A Gratitude Reading
Tarot. Thanksgiving. They both start with the letter T. Sometimes they’re both filled with things we’d rather not deal with (Cousin Sarah’s obnoxious boyfriend, jello salad with coconut topping, the Ten of Swords followed by the Tower). On the plus side, both offer opportunities for reflection and gratitude.
I’m trying to be more mindful of the holidays this year, and not allow myself to be caught up in the chaos which often erupts at this time. I was thinking about Thanksgivings long gone, and remembered my grade school art teacher, who truly believed that everyone was an artist. For those of us whose artistic abilities were less-developed, she would show us shortcuts for drawing. One of those shortcuts was to trace around your hand to create an outline of a turkey. One random thought led to another, and the next thing you know, I had sketched out not only a turkey, but a Gratitude Reading. You can use it any time, of course, but it seems especially pertinent today.
Trace around your hand (do each finger individually) to create a turkey shape. The thumb is the turkey’s head, and the fingers make the tailfeather spray. You can color in the turkey if you want, add feet, and decorate any way you wish. You can also work with just the outline if you want. The point is to think about gratitude, not to get hung up on making a realistic drawing of a bird.
Shuffle your deck, pondering all that is good in your life and asking the Tarot to show you all that you have for which to be grateful. When you’re done shuffling, lay out the cards – the first one on the head, and the next four on the tailfeathers, and two more on the bottom for the feet. If you traced your right hand, move clockwise around the drawing; if you traced your left hand, move counter-clockwise.
Card 1, on the turkey’s head, represents mental and intellectual blessings.
Card 2, the front tailfeather, represents physical and material blessings.
Card 3, the tallest tailfeather, represents spiritual blessings.
Card 4, the next tailfeather, represents emotional blessings.
Card 5, the last tailfeather, represents historical blessings – things in your past which were beneficial in some way, even if they didn’t seem like positive events or influences at the time.
Card 6, the first foot, represents the blessings associated with home and family.
Card 7, the other foot, represents the blessings associated with work and career – not just vocation, but avocation and hobbies as well.
Find some paper and crayons, shuffle your cards, and use the Tarot to remind you of all that is good in your life!