One hundred and thirty seven years ago today Margret Williams was born. Forty one years later she wrote her famous book The Velveteen Rabbit. Most of her children’s books center around toys coming to life and conveying human emotions. She wasn’t the first to do this; there was Steadfast Toy Solider by Hans Christian(1838) Anderson or a couple years earlier than her book the Raggedy Ann(1922) stories by Johnny Gruelle.
It is interesting that Margret’s and Hans’ stories are the ones that have held up through time. Their commonality is that they are sentimental but sad stories. Both toys are forgotten, thrown out, and die. However through the alchemy of love are transformed into something else. It is interesting that both these authors chose inanimate objects to tell this story instead of their living counterparts. Maybe these tales and ones like them ask a deeper question – what makes us real?
My favorite part of her story is the exchange between the Velveteen Bunny and the Skin Horse. You can read the entire exchange as you read down the forecasts. I have added its parts sequentially at the end of each forecast – for fun and contemplation. They may or may not add to your reality. 😉
P.S. Please share. Also, I have put up another quote to download for your vision board. Enjoy.
Aries – Ten of Rods
The Ten of Rods say you are carrying too much at one time. Sometimes we take on more than we should because we think or believe we should handle more. Whether that choice is to prove something to yourself or old mental baggage that someone has loaded on you, you do not at this time need to take on so much responsibility. The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.
*Taurus – Hermit
Last week the Star challenge you to not hide the suffering and sorrow of the world when, so in the Star’s simplest form asked you to stand and say “you are not alone” or in its complex form to help find positive solutions. This week you pulled the Hermit card that still continues the theme of healing. The Hermit advises you need some alone time. Your mind needs solitude to heal your own wounds before going out in the world. However, you are also challenged when you are with people who you are bringing that healing message to others. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else.
Continue reading Tarotcast for Week of July 22, 2018
A couple of years ago I told you all about the Library of Congress 
The Star is the card of healing and hope. With the Queen of Wands last week, this is another week of looking at your work and purpose and asking – is what I’m doing or saying inspiring hope and healing? The challenge is realizing that we need to go to through the Tower (destruction) to get to the Star. And in so doing, we should not hide the suffering and sorrow in the world but at the very least stand and say “you are not alone” or at the Star’s height to help find positive solutions.
This week’s artist is 
Last week the Magician challenged you to experiment and see that the key to success are learning and building on your mistakes. This week continues that theme with the focus shifting to relationships. The solution is not so much learning from past mistakes but finding new ways to connect. Remember unconditional love is to truly seeing and saying I like you just the way you are – Mister Rodgers. 
The Queen of Wands embodies spiritual creativity. Your challenge is being mindful of what you create. She asks- What are you communicating with your creation? Will it improve the world? That challenge is daunting unless you remember the quote from Mother Theresa- I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
Take this week to experiment and bring your amazing imagination into the real world. The challenge is to let yourself experiment and know that the key to success is learning and building on your mistakes.
The Page of Swords is the most inquisitive of the cards. When it comes into a reading it means that you need to listen and ferret out information before putting anything into action. So your challenge this week is to ask question and really listen to the answers you get. You will need this information in the coming weeks.
The Two of Cups is about exploring relationships. Sometimes you do so well by yourself you forget to invite other people into your life. The challenge this week to get to know someone better or create some romance in your life.
These two cards tell you that you will feel more informed if you keep to yourself or only hang with a chosen few. Do not listen to the general public their information is not helpful to you this week. Heed your own counsel.
Oh you needed this card after the past couple of weeks. The Star is the card of healing and hope. Take this week to pull away a bit and heal. Your challenge is allowing the time to heal. If you do, you will gain the hope and insight you will need to carry on with a lighter load.
Last week, The Empress challenged you to grow by knowing what to sow, where to sow it and how to tend to it for the longer haul. This week continues that theme, but with the caveat that the end result should include creating joy. So your challenge is to be more of the wild horse this week then the human part of yourself. Run or drive with the wind blowing through your mane/hair.
The Queen of Cups focuses again on your emotions this week. Where last week the Page wanted you to play, the Queen wants you to pull from all your emotions to create. This week you might find that you can be pushed emotionally by outside sources. The challenge is to see that each of these encounters is a way to interact with and use your deeper emotions – think emotional alchemy. Overall, this card wants you to make friends with your heart.
The Justice card tells you that in the long view all things will balance out fairly in the end. The challenge this week is keeping your emotions off the scale during the process. Rely on the facts and your logic this week.
The Knight of Cups asks you to create some movement in your emotional life. However, the challenge with this knight is not to wear your heart on your sleeve while doing so. You can kick around in your emotional waters but don’t swim to the deep end.
The Five of Cups ponders the idiom of perceiving your life or situations as a cup half full or empty. This card challenges you this week at the end of each day to quantify where your glass-line lies.
The King of Swords is the decision man. This week is a great week to make decisions, write, create proposals or bath in the literary world. The challenge is to maintain your focus while you doing it.
The “building” energy of the past three weeks continues with the Ace of Pentacles. This is a great way to start off your birth year. All aces are about beginnings. This week is a great time to start new projects, experiment with old projects in new ways and explore new places. The challenge is seeing everything with fresh eyes.
This week is the beginning of your month-long wind down to your birth day. This card asks you to wrap up emotions that you have been dealing with the past year. The challenge is how to see these emotions with rose-colored glasses. I know that the blinding truth is your recent M.O. but just for this week look through the rosy-tinted optics as a fashion/lifestyle statement.
The Seven of Wands is about your boundaries versus your walls. The challenge this week is defining and then acting on those definitions.
This is your second five in a row, so let’s look at fives for a second. Five challenges or forewarns us about the chaos in our life. Last week the chaos resided in your material plane, and this week it is with your interactions with your community. The Five of Wands asks you to examine your line between play and competition. The challenge is seeing to that line not getting stepped on by others or you.
The Hanged Man card foretells a week of delays and side roads. The challenge is seeing that this detour is just that. You will eventually end up where you were heading, so sit back and enjoy the slow lane.
The Empress is the card of growth and fertility. Like last week this week create new things on the material plane. However, the Empress wants you to take the long view with what you are planting. She is the supreme gardener. The challenge is what to sow, where to sow it and then know that you will need to tend to it for the longer haul.
The Page of Cups is the card of innocence and joy. So here is your challenge: Enjoy life like a child. Laugh. Play. Sounds easy but really hard for you all to do for a whole week.
The Knight of Swords challenges you to slow down. The main reason to be almost sloth-like is that you will need to notice something along that way that you would have missed at the pace you have been setting lately. This is also an omen card and comes up when we are more accident prone. You can avoid these missteps by keeping your feet on the ground, keep your eyes on whatever you are doing and slow your roll.
Five of Swords is the chaos card. The way to deal with this is to realize that this chaos has really nothing to do with you unless you engage with it. The challenge is imagine the chaos blowing over you like the wind. It might leave some dirt or dust on your skin but you can wash it off.
The King of Pentacles is the mini version of the Emperor. This week is about building your empire whether that is your business, your home, or your home-life. The question is: are you happy with what you are building? If not take this week to reassess what you need to do to feel “self”-made.
Last week the Devil arrived for your birth month. This card came to show you the coming year will bring in your last act to the old, and begin a new life or evolution. This year will challenge to stay focus on your path and stand firm on who you are or want to be. So for this week the Five of Cups arrived to have you go through the emotions of letting go of the old way of life. This card reminds you that you need to go through a mourning period for the past before you move on to a brighter future.
The “building” energy of the past two weeks continues this week with the Ten of Pentacles. But this card reminds you that it is as important to enjoy what you build as much as building it.
The King of Wands challenges you this week with a question to answer or maybe a demand: How can you increase the creativity and passion to your work this week?
This week the Four of Wands recommends spending time at home or under the shade of an oak tree. This is the card of comfort, coziness, and a sense of well-being. The only challenge with this card is seeing the little details of life are as important as the big things.
The Five of Pentacles challenges us to ask for help when we are low in energy, funds, or resources. This card shows up to remind us when we are exhausted the first thing you need to do is stop and realize that you are, and then look to a peaceful space or friends for help.
It is another week of strategizing and preparing with the Queen of Swords. This queen is the personification of strategy and communication. The better prepared you are at what to say this week the easier the week will flow. Watch your words.
The Ace of Pentacles foretells new beginnings on the material plane. This is a great week to plant something, to start a project, or invest in your future. Things grow from each thing you do this week.
The Six of Swords challenges you to do some conscious exploration this week. Whether that is in your world or in your mind, pay attention to what surrounds you. The challenge is to take note or pocket those things or thoughts that grab and then keep your attention. You will find them useful trinkets for future wanderings.
Last week the Magician challenged you to experiment with new things. This week is the opposite with the Eight of Pentacles. This card advises you to spend this week honing your craft. The challenge is to only spend time on things you already are good at. Keep your magpie quality of collect and trying new bright and shine things at bay.
Last week, the Judgment card challenged you to be a more evolved and thoughtful you. This week takes on a lighter tone with the Seven of Cups. Sevens are the cards of explanation and contraction. This card has you explore how your dreams can expand or contract your future. We have a tendency to unrealistically dream or dream to small. The best advice with this card is to dream just out of reach, so with a bit of effort you will obtain your goals this week.
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