Let The Creative Juices Flow
Dear Maribeth,
What’s the best way to reach the next level of success in my artistic endeavor?
Mana chakalaka
Dear M.C.,
Well, with a name like that it appears you are already artistically ahead of most of us!! Where do you go from here? Let’s see what the cards say.
The cards for your reading are the 10 of Wands, the 7 of Swords and The Chariot. Because the Chariot is a Major Arcana card, and the other two are Minor Arcana cards, the interpretation of the first two cards will be influenced by the Chariot. Kind of like the way we act certain ways when we are around certain friends. It depends on who is around. The Major Arcana cards are the Boss cards.
The Chariot is about balance and the mind/body/spirit connection. To truly express any artistic endeavor, it is much like a tarot reading: You must act as a channel and leave your physical body (including your ego) behind. We’ve all had experiences when we felt we were “in the zone”. Where we are just doing something without really concentrating on it and it just flows out naturally. Even we are sometimes amazed at the results of this kind of application! I believe this is what you are striving for.
The 10 of Wands represents the feeling you get when you try too hard. Extreme effort that doesn’t allow you to pick your head up and even look around to see where you are and what you are doing. Your perspective is so closed off that you just keep going. You might be doing something with someone else’s ideas in mind, instead of your own. Or you might be pushing yourself toward a deadline or expecting a certain outcome. Notice how he is embracing the wands as he works toward the goal in the background. It is important for your artistic endeavors to flow naturally, and not feel like you are pushing against the tide. Excessive burden does not allow for the enlightenment of divinity.
The 7 of Swords is another card of carrying burdens, and adds the dimension of disloyalty. It looks as though he is not being true to himself, but rather trying to appease what he believes others expect of him. He has his own vision as shown by the red hat and boots symbolizing the passion that drives him. It is important for you to do what YOU feel is right, not what the marketing people think will sell. Your vibration runs deep. Please listen and resound with it. What is your definition of success? Maybe the search to unveil the next layer is actually the success itself. Embrace all of it.
The way the figure in the first card is facing right, and the 2nd person is facing left seems to leave a pause before the 3rd card faces directly toward us. The absence creates space. Instead of looking to fill the space, look to empty it. Nature will then take its course. A lot can be understood during a sigh between sentences.
There are several aspects of the Chariot that are applicable to your question. Unlike the first two cards where the figures are taking steps, the Chariot doesn’t even have any apparent legs! He is rooted in cement. Nor does he have any reins to control those sphinxes to pull him. He is relying completely on his mind to guide him. The village in the background shows us that he is leaving to find his place in the world. His desire is to set himself apart from the rest. The moon and stars in the card imply celestial influence indicating a true mind/body/spirit connection. The message of this card is the importance of maintaining balance.
This is a question I hope a lot of people can relate to. There are a lot of current astrological influences encouraging us to express our true natures and be more creative. The world needs it for balance and a sense of community. Imagine what would happen if everyone reached the next level of success in each of their individual artistic endeavors. We all have an artistic outlet. Imagine the foods in restaurants! The artwork on the streets! The music on the radio! The healing hands! The books! Oh, the wonder of it all!