the foundational ideas remain universal. This tarot connection surfaces again when we pull the Director card, which is explicitly identified as being the equivalent of the Chariot, the seventh card in the major arcana of the traditional tarot, representing the willpower needed to influence others and draw them to a path.

Finally, we ground our energy in the root chakra with a closing projection card that reminds us to perform unexpected miracles and leave a kind legacy. We reflect on how tempering our inner fire and honing our intuition can help us create a sacred icon, a perpetual gift that will continue to speak and bring comfort to others long after we are gone. We hope you find the willpower to tell yourself that you can achieve your goals, and we invite you to join us on this journey of creating a positive bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds.